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is called the people: ift. On account of their pro-
digious numbers, v. 10. Who can count the dust of
Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Ifrael; 2.
On account of thofe facred ties, by which this vaft
congregation was united together. They were not
a promifcuous affembly, but a multitude, under a
proper polity, or form of government, united to-
gether by covenant, governed by falutary laws,
with rights and an inheritance, and having God
himself for their head. Thus the Apoftle, 1 Pet. 2:
ΤΟ, δι πότε ἐ λαθ, νῦν δὲ λαὸς Θεῖ, which in time poft were
not a people, but are now the people of God. This is
the meaning of y, aos, the people, when ufed in its
emphatical fenfe, and diftinguished from Gen-
tiles. And y x, not a people, Deut. 32. 21, is a
multitude that has no fuch privileges.
teftifies of the former, that they dwell alone, or are
Separate, not reckoned among the nations they are
fevered and diftinguifhed from the reft of the world,
by peculiar laws, cuftoms, and inftitutions. Tacitus
in his hiftory book 5. Says; Mofes, the better to
attach the people afterwards to himself, appointed them,
new rites, contrary to thofe of the rest of the world.
There all things are accounted profane, which we look
upon as facred: and those things are allowed by them
which we hold to be incestuous.

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Balaam

to cere

the moral

V. This feparation of the jewifh people, in as far Which as as it was the effect of ceremonial inftitutions, con- monials ftituted a ceremonial holinefs; but if we confider it regarded as the effect of the excellency of those laws, which Ifraelonly, prefcribed moral duties, in that refpect, they much but as to furpaffed other nations, yet that conftituted a holiness law, comcommon to the godly in all ages. Hence the church mon to all of the New teftament is called, the flock of thine the godly. heritage, which dwell folitarily Mich. 7. 14. And Chrift fays of his people; they are in the world, but not of the world; for he has chofen them out of the world, John 15. 19. Delivering them from this prefent evil world, according to the will of God, and our father,

0 3

Gal.

Gal. I. 4. To this purpose is the admonition of

Paul, Rom. 12 2. Μη συσχηματίζεσθε τω αιώνι τέλω, be not confirmed to this world,

Wherein VI. And this is that fingularity of piety, fo confiftsthe recommended by fome: which does not confist in true fingularity of external niceties of an over-ftrained will-worthip, piety, and an aufterity of difcipline, as was generally the

practice of the Pharifees among the Jews, and of the Afcetics formerly among the ancient chriftians: concerning whom Cafaubon may be feen in his Efere, ad Baron. Exerc. 1. No. 9. A manner of life fignifi cantly called by Epiphanius, εθελό ακρότητα δικαιοσύνης, the utmoft pitch of felf-righteousness: but in fhunning the vices of the age, pride, drunkenness, luft, and vanities of every kind. 1 Pet. 4. 3, for the time paft of our life may fuffice us, to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lafcivioufnefs, lufts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings and abominable idolatries. Eph. 5. 7, be not ye therefore partakers with them and v. 11. and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. Tertullian, in his Apologetico, advifes us, that, in what we fay, fee and hear, we correfpond in nothing with the madness of the Circus, the lewdness of the theatre, the shocking cruelty of the amphitheatre, and the vanity of the Xyftus; we are not to "attend on fuch fhews and reprefentations as thefe. 2. That in opinions and fentiments, we keep at a diftance from thofe of the vulgar: this is what. Paul hints in what follows: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the will of God. By the vulgar I mean, not only the lowest class of people, of whom Tacitus fays, they have neither judg ment nor truth: but even fuch as feem to themfelves and others extremely wife in this world; from whom God generally conceals thofe myfteries of his, which he reveals to babes, Mat. 11. 25. 3. In will and affections, 1 Pet. 1. 14. Not fashioning yourselves according to the former lufts in your ignorance. 4. In the exercife of fuch a generous and noble virtue, or holi

nefs

nefs, as is infinitely beyond the reach of other people, Phil. 2. 15. that ye may be blameless and harmless, the fons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverfe nation, among whom ye fhine as lights in

the world.

because

VII. Secondly, the word holy, denotes whatever is 2. The dedicated to, or fet apart for God and his fervice. Elect cali Thus the altar, and what belonged to it, are called ed holy, moft boly, Exod. 30. 29: alfo, Aaron with his fons, dedicated 1 Chron. 23. 13. So in like manner the truely godly to God. are a peculiar treafure to God above all people, Exod 19. 5. In the Hebrew it runs: am. To Segullah the laft of thefe, the Latin word figillum has an affinity fo that D SEGULLAH denotes a thing, which a perfon declares to be his own property, by impreffing it with his feal; nay indeed, it denotes fuch a thing, on account of which, perfons and kings themselves, are accounted rich, and by which they difplay their grandeur, Ecclef. 2. 8. Igathered me alfo filver and gold bhp, and the SEGULLAH peculiar treajure of Kings. Thus God hath chosen Ifrael 05, for his Segullah, or peculiar treafure, Pf. 135. 4. Concerning this word, fee Waferus de nummis, lib. 1. c. I. The Septuagint exprefs it by práquor iwur's Deut. 7. 6. phao, a special people; which Paul, in imitation of the LXX. calls Axis, a peculial people; Tit. 2. 14. And Jerome affirms, he could not learn the meaning of that Greek word from any one, that was converfant in profane literature; but gathered it from the above place in Deuteronomy, and the like. Yet I think Grotius has not improperly obferved, that is is derived from, which fignifies, to excell; and hence pos denotes the fame as tápelos, excellent and replésia, fuperabundance in which fenfe Clemens Alexandrius ufes it in Admon. ad Gentes p. 5. μιςτον ἡμῖν της μαθήσεως, ἐκπεριέσιας, βασιλεαν ἐγανων ἐπαγγέλλεται: promifes to us, fuperabundantly, or over and above, the kingdom of heaven, as the reward of our doctrine. And again,

