a former King But of this I have formerly treated Chap. 3. Pag. 53. do incline to think it to have been the great Eastern Gate of the Priests Court which being decaied he new built in a magnificent manner It being called the Upper-Gate in the Book of Kings and the New-Gate in the higher Court of the Lords House 2 Kin. 15.35 Ier. 36.10 by the Prophet Jeremy from this King 's new work about it who having walked religiously reigned victoriously he dyed peaceably and slept quietly in the Sepulchres of his famous Ancestors A.M. 3262 Ahaz the 12th King Now arises up into the Throne one of the most wicked Kings of Judah walking in the ways of the Kings of Israel He made his Son pass through the Fire and burnt Incense in the Valley of Hinnom he erected molten Images to Baalim 2 Kin. 16.3 2 Chr. 28.3 and sacrificed in the high places and on the Hills and under every green Tree Wherefore the Lord sent Rezin the King of Syria and his confederate Pekah King of Israel to besiege him in Jerusalem wherein though they prevailed not to take the City yet Rezin smote his Land and carryed a great multitude away Captive to Damascus and recovered Elath a strong Fortress from Judah 2 Chr. 26.2 which his Father Vzziah had fortified Pekah slew one hundred and twenty thousand valiant men in one day and carryed away captive two hundred thousand with much spoyl to Samaria This King being thus sorely distressed sends a Message to Tiglath-Pilezer King of Assyria with a Present of the Silver and Gold found in the House of the Lord. 2 Kin. 16.8 2 Chr. 28.21 For he was not onely desperately plunged by the two former Kings but sorely afflicted by the Edomites and the Philistins the former carrying some away captive and the latter seizing many of his Towns The Assyrian King upon this invitation falls in upon the Kingdom of Syria slew its King took Damascus the chief City and subdued it under him Whereupon Ahaz meets him at Damascus and takes there the pattern of an Idolatrous Altar and sends it to Vriah the Priest and being returned causes the Brazen Altar of the Lord to be removed and his new Altare Damascenum to be placed in the Court for his own Sacrifices New Inventions of men in God's Worship never thrive for his Confederated Friend out of Assyria falls now upon the King of Iudah himself 2 Chr. 28.19 20. Isai 10.28 For he came up saies Isaiah to Ajath he passed to Migron and laid up his carriages at Michmash mentioning with these other Cities of Iudah and saies he shal shake his hand against the Mount of the Daughter of Zion Ver. 32. 2 Chr. 28.23 In the time of this his great distress he did trespass yet more against the Lord for he sacrificed to the Gods of Damascus that smote him which was his ruine Now he plunders the House of God to purpose and makes mad work in the Temple He gathers together the Vessels of the House of God and cuts them in pieces He pulls away the borders of the Bases and removes the Laver takes the Sea of Brass off from the backs of the brazen Oxen and sets it on the stone-Pavements 2 Kin. 16.17 certainly he was troubled in conscience that they had so long served God in bearing that stately Vessel and pitied their weariness under their long burden out of a sacrilegious madness of Spirit mixt with his distress and necessity The Covert also for the Sabbath which probably was built to shelter the Priests in rainy and tempestuous weather he turns out of doores Nay Dr. Lightfoot harm p. 116. Mr. Fuller 's Pisgah pag. 283. Usher Annal p. 93. 2 Chr. 28.25 Ver. 22. Dr. Lightfoot that stately Passage or Entry of the King to the Temple called the Causey or Shallecheth on the West he either obstructs diverts or destroyes and that either out of fear of surprizal by the Assyrian or rather to manifest his utter rejection of the worship of God in favour to the Emperour's Idolatry Afterwards he put out the Lamps and leavs off burning Incense in the House of God he shuts up the doors and turnes High-Priest to the Devill For he made him Altars in every corner of Ierusalem and in every severall City of Iudah he made high places to burn Incense to other Gods and provoked to anger the Lord God of his Fathers This is that King Ahaz But what followes Most probably deposed for all this by his faut or the King of Assyriae and sees his own son lifted up to the royall Throne in his stead For if his son Hezekiah began to reigne in the third year of Hoshea King of Israël as you read expresly 2 King 18.1 2. Then did he begin in the fifteenth year of his Father Ahaz For Hoshea's beginning to reigne in the twelfth of Ahaz 2 King 17.1 doth determine the fifteenth of Ahaz to synchronize with the third of Hoshea the commencement of Hezekiah's Reigne who hereby must needs prove to be assumed into the Empire by his Father as the learned Bishop Usher would have have it or else introduced by the Assyrian as learned Dr. Lightfoot declares Besides it is distinctly noted in 2 King 18.9 10. that Samaria was taken in the sixth of Hezekiah which was the ninth of Hoshea Therefore the first of Hezekiah is the third of Hoshea and the fifteenth of Ahaz when Hezekiah began to reigne in his Father's life time who died after 16 years dominion whether compleat or current is not exprest 2 Chr. 28.27 But he died ingloriously and was not buried with honour in the Sepulchres of his famous Ancestors Thus this abominable Polluter and Prophaner of the Temple came to an untimely end not being able to tell the hour of God's wrath upon the Diall of his idolatrous Wickedness Though he erected a famous Materiall one in some place of his House or of the Temple much spoken of and contested about by learned Authors yielding a miraculous confirmation to the faith of his pious Successor Vol. 3. in his judicial Laws c. 25. p. 89. Pag. 246. Pag. 162. Concerning this Diall Mr. Weemse hath an exercitation but there speaks not of the place only conceives it to have been a polar one Mr. Gregory of Christ's-Church in Oxen in his posthumous Works seems to assent to Cornel. A lapide that it was placed on a wall of the King's Palace and that it was a South-verticall Diall Adrichomius places it in the Temple and saies it was made of the brazen Altar of the Lord which he removed from its situation but he proves nothing I shall onely leave to consideration as to the place that seeing some Altars are mentioned to be fixt on the top of the Upper-chamber of Ahaz 2 Kin. 23.12 that spoken of in the mids of a Relation concerning two Temple-pollutions whether this Diall might not be supposed to have been placed
and take our repast cannot be endured to be offensive by uncleanness Iâ— for our civil meetings as in publick Halls and Senatories men take the strictest care to have such places swept and garnished how much lesse should publick Oratories and Temples for the Congregations of the Faithful to assemble in be turned into Garrisons Prisons or Stables Furthermore We read concerning the Temple (f) Dr. Light p. 3. 12. Temple p. 191. as it stood in our Saviour's daies that all the Courts were curiously and strongly arched under ground with double arches one upon another which was on purpose done to prevent any secret making of graves in any of the Courts of the Temple much lesse the Temple it self To (g) Levit. 