ther 4. We dare not, tho' fome the Vine until the Kingdom of have been of that Mind, in- GOD fhall come. He wou'd terpret this of the Time of the not eat the Paffover until 'twas Millennium, leit the Conceit fulfilled, that is, compleated, fhou'd feem too grofs; tho' we the Prophetical Type in the are fure that Angels have eat great Antitype, Chrif our and drunk with Men, nay our Paffover, who being one ofSaviour did as much after his fered for us, fulfilled that and Refurrection. And indeed to other Parts of the Typical Cethat eating and drinking of his, remonial Law-after which we are more inclin'd to refer he eat the Paffover again, that this Refolution, than to any ois, the Lords Supper initituted in ; namely, either that with the Travellers at Emmaus, which fome of the Fathers understood to have been a Sacramental Feaft; however, it's probable enough they had the Fruit of the Vine, or Wine there, which was the ordinary Drink of the Country. Now the Time after our Saviours Refurrection, when the great Work of Mans Redemption was accomplish'd, is fometimes call'd in the Scriptures the Kingdom of GOD, or the Kingdom of Heaven. Repent ye, fays St. John Bapt. for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, namely, the Times of the Meffiah, and Jofeph s faid to be one that waited For the Kingdom of GOD. Now that this is the Senfe hereof, and that our Saviour here refers to his future eating nd drinking with his Difciles after his Refurrection, we hink is pretty plain, from hat we find in the fame Hiory, as related by St. Luke, hap. 22.16, to 8. I fay unto you, I ill not eat any more thereof (of is Paffover) until it be fulled in the Kingdom of GOD; hich feems to bear the fame its Room, which we ought not to believe he tarried to long as forty Days with the Dipl s without once celebrating; and accordingly did partake of the Wine as well as the Bread, and thus drank it anew with them. in his Fathers Kingdom which he refus'd to do at his laft Supper, because he was approaching to the loweit Degree of Exinanition, his Agonies in the Garden, when his Soul was exceeding forrowful even to Death, as well as his Paffion, which foonafter fucceededAnd here at least we may have Room for a Query, tho' we lay not much Strels upon't-Whether when the Souldiers gave him upon the Crofs Wine mingled with Myrrh, which when he had tafted thereof, he refus'd to drink, whether the Reaton of fuch his Refuial was not this Promife? "That he would not drink of the " Fruit of the Vine, till he drunk it in his Fathers Kingdom. We are not ignorant that feveral other Reaons are alledged for it; but this may appear as probable as any. Q. Whether it were a Sin in Q. Wherein confifted David's Sin, in numbring the People? 4. Had he only defired old ther; and therefore Four of Ifaac's Bleffing, or had he got 'em being deceas'd, and that it by fair Means, without re- probably without Name or Ifpeated Lies, we think he had fue, the other furviving Sedone nothing but what was law-ven are only enrolled in the ful, nay commendable. Fur- Chronicles, and their Names ther, had he defir'd the Bleng transmitted to Pofterity. of the Firft born, this we allo think he might lawfully have done, and obtained it too, A. Some think 'twas in that because he had fometime before he thereby feemed to attempt the fairly purchased the Birth-right falfifying or contradiction of of his Brother Efau. So that God's Promife, who had faid, he did not fo properly defraud they fhould be as the Sand of the Efau, as Efau wou'd have de-Sea-fhore, inumerable. But frauded him, had he enjoyed that feems but a figurative Exthe Blefling, which was a fort preffion; and befides, they of Perquifite to the Birth-right, were actually number'd both and was therefore by Efau for- when they came out of Egypt, mally renounced, together with and at the forty Years end, as it, and fold for a Mefs of Pot-well as at their return from tage to Facob. Our Judgment the Captivity, and other times then is, That Jacob finned not befides, as we fhall anon prove. in getting the Bleffing it felf, Another Reafon which is given tho' he did in the Manner of for't is- that his Sin was his getting it, and making ufe Pride, and that being now of Lies to obtain it. with his People in a flourishing Condition, his Mind was too much elated, and thereupon to feed that Humour