Paraphrase of the Hard Texts of Scripture, Scripture 2

Paraphrase of the Hard Texts of Scripture · Scripture 2

p. 43EXODVS.

CAP. I.

A New King,8 Now there arose up a new King over Aegypt, which knew not Ioseph. for his Lawes and manner of government, which unthankfully forgot the great service which Ioseph had done to the Kingdome, and crowne of Aegypt.

Therefore did they set over them taskmasters,11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters, to afflict them with their burdens. of their owne nation, that their cruelty might have the better pretence.

God therefore prospered the midwives, because,20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives. out of a religious feare, they refrained from that cruell practice injoyned them, &c.

CAP. II.

HIs sister Miriam stood afarre off, &c.4 And his Sister stood afarre off.

And in those dayes when Moses was now growne up to his best age, and was forty yeares old, &c.11 And it came to passe in those dayes, when Moses was growne,

And,12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Aegyptian, &c.2 though he knew he had a secret calling to deliver the Israelites, yet because it was not publikely knowne, he carried himselfe warily in this businesse, and looked round about, &c.

Revel their grandfather.18 And when they came to Revel their father,

Then, in processe of time, this Pharaoh from whom Moses fled, died, and the children of Israel,23 And it came to passe in processe of time, that the King of Aegypt died, and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage. now in the change of the Prince, hoping for some ease, bemoned themselves earnestly to God.

CAP. III.

THen Christ the Angell of the Covenant appeared,2 And the Angell of the Lord appeared unto him. &c.

In token of reverence, & respect unto so holy a place, and in token of laying aside all carnall thoughts,5 Put off thy shooes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest, is holy ground. and affections, put off thy shooes.

Then, Moses in humility and awfull adoration of the glory of God,6 And Moses hid his face: for he was afraid to looke upon God. which he held himselfe not worthy to behold, hid his face.

p. 448 And to bring them up out of that land, unto a good land, and a large, unto a land flowing with milke and honey.Therefore, have I thought good to shew some testimonies of my presence, and intention of delivering them, and bringing them out of Goshen, into a land which in comparison thereof is large, and exceeding fruitfull in all usefull commodities, both for necessity, and pleasure, &c.

13 Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you.If the Israelites shall curiously inquire concerning thee; How, and in what termes shall I describe thee unto them?

I am constantly and eternally unchangeable, being of my selfe, and that one, and the same, for ever; even thus shalt thou describe & expresse me to my people;14 I am that I am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel. the children of Israel, &c.

CAP. IIII.

6 Behold, his hand was leprous as snow;ANd behold his hand was as white with leprosie, as any snow.

10 O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, & of a slow tongue.I am not ready in speech, nor ever have beene, neither hath thine appearance, (which of all other things should be most effectuall) altered me any whit at all: but I am naturally slacke, and heavy of utterance.

Who hath given to man the faculty of speech? or who is the author of these infirmites,11 Who hath made mans mouth? or who maketh the dumbe, or deafe, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord? whereof thou complainest? dost thou not consider that I the Lord who now send thee, cause these where I will, for just and holy purposes, and give abilitie of all parts and senses, at my pleasure?

13 O my Lord, send I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt sendOh my Lord, send I pray thee by the ministery of some other fitter man, then I am, whoso ever it be.

16 Even he shall bee to thee in stead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him in stead of God.Aaron shall speake to the people, as from thee: and thou shalt give direction and counsell to Aaron, as from God.

And Moses tooke his wife, and his two sonnes, Gershom and Eleazar,20 And Moses tooke his wife, and his sonnes, and set them upon an Asse, and he returned to the land of Aegypt, & Moses tooke the rod of God in his hand. & caused them to ride toward Egypt: and Moses tooke that rod, which God had given so miraculous experiments of, in his hand.

But I will withdraw and withhold my grace from Pharaoh, so as he shall through his owne corruption turne all those occasions, which I shall offer him for his repentance,21 But I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people goe. unto the hardning of himselfe in a greater obstinacy of sinning.

22 Israel is my sonne, even my first borne.The children of Israel are my chosen and adopted people, both before all other and above all other nations, &c.

p. 45The Lord appeared visibly unto him,24 And it came to passe by the way in the Inne, that the Lord met him, and sought to kill him. and sensibly afflicted him with some sudden and violent disease, which he knew to be done, in regard of his neglect of his sonnes circumcision.

And with indignation she cast the foreskinne at his feet, and said: It is for thy sake,25 And cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. that I am faine thus to shed the blood of this my child: therefore art thou to me a bloody husband, &c.

CAP. V.

O Ye Elders of Israel,4 Get you unto your burdens. which joine with Moses & Aaron in this suite, Get you to your burdens.

Behold, the Israelites are a great people;5 Behold the people of the Land now are many, and you make them rest from their burdens. should so many thousands leave their worke, and goe idle for your pleasure?

