Commentary on the Pentateuch, Commentary 4 · Chapter 27 – Chapter 29
CHAP. XXVII.
Verſ. 3. BƲt dyed in his own ſin] i. e. By a natural and an ordinary death, not by a ſpecial plague, as that Arch-rebel Korah. Death is the juſt hire of the leaſt ſin, Rom. 6. ult. But ſome evil-doers, God doth not only put to death, but alſo hangs them up in gibbets, as it were, for publike notice and admonition.
Verſ. 4. Give unto us therefore a poſſeſſion] This plea for a part in a land not yet conquered, is a proof of their faith, and could not but encourage others. Such a maſculine faith, was that of Mrs. Anne Askew, Martyr, who thus ſubſcribed her confeſſion, Written by me Anne Askew, Act. & Mon. fol. 1128.that neither wiſheth for death, nor feareth his might; and as merry as one that is bound for heaven. I will not bid you good night, (ſaid Hellen Stirk, Scotchwoman, to her husband, at the place where they both ſuffered Martyrdome,) for we ſhall ſuddenly meet in the heavenly Canaan. And was it not by the force of her faith, Ib. 1154.(that ſubſtance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not ſeen, Heb. 11.1.) that Criſpina gaudebat, cum tenebatur, cum audiebatur, Aug. in Pſal. 137.cum damnabatur, cum ducebatur.
Verſ. 7. And thou ſhalt cauſe the inheritance] Let the French defend their Salique law as they can. It was a witty Eſſay of him, who ſtiled women, the ſecond Edition of the Epitome of the whole world; witneſs Artemiſia, Zenobia, Blandina, the Lady Jane Gray, (whoſe excellent beauty, adorn'd with all variety of vertues, as a clear sky with ſtars, as a Princely Diadem with jewels, gave her the ſtile of Eruditionis, pietatis, & modeſtiae delicium,) and Queen Elizabeth, in whom, beſides her ſex, there was nothing woman-like, or weak: as if (what Philoſophy ſaith) the ſouls of thoſe noble creatures, had followed the temperament of their bodies; which conſiſt of a frame of rarer rooms, of a more exact compoſition then mans doth; and (if place be any priviledg,) we find theirs built in Paradiſe, when mans was made out of it. Beſides, in Chriſt Jeſus there is neither male nor female, but all are one, (ſouls having no ſexes;) and whoſoever are Chriſts, are Abraham's ſeed, and heirs according to the promiſe, Gal. 3.28, 29.
Verſ. 11. A ſtatute of judgment] A ſtanding law, a ſtandard for all caſes of like kinde, in that policy at leaſt; for we cannot conſent to Caroloſtadius, who contended, in foro jus ex Moſe dicendum eſſe, that all other national and municipal laws were to be aboliſhed; and that all courts were now to paſs ſentence according to Moſes's laws. Hic non intellexit vim & naturam Chriſtianae libertatis; This man knew not the extent of Chriſtian liberty, ſaith Melancthon.
Verſ. 12. See the land] It was ſomewhat, to ſee; but oh how fain would he have entred the Land, and could not! we ſhall have in heaven, not only viſion, but fruition; we have it already in Capite-tenure, in Chriſt our head and husband; who will not be long without us: it being part of his heaven, that we ſhall be where he is, Ioh. 17.24. and enjoy God, which is heaven it ſelf: whence in Scripture, God is called Heaven; I have ſinned againſt heaven. Malim praeſente Deo eſſe in inferno, quam abſeute Deo, in Coelo. Luth. in Gen. 30.And I had rather be in Hell, and have God preſent; then in Heaven, and God abſent, ſaith Luther.
Verſ. 13. Gathered to thy people] To that great Panegyris, the general Aſſembly and Church of the firſt-born in heaven, Heb. 12.23. to that glorious Amphitheatre, where the Saints ſhall ſee and ſay, foreign, &c. as Chryſoſtome hath it; Look, yonder is Peter, and that is Paul, &c. we ſhall ſit down with Abraham, Iſaac, and Iacob; have communion with them, not only as godly men, but as Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob.
Verſ. 14. For ye rebelled] Sin may rebel in the Saints, but not raign; neither is it they that rebel, but ſin that dwelleth in them; dwelleth, but not domineereth.
