they are not the first, &c. Hee that bringeth first-fruits of one kinde, and maketh profession, and com∣meth againe & bringeth first-fruits of another kinde, hee maketh no profession over them; for it is said, I PROFESSE THIS DAY; one time in the yeere doth hee make profession, and not twise. He that bringeth first-fruits after the feast, untill the de∣dication, although he separated them before the feast, bringeth them, but maketh no profession, because it is said (in vers. 11.) AND THOV SHALT REIOYCE IN ALL THE GOOD: so there is no professing, but at the time of rejoycing, from the (beginning of the) feast of Weekes, untill the end of the feast. Maimony in Biccurim, ch. 3. sect. 12. &c. and ch. 4. sect. 1. &c. In that which is said of the Proselyte (or Stranger) Maimony differeth from his fellowes; for in Thalmud Bad. in Biccu∣rim, ch. 1. sect. 4. it is said, The Proselyte bringeth, but professeth not, because he cannot say, which thou hast sworne to our fathers to give unto us; but if his mother were an Israelitesse, hee bringeth and profes∣seth. But the former well agreeth with the mystery of the Gospell; for as it is prophesied in Ezek. 47. 22. Yee shall divide (the Land) by lot, for an inheri∣tance to you, and to the strangers that sojourne among you, which shall be get children among you, and they shall bee unto you as borne in the countrey, &c. So when Christ came, Zacheus the chiefe Publican became the sonne of Abraham, Luk. 19. 9. and in Christ there is neither Iew nor Greeke, but all are one in him, and Abrahams seed and heires according to the promise, Gal. 3. 28, 29. And in him is this service in the mystery of it fulfilled, when wee at our Pentecost, that is, when wee receive the first-fruits of Gods Spirit, (Act. 2. Rom. 8. 23.) doe ho∣nour him with our persons, our substance, and with the first-fruits of all our increase, Prov. 3. 9. offering the sacrifice of praise unto God continu∣ally, the fruit of our lips, confessing to his name, Heb. 13. 15. For as the first of all fruits were ho∣ly, so the Church is holy unto the Lord, of all peo∣ples in the earth, Rev. 14. 4. Iam. 1. 18. as it is writ∣ten, Israel is holinesse unto Iehovah, the first-fruits of his revenue, Ier. 2. 3. And as these first-fruits were brought into the Sanctuary in a basket, so the good Israelites whom God would accept for his, are likened to a basket of good figs set before the Tem∣ple of the Lord, even like the sigs that are first ripe, and them God promiseth to acknowledge, and to set his eies upon them for good, and that they shall bee his people, and he will be their God, &c. Ier. 24. 1, 2, 5, 6, 7. A Syrian ready to perish] Hebr. An Aramite perishing, or, of perdition, that is, rea∣dy to perish through poverty, affliction, and mise∣ry. As in Prov. 31. 6, 7. Give strong drinke unto him that is ready to perish, &c. Let him drinke and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more. An Aramite is after the Greeke called a Syrian, as is noted on Gen. 10. 22. & this Syrian here spoken of was Iacob, who dwelt in Syria with Laban the Syrian, twenty yeeres in hard service, Gen. 28. 5. and 31. 38, 40, 41, 42. Hos. 12. 12. and there∣fore though hee was naturally an Hebrew, yet for his misery is called a Syrian; as contrariwise Ie∣ther, who by nature was an Ismaelite, 1 Chron. 2 17. is for his faith and state of grace called an Israe∣lite, 2 Sam. 17. 25. And thus God said to the Iewes that dwelt in Canaan, thy nativity is of the land o•• Canaan; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother a Chethite, Ezek. 16. 3. Others understand it here of Laban, translating, A Syrian was destroying my father, (or, working his perdition;) and to this the Chaldee agreeth, saying, Laban the Syrian sought to destroy (or undoe) my father: and the vulgar La∣tine, A Syrian persecuted my father. The Greeke differeth from both, translating, My father left Sy∣ria. By this speech they were taught to acknow∣ledge their first estate and originall to have beene most miserable; and so we ought all to confesse, E∣phes. 2. 2, 3. a few men] in Chaldee, a small people: they went downe but with seventy soules, Gen. 46. 27.
Vers. 6. evill intreated] did evill, or vexed: and [unspec 6] this is a commemoration of their second maine af∣fliction, whereof see Exod. 1. &c. and it was afi∣gure of our bondage under sinne and Satan, which wee being delivered from, are to mention with thankfulnesse, Rom. 6. 17, 18. Tit. 3. 3. hard servitude] in Greeke, hardworkes: they made them serve with rigour, that their lives were bitter unto them, Exod. 1. 14. God would not have us forget our former miseries, though wee bee come out of them: hee sundry times commandeth this; Thou shalt remember that thou wast a servant in Egypt, Deut. 16. 12. Remember that yee having beene in times passed heathens, &c. were without Christ, be∣ing aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel, &c. Ephes. 2. 11, 12.
Vers. 7. wee cried out] in Chaldee, wee praied: [unspec 7] see Exod. 2. 23, 24, 25. heard our voice] in Chaldee, accepted our praier. saw] in Chaldee, it was revealed (or manifest) before him: see Exod. 3. 7. our labour] or, our molestation.
Vers. 8. out stretched] in Greeke and Chaldee, [unspec 8] an high arme: see Exod. 7. &c. terriblenesse] or terrour: this the Greeke and Chaldee translate visions; and so in Deut. 4. 34.
Vers. 9. milke and honey] under which two, all [unspec 9] other earthly blessings and heavenly also, in figure, are implied: and hereby they acknowledge the truth of Gods promises made unto their fathers; whereof see the notes on Exod. 3. 8. So after in vers. 15.
Vers. 10. the first-fruit] in Greeke, the first-fruits [unspec 10] of the fruits. As wee our selves are the Lords first-fruits, Rev. 14. 4. and have received the first-fruits of his Spirit, Rom. 8. 23. so wee then doe give the first-fruits unto him, when in Christ (the true San∣ctuary) wee acknowledge, that wee and ours are his, and have this grace not of our selves, or for our owne merits, but of his goodnesse and libe∣rality, 2 Cor. 3. 5. Ephes. 2. 8, 9, 10. Tit. 3. 3, 4, 5, 6. set it downe] or, leave it for the Priests, which did after eat it. The first-fruits were given to the men of the charge [the Priests that ministred] and they divided them among them, as the [other] holy things of the Sanctuary. Maimony in B••c∣curim, ch. 3. sect. 1. It figured, that wee should con∣secrate