19.16 18. touch a dead body was a great defilment or the bone of a man or a gave Such a person was to be unclean for seven dayes and there were appointed many curious rites about his purification there observable It should seem in the dayes of our Lord that ordinary burial places were without the gates of the Cities or Towns As may be observed about Lazarus his grave that Christ was not (h) Joh. 11.30 32. yet come to the Town of Bethany and yet was at or near the grave but more particularly about the raising of the young man of Naim who was (i) Luk. 7.12 carryed out at the gate towards burial The (k) Mat. 8.28 33. Tombs likewise where among the possessed person conversed were without the City Lastly our Lord himself as he suffered (l) Heb. 13.12 without the City so was he buried For (m) Joh. 19.41 42. in the place where he was crucified there was a Garden and in the Garden a new Sepulchre of (n) Mat. 27.60 Joseph of Arimathea and there was the body of our dear Lord intombed Nay the Common burial place was in the Vally of Kidron as (o) Jerusal num 204. Adrichomius relates Now whereas we read of the Kings of Judah buried in the Garden of the Kings house that was a particular Royalty as among the Romans they permitted their chief and most noble Patriots or Generals to be buried in the forum or other place designed within the Walls As among the ancient people of God so neither among the wiser Heathens were Sepulchers permitted within their Cities much lesse in Temples Plutarch in the cloâ—e of the life of Aratus saies that there was among the Sicyonians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an antient Law against it P. 1922. Edit H. Steph. Tom. 3. And Petitus in his explication of the Athenian Laws saies (p) Tit. 8. Pag. 495. Semper extra urbis pomoeria that they alwayes interred without the limits of their Cities As for the Romans the ancient Decem virate in the Laws of the 12 Tables commented upon by (q) Cap. 3 Pag. 20. Kittershushius this is one Hominem mortuum in urbe ne sepelito neve urito Bury not neither burn a dead body in the City Whereof that commentator renders 3 reasons 1. That a publick place should not be tyed up by private Religâ—on For they did exercise some kind of Religious piety toward the places of their dead The Lares Larvae and Genii or Ghosts of the departed being esteemed sacred 2. That the sacred places of the City he not polluted which agrees properly to our purpose 3. Because the Air is vitiated by the exhalations from dead bodies In which point the Civillians would do well to consult and recite the opinions of learned Physitians To the same effect he mentions the Laws of several Emperours as (r) Henr. Salmuth in Panciroli de reb deperd Tit. 62. p. 339. Hadrian Antoninus pius in Jul. Capitolin Gratian Valentinian Theodosius who gave expresse charge especially the last and sent out Edicts against burying in Churches or Temples It seems also that the civil Law of the Romans had obtained among us here in Brittain in this matter and had continued for many ages till the dayes of Cuthbert the 11 Arch-bishop of Canterbury who obtained licence of the Pope of Rome to bury in Church-yards as (Å¿) De presul Angl. p. 65. Edit 1616. Bishop Godwin expresly mentions in these words Hujus Pontificis precibus indultum à Papâ ut in coemeteriis liceret mortuos sepelire in civitatibus sitis cum anteà mos esset cadavera extra pomoeria tumulanda deferre At the request of this Bishop the Pope did grant leave to bury the dead in Church-yards situate within Cities whereas before the manner was to carry them to burial into places without the Walls Nay it should seem that liberty was also given to bury in Churches themselves at the same time for this Arch-Bishop was (t) Antiq. Britan. p. 61. buried in his own Church who died as these 2 last cited Authours agree A. D. 758. So that this undecent custome it seems of inhumation in (u) Weavers funeral Monuments p. 8. Somner's Canterbury p. 232. Churches hath not bin in England but a little above 800 years and began almost in the depth of Popery Strange it is that a thing to the Jews of old so abhorrent and detested unknown to the Primitive Christians so strictly forbidden by the Civil Nations in their Laws should obtain among Christians in it self so unseemly to the living offensive to the dead unprofitable unlesse that we grant prayers for the dead to be availeable a piece of worship fit for such as decent as the act of burial It is somewhat inconsistent with them that place such holiness in Churches so to pollute them with graves for they are counted great pollutions in the Book of God But I crave pardon for insisting so long upon this Popish absurdity that is so riveted into mens minds by inveterate Custome that it 's almost out of view of cure For my part I think it a great mercy for persons deceased to have comely and decent interrement and according to their quality both lawful and commendable it is to have Monuments of their Vertues erected over them But why it may not be done in a place walled in for that purpose without the bounds of Cities as of old it was customary and is at this day at Newport and Yarmouth in the I le of Wight good presidents for us nay and be lesse subject to impaire let others Judge Sure we are The Temple of Solomon nor its Courts and Precincts knew any such matter but all its pavements were preserved in due Order and Method unviolable Hitherto have we traced the naked buildings of that glorious Temple of Solomon It is now high time to survey the Mysteries of the particular rarities set up in their due places within and without Which with the gracious permission of Gods holy Majesty begging the silver influences of mount Zion I shall proceed to lay down in the succeeding Section SECT III. The Mysteries of the several Ornaments and Utensils of the Temple IN the beginning of
Blessed are all they that put their trust in him CHAP. X. OF THE Temples Destruction 2 Chro. 36.12 Ver. 14. Jer. 5.31 WE are now arrived at the fatal and final period of that first and most Magnificent Temple which by reason of the manifold and hainous sins of the Kings and Nobles the Priests and Levites the lying false Prophets and the willingly seduced people of the Land of Judah was consumed with fire and utterly laid waste by Nebuzaradan the Captain of the King of Babylons Guard 2 King 25.8 Jer. 52.13 Joseph contr Apion l. 1. p. 144. Strabo Geog. l. 15 p. 687. Calvis Isag Chronol f. p. 79. Petao-Ration Tem. p. 2 l. 4. p. 234. edit Par. 1656. in the 19th year of the Reign of Nebuchadnezzar his Imperial Master This great and potent Emperour who employed his Captain in that dismal design is called Nabuchodonnosor by Josephus out of Berosus a Chaldean Writer by Strabo in the 15th Book of his Geography Navocodrosor by Ptolomy in that his most Golden Canon of the Assyrian Monarchs Nabocolassar according to a very correct Copy of it communicated by Dr. Overal sometime Dean of Pauls in London to Scultetus living at Heydelberg and since printed by Calvisius agreeing with another of the same kinde published by Petavius out of the Kings Library at Paris The same Canon for substance though different in some letters of the names and the years of their Reigns is presented to us by Eusebius in his Chronicle where this King is called Nabupolasar or Nabuchodonosor But to leave the variation of Authors in the several letters of his name I shall proceed to accommodate the time of the ruine of this once glorious Pile to the year of the worlds Creation wherein it hapned according to the best account yet extant Here because I am not willing at present to trouble any with that controversie I shall follow the calculation of the elaborate pen of the late famous Primate of Ireland Vsserii An. Lat. p 1. p. 131 in his Scripture-Annals accordingly as I have hitherto generally done all along this work First of all it is to be noted that the 19th year of Nebuchadnizzar was coincident with the 160th year current of the Nabonassaraean Aera for although his Father Napopollasar died in the 143 year of that Aera as appeares evident by Ptolomies forecited Canon and therefore the Sons 19th year must fall in with the 162 year of Nabonassar Dan. 1.1 Jer. 25.1.46.2 yet the Scripture doth expresly affirm in one place that the first year of Nebuchadnezzar was the third and in another that it was the fourth of Jehoiakims Reign that is the third ending or ended compleatly and in the beginning of the fourth At what time he went upon an expedition against Pharaoh Necoh at Carchemish by the River Euphrates which Josephus affirms out of Berosus Joseph p. 144 Peta dedoctr Temp. l. 9. c. 61. p. 143. to have been done by his Fathers direction being then alive Although I know the learned Petavius differs in his judgement Yet there seems to be truth in the Primates assertion if we compare the current and compleat years of the Kings of Judah diligently together with this present Assyrian Canon and the Eclypses