Ye shall give the Israelites no more straw,7 Yee shall no more give the people straw to make bricke, as heretofore. whether to mixe with their clay, or to burne their brickes withall, &c.

Ye have brought us into hatred with Pharaoh,21 Because you have made our savour to bee abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us. and his servants, and have stirred them up to a further tyranny against us, by giving them this occasion of vexing us.

CAP. VI.

I Appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob,3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Iacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name Iehovah was I not knowne to them. as that God which was still able and powerfull to effect that, which I promised, and they lived still in the hope and exepectation of my powerfull performance: but now I doe appeare to thee, as ready to make good and execute, and give a being to that which I promised to them.

But they were so over-pressed,9 But they hearkened not unto Moses, for anguish of spirit, & for cruell bondage. and growne heartlesse with the cruelty of that bondage, that they regarded not the words of Moses.

How then shall Pharaoh regard me,12 How then shall Pharaoh heare me, who am of uncircumcised lips? which am of a stammering, and hindered utterance?

The sonnes of Reuben, who was in order of nature the first borne, though he lost the priviledges thereof.14 The sonnes of Reuben the first borne of Israel.

p. 46CAP. VII.

1 See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh; and Aaron thy brother shall be thy Prophet.BEhold, I have made thee a terrible meanes to execute my judgements upon Pharaoh: which he shall take as wrought by me, through thy hands: and Aaron thy brother (for his readinesse of speech) shall deliver thy minde, and my message to the Aegyptians: so as thou shalt act, and he shall speake.

2 For they cast downe every man his rod, & they became serpēts, but Aarons rod swallowed up their rods.For they cast downe every man his rod, and they were in appearance turned into Serpents; but not truly: for that Serpent into which Aarons rod was turned, devoured theirs.

CAP. VIII.

3 And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall goe up and come into thine house.THe river Nilus shal craule full of frogs, which, against their naturall use, shall leave the water, and creep up into thine houses.

7 And the Magicians did so with their inchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Aegypt.And the sorcerers did likewise, for experiment sake, and brought frogs, whether in appearance onelyonly, or true frogs (by secret conveiance) into some part of Aegypt, that was freed for this triall.

19 This is the finger of God.This worke is done by the immediate and over-ruling power of God.

CAP. IX.

15 For now I will stretch out my had, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence, and thou shalt be cut off from the earth. Or, I had stretched out my hand, that I might have smitten thee.FOr now, when I stretched forth mine hand, I might have smitten thee, and thy people, as well as I did thy cattell, with the pestilence: and so thou shouldest have perished from the earth.

16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power. Or, But indeed.But indeed I have in my secret counsell reserved thee for a further manifestation of my glorious power.

As for thee, and thy servants, I know, and finde upon the experience of your former obstinacy, that you will not,30 But as for thee and thy servants, I know that yee will not yet feare the Lord God. as yet, feare before the face of the Lord, &c.

CAP. X.

1 For I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants.FOr I have withdrawne my grace from him, and his servants, that their heart should not relent at my judgment, p. 47yea, I have punishe…h their former sinnes with hardnesse of heart, and obstinacy in sinning, &c.

How long shall Moses be a meanes of punishment and destruction to us?7 How long shall this man be a snare unto us?

I wish you might have no more favour of God then you are like to have of me,10 Let the Lord doe so with you, as I will let you goe, and your little ones; Looke to it, for evill is before you. in this suite of dismissing you and your children: looke to it, goe if you will, at your owne perill.

That he would take away from me but this one deadly plague wherewith we and our land are thus hurt,17 That he may take away from me this death onelyonly. and spoyled.

CAP. XI.

ABout midnight,4 About midnight will I goe out into the midst of Aegypt. I will by my destroying Angell goe through the midst of Aegypt.

But, as for the children of Israel, there shall not be so much as the least danger of any slaughter towards them,7 But against any of the children of Israel, shall not a dog move his tongue against man or beast. or any unquietnesse amongst them.

CAP. XII.

NOw, before the last plague,1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, &c. the Lord had spoken to Moses, &c.

This monethmonth shall be unto you both a monethmonth of principall account, as also, the first in number,2 This monethmonth shall be unto you the beginning of moneths. in all your religious computations; so that from this you shall count the yeare to beginne.

Let every Master of a family within his severall houshold take unto him a Lambe, &c.3 In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a Lambe.

Ye shall celebrate your passover for this once,5 Yee shall take it out from the sheepe or from the goates. (in respect of those straits, wherein you are) either with a lamb, or a kid, whether can most commodiously be provided.

Every one of the Congregation, whom it concernes,6 And the whole assembly of the Congregation of Israel, shall kill it in the evening. shall kill the lamb, betwixt the ninth and eleventh houre of the day.

