The Holy Limbeck(1), Commentary 5 – Commentary 14
Blood for Blood.
He that ſheddeth mans blood, by man ſhall his blood be ſhed,
Gen. 9.6.
IT is murther not to puniſh it: If detraction be breach of Charity, or to deny a periſhing beaſt the courteſie of our ayd be Inhumanity, what merits he that transforms the Image of God into the ſubſtance of Death: To acquit the Murtherer, is to be guilty of his life, and without true penitence he ſhall dye by that Book which ſaved him: He that refuſeth to undefile the Land of that blood wherewith it is polluted, by taking ſatiſfaction for the life of a Murtherer, delivers up the whole body of a Nation to the judgements of God; to keep an ulcerous member from the Juſtice of man, does what in him lies to juſtifie the Executioner of Hel againſt the Charter of Heaven; twice murthers the innocent that was ſlain before, entails the guilt of blood on the Land and his own Poſterity, commits in one act Oppreſſion and Sacriledge, by denying Juſtice to quick and dead, and baſely ſelf-murthers his own ſoul.
Butchery, with the Jew, is honored above the Liberal Sciences, and long experience requiſite to that Arts perfection; they have a Book of Shamble Conſtitutions, and in the moſt difficult caſes they conſult with ſome Learned Rabbi, that the Jew Butcher had need be half a Phyſitian in Anatomizing, and half a Rabbine in caſes of Conſcience; and who knows but that many of thoſe Jewiſh Phyſitians, which in our days practiſing murther, kill by Authority, after a Prentiſhip ſerved in the Drugſters ſlaughterſhop, came themſelves (whither they ſend others) from the Shambles.
But who ſhall ſhed his blood that ſheds his own? that wilfully neglects the means of life? that makes this poyſon his Evening-draught? this Knife his Cut-throat? that Bough his Gallows? or yonder Pool his Grave? that kills himſelf dead-drunk? that eats himſelf Carrion-dead, gluttonouſly biting of his thrid of life, whileſt he delves his grave with his own teeth? that exhauſts his vitals in a ſtews, and fornicates with hell? who thus becomes his ſelf-deſtroyer, is a Rebel to that God that made him, a Vagabond from his preſence for ever; is an Enemy proclaim'd in Hell to all Religion; is a Traytor to Reaſon; …n Apoſtate to Sence; a Fool …o the very Bruits; and a Slave to the Devil. Who ſhall ſhed his blood that hates his brother? for he's a murtherer too, 1 John 3.15. that reſtrains charity, or uſurps revenge, the Prerogative Royal of the moſt High: Who ſhall ſhed that Paſtors blood that ſtarves his Flock, or erroneouſly miſ-guides them by his life or Doctrine, like Sheep unto the ſlaughter? who ſhall ſhed that Lawyers blood, that moſt butcherouſly cuts his innocent Clyents throat, by betraying his righteous Cauſe for a bribe, ore-ballancing an honeſt Fee, proſtrating the nakedneſs of truth to the foul inſultings of corrupt injuſtice? that with-holds the truth it unrighteouſneſs? that Janus like, looks both ways at once, and hath an Ambodextrous tongue to ſuck blood from both, yet diſtribute right to neither? Who ſhall ſhed that Empericks blood, that kills others that himſelf may live? that practiſes on the Bodies of men with leſs conſcience then he takes fees; and deſtroys more lives by his deſperate ignorance, then the Judicious Phiſitian by his Chymical Practice? Who ſhall ſhed the Machivilians blood, that like the Wolf in the Breaſt, gnaws out the bowels of his Countrey; and to feed his vulturous deſigns, preys on that State that bred and foſter'd him; and rather then have his inviſible projects countermin'd, will cap in hand petition the Devil to ſummon a Councel in Hell, that may furniſh him thence with Auxiliary Legions to come in for his aſſiſtance? Laſtly, Who ſhall ſhed the Uſurers blood, that ſucks out the Vitals of his Neighbors Eſtate with Jewiſh Exaction, and then extorts his very Liberty from him, even Natures Prerogative, till the laſt gaſp of all his Fortune be conveyed him; and having onelyonly reſerved to himſelf for term of life, a few years of beggary and too late repentance, entails the remainder of his miſery to his injured innocent Poſterity; whileſt his own ſad ſoul, to prevent the gaſtly hungerbits of mercileſs Famine, does oft career on the reſolves of ſome deſperate courſes to the Shipwrack of his Conſcience; that ſo being now undone in ſoul and body, ſtate and poſterity, he may go to his grave (if it be his happineſs to have one) compleatly miſerable. But let none of theſe forget, That there is a God that judgeth the earth, and hath enacted, That whoſoever ſheddeth mans blood, by man ſhall his blood be ſhed, Gen. 9.6.
