A paraphrase and annotations upon all the books of the New Testament briefly explaining all the difficult places thereof / by H. Hammond.

CHAP. IV.

1. FRom whence come wars and* 1.1 fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your† 1.2 lusts that war in your members?]

[Paraphrase] 1. All the open wars a∣mong the Jewes at this time, (see note on c. 5. c.) and all the lower strifes and dissentions and emulations wherein the Christian Judaizers are now enga∣ged against others, (see Zonar. in Can. Ap. 65.) are far from any pious or divine supernal principle, c. 3. 17. they proceed visibly from your own carnal hearts, your desires and pursuits of those things that are matter of satisfaction to your lusts within you, those sensual lusts which first war against your reason and upper soul, and then against the directions of Gods Spirit; first move a strife within your own breasts, rebelling against the law of the mind, Rom. 7. and then disquiet all others near you.

2. Ye* 1.3 lust, and have not: ye kill, and† 1.4 desire to have, and cannot obtain: * 1.5 ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.]

[Paraphrase] 2. All your coveting, and envying, and contending, and fighting brings you in no kind of profit, because praying to God, which is the only means of attaining, is neglected.

3. Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amisse, that ye may consume it upon your own lusts.]

[Paraphrase] 3. And for them that doe pray to God, 'tis yet among many of you only, or principally, for such things which may be instrumental to your lusts, and therefore God, who hath pro∣mised to grant all things that we pray for, if it be for our advantage that he should, doth not grant you such prayers as these.

4. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world, is the enemy of God.]

[Paraphrase] 4. And ye that thus be∣have your selves to God as adulterers or adultersses to their mates, that receive other loves into competition with him, that think to love God and the world too, must know that this cannot be done, the loving of the world, the pursuing of worldly ends or advantages, is not the loving but the hating of God; whosoever therefore is a lover of the world, is by that to be presumed to be a profess'd enemy of God's.

5. Do ye think that [note a] the Scripture saith in vain, The spirit* 1.6 that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

[Paraphrase] 5. This odiousnesse of car∣nal minds in the sight of God was long since expressed in the Old Testament concerning the old world, Gen. 6. where, as the cause of the threatned de∣luge, is mentioned, that the spirit that was in the men of that age, v. 3. that is, their souls or minds, were insatiably set upon their own lusts, imagined evil continually.

6. But he giveth more grace; wherefore he faith, God resisteth [note b] the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.]

[Paraphrase] 6. To those God then gave time of repentance, an hundred and twenty years, and pardon if they would make use of it, and so God doth still; but that still available to men only upon condition of repentance and reformation, according to what is said in another Scripture, Prov. 3. 34. God setteth himself against the stubborn vitious person, but is gracious and merciful to the obedient and penitent.

7. Submit your selves therefore to God; resist the devil, and he will flie from you.]

[Paraphrase] 7. By this it appears how necessary it is for all that ex∣pect any mercy from God to be wholly conformed to his will; and whatever suggestions to envy, strife, emulation, the devil, and that wisdome which is not from above, c. 3. 15. shall offer to you, do you repell them; and it is not in his power without your consent to hurt you, but he will certainly, being repelled, depart from you.

8. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you: cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purifie your hearts, ye double-minded.]

[Paraphrase] 8. Make your humble ad∣dresses in prayer to God, and faithful obedience to him, and he will be ready to assist you against all temptations mentioned ver. 8. As for all you Gnosticks, that are for God and the world too, ver. 4. (see note a. on ch. 1.) which will professe Christ no longer then 'tis safe to doe so, ••••constant, cowardly, wavering hypocrites, your hearts must be purified from that profane mixture, and wholly consecrated to Gods service.

9. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mour∣ning, and your joy to heavinesse.]

[Paraphrase] 9. Your reformation of such sins as these must be joyned with great humiliation, and mourning and lamenting them: And that but seasonably at this time, for there be sad daies approaching on this nation, utter excision to the unreformed, to the unbelieving obdurate Jewes, and to all the Gnostick here∣ticks among them, see c. 5. 1. and Jude note a.

10. * 1.7 Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.]

[Paraphrase] 10. The only way to get into the number of those that then shall be delivered, is timely to repent and return unto Christ.

11. † 1.8 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh* 1.9 evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh† 1.10 evil of the law and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.]

[Paraphrase] 11. Speak not against them which do not observe those le∣gal ceremonies which some of you Jewish Christians do still retain, nor condemn any man for not observing them, for he that doth so, speaketh in effect against the law by which that Christian rules his actions (that is, the law of Christ, the Gospel) censures that for imperfect, in that it commands not those things; and if thou dost so, then in stead of obeying the law of Christ, thou undertakest to over∣rule and judge it, and canst not truly be called a Christian.

12. There is one law-giver* 1.11 , who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?]

[Paraphrase] 12. Christ, and none else, hath authority to give laws unto us, and punish the refractary, and it is not for you to impose observances where he hath given liberty.

13. Goe to now, ye that say, [note c] To day or to morrow we will goe into such a city, and continue there a year, and† 1.12 buy and sell, and get gain:]

[Paraphrase] 13. And (as now the times are, a suddain destruction ap∣proaching the Jewes) one admonition will be very seasonable for those that use these or the like arrogant forms of speech, To day, &c, assuming to themselves power over the future:

14. Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow: for what is your life? it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.]

[Paraphrase] 14. Whereas (beside the Atheisticalness of it, in taking themselves off from depending on God) it is certain they do not know what they shall be able to doe tomorrow: For even your life it self, on which all your designes must necessarily depend, is but a most frail, mortal, transitory thing, short and pre∣sently vanisheth.