which confirm it recited by Ptolomy in his Almagest which would take up much room and not tend much to my purpose at present to ampliate in it There are four Eclypses noted by Ptolomy to have been seen at Babylon before the date of the 160 year of this Aera yea before Nebuchadnezzar entred upon Dominion For the last of the four which was of the Moon fell out in the fifth year of Nabopollasar his Father and the 127 of the Aera Bulliald Astron Phil. l. 3. c. 7. p. 151. and all of them are found by calculation from our present Tables to correspond very near with the quantities of the eclypsed digits mentioned by Ptolomy Hence it is that Astronomers have esteemed this Epocha to be one of the firmest Basis of all Chronology Now then to apply the time of this sad Catastrophe and dissolution of the Temple to the Julian period For which purpose we must at present assume some things but yet such are now generally agreed on and demonstrated by able Authors 1. That the first year of the true time of our Lords Incarnation was co-incident with 4710 year of that happily-invented Julian Period and also with the 4000 year of the world 2. That the first of Nabonassars Aera did correspond with the 3967 year of the forementioned Period To which if we adde 159 compleat years of Nabonassar's for it was in the 160 current the Sum brings us to the 4126 year of the Julian Period in which the 19 year of Nebuchadnezzar deduced from his first beginning to reign while his Father was yet alive doth compleatly fall If further we shall substract 4126 from 4710. the year of the Julian Period at our Lords birth the residue will be 584 years before Christs true birth-time or 588 before the vulgar computation which is four years behinde the truth when the Temple was destroyed Lastly If we deduce those 584 years before Christ from 4000 the year of the world wherein Christ was born according to the best computations the residue points out 3416. for the year of the world wherein the Temple was burnt according to this calculation of the times In this deplorable year 2 King 25.8 on the seventh day of the fifth Moneth answering to August the 24 of the Julian year being Wednesday the Great Commander of the King of Babylons Army sets fire to the house of the Lord and the Kings Palace and to all the houses of Jerusalem so that every great mans house was burnt with fire which dismal and flaming consumption continued till it had fully devoured all those forementioned stately Palaces on the 10 day of the same fifth moneth answering to the 27 of August being Saturday Jer. 52.12 and the Jewish Sabboth when the City rested in its cinders for the sins of the Inhabitants who had so greatly polluted the Sabboths of the most High God After this they brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round about then they battered in pieces the two famous pillars of Brass the ten Bases with their lavers together with that admirable Brazen Sea all to shivers and carried away all the brass to Babylon with the Cauldrons Candlesticks Cups Snuffers Spoons Shovels Fire-pans Bowls and Basons and all the Vessels of Gold Silver and Brass great and small wherewith they ministred in the house of the Lord yea the treasures of the Temple and of the King and his Princes were conveyed to the Triumphal City So that now the Lamentations of Jeremy the weeping Prophet may well suit the subject of this Chapter seeing the once delicate Daughter of Zion now sits desolate upon the ground while her dear children Jer 6.2 hanging up their harps upon the willows by
so doth a Core because of equal capacity The quantity of the Bath we have endeavoured in the fith Chapter of this Treatise to find out according to the proportion of an Omer to seven Attick Coryla's laid down by Josephus whom we shall endeavour God lending life and opportunity to examine in another Tract as to Measures onely at present this supposition being granted for true and exact then doth the Bath and the Ephah its Symmetrical Vessel contain 52 pounds or pints and ½ or six Gallons one Pottle and ½ pint Now because of the hard Work in the Mountains we will allow these proportions to the men in Wine There being spent 616 Tun and 16 Gallons of Wine upon them and as much of Oyl and double as much of Wheat and Barley in a year we cannot in conscience allow less then a pint of Wine in a day for a poor Labouring-man to encourage him which being of the Red-wine of Palestine mixt with water would be a good refreshment So that there being 1241984 pints of Wine in Twenty Thousand Baths they will serve 3402 men fully throughout the Julian year of 365 days and somewhat more then a Tun of Wine over viz. 254 pints for the chief Officer But if you make enquiry by the quantity of Corn allowing a pound of Wheat and a pound of Barley to each man generally drinking Water but sometimes encouraged with Wine and Oyl which is more probable Then the number by this computation will prove to be ten times as many to wit 34022. A company not much above the number of Solomon's own servants which was thirty thousand as you heard before We read in Herodotus a choenix of corn allowed to each person in Xerxes his Army for a day in his Polymnia p. 446. Edit Steph. 1618. that is two pound and a quarter as learned Agricola rates it in his second Book de Mensuris Graecis p. 120. and Moses also allowed an Homer of Manna for each man in a day in the Wilderness that is above a pottle of that food a day Exod. 16.13 as you may see Cap. 14. Now although I read in †Bibl. Hist l. 2. Diodorus Siculus that Semiramis drew together two hundred Myriads or 20 hundred thousand men to build the famous City of Babylon a number almost 14 times as many as these Builders of Solomon both of his own and Hiram's Subjects put together which were but 217623 persons Yet we must consider She built a City of most vast extent and compass viz. of 365 stadia that is of 45 miles and â… of a mile according to the laxe and ordinary proportion of 8 stadia to a mile whereas this Temple was but about half a mile in circuit as we shall see hereafter Besides we must remember the vastness of the Walls and the 250 Towers upon them round about that City together with all the Buildings within it Moreover we find that City to have been finisht in a year whereas this was 7 years and a half before it came to its perfection all which time this number of men was employed That I may let pass Diodorus his report of her ambitious mind calling her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that she endeavoured to out-vye all her Predecessors To conclude I might suspect the Author's Relation as being of a thing far distant from his age and much relying upon Ctesias in that matter a Writer whom Aristotle himself in his History of Living Creatures lib. 2. cap. 17. gives the Lye in plain Greek without a Complement Whereas Solomon's builders are reckoned up in those sacred Pages which know not what a Lye means and far exceed the number of those that Chaeops imployed in building the portentuous Pyramid which was ten Myriads or one hundred thousand men by the testimony of Herodotus l. 2. To proceed the Timber fetcht out of the Mountains of Lebanon by these Labourers was brought by Sea in flotes 1 King 5.9 2 Chron. 2.16 Quaresm de terra Sancta l. 4. c. 1. 1 King 7.14 1 Chron. 