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.

A SERMON PREACHED AT S. MARIES Cambridge, Novemb. V. MDCLXXIV.

ACT. XIII. 9, 10.

Then Saul who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Ghost, set his Eyes on him,

And said, O full of all subtilty, and all mischief, thou child of the Devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to per∣vert the right ways of the Lord?

A Dreadful and dismal character to be given to a man by an Apostle, and an Apostle now filled with the Holy Ghost to give it. Take out but that little great clause, Thou child of the Devil, and there needs not much more to the picturing of the Devil himself in his proper colours and full proportion: Full of all subtilty, full of all mischief, enemy of all righteousness, and the uncessant perverter of the right ways of the Lord. How little needs there more to the limning out the Prince of darkness himself in his blackest complexion? What is it for these titles to be given to any man? But our Apostle could very well discern between a Brother and a Sorcerer, between a true Christian and a false Prophet, between a Profes∣sor of the Gospel, and a professed perverter of the ways of the Lord.

The Text tells us, he set his Eyes upon him, and sees him through, he discovers what he is to the very bottom, and accordingly is warranted by the Holy Ghost, with whom he is filled to give him these brands, O thou full of all subtilty and of all mischief, thou child of the Devil, and enemy of all righteousness.

The two Parties in mention were as different and contrary as light and darkness, as Hell and Heaven; the one an Apostle, the other a Sorcerer; the one a most near ser∣vant of God, the other as near a servant of the Devil, the one full of the Holy Ghost, the other full of all subtilty and mischief: and all the agreement that was between them, (if that be any) was that either of them had a double name: for Saul he was also cal∣led Paul, and Bar Jesus, he was also called Elymas.

The reason of the Apostles double name, I should look no further for, than to his double relation, as he was a Jew born, and as he was a freeborn Roman. His Hebrew name Saul, relates to his Hebrew original, and his Roman name, Paul to his Roman pri∣vilege. And whereas he had been called by his Jewish name, Saul, all along the story hitherto, while he had been conversing among the Jewish Nation: he being now ap∣pointed Apostle of the Gentiles, and now set out upon that employment, he is called by his Gentile name all along hence forward, Paul, and Saul no more.

But the resolution about the Conjurers double name is not so easie, and we shall not find Esau in this matter so smooth as Jacob.

First, As concerning his name Bar Jesus; I believe it was almost as far from the signifi∣cation of that Blessed Name that we adore, as he himself was from adoring him; and I believe it was a very great way from the letters of that Blessed Name. In the Arabick translation, indeed that we have in our Polyglot Bible, it is written with the very same letters. But in the translation, in that Language, published by Erp••••••us it is written otherwise, and better I doubt not; and yet I question whether with the letters proper for it or no▪ I should devine his name Jesus from the Hebrew word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Ain inchoante, which signifies contabescere, morbo corrodi, to languish, to pine away, to be eaten up with some malady; and if I miscount not, you have it but three times in the Bible, and those in the Psalms, Psal. VI. 7. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 rendred by our English, Mine eye is consumed because of grief: by the Interlineary Latine, Erosus est prae indignatione oculus meus. And the very same words you have, Psal. XXXI. 9. where our English renders after the same manner, and that Latine Contabuit; and in the very next verse after, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 My bones are consumed. Now the third person future of that word, if you would write it in Greek letters, you can hardly do it more properly, than in the word Jesus that is be∣fore us.

And to this Hebrew word I cannot but conceive, that the Syriack Translator had an Eye, when he writes not Bar Jesus, but Bar Shuma; by which he means not Filius No∣minis, a man of Name or renown, as some would have it, and as indeed it might signifie, but a man of sores, swellings or breakings out: for so 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is taken in Levit. XII. 2. in the Targum of Jerusalem, and Jonathan upon the Law; and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in Esa. I. 6. and elsewhere in the Targum of the other Jonathan upon the Prophets. And how Bar Shuma, a man of sores agrees with Bar Jesus, a man wasting and languishing, I need not tell you.

But how doth Elymas agree with both? vers. 8. Elymas the Sorcerer, for so is his name by interpretation: But there is some scruple which name is meant, whether his name Bar Jesus, or his title Magus. And that that hath been the currentest rendring hath been by the Arabick word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Ain inchoante, which signifies a knowing, a wise man, and so may be bowed to the sense of Magus: But both the Syriack and Arabick Translators begin the word Elymas with another Letter. I learn from that incomparable work for pains and learning the Heptaglot Lexicon, that Alima or Elima, Eliph inchoant, in the Arabian Tongue, signifies Dolere or cruciari; to be in pain or anguish. And I think I need to look no further how Elymas doth interpret Bar Jesus, when the one signifies contabescere, and the other dolere; the one morbo corrodi, and the other cruciari, the words being so near a kin.

