An exposition of the lawes of Moses: Viz. Morall. Ceremoniall. Iudiciall. The second volume. Containing an explanation of diverse questions and positions for the right understanding thereof. Wherein also are opened divers ancient rites & customes of the Iewes, and also of the Gentiles, as they haue relation to the Iewish. Together with an explication of sundry difficult texts of Scripture, which depend upon, or belong unto every one of the Commandements, as also upon the ceremoniall and iudiciall lawes. Which texts are set downe in the tables before each particular booke. All which are cleered out of the originall languages, the Hebrew and Greeke, and out of the distinctions of the schoolemen and cases of the casuists. / By Iohn Weemse, of Lathocker in Scotland, preacher of Gods Word.

EXERCITAT. XXX. How the woman suspected of adultery, was tryed by her jealous Husband. A ceremoniall appendix of Command. 7.

Num. 5.12. If any mans wife goe aside, and commit a trespasse against him, and a man lie with her carnal∣ly, and it be clept close, &c.

* 1.1THe Lord bearing with the infirmity of the jealous Iewes, setteth downe this tryall, that the woman who was suspected of adultery, should be tryed after this manner. The husband brought her before the Priest, and the Priest brought her before the Lord, and he charged her with an oath, that she should confesse, if she were guilty; then he tooke holy water, and mixed it with the dust of the Sanctuary, and set it before her, and said; The Lord make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when he maketh thy thigh to rot, and thy belly to swell: and after that she had drunke the bitter water, if she was guilty, then this curse ligh∣ted upon her; but if she was not guilty, then she was free and conceived seed.

* 1.2First, when her husband suspected her, he brought her before the Priest, and her head was uncovered: her Veile was a token of subjection to her husband, and therefore she stood bareheaded, as not being under her husband, for so is the Scripture phrase, Rom. 7.2.

The Priest wrote these curses in a booke,* 1.3 and then blotted them out with the bitter water, Thou writest bitter things against me, Iob. 13.26. This was a bitter writing that was written against the woman, and shee was to drink it in water, even as the Israelites dranke the golden Calfe, being beaten to powder, which was their bitter sinne.

She dranke the bitter waters here,* 1.4 Because stollen wa∣ters were sweet to her, Prov. 9.17. Sinne is sweet in the beginning, but sowre in the end, and chiefely this sinne of adultery, The lippes of the whore drop as an honey combe, and her mouth is smoother than oyle, but her end is bitter as wormewood, Prov. 5.4. Againe, she dranke these waters out of an earthen vessel,* 1.5 because she dranke wine before in a golden Cup of whoredomes. Lastly, she dranke the waters that were mixed with the dust,* 1.6 in the floore of the Tabernacle, because she despised the Ta∣bernacle of the Lord, therefore now she hath no part of it, but onely the Serpents portion, to drinke the dust of it.

Her thigh did rot if she was guilty;* 1.7 the part of the body whereby a man sinneth, that is punished com∣monly. As Absolom was punished by his haire. Zim∣ri and Cosbi stricken through the belly, and here the adultrous womans thigh rotteth, and her belly swel∣leth; and David alludeth to this curse, Psal. 109.18. Let cursing come into his bowels like water.

It is strange to see how God beareth so much with the man here; First, when he is married,* 1.8 if he did sus∣pect that he had not married a Virgin, then the tokens of her virginity were to be brought before him. Se∣cōdly, if he agreed not with his wife, he was to give her the bil of divorcement, but she might not give it to him. Thirdly, if he suspected her of adultery, she was to drinke the bitter waters, but not he, if she suspected him.

* 1.9If the woman was innocent, then she incurred no danger by drinking the bitter water, but if she had been barren before, then seminabat semen, she did give seed, it is not rightly translated, she shall conceive seed.

[Quest.] Whether was this her conception (being barren be∣fore) a miracle, or not?

