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.

TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE SIR ROBERT KER of Ankerhome, Knight, Gentleman of his Ma. Bed-Chamber.

Honourable Sir,

WHen the Lord was to give unto his people the Tables of the Law, the second time, he commanded the people to stand at the foot of the Mount, Aaron, Nadab,* 1.1 and Abihu, and the seventy Elders of Jsrael, to worship a farre off in the middle of the Mount, and that Moses should ascend to the top of the Mount, & enter within the cloud; These three represented very well the three estates of the Church: they who stood at the

foot of the Mount, resembled the Iewish Church; Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, & the seventy who ascended to the middle of the Mount, resembled the Christian Church; and Mo∣ses who ascended to the top of the Mount, and entred into the cloud, resembled the glorified Church; and the Fathers say of those three, that the Iewish Church was in extimis, and and that the Christian Church is in atrijs; and that the triumphant Church is in intimis; that is, the Iewish Church was in the utter court; the Christian Church is in the middle court, and that the glorified Church is in the inner court. Let us make a comparison betwixt the Iewish Church standing at the foot of the Mount, and the Christian Church which standeth in the middle of the Mount, and we shal see a great difference betwixt them two. First, let us compare them in the Priesthood, Melchizedeck and Aaron.* 1.2 Melchisedeck had nei∣ther beginnng of his dayes, nor end of life, he was borne before the flood, and none who lived after the flood could tell when he was borne, and he lived five hundreth yeares after the flood; so that he seemed neither to have beginning nor end of dayes; but the Priest who were after the order of Aaron, be∣hooved to deduce their genealogies, and of

whom they were descended,* 1.3 or else they were secluded from the Priesthood.* 1.4 Second∣ly, the Hebrewes say, when the Tabernacle removed, that Eleazar the Priest carried the oyle for the Lampes in his right hand,* 1.5 and the anointing oyle in his left hand, the in∣cense in his bosome, and the meat offering upon his shoulder. Eleazar was but a figure of Iesus Christ the Highpriest in the Christi∣an Church, who giveth grace,* 1.6 the oyle of the Spirit, for the understanding of the Scrip∣tures, who putteth the odours of sweet in∣cense to our prayers; and lastly, he presenteth the Church as a pure meate-offering to his Father. Next let us compare the people un∣der the Law with these under the Gospell; first, their rites were carnall rites, consisting in these, touch not, taste not, handle not, and even as Fathers forbid their little children to eate of such and such things, or handle them not, they specially restraine their basest senses; but when their sonnes are come to maturity and age, they forbid them to hearken unto evill, or looke unto evill, they restraine their noble senses especially; so because the Iewes were but infants, he trained thē up this way, forbidding them to touch, taste, or handle, but he forbiddeth the Christian Church, things of

greater moment; againe, let us compare them them in holinesse; under the Law, holinesse was written but upon the forehead of the Highpriest, but under the Gospell, the Pro∣phet Zachariah saith, that holinesse shall bee written upon the horse bridles, to signifie the great measure of holinesse that should bee in the Church under the Gospell. Thirdly, compare them in the measure of their love; under the Law every seventh yeare they were to let their land rest, and to pardon their deb∣tors, and to give a full remission to them: but see how farre the Gospell exceedeth the Law in this, Peter asked of Christ if he should par∣don his brother seven times, as the Iewes par∣doned their debtors the seventh yeare; what answered Christ to him? thou shalt not par∣don seven times, nor seven times seven times, but seventy times seven times; and as farre as the Iubile exceeded the seventh yeare, as farre shall your charity exceede the Iubile, that is. to seventy times seven times. Fourthly, com∣pare them in the measure of their know∣ledge; their measure of knowledge under the Law was very small, all things were covered and wrapped up to them, when they carried, the brazen Altar in the Wildernesse,* 1.7 they covered it with a purple cloath. When they

carried the Arke, it was covered with three coverings, with a vaile, Badgers skins,* 1.8 and a cloath wholly of blew. So the table of the Shewbread had three coverings, all was co∣vered save onely the Laver, and Moses face was covered to them with a vaile, when hee came from the Mount; the Priests bare the things which they might not see, To signi∣fie a concealing of a part of the mysteries of the Gospell, afterwards to be revealed;* 1.9 so the people saw but through a grate,* 1.10 but now the Temple of God is opened in the heaven, and there is seene in his Temple the Arke of the Testament; they stood a farre off,* 1.11 things which are hid and obscure, are said by the He∣brewes to be far off,* 1.12 and things w^ch are cleare and manifest, are said to be neare at hand; thus we see how farre the Gospell exceedeth the Law; but yet we are not to vilifie and count basely of those ceremonies, for the holy Ghost hath registred the least instrument and the basest things in the Sanctuary, and David gave to Salomon a patterne of the table, Candle∣sticke, Lampes, flesh-hookes and bowles, 1 Chron. 28.11, 17. It may be said perhaps that they had some use then,* 1.13 but old things are past away, and all things are become new, what use then can they have in the

