/ 22, EXODUS V11. II dragons, Ezek.29.3. Pfa1.44. It. tut thiswonder was a tigne of their defrnaion, if they obeyed not : for thedefolation of a Country is fignified by the dwelling of dragons thére,Mal.1.3. Efà. 13. 20,áz. Pfalm. 44. zo. See alto the notes on Exodus 4. . Ver. 11. wife men] Phflotaphers: of there fee Ge- nefis41.8., Sorerers] or, Witches : filch asdoe bewitch the renfes and minds of men,by change - ing the formes of things'to another hue. And from theHebrew Cafbaph, (which hath the figni- fication of changing or turning) the Greekes have formed their word Bafcaimr, and the Latinos Faf- cino, which is to bewitch; and it Mid for unlawful! devillifh Arts and Artizens, fuch as Gods Law condemneth, and punifheth with death,Deut.18. I o,Exo.22.I 8. and applied to falfe teachers,and their crafts,Gal.3.1. Rev.18. 2 3. and thefe Egyp- tian Sorcerers, were types of feducers, who refill the truth, as jannes and Jambres witlzflood Mofes, here z Tinioth.3,8. where Paxlfctteth down the names of the chiefe of their Sorcerers, as they were kept in the Jews private Records. For fo to this day, in their Babylonian Tbalmud,tra &. Mena - choth, chap. 9. they fhew how lohanne and Menre, chiefe aft he Smerers of Egypt,withftood and moc- ked Mores, laying, Thou bringerf flraw into Aphralm, (as water into the fea;)forthej thought, be didbit mi- racles by foorcerie, whereat the land of Egypt woe full of Sorcerers. This Mature, was allo an Amoritllh name,Gen.s 3.18. called in Greeke,Mambree; and by Pad,Ìambres,in a Tim.3.8.where the Syriacke writeth Ianbres: for letters are often changed e- ven in the fame tongue, as Merodacb, Efay 39.1. or Barodach, 2 King.ao. ì z. Nemuel,1 Chron. 4.24. or Lemuel , Exod. 6. 15. and many the like. And that not Paul onely , but the Jewes commonly fo named theme appeareth alfo by a Chaldee para- phraCe of the Law , that goeth under the name of lonatban ; there upon ibis place of Exodus, their namesare written lair and lambres : and in ano- ther HebrewConmientarie on the Law, called Tbanchuma in fol. 40. they are named Ion:: and Iombros. Among the heathens alto, their memo- rie continued,though corrupted; for Plinio in nat. hi i. lib. 30. cap. 1. fpeaketh of Mofes and lames, and Cabala, (or as fonte reade it Iotape) whom he calleth Iota , by whom Magicke was ufed. And Origen againflCelltu, lib. 4. Iheweth how Numenius a Pythagorean Phylofopher, fpeaketh of Mores miracles in Egypt, and his refinance by lacones and Mambres,magicians : Apoleiuc alfo,a Latine Phyla - fopher, (in his fecond Apologie) mentioneth one lemmes, among the chiefe Magicians : that their names, as it feemeth, were renowned over all. magicians] fee the notes on Gen.41.8. ivebam- ments] or, fie-co Jleighos,jugglings. A word not tiled in this fence, fave here, and in verf. 22. and it hath the Ggnification, of fecret and dote conveyance, or, ofglifieritog like the flame of a fire or fword, as Cen.3.24. wherewith mens eyes arc dazled. And by this word God putteth difference betweene lllojs miracles which were done in truth ; and theirs done by fleight or forcerie: which were alto figures of the figner and dying wonders, that An- tichrill worketh, 2 Theffa.2.9. whole Church is called Egypt , Revel. r r. 8, their rods] that is their dragons made of rods : or, if they were all turned to rods againe, it was the greater miracle. But by comparifon with Ex.4.4. it is moll likely it was a ferpent till Aaron tookc it Into his hand againe. And here Mores and Aaron doe overcome lames and Iambres at the firkin that wherin they moll excelled : fo they that are of God,overcome Antichrin; for greater is he that is in them, than he that is in the world, i Joh.43,4 Verf. r 3. waxedffrong] or hard; both by his own impenitencie ,Ron,. 2.5. and Gods juft worke in him, E:1od.4.2I. Verf. 14. heaide] by reafon of the hardneffe of it : and fo unfit to be lifted up unto the obedie- ence of my word. This heavineffe when it is fpo- ken ofeies, Bares, hands, heart, or the like; figni- fieth the dulneffe and unfitneffe to do that which men ought : Gen.48.1o.Zach.7. r r. Exod.17. r 2. Luke 21.34. And this in Pharaoh is after faid both to be done ofhimfelfe, Exodus 8.32. and of God, Exod.so. 1. Verf. r 7. I (mite:] Aaron it was that fmote,verf. r 9. but God by Mofes commanded it : therefore he principally (mote, and the rod is laid to be in his hand. The Scripture fometime explaineth this, as, he called, Mat. 20.32. that is, be commanded to be called, Mark.1 0.49. and hegave, Mark. t 5.45 that is, he commanded to begivm, Mat.27.58. See al- fo the notes on Gen.39.22. and 48.22. And God foretelleth the plague before hee brings it , to warne hin, in mercie: but ufeththe time prefent, Ifmite, (or, am fmiting:) to fignifie judgement to be at hand. So Exod. 8. 2. Ver.18. be wearied:] both by digging round about the river for waters, as verf.24. and being grieved, and loathing the waters turned to blood, which they (hall not be able to drinke,as in verf.2 rand fo the Greeke here tranflateth , they (hall not be able to drink. And this plague being threatned to the Egyptians onely: is is to be thought, the Ifraelites in Gofloen were free from this, as from other plagues following, Exod.8.22. & 9.26. & 10.23. And fo the Hebrew Doftors fay, theplague of blood, was blood to the Egyptians , and water to the Ifraelites: R. Elio is Sepher refhith Somali, treat, of Love, c. 7. Here God proceedeth inhis worke, fromfgnes and wonders, to plagues and punifhments : tenne whereof he bringeth upon Egypt,before the Ifrae- lites were let goe out of their bondage, (as there are (even plagues, wherewith, the fpirituall Egypt ofAntichrifs Church is fmitten , inRevel. 16.) Thefe ten plagues, the Hebrew Dòíìors femme up in ten letters, the firft of all their names, zruct sour in whereby they arcane, Blood: Frogs: and Lire : a Mixed fwarme : Marraine that beafis amid: Boyles : Haile : and Locufis : Darkrnf thick!: and Firfi -borne all deflroy'd. Verf 19. gathering together] that is, placeofgos dieting, as the Chaldee expounds it: the word which 13 14 17 18
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