Works

Sect. II. Of the Synagogues in those latter times after the return out of captivity.

However corruptions and vain fancies were crept into, and mingled with the worship and carriage in their Synagogues in the latter days of Jerusalem, when sin, folly, and traditions did abound (as what hath there been even of the holiest use and institution, which by the wretched folly or daring of men hath not been abused, either besides or contrary to the proper end and use of it?) yet because the New Testament doth speak of the Synagogues as they then were better or worse, and hath occasion often to relate to their customs which were now traditional and mingled with human inventions; It is agreeable to the work that we have in pursuit, to give account and relate the story of them accordingly out of their own antiquities and traditions. In which if we find that their fond and foolish inventions had spoiled the Synagogue service, yet had it no more nullified the necessary being of Synagogues than their Traditions had done the Law.

We will first therefore look upon the places that were capable and fit to have a Synagogue built and erected in them, as their traditions ordered, and those were not every Town or Village that was in Israel, but only those that were called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Great Cities. Now what one of these was is determined by the Talmud in these words: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 What is meant by a great City? Such a one as hath in it ten men of leisure? Less than thus, it is a Village. Megillah per. 1. And to this sense is Maimonides to be understood, when he saith 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Every place where there are ten men of Israel, there it is requisite to build an house, whither they may resort to prayer at every time of prayer: and this place is called a Synagogue: And the men of the City are to urge one another to build a Synagogue, and to buy them a book of the Law, Prophets, & Hagiographa, Maymon. in Tephillah. per. 11.

Not that every Town which had ten men or ten idle men in it was capable presently of a Synagogue, but these ten men that they mean must be men of some fashion and quality.

Their preciseness for this number of ten arose from this, because they held not that to be a lawful Congregation, nor pleasing to God in which there was not ten persons. And they read not in the Law nor in the Prophets, in the Synagogue, nor lifted up their hands, &c. unless there were ten persons present. Megillah. per. 4. For they thought not that God was present there, if there were not so many men present.

The Divine Majesty dwelleth not among less than ten: Nay, R. Jonathan saith, that when the Holy blessed God cometh into the Synagogue and findeth not ten there, he is presently angry, as it is said, Wherefore came I and there was no man?

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 But whence ground they this opinion that a Congregation consisteth of ten, and must not be less? This is the Talmuds question in Sanhedrin per. 1. and they give there this answer.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Because it is said, How long shall I bear with this evil Congregation ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Numb. 14. 27.) Take Joshua and Caleb out, and there remainded but ten: namely, the rest of the spies which caused the people to murmur, for of them only they understand these words to be spoken.

The words of our Savior in Matth. 18. 17, 20. seem to have reference to this opinion; Dic Ecclesiae, Tell the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or Congregation; and that is not ten or many, as they held, but when two or three are gathered together in my name, if no more may be had.

Now upon this traditional construction of the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or of a Congregation, that it must consist at the least of ten, they only erected Synagogues in those places, where there were ten men, that were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or still at leisure, and uningagad from other employments, to go to Church at every time of prayer to make up a Congregation: Poor laboring men, and men of great employments in the world could not be at this leisure always, and therefore those men that must be continually the makers up of a Congregation at every pinch, must be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as Rambam stiles them ubi supra, per. 12. Men of rank and quality; Not so much of rank and greatness in regard of outward possessions, wealth and honors, as in regard of Study in the Law and Religion, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 For there is no Ben horin or man of rank, but he that is versed in the study of the Law, Avoth. per. 6.

Sect. III. Of their Synagogue days, or time of their meeting there.

Where a City or Town was stocked with ten such sufficient men there they built a Synagogue, and according to the number of such men, and populousness of the place, they increased the number of their Synagogues sometimes to a very great multitude: The treatise Beracoth saith there were twelve Synagogues in Tiberias: fol. 8. And Rabbi Solomon speaketh of four hundred and eighty Synagogues in Jerusalem, on Isaiah. 1.

Now their Synagogue days, or the times of their public prayers there, were three every week (setting holy days aside) namely, on the Sabbath, and on the second day of the week, which answereth to our Monday, and on the fifth day, which is our Thursday: Their meeting there on the Sabbath, and praying, and reading the Law was ordained by Moses. Maym. Tephil. per. 12. But on the second and fifth day of the week was appointed by Ezra. Talm. in Bava bathra per. 4. There the Gemarists and Glossaries debate the ma • ter why on these two days rather than on any other two of the week, and some sa •… was, because they should never be three days together without hearing of the Law. And in all • usion hereunto they apply that passage in Exod. 15. 22. They went three days to the wilderness and found no water. Others say it was, because Moses went up on the fifth day of the week to receive the renewed Tables, and came down on the second.

These two days of the week were called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The days of Assembling. Megill. per. 1. Because on these days the Inhabitans of the Villages went into the great Towns where Synagogues were to hear the Law, Gloss. Mishuaioth in octavo. ibid.

The Judges used to sit in Judgment on these two days of the week: Chetuboth. per. 5. and these were the two days of the week on which they used to fast, Luke 18. 12. Gloss. in Bava bathr. ubi supr.

There is an expression in Acts 13. 22. The Gentiles desired to have the same words spoken to them 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 on the Sabbath between: which if it be not to be understood of one of these Synagogue days of the week, it would fairly plead for our Christian Sabbath.

Their traditional Canons enjoined the frequenting of the public assemblies in their Synagogues, and that upon the very clear grounds of Reason and Religion, God refuseth (say they) the prayers of a Congregation, yea though sinners be amongst them. Therefore it is necessary that a man join himself to the Congregation, and pray not alone at any time, when he may pray with the Congregation. And let a man ever go to morning and evening prayer in the Synagogue: And everyone that hath a Synagogue in his City, and prayeth not in it, with the Congregation he is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 An evil neighbor. Maym. in Tephillah. per. 8. Beracoth. fol. 61. And it was forbidden that any one should go by the Synagogue at the time of Prayer, unless he had some burden upon his back: or unless there were more Synagogues in the City, for then he might be thought to be going to his own Church: or that there were two doors in the Synagogue: for then he that saw him go by the one door might think he would come at in the other. But if had his Phylacteries upon his head he might go by, for those bare witness at in that he was mindful of the Law. Id. ibid. per. 6. This Phylacterial note of a Student, and learned man in the Law, I suppose was that, by which the rulers of the Synagogue of Antioch in Pisidia, were incited to make the motion to Paul and Barnabas to make a Sermon to the people. They were mere strangers one to another, and I see not how they should guess them to be men fit to teach, any way so well and readily, as by seeing their Phylacteries upon them, which the learned among the Jews only used to wear and the Apostles among the Jews wore them as well as others, for to the Jews they became Jews for the winning of them.

Sect. IV. Of their Synagogue Officers.

Their Synagogues themselves are described by the Jewish writers, to consist of two parts, the Chancel and the Church. The chancel they called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Temple: and it stood westward as did the Sanctum Sanctorum in the Tabernacle and the Temple: and in this they set the Ark or Chest, (for every Synagogue had one) in which they laid up the book of the Law. In the body of the Church the Congregation met, and prayed and heard the Law, and the manner of their sitting was thus. The Elders sat near the Chancel with their faces down the Church: and the people sat one form behind another with their faces up the Church toward the Chancel and the Elders. Between the people and the Elders thus facing one another, there was a space where there stood the Pulpit, where the Law was read and Sermons made unto the people. Talm. in Megil. per. 4. & Maym. ubi supr.

Now Rabbi Alphes expounding what is meant by the Elders of the Synagogue, he saith, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 They were the wisemen or those students of the Law that were among them: that is, those ten men of Religion, rank and learning, of which we have spoken before, which were the prime members and constituents of the Congregation. Of these Elders there were some that had rule and office in the Synagogue, and some that had not. And this distinction the Apostle seemeth to allude unto, in that much disputed text, 1 Tim. 5. 17. The Elders that rule well, &c. where The Elders that ruled well, are set not only in opposition to those that ruled ill, but to those that ruled not at all.

Those that ruled or had Office in the Congregation were these two.

1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Ruler of the Synagogue: Luke 8, 41, 49. He had the chief care of affairs there: that nothing should be done undecent or disorderly, as Luke 13. 14. He gave warning when the Reader should begin to read. Maym. ubi ante per. 1. and when the people should answer Amen, Aruch. in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and took care of things of the like nature, that conduced to the regulating of the Service and of the Synagogue.

2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Angelus Ecclesiae, The Minister of the Congregation, who labourd in the word and doctrine, being the constant Minister of the Synagogue, to pray, preach, keep the book of the Law, appoint the Readers of it, and to oversee that they read aright: And from hence he was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or Overseer. And so Baal Aru • h doth clearly expound it, The 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Chazan, saith he, was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the Minister of the Congregation: and the word meaneth an Overseer: for it behooved him to see how they read in the Law. And the gloss upon Maymony in the places aforecited doth plainly make the Sheliahh hatzibbor, or Angelus Ecclesiae, and the Chazan or Episcopus to be all one: And so we may see from whence these titles and epithets in the New Testament are taken, namely from the common platform and constitution of the Synagogues, where Angelus Ecclesiae, and Episcopus were terms of so ordinary use and knowledge: and we may observe from whence the Apostle taketh his expressions when he speaketh of some Elders ruling and laboring in word and doctrine, and some not, namely, from the same platform, and constitution of the Synagogue, where the Ruler of the Synagogue, was more singularly for ruling the affairs of the Synagogue, yet was he ever a Student in Divinity: and the Minister of the Congregation, laboring in the word, and reading of the Law, and in doctrine about the preaching of it: Both these together are sometimes called jointly The Rulers of the Synagogue, Acts 13, 15. Mark. 5. 22. being both Elders that ruled, but the title is more singularly given to the first of them.

Sect. V. Of their Preachers.

Having thus taken some view of their Synagogues as they now stood, it is in the second place worth the examination, upon what ground and reason Christ was permitted to teach in their Synagogues, he being a private man, and of a mechanic education: He was not only a Carpenters Son in common repute, but he is also called a Carpenter himself, Mark 6. 3. And was it used among the Jews that mechanicks and tradesmen might preach, if they would thrust themselves upon it? No, it was not any such use or custom in the nation, that gave Christ this admission to the Pulpit, but the wonders and miracles that he wrought which caused his fame to go through all the country, and which caused the people to take him for a Prophet: this was that that procured him admittance and acceptance to teach and preach in any Synagogue where he came.