Babel.
Go to, let us go down, and there confound their Language,
Gen. 11.7.
BUt yet one Century of years expired ſince the Deluge, and behold, the Sons of men ripe for a ſecond confuſion! they are now ſcaling Heaven, not by Faith, but Preſumption, are daubing up a ſtately Mole-hill, as if they meant to ore-top the moſt High, over-power the Almighty, mighty, parley with their Creator, go to Heaven in a carnal way, or at leaſt ſecure themſelves from future Deluges, by erecting this Caſtle in the ayr for a place of retreat; but the Lord deſcends from on high, blows off the Pyramide of their Pride, by ſweeping away their Cobweb Edifice with the beſom of Confuſion.
Of theſe proud Maſons, oNimrod was the chief, the Captain, the Maſter Workman, the firſt Tyrant, and (as ſome ſuppoſe) the firſt that brought Idolatry in faſhion; indeed he erected a very ſtately Idol, for ſuch ambitious fools to worſhip as imitate the vapour of his brain: To eſtabliſh themſelves a Name in all the Earth was their grand deſign, they would fain be great, and high enough to peep into heaven; but the diſſipation they doubted, was the judgement they ſuffered; their attempting the prevention of what they feared, prevented their accompliſhing of what they projected; and the foundation they had laid whereon to build their greatneſs, became the ground-work of their ruine. They call'd a general Councel or rebellious Confederacy, and voted for a Tower, whoſe top ſhould reach unto Heaven; A Fabrick of that heighth, would require a Baſis deeper then the Earth; but he that will aſcend Heaven, muſt not lay his foundation in Hell: no queſtion but this ambitious rout; in the reſults of their deſperate reſolves, were as well compact as their building, and that as uniform as their Language; but as they went up, the Lord came down, ſcattered the one, and confounded the other.
Had theſe men been at Jeruſalem, when the Apoſtles inſpired with the gift of Tongues became ſuch expert Linguiſts, they might have ſeen the like power in a contrary effect to this of Babylon; this came by the ſin of man, that by the mercy of God; the one from Babylon, the other from Jeruſalem: No marvel then that at this day are ſuch audacious Theomachiſts in myſtical Babylon, where that proud Antichriſtian Nimrod exalting himſelf above God, ſits in the Temple as God. Indeed the whole Chriſtian Earth was once of one Language and of one Speech; but when Babylon ſadled her Aſs, and took a Journey to Rome; when they ſaid, Go to, Let us make Martyrs, and burn them throughly; when they took the brick of their own inventions, in ſtead of Sions Stone, a tryed and precious Stone, Iſaiah 28.16. and the frothy ſlime of their own brain, for the welltempered morter of the infallible word; and ſaid, Go to, Let us build us a City of Spiritual Whoredoms, and a Tower of Merits, whoſe top may reach unto Heaven, no marvel then, I ſay, that the Lord ſhould at the brightneſs of his coming, ſcatter thoſe Idolatrous Vermin, or Jeſuitical Imps, like duſt before the wind upon the face of all the earth, and with the Spirit of his mouth confound the Language of the beaſt, 2 Theſſ. 2.8.
Abram's Call.
Now the Lord had ſaid unto Abram, Get thee out of thy Countrey, and from thy kindred, and from thy fathers houſe, unto a Land that I will ſhew thee,
Gen. 12.1.