And thus shall you eate it, for this first time,11 And thus shall you eate it, with your loines girded. for the greater haste; with your loines girded.

That person shall be separated from the Communion of the Church, and lie open unto bodily judgements.15 That soule shall bee cut off from Israel.

So they left the Aegyptians destitute of their Jewels,36 And they spoiled the Aegyptians. and rich furnitures, who by their owne censent, and will, p. 48parted with these things, …o hire the Israelites unto a more speedy haste, for their owne safegard.

43 There shall no stranger eate thereof.None that is a stranger in religion shall eate of it.

CAP. XIII.

2 Sanctifie unto me all the first borne, whatsoever openeth the wombe among the children of Israel.THat which first commeth out of the womb, set it apart to me, and consecrate it to my name, whether it be of man, or of any serviceable beast, among the Israelites: for it is mine by a peculiar right, I having well deserved it in my preservation from the common destruction.

9 And it shall be for a signe unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memoriall betweene thine eyes, that the Lords Law may be in thy mouth.This Passover shall be as full a remembrance unto thee of Gods mercy in thy deliverance, as if thou shouldst by any signet upon thy hand, or frontlet betweene thine eies, recall any businesse, or favour which thou wouldest ever thinke upon; yea, thou shalt keepe some record, or memoriall of this blessing also, in those scrolls which thou shalt bind upon thine arme and head.

13 And every firstling of an Asse thou shalt redeeme with a Lambe: and if thou wilt not redeeme it, then thou shalt breake his necke.But the first foale of the Asse, because it is an uncleane beast, since it may not be sacrificed, thou shall redeeme it with a Lambe: or else, because it is not fit that whatsoever is consecrated to God, should be put to prophane uses, thou shalt breake the necke of it, &c.

18 And the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Aegypt.And the children of Israel went up well furnished out of the land of Aegypt, both with provision, and munition.

CAP. XIIII.

4 And I will harden Pharaohs heart, that he shall follow after them.ANd I will in just judgement so besot Pharaoh, that forgetting the experiments of my power, he shall, in hope of prevailing, follow after you.

8 And the children of Israel went out with an high hand.But the children of Israel went out by strong hand, vnderunder the miraculous guidance and protection of the Almighty.

15 Wherefore cryest thou unto me?Why dost thou thus earnestly importune me in thy secret prayers, which are as so many loud cries in my eares?

19 And the Angell of God, which went before the Campe of Israel, removed and went behinde them.And the Angel of the Covenant (which was Christ) removed the signes of his presence from before the Israelites, behind them.

24 And it came to passe, that in the morning watch the Lord looked unto the host of the Aegyptians.Now in the morning watch, when the Lord, out p. 49of the pillar of fire (who had seemed all this while to winke at the enterprises of the Aegyptians) began, according to our apprehension, to take notice of this their pursuite, &c.

CAP. XV.

THe troupes of horses and their riders hath he overthrowne in the Sea.1 The horse and his rider hath he throwne into the Sea.

I foresee by that spirit of prophecy which he hath given mee,2 He is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation. that he shall have a Tabernacle reared up for him by his people.

The Lord is a noble Warriour indeed.3 The Lord is a man of warre.

And the Lord directed him unto a tree,25 And the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: to which hee gave such miraculous power, that it being cast into the waters, the wood thereof changed the whole streame from the former bitternesse.

There he, in generall, gave them rules and advice of holy obedience before him,25 There he made a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them. to prepare them for that exact Law which he meant afterwards to deliver, &c.

CAP. XVI.

GEnerally there was a murmuring over the whole Campe, of the most part of the Israelites, &c.2 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured, &c.

Behold,4 Behold, I will raine bread from heaven for you. I will cause that which shall be in stead of bread, to raine, as it were, out of the clouds upon you.

For as much as you have murmured, both for flesh,8 This shall be when the Lord shall give you in the evening flesh to eate, & in the morning bread to the full. and for bread, therefore you shall be filled with both: in the evening shall Quailes, the daintiest flesh fall upon your tents, and in the morning Manna.

And the glory of God shewed it selfe in an extraordinary manner in the cloud that was wont to appeare to them.10 And behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.

They said one to another,15 This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eate. This is a strange food prepared and given us from above: for they knew not particularly what it was, or what to name it.

And having put their common gatherings together,18 And when they did mete it with an Omer, hee that gathered much, had nothing over, and he that gathered little, had no lack. into one heape, it was equally divided amongst them: so as he that had gathered much, had no more then an omen, and he that gathered little, wanted nothing of it.

So Aaron, in processe of time,34 So Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept, &c. when the Tabernacle was erected, laid it up before the Arke (which testified p. 50Gods presence to his people) to be reserved for a monument of Gods miraculous provision for Israel.