1. From the very first platforming of the Church of Israel, the tribe of Levi was set a part for the public ministry, to attend upon the Altar at Jerusalem, and to teach the people up and down the Nation, Deut. 33. 10. Mal. 2. 7. and for the better fitting of them for teaching, they had eight and forty cities allotted them, Josh. 21. in which they dwelt together, as in so many Universities, studying the Law, that they might be able in time to be Preachers in the Synagoguess and Teachers in schools up and down the Land.

2. Men of other tribes also studied the Law and became learned men and public Preachers as well as the Priests and Levites, as the Scribes of Zebulun, Judge. 5. 14. the learned men of Issachar, 1 Chron. 12. 32. The great Hillel of the tribe of Judah, and his posterity, Rabban Simeon, Rabban Gamaliel, Paul's master &c. and Paul himself of the Tribe of Benjamin: Nay sometime they had Doctors and public Teachers of the Law, and professors of Divinity, that either were not Israelites at all, but only Proselytes or Proselytes Sons, as R. Akibah, a man exceeding famous, was the son of Joseph a Proselyte of Righteousness. Maym. pref. ad Jad. hazahah: or that were but half Israelites, as Shemaiah and Abtalion are said by Maymony in the place cited, to be Proselytes of righteousness also, and by Abraham Zaccuth to be of the posterity of Sennacherib, but their mother was an Israelite, Juchasin fol. 50.

3. There were some of their public Teachers and Preachers that had been Mechanics. as R. Johanan called Sandelar or the Shoemaker: R. Judah called Hajiat, or the Jailor, &c. And so saith Maimonides, &c. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Some of the greatest wisemen of Israel have been some of them hewers of wood, and drawers of water, and some of them blind, yet for all that they plied the Law day and night, and so became some of the great Traditionaries. In Talm. torah. per. 1.

4. Now none of these forementioned, were admitted to this public employment of teaching and preaching, but he was first ordained, and had Ordination as a State call and commission to that Office. So Johanan the Shoemaker, or Sandeler mentioned before, was ordained by R. Akibah, before ever he was public Teacher or called Rabbi: Juchasin fol. 61. for none were called Rabbi but who were first ordained, for that was one of the passages in their ordination; They laid not always their hands on him that was to be ordained, but they called him Rabbi, and said to him, Behold thou art ordained, &c. Maymon. in Sanhedr. per. 4. And all the while before his Ordination, he was called after his Fathers name as Ben Betirah, but after his Ordination he was called R. Joshua Ben Betirah. Juchasin fol. 56. Till Hillels time, a public Teacher having been ordained himself, had authority and used to ordain his Scholars according as he saw them sit, but for honor to Hillel that rite was centred in the Sanhedrin: and they used to ordain men to particular employment in the public administration, and they might not go beyond that particular to which they were ordained: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 They have power, saith Maymony, to appoint whom they will to particular matters: As for example, there was an exceeding great wise man, that was fit to teach all the Law every whit, it was in the power of the Sanhedrin to ordain him, so, as that he might not judge or that he might not teach about bound and loose, or they might give him license to teach about bound and loose, but not to judge in matters of money, or they gave him power to judge in this matter, but not to judge in matters of damage, &c. Maym. ubi supra. Thus curious and circumspect they were in and about the matter of ordination and concerning a lawful and authoritative designation of public Teachers and Judges to their peculiar and particular employment in the public, to fix them within their own compass and line, and that everyone might not intrude upon what ministerial or magisterial ministration he would. And therefore it was far from being a common use, or from being any use at all among the Jews in their Church, to let any Mechanical or uncalled and unordained men to step up into the Doctors chair, or Ministers Pulpit, to read Divinity publicly, or to preach in their Synagogues, as impudency or folly would put them forward on it, but they had a solemn State-call or dimission into such employments by a lawful Ordination, by men themselves ordained.

5. But if any man came in the spirit of a Prophet and took on him to preach under that nation, he found permittance under that notion; yet was there not immunity and liberty for any whosoever to become Preacher upon that term and so to continue, but the Sanhedrin was to judge concerning false Prophets; and he that was not a Prophet, and yet would be preaching as a Prophet, did it at his own peril. This then was that that procured our Savior liberty to Preach, and audience to his Preaching in every Synagogue, where he came, because he came not only in the name, but also in the visible power and demonstration of a Prophet, doing such wondrous signs and miracles, as that his Prophetick call could not be denied, but he was glorified of all.

He had avoided this place purposely, when he came out of Judea, because he knew a Prophet hath no honor in his Country, John 4. 44. for it would have been so strange a thing in the eyes of the people of that Town, that he that had been a tradesman among them all his life hitherto, should now fall a Preaching as a Prophet, that it was easy to see how little he would have been entertained: but now that he hath got a name through all the Country there about, and hath taught in all their Synagogues, and is glorified of all, now he cometh at the last to his own Town to see how his doctrine would take with them there.

§ As his Custom was he went into the Synagogue.

Whether it mean, as his custom was at this present, or as it had been whilst he lived there a private man, (which I rather conceive, the expression aimeth at) I see not, what in the world the Separatists that withdraw from the public worship in our Congregations, can say to this example: For was not their public Worship in their Synagogues as corrupt as ours is pretended to be in our Congregations? was not the people of Nazareth as corrupt a people, as most Congregations now are? see their desperate wickedness in verse. 29. What did Christ all the while he lived there a private man, did he never go to the Synagogue? Sabbath, and Holy days and Synagogue days, whilst others went to the public Service and Congregation did he sit at home? Nay I assert, that now when he is become a public Minister, he goes to the Synagogue of Nazareth, as a member of that Congregation, and as a member he reads publicly there; you find not in all the Gospel, (though he preached in every Synagogue where he came, yet) that he read in none of them but only in this: and you find not in any Talmudic or Jewish record, that they that read the Law and Prophets in their Synagogues were any others but members of that Congregation. It is true indeed that strangers, if they were learned might Preach in their Synagogues, as Paul and Barnabas did, Acts 13. 15, 16. &c. but none did publicly read there but a member of that Synagogue. In all the Scripture we find not, that either any that were holy indeed, or any that took upon them to be holy, no nor he that was holiness itself, did separate and withdraw from the public service in the Congregation.

§ And he stood up to read.

Moses and the Prophets were read in their Synagogues every Sabbath day, Acts 13. 15. & 15. 21. And Moses every Synagogue day beside, and the Prophets every holy day, and the ninth day of the month Ab which was a fast, and every fasting day besides. Maym. in Tephillah per. 12.

On the Sabbath the readers of the Law were seven: on the day of expiation six: on holy days five: on the new moons and the seven days of the three great Festivals four: and on the second and the fifth day of every week three. And the Law might not be read by less than three, one after another. Id. ibid. & Talm. utrumque in Megil. per. 4. in Gemara.

Now on the Sabbath, the readers being then seven, they seven read in order thus: first a Priest, then a Levite, then five Israelites one after another. If there were not a Priest nor a Levite there, then seven Israelites did it. If a Priest were there and no Levite, then the Priest read twice. But the rule was, First a Priest, then a Levite, then an Israelite, then a fourth, a fifth, a sixth, a seventh. And this may help the young Student of the Hebrew text to understand, that which he will meet with in some Pentateuchs (as the Pentateuch in Buxtorfes Bible, and that with the triple Targum ) and that is, when he sees in the margin here and there 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which mean no other thing than this order of the reading of the Law, first a Priest, then a Levite, then five Israelites in their order.

The 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Angelus Ecclesiae, or Minister of the Congregation called him out that was to read, and he went up into a Desk or Pulpit, ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) which stood in the midst of the Synagogue for that purpose, and he delivered him the Book of the Law: which he opened, and looked out the place where he was to read, but he began not till the Archi-synagogus bad him begin. Yea if the Archi-synagogus himself or the Minister of the Congregation were to read, he began not till the Congregation, or he that was now chief among them bad him read: Maym. ubi ante.

Before he read, he began with Prayer, blessing God that had chosen them to be his people, and given them his Law, &c. and then he begins standing all the while he reads, as it is said by the Evangelist, He stood up for to read. And for this posture they have a special caution in the treatise Megillah, That he that reads the Law must stand, partly for the honor of the Law itself, and partly because God said to Moses, Stand thou here with me. Per. 4. in Gemar.

As he read, the Minister of the Congregation stood by him, to see that he read and pronounced aright (and from hence he was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Episcopus or Overseer, as hath been observed) and if he missed he recalled him to utter it aright.

There stood another by him also, who did interpret into the Chaldee tongue what he read out of the Hebrew Text. For from the days of Ezra, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 they used to have an Interpreter in the Synagogue, who interpreted to the people what the Reader read: that so they might understand the sense of the words: And the Reader read a verse and stopped, till the Interpreter had interpreted it, and then he went on and read another verse, and the Interpreter interpreted it: and he might not read above one verse at once to the Interpreter: This was the constant practice in reading the Law: but in reading of the Prophets the Reader might read three verses at once to the Interpreter, &c. Talm. & Maym. ubi supr. & Mossecheth sopherim. per. 10.

It was their custom (saith Alphesi) to intrepret in the Synagogue because they spake the Syrian tongue, and they interpreted that all might understand. In Megil. per. 4. To which Rabbi Solomon also speaketh parallel, saying, The Targum or interpretation, was only to make women and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the common people to understand, who knew not the holy tongue: and the Interpretation was into the Vulgar Babylonian. Ibid. compare 1 Cor. 14. 27.

So that this use of interpreting was introduced of necessity, because they were not able to understand the Original Text, and they might not read the Scriptures publicly but in the Original: And they hold withal that Ezra himself gave example and a copy for this, for so they understand that passage, Neh. 8. 8. The Gemarists in the Jerusalem Talmud question, Whence came the custom of having an Interpreter. R. Zeora in the name of R. Hananeel saith from that place, They read in the Book of the Law, That meaneth the reading: Distinctly; that meaneth the interpreting, and gave the sense, that meaneth the exposition, and caused to understand the reading, that meaneth the Masoreth, or points and accents. In Meg. ubi supr. Where also it relateth these two or three stories. R. Samuel bar R. Isaac went into a Synagogue, and saw one as he interpreted leaning to a pillar. He saith to him, That is not lawful: For as the Law was given in fear and terror, so must it be used with fear and terror. The same man went into a Synagogue, and saw the Angelus Ecclesiae, reading and setting no man by him, (no Interpreter as Alphesi expounds it) He saith to him, That is unlawful, for it was given by the hand of a Mediator, so is it to be used by the hand of a Mediator.

