A view of the threats and punishments recorded in the Scriptures, alphabetically composed with some briefe observations upon severall texts / by Zachary Bogan ...

Oathes (and Covenants) Such as doe not Keep them, Threatened

With Certaine and unavoidable punish∣ment. And thus I speake, because in most of the threats against this sinne, there is an expression of the certainty, and of Gods reso∣lution also, not to change his mind. As first, in that concerning Zedekiah, for breaking his Oath of subjection, even to the King of Baby∣lon: Shall he breake the covenant, and be de∣livered? (It cannot be.) Ezek. 17. 15. the Sep∣tuagint translate without an Interrogation) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) i. e. IF he shall escape (or be delivered) after the manner of swearing used in Scrip∣ture: as if God had sworne, that he should not. and so indeed he did afterward: and you have his oath twice related, viz. v. 16. & vers. 19. and in vers. 16. with notable ag∣gravations, both of his sin, and his punish∣ment: As I live, saith the Lord God, surely in the place where the King dwelleth that

made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even with him, in the midst of Babylon he shall die. The Chal. P. in those verses; for, breaking the Covenant, tran∣slates, changing the Covenant: and so Zedeki∣ah did, in revolting from the Assyrian, to the Egyptian. Now a man hath the greater cause to feare God's punishment, when hee doth not onely not doe what he promised; but doe, and promise to doe the contrary. 2 In that threat, to the people of Tyre, for brea∣king the Oath of friendship, which Hiram their King had made with Solomon* 1.1, in selling the Jewes* 1.2 for bond-slaves to the Edomites: who were their inveterate enemies, and would use them cruelly. Thus saith the Lord, For three transgressions of Tyrus, and for foure, I will not turne away the punishment thereof, because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, and remembred not the brotherly Covenant, Amos 1. 9. This pu∣nishment was the destruction of that city by Nebuchadnezar, which accordingly came to passe, after a siege of 30 yeares, so that, (as I said in the former chapter) their pu∣nishment for breaking Covenant, was long a comming,* 1.3 yet came at last.

3 Severe punishment, and many judgements. They have spoken words, swearing falsly in making a Covenant: thus, (or therefore) judg∣ment

springeth up as hemlocke in the furrowes of the field, Hos. 10. 4. The Chaldee Para∣phrase runnes thus; They sweare falsly, and they make a Covenant in vaine. Now will I bring against them the heads of noysome ser∣pents, as a judgement for their lies, upon the borders of their Countrey And they that thus take this place, interpret those words, Springeth up as hemlocke, &c. of the great number of God's judgements, which should come as thick as hemlock in a furrowed or tilled field. which me thinkes seems better then to interpret judgement, of judgment a∣mong men i. e. justice: making it not a threat, but a complaint, viz: that judgement was so cor∣rupted, that it became as hatefull to the peo∣ple, when they had occasion to use it, as hemlock is to the palat.

3 The like hurt, as they intended, or must necessarily doe to others by their perju∣ry. Thus Zedekiah is threatned in the place above cited, As I live, surely (what expressi∣ons here are to make it certaine) mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that hee hath broken, even it will I recompence upon his own head, Ezek: 17. 19. But especially those that promise a man help in his misery, if they break their oaths, must look to bee pu∣nished, because they doe most hurt, and men depend upon them. they are like a rotten

weak staffe; which when a man leanes upon it, breaks; and runs into his body. The Egy∣ptians, for dealing thus with the Israelites, are thus threatned. When they tooke hold of thee, thou didst break, & rent all their shoulder: and when they leaned upon thee, thou brakest and madest all their loynes to be at a stand; therefore thus saith the Lord God: Behold I will bring a sword upon thee, and cut off man and beast out of thee, Ezek: 29. 7, 8. Certainly God is as angry, and therefore men are likely to be as severely punished, for this sinne, as for any Even among men (creatures exceeding contemptible in comparison) nothing will provoke to anger, more then contempt, and slighting: especially if men are slighted, as if they wanted that which they have, viz: pow∣er or autority, or knowledge, or the like. Now he that breakes an oath, despises* 1.4 God; as if he had not power, or knowledge, or ju∣stice enough, to execute that vengeance, which he himselfe submitted himselfe unto, in case of breach, and therefore in that cha∣pter of Ezekiel before quote••, God com∣plaines twice of DESPISING the oath, and vers: 20. where we translate trespas∣sed against me, Hierom renders, despised mee. Now as men in such a case, will doe some∣thing, to shew that which they have, which