more, he was refolved to have the numA. Very eafily; tho' he had ber of his People. But it might not only Eight, but in all Ele- be as well from a Political ven Sons mentioned in Samuel, Reafon, to know the Strength and but Seven in the Chronicles, of his People; or if a little it's plain he had Eleven when Vanity might be mixt with it; Samuel, came to view 'em; for it hardly feems to deferve fo he made Eliab Abinadab, and fevere a Punishment; or if it Shamma firit to pafs before him. had, how could the People be Again, he made feven of his justly punished for David's Sons pafs before him, v. 10. Sin? It must then confift and after all the youngest, Da-in fomewhat wherein the Peovid, was fetched from the ple might be Partakers with Field, who made up their him, and this the Devil knew, Number Eleven, -But if he who therefore ftood up against had never fo many more, they Ifrael, and provoked David to might all die, as fome of 'em, number 'em, 1 Chron. 21. I. no doubt, did before their Fa-And this Joab plainly intimates, Q. Jeffe is faid to have Eight Sons, in I Sam. 16. and but Seven, in 1 Chron. 2. How do you make this agree? &c. 2. 3. Why 12. The Men turned their Faces, and went towards Sodom. But in the 1ft of the 19th.- There came Two v. 3. Why does my Lord require | called by that Name. See Gen. this thing? Why will he18. 3. " Abraham lift up his be a Caufe of Trefpafs in "Eyes, and faw Three Menitood Ifrael? Now what this Tref-" by him, Two of which were pafs was which David caus'd" Angels. for 'tis laid, v. 'em to commit, we may have a fair Guess from the 30th of Exodus V. 12. When thou takeft the Sum of the Children" of Ifrael after their Number," Angels to Sodom-yet not then fball they give every Man a "only Lot calls 'em Men aRanfom for his Soul unto the gain, v. 8. but the Holy Lord, when thou numbreft them, Ghoft it felf, v. 10. and 12. that there be no Plague a- "The Men put forth their mongst them when thou numbreft Hands -The Men faid unthem. Hence we learn evident-" to Lot -yet Angels again ly that if the Children of 15. and Men, 16. That GOD, Ifrael were number'd without or our Saviour was One of the paying this Ranfom, a Plague Three, may be proved from the wou'd follow. We are fure now Ift of the 18th- "The Lord that they were number'd, and" appeared to Abraham-but that a Plague did follow; therefore we may very strongly infer, that it was for want of this Ranfom, which either David did not require 'em to pay, the Priests being Rich, and the Temple not yet built, or the hafte of the Work would not permit 'em to do it, which feems to be a fudden Motion rais'd in his Mind by the Adverfary, and as fuddenly imparted to Joab, who with the Rulers of the People only was commanded to number Ifrael," Thing that I do? no mention being made of the" And the Lord faid, Because High-Prieft, who was prefent" the Cry of Sodom is great, &c. when they were firft number'd 22,. And the Men turned by Mofes in the Wilderness. their Faces to go to Sodom, Q. Whether Jacob wrestled" but Abraham stood yet before with an Angel, or with GOD" the Lord.bimfelf. A. The Words are, Gen. 32. 24. There wrestled a Man with him, &c. But both our Saviour and his Angels appear-who alfo afterwards, as it ing in the form of Men, are feems by the Text, joyned the - more plainly afterwards. -20. But two Men went, as before, ift of the 19th. He then which remained with Abraham was the Third, and that third was GOD-~ other other Two, and appeared to ment and the New, and the Lot when the Angels had Angel or Meffenger of the Cobrought him out of Sodom, venant. And this fufficiently who in the 18th Verfe entrea-folves that Expreffion of Jacob, ting for Zoar, fays, Not fo, which the Papifts would wrest my Lord. And v. 24. Then to the Defence of their own the Lord rained upon Sodom and Angel-worship, that in Gen. Gommorrah Brimftone and Fire 48. 