36 Now an omer is the tenth part of an Ephah.The omer is the tenth part of the Jewish bushell, which contained about three pecks.

CAP. XVII.

12 But Moses hands were heavy, & they tooke, &c.ANd Moses grew faint in body, with long continuance of that earnest prayer, in so much as his hands grew weary and remisse with lifting up: and they tooke, &c.

15 And called the name of it Iehovah-Nissi.And he called the name of the place, The Altar of Jehovah my banner.

CAP. XVIII.

12 They came to eate bread with Moses father in law, before God.THey came to feast with Jethro the father in law of Moses, in that place, where God declared his presence by the cloudy pillar.

13 And the people stood by Moses, from the morning unto the evening.The people stood before Moses, to call for justice in their severall causes, and resolution in their doubts, &c. Even all the day long.

15 Because the people come unto me to enquire of God.Because the people come to me in all weighty causes, to consult with God by me.

19 Be thou for the people to God-ward: that thou maiest bring the causes unto God.Doe thou propound the doubts and demands of the people to God, as also their suits, in thy prayers: and report Gods answers backe againe to them.

If thou shalt doe this thing (which yet I would not draw thee unto,23 If thou shalt doe this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure. without the good liking and approbation of God) then thou shalt be able to sustaine this burden.

CAP. XIX.

3 And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountaine.BUt Moses went up the hill unto God, whose voice had called to him, and bidden him to ascend, &c.

4 And how I bare you on Eagles wings, and I brought you unto my selfe.And how I carried you (as it were) aloft, above the reach of all dangers, like as an Eagle carrieth her young ones, supporting and helping them with her wings.

6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdome of Priests, and an holy nation.Ye shall be in a speciall manner a people devoted peculiarly to my worship.

p. 51Goe to the people,10 Goe unto the people, and sanctifie them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes. and by due preparation set them apart these two dayes, for their holy appearance before me, and, in a representation of that inward cleannesse which I require of them, let them wash their very clothes, which they brought with them out of Aegypt.

And thou shalt set limits unto the people,12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about. how farre they shall goe, and how neare they shall dare to come to the Hill, &c.

When the Trumpet,13 When the Trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount. which the Angell shall sound to call the people, shall sound long, then shall the people goe up towards the Mountaine unto the place limited unto them.

Set your selves apart from your wives, for a time,15 Come not at your wives. that your hearts may not be distracted with any carnall delight, now that they are to be fixed upon God.

And let those which doe the office of the Priesthood,22 And let the Priests also which come neare to the Lord, sanctifie themselves, lest the Lord breake forth upon them. namely the first borne of the families, who are wont to offer sacrifices to God, see that they specially be devoutly, and holily prepared for this great appearance of God.

CAP. XX.

I Am so affected to you my people,5 For I the Lord thy God am a jelous God, visiting the inquities of the fathers upon the children; unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me. as a loving husband to his wife, whom he cannot indure to set her affections upon any other: where I see, therefore, a succession of iniquitie from the fathers to children, (both which hate to be reformed) I punish it not only eternally in themselves, but temporally in many generations after them.

Honour those which are any way set over thee,12 Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy dayes may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. and give them due reverence, and obedience for Conscience sake: that God may give thee a long and happie life in this thy promised land upon earth, and an eternall life (figured by the other) in that true land of rest, which is above.

Thou shalt not entertaine so much as the very first motions of unlawfull desires towards ought that is thy neighbours, &c.17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife, &c. But shalt rest well contented with thine owne.

You shall not make (in competition with me) gods of silver, &c.23 Yee shall not make with me gods of silver.

Untill the time of your setling,24 An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, & shalt sacrifice theron thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheepe and thine oxen. and the set residence of God in his Tabernacle and Temple, you shall onelyonly make your altars of earth, that may not continue, and thereon, in an homely manner, shall you offer all your sacrifices, whether those which you offer up in acknowledgment p. 52of the Soverainty of God, or those which you offer in suit of further favour, or thankefulnesse, for a favour received.

CAP. XXI.

1 Now these are the judgements which thou shalt set before them:NOw these are the Civill, or Judiciall lawes which thou shalt appoint for the government of the Israelites.

2 If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six yeares he shall serve, and in the seventh he shall goe out for nothing.Howsoever thou keepe a seruant of the Gentiles in a perpetuall bondage, yet thou shalt not have that power over an Hebrew; But in the yeare of liberty and intermission, which is the seventh yeare, thou shalt release him without any Composition.

4 If his master have given him a wife.If his Master upon his owne liking, or desire, shall allow him to marry with a forrainer, which is his maid servant.

6 And his master shall boare his eare through with an aule, and he shall serve him for ever.His master shall boare through his eare, to the doore, whether as a reproachfull marke of his perpetuall servitude, or as a signification of his fastning himselfe unto that house, so as he will not, nor may not passe from it, without the liking of his master.