IT is the perfect freedom of a childe of God, to come and go at his Command, out of whoſe ſervice to be manumitted, is the diſhonorableſt Vaſſalage under the Sun. Our obedience to God admits not the Sophiſms of fleſh and blood; to debate the point of obedience with God by delays, is to enter our ſelves the Devils ſlaves without diſpute: He that asks leave of his luſt to part with it, in obedience to God, ſeems to take leave of his God, and part with him in obedience to his luſt: Nay, if the Land of thy Nativity, or the vaſtneſs of thy Poſſeſſions; if the honors of thy State-Offices, or the Profits of thy Corruption therein; if the quality of thy Birth, or the vanity of thy pleaſures; if the exquiſiteneſs of thy Endowments, or the popular Hoſanna's of Idolatrous Flattery; if the Wife of thy Boſom, or the iſſue of thy Loyns; if all or any of theſe counterballance the leaſt of Gods Commands, in the ſcale of thy judgement or affection, go ſacrifice to thy God of fleſh, and be thine own ſlave, for thou art not yet ſelfeſs enough to be imployed in the ſervice of the Moſt High; indeed, God is able of the ſtones to raiſe up children unto Ahraham, ſo there may be hope of thy heart; but till with him thou canſt deny thy ſelf the preſent poſſeſſion of the whole earth, for a bare reverſion of Heaven; till with him thou canſt anſwer Gods Call, and exchange thy Countrey here, for a better hereafter, thy Fathers Houſe below, for thoſe Manſions prepared above, thou mayeſt not expect a Canaan in his boſom, Luke 16.22.
God in the Mount: OR,
In the Mount of the Lord it ſhall be ſeen,
Gen. 22.14.
NOt in the Mole-hills of men, God never trifles away his Miracles, he works no wonders beneath the higheſt pitch of Humane power: A Miracle doth preſuppoſe impoſſibility in all below that power which wrought it; where the power of the Creature ends, the Almightineſs of the Creator begins; Miracles of Mercy are not wrought, till the exigency of the Creature calls for the mercy of a Miracle; it ſtands not much with Gods honor, to interpoſe his power in doing that for the Creature which he hath impower'd the Creature to do for himſelf; ſhould God come in to mans help, before the cure is paſt the help of man, the goodneſs of his mercy would anticipate the glory of his power, and the freeneſs of his love obſtruct the actings of Faith.
In the Mount of the Lord it ſhall be ſeen.] Therefore not in the Valley of Deſpair, nor on the Pinacle of Preſumption, unleſs to cut off the one, Numb. 15.30. or deſtroy the other, Mat. 27.5. When therefore Poverty doth pinch, or nakedneſs benumb; when Perſecutions flames threaten either to ſcorch thy ſoul, or burn thy body; when the floods thereof menace either ſhipwrack to thy Conſcience, or a Land-deluge to all thy ſublunar intereſts: when the proud Nimrods of the earth firſt foam out their Juliantick rancor, to poyſon thy ſacred chaſtity with their Scorpion-Blaſphemies, and then ingulph thee lock'd in irons, to ſuffocatethee with milder damps in their hell-typifying dungeons, the portraict of their own black ſouls; when ſuch Tyrants, prodigal of their Engines, and their grand Maſter, by the juncture of all his infernal Imps, call a Councel in hell to perſecute thee on earth, Caſt not away thy confidence, the Saints themſelves were under a Cloud before thee, and it was Iſraels Proverb, The Lord will be ſeen in the Mount, Gen. 22.14.
Modeſt Contentation.
I have enough, my Brother, keep what thou haſt unto thy ſelf,
Gen. 33.9.
