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Was punished with the Drowning of the world, (if the most common conjecture be true) For in Genesis c. 6. 2. immediatly before mention made of God's resolution to doe it, it is said, That the sonnes of God saw the daughters of men that they were faire, and they tooke them wives of all which they chose i. e. according as their lust led them, without any regard had to religion, or goodnesse. By
the sonnes of God, saies Chrysostome & others, is meant the sonnes or Seth, so called either from their godlinesse, and goodnesse of nature; or from their good••inesse, and greatnesse of stature; according to the use of the Hebrews, adding the word, God, when they meane to expresse the greatnesse of any thing. But they conceit, that the posteritie of Cain, through their intemperance, and for their wic∣kednesse, had both their growth hindered, and their strength impaired; so that their children which they begat, were for the most part daughters; and that therefore it is said the daughters of men: and of men or Adam, (for that is the word in the originall) because they were altogether earthly, and carnall in their affections. Since that, it hath been threaten∣ed or punished, In the persons themselves.
1 With being seduced from the true worship of God: For it was said to the Israe∣lites, concerning the seven nations, Neither shalt thou make marriages with them &c. For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other Gods, Deut. 7. 3, 4. Examples hereof you may see in Solomon, 1 Kings 11▪ 3. 4, 5▪ in Ahab Ch 21. 25▪ and in Joram 2 Kings 8. 18. of which three the Scripture speaks expressly, that they were seduced by their wives.
2 Oppression, & Losse of their estates. They
have dealt trecherously against the Lord: for they have begotten strange* 1.1 children: Now shall a month devoure them with their portions, Hos 5. 7. There can be no lesse herein threatned, then what I mentioned; whether you interpret (with the Paraphrast) I will bring people every month that shall devoure the fruit of the ground: or (with others) would have it to be meant of a morthly tax, put * 1.2 upon the Israelites by Menahem King of Israel, to recruite his treasure, 2 Kings 15. 20. (for Hosea prophecied in his time & long after* 1.3) which came to a thousand talents of silver. I might adde hereunto.
3. Destruction, being an ordinary conse∣quent, if not a punishment. It is said in the place above quoted, For they will turne away thy sons from following me, that they may serve other Gods; so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddainly. Suddenly] or in hast, lest they should beget children, and teach them Idolatry too.
In their children, it is threatned and pu∣nished with Wickednesse, and Misery, to the trouble and greife of the parents. As you may see in Absalom, and Tamar (David's children which he had by Maacha daugh∣ter to the King of Geshur an Idolater (1 Chr. 3. 2.) Tamar was forced by Amnon, 2. Sam. 13. 14. Absalom caused Amnon to be murde∣red,
vers. 29 rebelled against his father, ch. 15. and in that rebellion miserably died, chap. 18. In the Prophet Malachi, in whose time viz: after, and about the building of the second temple this sin very much reigned* 1.4 among the Jewes) you have this threat, Judah hath prophaned the holinesse of the Lord, which hee loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god The Lord will cut off the man that doth this: the master and the scholler, out of the tabernacles of Jacob, ch. 2. 11, 12. where instead of the master and the scholler, he Paraphrast translates, the son and the nephew: which suits better with that which goes be∣fore it, being in the Hebrew, cut off To the man.a 1.5 The daughter of a strange god] that is, a woman that worships a strange god: for, what a man counts his God, that he loves & honours, as a father: & so he may be called the son or daughter of it. Se Je: 2. 27. & Is. 43. 6. Ex. 4. 22.
The odiousnesse, and hurtfulnesse of mar∣rying with Idolaters may be further gather∣ed out of the Scriptures, thus,
1 By the passionate actions, and expressions of godly men against it. Of Ezra, chap. 9. 3. And when I heard this thing, I rent my gar∣ment, and my mantle, and pluckt of the haire of my head and of my beard, and sate downe asto∣nied And of Nehemiah, chap 13 25. I con∣tended with them, and cursed them, and smote
certaine of them. Nay vers. 29. you have him praying against some, Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priest∣hood, &c.
2 By what Ezra speakes of God's fierce anger by reason of it; Ʋntill the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us, ch. 10 14. which he thought could not be, till they had every one turned away their strange wives, and made their peace with an offering, vers. 19. In the end of his prayer ch. 9. his words are, We cannot stand before thee because of this.
3 By what Paul speakes (as it is thought) chiefly concerning it, 2 Cor. 6. vers. 14. to the end. Where First, he cals it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to be unequally yoaked: as if (say some) he al∣luded to plowing with an oxe and an asse to∣gether; a cleane beast, and an uncleane; which was forbidden in the Law, Deut. 22. 10. Now from this similitude (or expression) onely, may be gathered how hurtfull it is: viz. because of the many inconveniences, of trouble, and strife, and discontent, which must necessarily follow. For in that word but now mentioned, if there be not, there may be signified, not onely a being yoaked with a beast, as I may say, of another kind, (which may be so sorted as they may draw toge∣ther without trouble;) but after another way:
as if one's face stood East, and the other's West; whereby the paine, and difficulty, in drawing each one his way, must needs be the more. For when one drawes forward, the other must either draw backward, with a great deale of paine: or yeeld to be drawne the same way, with a great deale of danger, if the way be naught. Now, how much a man must needs be hindred from good duties, that is yoked in this manner, by marrying a wic∣ked person, especially an Idolater; every one may guesse, (and it hath beene partly shewn in this chapter.) And so likewise, what strife, and contention, he is like to meet with: an example whereof you may see in Zipporah, and Moses, about the Circumcision of their child, Exod. 4. 26. See the consequents of Sampson's marriage with a Philistin, Jud. 15. Secondly, from those words, vers. 16. of this chapter, For yee are the temple of the living God, as God hath said, I will dwell in them &c. may be gathered, what danger there is of God's departure from us. For he will not dwell in a Temple, that is polluted: and it is a thousand to one, but it be polluted this way. You may remember, in that place of Malachi formerly quoted, it was said, that Judah profaned the holinesse of the Lord, which he loved, &c. and it is not un∣likely to be meant of the holinesse (often
mentioned in the Old Testament) of being a consecrated, or peculiar people to God; by reason whereof the Jewes are forbid to pro∣fane, or defile, or make themselves common, (viz: with the Nations) either by entertain∣ing communion with them (especially by marriage) or imitating them in their practi∣ses, (especially those of Idolatry) See* 1.6 Deut: 7 3. 4, 5, 6, 7. ch 14 2. and Ezek. 20. 18. and Dan. 1. 8. Lastly, by those words vers. 17. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the un∣cleane thing, and I will receive you, may be gathered, what danger there is, even of God's Rejecting of us, if we thus defile our selves; in regard that being separated, seems to be required as a condition of his recei∣ving of us.
Chaldee Par. chil∣dren of the dau••hters of the na∣tions, See Ch. 7. 8.
The Sep∣tuag. The rust shall eat up thē and their portion.
And be∣fore too: for he prophe∣cied (as Ri¦vet conje∣ctures) sea∣venty and nine yeares.
As you may see in the booke of Ezra, (c. 9.) whom Hierome and Calvin conceived to be the same with Malachi; and that Malachi was but a title of ser∣vice, or ho∣nour; sig∣nifying 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Angel, or my Mes∣senger.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
Neither shalt thou make marriages with them, &c. v 3. For thou art an HOLY PEOPLE TO THE LORD THY GOD, vers. 6.