It were worth inquiring, why his Hebrew name is rendred into Arabick, and not into Greek, as is generally done all along the New Testament with other names. But that dis∣cussion is not so proper for this time and occasion.

The mans sickly names therefore, Bar Jesus or Contabescens, and Elymas or dolens, may justly make us to look upon him, as some pitiful, pining, langushing, diseased body. Which whether that were so or no, is not much material, but certainly the titles that the sacred Historian and blessed Apostle do give him, put it out of all question, that he carried a very sad sickly and diseased soul. The Jewish Writers when they would speak out a very wicked man indeed, they say, that he brake out 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to the superfluity of naughtiness, as our English renders the phrase turned into Greek, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Jam. I. 21. Now read this mans Epithites, and guess whether he could have broken out further than he did. The holy Pen-man calls him a Jew, a false prophet, a Sorcerer, vers. 6. The holy Apostle calls him full of all subtilty, full of all mischief, the child of the Devil, and enemy of all righteousness, in the verse before us. Titles or Epistles, or Stigmata, or call them what you will, so foul that an hours discourse can speak but little to them of what might be, or what were requisite to be spoken, to give every of them their due.

Therefore to confine my self to the time, I shall confine my discourse only to his pre∣sent action, upon which the Apostles Eye is more peculiarly intent, viz. that he perverted, and ceased not to pervert the right ways of the Lord. Into which sink of his, as into a common sewer, flowed all the rest of his puddles here mentioned, some as causes of his so acting, and some as instruments.

Hither flowed as causes his being a Jew, a false prophet, a Sorcerer: these set him on work. And hither flowed as instruments, his subtilty, his mischievousness, his Devilish∣ness, his enmity against all righteousness: these helped him in his work. And what his work was, or what is meant by his perverting the right ways of the Lord, we need not go far to learn, the eighth verse resolves it fully, he withstood the Apostles Barnabss and Paul: and he sought to turn away the Deputy Sergius Paulus from the faith. He opposed the preaching of the Gospel, and he opposed the conversion of the Gentile.

And such Emissaries, some will tell you, the Jews had abroad in the World for such a purpose; subtil and mischievous men, sent abroad purposely to oppose, and contradict and vilifie the Gospel, and to hinder as much as possibly the conversion of any Heathen. It were too bold to say, this man was sent by the Sanhedrin upon such an employment. If he were not, they could hardly have fitted themselves better for such a business, than with him so accomplished and accoutred for so cursed a design. The very mildest title that he carries, viz. as he was a Jew, speaks him capacitated and principled sufficiently for such an Employment, had he been neither false prophet nor Sorcerer.

Accordingly I shall only take up that Epistle and relation of his, and let all the rest alone, and consider him as a Jew, and so acting, as a Jew, in this his cursed employment, Not ceasing to pervert the right ways of the Lord, or to oppose the Gospel.

If you scan and observe the demeanor of the Devil in the two different ages of the World, under Heathenism, and under the Gospel, you will find this to have been his method, and his shifting policy, viz. That under Heathenism he foisted upon the World the greatest lie that could be forged in Hell, to make the Heathen believe, that the Devils that they served were Gods. And under the Gospel, when that lie would not do, he set men to oppose and contradict that greatest truth, that could be revealed from Heaven, the truth and tenor of the Gospel. And the first Agents that he employed in this business was the Nation of the unbelieving Jews. A generation by the very principles of their Re∣ligion fermented into a sowrness and contrariety to the Gospel, and the right ways of the Lord in it. Our Apostle in Rom. XI. 8. tells us, They were under the spirit of slumber. And 1 Thes. II. 15. he intimates, how they were under a spirit of contradiction: They are contrary to all men. Under the spirit of slumber, so that all their Religion was but •• dream of men that slumbred. And under the spirit of contradiction, so that all their act∣ing was to oppose whatsoever was not according to that Dream.

And that that caused both these was their drinking in the inchantments of their Tradi∣tions. Which drunkenness cast them into a deep sleep, and which made them rave and rage whilst they thus slept.

It is very observable again, how Satan, and the Nation it self did shift and change the manner and means of their undoing. Before their Captivity into Babylon, they were all for Idolatry, and the Devil cheated them with his great lie, as he did the Heathen, to worship and sacrifice to Devils instead of God. But after that Captivity he something changed his temptation, and they became the means of their undoing; he perswading them to embrace another great lie, that of Traditions, instead of that of Idolatry: and they embracing it. They had so sorely smarted by the seventy years captivity for their Idolatry, that it was not so easie to bring them to that again; but he found it easie to foist upon them this other great lie, to make them believe that every doting Tradition, the invention of foolish men, was a divine Oracle, delivered to Moses at mount Sinai, and so from hand to hand to all posterity.

