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.

SECTION XXVIII.

MATTH. Chap. V. and VI, and VII.

LUKE Chap. VI. from Ver. 20. to the end of the Chapter.

The Sermon in the Mount.

THe proof of the order doth not need to be insisted upon; Luke doth manifestly assert it. It had been foretold by the Prophet, All thy children shall be taught of God, Isa. 54. 13. which if applied to the Gentiles, they had been taught by the Devil, his Oracles and Idols: If applied to the Jews, they indeed had been taught by the Lord in his Pro∣phets, but these were but men like themselves, but this Prophecy foretells the preaching of Christ who was God himself, he teaching and conversing amongst them, he then the great teacher of the world, Isa. 2. 2. and 51.4. doth from the mount neer Capernaum, deliver his Evangelical Law, not for the abolishing of the Law and Prophets, but for their cleer∣ing and fulfilling.

He first beginneth with pronouncing blessings, as the most proper and comfortable tenour of the Gospel: and hereby he calls us to remember Gerizim and Ebal, Deut. 27. For though Israel be enjoyned there to pronounce both blessings and curses upon those mountains, yet are the curses only specified by name and number, for the curse came by the Law, but he that was to bless was to come: which thing taketh place very comfor∣tably and harmoniously here. Luke addeth that he also denounced woes; as, Blessed be the poor: Blessed are ye that hunger now, &c. But wo unto you that are rich: Woe unto you that are full, &c. according to which form the Jews conceive, the blessings and curses were pronounced by Israel from those two mountains mentioned, Talm. in Sotah. per 7. & Tosapht. ibi. per. 8. How did Israel pronounce the blessings and the curses? Six tribes went up to the top of mount Gerizim, and six to the top of mount Ebal: the Priests, and the Le∣vites, and the Ark stood below in the middest between; They turned their faces towards mount Gerizim, and began with blessing; Blessed is the man that maketh not any graven or molten Image an abomination to the Lord, &c. And both parties answered and said Amen. Then turned they their faces towards mount Ebal, and began with cursing; Cursed be them an that maketh any graven or molten Image an abomination to the Lord, &c. and both parties answered Amen: And so of the rest.

2. He proceedeth laying out of the latitude of the Law, according to its full extent and intention, and sheweth the wretchedness of their traditional glosses, that had made the Law of no effect. They understood the Law, Thou shalt not kill, only of actual murder, and that committed by a mans own hand; for if he hired another to kill him, or turned a wild beast upon him, which slew him, this they accounted not murder for which to be questioned by the Sanhedrin, though it deserved the judgment of God, Talm. in Sanhedr. per 9. Maym in Retsea per 2. but he shews that the command extends to the prohibiting of caus∣less anger, and that that deserves the judgment of God, that the uncharitable scornings of a brother, under their usual word Raka, deserved the judgment of the Sanhedrin, and especially the calling him fool [in Solomons sense,] or censuring rashly his spiritual estate, deserved hell fire. They construed the command, Thou shalt not commit adultery. barely of the act of adultery, and that with another mans wife. Trip. targ. in marg. ad Exod. 20. but he tells, that it prohibits, lustful thoughts and looks, and that looking up∣on a woman to lust after her, is adultery in heart. Rabban Simeon delighted to look upon fair women, that he might take occasion by the sight of their beauty, to bless God. [A fair excuse.] Tal. Jerusin Beracoth. fol. 12. col. 3.

The Law had permitted divorces, only in case of fornication, Deut. 24. 1. but they had extended it to any cause, and to so loose an extent, that R. Ahiba said, A man may put away his wife, if he see another woman that pleaseth him better than she. Gittin per. 9. The Law had forbidden fo••swearing, or swearing falsly, thereupon they had made bold to take liberty of vain swearing at pleasure, so that, what they swore were not false; as see Tal. & Maym. in Shev••oh.

These cursed constructions of theirs by which they had made the Law of no effect, he divinely damneth, and stateth the proper and true intent of the Law in these cases.

3. He prescribeth Christian duties, and especially rules of piety, charity and sincerity, and condemneth the hypocritical vainglory of the Pharisees about these things. They used when they gave almes in the Synagogue, to have it openly proclaimed and publish∣ed what they gave, as if a Trumpet had been sounded for every one to take notice of

their charity, Jerus. in Demai, fol. 23. col. 2. And they had an open proclaiming in the streets, for the calling of the poor to gather the corner of the field that they had left them, Id. Peah. per. 4, &c. They loved to be seen praying in the streets, especially in their Phylactery prayers morning and evening, besides other occasional Oraisons, Id. Beracoth. per. 1, & 2. They used to pray those prayers often, and often other prayers, in the Syna∣gogue, apart and distinct from the prayers or service that the Synagogue was then upon, and so their particular devotion was the more subject to be observed, Ib. fol. 8. col. 3, &c. They used on their fasting days to use such a carriage and demeanour in face and garb, that all might observe that it was fasting day with them, Piske. Tosaph. in Taanith. per. 1, &c. And in all their devotions and demeanour they hunted after the praise of men; which he condemneth, and urgeth for sincerity and care to approve the heart to God.

Throughout all this Sermon, this great oracle of divine truth, doth not only shew and hold out the sacred doctrines of faith, manners, duty and eternal life, but he evidenceth throughout, that he was throughly acquainted with all the learning; doctrines and tra∣ditions of those times. And to the explication of this divine Sermon, is required quick and ready versedness in the Jews Records, for Christ hath an eye and reference to their language, doctrines, customs, traditions and opinions almost in every line.