4

God feals

vants, as

his pro

perty.

again, p. 69. Φέρε ὑμῖν, εκ περιουσίας, την περί το λογές παραθησομαι dw; I fhall, aboundantly, bring a convincing proof concerning the word. In the fame manner, as Demofthenes fays, ὗτος, εκ περιεσίας, με κατηγορεί, be fuperabun dantly accufes me: Polybius, book 4. c. 38, oppofes περιεσία το the ai αναγκαίαι τε βια χρεναι, the neceffaries of life. The godly therefore are God's excellent poffeffion, which he claims and preferves, and in which he boafts, as his crown of glory and royal diadem,` Ifa. 62. 3. Which he efteems as his riches, and fuffers not to become the property of another and in this fenfe alfo may holiness be afcribed to them: vos ayır, hasis Tepitonow, a boly nation, a peculiar people, are joined together, 1 Pct. 2. 9.

VIII. God alfo truly feals his fervants, as his prohis fer- perty, which he would keep from being loft, and in this fenfe, he likewife accounts them facred or inviolable. Rev. 7. 2, 3. John faw an angel afcending from the east, diftinét from the four miniftring angels, and giving orders unto them: now Chrift himfelf is avaloane, the day fpring from on high, Luke 1. 78, and the Gospel was published chiefly from Jerufalem to the Weft, namely to the ifles of the Jea, or to Europe. This angel bad the seal of the living God, viz. the fpirit of God, who is allo the fpirit of the fon, Gal. 4. 6. and by whom the Elect are fealed, Eph. 1. 13; becaufe he imprints upon them the character of holinefs declared in the Golpel, whereby they are known to be the property of God. This angel gave his orders to the others, not to hurt any one, till, fays he, we have fealed the fervants of our God in their foreheads; from which words we are not to imagine, that God has any fellow labourers in this fealingwork, but Chrift fays this concerning himfelf and his Spirit; who may well call God the Father, their God, as both are fent from him, Ifa. 48. 16. The Lord God bath fent me and his fpirit; as thus the Hebrew may very properly be rendered. Moreover, this feal was in the forebeads of God's fervants; be caufe,

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cause, as the forehead is the most confpicuous part of man, fo the truth of the Gofpel and the efficacy of true piety, which is impreffed upon their hearts by the Holy Spirit, difcover themfelves in the publick profeffion, and open practice of holinefs, which trike the eyes and ears of all. Nor is it improbable, there is here an allufion to a received cuftom in the eaft, by which the names of masters were ftamped.. on the foreheads of their fervants, as Grotius has obferved from Hefychius and Ariftophanes. The godlythen are God's peculiar property; for they bear his name on their foreheads, Rev. 14. 1. They alfo profefs themselves, to be fet apart for his fervice..

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again de

vote

oath.

IX. And as God fets his feal upon them, fo in like And they manner, they fubfcribe with their hand to be only the Lords, Ifa. 44. 5. The Roman foldiers of old ac- themcording to Vegetius de re Milit. Lib. 2. c. 5. being felves to marked with indelible characters in the fkin, were Godby an wont to be fworn, when they were enlifted: and hence in the law of Mauritius, Signati in manu, they who are marked in the hand is a circumlocution. for foldiers: for, ειγματα επι των τρατευομένων ἐν ταις χερσιν, the marks of foldiers are in their hands, fays Ælian. This is what Chryfftom on Rom. 4. 11. calls oppayida rõ spal, the feal of the foldier: see Grotius on Revelations 13. 16. In much the fame manner, believers being fealed by God with the efficacy of the + flaming fpirit, and a truly indelible and never fading character, do, at the fame time, bind themfelves by an oath, to be faithful to God, as foldiers to their general. For, while they profels themfelves to be God's, they alfo give themfelves up to his fervice alone, As, 27.

I fuppofe the author here aludes, by this defignation, to the defcent of the Holy Ghoft on the Apostles, when there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and fat upon each of them Act 2. 3. and he is called the fpirit of burning Ifa. 4.4. and John the Baptift declared, that Chrift fhould baptife with the Holy Ghoft and with fire. Mat. 3. 11.

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