7 And if a man sell his daughter to be a maid servant, she shall not goe out as the men-servants doe.Likewise, if a man sell his daughter, as yet under age, with intention that she should marry him that buyes her, if she be dismissed, it shall be upon better conditions, then an ordinary servant.

8 If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himselfe, then shall he let her be redeemed, &c.If she please not her master, so farre, as that he betroths her to himselfe, then shall he suffer another, one of her friends to redeeme her of him, but he shall have no power to sell her to a stranger, seeing he hath deceived her expectation of marrying him.

9 He shall deale with her after the manner of daughters.He shall so deale with her, in giving her to marriage, as if she had beene a free woman.

11 And if he doe not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money.But if he doe not allow unto her food, raiment, and house roome convenient for her, then shall she goe out free, at the time of libertie, or of such his deniall (upon judgement) without any repaiment of the money for which she was sold.

13 And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand.If a man have not laid wait for another, but casually without any purpose of his, shall by Gods disposition doe some act which might procure the death of another.

21 He shall not bee punished, for hee is his money.For he bought him with his money, therefore not purposely striking him, to kill him, he shall not be punished: since he is already punished in his losse.

p. 53CAP. XXII.

IF a thiefe be found breaking into thine house by night,2 If a thiefe be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die; and be smitten in the act by thee unto death, &c.

They shall be put to sweare by the name of God, &c.11 Then shall an oath of the Lord be betweene them both.

If thou lend money to an Israelite, those especially which are poore, and borrow upon need,25 If thou lend money to any of my people that is poore by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer. thou shalt not take any increase for the use of it.

If thou take of thy poore neighbour any of his necessary rayment whether for the day or night as a pledge for money borrowed of him.26 If thou at all take thy neighbours raiment to pledge, &c.

Of all kind of thy fruits, whether dried in their kinde,29 Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors. or strained into liquor, thou shalt pay d…ly thy tithes and first fruits unto God.

Neither shall you eate any part of that beast which was torne in pieces by any other beast,31 Neither shall yee eate any flesh that is torne of beasts in the field. whether cleane or uncleane.

CAP. XXIII.

THou shalt not give thine assistance or countenance unto a wicked man, in a false testimony.1 Put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witnesse.

Thou shalt not suffer the regard of poverty it selfe to make thee partiall in a case of judgement.3 Neither shalt thou countenance a poore man in his cause.

Thou shalt not pronounce a sentence of death upon an innocent man: For if thou doe,7 The innocent and the righteous slay not, for I will nor justifie the wicked. and herein deale wickedly, howsoever thou maist escape the censure of men, yet my judgement thou shalt not escape.

Thou shalt not take any bribe to draw thee unto partiality in any cause.8 And thou shalt take no gift.

Ye shall not, with any approbation,13 And make no mention of the names of other gods. so much as mention the names of other gods.

Three times in the yeare shall all thy men children,17 Three times in the yeare all thy males shall ppeare before the Lord a od. of sufficient age, whether bond or free, present themselves in the place of Gods publike service, which is his Tabernacle.

During these solemne times of sacrificing unto me,18 Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread. ye shall not eate any leavened bread.

Thou shalt not be so cruell in thine oblations, as to seethe a Kid, in that milke of the dam,19 Thou shalt not seethe a Kid in his mothers milke. which was given it for nourishment.

Because my power and divinity is in him.21 For my name is in him:

And that I may herein approve my selfe the God of28 And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, & the Hittite, from before thee. p. 54hosts, I will by small meanes confound thine adversaries, for as I afflicted the Aegyptians with frogs and lice, so will I vexe the Canaanites with hornets, which shall sting them to death, &c.

31 And from the desert unto the River.From the wildernesse of Sur, unto the great River Euphrates.

CAP. XXIIII.

4 And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord.ANd Moses wrote all these words of the Lord, which concerne either the Civill government of the Jewes, or the Ceremonies of Gods service.

5 And he sent young men of the children of Israel.And he sent some chosen young men, of the first borne of the severall Tribes, which offered, &c.

7 And he tooke the book of the Covenant, &c.After Moses tooke the booke, wherein he had writen that Covenant betwixt God and his people, in the Judiciall and Ceremoniall Lawes, &c.

8 Behold, the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you.Behold, that blood whereby the Covenant made betwixt God and you is signified to be confirmed.

10 And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feete, as it were a paved worke of a Saphir stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearnesse.And they saw some visible signes of the presence of God, and at the lower part of that brightnesse, there was a cleare shining blew pavemēt, as it were of Saphir, or like to a skie when it is cleare.

They saw God in these signes of his manifestation, and yet lived in health,11 They also saw God, and did eate and drinke. and soundnesse of body.

CAP. XXV.