THe gift of refuſing gifts, is a gift greater then man can give; he that can ſhut his hands againſt the rich, will open them to the poor: It is a ſubtile piece of thriving policy, to repulſe ſome advantages of gain; and the ſpeedieſt way to abound in every thing, is to be ſelf-denyingly contented with any thing: No man thinks he hath enough, but he that knows he hath more then he doth deſerve; and no man enjoys what he doth poſſeſs, but he that covets no more then he doth enjoy; he that can repulſe the temptations of gain, gains by ſuch temptations, whileſt the aſſaults of the repulſed Enemy recoyls to the damage of the Aſſaylant. The minde contented is a fortreſs impregnable, it is not whole vollies of Bribes, nor the Canon of Commands Royal, though charg'd with the higheſt Titles of Honor, or Provenues of State-offices, can make the leaſt breach on the naked out-works of his unprojecting and well-contented minde; but the unſatiable and idolatrous wretch, ſuppoſing gain to be godlineſs, acknowledgeth no other Infinite then his own unplenable deſire, whileſt the other in every eſtate practiſing Pauls well learn'd Leſſon of Contentment, ſubſcribes to godlineſs as his greateſt gain; he takes poſſeſſion of his own heart, and enjoys himſelf; he is tenant to no mans eſtate for term of luſt; he is under his high Lord, his own heart-Lord, and thence can command his deſires to do homage to none but the Providence of God. This diſpoſition unkennels the greedy dogs (as the prophet Iſaiah, ſpeaking of blinde watchmen, Iſa. 56.11. ſtiles them) That can never have enough, and ſhews us the hideous darkneſs of the infathomable gulf of the ravenous deſires of the Canibals of this age. Prophane Eſau (now no more rough but courteous Eſau) may riſe in judgement againſt the Wolves of this Generation, for he ſo far abhorred ſuch violence, that he modeſtly refuſed even what was freely preſented him, and ſaid, I have enough, my brother, keep what thou haſt unto thy ſelf, Gen. 33.9.
I am that I am. Exod. 3.14.
TO define God, is more properly a Paradox then a Precept in Divinity; indeed, a ſecret too Mataphyſical for the moſt Logical eye-ſight of any created underſtanding. What God is not, we know; what God is, we know not: If thou wouldſt fain ſublime thy ſelf to a ſight of him who is inviſible, look with the eye of Faith through the proſpective of Chriſt; and the beſt way to define God, is to endeavor the practice of that deſcription he makes of himſelf, in the Myſtery of his Word and Volumn of his Works. To define an Infinite, is a kinde of Blaſphemous Contradiction; and he that thinks he can ſuppoſe an exact definition of God, is one of the Fools that ſays in his heart There's none. Canſt thou finde out an end for Eternity, or beginning for Sempiternity? art thou too ſtrong for Omnipotency? canſt thou circumcircle Immenſity? canſt thou confine Ubiquity, or confute Omniſciency? canſt thou exclude Omnipreſency? then mayeſt thou in part tell me what God is: Beware of limiting the Holy One of Iſrael; if thou canſt ſee of God more then his back-parts, thou haſt better eyes then Moſes had, whoſe Commiſſion if the Iſraelites queſtion, behold it ratified by that eternal Subſcription, I am that I am, Exod. 3.14.
Loyal Diſloyalty.
They feared God, and did not as the King of Egypt commanded them, but ſaved the men children alive,
Exod. 1.17.