The Nation had been used to divine Oracles, by Visions, by Prophets, by Urim and Thummim all along. But now all these under the second Temple were ceased and gone: and how should a people that had been always used to such Oracles do without them? Here Satan saw his opportunity to cheat them with a Leah instead of Rachel, to impose upon them the famed oracularity of Traditions instead of the lively Oracles of God: like the deceitful Harlot in the Book of Kings, to lay a dead Child in their bosom in∣stead of a living; and this they wing and cherish and make much of, as if it were the l••ving Child, even to this day.

Now how these Traditions wrought with them I may very well spare my labour to de∣monstrate, the Gospels and Epistles do it so abundantly. That by their Traditions they transgressed the commandments of God, Matth. XV. 3. That by their Traditions, they made the Word of God of none effect, vers. 6. That by their Traditions they worshipped God in vain, teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of men, vers. 9. And in a word, that they were led into a vain conversation by the traditions received from their Fathers, 1 Pet. I. 18. Thus was it as to their effect in general; instances of particulars might be endless. I shall only mention three; and those that may be called the first three, as Da∣vids three Champions were, if I may mention so noble persons, and so base things to∣gether.

First, These Traditions of theirs made them dream, that Messias should be a pompous temporal Prince, arrayed with all earthly royalty and glory, and crowned with all terrene victoriousness and triumph. And this dream under the spirit of slumber, cast them also under the spirit of opposition against the true Messias when he came. Poor Jesus looked so unlike the gallant Messias they dreamed of, that by the very principles of their Traditions and Religion, they could do no less to him, than what they did, perse∣cute, afflict, torment, crucifie him. For he was not the Messias they looked for, but a false Christ forsooth, a false Prophet, a deceiver, a seducer of the Nation.

Secondly, Their Traditions made them dream, that Messias and his Law and Doctrine that he should bring with him, should be so far from abating or abolishing any of the ceremonies of Moses, that he should rather add to them, heighten and enhance them. And this dream under that spirit of slumber cast them also under the spirit of opposition against the Gospel. That is not for their turn, but against it, that cries down those cere∣monies, and that justification they expected by them; that lays those shadows aside, and does, as it were, bury Moses, as Christ did his body, in the vally of Beth Peor. So that with them you cannot be a friend to Moses, unless you be an enemy to the Doctrine of Jesus.

Thirdly, and lastly, Their Traditions made them dream, that they were the only be∣loved of God of all people: that the seventy Nations of the World were abhorred, ha∣ted, cursed of him, and were to be destroyed. But oh! dearly loves he the seed of Is∣rael, how intirely does he affect the Children of Abraham! And this dream under the spirit of slumber casts them also under the spirit of contradiction against the calling of the other Nations. What must those dogs eat of the Childrens bread? Must these Children of the bond woman come to be heirs with the Children of the free? They forbid us to speak unto the Gentiles, that they might be saved, saith the Apostle in that place to the Thes∣salonians before quoted. And our Saviour must be cast down the steep hill, and dashed all to pieces by his Townsmen of Nazaret for but hinting the calling of the Gentiles, in the story of Elias sent to the widdow of Sarepta, and Naaman the Syrian sent to Elisha, and healed.

And thus briefly from this short scantling we may see, how this wretch before us was principled to oppose the Gospel, and to resist the Deputies conversion, by the very dictates of his Religion, as he was a Jew. How he might be forwarded and helped in his so acting by being a false Prophet, and a Sorcerer, by his subtilty and mischievousness, and by the rest of his devilish accommodations for such a purpose, I need not insist to de∣monstrate, the thing it self speaks it sufficiently.

So much therefore be spoken concerning his Person, and his Qualities and Conditions. Nor need we to stand gazing only upon him, since this day hath discovered some too like unto him. In the verses after my Text, it is related that this varlet was struck blind, and that he went up and down groping for some, that might take him by the hand and lead him. The memorial of this day may direct him, where to find some that may go hand in hand with him; and whether leads the other, it is no great matter; for whe∣thersoever does, it is but the blind leading of the blind.

The day commemorates a Fact and Design, as black as all this wretches Titles. It com∣memorates men full of subtilty and mischief, as well as he, men that opposed the Gospel, as well as he; and that were principled by their very Religion to oppose it, as well as he. And men, who while they stile themselves The Society of Jesus, by their principles and practises give suspition that they relate more to this Bar Jesus, which we have had in hand, than to him, upon whom they would father their denomination. Men, I say, that are principled by the very dictates and elements of their Religion, to oppose the Gospel and the sincere profession of it. And indeed you can expect no better from Rome, from whence these mens principles came, either from the Place or from the Religion.