5 And Shittim wood.OF a pretious and durable wood, which growes not farre from Sinai.

16 And thou shalt put into the Arke the Testimony which I shall give thee.So thou shalt put into the Arke the two Tables of the Law, which I shall give thee, as a witnesse of my Covenant with my people.

Thou shalt make a cover for the Arke of pure gold: which shall serve also as an Oracle,17 And thou shalt make mercy-seate of pure gold. from which God shall give answers to thee upon all occasions.

23 Thou shalt also make a Table of Shittim wood.Now in the outward sanctuary also, thou shalt make a Table of costly and sweet wood, &c.

30 And thou shalt set upon the Table, shew-bread before me alway.And thou shalt set upon the Table twelve loaves of bread, which because they shall be ever presented before my face, are termed justly, The bread of presence.

p. 55CAP. XXVI.

THe length of each curtaine shall be eight and twenty cubits,2 The length of one curtaine shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of one curtaine, foure cubits. that so ten may be for the breadth of the roofe of the Tent, and nine, on each side, may hang downe, within one cubit of the gound, &c.

Also thou shalt make another rancke of curtaines,7 And thou shalt make curtaines of goats haire, to be a covering upon the Tabernacle. of a meaner value, namely of goates haire woven into cloth, &c.

Moreover, to defend the Tabernacle from weather,14 And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rammes skinnes died red, and a covering above of badgers skinnes. thou shalt make a third covering for it, of rams skins died red; and a fourth yet above that, next to the weather, of badgers skins, which are yet stronger and courser.

And two shalt thou make in the corners of the Tabernacle lined with other boards for more strength of carriage, on each side of the Tabernacle.23 And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the Tabernacle in the two sides.

And thou shalt make five rowes of barres,26 And thou shalt make barres of Shittim wood, five for the boards of one side of the Tabernacle. to goe through the boards on each side of the Tabernacle.

Moreover, thou shalt make a vaile for the Holy of Holies of blew silke, &c.31 And thou shalt make a vaile of blew and purple and scarlet.

CAP. XXVII.

THou shalt make the inner part of the altar of Shittim wood,1 And thou shalt make an altar of Shittim wood, five cubits long and five cubites broad. the outward part whereof shall be all covered on both sides, with brasse.

The Altar shall be for length and breadth foure square.1 The altar shall be foure square.

The foure corners shall have, as it were, foure hornes (of the same matter whereof the altar is made) upon the tops thereof.2 And thou shalt make the hornes of it upon the foure corners thereof.

Vessels to carry away the ashes,3 And thou shalt make his pannes to receive his ashes, and his shovels. and shovels to take them up.

Thou shalt make the Altar hollow with boards, like unto a boarded cofer, without either bottom, or cover.8 Hollow with boards shalt thou make it.

And thou shalt make a court to compasse in the Tabernacle.9 And thou shalt make the court of the Tabernacle.

Aaron and his sonnes shall dresse, and tend them every morning, and evening: kindling them in the evening,21 Aaron and his sons shall order it from Evening to morning, before the Lord. and cleansing them in the morning.

CAP. XXVIII.

THou shalt make garments consecrated to the holy uses of my service.2 And thou shalt make holy garments.

p. 563 Whom I have filled with the spirit of wisedome.Whom I have indued with an extraordinary skill for these exquisite workes.

4 And these are the garments which they shall make; a brestplate, and an Ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coate, a miter and a girdle.These shall be the garments thou shalt make proper to the high Priest: a brestplate for his brest, a rich Ephod for his shoulders, a robe with bells and Pomgranats for the whole body, a rich embroidered coate under that, a Miter for his head, a Girdle for his loines, &c.

They shall make a peculiar Ephod to the high Priest, of gold,6 And they shall make the Ephod of gold, &c. &c.

As a signe whereby the children of Israel may know that their memory is presented to God,12 For stones of memoriall unto the children of Israel. and that they are had in remembrance of God.

15 And thou shalt make the brestplate of judgement.And thou shalt make the brestplate which thou shalt weare in thy consultations with God, in the causes of judgement.

16 Foure square it shall be, being doubled.Thou shalt make it of the same stuffe, doubled for the more strength, and better convenience of holding the stones.

30 And thou shalt put in the brestplate of judgement, the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be upon Aarons heart &c.Also thou shalt inclose within the brestplate, wherewith thou shalt consult with God, these two secret signes of knowledge and holinesse, which shall bee upon the heart of Aaron, to signifie what is required to be within his heart.

35 And his sound shall be heard, when he goeth in unto the holy place before the Lord, and when he commeth out, that hee die not.His sound shall be heard when he goeth in, and commeth forth of the holy place, and thus addressing himselfe and the people, with awfull reverence, and devotion to the service of God, he shall not die, whereas, if he abruptly entring into the place, shall be an occasion of the peoples negligence, and his owne prophanation of Gods service, he shall die for it.