He also went into a Synagogue, and saw a Scribe reading his interpreting out of a Book, He saith to him, That is unlawful; for, what by word of mouth, by word of mouth, and what out of the book, out of the book.

The Reader of the Haphtaroth or portion out of the Prophets, was ordinarily one of the number of those that had read the Law: he was called out to read by the Minister of the Congregation, he went up into the desk, had the Book of the Prophet given him, began with Prayer, and had an Interpreter, even as it was with them that read the Law.

And under these Synagogue rulers are we to understand Christ's reading in the Synagoue at this time: namely, as a member of the Synagogue, called out by the Minister, reading according to the accustomed order, the portion in the Prophet when the Law was read (and it is like he had read some part of the Law before) and having an Interpreter by him to render into Syriac the Text he read: he then begins in Syriac to preach upon it.

Now if it be questioned Under what notion may the Minister of the Congregation be thought to call him out to read? It may be answered. 1. It is possible he had done so, many a time before, while Christ lived amongst them as a private man: for though none but men learned and in orders might Preach and Teach in their Synagogues, yet might, even boys and servants, if need were, read there, if so be they were found able to read well: And Christ though his education was but mean according to the condition of his parents, John 7. 15. yet it is almost past peradventure, that he was brought up so as to read, as generally all the children of the Nation were. 2. Christ in other parts of Galilee had shown his wisdom and his works, and his fame was spread abroad; and no doubt was got to Nazareth where he was best known: and this would readily get him such a public trial in the Synagogue, if he had never been upon that employment before, to see what evidences he would give of what was so much reported of him.

It is a tradition, and so it was their practice 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 That they read not in the Synagogues in the five books of Moses bound together, but every book of the five single by itself: And so also may it be conceived they did by the Prophets, that the three great Prophets, Isaiah, Jeremy, Ezekiel, were everyone single, and the twelve small Prophets bound together: And we may conclude upon this the rather, because they had also this Tradition and practice 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 That the Maphtir or he that read in the Prophets might skip from passage to passage (that is, from one text to another for illustration of the matter he read upon) but he might not skip from Prophet to Prophet, but only in the twelve small Prophets.

The delivering of the Book unto him by the Minister, to whom he also delivers it again when he hath read, verse. 20. doth confirm what was said before, that Christ stood up to read as a member of the Synagogue, and in the ordinary way of reading used there: for so it was the custom of the Minister to give the book to those that did so read: But if Christ had gone about to read, beside or contrary to the common custom of the place, it can little be thought that the Minister would so far have complied with him, as to give him the Book that he might read irregularly or beside the custom. To which may also be added: that if our Savior intended only to rehearse this passage of Isaiah, that he might take it for his text to ground his discourse upon, he could have done that by heart, and had not needed the Book; but it showeth that he was the Reader of the second Lesson, or of the Prophets this day, in the ordinary way as it is used to be read by some or other of that Synagogue every Sabbath.

§ He found the place where it was written, &c.

Not by chance, but intentionally turned to it: Now whether this place, that he fixed on, were the proper lesson for the day, may require some dispute: They that shall peruse the Haphtaroth or Lessons in the Prophets which were precisely appointed for every Sabbath to be read, will find some cause to doubt whether this portion of the Prophet that our Savior read, were by appointment to be read in the Synagogue at all: But not to insist upon this scrutiny: in the reading of the Prophets they were not so very punctual as they were in the reading of the Law: R. Alphes ubi supr. but they might both read less than was appointed, and they might skip and read other where than was appointed: And so whether our Savior began in some other portion of the Prophet, and thence passed hither to illustrate what he read there, though the Evangelist hath only mentioned this place, as most punctual and pertinent to Christ's discourse, or whether he fixed only upon this place and read no more than what Luke hath mentioned, it is not much material to controvert, his reading was so as gave not offense to the Synagogue, and it is like it was so as was not unusual in the Synagogue. He that read in the Prophets was to read at the least one and twenty verses 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 But if he finished the sense in less, he needed not to read so many. Megill. & Maym. ubi ante.

The Jews in the interpretation of this Scripture, do generally apply the sense and truth of it, to the Prophet himself: as the Eunuch was ready to apply another place in this same Prophet, Acts 8. 34. So the Chaldee renders it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Prophet saith, The spirit of Prophecy from before the Lord is upon me. And David Kimchi, These are the words of the Prophet concerning himself. In which application they did not much amiss, to bring the meaning of the words to Isaiah himself, if they did not confine and limit the truth of them there: For the words do very well speak the function of the Prophet, his calling and Ministry being to those very ends and purposes that are named here: but to restrain it to him only, is to lose the full and vigorous sense of it, which the words hold out, and which the Prophet could not reach unto to have them verified of himself to the utmost extent: as being anointed, Preaching the acceptable year of the Lord with an Emphasis put upon the word the, and some other particulars as may be observed.

It is an ordinary style with the Prophets to speak things as in their own persons or of themselves, which sometimes were not punctually and literally applicable to them only, nay which sometimes were not so applicable to them at all: but whose truth and sense was made good only in Christ, as Psal. 16. 10. with Acts 13. 36. Psal. 22. 16. They pierced my hands and my feet: Isaiah 8. 18. with Heb. 2. 13. Zech. 11. 12, 13. with Matth. 27. 9. &c.

How the Spirit of the Lord came upon Christ, and dwelt upon him in measure above measure, hath been observed before; only let the Reader observe, how suitable this Text in the mouth of Christ, is to the words of the Evangelist in the beginning of this Section, Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit.

§ Because he hath anointed me.

The Greek expression 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , is so rendered by some Expositors on the one hand, some on the other, that in a manner a clean contrary sense is put upon it: Some thus, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, therefore he hath anointed me: and so they make the reason of his anointing to be because the Spirit of the Lord was upon him: To this sense the Syriac renders it, who utters it thus, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and because of this he hath anointed me: and so Beza, Cujus rei gratia, unxit me: The Vulgar, propter quod. Brucioli, Per cagione del quale, &c. But others, amongst which, is Erasmus, and our English, do read it. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me (which though it speak not the literal construction of the Greek particle so very punctually, yet doth it the Hebrew, by which the Greek is to be stated, and which the Chaldee so reads) as that they do make the Lord's anointing him to be the cause of the Spirits being upon him, which is a far more easy and profitable sense.

Object. But was not his anointing by the very coming of the Spirit upon him at his Baptism? and so these two things are so far from being the cause and effect one of another, that indeed they were but one and the same thing: the holy Spirits coming upon him was his anointing, and his anointing was nothing but the Holy Spirits coming upon him.

Answer: If by anointing we will understand, his exalting and setting up and apart (as the Jews expound the word in the text of Isaiah ) for this office and work that the Text speaketh of, than was his anointing before the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, for he was set apart for Mediator and Minister of the Gospel before: and so his anointing was the cause and reason why the Spirit came upon him, namely, to fit him and act him to that office to which he was set apart. But if by anointing we will understand a visible and an apparent instalment of him into the present execution of that office unto which he was designed before, than was his anointing and the Spirits coming upon him, but the very same thing, for the Spirits coming upon him, was that anointing. And in this sense are we to understand his anointing here, and yet even in this sense, are we to take his anointing to be the cause of the Spirits being upon him, though the Spirits coming upon him was the very way and manner of his anointing; but we are to understand it thus with difference and distinction of time: At the very instant of the Holy Ghosts coming upon him at his Baptism, that was his anointing and installment into the execution of his function: but all the time following while he executed his function, the Holy Ghost rested upon him; why? Because the Lord had anointed him with the Holy Ghost at his Baptism: and so the Emphasis of the clause lies in the verb understood and limited to its time, the Holy Ghost is now upon me and continueth still upon me, because the Lord hath heretofore anointed me with the Holy Ghost: And herein is the difference apparent of the measure and manner of the Holy Spirits being upon the Prophets, and his being upon Christ: They had not the actings of the Spirit alwas upon them, nor are they visibly anointed with it, as he was both.

§ To preach the Gospel to the Poor, &c.

Here are six particulars in this portion of Scripture as parts of Christ's Ministry, which though they may be all applied to any one particular person to whom the Gospel and Ministry of Christ powerfully and effectually came, for such a poor wretch had the Gospel preached to him, his broken heart was healed, he heard of deliverance from the bondage of Satan, &c. yet have they all their singular and several intentions and meanings, and so are to be expounded and understood, for the taking up of the verse in its full sense and life.

1. Christ was sent to preach the Gospel to the Poor: in the Text of Isaiah it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to the meek, or humble, and accordingly rendered by the Chaldee Paraphrast: and so the sense is made the readier, namely, that by the poor here is meant the poor in Spirit, as Mat. 5. 3. Such as went out of their own righteousness, and by the convictions of the Law, did find themselves to be nothing, and worse than nothing: to such Christ was sent to Preach the Gospel, and such received it. Mat. 9. 12, 13. & 11. 5. Christ preached to to all that came about him to hear him, but he speaketh here of his Preaching the Gospel in the proper power and fruit of it, viz. so as that it was received. Now this is the first composure to the receiving and entertaining of the Gospel, when a soul by the power of the Preaching of the Law is thrust off from all security either in sin, or self-righteousness, and becomes so poor in his own spirit, that he finds himself nothing but wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked and in need of all things.

The title of poor is as common a name for the Saints of God, especially in the Old Testament, as any name whatsoever: and that not only because of their depressed and oppressed condition by the wicked, but because of their poverty of spirit, and abasedness in their own eyes: they knowing how poor they are, and living by continual begging of grace at the hands of God. The Hebrew word is sometime written 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 poor in the text and read 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 humble, in the margin, as Psalm. 9. 13. and sometime 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the text, and read 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the margin, as in the same Psalm verse 19. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is translated poor by the Septuagint, Psal. 10. 13. & 22. 27. as well as here.