2.14 4.11 to Joppa the Sea-port of Judea and thence to Jerusalem by Land which was about 40 miles of Italian measure distant from Joppa as one Author places it Moreover Hiram King of Tyre being moved thereto by King Solomon in a Letter sent to Jerusalem his own Name-sake one Hiram a rare Artificer skilful in all manner of curious Works as Casting Graving Polishing c. who accordingly made the two Brazen Pillars the Molten Sea the ten Lavers and the several Instruments of the House of God At last when all was finisht and compleated 1 King 9.11 12 13. King Solomon gave to King Hiram twenty Cities in the Land of Galilee as a Present But they pleased him not One Proemial Enquity more we shall crave leave to exhibite before we come to the main Design and that is the exact distance as far as may be deduced out of Authors of this famous City Jerusalem wherein the Temple was built from London the Metropolis of England That we may know whereabouts in the World our Discourse lies To this purpose it 's necessary first to know if possible the exact Position of Jerusalem under the Heavens Mr. Selden a man that hath made many useful Collections tells us out of a Rabbi De anno Civili cap. 13. Edit Bertii lib. 5. c. 16. that for Longitude Jerusalem lay in 66 gr and ½ from the first Meridian and for Latitude in 32 gr Ptolomy acquaints us that the Longitude was 66 gr and the Latitude 31 gr 40 minutes and moreover that London hath 20 gr 0 min. of Longitude and 54 gr 0 min. of Latitude But we shall rather follow more modern Observations and particularly that of Kepler in his Rudolphin Tables who sets Jerusalem in the Lat. of 32. 10. and London at 51. 32. and their difference in Longitude to be three hours and four minutes or rather as Longomontanus his Scholar at 3 hou 6 min. So that if London lye in 24 gr 20. from the first Meridian in the Azores then Jerusalem will lye in 70 gr and 50′ of Longitude from the same place  Long. Lat. London 24. 20. 51. 32. Jerusalem 70. 50. 32. 10. B D A E E C Whose complement is 39 gr 5 min. the exact distance of Jerusalem from London raised from this computation Now that we may convert these degrees and minutes into miles the Question will be how many miles on the Surface of the Earth answer to a degree in the Heavens The common though false Vote will give in an account of 60 miles of Italian measure to a degree Which some would seem to maintain and confirm by the dictate of the Learned Ptolomy in his Geography lib. 1. cap. 11. lib. 7. cap. 5. who sayes that one degree of such a Circle which contains 360 in its circumference does 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is take up five hundred Stadia or Furlongs upon the Periphery or
on some wall of that Chamber which he built possibly in the Temple A.M. 3277 Hezekiah the 13th King Glorious were the Atchievments of this holy King who no sooner stept into the royall Throne but he presently made a solemn visitation of the Temple in the first year of his reign and in the first Moneth of the sacred year 2 Chr. 29.3 He opens the doors of that late-polluted House shut up by his ungodly Predecessour and repaires them in a magnificent manner overlaying the doors and pillars with Gold 2 Kin. 18.16 Then having gathered the Priests and Levites into the East-street he makes an eloquent Oration to them filled with divine and perswasive Rhetorick and rouzes them up to the purification of the Temple from the idolatrous pollutions of Ahaz Which when they had finished in the space of sixteen daies they prepared and sanctified all the Vessels for divine use Whereupon they offered sacrifices of Atonement and Reconciliation for the sins of Ahaz in prophaning the Temple-Worship 2 Chr. 29.21 The Number of the burnt-Offerings brought by the Congregation were seventy Bullocks one hundred Rams and two hundred Lambs and the consecrating Offerings were six hundred Oxen and three thousand Sheep 2 Chr. 30.2 Numb 9.11 After which they solemnized the Passover on the fourteenth day of the second Month according to the Law of Moses in case of Impurity The Sacrifices of Peace-offerings which were then presented to God were two thousand Bullocks and seventeen thousand Sheep 2 Chr. 30.26 there being such joy at that time in Jerusalem as the like thereof had not been known since the daies of Solomon When this was finished all the People who had been present in the Temple went out and brake the Images in pieces cap. 31.1 cut down the Groves and tumbled down the high Places and Altars in all Judah and Israël and particularly destroyed the Brazen Serpent of Moses 2 Kin. 18.4 calling it Nehushtan a poor piece of Brass because the Israëlites had burnt Incense to it in an idolatrous manner Moreover he set in order the Courses of the Priests and gave forth a portion of his own Estate to maintain the constant and solemn Sacrifices of God's worship and commanded the People to bring in their First-fruits and Tithes to encourage the Priests in the Law of the Lord 2 Chr. 31.4 5 preparing Chambers in the House of God wherein to lay them up Thus did he work that which was right and good and truth before the Lord his God Ver. 20. The Lord was with him whithersoever he went Being encouraged by this his great prosperity he shoke off the yoke of the King of Assyria and smote the Philistins even to Gaza and the border thereof 2 Kin. 18.7 But after the establishment of the worship of God and his Kingdom Giving a true and an eminent pattern to all Princes to begin first with Temple-work and the Reformation of the Worship of God if ever they intend to set warm in their Thrones and settle the Scepter in their hands Which Method being usually mistaken by great pretenders to Reformation they generally lay the Basis of their own ruine in the Quagmire and Queachy ground of rotten policy Behold yet even after all this 2 Chr. 32.1 2 Kin. 18.13 15.16 he was invaded by Sennacherib the great King of Assyria in the fourteenth year of his Reign To pacify whose rage he sent him all the Treasures of Silver and the gold of the Pillars and Doores of the Temple But that haughty King being nothing satisfied whetted but his appetite for more Glory and Riches 2 Chr. 32.17 and sent railing Letters against the God of Zion Hereupon this holy King of Judah spread the Letters before the Lord in his Temple and 2 Kin. 19.14 15. which was better and more acceptable he spread his Hands and his Heart before the Lord in a most ardent and heavenly prayer Whence we may perceive that intended Mercyes are fetcht from Heaven in the Chariot of prayer and a holy Prophet is made the mouth of God to declare his gracious answer Ver. 20. honouring his Ministers with the divine messages of his Will Which was seconded that very Night by a direful stroke of vengeance on the Assyrian Camp cutting off all the mighty men of valour Ver. 35. 2 Chr. 32.31 with the Leaders and Captains of his Army to the number of 185000 men The King himself returning with shame was slain by the Children that came out of his own Bowels in the House of his god After this Hezekiah being sick and recovered with the attendance of a miraculous signe of the Sun's retrocession on the Dyall of Ahaz he rendred not again according to his mercies but being left by God to try him and to know all that was in his heart 2 Chr. 32.31 he shewed his stately Treasures to the Embassadours of Merodach-Baladan King of Babylon called by Ptolomy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that excellent Canon of his esteemed by Calvisius more precious then Gold for the concatenation of the sacred and civil Histories of those times But this good King humbled himself for the pride of his heart Ver. 16. shewing his godly sincerity in heart-reformation lying low before God for his being lifted up before the Legates of an earthly Prince After which reigning in peace and great prosperity the usual Concomitant of Integrity in God's worship he died in peace Ver. 33. and was buried in the chiefest of the Sepulchres of the Sons of David Manasseh the 14th King A.M. 3306 The ungodly Son of a holy Father puts on the orient Diadem and succeeds in the royall Seat of Judah 2 Kin. 23.1 builds up the high-places destroyed by Hezekiah rears up Altars for Baal and makes a Grove like Ahab King of Israël and worships all the Host of Heaven for whom he built Altars in both the Courts of the Lord's House 2 Ch. 33.6 7 2 Kin. 23.4 He caused his Children to pass through the fire in the Valley of Hinnâ—m and erected a carved Image of the Idol Baal which he had made in the Temple of God in a most prophane and presumptuous manner not hearkning to the menacing Messages sent by God At last the Majesty of Heaven bing deeply incensed sent against him the Captaines of the King of Assyria who tooke him among the thorns bound him with Fetters and carried him captive to Babylon In which affliction having greatly humbled himself before the Lord and deprecated the fierceness of his wrath by earnest supplication he was brought again to Jerusalem and to his Kingdome Where to demonstrate the sincerity of his Repentance he took away the strange Gods and that damnable Idol of Baal out of the House of the Lord and all the Altars which he had built in the holy Mountain and in Jerusalem and cast them out of the City Furthermore he proceeds to the reparation
