Exodus 23

2. There is but one omnipotent power. If there be two omnipotents, then we must always suppose a contest between these two; that which one would do, the other power being equal would oppose, and so all things would be brought into a confusion. If a ship should have two pilots of…

1. They make him better, and are lodestones to draw him nearer to God. 2. He has his Father's blessing with them: a little blessed is sweet (Exodus 23:25). He shall bless your bread and your water.

That we may be content with daily bread — that which God in his providence carves out to us — and not covet or murmur, let me propose these things. 1. God can bless a little (Exodus 23:24): He will bless your bread and your water. A blessing put sweetness into the least morsel o…

And God accordingly appointed them ordinances to be observed by the whole congregation of them together at the same time, in the same place. "Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God" (Exodus 23:17). "Three times in a year all your males shall…

Behold, says he of him, my servant whom I uphold, mine Elect in whom my Soul delights, or is well pleased, [⟨in non-Latin alphabet⟩] (Matthew 3:17). When he undertook this office, and said, Lo I come to do your Will, O God, the Soul of God rested in him (Exodus 23:21; John 5:20,…

Our knowledge in this life is imperfect. Exodus 23: Moses may not see God's face, but his hinder parts. 1 Corinthians 13:12: We may see God as men do, through spectacles in his word, sacraments, and creatures.

This is Charity to souls when we see men in the gall of bitterness, and we labour by counsel, admonition, reproof, to pull them out of their natural estate as the Angel did Lot out of Sodom; Genesis 19. 6. God made a Law, Exodus 23. 5. that whoever did see his enemy's ass lying…

Quest. 3. The next question is, who is meant by Michael the Arch-Angel. Michael is the name of his person, and Arch-Angel of his office; Michael signifies, he is strong God, or who is like the strong God; and therefore some apply it to Jesus Christ, who in many places of Scriptu…

Here (say they) is a prayer made to angels. Answer: By the angel is meant Christ, who is called the angel of the covenant (Malachi 3:1) and the angel that guided Israel in the wilderness (1 Corinthians 10:9 compared with Exodus 23:20). Objection 2.

There is one kind of singularity you must always maintain, namely the singularity of a holy life (Ephesians 4:17). This I say therefore, and testify, in the Lord, that you henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk: and (Exodus 23:2) you shall not follow a multitude to do evil.…

Our knowledge in this life is imperfect. Moses may not see God's face, but his hinder parts (Exodus 23). We may see God as men do, through spectacles, in his word, sacraments and creatures (1 Corinthians 13:12).

To the first ripe fruits, to the first of your years, to you that are young ones: We prize highly Nettle buds when they bud out first; Oh! so graciousness when it buds out in youth at first, Oh how pleasing is it to God! In (Exodus 23:19) God would have the first of the first fr…

And as it was related to that, it was its eastern boundary. It is so spoken of (Genesis 15:18; Exodus 23:31; Deuteronomy 1:7 and 11:24; Joshua 1:4; 2 Samuel 8:3; 1 Chronicles 18:3; 1 Kings 4:21; Ezra 4:20). Agreeable to this diverse respect or relation of this river, under which…

Use 2: It gives a great commendation to the grace of God in Christ Jesus; it makes grace wonderfully glorious, that takes the sinner at this nick, and in this pinch. We shall not dispute here; nor is it needful, nor edifying, whether God might have forgiven sin freely, without a…

[Son, remember you in your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus evil, etc.] says Abraham to the soul of Dives in hell (Luke 16:25). [Remember me when you come into your Kingdom] said the good thief to Christ; And (Revelation 1) I am he (says Christ) that was dead,…

God bids Israel to pity strangers (Exodus 22:21): You shall neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the Land of Egypt. They knew what it was to be exposed to the envy and hatred of the neighbors in the land where they sojourned (Exodus 23:9): For you k…

So their murmuring might be called a tempting of Christ. Christ was the perpetual head of the church, who in his own person did lead the people, and was present in the midst of them under the notion of the angel of the covenant: the Eternal Son of God guided them in the wilderne…

Answer: So long as men are curable, means must be used to recover them. The sheep or ox that goes astray, must be brought home again (Exodus 23:4), much more your neighbor. Christ himself brings home again the lost sheep, and so must every shepherd (Ezekiel 34:4).

Let us consider the good Samaritan's practice: Albeit there was mortal hatred between the Jews and the Samaritans (John 4:6), yet he seeing his deadly enemy wounded and half dead, had compassion upon him; poured wine and oil into his sores, bound up his wounds, set him on his ow…

Answer. This is very true, but the Prophet aimed at that which falls out for the most part, and yet notwithstanding meant not to spare the vices which he expressed not. By whose example good teachers ought to be wise and well advised in considering and correcting those vices whi…

It was not of their own accord, but by a divine command, that they undertook this annual journey. The law enjoins the males "only to appear before the Lord," (Exodus 23:17.) This arrangement does not entirely exclude females, but spares them by an exercise of kindness.

I am more inclined to favor those who understand by it the second festivity in the year; and this agrees exceedingly well with the name given to it, the second-first Sabbath, because, among the great Sabbaths which were annually observed, it was the second in the order of time.…

This is a notable comfort that we Christians have, in that we may say: the word which I preach, is none of my own, neither is my faith my own; they are all the works and the gifts of God: He who reviles and rails on me, reviles and rails on God: according to Christ's own saying…

Or burning coals, dreadful judgments, mortal weapons, as fire and flames are often taken in other descriptions of God's dealing with his enemies (Psalms 11:6, 18:8): prevailing fire is the most dreadful means of destruction (Hebrews 12:29, Isaiah 33:14). Exodus 23:28, God threat…

For there are some places of Scripture which seem so far to give countenance to them, that if they mistake in their application, it is a mistake of no other nature but what others are liable to, in things of greater importance. For it is given as the will of God (Exodus 23:13),…

But that the Son of God did mostly appear to the Fathers under the Old Testament, is acknowledged by the Antients, and is evident in Scripture: See (Zechariah 2:8, 9, 10, 11). And he it was who is called the Angel (Exodus 23:20, 21). The reason that is pleaded by some, that the…

The Ministry of Angels how used therein. Exodus 23:20, 21, 22, 23. Chapter 33:2, 3, 4, 13, 14.

