St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H.

The promise of the Priest-hood of the Iewes, and their kingdome, to stand eternally not fulfilled in that sort that other promises of that vnbounded nature, are. CHAP. 6.

ALthough these things were thē as deeply prophecied, as they now are plain∣ly fulfilled, yet some may put this doubt: how shall we expect all the eue•…•… therein presaged, when as this that the Lord said; thine house, and thy fathers 〈◊〉〈◊〉 shall walke before me for euer, can bee no way now effected, the priest-hood being

now quite abolished, nor any way expected, because that eternity is promised to the priest-hood that succeded it? hee that obiecteth this, conceiue•…•… not that Aarons priesthood was but a type & shadow of the others future priesthood and therfore that the eternity promised to the shaddow, was due but vnto the sub∣stance onely: and that the change was prophecyed, to auoyde this supposition of the shadowes eternity, for so the kingdome of Saul, the reprobate, was a sha∣dow of the kingdome of eternity to come, the oyle where-with he was annoyn∣ted, was a great and reuerend mistery: which Dauid so honored, that when hee was hid in the darke caue into which Saule came to ease himselfe of the burden of nature, he was affraid, and onely cut off a peece of his skirt, to haue a token whereby to shew him how causelesse he supected him, and persecuted him: hee feared, I say for doing thus much: least he had wronged the mistery of Sauls be∣ing annoynted: Hee was touched in heart (saith the Scripture) for cutting off the (a) skirt of his rayment (b) His men that were with him perswaded him to take his time, Saul was now in his hands, strike sure. The Lord kepe me (saith he) from doing so vnto my maister the Lords annoynted: to lay mine hands on him, for he is the * 1.1 annointed of the Lord. Thus honored hee this figure, not for it selfe but for the thing it shaddowed. And therefore these words of Samuel vnto Saule. The Lord * 1.2 had prepared thee a kingdome for euer in Israel, but now it shal not remaine vnto thee, be∣cause thou hast not obayed his voyce: therefore will he seeke him a man according to his heart. &c. are not to be taken as if Saul himselfe shold haue reygned for euermore, and then that his sinne made God breake his promise afterwards (for hee knew that he would sinne, when hee did prepare him this kingdome) but this hee pre∣pared for a figure of that kingdome that shall remaine for euer-more: and there∣fore he added, it shall not remaine vnto thee: it remaineth and euer shall in the sig∣nification, but not vnto him, for neither he nor his progeny were to raigne there, •…•…ingly.

The Lord will seeke him a man, saith hee, meaning either Dauid, or the mediator, prefigured in the vnction of Dauid and his posterity. Hee doth not say he will seeke, as if hee knew not where to finde, but hee speaketh as one that see∣keth our vnderstanding, for wee were all knowen both to God the father, and his sonne, the seeker of the lost sheepe, and elected in him also, before the beginning of the world (c) He will seeke, that is he will shew the world that which hee him∣selfe knoweth already. And so haue we acquiro in the latine, with a preposition, to attaine: and may vse quaero, in that sence also: as questus, the substantiue, for gaine.

L. VIVES.

T•…•… (a) skirt.] Or hemme, or edge, any thing that he could come nearest to cut, the Iewes vsed edged garments much: according to that command in the booke of Numbers. The Greek word, is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the wing of his doublet. Ruffinus translateth it, Summitatem. (b) His 〈◊〉〈◊〉.] Which were three hundred, saith Iosephus. lib. 6. (c) He will seeke.] A diuersity of rea∣•…•…. I thinke the words, from. And so haue we acquiro, to the end of the chapter, bee some 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of others.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1. Sam. 22▪
• * 1.2

  1. Sam. •…•…3