2. To heal the broken hearted: here is the heart a degree lower than in the former expression, and the operation of the Gospel a degree higher: Every broken hearted soul is also poor in spirit, but not e contra: for an humble and poor spirited soul, may yet some time be free from these breakings of heart which many a one hath met withal, and which itself may meet withal at another time. For being brought poor in spirit, and made sensible of its own unrighteousness by the Preaching of the Law, and so entertaining the Gospel, it is by degrees even broken also by the Gospel, the heart melting in the sense and apprehension of the dear love of God to sinners, and of its own sinfulness and untowardness towards him.

3. To Preach deliverance to the Captives: This may very well allude to the Jews expectation: who looked for (and do still) a bodily deliverance from all their captivities and calamities, by the coming of Messiah: now Christ came to Preach deliverance to captived ones, but not in this sense, but in a higher, in as much as he was a higher Savior than their ordinary deliverers.

4. Recovering of sight to the blind: This may look also at the Gentiles, who sat in the darkness of all manner of ignorance, Error, and Idolatry: And though it be most true that everyone naturally is blind as to the things of Heaven, and that the Gospel giveth new sight to those that receive it, yet since the Heathen are especially set out as sitting in blindness, this clause may very well be applied to them, as in a singular propriety.

The Evangelist doth here somewhat differ from Esays Text, as also do the Septuagint, whom he followeth: for Isaiah hath it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 And opening of prison to those that are bound, as our English translates it: There is some scruple among translators about rendering the words 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and what to make of them; but the other word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 doth plainly enough and without all difficulty signify Bound, and yet the Greek hath uttered it blind.

1. The words 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 are taken by divers, to be not two but one word doubled as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and many other of the like nature: and that it signifieth by the duplication the more emphatically and eminently: which opinion is the more justified by this, that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the latter part of it, by itself, can be made nothing of (such a word not being to be found again in Scripture) but uncertain and unprofitable conjectures only are given of it: As that it should signify a prison, as is the conceit of Dav. Kimchies Father; or that it should signify a taking out of Prison, as is fancied by Kimchi himself; and both taking away the first syllable in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to mint this word, but by what warrant, and after what example they do not show.

2. The word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 doth properly refer to opening of the eyes; and it is hard, I believe, to find where it signifies any other kind of opening: and therefore the Chaldee Paraphrast, to close as near with the very propriety of it as he thought the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 would suffer him, hath given it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 revealing to the light.

3. Observe that this clause in the Prophet is of a higher tenor than that next before; for there was mention of captivity: but here of imprisonment in captivity: for it is a sad thing to be captived into a strange land, but it is a sadder to be bound in chains or locked up in a prison there. Now the Evangelist (as he translates the Prophet) speaks of a higher degree of misery still, and that is to be imprisoned having his eyes put out, as it was the case of Sampson, Judge. 16. 2. and Zedekiah, 2 Kings 25. 7. and as it was the custom much in those eastern parts, and is at this day in Turkey. The Evangelist therefore willing to render the Prophet to the Highest comfortable sense that might be, useth an expression that meeteth with the highest misery that was couched and included in the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and that is, when men were not only shut up in a blind prison, where they could see no light, but when they had also their eyes put out, that they could not see light if there were any: He telleth therefore that Christ should not only Preach deliverance to captives, but also restoring of light to captive prisoners, nay yet more, recovery of sight to blinded prisoners, and so doth he sweetly set out Christ's delivery of men from the captivity of Satan, chains of corruption and blinding of ignorance: and so he doth not cross the Prophets expression, but explain it to the highest sweetness.

5. To set at liberty them that are bruised. This clause is not verbatim in that Text in the Prophet, from whence the rest are alleged: yet is it generally in all copies here, and in all Translations: How it came into this Text, some are very bold and indeed uncivil with the Text, in imagining that it crept in, out of the margin of the Septuagint, being set there by somebody that thought he had met with a fit parallel to that that was in the Text. Sed quisquis hunc locum primus annotavit ad marginem, saith Beza, res sane dissimillimas inter se comparavit. Poterat autem quisquis ill fuit alium locum prorsus similem confer ex cap. 42. 7.

I should rather confess my own ignorance and say I cannot understand how this came into the Text, or rather bewray my own folly in giving some conjecture at it some other way, than in thus down-right terms to conclude that it came in from the marginal notes of someone or other that knew not well what he noted: I would give some aim at it, the result whereof shall be to the undervaluing of my judgment, rather than thus to determine, to the undervaluing of the sacred Text.

It was allowed and used in their Synagogues, as was touched even now, in the reading of the Prophets to skip from Text to Text upon occasion: take the tradition at the full 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 He that readeth in the Prophets may skip from one Text to another: but he may not leap out of one Prophet into another, but in the twelve small Prophets only: And he may not leap from the end of a Book to the beginning of it: And whosoever leapeth thus, must not stay on the Text whither he skips, longer than the Interpreter gives the interpretation of it: Maymon. in Tephillah. per. 12.

Now I should rather think that Christ as he read in the Prophet, skipped into another Text of the same Prophet, and brought it in hither, than to think it crept out of the margin of the Septuagint of I know not whose setting there. This their skipping from Text to Text in the reading of the Prophets was for nothing else but to fetch in another place that spake in parallel or in clearing of the Text that they were in reading: And so since we find Christ conforming in many other things to the custom of their Synagogues, why may we not hold that he did the like in this, which was a thing of profitable use? He reading therefore upon this clause 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 And to those that are bound, opening, opening (for so the word is doubled, and signifieth the largest and freest opening that may be) why may we not conceive, that he used the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 skipping to another Text in the same Prophet (as it was ordinary for learned Readers in the Synagogues to do) by which he might clear the sense of this doubled and remarkable word to its full extent?

The words that are here taken in, are found in Isaiah 58. 6. one Syllable only changed in the Septuagint from the words used by the Evangelist: Now by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or bruised ones is to be understood, bruised by calamity and misery, in difference from broken hearted which was used before: And so the very sense of the place in Isaiah, and the use of the world in Deut. 28. 33. do make it apparent without more evidence. Christ therefore setteth at liberty those that are bruised with outward calamities, not only by delivering his people out of their troubles, but by the sweet comforts of the Gospel, enlarging their hearts though their persons be in straits.

This expression alludeth to the proclaiming of the year of Jubilee, that welcome year to poor wretches that were in debt, decay, and servitude. There have been some in ancient time that from this passage have concluded, that Christ preached but one year from the beginning of his Ministry to his death, which is a matter so apparently confuted in the Gospels that it is needless to stand about it. If the allusion to the Jubilee year in the expression, aim at any particular year Christ's preaching, it referreth to the year of his death, which was not only a year of Jubilee in a spiritual sense, (because then there was redemption and restoring to a lost estate, and out of servitude by his death) but also it was a year of Jubilee in the literal and proper sense indeed.

The Jews have so jumbled the Jubilees in their writings and constructions, and made them so fast and loose, (and it may be purposely, to evade the clear answer of the Antitype to the Type in the death of Christ on a Jubilee year) that they have left it at a careless and indifferent cast whether there were any Jubilees after a while or no. As soon as the Tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh were captived, say they, the Jubilee ceased. Siphri. in Lev. 15. And, Israel numbered seventeen Jubilees from their coming into the land, to their going out: and the year that they went out, when the Temple was first destroyed, was the going out of a seventh year of rest, and it was the thirty sixth year of the Jubilee. For the first Temple stood four hundred and ten years, and when it was destroyed this counting ceased. The second Temple stood four hundred and twenty years, and on the seventh year from its building Ezra came up, and from that year they began to count again, and made the thirteenth year of the second Temple a year of rest, and counted seven rests and hallowed the fiftieth year, although there was no Jubilee under the second Temple. The destruction of the second Temple was in the going out of a seventh year, and it was the fifteenth year of the ninth Jubilee: Maym. in Shemittah. per. 10. & Erachin. per. 2.

But God having appointed so full and sweet a resemblance of Christ's redemption, in this Type, as a greater is scarcely to be found, he did so carry on the chain and bracelet of Jubilees as I may so call them, from the time that their accounting for did first begin, that many of them were also made remarkable with some singular event, beside their releasements, and the last of them fell with the year of the death of the Redeemer: as is accutely observed by the most learned Mr. Broughton who also produceth this confession of old Zohar or R. Simeon ben Jochai upon this matter 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Divine Majesty will be to Israel in a Jubilee, Freedom, Redemption, and sinisher of Sabbath.

But we need not to straiten this acceptable year of the Lord, to that particular year of Christ's death (though that most eminently hath its share in the sense of it) but it may also be understood of that time that was now begun, of Messias his appearing, and the publishing of the Gospel: which preaching of the Gospel was so full and clear an answer and Antitype, to the proclaiming of that year with the sound of the Trumpet, that everyone cannot but see it: Zohar hath this application of that rite. It is appointed, saith he, to blow the Trumpet at the Jubilee: Now as at the blowing of the Trumpet at the Jubilee all servants went free 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 So at the last redemption, at the blowing of a Trumpet, all Israel shall be gathered from the four sides of the world, &c. Zohar. in Lev. 25. fol. 53.

The Minister or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 here mentioned, was the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Angelus Ecclesiae, of whom we have spoken before: When they had done reading, the Angelus Ecclesiae laid up the Book in its place again. Maym. ubi supr. Christ's sitting down in the Pulpit when he had done reading (whereas he should have come away to his seat in the Church) did cause all the Synagogue to eye him, and to expect what he would speak unto them. It was the custom for the Teacher to sit, as Mark 5. 1. Luke 5. 3. and so in their Divinity Schools 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Doctor sat aloft and all his Scholars round about him in a circle, that all might see him and hear his words, &c. At the first the Master sat and his Scholars stood, but before the second Temple was destroyed, it came into use, that every Master taught his Scholars they also setting. Id. in Talm. Torah. per. 4. Which custom came up from the death of Gamaliel the old (Paul's Master) whereupon it was ordinarily said, From the death of Rabban Gamaliel the old the glory of the Law ceased. Jucasin. fol. 53.

