Treatise of the Four Degenerate Sons, Treatise · Part 4 · Section 6
SECT. 6. Of the fearefull curſes that befell the Jewes ſince they killed the Lord of life.
THe Iews prayed that Chriſts bloud might be upon them and their poſteritie: The people of God were afraid of this guilt of bloud, that it might neither fall on them, nor their poſteritie, nor upon their very houſes, and therefore they built battlements about their houſes, that they might not bring bloud upon them, Deut. 22.8. David prayed, Pſalm. 51. To free him from blouds; The guilt of bloud is not eaſily waſhed outThe guilt of bloud is not eaſily waſhed out; when David ſhed Vriah his innocent bloud, the Lord ſaid, that the ſword ſhould never depart from his houſe; that bloud continued ſtill to the ending of the Kings of Iudah: If the guilt of Vriah his bloud did cleave to ſo many, what marvell then that the guilt of our Lords bloud lie ſo long upon theſe wretches? And if all the bloud that was ſhed from Abel to Zacharie, ſeized upon them who killed Zacharie, much more may the guilt of Chriſts bloud ſeize upon their ſinfull poſteritie: It was a miſerable leagacy which David pronounced, that Ioab ſhould leave to his poſteritie, 2 Sam. 3.28. that ſome of them ſhould have an iſſue, and that ſome of them ſhould be a leper, that ſome of them ſhould leane on a ſtaffe, and ſome of them ſhould die by the ſword, and ſome ſhould begge their bread, but this was a more fearefull legacie which the Iewes left to their poſteritie, when they left the guilt of Chriſts bloud upon them.
Firſt, this curſe was upon their ſoules; ſecondly,The killing of Chriſt. left a curſe upon their ſoules, bodies perſon…, goods, and lands. upon their bodies; thirdly, upon their perſons; and fourthly, upon their land.
Firſt, upon their ſoules, The curſe entered into ſhew bowels like water, and like oyle into their bones, The curſe upon their ſoules.Pſal. 109.18. And as the bitter water made the guiltie womans bellie to rotte and confume, ſo doth this curſe of God ſeize upon them; ſo that their hearts are fat and groſſe, and paſt feeling: There is no judgement greater than this, to have a fat heart and not ſenſible: Eſay pronounced this judgement upon them when their hearts beganne to grow fat, Eſa. 6.10. and Chriſt applies this prophecie of Eſay to them when their hearts were growne fatter, Matth. 13.15. and laſt it was fulfilled in S. Pauls time altogether upon them, Act. 28.17.
Now ſince they killed the Lord of glorie and ſhed his innocent bloud,Since they killed Chriſt they are given up to a reprobate ſenſe and become ſavage Wolves. Calius Redoginus, pag. 173. ex Dione. they are given up unto a reprobate ſenſe, and now they are become of all men moſt ſavage and cruell; I will ſet downe but one example of their ſavageneſſe and crueltie; Dion writes, that in the laſt dayes of Traian the Emperour, the Iewes who dwelt in Cyrene (Andreas being their Captaine) did indifferently ſo barbarouſly kill both the Romanes and the Greekes, and would ſet downe their fleſh prepared on the tables to be eaten; neither would this content them, but they pulled out their bloudy intralles, and girded themſelves about with them, as though they had beene girdles; and they uſed their skinnes for cloathes, and manie of them they cut in peeces, and ſome of them they threw to the beaſts, and others they compelled to fight and kill one another; and this way they killed moe than 200000. This their barbaritie they exerciſed alſo in Egypt and Cyprus, (Arteinon being their Captaine) and they killed above 400000. and therefore afterward it was eſtabliſhed by a law, that if a Iew upon any occaſion came into the Ile of Cyprus, that he ſhould be preſently executed: The Lord gave them over to this reprobate ſense that they became like Wolves, and not men, becauſe they ſhed the bloud of our Lord, and for this cruell murther of Chriſt ſee how the Lord payes them home againe in the deſtruction of Ieruſalem, by Titus and Vaſpaſian, the ſword, the famine, and the peſtilence: Theſe three great ſouldiers of the Lord entred into Ieruſalem, and they ſtrove which of them three ſhould moſt ſeverely revenge their cruelty: Reade but the hiſtory of Ioſephus of the deſtruction of Ieruſalem, and thine eyes wil faile with teares, and thy bowels will be troubled within thee for the deſtruction of poore Ieruſalem.
