68 Mr. Jenkins afternoon' Sermon, I (hall therefore in it, briefly take notice of two things. I. An Injunaion, Put off. thy fhoos. 2. The Argument whereby he doth back this, Becaufe the place whereon he flood was holyground: Foithe opening of the former, the Injunction, Put of thy floes, I fhall not give thee diverfe gloffes, and divers Interpretations, which men, with more wit then weight, have endeavoured tomake of this Scripture ; the plaine meaning is this, which is givenus by Theodoret, Put offthy fhoos, Gods fcope, and drift, and intent here- by was, to require ofMores reverence, when he was to receive a mei- fage of verie great concernment and importanceabout hisChurch; the defign ofGod was in this, to prepare him to obedience, there- fore God require' that ofhint then, which Servants were wont to do when they came to their Lord and Matter ; to thew their reve -. rence to them, Servants ale to come bare-foot to their Maflers, to teflifie reverence to the commands of them on whom they waited : Nudare pedes fignuen reverentix. And the putting on the floes is in Scripture, as well as among other Writers, held as a token of do- mination, or maflerly power. Hence Come conceive, John fpake of Chriji as one that had his fhoos on; and of himfelf, as one that was unworthy to untye his fhoos. And the Prophet Ifaiah, by a fign of putting offhis fhoos, is commanded by God to put off hisloos from offhis feet, and to walke naked and bare-foot ; and he did fo, 20. 2. which denoted the fervility of the People, in token that Gods people were to be in a low condition in Captivity. So we read of Mourners in Ezekiel, chap. 24. v. 17. that were of a low fpirit, they are laid, to go withoutfhoos, or unihod. And my brethren, on the o- ther fide, when God would thew the freedom of his people, and theic deliverance from Cervitude, he is laid to put [boos .on theirfeet, Ezek. z6. to. And the reception of the Prodigal into his Fathers honfe, and the freedom and priviledge his Father intended him, (according to Come learned men, intended by that expreflion in Luke 15. 22.) is let forth by puttino. on 'hoes upon his feet. So that I take the meaning of this command to be fo much; Shew by this thy reverence, thy humility, thy due lubmillivenel;, thy ,fith)efti- on of 1pirit, together with thy fervile readinefs to do whatfoever (hall commind thee. Calvin hath this Note upon the Text ; IfCo excellent a Servant of God as Wes had need to be quickened to reverence and obedience by (itch a Ceremony, certainly we that are more backward to humility and obedience, fhould by our reverent behaviour, when we come into the prefence of God, figniie both th reverence of our fouls', by our Outward exprellions, and like- w ile
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