TO obey Caeſar for God, is the Subjects duty; to obey him for himſelf, the Salves vaſſalage: To obey the commands of Caeſar, wherein he diſobeys the Commands of God, is to make thy Loyalty to thy Prince guilty of rebellion to thy God: To obey God for Caeſar, is Mercenary Religion, to obey him for himſelf, is Filial Obedience: To obey the Commands of God, wherein they contradict the Commands of Caeſar, is to render thy fear of God unguilty of over-honoring thy Prince: To have abſolute command over all the Creatures, is onelyonly the Creators Prerogative-Royal; to obey this abſolute Monarch above all Sublunary Potentates, is the Chriſtians Prerogative-Loyal. When Humane Laws jarring with Gods, make a diſcord in Heaven, thy obedience to the former may not make it harmony on earth: Our Allegiance to Caeſar muſt ſwear fealty to Gods ſupremacy, that if at any time thy obedience to God be unduly convicted of diſloyalty to thy Prince, thy Appeal lies to the Chancery of Heaven: Gods Will is a Law, yet his Peoples Obedience no Slavery, but perfect Freedom; the Prince his Will is a Law too, where he hath none but Slaves to His Subjects: Where the Engines of State-policy make the wheels of the Peoples Obedience run Counter to the Primum Mobile, or main Spring of Gods revealed pleaſure, it may be feared, leſt the frame of the whole work, and the body of the Land retrograde to the firſt Chaos of Confuſion: Obedience to man rather then God, is as the ſin of Witchcraft; yea, the Prince who delivers not his Commands from God, or derives not his Commiſſion from Heaven, neither fears God nor honors himſelf; and whoſoever obeys him in ſuch Commands, is guilty of that obedience, as Treaſon againſt the higheſt Majeſty: A ſpecial Command from God, legitimates a thing unlawful in it ſelf, it had not been murther in Abraham to have ſlain his Son; but thus it is not with Princes on Earth, therefore the Egyptian Midwives approved their loyalty to God, by their diſloyalty to Pharaoh; for, They feared God, and did not as the King of Egypt commanded them, but ſaved the men-children alive, Exod. 1.17.
Heavenly Eloquence.
Go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou ſhalt ſay,
Exod. 4.13.
THe Spirits dictates are the Saints beſt Rhetorick; the plaineſt Language where the Spirit is Orator, is too profound for the deepeſt apprehenſion of meer natural judgements; not he that hath moſt learning, but he that hath moſt grace is beſt learn'd; he that is ſeen in all Arts & Sciences is held an able man, but he that hath learn'd Chriſt is the beſt Schollar. A poor weak Chriſtian that doth practice Chriſt, ſpeaks his Language with more grace then the moſt exquiſite Orator of meer nominal Chriſtians, and hath more perſwaſive Rhetorick in his ſweet Converſation, then many of our learned Gownmen in their life and Doctrine. There are a Generation of men in this refined and new-modell'd Age, that have fled exceeding high in their expreſſion, ſome think they have out-ſhot all objects of reaſon to comprehend, and of faith to believe; as if too myſterious to make reaſonable ſenſe of, and too ſuperluminary to conclude non-ſenſe; this is not heavenly Eloquence: Others there are that draw their Language to ſo fine a thrid, that it oft breaks in the ſpinning, and nought but a Spider crawls from the Web; ſometimes it breaks into ſenſe ridiculous, and ſometimes into errors venimous, now into ſelf-intereſt, and anon into faction; or if the thrid hold, it ſerves onelyonly to ſ…w Pillows under the drowſie declenſions of moſt uncorrupted Patrons; neither is this heavenly eloquence: The great Doctor of the Gentiles, Paul, that Goſpel-Orator, accoſted not the Corinthians with the perſwaſible inticements of mans wiſdom, but in demonſtration of the Spirit and of Power; and this was heavenly Eloquence: for when the Spirit prompts the heart, the tongue cannot but ſpeak eloquently; the volubility whereof flowing onelyonly from ſome principle of nature, is but as the wagging of an Apſenleaf, compared with the Seraphick Language of a gracious heart, where the Spirit giveth utterance: Such Language Chriſt promiſed his Diſciples when called to atteſt his Truth; and ſuch Language God promiſed Moſes when he imployed him as his Agent into Egypt, to uninſlave his bondag'd people, ſaying, Go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou ſhalt ſay, Exod. 4.13.
Jehovah-niſsi. Exod. 17.15.