The judgement upon their bodies.The ſecond judgement was the judgement upon their bodies; as the Lord ſet a marke upon Cain, Gen. 4.15. and ſmote his enemies the Philiſtines in the hinder part, Pſal. 78.56. and the poſteritie of Gehezi with a leproſie: So it is holden by many that the Iewes have a loathſome and ſtinking ſmell, and foreign, a ſtinking breath. When Marcus the Prince was going to Egypt, as he paſt through Canaan, he was much troubled with a loathſome ſmell and ſtinke of the Iewes (as Marcellinus calls it) and being much wearied amongſt them,Caelius lib. 5. cap 9. he cried out, O Marcomannt, O guad, O Sarmati, tandem alios vobis inertiores comperi, O yee Marcomanni, O yee Guadi, O ye Sarmatians, at laſt, I have found out a more loathſome people than any of you.
The judgement upon their perſons.The third judgement is the judgement upon their perſons, that they are miſerable cati…es, and ſlaves now through the world; compare but this captivitie now, and their former captivities, and this ſhall be evident.
Firſt,A difference betwixt this captivitie and their former captivitives. in all their other captivities the Lord hath ſet downe a time for their deliverance, That in Egypt they ſhould be 400. yeares; in Babylon. 70. yeares: under Antiochus three yeares and ten dayes, Dan. 7.25. but the Lord hath ſet downe no time now when this their captivitie ſhall end.
Secondly, in their other captivities there were alwayes ſome Iewes in favour with the heathen Princes, as Ioſeph with Pharaob in Egypt, Daniel in Babylon, and Mordecai in Suſan: but now they have none to ſpeake favourably for them at the hands of Princes.
Thirdly, in their other captivities there were Prophets ſent from the Lord to comfort them; as Moſes and Aaron were ſent to Egypt, Ezekiel and Daniel, were ſent to Babylon; And Saint Peter writes to the diſperſed Iewes in Pontus and Bithynia, but now the Sunne is gone downe over their prophets, and the day is darke over them, Mica 3.6.
Fourthly, in their other captivities they had foreign, Roſh hagalloth, foreignthe prince of the captivitie who ruled and guided them, and they had one of them in Babylon which was the chiefe citie of the Eaſt, 1 Pet. 5.15. And another who dwelt at Alexandria in Egypt; but now they have none to rule them.
Fiftly, although they were under the dominion of the Romanes, yet they were foreign and had power to judge in matters of their owne religion, as we ſee in the Iewes of Damaſcus, and others elſe where, Act. 18.15. in matters of religion they were ſubject to the high-prieſt, and they had power to apprehend and to whip, Act. 5 4. Hence is that ſaying of Pilat, Goe yee and judge according to your Law, but now they have no ſuch priviledge.
Sixtlie in the other captivities they were but caried captive to Babylon, and ſome of them to the Medee and Perſians, but now they are foreign, ſcattered throught the whole corners of the earth, through Aſia, India, Perſia, and Babylon.
Seventhly, in their captivity in Babylon they had learned Vniverſities and famous Schooles, as Nehardigna, Sora and Pambeditha, and thoſe were in the place of the great Synedrion to them at that time, and then the diſperſed Iewes conſulted with them;Rab. Abraham, In I… chaſin, Fol. 38. pag. 1. but now they have no ſuch Vniverſities, nor ſchooles of learning.