of the brazen Altar of the true God and sacrificeth his Peace-and Thank-offerings thereon commanding Judah to serve the Lord God of Israël who having reigned fifty five years slept with his Fathers and was buried in his own House in the Garden of Uzzah 2 Kin. 21.18 A. M. 3361 Amon the 15th King At twenty two years of Age began Amon to reigne in Judah and walked in the wicked steps of the first years of his Father sacrificing to all the carved Images made by him 2 Kin. 21.21 2 Chr. 33.12 disgracing what in him lay the Temple-worship But following him not in Repentance and godly Sorrow For he trespassed yet more and more till he was slain by the conspiracy of his own Servants in his own house having reigned but two years only His life when young being preserved only as may seem for the sake of Iosiah in his Loines and his Dominion to that end that his godly Son might be fostered for a while who was after to succeed him God many times would thunder out his Iudgments against the Sons of Belial were it not for some of his elect that shall flow from them as far as we may with all humility and reverence give conjecture concerning the deeps of divine providence in his dispensations throughout the world A.M. 3363 Iosiah the 16th King Now enters at 8 years of Age into the Kingly Throne the holiest Reformer that ever wore the Crown of Judah The Greeness of his years set a verdant lustre upon his actions like a stately Emerald incircling his Temples For having attained but sixteen years of his life he began to seek after the God of his Father David and at twenty years old he becomes mighty in zeal for the House of his God 2 Chr. 34.3 the Groves he cut down the Altars of Baallm he brake in pieces the Images both carved and molten he stampt to dust and strowed the powder on the Sacrificers Graves he burnt the Bones of the idolatrous Priests upon their prophane Altars and knockt the Altars themselvs in pieces with Mattocks not only in Judah but in Ephraim and Manasseh also even to Naphthali round about In the eighteenth year of his Reign Ver. 7 8. when he had purged the land and returned to Ierusalem he commands some of his chief Officers to summe up the mony brought into the Temple 2 Kin. 23.3 4 5. c. 2 Chr. 35.3 causes Carpenters and Masons to be hired Timber and hewen Stone to be provided and places the Ark again in the most holy place which it seems was removed by Manasseh Meanwhile the Book of the Law being found by Hilkiah the Priest was brought to the King read by Shaphan wept over by Iosiah and a message by him sent to the Prophetess who answered him with a returne of peace because of the tender meltings of his Heart under the denunciation of judgment The Reparations of the House being finished and the Book being carried up into the Temple of the Lord the King himself read it in the ears of the Elders of Judah and all the People and standing by the royall Pillar in the wonted place entred into Covenant with God and caused them all to stand to it After this he commands the High-Priest and his inferior Ministers to bring forth out of the Temple all the Vessels of Baal of his Grove and the Host of Heaven to the Brook burning and stamping them to dust and laid the dust on the Graves of the Children of the People 2 Kin. â—3 7 He proceeds further to break down the Houses of the Sedomites neer the House of the Lord that is possibly of those who were the Officers of the shamefull and bestiall priapeian Ceremonies of Baalphegor not fit to be uttered For as common Idolatry is called Whoredome in Scripture so this abominable Idolatry is probably called by the name of Sodomy For the Text saies that Women did in those Houses weave Hangings for that Grove viz. of Baal that was cast out of the House of God being probably an artificiall imitation of the Idol-Temple of Baal Ver. 6. with a Grove of Trees about it in some solid mettal or stone placed within those sacred Walls He defiles also all the High-places where the Priests had burnt Incense from Gebah to Beersheba together with Tophet in the Valley of Hinnom where the Children were fried in that hellish fire to Mâ—lech Whence it is Chietomaei Graecobarb N. T. p. 54. 2 Kin. 23.11 that the new Testament assumes the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shadow forth the intolerable Torments of the bottomless lake of God's aeternal Judgment He took away the Horses of the Sun also and burnt their Chariots with fire which were dedicated by the Princes of Judah to the Prince amongst the Stars of Heaven which had been placed at the entring into the House of God The Altars likewise on the top of the Upper Chamber of Ahaz were dasht in pieces and those of Manasseh in both the Courts of the House were broken down and their dust cast into Kidron The High-places of Solomon together with their Altars and Groves built for Ashtoreth Chemosh and Milcom on the side of Mount Olivet Ver. 13. were utterly ruined and overthrown and their places defiled being filled with the Bones of men Neither did he forget the Altar and High-place at Bethel erected by Jeroboam that great sinner of Israël The Bones also taken out of the Sepulchres in that Mount whereon Bethel was built he burnt on those Altars and polluted their imagined sanctity Thus he did in the other Cities of Samaria slaying the Priests and burning their bones upon their Altars and returned to Jerusalem 2 Kin. 23.23 2 Ch. 34. c. At last he celebrates the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first Month in this eighteenth year of his Reign in most solemn and magnificent manner the like having not been performed since Samuel and the daies of the Judges nor in the time of any of the Kings of Judah or Israël To which purpose the King bestowed on the people thirty thousand Lambs and Kids and three thou and Bullocks out of his own substance the Princes also bestowed 2600 small Cattell and three hundred Oxen. The whole number of Sacrifices being 35900 for the service of the Temple Which was so punctually and strictly managed according to the Law of Moses that like him there was no King before him nor after him rose any King like him 2 Kin. 23.25 that turned to the Lord with all his Hâ—art with all his Soul and with all his Might Yet nothwithstanding after all this saith the holy Spirit the Lord turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath kindled against Judah for the high provocations of Manasseh and his other Predecessours But Josiah was in this point happy that he saw not the ruine of his Kingdome but died in peace according to the Prophecy of Huldah of