THey who in their ſpiritual warfare liſt themſelves under Gods Command to fight the Lords Battels, not onelyonly have Chriſt for their Captain, but even the Lord of Hoſts for their Jehovah-niſſi, the Lord for their Banner: Suppoſe the Generaliſſimo of all the infernal Janizaries muſter up all his Forces, and draws them into Battalia againſt thy naked ſoul, ranking the honors, profits and pleaſures of this life on the right wing, the hideous troops of all thy fearful ſins on the left, placing thy moſt conquering luſts in the main body, keeping whole Regiments of that gallant Brigade of moſt ſpecious Sanctity (whoſe leader is Spiritual pride) for a Reſerve, with divers enſnaring temptations lying in Ambuſh, with as many occaſions and opportunities of ſinning, as ſo many Scouts to diſcover the ſtate, poſture and motion of thy ſoul; all this ſuppoſed, yet the being on thy ſide thou needeſt not to fear, For in the Lord Jehovah is everlaſting ſtrength, Iſa. 26.4. He is the Church-Militants Banner, againſt which the gates of hell ſhall not prevail: To the wicked the Lord is a conſuming fire, diſſolving them like the fat of Lambs; but his Church, like Moſes his Buſh, is preſerved in the midſt of fiery perſecutions, to luſtre forth as well the glory, as the power of the Almighty. The Church never yet fought with the Prince of the Ayr, but either won the day by being victorious, or gained by being perſecuted: And why? becauſe the Lord was her Banner; and indeed, where the Lord of Hoſts leads the Van, Victory muſt needs attend the Rere: When that ſtripling David was to Duel that monſtrous Goliah, he advanced towards him onelyonly in the name of the Lord of Hoſts, 1 Sam. 17.8. Whileſt Moſes's ſupported arm was Gods Standard, Joſhuah defeated the uncircumciſed Amalekites; Therefore Moſes built him an Altar, and called it Jehovah-niſſi, Exod. 17.15.
Stand ſtill.
Fear ye not, ſtand ſtill, and ſee the Salvation of the Lord,
Exod. 14.13.
DIſtruſt, the Brat of ſlaviſh fear, is the firſt ſtep leads downward to Deſpair; he that will not truſt God on his word, will ſcarce confide in his miracles: To fancy ſafety out of Gods protection, is an argument of wretched ſecurity, and little policy; but to doubt his protection in the midſt of his encompaſſing mercies, an argument of more ingratitude, and leſs faith: As it is moſt deſperate preſumption, and an ungracious tempting of God, to ſtand ſtill when he opens us a door of flight, and as it were bids us fly for our life, either by revealing us his Will by his Word, or by whiſpering it in our hearts by his Spirit, or by proclaiming it by his paſt or preſent deliverances; ſo is it a no leſs deſperate Cowardiſe, and moſt Atheiſtical diſtruſt, to fly when God bids us ſtand, either by ſhutting againſt us the door of eſcape, or by giving us pledges of victory, or promiſes of protection. It had been a ſtrange piece of ſelf-enſlaving and rebellious madneſs in Peter, to have ſtaid in priſon when the Angel unſhackled him, and opened the door; yet but an ill-purchas'd freedom in Paul to have bribed Felix Ceſaria's Governor for his enlargement: In our inevitableſt ſtraights, we are in all humble obſervance and faithful patience to attend the pleaſure of God, without diſputing the Juſtice of his Providence, and by a holy recumbancy, without the leaſt murmuring diſtruſtfulneſs, to acquieſce in the Faith of his Promiſes: The inviſible Politician may and is oft brought to his wits end, but a juſt man is never at his Faiths end: Art thou degraded in the world, and undeſervedly perſecuted? ſtand ſtill, keep an eye to the promiſe, and be ſtrong in the faith: Art thou fortune-fallen, become poor, and through no default of thine caſt into priſon? ſtand ſtill, remember the Lord heareth the poor, and deſpiſeth not his Priſoners, Pſal. 96.33. Art thou ingaged in any combate at home with Monſters, like Pauls Epheſian Beaſts, or in any deſperate hazard of life? ſtand ſtill, never forgetting who it is that hath calculated even the very hairs of thy head: Thus what once Moſes ſaid to the unbondaged, yet murmuring Iſraelites, let me ſay to the Redeemed, yet diſtruſtful people of God, when purſued by the heart-hardned Pharaohs of this age, Fear ye not, ſtand ſtill, and ſee the Salvation of the Lord, Exod. 14.13.