Eightly when they were in the other captivities, the expectation of the true Meſſias comforted them: And this they illuſtrate by this parable; A certaine man while hee was carying a lampe in his hand in the night, the winde blowes it out,R. Moſes Hadarſan in gen. cap. 1 Pſal. 36. ver. 9. but hee blowes it in againe and kindles the light againe, and this hee doth foure or five times, then he ſaies to himſelfe, How long ſhall I ſtrive this waies, ever while the morning ſtarre Lucifer appeares. So they ſay, they were captives in Egypt, there the light was put out, but by the miniſtrie of Moſes and Aaron it was lighted againe: ſo they were oppreſſed by the Philiſtines, by Iabin and by Syſera, then the light was put out, but by the helpe of the judges they were delivered, and the light was kindled againe: ſo they were carried to Babylon, there the light was put out, and they were delivered by Cyrus, there the light was lightened againe, Iacob ſayes Gen. 49.18. I have waited for thy ſalvation: The Caldee paraphraſt paraphraſeth it thus, Non expecto Salutare Gedeon filij Ioaz, qua ſalus tranſitoria eſt, Sed expecto redemptionem filij David, qui venturus eſt accerſendam ſibi filios Iſrael, cujus redemptionē deſiderat anima men; I waite not for the …eliverance of Gideon the ſonne of Ioah, whoſe deliverance is but tranſitorie; but I waite for the redemption of the ſonne of David, who is to come, and to gather the ſonnes of Iſrael to him, and for this redemption my ſoule longeth: the expectation of the Meſſias onelyonly comforted them in all their captivities; therefore he was called the conſolation of Iſrael, Eſay 49.3. then they waited for the morning ſtarre Chriſt, 2 Pet. 1.19. who ſhould free them altogether, Iſa. 11. I ſhall take away the yoake of your captivity for my annointed ſake; But now they diſpite the true Chriſt, therefore what comfort can they have in their captivity?
If any man ſhould aske a Iew now, why this their captivitie laſts longer then any of their former captivities, they anſwere that this is the ſinne of the golden calfe which our fathers worſhipped, that hath procured this captivitie upon us, and they have this ſaying commonlie in their mouthes, Non accidit tibi O Iſrael ulla ultio, in qua non ſit uncia de iniquitate vituli, That is, there is no puniſhment which befalles thee O Iſrael, In which there is not one ounce weight of the ſinne of the golden calfe; But God viſits not the ſinnes of the fathers upon the children, unleſſe they follow their fathers footſteps, and approve their ſinne; But the Iewes at this day abhorre all Idolatry, Romans 2.22. wherefore this cannot bee the cauſe of their long captivity; But all the Iewes to this day approve their predeceſſors fact in killing the Lord of glory, therefore it is for this bloody fact that they are ſo long in captivity, and ſervitude now.
The fourth Iudgement is the Iudgement upon their land Canaan, which was before like the garden of Eden, The fourth Iudgement upon their land.Ezech. 36.35. and a land which the Lord God cared for, and his eyes were upon it from the beginning of the yeere to the end, Duet. 11.12. and ſo fertile that it brought forth thirtie, ſixtie, and a hundred fold, Mat. 13.8. But the Lord turned it to a barren wilderneſſe, for the wickednes of them that dwelt in it, Pſal. 107.34. If the mountaines of Gilboa were accurſed, becauſe Saul and Ionathan were killed their, that neither dew nor raine ſhould fall upon them for the field of offering, 2 Sam. 1.21. much more was this land curſed for the killing of Chriſt: Before they killed the Lord, the plow man overtooke the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that ſowed ſeed, Amos 9.3. that is, the old reached to the new; but now ſmall is the increaſe of that land, when they ſow an Homer, It was firſt terra intactaſive virgo before they manured it. Secondly, terra maritata, and thirdly, terra vidua.they get an ephah, Eſay 5.10. that is, but the tenth graine now where they had great increaſe before, See Hag. 2.16. Before terra erat maritata, Eſa 62.4. their land was maried when it was manured and laboured, but now it is terra vidua, and reſts her Sabbothes; now no Iew poſſeſſeth a foote broade in Canaan, nor in any part of the earth have they any poſſeſſion; they are not onelyonly curſed from the heaven, but alſo from the earth, that is, there is a curſe upon their very earthly things.
