The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

§. He that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth.

In the Greek it is He that is of the earth, is of the earth: which the vulgar Latine hath rendered so verbatim, and so the Syriack, but the Arabick, Erasmus, Beza, the Italian, &c. read it as our English doth, He that is of the earth is earthly: The French inlargeth it thus, He that proceeds from the earth is of the earth, and speaks as one proceeding from the earth: The intention of the Baptist in the words is to character himself, and all other men, as he had charactered Christ in the words preceding, and doth so forward in the words following: He speaketh especially three things of Christ, and three things of him∣self and other men. 1. That Christ came from Heaven: but he and others are but earth∣ly men. 2. That Christ was above all men and all things, (for so the Greek word may indifferently be rendred) but himself and others were but of earthly, and low esteem and glory. And 3. that Christ spake the words of God, the things which he had heard and seen, but himself and others spake of the earth, and could not reach to Divine things: So that the first clause 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. He that is of the earth is of the earth, may be understood, He that is of an earthly original is of an earthly temper and glo∣ry, as vers. 6. He that is born of the flesh is flesh: And the latter clause, He speaketh of the earth, may be understood two ways, and the better understood by laying it in opposition to Christ. 1. Christ speaketh the words of God, for he could do no other, the purity of

his nature could not utter a vain, idle or earthly word, but all Divine: But he that is a meer earthly man cannot speak but earthly things altogether, and not heavenly things at all, as 1 Cor. 2. 14. & 2 Cor. 3. 5. And herein it seemeth the strength and sense of this Antithesis betwixt Christ and meer mortals lieth, and that this is the proper meaning of the Baptist: for as he holds out this clear difference betwixt Christ and mortals in regard of their Original, that Christ is from Heaven, they from earth; so doth he as clear a diffe∣rence in regard of their constitution, that Christ could not naturally but speak the words of God, but they cannot naturally speak any such words, but of the earth. And 2. If the men here spoken of, be of the Prophetick rank, as John Baptist himself was, then the Antithesis lies in this, that what Revelation they have of Divine things, is but obscure in comparison of what Christ hath, for he witnesseth what he hath seen and heard: and he hath not the Spirit by measure, and what they speak of Divine things is but low and slender and by earthly expressions, in comparison of the high and sublime Doctrines that he uttereth. But I take the former interpretation to be the more genuine.

Vers. 33. Hath set to his Seal that God is true.

Christ spake and testified nothing, but what he had seen and heard of the Father, as Chap. 1. 18. & 5. 20. (as Moses saw and heard from God what he delivered to Israel:) And no man receiveth his testimony, that is, very few, (as, All seek their own and none the things of Christ) when neither the Jews, no nor Johns Disciples would entertain it: But those few that did or do, they seal to the truth of God, for whosoever believeth the Word of God doth as it were subscribe and set to his seal that the Word is true, and God true that gave it: And so they that received the testimony of Christ did both seal to the truth of his Words, and also to the truth of all the promises that God had made concer∣ning Christ, see 1 Joh. 5. 10. and thus is there a mutual sealing to the covenant of Grace betwixt God and man, God sealeth the truth of it by the Sacraments and man by believing.

Vers. 34. For God giveth not the Spirit by measure.

Those translations that add the words, To him, as divers do, do readily fix the sense of it upon Christ, that God poured the Spirit upon him above measure: but that expression To him is not in the Original, and therefore some do understand it generally of all the Prophets whom the Lord sent, that they spake the words of God every one of them, for God had abundance of Spirit to pour upon them, had they been never so many: and he measured not out the same stint of the Spirit to every one of them, but what measure seemed good to his good pleasure: And to bring it up to the drift and scope of Johns speech in this place, they apply it thus, Think not much of the honour of Christ, which troubles you because it seems to eclipse mine: Although I have much of Gods Spirit, why may not he have more? For God giveth not the Spirit by measure. But the Baptist seem∣eth to aim the speech concerning Christ alone.