Church now; they have no use for significa∣tion now in the Church, or to fore-shadow things to come, seeing Christ the Body him∣selfe is come; yet they have many other good uses, first, we should delight to looke backe to see the antiquitie of them, for even as men delight to behold the cloathes and Armour of their predecessors which they wore long agoe; So should we delight to see the cloathes in which Christ was wrapped in his infancy, and the Cradle in which Christ lay. Second∣ly, this should teach us to be thankefull to God, that we have so cleare a light under the Gospel, which they had not under the Law; it was a great benefit to learning, when the ob∣scure Hieroglyphicks in Egypt were changed into letters, and the darke and mysticall wri∣tings of Plato, were changed by Aristotle into a cleare and plaine forme of writing; farre greater is the benefit that the Church hath now, when the Lord hath changed these fi∣gures and ceremonies into the cleare light of the Gospell. Thirdly, these doe let us see that God will performe the rest of his promises as he hath fulfilled all these types already, and lastly, they let us see the miserable estate of the Iewes, who cleave still to these ceremo∣nies as yet. Hierom compareth the Iewes be∣fore

Christ came into the world, to these that eate the flesh, and he compared Christians under the Gospell, to those who eate the marrow, but he compareth the Iewes after they had rejected Christ to the dogges who gnaw the bones, cleaving onely to the killing letter, but not seeking to Iesus Christ the quickning Spirit. And now Sir, I dedicate this part of my labours to you, that it may remaine a note of my thankefulnesse for your favours to me. I know Sir, that ye will make better use of it, then most men in these dayes doe with such Treatises, casting them by, and rather reade any trifle, than that which conduceth to the informing of the soule to God-ward, yea preaching it selfe they are weary of, except perhaps some new mans odde elocution invite them for a fit, but by and by they looke after a new straine, as it were for new fashions of cloathes. But I know Sir your breeding craveth another thing of you, who was bred up under so wise and religious a mother, who for the educatiō of her children, was another Monica, as your selfe and your vertuous sister, Mistris Kathe∣rine, are sufficient proofes. I cannot passe by her name upon this occasion, whose life and death was to mean instruction. Good cause

have you to keepe that methode, as yee have begun it in your eldest sonne, so to prosecute the same with your many hopefull children which GOD hath given you by your Noble match, which is one of the best borne Ladies of this Land, who dignifieth her birth by her Christian, humble, and godly life. Sir, beleeve me that godlinesse is more true Ho∣nour to you than your birth, although you be never so well descended, and to be more esteemed, than the place which yee have about our Gracious King, and more than all morall vertues whatsoever, which are but splendida peccata, without piety; your Honour and worldly credite are but trifles compared to this, they cannot keepe a man alive in this world, nor doe him any good in the world to come,* 1.14 for this is the whole man, this makes up a complete man, and he is but the shadow of a man that wants this:* 1.15 The Angels of the Lord pitch round about them that feare him, and de∣liver them, and hath any man in this Court gotten more remarkeable deliverances than you have, I am sure ye will not let these bene∣fits of the Lord slip out of your minde, reade often the sixty two Psalme,* 1.16 and meditate upon it. The God of peace that brought againe from the dead, our Lord Iesus, that great Shepheard of the

sheepe, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good worke to doe his will, working in you that which is pleasing in his sight, through Iesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Now, for these my labours, if they serve for any Christian use in the Church, I am sa∣tisfied, and that I may doe so, I humbly pray to God, and shall still for your prosperity,

Your Honours still to be com∣manded in the Lord, Iohn Weemes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Exod. 24.2, 3, and 18.
• * 1.2

  Heb. 7.3.
• * 1.3

  Nehem. 7.64.
• * 1.4

  Eleaz. in Num. 4.
• * 1.5

  Luc. 4.8. and 28.45.
• * 1.6

  Ioh. 1.16. Revel. 8.3. 1 Timot 2.5. Ephes. 5.26. 1 Cor. 5.7.
• * 1.7

  Numb. 4.13.
• * 1.8

  Numb. 4 6.
• * 1.9

  Coloss. 1.26.
• * 1.10

  Heb. 9.1.
• * 1.11

  Revel. 11.19.
• * 1.12

  Deut. 30.14.
• * 1.13

  2 Cot. 5.10.
• * 1.14

  Eccles. 12.••3.
• * 1.15

  Psal. 34.7.
• * 1.16

  Heb. 12.20.