Laſtly, there was a curſe upon their goods; becauſe of the divers taxations and tributes which was laid upon them; for firſt, they were taxed, Luke 2.21. under the preſident Cyrenus in Syria, then more particularly by Quirinus, but after the deſtruction of Ieruſalem, they were hardly tasked where ever they lived, as under Hadrian the Emperour,Suetonius in Domitiano cap. 12. inſomuch that they ſearched a Iew who was 99. yeares of age, whether he was circumciſed or not, to make him pay his tribute. Nerva the Emperour being aſhamed of this, prohibited that they ſhould be ſearched after this manner, as is evident by the inſcription upon his coyne; Calumnia fiſci Iudaici ſublata, yet he releaſed them not of their tribute: So they were heavily taxed in Meſopotamia under Trajan, and in Beteir under Hadrian.
Object. But wee ſee many of the Iewes very rich, and abounding in earthly things?
Anſw. The riche which the Iewes poſſeſſe now have Gods curſe mingled with them.Theſe earthly things which they poſſeſſe in the midſt of their plentie there is a curſe upon them; as Abimelech had a kingdome, yet there was a curſe upon it, that never ceaſed untill he was rooted out of the kingdom; So upon the quailes which the Iſraelites had there was a curſe: So Ahabs vineyard had a curſe with it; ſo Gehezi his mony; and thus the Lord joynes a curſe with thoſe temporall things which hee beſtowes upon the Iewes, that they are not comfortable to them.
When the Lord was to reject the Iewes, hee wrote the bill of divorce, but he gaue it not preſently after to them; for there intervened a time betwixt the writing of the bill, and the giving of the bill to the partie divorced; he gave not this bill of divorce to them, untill this laſt, foreign, or Racematio was gathered in, they had fallen away from the Lord a long time before he gave them this bill of divorce, and upon their part they were not his people, but yet upon Gods part they were ſtill his people, untill he gave them the bill of divorce he did not as yet, foreign, or foreign, but ſuffered them a while, hee ſaid not to them as yet (Eſto expulſa ame, & licita cuivis viro) which were the words of the bill of divorce.The Lord gave the Iewes ſundry warnings before their rejection.
He gave them ſundry warnings of their rejection, before he rejected them. The firſt was, Matth. 12.16. And he charged them not to make him knowne, that it might be fulfilled which was ſpoken by the Prophet Iſaias, Behold my ſervant whom I have choſen, my beloved in whom my ſoule is well pleaſed; I will put my ſpirit upon him, and hee ſhall ſhew judgement to the Gentiles. The Lord forbade the clouds to droppe any more upon his Vineyard, Eſa. 5. becauſe he was to turne himſelf to the Gentiles, this was the firſt warning of their rejection.
The ſecond warning, Math. 21.41. Marke 12.9. They ſay unto him, hee will miſerably deſtroy thoſe wicked ſervants: When they underſtood that this parable was ſpoken of them, then they would not anſwer, leaſt they ſhould ſeeme to condemne themſelves; but Chriſt pronounced this ſentence, that hee would deſtroy thoſe wicked men; which, when the Phariſees heard, they ſaid foreign, God forbidde, underſtanding that this was ſpoken againſt them, Mat. 21.25. Wherefore when Mathew ſaith, the Phariſees anſwered to Chriſt (malos male perdat) he reſpects the Phariſees mind, and what they thought, but they repreſſed themſelves; and there is a trajection here; for after the 41. verſ. the 43. ſhould be ſubjoyned, and then the 42. and then the 44. and ſo Chriſts ſpeech is made plaine, which otherwiſe ſeemes to be obſcure.
The third warning of the rejection of the Iewes is, Matth. 23.38. Behold your houſe is left unto you deſolate, for I ſay unto you, yee ſhall not ſee mee henceforth untill yee ſay, Bleſſed is he who commeth in the name of the Lord.
The laſt warning was, Act. 13.46. Seeing ye put it from you, and judge your ſelves unworthy of everlasting life; Loe we turne to the Gentiles. Then the Apoſtles ſhooke off the duſt of their feet againſt them, v. 51. which was a military ſigne of old, wherby they knew that the enemy was approching for their deſtruction, when they ſaw the horſes approaching neare unto them, and raiſing the duſt with their feet againſt them, then they might know that their deſtruction was at hand. So the Iewes might know by the Apoſtles ſhaking off the duſt of their feete, that there was no peace for them any more, but their deſtruction was at hand, when they had fallen away now foreign, & foreign.