else they would not: So God cannot for∣beare in such a case, to execute punishment, if it were for nothing, but meerely that men may know (who else would be apt to questi∣on it) that he, whom they have taken as a knower of all things, and a revenger of sin, and a revenger of perjury, is such a one indeed. And therefore in Ezek: c. 29. in the vers. next before the words which I quoted, thus hee speaks, and all the inhabitants of Egypt shall KNOW, that I am the Lord, vers. 6. viz: When I shall revenge upon them their breach of pro∣mise, in this manner as I intend. Neither can the perjur'd person complaine; let it be what punishment it will, or be it never so great. For in swearing by the name of God, ei∣ther he gave himselfe up to him, to doe to him what he would; or he desired him to do his worst (in case he sware not in truth) if not in words, at least in meaning: as the Jewes * 1.5 did in their swearing, when they said, only, IF I doe, or IF I dot not such or such or such a thing, &c. leaving a blanck for the pu∣nishment; as if they would acknowledge any punishment to be litle, and just enough, for such a sin, as perjurie. Those ceremonies, which the Jewes used at the making of cove∣nants and leagues, viz: cutting a beast in two, and passing between the parts of it, implied (if there were none expressed) an imprecation,

(or a contented acknowledgement of justice, if it were so) that, whosoever brake that cove∣nant, his body might bee cut in two, in the like manner, and be for meat for the fowles of the heaven, and the beasts of the earth. For so much seems to be intimated in Gods threat∣ning Zedekiah in these expressions, Jer: 34. 20. for breaking his oath to the king of Ba∣bylon; which he had so deliberately taken, and so solemnly confirmed with those fore∣named ceremonies, as you may see vers. 18, 19. And here give me leave to impart one conceit, which just now came into my mind upon this occasion. In Genesis c. 15. 11. It is recorded of Abraham, (at the time that God confirmed his covenant with him in a formall manner, with these ceremonies) that when the fowles came down upon the carcasses, he drove them away. Now I say that this seemes to be a passage, which in a story of so solemne a businesse, would not have been related, but with some speciall meaning, and which I conjecture to be this, viz. to shew either Abraham's faithfulnesse, that he resol∣ved to keepe God's covenant; or his faith, that he doubted not, but God would keepe his pro∣mise, (and so it should never come to that passe, as the coming of the fowles would seeme to bode, which was a great temptati∣on to him to unbeliefe). As if he had said

withall by way of abomination, Absit, away, I feare not, or, God forbid it should come to this passe, that either a Covenant O•• God's should be in vaine, and a sacrifice of his cove∣nant devoured by the fowles; or that a cove∣nant WITH God should be broken; or that ever I should come to this passe, as to be exposed to the fowles for meat, for breaking covenant. No, for my part, I am RESOLVED: and for God's part, I am CONFIDENT, that he is also; that this covenant shall be firme and sure. The old Romans, at the performance of such rites, used to expresse their imprecation: for their ceremonie was to throw a stone at a hog, (so say some* 1.6: but I rather thinke, to knock him in the head with a flinta 1.7, and so killb 1.8 him) with this or such like forme of words Sicc 1.9 a Jove feriatur is, qui sanctum hoc fregerit foedus, ut ego hunc porcum ferio. So let Jupiter smite him that breakes this league, as Ismite this hogge.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Kings 5. 12.
• * 1.2

  Those whom they tooke in fight, The∣odor those that fled to them for shelter frō the Assyri∣invaders, Vatabl: Those that come to them for wares, Arias.
• * 1.3

  * Ezek. 29. 18.
• * 1.4

  Tam fa∣cile & pro∣num est superos contemne∣re testes, si mortalis idem ne∣mo sciat, Juven. Sat. 13. speak∣ing of swearing falsely,
• * 1.5

  Thus to sweare with an im∣precation is properly called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to curse 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. as Peter did, Mat. 26, 74
• * 1.6

  Godwin Antiq. Rō. p. 253.
• a 1.7

  Silice. Liv. 1.
• b 1.8

  Because it is said,—Caesâ jungebant foedera porcá. Virgil.
• c 1.9

  Liv. ibid.