16. "The Angel that refrom the Lord out of Hea-deemed me from all Evil, vend Whence the Arrian-blefs the Lads! Who was Council at Sirmium attempt in this Angel; but he who wrefttheir Creed to prove a Diftin-led with him, which was GOD. ction between the Father and But the Angel who appeared Son, taking the firft Lord here to him in Padan-Aram, Cap. 31. for the Father, the fecond for who tho' he's firit call'd an the Son, tho' the Orthodox Angel, v. II. yet when difmore cautiously pronounce 'em courfing with him, tells him, to be but one GOD, one "I am the GOD of Bethel, Lord. This premis'd be-v. 13. and bad him go out of caufe of the affinity of the the Land; He whom he Argument, we are to remark prayed to, Cap. 31. v. when that he who wrestled with in danger of Efau, and Jacob is implied to be GO D, faid, "O GOD of my Father because of the Name given Abraham, and GOD of my him Ifrael- -and the In- Father Ifaac, the Lord which terpretation as a Prince faidit unto me, Return unto hait thou Power with G OD· "thy Country, and to thy relating to his wrestling with Kindred Deliver me, him, that is, earnestly friving I pray thee, out of the Hand in Prayer to him, which had of my Brother, which acbeen Idolatry (by the Socinianscordingly he did; and thereupdeave) had he not been GOD.on Facob built him an Altar, His being ftruck Lame, we e-and called it GO D, the 4 9. fleem as a Punishment for his GOD of Ifrael. The same more than Holy-boldness, or in- GOD who alfo appeared to deed want of Fear and Reve-Mofes in the Bufh, Exod. 3. rence enough towards GOD, who is called the Angel of the faying pofitively. "I will Lord, in v. 2. But in the not let thee go.. It ap-4th, LORD and GOD, CC pears alfo to have been GOD and in the 6th, The GOD of "from the Name of the Place, Abraham, Ifaac and Facob. + ( as 'twas afterward called by Q. Whether Jepthah had fin"Jacob, viz. Peniel, or thened had he broken his Vow? "Face of GOD; for, fays A. Let us first examine what he, I have feen GOD Face his Vow was, and how he ful"to Face; namely, GOD the filled it; concerning which the Son, who is alfo call'd an Learned are of fuch different Angel, both in the Old Tefta- 'Opinions. The Vow, as we - make it more remarkable and reaching not only to Beats, but Men, if devoted to the Lord. Q. What's the meaning of the Woman clothed with the Sun, having the Moon under her Feet, whom we read of in the Revelations? find it in the 11th of Judges, v. 31. Whatever cometh forth "of the Doors of my Houfe ແ to meet me when I return in "Peace from the Children of "Ammon, fhall furely be the "Lords, and I will offer it up "for a Burnt-offering. And .39. "He did with her ac"cording to his Vow which he A. All Commentators we e"had vowed. Now the Law of ver met with, interpret it of aBurnt-offering we know was, the Primitive Christian Church, that it fhou'd be totally con- who is faid to be loathed fumed on the Altar---Thus with the Sun, because illumiExod. 29. 18. To Inftance innated with the true Faith of no more; Thou shalt burn Chrift, the Sun of Righteouf"the whole Ram upon the Al-nets. By the Moon under her CC tar, it is a Burnt-Saerifice Feet, is generally understood "unto the Lord. He vowed her defpiling and trampling to offer whatfoever met him thefe fublunary things -But for a Burnt-Sacrifice; his learned Man has another cuDaughter met him; he did un-rious Conjecture, either that to her as he had vowed, there- it relates to the Feafts and Cefore he facrificed her which remonies of the Jews, which tho' feveral learned Men are of were all mark'd out by the a contrary Opinion, we can- Courfe of the Moon, as the not but believe he actually did New-Moons themielves were it, there being fo punctual a their principal Holy-days, of Law coming fully up to this elfe the Gentile-Idolatry, worvery Cafe, Levit. 27, 28 and fhipping of Dæmons, and the "No devoted i hing that Powers of Darknefs, which "a Man fhall devote unto the might be reprefented by the "Lord, of all that he hath, Moon, which rules over the both of MAN and Beaut, Night, as the contrary there"fhall be fold or redeemed. unto, namely, Go.rel Light, "Every devoted Thing is moft by the cherful Light of the Holy to the Lord- -None Sun. For the twelve Stars, "devoted which fhall be de- they are, we think, by all, in"voted of Men fhall be re-terpreted as a Symbol of the "deemed, BUT SHALL Twelve Apostles of the Lamb. "SURELY BE PUT Q. What Community in your "TO DEATH. He there- Opinion comes nig heft to the fore having opened his Mouth, D&trine of our Bieffed Saviour, to the Lord, tho' he might Sin the Apofties and Primitive Fa inlo rafhly doing it, cou'd not thers? go back without Perjury, and A. Undoubtedly it's our Obefides, breaking this Solemn pinion that the Communion we Law here twice repeated to our felves are of, and hope to 29. |