15. For that ye ought to say,* 1.13 If the Lord will, we shall live, and doe this or that.]

[Paraphrase] 15. And therefore your forms of language ought to be of another making, never mentioning any purpose of yours, but with subordination to the good pleasure of God.

16. But now ye rejoice in your [note d] boastings: all such rejoycing is† 1.14 evil.]

[Paraphrase] 16. And for you to take pleasure in such insolent speeches as these, is a wicked Atheistical thing.

17. Therefore to him that knoweth to doe good, and doth it not, to him it is sinne.]

[Paraphrase] 17. And for Christians to be guilty of this, who have received so much light and knowledge to the contrary, this will render you the more inexcusably guilty and punishable.

Annotations on Chap. IV.

[ a] * 1.15 5. The Scripture saith] There is no place of Scripture of the Old Testament which can own so much of this citation as that Gen. 6. where in the Septuagints rea∣ding there is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 spirit,* 1.16 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 abideth; and the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 abiding there, is all one with the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 sojourning here. Now whereas 'tis here added of that Spirit,* 1.17 that it doth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, desire to envy, first 'tis clear that the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, my spirit, there, is the spirit or soul of man, given him by God, and so called God's in respect of the original, (see Note on 1 Pet. 3. f.) but signifies the mind of man as it is in him, and is corrupted by an habite of worldly and wicked desires, which cannot be affirmed of Gods holy Spirit, (and for any evil Angel, it will be hard to say, either that such dwell in, or that it is they that lust in us. It is our own corrupt hearts, even when the devils move us, to which the lust and all the sin is to be im∣puted:) and 2ly, this is parallel to what Gen. 6. 3. is said of that old world, that man is flesh, and the thoughts of his heart alwaies evil, that is, his carnal or worldly desires are insatiable, bent to all manner of wicked∣nesse; the desires here being distinctly noted by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 desiring, and either the wickednesse or insatiate∣nesse of them by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 envie,* 1.18 which sometimes in Authors is the contrary to liberality, and signifies all manner of covetousnesse, pining to see any man have what we have not, and elsewhere signifies malice, vio∣lence, and the like. As for the addition here ver. 6. But he giveth more grace, that seems to be the Apo∣stles own observation of that place in Genesis, that when the world so provoked God, yet he gave them time of repentance (as it there follows, Neverthelesse his daies shall be an hundred and twenty years, they shall have that space allowed them to reform and escape pu∣nishment) and so God in Christ doth now; and upon repentance there is yet mercy and pardon to be had, upon which is superstructed naturally that which fol∣lows, Wherefore he saith, &c.

[ b] * 1.19 V. 6. The proud] The word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 here notes not particularly the vice of pride and haughtinesse, but a general disobedience and resistence against the Law of God, which is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, contumeliousnesse, and superbia, pride, in opposition to obedience, as in Virgil,

—Regum est Parcere subj ctis, & debellare superbos,

It is the part of Kings to spare those that submit, and subdue the proud: a place directly parallel to this here out of the Proverbs, and which S. Augustine con∣ceives to be had from thence. The place in the Pro∣verbs reads, God scorneth the scorners (because scor∣ners use to repell with scoffs all good counsels and ad∣monitions.) And so saith AEschylus 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 God is the just and heavy punisher of the proud.

[ C] * 1.20 V. 13. To day, or to—] It was an old saying of the Hebrews, mentioned by Ben Syra, Let no man say he will doe any thing unlesse he first say, If the Lord will. On which occasion there follows in him a story of a man, who, when he said, Tomorrow I will sit with my spouse in the marriage-chamber, was admonish'd that he ought to say, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 If God will, and he answered, Whether God will or not, I will sit there. Of whom, saith he, it followed, that he sat with her all the day, but at night when they were going to bed, before he knew her, they were both dead. Wherefore they said, The spouse went up to her marriage-bed, and knew not what would befall her; therefore whosoever desires to doe any thing, let him first say, If God will.

[ d] * 1.21 V. 16. Boastings] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifies boasting, or assuming to ones self more then belongs to him, and differs from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 self-pleasing or insolence, Tit.* 1.22 1. 7. in this, that that is a great love, or high opini∣on, of ones self, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 self-love, 2 Tim. 3. 2. be∣ing puffed up, 1 Cor. 13. 4. being wise in ones own con∣ceit, Rom. 11. 25. and 12. 16. but this is a fastuous speaking: and as this is ordinarily expressed in magni∣fying ones own abilities or power above other men, so hath it here a notion little different from it; speaking in such a form as if he depended not upon God himself, and so it belongs to the fault reprehended v. 13. when a man promises or affirms that simply which is not in his power, but as God is pleased to enable o••••oncur with him. And thus it is used Prov. 27. 1. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 not thy self of to morrow, that is, assume not to thy se••••••arro∣gantly that thou wilt doe this or that to morrow, for, saith Solomon, thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. These kind of speeches then are here called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 boastings, and they that take pleasure in such language, in assuming thus to themselves, speaking thus magnificently of their own purposes, are here said 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to rejoice, or glory, in such boa∣sting: and though all sort of rejoicing be not, yet 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, all such kind of rejoicing, is evil, v. 16. and that in an high degree.

Notes

• * 1.1

  comenti∣ons 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• † 1.2

  pleasures 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.3

  covet 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• † 1.4

  envy 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.5

  ye con∣tend and fight 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.6

  which hath sojour∣ned in us defiteth.
• * 1.7

  Be ye humbled 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• † 1.8

  Speak not against 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.9

  against
• † 1.10

  against
• * 1.11

  and judge, to the Ks MS. reads 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• † 1.12

  merchan∣dise 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.13

  If the Lord please, and if we shall live, we will even or also do this 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• † 1.14

  wicked 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.15

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.16

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.17

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.18

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.19

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.20

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.21

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.22

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