Christ doth openly profess himself to be that person, there foretold of by the Prophet, and at large explaining the Text which he had read (which explanation the Evangelist hath not recorded) he declares himself who he was, so evidently and graciously, that even his own Townsmen, who knew his birth and education, could not but acknowledge what he spake, and gave testimony to his words, they were so gracious. And this makes them wonder (comparing his present powerful and divine discourse with his mean and homely education) and to be amazed among themselves, and to say, Is not this the son of Joseph? as Mark 6. 2, 3.

He taketh occasion of these words from their present wonderment and questioning among themselves about him. As if he had spoken out to them thus at large: Ye look upon me as Josephs son, as one that was bred and brought up among you, and therefore ye will be ready to urge me with the sense of that Proverb, Physician heal thyself, and expect that I should do some miracles here in mine own Town, as I have done in other places, nay rather in this Town than in others, because of my relation to it.

§ Whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum.

Jansen from this passage, concludeth that this Sermon of Christ in the Synagogue of Nazareth, was not of a great while after his coming into Galilee, but that he had first passed and preached through Galilee, because as yet according to the order in which we have laid the story, there is but one miracle mentioned that he had done at Capernaum, which was the recovering of the Rulers son. Now that miracle was enough to have occasioned these words though he had done no more. But Capernaum was Christ's very common residence upon all occasions, and it is like he had done divers miracles there, though they be not mentioned: for when he came from Samaria, the Text relateth, that he avoideth his own Town of Nazereth, because he knew that there he should find but cold entertainment and little honor, but that he went into some other parts of Galilee, and the Galileans whither he went received him, having seen all that he did at Jerusalem at the Feast of the Passover, John 4. 44, 45. Now Capernaum was as likely a place whether he would betake himself and where he would stay if he stayed in any City, as any other.

This sum lieth very obscure in the Text of the Book of Kings: for there it is only said that Elias said, there shall not be dew nor rain these years. 1 Kings 17. 2. And that after many days, in the third year Elijah shown himself to Ahab, and there was rain, &c. 1 Kings 18. 1, And it were not strange that Christ the Lord of time, did for all the difficulty of the Text determine it; but it seemeth by his speech to these Nazarites, that it was a reckoning and sum commonly known and received of them. And so when the Apostle James useth the same account, James 5. 17. it is likely that he speaketh it to the Jews as a thing acknowledged and confessed: But how to pick it up in the Book of Kings, is very intricate to him that shall go about it. Yet thus far we may go. 1. That it was a year after the drought began, before the Brook Cerith dried up: for it is said, that at the end of days the Brook dried: now for the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Days, to be used for to signify a year, examples might be given exceeding copiously. 2. Those words, in the third year God said to Elijah, Go show thyself to Ahab and I will send rain: cannot be understood of the third year of drought: for this his coming to Ahab was not in the third year but after it, for he had told him there should be no rain 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 these three years, at the least, as the learned in the Hebrew tongue will easily observe, out of the number of the word, which is not dual but plural. And therefore the third year is to be referred to Elias sojourning with the Sareptane widow. He had been one year by Cherith, and above two years at Sarepta, and after many days in the third year, he shows himself to Ahab and there were rains.

Now how to bring these many days, to half a year is still a scruple, how to fix it or to go any whit near thereunto, unless it be by casting the times of the year when the drought began and when it ended: and there might be very probable reasons produced to show that it began in Autum, and ended in the Spring, which two times were their most constant times of rains, Joel 2. But truth hath spoken it here, and it is not to be disputed, but only thus much is spoken to it, because it seemeth that he speaketh it to the Jews here as men consenting and agreeing in the thing already: The Rabbins do quaintly descant upon the last verse of 1 King. 16. (where there is mention of Hiels building Jericho, and losing his two sons in the work according to the word of Joshua ) and the first verse of Chap. 17. where Elijah foretells the restraint of rain thus▪ Ahab and Elijah (say they) went to comfort Hiel for the death of his sons▪ Ahab said to Elijah, it may be the word of the servant [Joshua] is performed, but the word of the Master [Moses] will not be performed, who saith, Ye will turn away and serve other God's, and the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and he will shut up heaven that there be no rain, &c. Thereupon Elias swore and said, As the Lord liveth before whom I stand, there shall be no rain.

This number and term of time, of three years six months, (just half the time of the famine in Egypt, is very famous and renowned in Scripture) as hath been observed before. But in nothing more renowned then this, that it was the term of Christ's Ministry from his Baptism to his death, he opening Heaven for three years and six months, and raining down the Divine dew of the Gospel, as Elias had shut Heaven so long and there was no rain at all.

Here is such another change of affection, in these Nazarites, one while giving testimony to the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth, and presently ready to murder him for his words, as there was in the men of Lycaonia, Act. 14. who one while would worship Paul and Barnabas for God's, and immediately stone them with stones. The matter that gave such offense in these words of Christ to his Countrymen, was double. 1. Because he so plainly taught and hinted the calling of the Gentiles and refusing of the Jews, as was to be seen in the double instance that he alleged that Elias should harbor nowhere with any Israelite, but should be recommended by God to a heathen widow (for so were the Sareptanes being of Sidon ): and that not one Israelite leper should ever be healed, but Naaman a Heathen Syrian should be. This doctrine about the calling of the Gentiles was a matter that the Jews could never hear of with patience, but it did provoke them, Deut. 32. 21. This made Jonah to out-run his errand, and to flee to Tarsus when he should have gone to Nineveh, because it vexed him at heart to be any means of the conversion of the Gentiles, upon this consideration, that the coming in of the Gentiles would be the casting off of his own people: which before he will be an instrument of, he will outrun God he knows not whether; The Jews express his fancy pertinently thus: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 He was careful of the honor of [Israel] the child, but he was not careful of the honor of [God] the Father. This made the Jews of Jerusalem to rage for madness when Paul did but speak unto them of going to the Gentiles, Act. 22. 21. And 2. another thing that incensed these people of Nazareth was, that Christ did refuse to do any miracles amongst them, which they knew he did not refuse to do in other places; and that his refusal was backed with such a comparison of them, as that he doth compare them with Israel when it was at the wickedest, for so it was in the days of Elias and Elisha, under Ahab and his wretched Generation. Now our Savior in this his refusal and in these his words, doth but by the Nazarites as he did by the Syrophenician woman afterwards: he called her dog, and at first denied her petition, but afterward upon her importunity consented to her and received her to favor: and so his first refusal was not a resolved rejection of her, but a trial: Such another was his speech here: but it was not so dig •• ted by his Countrymen: for they in disdain to be so likened and spoken to, when the Synagogue service was done, lay hold upon him, and would have thrown him headlong from the rock: but he by a Divine power and work, delivers himself out of their hands: And thus hath poor and wretched Nazareth undone itself.

Reason of the Order.

THE passage in the preceding Section, concerning the unkindness and madness of his Townsmen of Nazareth, and concerning the danger of his person by them, doth so clear the dependence of this Section on that, that there needs no more for the proof of the dependence, than merely laying them together: For although Matthew hath not mentioned the occasion of his leaving of Nazareth, yet Luke hath, and hath added, that he got from among the men of Nazareth, and came down to Capernaum: and so he hath not only cleared Matthews order, but hath also expounded his words, And leaving Nazareth: showing the reason of his leaving it.

Harmony and Explanation.

AH unhappy Nazareth, the first refuser and the first refused of Messias: the banisher and persecutor of thine own happiness and glory! Here Christ had been brought up and lived six or seven and twenty years together, from his return out of Egypt, till the time of his Baptism, and he honored the Town with his Title and Epithet Jesus of Nazareth, but Nazareth will not retain him, much less honor him: So Moses was refused of his Brethren, and glad to flee upon their repulse, Act. 7. but the loss theirs, so the misery Nazareths: we read not that Christ ever came to this Town again or ever owned it: but betook himself to Capernaum, for his habitation, where we conjectured before, that his Father Joseph had some possession or habitation. And thus is Nazareth cast down to Hell, and Capernaum lifted up to Heaven, if it can improve the happiness now offered to it: Luke saith he came down to Capernaum, either as any journeys in Scripture are indifferently called going down o • going up, or as men are said to go down to the Sea or the Sea shore, as Psal. 107. 23. Jon. 1. 3.

The words are cited from Isaiah 9. 1. as it is well enough known, but with so much difference as that it cannot but challenge consideration and observing: It may not be amiss to take up Esays Text verbatim first, and to see its meaning; and then to compare this quotation with it.

The Prophet in the latter end of the seventh Chapter had threatened sad but deserved misery upon those that should transgress the Law and Testimony, that they should be hard bestead, hungry, seeing nothing but trouble, darkness, darkness of anguish, and they shall be driven to darkness, and then he comes on in the first verse of the ninth Chapter 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 For that dimness or darkness shall not be such as was in her vexation when the first lightly afflicted the land of Zebulon and the land of Naphtali, or when the latter did afflict more heavily the way of the Sea, the Country beyond Jordan, and Galilee of the Gentiles: That people that walked in darkness saw great light, &c.

The intention of the Prophet in this passage, is to proclaim a greater calamity darkness, and vexation to befall the contemners of Immanuel and his Testimony or Gospel, than did befall the parts and people here mentioned, in their captivity either by the first or second captiver, for the breach of the Law: The first captiver was Benhadad the King of Syria, who smote Jion, Dan, Able-beth-maachath and all Cinneroth and all the land of Naphtali, 1 King. 15. 20. and this was a sad and a heavy affliction in itself, but it was but easy, and he did but lightly afflict, in comparison of what a latter Captiver or another Kingdom did, namely the Assyrian, who took Jion, Abel-beth-maachah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, and Gilead and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them away captive to Assyria, 2 King. 15. 29. And carried away the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half Tribe of Manasseh, 1 Chron. 5. 26. Yet is not the calamity and misery of these people and places equal to the misery of the despisers of the Gospel and of Christ: for these places saw light again after their captivity, but those shall be driven to utter darkness. And thus doth the Prophet these two main things in this Prophesy: 1. He foretelleth the first appearing and arising of the Gospel, in these places where captivity first appeared: And 2. He denounceth a sadder plague to befall those places and all other among the Jews for despising the Gospel, than what had befallen them for despising the Law and breaking the commandments: and Nazareth in the foregoing Section doth first visibly fall under that plague. And now according to this first scope and intention of the Prophet, our Evangelist in the allegation of his Text doth most pertinently fix upon those words that do most properly hold out that sense or prediction, of the Gospel beginning where the captivity first began: He omitteth the words in the Prophet that import the forepast misery of these places, for his aim is at their light and happiness to come: And he meddleth not with those words that compare the misery to come, of those that should despise the Gospel, with the misery that those places had past, for he intends the Gospels first appearing, and not the Gospels last despising, and therefore he leaveth out all the first part of the verse, and takes up only with the latter which only speaketh to his purpose. And such another abridgment may be observed in Hosea: who when he is speaking of Israel's and Judah's sins, misery and rejection, he calls them Lo-ammi, and Lo-ruchamah, No people and Not pitied, Hos. 1. 6. 9. But when he is speaking of their conversion and calling home, he leaves the first word or syllable out which carried a sense contrary to the scope that he had then in hand, and he calls them Ammi and Ruchamah: A people and Pitied, Hos. 2. 1.