Verſ. 16. The God of the ſpirits of all fleſh] Thou, Lord, that knoweſt the hearts of all men, Act. 1.24. See the Note there. Artificers know well the nature and properties of their own work. Deus intimior nobis intimo noſtro.
CHAP. XXVIII.
Verſ. 2. MY offering] He is owner of all; and of his own we give him, foreign, ſaid that great Emperour. [And my bread] Called their bread for their ſouls, that is, the bread for their natural ſuſtenance, common bread; when not rightly offered. So Ier. 7.21. God, in ſcorn, calls their ſacrifice, fleſh, ordinary fleſh, ſuch as is ſold in the ſhambles. So at the Lords Supper, impenitent communicants receive no more then the bare elements; panem Domini; Aug.but not panem Dominum. [In their due ſeaſon] Which for 38. years they had intermitted. Get a ſettlement, or Sabbath of ſpirit; or elſe God ſhall be but ill (if at all) ſerved.
Verſ. 3. This is the offering] See the Note on Exod. 29.38, 39.
Verſ. 9. And on the Sabbath day] Every day ſhould be a Sabbath to the Saints, in regard of ceaſing to do evil, learning to do well: but on the ſeventh-day-Sabbath our devotion ſhould be doubled. 'Debet totus dies feſtivus a Chriſtiano expendi in operibus ſanctis, ſaid Robert Groſthead Biſhop of Lincoln, In decalog. praecep. 30.long ſince. The whole Sabbath ſhould be ſpent in Gods ſervice, Pſal. 92. titled a Pſalm for the Sabbath, mentions morning and evening performances, verſ. 2. Variety of duties, may very well take up the whole day with delight. Beſides, God gives us fix whole dayes. Now to ſell by one meaſure, and buy by another, is the way to a curſe.
Verſ. 11. And in the beginning of your moneths] Thus they had their daily, weekly, monethly, yearly addreſſes unto God, that they might ever be in communion with him, and conformity unto him, by this continual intercourſe: On the new-Moons they reſted, Amos 8.5. feaſted, 1 Sam. 20.5. heard the Word, &c. 2 King. 4.29.
Verſ. 17, 18, 19, &c.] See the Notes on Exod. 12.18. and on Levit. 23.7, &c.
CHAP. XXIX.
Verſ. 1. ANd in the ſeventh monethmonth] This Sabbath-monethmonth (as it were) had as many feaſts in it, as were celebrated in all the year beſides. So that, as the Sabbath is the Queen of dayes, ſo was this of moneths. [It is a day of blowing] See the Note on Levit. 23.24.
Verſ. 7. And ye ſhall have] See Levit. 16.19. with the Notes.
Verſ. 12. And on the fifteenth] See Levit. 23.34, 35, &c. with the Notes. There the feaſts were preſcribed, and here the ſacrifices belonging to them are deſcribed.
Verſ. 17. And on the ſecond day ye ſhall offer twelve, &c.] In every of theſe ſeven-dayes-ſacrifices, one bullock is abated: Hereby the Holy Ghoſt might teach them their duty, to grow in grace, and increaſe in ſanctification: that their ſins decreaſing, the number of their ſacrifices (whereby atonement was made for their ſins) ſhould alſo decreaſe daily. Or it might ſignifie a diminiſhing and wearing away of the legal offerings, &c. as One well obſerveth; Hac caeremoniâ ſignificabat Deus gratiam ſuam de die in diem creſcere, it a nempe ut minuatur vetus homo, & novus augeatur, &c. (ſaith Alſted) till the very ruines of Satans caſtles be (as moſt of our old Caſtles are) almoſt brought to ruine.
Verſ. 18. After the manner] That is, in manner and form aforeſaid. The Manner is that that makes or marrs the action; as a good ſuite may be marred in the making, ſo a good duty: there may be malum opus in bona materia. Jehu's zeal was rewarded as an act of juſtice, quoad ſubſtantiam operis; and puniſhed as an act of policy, quoad modum agendi, for the perverſe end. Yea David, for failing in a ceremony only, though with an honeſt heart, ſuffered a breach inſtead of a bleſſing, 1 Chron. 15.17. Idolaters alſo went on in their own manner, Amos 8.14. as their idol-Prieſts preſcribed, The manner of Beerſheba liveth; that is, the form of rites of the worſhipping in Beerſheba, as the Chaldee paraphraſeth.