38 And it shall be upon Aarons forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, &c.So shall it be upon Aarons forehead, that Aaron hereby may shew, that, in signification of the perfect high Priest, which was to come, he tooke upon him the expiation of all those sinnes, and infirmities, which the Israelites should be guilty of in their offerings to God.

41 And shalt annoint them, and consecrate thē, and sanctifie them, that they may minister unto me in the Priests office.Thou shalt annoint them, and prepare their persons for this service of mine.

CAP. XXIX.

4 And shalt wash them with water.ANd shalt wash them all the body over, with the water of the laver.

9 And the Priests office shall be theirs for a perpetuall statute: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sonnes.And the Priests office shall be thus continued to Aaron and his sonnes, untill the time that all these legall rites shall be finished by him, whom they serve to signifie.

p. 57And Aaron and his sonnes shall lay their hands upon the head of the calfe,10 And Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bullocke. to signifie their interest in that sacrifie, and to acknowledge their worthinesse to die, in that beast, which in the signification of the true sacrifice, was put to death for them.

So after this calfe is offered as a sacrifice and expiation for the sinnes of Aaron and his sonnes,15 Thou shalt also take one ramme, and Aaron and his sonnes shall put their hands upon the head of the ramme. then thou shalt cause them to offer a ramme for a burnt offering.

Whatsoever toucheth the altar,37 Whatsoever toucheth the altar, shall be holy. shall thereby be sanctified, so as it may not be any more put to any ordinary or prophane use.

Where I will (as it were) appoint to meet thee familiarly, and to declare my will to thee by my servants.42 Where I will meet thee to speake there unto thee.

And I will make a cleare manifestation of my gratious presence among the children of Israel, both to direct,45 And I will dwell amongst the children of Israel, and will be their God. and preserve them.

CAP. XXX.

AFter thou shalt set it close before the vaile,6 And thou shalt put it before the vaile. that distinguishes the holy place from the holiest of all.

Ye shall offer no incense of any other composition,9 Yee shall offer no strange incense thereon. &c.

And the high Priest shall once a yeare put the blood of the sinne offering upon the hornes of the altar,10 And Aaron shall make an attonement upon the hornes of it, once in a yeare, with the blood of the sinne offerings of attonement. to make an expiation of the defects, which had passed that yeare, in Gods service.

When thou takest an account of the number of the children of Israel,12 When thou takest the summe of the children of Israel, after their number, then shall they give every man a ransome for his soule unto the Lord, when thou numbrest them, that there be no plague amongst them, &c. then shall they give every man halfe a Shekel, to testifie that he holds his life of that God, whose service that shall be used to maintaine: which shall be paid of every man upon paine of the displeasure of God, who shall plague the contempt of whosoever refuses thus to contribute to his service.

Halfe a sicle (that is according to our current money the value of fifteen pence sterling) according to the standard which shall be kept in the Sanctuary.13 Halfe a shekel after the shekel of the Sanctuary.

He shall die the death, whether by the immediate hand of God, or by the sword of the magistrate.33 shall even be cut off from his people.

p. 58CAP. XXXI.

2 I have called by name, Bezaleel the sonne of Vri.I Have singled out (as if I had by his name called him from others) Bezaleel the sonne of Uri, and &c.

3 And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisedome, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workemanship.Whom I have indued with this gift of the spirit of God, to be able both perfectly to conceive, and curiously to worke all these things which belong to the Tabernacle.

6 And in the hearts of all that are wise-hearted, I have put wisedome, that they make all that I commanded thee.And in the hearts of all those that are apt for these businesses, have I put a greater apprehension, and dexterity of working all these things that I have commanded.

Although I could be willing that these workes of the sanctuary should be finished,13 Speake thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keepe, for it is a signe betweene me and you, &c. yet I would not have them so followed, as that ye should worke them upon the Sabbath day: for that day is a common signe betwixt us, of your holding me for your Creator, and of my speciall interest in you above all other people.

18 Two tables of Testimonie, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.He gave him two tables of the Law, which testified unto the people the will of God which spake and wrote it.

CAP. XXXII.

1 Vp, make us gods which shall goe before us, for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Aegypt, wee wote not what is become of him.STirre up thy selfe, and make some visible Image, that may bring to our mindes the presence of God: and may give us a sensible representation of his going before us, and assisting us; sithence both Moses is gone, and the cloud which was wont to direct us, hath stood still thus long.

4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graven toole, after he had made it a molten Calfe, and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Aegypt.Who received them at their hands, and according to the peoples desire, cast it in a mold framed for that purpose, and polisht it afterwards with tooles, and the people said to each other: this is a representation (O Israel) of that God of thine, which brought thee out of the land of Aegypt.