The land of Zebulon, &c. In Esays Hebrew the word the land is in the accusative case, as following a verb that went before it, but the Evangelist hath set it in the nominative case as going before the verb that next comes after, to be construed in this sense. The land of Zebulon and the land of Naphtali, That people saw great light, &c.

Reason of the Order.

THE passage in the preceding Section, concerning the unkindness and madness of his Townsmen of Nazareth, and concerning the danger of his person by them, doth so clear the dependence of this Section on that, that there needs no more for the proof of the dependence, than merely laying them together: For although Matthew hath not mentioned the occasion of his leaving of Nazareth, yet Luke hath, and hath added, that he got from among the men of Nazareth, and came down to Capernaum: and so he hath not only cleared Matthews order, but hath also expounded his words, And leaving Nazareth: showing the reason of his leaving it.

Harmony and Explanation.

AH unhappy Nazareth, the first refuser and the first refused of Messias: the banisher and persecutor of thine own happiness and glory! Here Christ had been brought up and lived six or seven and twenty years together, from his return out of Egypt, till the time of his Baptism, and he honored the Town with his Title and Epithet Jesus of Nazareth, but Nazareth will not retain him, much less honor him: So Moses was refused of his Brethren, and glad to flee upon their repulse, Act. 7. but the loss theirs, so the misery Nazareths: we read not that Christ ever came to this Town again or ever owned it: but betook himself to Capernaum, for his habitation, where we conjectured before, that his Father Joseph had some possession or habitation. And thus is Nazareth cast down to Hell, and Capernaum lifted up to Heaven, if it can improve the happiness now offered to it: Luke saith he came down to Capernaum, either as any journeys in Scripture are indifferently called going down o • going up, or as men are said to go down to the Sea or the Sea shore, as Psal. 107. 23. Jon. 1. 3.

The words are cited from Isaiah 9. 1. as it is well enough known, but with so much difference as that it cannot but challenge consideration and observing: It may not be amiss to take up Esays Text verbatim first, and to see its meaning; and then to compare this quotation with it.

The Prophet in the latter end of the seventh Chapter had threatened sad but deserved misery upon those that should transgress the Law and Testimony, that they should be hard bestead, hungry, seeing nothing but trouble, darkness, darkness of anguish, and they shall be driven to darkness, and then he comes on in the first verse of the ninth Chapter 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 For that dimness or darkness shall not be such as was in her vexation when the first lightly afflicted the land of Zebulon and the land of Naphtali, or when the latter did afflict more heavily the way of the Sea, the Country beyond Jordan, and Galilee of the Gentiles: That people that walked in darkness saw great light, &c.

The intention of the Prophet in this passage, is to proclaim a greater calamity darkness, and vexation to befall the contemners of Immanuel and his Testimony or Gospel, than did befall the parts and people here mentioned, in their captivity either by the first or second captiver, for the breach of the Law: The first captiver was Benhadad the King of Syria, who smote Jion, Dan, Able-beth-maachath and all Cinneroth and all the land of Naphtali, 1 King. 15. 20. and this was a sad and a heavy affliction in itself, but it was but easy, and he did but lightly afflict, in comparison of what a latter Captiver or another Kingdom did, namely the Assyrian, who took Jion, Abel-beth-maachah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, and Gilead and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them away captive to Assyria, 2 King. 15. 29. And carried away the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half Tribe of Manasseh, 1 Chron. 5. 26. Yet is not the calamity and misery of these people and places equal to the misery of the despisers of the Gospel and of Christ: for these places saw light again after their captivity, but those shall be driven to utter darkness. And thus doth the Prophet these two main things in this Prophesy: 1. He foretelleth the first appearing and arising of the Gospel, in these places where captivity first appeared: And 2. He denounceth a sadder plague to befall those places and all other among the Jews for despising the Gospel, than what had befallen them for despising the Law and breaking the commandments: and Nazareth in the foregoing Section doth first visibly fall under that plague. And now according to this first scope and intention of the Prophet, our Evangelist in the allegation of his Text doth most pertinently fix upon those words that do most properly hold out that sense or prediction, of the Gospel beginning where the captivity first began: He omitteth the words in the Prophet that import the forepast misery of these places, for his aim is at their light and happiness to come: And he meddleth not with those words that compare the misery to come, of those that should despise the Gospel, with the misery that those places had past, for he intends the Gospels first appearing, and not the Gospels last despising, and therefore he leaveth out all the first part of the verse, and takes up only with the latter which only speaketh to his purpose. And such another abridgment may be observed in Hosea: who when he is speaking of Israel's and Judah's sins, misery and rejection, he calls them Lo-ammi, and Lo-ruchamah, No people and Not pitied, Hos. 1. 6. 9. But when he is speaking of their conversion and calling home, he leaves the first word or syllable out which carried a sense contrary to the scope that he had then in hand, and he calls them Ammi and Ruchamah: A people and Pitied, Hos. 2. 1.

The land of Zebulon, &c. In Esays Hebrew the word the land is in the accusative case, as following a verb that went before it, but the Evangelist hath set it in the nominative case as going before the verb that next comes after, to be construed in this sense. The land of Zebulon and the land of Naphtali, That people saw great light, &c.

§. By the way of the Sea.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the Greek: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 being understood according to an usual Hebrew Idiom: In the Text of the Prophet this clause and the rest that follow, lie in this sense: The latter Captiver did heavily afflict the way of the Sea, or those places that lay upon the Sea coast; he did heavily afflict the coast beyond Jordan, and he did heavily afflict Galilee of the Gentiles. But in the Text of the Evangelist it is sweetly changed to this comfortable tune: The land of Zebulon and Naphtali, which are by the way of Sea, or on the Sea-coasts, And also Peraea, or the Country which lies beyond Jordan: and likewise Galilee of the Gentiles, or the upper Galilee, even the people of all these several places saw great light, &c. And thus the clauses of the Text being severed and considered apart, as they ought to be, (for there is only a want of the conjunction, which is a thing most usual in the Hebrew tongue) the sense lies clear and facile; where as some expositors jumbling them altogether as if they spake but of one place, have intricated and perplexed the sense, and have been necessitated to make bold with the language to put a construction upon some part of it, which it is very unwilling and not used to bear. And so they will have 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to be not trans but secus Jordanem, and to be the land of Zebulon and Naphtali: and Galilee of the Gentiles to be the land of Zebulon and Naphtali too, and they clutter all together in the land of Zebulon and Naphtali; not distinguishing where they should distinguish, between Galilee superior (or Galilee of the Gentiles, ) and Galilee inferior (or the land of Zebulon and Naphtali ) and Peraea (or the Country and Region of the two Tribes and half that lay beyond Jordan ) In these three several Regions had the captiver afflicted, and captivity had begun: In Galilee Superior or Galilee of the Gentiles at the taking of Jion, Dan, Abel-beth-Maachah, &c. In the lower Galilee at the taking all Naphtali; and in the Country beyond Jordan in the taking of Gilead, and carrying away the Reubenites, Gadites, and half Tribe of Manasseh: as the Texts alleged ere while do give testimony: And answerably, in these three Regions did the Gospel appear most radiantly, even in Christ's own Ministry and his presence there, as may be observed copiously in the Evangelists.

The Chaldee Paraphrast translates this passage of the Prophet exceeding strangely, he gives it thus: For none shall be weary that shall come to afflict them, as at the first time the People of the land of Zebulon and the people of the land of Naphtali were captived: and as for the rest a mighty King shall captive them, because they remembered not the mighty power at the Sea, the wonders at Jordan, and the war with the Cities of the Nations. The people of the House of Israel, that walked in Egypt as in darkness, came forth to see a great light, &c. How the Septuagint hath spoiled the sense of the verse in the Prophet, by pulling it too much in pieces, as many expositors have done by crowding it too much together, I shall not trouble the Reader with instance, the learned will observe it of themselves.

§. Beyond Jordan.

This is to be taken as an entire clause of itself: and neither to be joined with that that went before, nor that that follows after. And therefore it is but a needless pains which Beza spends, to prove that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 here signifies secus, not beyond but along Jordan, which he could never be able to prove: and so he would have Zebulon and Naphtali to be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , not minding the tautology, of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , & 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 if they were so to be applied to one place and thing, nor observing the Prophets aim in these various expressions which he useth in the Text.

§. Galilee of the Gentiles.

Here the conjunction and is to be understood, as it is ordinary in the holy language to leave it out, and yet to understand it as was said before.

Now as for the title of Galilee of the Gentiles, it was not the appellation of all Galilee wholly, but of a part of it, namely that which was called the upper: Observe Josephus his division of these two, and their common distinct names, in these words of his, in Vita sua, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , &c. The Towns in the upper Galilee I walled, and the Cities and Towns in Galilee I fortified: The lower he calls Galilee only, and the other he calls Galilee the upper. And so ran the distinction, there was Galilee and Galilee of the Gentiles: that is indeed Galilee the lower and the upper.

In the Hebrew of Isaiah it is, The people which walked in darkness, and so it is uttered also by the Septuagint, but our Evangelist, hath expressed it, The people which sat, according to the sense of the Prophet though not according to his syllables.