Jews acknowledge the figurative nature of this ordinance. Of frontlets and phylacteries, Exodus 23:9. Signs and memorials.

5. Acknowledgment of God's Righteousness in Afflictions (Deuteronomy 8:5). 6. Prayer to God (Exodus 23:25; Deuteronomy 11:13). 7. Adherence to God (Deuteronomy 10:20).

Yet more exactly, it is not only said, he rose in the morning (for there is a great latitude in the morning, there are various hours which all are called morning) but it is said he rose early in the morning, in the very beginning or first of the morning. As it is commanded (Exod…

For whoever are thus partial, want that courage and firmness that ought to be in a magistrate, and should make him as inflexible as the rule of justice itself is; neither being frightened by the power or threats of those who are great, nor melted or softened with the cries of th…

"In that same day the Lord made a covenant with Abraham, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt, unto the great river, the river Euphrates." So again God promised at Mount Sinai, Exodus 23:31. "And I will set thy bounds from the Red Sea even unto t…

Though your children dare not tell you so, yet perhaps they cannot but think that you are very unfit to command them who are so very unable to command yourselves. Time was when you were yourselves children, and scholars, and perhaps servants and apprentices, and so (if you will…

God chargeth us to be singular, Matthew 5:47. to be circumspect, Ephesians 5:15. to be separate from Idolaters, 2 Corinthians 6:17. to shine as Lights in the World, Philippians 2:15. He forbids us to symbolize with Sinners, or doe as they doe: the way to Hell is a beaten road, t…

Verily you shalt be fed. God has not promised dainties; he will not satisfie his Peoples lusts, but he will supply their wants; if the Bill of Fare grows low, what they lack in chear, they shall have in blessing, Exodus 23:25. He will bless your bread and your water.

And that of the Jewish elders who said (Matthew 28:12-13), "Say you, his disciples came and stole him away while we slept." All these are severely forbidden, but especially in point of witnessing in courts of judicature (Exodus 23:1): "Put not your hand with the wicked to be an…

This is soul-mercy. God made a law (Exodus 23:5) that whoever saw his enemy's donkey lying under a burden, he should help him. On which words Chrysostom says: We will help a beast that is fallen under a burden; and shall we not extend relief to those who are fallen under a worse…

God give you of the dew of heaven; which was not only a prayer for Jacob, but a prophecy of that happiness and blessing which should come upon him and his posterity. Thus every adopted child has his heavenly Father's benediction, there is a special blessing distilled into all th…

The small number of those who embrace religion argues that the way of religion is excellent. We are warned not to go with the crowd (Exodus 23:2); most fish go into the devil's net. The second prejudice is that the ways of religion are made to appear ugly by the scandals of thos…

They will hardly be able to run the heavenly race who have old age and old sins upon them. Run the pathway, not the road-way; hell-road is full of travellers; most go wrong (Exodus 23:2): you shall not follow a multitude to do evil. The multitude does not consider what is best,…

Now therefore if in evangelical ordinances and commands, in points of worship and graces under the time of the new Testament, where there is still one and the same manner of administration of the Covenant of grace, there may be such a non-obligation in respect of accessories and…

(5) It's wicked stoutness to rest upon your own righteousness and refuse to treat with God (Isaiah 46:12-13). (6) And vain stoutness to dare God in his own quarters and fight him (Exodus 14:8, 23; Exodus 23:8, 13; Isaiah 36:10-11, 36-37), if it were in his own seas as Pharaoh an…

And v. 35. Moses is made a Ruler and a deliverer by the hands of the Angel that appeared to him in the bush. This is Christ, the Angel (Malachi 3:1), the Angel of the covenant, whom they tempted (1 Corinthians 10:9), of whom the Lord said (Exodus 23:21), Beware of him, and obey…

4. With him must the Covenant of Redemption be made in his way; of whom God says, verse 25: I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers. The Chaldean Paraphrase expounds his hand to be his power and command, which extends to the Euphrates, as is promise…

Do justice to the Afflicted and Poor; that is, justify them in their cause against Wrong and Oppression. Exodus 23:7. I will not justify the wicked; absolve, acquit, or pronounce him righteous.

What communion has light with darkness? How can the righteous God indulge him that goes on still in his trespasses? (Exodus 23:7). I will not justifie the wicked.

And let the name of the Lord not only be upon you, but also in you. As we have it in Exodus 23:21, spoken of the Angel that went with them in the wilderness: 'My name is in him' — my name is not only upon him, so that he is not only called my Angel, but my name is also in him. T…

You forget that part of his office — half the end for which Christ came into the world. And if you would know what kind of governor he is: Exodus 23:21 — 'I will send my Angel with you,' says God (that is, Christ) — 'beware of him and obey his voice, and do not provoke him, for…

2nd Commandment: You shall make to yourself no graven image, etc. He breaks this commandment: who represents God in an image (Exodus 32:6-8); who worships God in or at images, as crucifixes and such like (2 Kings 18:4); who kneels down before an image; who is bodily present at M…

The meditation of this, would, 1. Keep us from marching along with the multitude. You shall not follow a multitude, Exodus 23:2. The multitude usually goes wrong; most men walk, [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], after the course of the world, Ephesians 2:2.