[Ans.] * 1.10When God, who is the Author of Nature contracteth Nature, or inlargeth it; it is not a miracle, although it be a great worke of God; when God blessed the se∣venth yeare, so that it brought forth for three yeares, it was a great worke, but it was not a miracle; it was onely an inlarging of Nature.* 1.11 God worketh 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, but he worketh never, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, God worketh 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, according to Nature, when he maketh a man see ordinarily; so he worketh 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, besides Nature, when he made Stevens eye to see to the third Heaven, Act. 7. But when he made the blind to see, this was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. When a yong woman conceiveth and beareth a child, this is according to Nature; but when Sarah bare a sonne, After that it ceased to be with her after the manner of women, Gen. 18.11. This was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, besides nature; but when the Virgin Mary bare a sonne, this was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, above Nature.

* 1.12She shall bring forth children, the Lord is he that giveth children to the barren, Ier 31.27. I will sowe the house of Iuda, and the house of Israel with the seed of men. The paraphrast of Ierusalem, in Gen. 30.4. setteth downe foure keyes, the first is, clavis foecunditatis ad ape∣riendum, the key of fertility to open the wombe, and sterilitatis ad oceludendum, of barrennesse to shut the wombe, Gen. 30.22. God remembred Rahel, and opened her wombe. Secondly, clavis pluviae, Deu. 28.12. The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasures, the heavens to give raine unto the Land in due season. The third is, clavis ci∣bationis, the key of feeding, Psal. 145. Thou openest thine

hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. And the fourth is, clavis sepulchre the key of the grave, Ezek. 37.12. And I shall open your graves.

She shall give seed,* 1.13 the woman giveth seed in the generation as well as the man; it should not be trans∣lated, Si semen conceperit aut susceperit, for that is con∣trary to the nature of the Active conjugation hiphil, and it is oftentimes spoken in the Scriptures of trees and herbes, sementare semen, which cannot be translated suscipere semen••. So Heb. 11.11. Sarah received strength,* 1.14 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, is not susceptio sed jactus, or the casting out of the seed; as when the Husbandman casteth the seed into the ground that is, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the casting out of the seed. The Syriacke paraphrase doth not paraphrase it rightly, ut susceperit aut concepe∣rit semen, that she might conceive seed.

The Anabaptiste deny that Iesus Christ tooke flesh of the Virgin Mary but that he passed through her,* 1.15 as water doth the row a golden Pipe; and their chiefe reason is, because as they say, Women give no seed in generation, but this Text sheweth the contrary. So Le∣vit. 1••.2. And if Christ had not taken flesh of the Vir∣gin Mary, he had never been our Goel, but as our neere kinseman, he has redeemed us from eternall damna∣tion.

Lastly observe,* 1.16 as this bitter water made the guilty womans thigh to rot, so it maketh her that is innocent to conceive. So the Word of God, which is the savour of death unto death to the wicked, is the savour of life unto life to the godly.

The conclusion of this is, [Conclusion.] God findeth out & punisheth all sinne, but especially adultery, He will ••uagerwomen that breake wedlocke, Ezek. ••6.28. And he shall be a swift witnesse against adulterers, Mal. 3.5.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The manner how the woman suspected of adultery was tryed.
• * 1.2

  The Veile upon the wo∣mans head, a token of subjection.
• * 1.3

  The Priest wrote the curses in a booke.
• * 1.4

  Why the woman was made to drinke the bit∣ter waters.
• * 1.5

  Why she dranke in an earthen vessell.
• * 1.6

  Why mixed with the dust of the Sanctuary.
• * 1.7

  That part of the body wherewithall a man sinneth, is commonly punished.
• * 1.8

  God beareth with man in many things.
• * 1.9

  The woman that was innocent became fruit∣full, although before barren.
• * 1.10

  Whether was this con∣ception of the woman, a miracle.
• * 1.11

  • ...Secundum naturam.
  • ...Prater naturam.
  • ...Supra naturam.
  • ...Contra. naturam.

  God worketh not con∣trary to nature.
• * 1.12

  The Lord reserveth foure keyes to himselfe.
• * 1.13

  The woman giveth seed in generation.
• * 1.14

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 quid.
• * 1.15

  The errour of the Ana∣baptists.
• * 1.16

  The Word of God like the bitter water.