To sit or To walk in Scripture when they are used in a borrowed sense, do indifferently signify To be or To continue, as Gen. 15. 2. I walk childless, Lam. 1. 1. The City sitteth solitary, &c. And in such a sense are the words of the Prophet and the Evangelists to be taken. The people that have been and continued in darkness, &c.

The people here spoken of, may generally mean all the dark people and places of the world whither the Gospel should come: but more especially it is to be understood of the people of those places that are mentioned immediately before: And so the next verse in the Prophet may be interpreted according to that restriction to those places and people. Thou hast increased the Nation, in restoring those places to be peopled again, but thou hast not increased their joy, in that they sit still in darkness of ignorance and error: yet the time shall come when they shall rejoice before thee as the joy in harvest, &c. Or if this verse in hand be construed largely of all Nations seeing light by the Gospel, then that verse may be understood thus, that the Nation of Israel was increased when the Gentiles came in, as Hos. 1. 11. but the joy of the Jews was not increased by it, for the calling of the Gentiles was their vexation, God angering them by a foolish Nation: But in the Hebrew there is a double reading 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Not, in the Text, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 To him or it, in the margin, which latter is followed by the Chaldee, which if it be embraced the words carry no difficulty with them, applied to the joy that the increase of the Church and light of the Gospel should bring to every true Israelite.

Reason of the Order.

THERE is not so much doubtfulness of the subsequence of this Section, or at the least of some of it, to the Section preceding (for the transition in Matthew doth make it clear) as there is of something contained within the Section itself. Luke had related Christ's unkind usage and danger by his Townsmen of Nazareth, and that thereupon he slipped away from them and went to Capernaum: There Matthew takes at him, and tells how divinely that Prophesy of Isaiah came now to be fulfilled by his dwelling in those parts, The land of Zebulon and the land of Naphtali, &c. And then he comes on with a special note of conjuction of the stories, From that time Jesus began to preach, &c. And how Mark doth join with him in bringing on this story before us, in the present Section, though he doth it very briefly, not mentioning any of his actions in Galilee till this in hand, yet is it so apparent and conspicuous that there needeth nothing to be said of it: But in the body of the Section now under hand lie these two queries.

Quest. 1. Whether is this story in Luke about Peter, and Zebedees sons, the same with that in Matthew and Mark? For some particular circumstances do seem to difference them: as whereas Matthew and Mark say Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee and saw Peter and Andrew casting a net into the Sea and called them, Luke relates how he was in Peters ship, and spake to him to cast his net into the Sea, &c. Again Matthew and Mark say, when he had gone a little further he saw James and John mending their nets, &c. but Luke relateth that James and John came up to Peters ship, where Jesus was to help to draw up the great draught of fishes that was taken, &c.

Answ. Now though there seem to be these different, yea contrary circumstances in the Evangelists relation, yet is the story but one and the same, but only related more largely by Luke than by the other: The texture of it may be taken up thus: As Jesus walked along the Sea shore of Gennesareth, and the people pressed on him to hear the word, he stepped into Peters ship and there taught: and having ended his speech he causeth Peter to cast down his net for a draught, and he had a great one; (this is that that Matthew and Mark speak of when they say, He saw Peter and Andrew casting a net into the Sea, they speaking short, and Luke giving the story in its full relation) Peter unable to manage so great a draught, beckons for James and John to come and help him, which they did: upon the draught Christ calls Peter to be a fisher of men, and he lands and follows him: But James and John returning to their station and to mend their nets, as he comes by he calls them and they follow him also: And thus is the story at large as it may be composed out of all the three, one helping to explain another, and all relating but the same story.

Quest. 2. If this order of St. Luke be proper, as that this action of our Savior in calling these Disciples, must come so near his coming to Capernaum as Matthew hath laid it, how is it that Luke hath laid two miracles done in Capernaum before this story, viz. the casting out a Devil in Capernaum Synagogue, and healing Peters wifes mother? Chap. 4. 33. 38. which Mark hath placed after the story of the calling of Peter and the other fishers; and so it may seem to be after their call, and this story in Luke to be after those miracles, and another story different from that, of their call.

Answ. Mark, whose method of all the three Evangelists is most constantly according to the order of time in which things were done, hath given one undoubted hint of the order of this story, that it was before the two miracles done there, for when he hath related the calling of the Disciples, he saith, And they, that is, Christ and these Disciples now called, went in to Capernaum, verse. 21. And Matthew also in laying the healing of Peters mother in law, (which was one of the miracles mentioned) so very far after the story of the Disciples called, doth also confirm this method that it was not before.

Now, two things are observable in St. Luke as to his method: 1. That Christ refused to do any miracles in his own Town of Nazareth, though they expected he should show some great works there) as he had done in Capernaum: Not that he would have refused Nazareth, had not Nazareth refused him, as was said before, but that he would by that his speech have made them to have closed with him the more. But now that that Town had so basely and so cruelly cast him off (as that if they could they would have cast him down a rock) the Holy Ghost doth presently set down what he did in Capernaum, as by the one story to set off the other the more: to show what Nazareth had lost by what Capernaum had gained. And whereas in Nazareth Synagogue, he had had so little respect and entertainment, Luke hath presently shown, that yet he taught constantly in Capernaum, and there found more acceptance, and they found benefit, for there he wrought a miracle. 2. The Evangelists aim to the end of the Chapter is apparently this, to set forth Christ's Preaching and Ministration in the Synagogues of Galilee upon his return thither: He lays his groundwork at verse. 14, 15. Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and he taught in their Synagogues: And then he dilateth upon that relation: as first that he taught in the Synagogue of Nazareth, and there he was ill used, and thence he went to the Synagogue of Capernaum, and there he cast out a Devil, and then he went over the Synagogues of Galilee: And having given this account of what he intended, namely to speak of Christ's public and open Ministry in the Synagogues, then he cometh to his more particular actions and demeanour: And being in speech of Capernaum Synagogue, he mentioneth two miracles done there, somewhat before the proper order of their time, because having no more to say of that Town of a long space he would conclude all the occurrences there now altogether.

Harmony and Explanation.

AS Moses, David, Elisha, and Amos were called from their mean and homely employment, of feeding sheep and following the plow, to those great functions in which they were so eminent and renowned afterwards: so are these four, (the chiefest of Christ's Disciples, if we may think of any Disparity in that glorious society) called from a mean and poor vocation of catching fish in the Sea of Gennesareth, to the high and honorable employment of catching souls with the net of the Gospel, See 1 Cor. 1. 27, 28.

Galilee as base as it was in the repute of the Jews of Judea, Joh. 7. 52. yet had it been renowned in many achievements, and for several occurrences, and now was come to be most honorable of all other places for the residence of Christ, and original of the Gospel. Moses had foretold that Zebulon and Issachar, Galileans, should call the people unto the mountain of the Lord's house to offer Sacrifices of righteousness, Deut. 33. 19. And Jacob before him, That Naphtali the Galilean should give goodly words, Gen. 49. 21. Both evident and glorious predictions of this original of the Gospel in both places. Zebulon and Naphtali had done renownedly in the overthrow of Sisera, Judge. 5. 18. and in the wars of Gideon, Judge. 6. 35. see also 1 Chron. 12. 33, 34. &c.

There are two dates to be conjoined from which this preaching of our Savior is dated by the Evangelist, and both which he intimateth and mentioneth in the verses before. 1. From Johns imprisonment verse. 12. for when he had now run his race, and prepared what people he could for Christ's appearing, and sealed his Ministry with suffering, then from that time beginneth Christ most plainly to show himself, and to preach the Gospel. 2. When he was now come into Galilee into those parts, where captivity first began, and where it was foretold that comfort and appearance of redemption should first begin also: It is indeed a good space of time since John was shut up in prison, for Christ since that had come out of Judea, been in Samaria, travailed in Galilee, and been refused at Nazareth, and yet till now he beginneth not to preach that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Because he would first try what entertainment would be given to the Gospel of the Kingdom, before he declares how near that Kingdom is to come.

Quest. 1. Why was it so long in the age of the world, as that almost four thousand years of it were expired before Christ came, and before the Kingdom of Heaven did appear? Had it not been more agreeable to the end for which Christ came, which was to save sinners and to call the Gentiles, for him to have come sooner, and nearer the time when sin began, and the Gentiles were cast off, than to suffer the one to grow so much and the other to perish so long ere he appeared?

Answ. Aquinas disputeth this point, part. 3. quest. 1. Art. 5. and he giveth these answers. 1. It was not convenient that Christ should appear so very soon after sin was entered into the world, because it was needful, that man by the Law, should first be taught to know his own estate and misery, and to see the need he had of the great Physician. 2. Because it was needful that he that was the great Lord and Judge, should have his harbengers and messengers to be sent before him, as the Prophets were, before he himself came: other reasons he giveth, but these two are of the greatest weight. To which may be added. 3. That the coming of Christ, and preaching of the Gospel •• it was the highest mercy, that could be shown to mankind, so it was last to be show •… s the last trial, whereby the Lord would see what was in man, and how he would in •… ain this greatest mercy: God had tried the world before with divers trials, the light of nature, the promise of Christ, a public service, a succession of Prophets, &c. (for Israel to whom these things were allowed were as the Epitome of the world) but all these things being abused, there was but one trial more, the Lord said, I will send my son, they will surely reverence my son, &c.

Quest. 2. Why did Christ appear at that very time of the world rather than any other?

Answ. 1. As Christ came a deliverer from sin, so he appeared when sin was at the highest (so the Jews observe from Esa. 63. 5.) for if ever it were at height in the world, it was then. Not only among the Gentiles (the Romans, the wicked and bloody Nation, being now as high in all manner of impiety as they were in power) but even among the Jews, they having after all other their sins, and killing of the Prophets, even killed the Scriptures and the Word of God by their irreligious and accursed traditions. It was not only seasonable, but it was time for Christ to come to revive the Scriptures, which were thus murdered. 2. The Jews were now in as great bondage, of greater than ever they had been, both spiritually and bodily: for they were not only enslaved in their souls by blind Teachers, but their outward man was under the double bondage, of the Romans and of Herod. He of the posterity of cursed and hated Edom, and they the great afflicter, that had now laid that yoke upon the Nation, that it must never come from under till Jerusalem be destroyed. 3. The Antichristian Nation or that state that was to be the continual 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or opposer against the truth, was now risen, and the wisdom of God disposed that the Gospel and this enemy should rise together.