ΙΕΡΟΠΣΟΛΟΜΩÎΙΟΣ THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON Pourtrayed by Scripture Light 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act 7 47 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb 10.1 Lord I have loved the habitation of thine house and the place where thine honour dwelleth ps 26.8 London Printed by Io Streater Whither the Tribes goe up the Tribes of the Lord unto the testimony of Israel Psalm 122.4 PATMOS I saw the holy City the new Ierusalem coÌ„ming downe from God out of heaven SOLOMON ZADOK ORBIS MIRACULUM OR THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON POURTRAYED BY Scripture-Light WHEREIN All its famous Buildings the pompous Worship of the Jewes with its attending Rites and Ceremonies the several Officers employed in that Work with their ample Revenues and the Spiritual Mysteries of the Gospel vailed under all are treated of at large Psal 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the dayes of my life To behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple Psal 43.3 O send out thy Light and thy Truth Let them lead me let them bring me to thy Holy Hill and to thy Tabernacles Psal 84.1.2 How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts my Soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord My heart and my flesh cryeth out for the Living-God LONDON Printed by John Streater for George Sawbridge at the Signe of the Bible on Ludgate-hill MDCLIX In this vacant side be pleased to take a view of the whole work in this following Scheme The History of the Temple of Solomon in 10 Chapters containeth the Proem treating concerning the preparations of Chap. 1. David p. 3. Solomon pag. 6. Dimensions Chap. 2. of the Foundation p. 19. Porch p. 21. Sanctuary p. 22. Oracle p. 25. Side-Chambers p. 29. Buildings about the Covered Temple wherein of the Chap. 3. quantities of the outward Court p. 45. Priests Court p. 48. Gates p. 51. Porches p. 55. Vessels Utensils and Ornaments Chap. 4. In the Oracle as the Cherubims and Palm-Trees on the Walls p. 58. Ark of the Covenant p. 59. Cherubims on and by the Ark. p. 60. Golden mercy-Sear p. 60. In the Sanctuary the Incense-Altar p. 62. Table of Shew-bread p. 65. Golden Candlestick p. 66. Porch the two Brazen Pillars p. 68. Priests Altar of Brasse p. 70. Court the Brazen Sea p. 73. Lavers 10. p. 77. The High Priests Vestments p. 87. Worship and service whereof in the Chap. 5. Officers High-Priest p. 91. Priests p. 92. Levites Singers p. 95. Porters p. 101. Judges p. 105. Nethinims p. 107. Things offered The Quantities and measures p. 109 Festivall times p. 111. Number of Sacrifices p. 112. Various Sacrifices as the Burnt offerings p. 114. Sin-offerings p. 116. Trespass-Offerings p. 118. Peace-Offerings p. 121. Meat-Offerings p. 122. Drink-Offerings p. 126. Revenues and Endowments arising from the Chap. 6. Land and Cities assigned p. 129. Offerings and Gifts p. 133. Dedication Chap. 7. p. 136. Duration Chap. 8. under Priests p. 145. Kings p. 152. Sacred Mysteries Chap. 9. relating to the Covered Temple p. 206. Courts p. 238. Utensils p. 247. Officers p. 285. Services p. 320. Endowments p. 354. Destruction Chap. 10. pag. 364. A Catalogue of the several Views cut in Copper 1. A general Draught of the Temple with its encompassing-Buildings Pag. 14 2. The covered Temple by itself Pag. 20 3. Ground-plot Pag. 34 4. Cherubims and Palm-Trees Pag. 58 5. Ark of the Covenant Pag. 59 6. Altar of Incense Pag. 62 7. Table of Shew-bread Pag. 65 8. Golden Candlesticks Pag. 66 9. Two Brazen Pillars Pag. 68 10. Altar of Brasse Pag. 70 11. Sea of Brasse Pag. 73 12. Brazen Laver. Pag. 78 13. High-Priest in his gorgeous Attire Pag. 87 Of the Temple built by King Solomon at Jerusalem THe glorious Fabrick of Solomon's Temple at Jerusalem was the first House in the whole World that was ever dedicated to the Honour and Service of the Sacred Majesty of the true and Living GOD which for stately Magnificence and the Antiquity of its foundation doth most justly challenge praecedency to all Buildings set apart for publick Worship in any Nation under the Sun For the delineation of this ancient and pompous Structure once beautifying the Land of Canaan that I may proceed in some clear method Let me lay the Scene of the ensuing Discourse in this following frame First of all I shall contrive the Porch or Proem of the Tract exposing to view the grand and famous preparations for the Building which being absolved in the first Chapter I shall then descend to the main body of the work in nine succeeding Chapters wherein may be treated P 20 1. In the 2d place concerning its Dimensions and Figure P 15. 3. The Courts and Buildings round about it P 35. 4. The Ornaments and Utensils P 57. 5. The Services and constant Worship therein managed P 91. 6. The Endowments and Revenues P 128. 7. The Solemn Dedication P 130. 8. The Continuance and Duration P 140. 9. The mystical Significations P 166. 10ly and lastly It s fatall Period and Dissolution Of all which when I shall by Divine permission have finished my Discourse in this its designed order a period shall be fixed to this Treatise P 364. To the Reverend and Learned The Warden Fellows and Students of Wadham Colledge in the Famous and Flourishing Vniversity of Oxford Reverend and Learned IT was not long since my happiness and honour through the gracious Providence of God to enjoy a Fellowship for several years in that your goodly Seminary of all polite Literature wherein I hope several hearts are under Divine hewing and squaring for the service of God in his Temple During my continuance there I received many favours from you in those Academical preferments which I then enjoyed Your great love therein I cannot but gratefully acknowledge and constantly bear in minde having been greatly animated and encouraged to the discharge of those Employments by your aid and assistance Since that time it hath pleased the All-wise Majesty of heaven to place me as a Labourer though most unworthy in his Vineyard Most stately and magnificent is the Fabrick of God's house therein scituate yeilding admirable delight to such whom Free-Grace is vouchsafed to give spiritual eyes to discern it far surpassing the splendour of its ancient Type The Temple of Solomon which was once the wonder of the world Some spare hours from my constantly returning services I have through mercy enjoyed wherein to take some solitary turns among the beds of Spices and there to refresh my thoughts with the view of the corresponding Parallels After several retirements having taken some small survey thereof I conceived it my duty which I owe to your Foundation to present the first Essay of this my impolished draught thereof to your view earnestly craving of you to undertake the Patronage of your Incumbent in this work I confess I should have accosted you in the language of
indeed yet David modestly and humbly acknowledges all that he gave 1 Chron. 22.14 to be but of his poverty which we must understand as reflecting upon his many troubles and warres much wasting his Treasury But he adds a very divine passage 1 Chron. 29.14 saying It was all of Gods own and rejoyces that he and his people had hearts to offer so willingly After all this David being forbidden to build yet went as far as he durst having set Masons to work in hewing of stones and provided cunning Gravers 1 Chron. 22.2 and men skilful in Works both of Metal and Embroidery the like whereof Solomon desires the King of Tyre to send him All which being done 2 Chron. 2.7 David falls asleep in the Arms of the great Shepheard of Israel and leaves the management and perfecting of all to his Son In the last place we come to Solomon furnished with so vast a purse the nerve of Peace as well as War to empty upon so glorious a Work as the building of an Habitation for the God of Israel and yet notwithstanding let us see what stately preparations he made Stately indeed if some say true 2 Chron. 5.1 that he used not one mite of his Fathers Treasures that were thus dedicated to God Because it is written say they That he brought all which his Father had dedicated into Gods Treasury as a Reserve for extraordinary Emergencies and Reparations But if these Suggesters had remembred the fore-going Story which tells us that such gold and such silver of David's gifts were laid out by weight upon such and such Ornaments and Utensils 1 Chron. 