NUMB EiRS if they caught mild beat or fizzle ; He fliall powre out the Moud thereof, and cover it with duf , Levit. 17. 13. if they planted; Te (hall count as uncircnmoi- fed the tenon-cumuli= thereof &c. Levit. 19. 23. if they had a man-child borne , the fore- skipneof his flefh fhall be circumcifed, Lev. 12. 2. if they buried the dead; Te Pan not cut your felves, &c. Dent. 14. I. if they fhaved themfelves ; Ye fhall not round a corner ofyour bead, &c. Lev. 19. 27. if they builded an houfey Tbou fhaltmakea battlement , &c.Dent. z 2.8. And thou (halt write themupon the pegs &c. Deut.. 69.íf they cbatbed themfelves Te (hall make ye a Fringe, &c. Chazkuni on Num. i 5. and remember all] This was the fpirituall ufe of this ordinance,that it moug,ht lead them unto á continual' remem- brance & pra&ife of all the Law; without which, the out ward rite was vaine.The many threads of the Fringes on the fours skirts of their garment, fignified the many commandements of God" which they fhould put upon them , to be it as were cloathed with them, and to walke in them: the heaven - coloured ribband, taught them an- heavenly affeçtion to all the Law, & an holy con= verfation ; and led them fpiritually to put on the wedding garment, Matth. 22. I I. the Lord 'efos Chrif, Rom. 13.14. the whole armour of God, Epbef. 6. 1 1. and the new man , which after God it created in rigbteoufnefè and holineff (truth, Lphef 4. 24. that their converfation might be in heaven , Phil. 3. 20. From thefe worde, The Hebrew DoLttors fay ; A man fbeuld alwayes be carefüll to array him- like with fach a garment as was bound to have the Fringe, that be might keepe this commandement : and in the time of prayer, he is to be warned hereof more efpeeially'. It X a great frame far wife moto , that they [build pray , and not. be arraied herewith. A man mtef for ever be warned of this commandement of the Fringe , for the Scripture maketh it of great weight , and all the commandements ,every one depend upon it. Maim. in Zizith, eb.3. lei. t 1,12. But they abufed this, as other divine ordinances, to fuperltition & hy- pocrifie;&were reproved by our Saviour for ma- king their PbilaBeries broad,and inlarging thebor- ders (or Fringes) oftheirgarments , Mat. 23.5. And this their vanitie (negle&ingthe fpirituall end) appeareth in their writings;tor unto the thrums or threeds of the garment;which were three inches, they faftned threeds doubled in the mid( , whole length (they fay)might not be lei than flare inches, but more than f obey might be though a cubit, or two cu- bits. Maim. in Zizith,cb.t.f.6. And for the venue hereof, they fay, Who fo diligently keepeth -this Law of Fringes, is made worthy, andfba11 fee theface of the Majefieof God: (Baal hatturim 'on Num. 15.) and when a man iseloathed with the Fringe, and goeth sots therewith to the dame of his habitation , bee is fay , and Gad rejoyath and the defraying Angell departetb from thence , and the man (ball be delivered from all hurt and from all delrttïlion, &c. (R. Me- nichent on Ntem.15.) Thus rafie it is for men to abode holy things,and to pervertthe right life & end of them by their owne inventions. See the annotations on Exod.13. 9. And although they put fo great religion in there Fringes,yet as they X V. 27 have loft the fpirit & life of this commandement, fo God path deprived them of the outward rite, that they have not at this day, (by their owne confeflion) the blew or heaven- colourd ribband; T be bleem ( Teceleth) is not found in our hands at this day, becaufe we know not to male the die (or colour) of it : for ezery blew in mtroll is not,called Teceletb. But the Teeeieth ( or Blew fpoken of in the Law,) it is kstowne that it is Nnpofftble to make it at this day, and therefore we make the white onely, faith Ram- barn (or Maimony)in his exposition on Talmud Bab, in Menacbotb, eh. 4. and that ye feeke not] or, andye fhallnot feeke, (orfearch, as Nam. 14. 36.) whichword Solomonapplieth to his heart, fearching out things by wifdome, Ecclef 1.i 3. and 7.25. The Greeke here tranflatet(t it, turn afide; the Chaldee, errs, (or goe of ray.) your heart] in Chaldee , the imagination of your hurt. Here God calleth menfrom their owne wifdome and inventions to his Law onely; for every imaginati- on of the thoughts of mans heart, is onely evip every day, Gen.6. 5. And, he that troy eth inhit owne heart, is a fook Prov. 28. 2 6. your eyes] in Chaldee, the fight ofyour eyes. So the holy Gholt faith, /Yak in the wayee of thine beart, and in the fight of thine eyes ; but know thou , that for all tlxfethings God will bring "the into yudgement, Eocl f 11. 9. And the Aponte mentioneth the left of the eyes , as that which if not of the Father , but oftbe world , t Iohn 2. 16. The Hebrewes fay , The heart and the eyes are the(pies of the body, and brokers to brinp'it into tranf- grefion ; the ye firth , and the heart luf etb , and the bodie alieth the tranf refien. Sol. Iarchi on,Num. t 5. The Lord condemning the heart which is the molt noble of all the inward parts, and the eyes which are the mots excellent of all the out- ward , teacheth that the whole man is cor- rupted thorowout , and to be reformed by the Law and Spirit of God. For, except a man be borne of water and of the Spirit , Ge canoes enter into the ingdoms God, Iohn.3.5. you goe. a who- ring of ] in Chaldee, you erre (or goe affray.) To goe a whoring after other gods, is an ufuall phrafe for idolatrie, Exod. 34. 15. Peut. 3 t. i 6. i Chron.5.25. Iudg. 2. 17. the fame is implied here, as God faith, Iambroken with their wharifhheart, which loath departedfrom me; and with their yes , which goe a whoring after their idols, Ezek06.9. but it meaneth all) all other lnees which meat un- cleane hearts and impure eyes carry them unto, with confentand delight : fee Lev. zo. S 6.Pfal.. 106.39. Iam. 4.4. The Hebrewes fay; If arty man be drawn after the thoughts ofhit heart, be will be found a wafer of the world, becaufe of the flenderne/ (or fhortneffe)ofheNnderfanding. As, finetimesbewill fearch after idolatries and fometimes mill tbinke pecu- liarly of the Creator , whether there be any or none : What - it above , and what beneath ; what was before, and what frail be after. And fometimes fpropbefse; whether it he troth or no; and finetimes of the Law , whether it be from heaven or no. And bee knoweth not what to judge of them, till be know the truth concerning his Creator, bat will be found a revolter unto hereftes. Concerning this thing it that warning in the Law, where it if find,.
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