Annotations upon all the New Testament philologicall and theologicall wherein the emphasis and elegancie of the Greeke is observed, some imperfections in our translation are discovered, divers Jewish rites and customes tending to illustrate the text are mentioned, many antilogies and seeming contradictions reconciled, severall darke and obscure places opened, sundry passages vindicated from the false glosses of papists and hereticks / by Edward Leigh ...

CHAP. IX.

Vers. 1. AND he said unto them] to Peter, Iames, and Iohn.

There be some of them stand here here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seene the kingdome of God come with power] That which some feigne of Iohn is ridiculous, Iohn

himself will refute this fabulous opinion, John 21.2, 3.* 1.1 Besides it is folly to refer that in the singular number to John, which Christ speakes in the plurall number of some. Polyc. Lyser.

By the comming of Gods kingdom understand the manifestation of the heavenly glory which Christ began from his resurrection. Calvin.

Very many, and those most rightly, understand these words of the following glori∣ous transformation, and transfiguration of Christ on the Mount:* 1.2 For the three Evan∣gelists immediately annexe that as an accomplishment of what Christ here promised.

Vers. 2. And after sixe dayes] Matthew and Marke number sixe dayes, Luke eight dayes. Mathew and Marke reckon the sixe whole daies which flowed between, Luke comprehends as well that day in which Christ spake,* 1.3 as that in which he was transfigu∣red. That is, in the seventh day Christ tooke to himself Peter, James, and John, being withdrawn from the company of the Apostles, and on the eighth day being accompa∣nied with them, he ascended into the Mountaine, prayed, and was transfigured be∣fore them.

Vers. 6. They were sore afraid] This Greeke word is used of such a feare which makes one withdraw himself from the presence of another, of whose company he acknow∣ledgeth himselfe unworthy, as Deut. 9.19. It is used, Heb. 12.21. of the terrible vision which God shewed upon mount Sinai.

Vers. 12. Elias verily commeth first and restoreth all things] That is, all things which according to the prophecie of Malachy he was to restore, Mal. 4.5, 6. By Elias in Mala∣chy is understood John Baptist, Luk. 1.17. Mat. 11.14.

Vers. 13. But I say unto you, that Elias is indeed come] The Jews beleeved that Eli∣ah was to be sent before the Messiah began his kingdom; Christ confesseth that to be true, and saith, he was already come.

Vers. 18. Teareth him] The Greeke word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth to teare and rent as the dog doth. This tearing (saith Beza) is to be referred to the inward griefe of the bow∣els, because the Spirit invading him (as it happens in the Cholick) he was troubled as much as if he had indeed perceived his bowels to be torne asunder.

Vers. 24. I beleeve, help thou mine unbeliefe] There is faith and unbelife in the soule, at one time, in one action, upon one subject. Mr. Perkins.

Vers. 31. The Son of man of man is delivered] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Using the present tense, he signifies that the thing shall be shortly, for Christ did so hasten to death, and so se∣riously think of it, that it might seeme present to him, which was to come. Novarinus. Epiphanius saith, Christ called himselfe the Son of man, that he might shew that he is that Person which the Prophets foretold should take the nature of man, and amongst them Daniel by name calls him the Son of man.

Vers. 37. Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name] Christ respects the childish quality, not the individuum. Polyc. Lyser.

Vers. 43. The fire that shall never be quenched] O that word never (said a poore despai∣ring creature on his death bed) breakes my heart.

Vers. 44. Esay 66. ult. Marke addeth thrice, Where the worme dyeth not,* 1.4 and the fire is not quenched. By which words metaphorically the twofold punishment in hell, one of the body, another of the soule is thought to be noted, saith Polycarpus Lyserus.

By the worme is declared the continuall remorse of conscience, and the dayly me∣ditation of the sins committed: By fire, a sensible punishment, and most exquisite torments in the body. So Lyserus.

Rather by these two is meant the poena sensus in hell, the privation of all good is commonly called poena damni, the punishment of losse, this is one part of hell torments, The everlasting absence of all good from God or the Creatures. The second part is a presence of all evill, comprehended here under the worme that dyeth not, and the fire that is not quenched. The worme is the Spirit of God by the coactive power of the Law holding a mans sins before his eyes, filling him with self convictions, and perfect feare and despaire for ever; the furious reflection of the soule upon it self for all its neg∣lected opportunities, and the irrecoverable misery it is in. The fire is the wrath of the great God, let in upon the whole soule to eternity, but especially on the conscience, Heb. 12. ult. The fire is the essentiall part, the worme but the accidentall.

From Carkasses slaine in battell and putrifying, wormes are begotten, but the car∣kasses of the wicked shall not be consumed, their worme dies not, he seemes to have respect to the fire whereby the children were consecrated to Moloch, and to the Sepul∣cres and carkasses which are wont to swarme with wormes;* 1.5 as if he should say, the hell where the wicked are everlastingly tormented, shall not have fire or wormes which soon faile, as those without Jerusalem, Jer. 19. but which continue and torment for ever.

Vers. 49. Every one shall be salted with fire] In the Old Testament the force and effi∣cacy of the Holy Ghost is compared to fire,* 1.6 Esay 6.6, 7. and 4.4. to which there seemes to be an allusion, Mat. 3.11. So here to be salted with fire, as by the force and efficacy of the Holy Ghost, he is preserved from the corruption of this world, and by sanctity of life he is sweet and pleasing unto God.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Calvin.
• * 1.2

  Polyc. Lyser.
• * 1.3

  Calvin. Polyc. Lyser.
• * 1.4

  Wormes and fire use to make an end of other things.
• * 1.5

  Rivetus ex Sanctio. The valley of Hinnom.
• * 1.6

  Vide Cappelli Spicilegium. Notū illud quod ex Cleanthe Varro dixit: animam suillo pecori pro sale datam ne putisceret: Et hujus rei causa salem in sacris Hebraeorum usitatum notavit doctissimus Abarbaniel. Mos hic ut & alij ad gentes quoque manavit. Grotius.