I. For the Place. The Holy Ghost hath spoken out the Numen of Rome, which was by no means named or known before, Rev. XIII. 2. The Dragon gave it his power and seat. For that Rome is there meant hath not only the consent of the Interpreters of old, and of the Protestants at this day, but even of the Romanists themselves, if you will but allow them the distinction of Rome Heathen and Christian. And can any good thing be expected thence, where the Dragons donation is the Founder of the power, I doubt, more truly than Constantines? And can the Gospel but sind opposition there, when there is such a power delegated from the great opposer? For you read not of any revocation or alienation of that Conveyance of Power.

II. As to her Religion in after times, and at this day, give me leave to use the words written upon the wall of Belshazzers dining room, Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin.

1. Mene. Number the Doctrines of that Church and Religion one by one, and how great a company of them will prove to be like those of the Jews, but dreams of men, lying under the spirit of slumber: Universal Bishopship, Primacy, Infallibility, Power to pardon, Purgatory, and Deliverance thence, Transubstantiation, and multitudes more of the like fancy: the believing of which is but like his case in the Prophet, that dreameth that he eateth, and behold! he is still hungry; and dreameth that he drinketh, but behold! he is still thirsty, and his soul fainteth in him.

2. Tekel. Weigh their Doctrines in the ballances of Scripture, reason, and impartial judg∣ment; and how great a company of them will prove again like the Jewish, of no greater weight, than fond traditions and the vain inventions of men, even from the Chair, where∣in the King sitteth upon the Throne, to the Souls in Purgatory, or the servant behind the Mill.

3. Lastly, Perez, Divide their Doctrines, that every one may have his part, to whom it belongs; and how great a share will fall to the unbelieving Jew, and how great a share to the Apostatizer, or him that once believed, but was revolted and fallen away?

These two were the great Enemies and Opposers of the Gospel in the Apostles times, before ever the Heathen Rome began to persecute it. And these two, if my conjecture do not very much deceive me, made up the full measure of the stature of the Antichrist, that the Apostles St. Paul and St. John speak of, as extant in those very times. The for∣mer, the unbelieving Jew, was the man in the Parable, out of whom the unclean spirit was not yet cast. The Apostatized Jew was he, out of whom indeed that spirit had been cast, but was returned with seven other spirits worse than himself, and dwelt there again. The former opposed the Gospel by inforcing against it the rites and ceremonies of the Law, and justification by it. The latter by that also, as it would serve his turn; but withal abusing the liberty of the Gospel against the Sanctification of it.

These were the Opposers of the Gospel before the Heathen Roman persecution began to meddle with it. And when that ceased, after long succession of time, whether the same spirit and principles were not metempsychosed into Rome now grown Papal, let any impartial Censure judge, by comparing her strictness for Mosaick rites, and the loosness of her Libertine Doctrines. I am deceived, if the Jubilee now coming speak not very fair and far toward the attestation of both these, Mosaick strictness in proclaiming a Jubilee, and Libertine loosness in indulging so easie pardons.

If mens practises speak their principles, as this mans in the Text did, we need not to ••ip so much into the principles of this Church, elementing and indoctrinating to the op∣posing of the power, purity and sincerity of the Gospel; her practises do make them legible abundantly▪ as written in Capital letters of fire and blood. This days memorial gives evidence sufficient, that I may not trouble you with raking into any more.

Which commemorates a design of cruelty and horror, a design full of all subtilty, of all mischievousness, of all inhumanity, that remote ages to come, will hardly believe, that a Church that takes on her to be the only holy Catholick Church, should ever ••••eed so horrid a monster. And why so cruel against a harmless Nation? What had we done that we must be so destroyed? Abimelechs plea to God was, Lord wilt thou also destroy an innocent Nation? And God accepted his plea as good, and would not destroy it. But▪ these men were deaf to any such pleading, and an innocent Nation must perish, because it was so innocent. As all the crime of Abel that must cost him his life was, that he was more righteous than his Brother; so all our guilt was because we had the more righteous and pure Religion. And therefore Mother and Child, our Religion and we must perish together.

As God by fire sent from Heaven, in the days of Elias, did determine the question, who was the true God, the Lord or Baal; so he by preventing this fire from Hell hath determined the question, betwixt Rome and us, which is the true Religion, theirs or ours. O! England, happy in thy Gospel and Religion, a Religion doubly lovely and beautiful Tirzah-like, both because thou deservest the hate of such a people, and because God hath so owned thee against thy haters. Blessed be the great God of Grace and Truth, that hath planted thee, watered thee, preserved thee, and so shines upon thee. And so may it grow, and prosper, and flourish, and bring forth blessed fruit under the same in∣fluence of Heaven, and let all the people say Amen. Hallelujah.