Now therefore when Christ thus began to declare himself, the time was fulfilled. 1 Which God from the foundation of the world had determined for this great occasion. 2. Which all the Prophets did point out and foretell of the coming of the righteous one. 3. Which the Jews themselves had in expectation. 4. The last days were come (to which the Prophets still pointed in their predictions concerning his appearing, as Esa. 2. 2. Mic. 4. 1. &c. ) namely the last days of Jerusalem, for she was now come under the bondage of that Nation that was to be her ruin. And 5. Elias, Baptist, was come and had run his course.

Reason of the Order.

THERE is not so much doubtfulness of the subsequence of this Section, or at the least of some of it, to the Section preceding (for the transition in Matthew doth make it clear) as there is of something contained within the Section itself. Luke had related Christ's unkind usage and danger by his Townsmen of Nazareth, and that thereupon he slipped away from them and went to Capernaum: There Matthew takes at him, and tells how divinely that Prophesy of Isaiah came now to be fulfilled by his dwelling in those parts, The land of Zebulon and the land of Naphtali, &c. And then he comes on with a special note of conjuction of the stories, From that time Jesus began to preach, &c. And how Mark doth join with him in bringing on this story before us, in the present Section, though he doth it very briefly, not mentioning any of his actions in Galilee till this in hand, yet is it so apparent and conspicuous that there needeth nothing to be said of it: But in the body of the Section now under hand lie these two queries.

Quest. 1. Whether is this story in Luke about Peter, and Zebedees sons, the same with that in Matthew and Mark? For some particular circumstances do seem to difference them: as whereas Matthew and Mark say Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee and saw Peter and Andrew casting a net into the Sea and called them, Luke relates how he was in Peters ship, and spake to him to cast his net into the Sea, &c. Again Matthew and Mark say, when he had gone a little further he saw James and John mending their nets, &c. but Luke relateth that James and John came up to Peters ship, where Jesus was to help to draw up the great draught of fishes that was taken, &c.

Answ. Now though there seem to be these different, yea contrary circumstances in the Evangelists relation, yet is the story but one and the same, but only related more largely by Luke than by the other: The texture of it may be taken up thus: As Jesus walked along the Sea shore of Gennesareth, and the people pressed on him to hear the word, he stepped into Peters ship and there taught: and having ended his speech he causeth Peter to cast down his net for a draught, and he had a great one; (this is that that Matthew and Mark speak of when they say, He saw Peter and Andrew casting a net into the Sea, they speaking short, and Luke giving the story in its full relation) Peter unable to manage so great a draught, beckons for James and John to come and help him, which they did: upon the draught Christ calls Peter to be a fisher of men, and he lands and follows him: But James and John returning to their station and to mend their nets, as he comes by he calls them and they follow him also: And thus is the story at large as it may be composed out of all the three, one helping to explain another, and all relating but the same story.

Quest. 2. If this order of St. Luke be proper, as that this action of our Savior in calling these Disciples, must come so near his coming to Capernaum as Matthew hath laid it, how is it that Luke hath laid two miracles done in Capernaum before this story, viz. the casting out a Devil in Capernaum Synagogue, and healing Peters wifes mother? Chap. 4. 33. 38. which Mark hath placed after the story of the calling of Peter and the other fishers; and so it may seem to be after their call, and this story in Luke to be after those miracles, and another story different from that, of their call.

Answ. Mark, whose method of all the three Evangelists is most constantly according to the order of time in which things were done, hath given one undoubted hint of the order of this story, that it was before the two miracles done there, for when he hath related the calling of the Disciples, he saith, And they, that is, Christ and these Disciples now called, went in to Capernaum, verse. 21. And Matthew also in laying the healing of Peters mother in law, (which was one of the miracles mentioned) so very far after the story of the Disciples called, doth also confirm this method that it was not before.

Now, two things are observable in St. Luke as to his method: 1. That Christ refused to do any miracles in his own Town of Nazareth, though they expected he should show some great works there) as he had done in Capernaum: Not that he would have refused Nazareth, had not Nazareth refused him, as was said before, but that he would by that his speech have made them to have closed with him the more. But now that that Town had so basely and so cruelly cast him off (as that if they could they would have cast him down a rock) the Holy Ghost doth presently set down what he did in Capernaum, as by the one story to set off the other the more: to show what Nazareth had lost by what Capernaum had gained. And whereas in Nazareth Synagogue, he had had so little respect and entertainment, Luke hath presently shown, that yet he taught constantly in Capernaum, and there found more acceptance, and they found benefit, for there he wrought a miracle. 2. The Evangelists aim to the end of the Chapter is apparently this, to set forth Christ's Preaching and Ministration in the Synagogues of Galilee upon his return thither: He lays his groundwork at verse. 14, 15. Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and he taught in their Synagogues: And then he dilateth upon that relation: as first that he taught in the Synagogue of Nazareth, and there he was ill used, and thence he went to the Synagogue of Capernaum, and there he cast out a Devil, and then he went over the Synagogues of Galilee: And having given this account of what he intended, namely to speak of Christ's public and open Ministry in the Synagogues, then he cometh to his more particular actions and demeanour: And being in speech of Capernaum Synagogue, he mentioneth two miracles done there, somewhat before the proper order of their time, because having no more to say of that Town of a long space he would conclude all the occurrences there now altogether.

Harmony and Explanation.

AS Moses, David, Elisha, and Amos were called from their mean and homely employment, of feeding sheep and following the plow, to those great functions in which they were so eminent and renowned afterwards: so are these four, (the chiefest of Christ's Disciples, if we may think of any Disparity in that glorious society) called from a mean and poor vocation of catching fish in the Sea of Gennesareth, to the high and honorable employment of catching souls with the net of the Gospel, See 1 Cor. 1. 27, 28.

Galilee as base as it was in the repute of the Jews of Judea, Joh. 7. 52. yet had it been renowned in many achievements, and for several occurrences, and now was come to be most honorable of all other places for the residence of Christ, and original of the Gospel. Moses had foretold that Zebulon and Issachar, Galileans, should call the people unto the mountain of the Lord's house to offer Sacrifices of righteousness, Deut. 33. 19. And Jacob before him, That Naphtali the Galilean should give goodly words, Gen. 49. 21. Both evident and glorious predictions of this original of the Gospel in both places. Zebulon and Naphtali had done renownedly in the overthrow of Sisera, Judge. 5. 18. and in the wars of Gideon, Judge. 6. 35. see also 1 Chron. 12. 33, 34. &c.

There are two dates to be conjoined from which this preaching of our Savior is dated by the Evangelist, and both which he intimateth and mentioneth in the verses before. 1. From Johns imprisonment verse. 12. for when he had now run his race, and prepared what people he could for Christ's appearing, and sealed his Ministry with suffering, then from that time beginneth Christ most plainly to show himself, and to preach the Gospel. 2. When he was now come into Galilee into those parts, where captivity first began, and where it was foretold that comfort and appearance of redemption should first begin also: It is indeed a good space of time since John was shut up in prison, for Christ since that had come out of Judea, been in Samaria, travailed in Galilee, and been refused at Nazareth, and yet till now he beginneth not to preach that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Because he would first try what entertainment would be given to the Gospel of the Kingdom, before he declares how near that Kingdom is to come.

Quest. 1. Why was it so long in the age of the world, as that almost four thousand years of it were expired before Christ came, and before the Kingdom of Heaven did appear? Had it not been more agreeable to the end for which Christ came, which was to save sinners and to call the Gentiles, for him to have come sooner, and nearer the time when sin began, and the Gentiles were cast off, than to suffer the one to grow so much and the other to perish so long ere he appeared?

Answ. Aquinas disputeth this point, part. 3. quest. 1. Art. 5. and he giveth these answers. 1. It was not convenient that Christ should appear so very soon after sin was entered into the world, because it was needful, that man by the Law, should first be taught to know his own estate and misery, and to see the need he had of the great Physician. 2. Because it was needful that he that was the great Lord and Judge, should have his harbengers and messengers to be sent before him, as the Prophets were, before he himself came: other reasons he giveth, but these two are of the greatest weight. To which may be added. 3. That the coming of Christ, and preaching of the Gospel •• it was the highest mercy, that could be shown to mankind, so it was last to be show •… s the last trial, whereby the Lord would see what was in man, and how he would in •… ain this greatest mercy: God had tried the world before with divers trials, the light of nature, the promise of Christ, a public service, a succession of Prophets, &c. (for Israel to whom these things were allowed were as the Epitome of the world) but all these things being abused, there was but one trial more, the Lord said, I will send my son, they will surely reverence my son, &c.

Quest. 2. Why did Christ appear at that very time of the world rather than any other?

Answ. 1. As Christ came a deliverer from sin, so he appeared when sin was at the highest (so the Jews observe from Esa. 63. 5.) for if ever it were at height in the world, it was then. Not only among the Gentiles (the Romans, the wicked and bloody Nation, being now as high in all manner of impiety as they were in power) but even among the Jews, they having after all other their sins, and killing of the Prophets, even killed the Scriptures and the Word of God by their irreligious and accursed traditions. It was not only seasonable, but it was time for Christ to come to revive the Scriptures, which were thus murdered. 2. The Jews were now in as great bondage, of greater than ever they had been, both spiritually and bodily: for they were not only enslaved in their souls by blind Teachers, but their outward man was under the double bondage, of the Romans and of Herod. He of the posterity of cursed and hated Edom, and they the great afflicter, that had now laid that yoke upon the Nation, that it must never come from under till Jerusalem be destroyed. 3. The Antichristian Nation or that state that was to be the continual 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or opposer against the truth, was now risen, and the wisdom of God disposed that the Gospel and this enemy should rise together.

Now therefore when Christ thus began to declare himself, the time was fulfilled. 1 Which God from the foundation of the world had determined for this great occasion. 2. Which all the Prophets did point out and foretell of the coming of the righteous one. 3. Which the Jews themselves had in expectation. 4. The last days were come (to which the Prophets still pointed in their predictions concerning his appearing, as Esa. 2. 2. Mic. 4. 1. &c. ) namely the last days of Jerusalem, for she was now come under the bondage of that Nation that was to be her ruin. And 5. Elias, Baptist, was come and had run his course.