28. they would never have troubled their Readers with such a needless help to the advancement of Solomon's magnificence appearing splendid enough and according to the rate of his vast and Royal Revenues which if Villalpandus hit right in his comparing and casting it up far exceeded the Annual Incomes of the richest of the Roman Emperors But as to this King in the first place for Gold we find him supplyed by Hiram with sixscore Talents of that metal 1 King 9.11 14. amounting according to former proportions to 522000 li. of our money which some may conceive to have been employed in the Temple though it doth not clearly so appear but that it was a help to him in the building of all his stately Structures Ver. 15. both Sacred and Civil To which purpose he had besides laid a great Tax upon his own people In the next place we read of his providing stones of several sorts and sizes 1 King 5.17 under the name of great stones costly stones and hewed stones which you may lay together if you please as great costly hewn stones for the Foundation of the house of God As to Timber we read of three sorts onely 1 King 5.8 10. Cedars and Firre in one place and of Almug-trees in another some whereof were brought in ships from Ophir to make Pillars in the Temple as we translate it But concerning the use thereof we shall find a more full discussion in the 2d Chapter where we speak of the Westgate Shallecheth in the Outward Court and of Solomon's stately ascent to the house of the Lord which was beautified and strengthened with Pillars or Rails of Almug-trees Some whereof he used for the Harps and Psalteries of the Singers The like of these Trees from Ophir were never seen before nor since in the City Jerusalem Some quantity of these kind of Trees he received out of the Forest of Lebanon 2 Chron. 2.8 C. 2. v. 7 14. Other things he provided as Purple and Crimson and Blue and fine Linnen together with cunning Artificers to weave them for the Vailes of the Temple and Vestments of the Priests All these materials being thus prepared to his hands this mighty King undergoes the charge of all the Workmanship and gathers a magnificent Army of skilful and industrious persons to manage the business 183601. 1 King 5.15 80000. 70000. 3300. v. 16. 2 Chron 2.2 17 18. 3600. which arose to a sum of an hundred eighty three thousand and six hundred men and one Fourscore thousand whereof were hewers in the Mountains Threescore and ten thousand were bearers of burdens and three thousand three hundred Officers as 't is related in the Books of Kings but there were three thousand six hundred as we read in Chronicles To solve it Possibly three hundred at a second Review might be added to the number of Officers for the greater care of the business 2 Chron. 8.10 There being fifty Head-Officers and at first but two hundred and fifty Officers next inferiour to them among three thousand three hundred and after review there were three hundred added more so that then there were fifty supream-Officers 1 King 9.23 five hundred and fifty of the next rate and employment and three thousand under-Officers which makes the full sum of three thousand six hundred All which with their Workmen were but strangers in Israel not Natives 1 King 9.21 2 Chron. 2.17 or rather strangers in bloud though neighbors in habitation being remnants of the Canaanites not yet destroyed their number being in full 153600. Besides these he employed thirty thousand men of Israel to work in Lebanon by courses ten thousand in every moneth 1 King 5.13 and each third number rested two moneths at home over whom the King placed Adoniram as chief Officer which being joyned to the former number of strangers makes up the whole sum at first mentioned even 183601. Moreover we read of a vast number of men sent to him from his Father-in-Law Vafres the King of Aegypt so sayes Eupolemus in Eusebius who recites also a like vast number of the Tyrians Scripture mentions nothing of the former But as to the latter that King Hiram 1 King 5.6 2 Chron. 2.8 upon Solomon's Request did assist him with the help of his Subjects is clear though not to the number Which surely was considerable if we poll the men by their bellies and if all the specified quantity of Provision was dispensed onely to these Workmen which seems to be so in one place which sayes 2 Chron. 2 10. That these measures were allowed for the Hewers viz. Twenty Thousand Measures of Wheat and as much of Barley Twenty Thousand Baths of Wine and as much of Oyl Although another place tells us it was allowed as an Annual Pension for King Hiram's Houshold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for his House which may be admitted by a metonymy to signifie these his servants 1 King 5.11 as by the parallel place it seems to be so interpreted Now though the King might take a taste possibly yet certainly the quantities in general were imployed to the Work-mens content The word here for Measures is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Corim now a Core is equal to a Homer and usually as a Homer contains ten Ephahs in dry Ezek. 45.11 ver 14.
principal part whereof was Geometry Act. 7.22 they being necessitated every year after the overflowing of Nilus to measure the Limits and Bounds of most mens Land a-new as Herodotus in the Life of Sesostris in his Euterpe together with Diodorus Siculus in his first Book and 81 Section according to some Copies do both attest That possibly Moses and his People might use the Aegyptian Measures which if true though we have no word in Scripture for it then I will recommend to the Readers consideration a notable Memorandum of the Aegyptian Cubits out of Herodotus holding it not convenient to spin out any more time on this Subject The place is in Euterpe Herodotus or of his History lib. 2. In English thus A Pace is six Foot or four Cubits A Foot is four Palms A Cubit sixe Palmes If you say it is Samian measure generally used by that Author I answer with his own words in the same Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Aegyptian Cubit is equal to that of Samos To conclude what ever the Cubit were either of Moses or Solomon the Dimensions of the Temple being described not by yards or feet but under the name of Cubits the judicious Reader may imagine its length according to his own most exact conception and so conceive the House as large and magnificent as he please sobeit he be careful that the Battering-Ram of his fancy do not cast the Walls Gates and Porches and the poor Levites in their Watches into the Valleys of the Moriah-Mountain For the whole Hill with the Temple and Antonian-Buildings included did not contain much more then about six stadia in compass as Josephus hath left upon Record De Bell. Judaic lib. 6. cap. 6. What a stadium in Josephus is you may see in the third Chapter of this Treatise Since we have then a little cleared off our hands this tough and knotty rubbish of a Cubit so much as to our present Design let 's begin to lay the Foundations of the Temple and so proceed forward to the Top-stone of that admirable Fabrick The Foundation THE Foundations of this Royal-Building were laid with great costly hewen stones Of what depth Scripture is silent Foundation 1 King 5.17 De re rust l. 1. Tit. 8. But if Palladius be a good Architect they should be in depth a fifth or sixth part of the height when the place is solid This being on a Rocky Hill as Josephus writes we may allow for the Porch of one hundred and twenty Cubits high the depth of Twenty Cubits and for the whole House being Thirty high five Cubits depth for the Foundations and on each side half a cubit broader then the Walls of the House The full thickness of the Walls are not deducible out of Scripture Walls 1 King 6.6 Onely thus much we may clearly evince that they were four cubits thick at least just by the ground For we read of three Cubits abated in the thickness of the Walls for the Beames of the side-chambers to lye upon On which account we do allow but one Cubit for the thickness of the Temple-wall from above the Roof of the third and highest Story of the Chambers to the Roof or Top of the Temple it self But if we allow 6 at the Bottome there will remain three at the Top which is the least we can allow considering the height together with its magnificence and designed duration If six at Top as usually most do grant then there will be found nine at Bottome or 10 as the learned Ribera would have it I know some would squeeze six Cubits out of Ezekiel's Visionary Temple for the thickness of its Walls but we shall go in the middle proportion and in our Figure adde to the internal capacity the thickness of six Cubits for the Walls till some Rabbinical Architect shall conjure up the Ghosts of Solomon's Builders to decide the Controversie The Figure of the Covered Temple 1. The Tower of the Porch 2. The Porch 3. The Holy place 4. The Oracle 5. The windowes of the holy place 6. The side Chambers Of the Porch BEfore I enter upon