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.

CHAP. XXXII. Of the Language of two Testaments. (Book 32)

THE two Testaments are like the Apostles at Jerusalem (when the confusion of Tongues at Babel was recompensed with multiplicity of Tongues at Sion) speak∣ing in different Languages, but speaking both to one purpose. They differ from each other only in Language and time: but for matter the New is veiled in the Old, and Old reveiled in the New. Isaiah in his vision, heard the Seraphins cry Zeh elzeh, one to* 1.1 another, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of tsebhaoth. So the two Testaments like these two Seraphins, cry Zeh elzeh, one to another, the Old cries to the New, and the New ec∣choes to the Old. The Old cries, Holy is the Lord that hath promised, the New answers, Holy is the Lord that hath performed. The Old says, Holy is the Father that gave the Law, the New saith, Holy is the Son that preached the Gospel, and both say, Holy is the Holy Ghost that penned both Law and Gospel to make men holy. The two Cherubins in Salomons* 1.2 Temple stood so that with their outmost wings they touched the sides of the house, and their other wings touched each other. So the two Testaments, one way touch the two sides of the house, and the other way touch each other. In their extent they read from the beginning of the World to the end, from in the beginning, to come Lord Jesus. In their consent they touch each other, with He shall turn the Heart of the Fathers to the children, Mal. 4. 6, and He shall turn the heart of the Fathers to the children, Luke 1. 17. Here the two wings joyn in the middle. Tertullian calls the Prophet Malachi, the bound or skirt of Judaism and Christianity, a stake that tells that there promising ends, and per∣forming begins, that Prophecying concludes, and Fulfilling takes place: there is not a span between these two plots of holy ground, the Old and New Testament, for they touch each other. What do the Papists then when they put and chop in the Apocripha for Canonical Scripture, between Malachi and Matthew, Law and Gospel? What do they, but make a wall between the Seraphins that they cannot hear each others cry? What do they but make a stop between the Cherubins that they cannot touch each others wing? What do they but make a ditch betwixt these grounds that they cannot reach each others coasts? What do they but remove the Land mark of the Scriptures, and so are guilty, of, Cursed be he that removes his neighbours mark, Deut. 27. 17. And what do they but divorce the mariage of the Testaments, and so are guilty of the breach of, that which God hath joyned together let no man put asunder. These two Testaments are the two paps of the Church from which we suck the sincere milk of the Word. One pap is not more like to another, than are these two for substance, but for Language they vary in colour. The Old (as all can tell) is written in Hebrew, but some forraign Languages are also admitted into Scripture, besides the Hebrew, as forraign Nations were to be admitted also to the Church besides the Hebrews. A great piece of Ezra is Chaldee, because taken from Chaldee Chronicles. Those parts of Daniels visions that concern all the World, are written in the Chaldee, the Tongue then best known in the World, because the Chaldeans were then Lords of the World. The eleventh verse of the tenth of Jeremy is in the same Tongue, that the Jews might learn so much of their Language, as to refuse their Idolatry in their own Language. Other words of this Idiom are frequent in the Scripture: as I take two names given to Christ (as Bar

the son in Psal. 2. 10. and Hhoter the rod of Jesses stem, Isa. 11.) to be natively Chaldee* 1.3 words, and for that they do shew the greater mystery, viz. that this Son and this Rod should belong to Chaldeans and Gentiles, as well as to Jew or Hebrews: Infinite it is to trace all of this nature and Language. The Arabian is also admitted into Scripture, especially in the Book of Job a man of that Country: whether Philistin Phrases, and other adjacent Nations Dialects, be not to be found there also, I refer to the Reader to search, and (I think) he may easily find: of the eloquence of some pieces above others, and the difficulty of some books above others, those that can even read the Eng∣lish Bible can tell. I would there were more that could read it in its own Language, and as it were talk with God there in his own Tongue: that as by Gods mercy Japhet dwells now in the tents of Sem, or the Gentiles have gained the preheminence of the Jews for Religion, so they would water this graffing of theirs into this stock, with the juyce of that Tongue, thereby to provoke them the more to Jealousie.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Isa. 6. 2.
• * 1.2

  2 Chron. 3.
• * 1.3

  Hhutra used by all the Targums for a rod in di∣vers places.