When Aaron saw the importunity of the people, hee yeelded to have an altar built before the calfe;5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it, and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the Lord. and proclaimed publikely: To morrow shall be the day, wherein yee shall solemnely worship God in this calfe, which is made.

Now therefore doe not thou, after thy wonted manner,10 Now therefore let mee alone that my wrath may waxe hote against them, &c. pray so instantly for their remission: which if thou p. 59doe, so great is my respect unto thee, that my mercy will not suffer a revenge to light upon them; onelyonly be thou silent, for whose sake I forbeare them, and then shall my wrath shew it selfe, &c.

Then the Lord, at Moses his request,14 And the Lord repented of the evill which he thought to doe unto his people. did not goe on to bring that evill upon the Israelites, which he had conditionally threatned against them.

Therefore now, if thou wilt pardon this their sinne, thy mercy will be so much more magnified,32 Yet now, if thou wilt, forgive their sinne: and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy booke, which thou hast written. by how much their sinne is more hainous; but rather then thou shouldest not, since I know thy glory with men doth so much depend upon it, I could be for thy sake contented even to be cast away my selfe from thee, at least to bee wip't out of the catalogue of living men, here upon earth.

I will give them the same protection by my Angel,34 Behold, mine Angel shall goe before thee, neverthelesse in the day when I visit, I will visit their sinne upon them. which they have had, but I will notwithstanding finde a time to correct them for this their offence.

CAP. XXXIII.

I Will send a created Angel to safegard and direct thee,2 And I will send an Angel before thee. &c.

For I will not in that familiar manner, that I was wont,3 For I will not goe up in the midst of thee. converse with thee, and worke wonderfully for thee, &c.

Therefore now put off thy costly raiment,5 Therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to doe unto thee. and humble thy selfe before me, that according to the measure of thine humiliation, or obstinacy, I may proportion out my dealings with thee.

Then Moses tooke a speciall Tent wherein publike service should be done to God,7 And Moses tooke the Tabernacle, and pitched it without the campe, afarre off from the campe, and called it the Tabernacle of the Congregation. and pitched it without the host, afarre off, and called it the Tent of the Congregation, &c.

And the Lord gave unto Moses most familiar tokens and representations of his presence,11 And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. speaking by audible voices unto him, as one friend imparts his counsells to another.

I have taken speciall notice of thee above all others.17 And I know thee by name.

CAP. XXXIV.

SO the Lord in some sensible signes of his presence passed before him.6 And the Lord passed by before thee.

p. 6010 Before all thy people I will doe marvailes, &c.And will doe strange miracles for thy sake both in the wildernesse, and in Canan, &c.

Thou shalt make thee no Images to represent God, whether molten,17 Thou shalt make thee no molten gods. or carved, or painted, or howsoever framed for this purpose.

19 Verse.See Exodus 13.12.

29 That Moses wist not that the skinne of his face shone, while he talked with him, &c.Now Moses knew not that his face had a certaine bright shining and majesty imprinted in it, by God, in his conference with him.

CAP. XXXV.

3 Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the Sabbath day.VNlesse it be for a necessary use, ye shall not so much as take paines to kindle a fire for the dressing of any provision on the Sabbath day.

5 Ʋerse.See Chapter 25. in the whole sequell.

10 And every wise hearted among you, shall come and make all that the Lord hath commanded.And all to whō the Lord hath given dexterity of working in these kinds, shall set themselves to make all that the Lord hath commanded concerning the Tabernacle.

30 Ʋerse.See Chapter 31.2, 3. &c.

CAP. XXXVI.

See Chapter 26. in the whole.

CAP. XXXVII.

See Chapter 25. in the whole,

CAP. XXXVIII.

See Chapter 27. in the whole.

8 And he made the Laver of brasse, and the foote of it of brasse, of the looking glasses of the women, &c.Also he made a great laver to wash the Priests, and to cleanse the sacrifices, and both the foot and frame of it was made of that brasse, and shining mettall, whereof the womens looking glasses were made, which now devoutly gave these instruments of their vanity, to holy uses.

21 This is the sum of the Tabernacle, even of the Tabernacle of testimonie, as it was counted, according to the commandement of Moses, for the service of the Levites, &c.These are the parts of the Tabernacle, that is, the Tabernacle that witnesseth the presence of God, to his people: all the parts whereof by the Commandement of Moses was at the taking downe, and erecting, committed p. 61to the charge of the Levites, by Ithamar, the sonne of Aaron, which was set over the Levites.

CAP. XXXIX.

See Chapter 28. in the whole.

CAP. XL.

SO Moses at that time could not for reverence of the place enter into the Tabernacle of the Congregation,35 And Moses was not able to enter into the Tent of the Congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. because God now at the first consecration of it, did so gloriously manifest himselfe, not onelyonly in the signe of the cloud, upon the Tabernacle, but also, of exceeding glory and brightnesse within the Tabernacle.