the Proportions of this Building Situation its necessary we should remember the Temple-Student what point of Heaven the Porch and its stately Entrance did face For which purpose let 's consider that Ezekiel in his Captivity-Vision being brought into the Inner-Court of the Lords House saw 25 men between the Porch and the Altar with their backs toward the Temple of the Lord and their faces towards the East Ezek. 8.16 worshipping the Sun toward the East Whereby is tacitely implyed that the Body of his Visionary-Temple or the Covered House the Pattern in many things of Zorobabels Structure was Westward of the Brazen-Altar If this be not enough observe out of another place that the Gate of the outward Sanctuary that is the Holy-place of fourty Cubits long Ezek. 44.1 as I shall shew by and by which looketh toward the East was shut Yet once more when he was brought to the door of the same House again we read That he saw Waters issuing from under the Threshold of the House Eastward For the Fore-front of the House stood toward the East Ezek. 47.1 I hope this is a sufficient Testimony being treble-twisted to draw any sober mans consent to us seeing that the situation of the second Temple according to the concurrent judgment both of Jews and Christians did imitate the former of Solomon's So that now none need fly to any Idiotismes or Proprieties of the Hebrew Language for a Sanctuary to shelter the true situation of the Temple as some have done The beautiful face of the Porch we will then begin to erect towards the East-quarter of Heaven 1 King 6.3 Length Breadth 2 Chron. 2.4 Height Dr. Lightf Templ p. 89. whose inward Capacity shall be contained within a Line of Twenty Cubits length from North to South for its length ran parallel to the breadth of the House and a Line of Ten Cubits for its breadth from East to West The height of the whole Porch was very stately and pompous viz. One hundred and Twenty Cubits Not that it was all empty and void to the Top but probably had Chambers and Winding-stairs ascending up to the Roof But that the lowest Concameration of the Porch was more then 22 Cubits and ½ in height may be evident by the height of the Pillars of Brass whereof we shall speak anon Probably the height of its lowest Room within might be equal to the rest of the House viz. Thirty Cubits As for the Battlements on the Top of the Porch Battlements we may conceive them to be much of the same proportion with those of the Walls of the City fore-described that is the height in the open spaces was two Cubits and the Propugnacles three Cubits or thereabouts or rather stately Rails of Stone besides the more curious Ornaments of Pinacles From the Top of this Porch I
sweating under the rigour of the Law the cunning of perverse Pleaders the corruption of Juries and Judges in any of the other Courts But hitherto let it suffice to have spoken of all the sacred Officers which were genuinely extracted from the Root of Levi. A word of the Nethinims and we shall end Of the Nethinims THese were the most inferiour persons that were conversant in any Temple-Work being of the Race of the Idolatrous Canaanites and were the first-fruits of any whole Cities or Societies of men that were proselyted unto God presaging of old the future admission of the whole Harvest of the Gentiles within the Pale of the Church The Story is sufficiently known how the people of Gibeon Chephirah Beeroth and Kiriath-Jearim by a wily collusion imposed upon Joshuah Josh 9.17 and the Princes of Israel whereby they obtained an exemption of their persons from the common calamity of Canaan But upon discovery of their craft they were solemnly adjudged unto Bondage yet such as was very honouâ—able if any servitude may be so styled in that they were appointed for servants to the House of God under the Priests and Levites Ver. 23. and so might esteem it some accession of excellency to be placed rather in the Van of Bond-men then in the Rear and to be made the Lags of Free-men What ever estimation they put upon it certain it is such sacred service was a great mercy to them who having their lives spared because of the Oaths of the Princes might have been banished but were now received unto the Knowledge Service of the true God and like to be set in the true path of Eternal Salvation so that whereas others are said to take the Kingdom of Heaven by violence in another sense Math. 11.12 here the Gibeonites may be said to have taken it by craft and out-witted themselves into true happiness The work which they were appointed to by Joshuah was hewing of Wood and drawing of Water for the Sanctuary and for the Congregation that is for the service of the Congregation in their Sacrifices and for the Altar of the Lord. Our Translation reads it thus Josh 9.23 Ver. 21 27. Ver. 27. that Joshuah made them such that day But in the Hebrew the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dedit eos and he gave them from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nathan to give or deliver over Whence it is that they were styled the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nethinims or the persons given and delivered over for such a service and therefore the Text says they were cursed that is dedicated to God as the first-fruit of the slaves of Canaan Ver. 23. Even as the City Jericho Josh 6.19 7.1 with all the goods was cursed as being the first-fruit of Cities taken in the Land therefore was all the Treasure of it consecrated to the Lord and Achan herein sinned by medling with the accursed or dedicated spoils every person being cursed and condemned that durst touch any Dedications to diminish from or take them away But as to these Nethinims which we have in hand that were thus accursed and dedicated to the Sanctuary the sons of Saul found is by sad experience to be a dangerous point to meddle with consecrated persons as well as things Concerning whose Name 2 Sam. 21.9 the Paronomasia is more clear and evident in the Book of Ezra where the Holy Pen-man creating of these persons in the Register of the Returns from Babylon hath these words in the Hebrew Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And of the Nethinims Ezra 8.20 Shenathan David which David gave or as we read in our English Version had appointed for the service of the Levites that is whom David had de novo constituted in their several set-courses as He had done all the Officers of the Temple in their several Stations a little before his death not that now they were at this time first employed in these Services but had been ever since the days of Josuah conversant in that labour but were now methodized for Temple-service according to the Incense of their Generations since the days of their Primitive Admission to be the Ministers or Servants of God in the lowest Works of the Sanctuary Ezra 7.24 The Habitation of these Nethinims or Gibeonites was in Ophel when the Temple was built Neh. 3.26 11.21 that is either in the Tower it self as some conceive or else in houses near to that Tower or the Wall so called of Ophel in a capacious place or street possibly running near the Wall and adjacent to the Tower of Ophel On which stately Building there was much expended by King Jotham and it was afterward magnificently raised to a very great height by King Manasseh 2 Chron. 27.3 2 Chron. 33.14 Now the reason why they lodged in or near Ophel was because of its proximity or nearness to the East-Gate of the Temple the ordinary stately entrance into that sacred place For they being not of the Tribe of Levi might not lodge within the Courts of the Temple But those that were in course to attend upon the Wood and Water for the Sacrifices and other sacred uses lodged close by till their Week was finisht and then probably they went out to their Cities and Villages abroad in the Countrey as the Priests and the Levites did For we have express mention of Cities abroad wherein these Nethinims as well as the other Officers of the Temple dwelt Ezra 2.70 But so much let it suffice to have spoken concerning the sacred Officers attendant upon Divine Worship in the House of God at Jerusalem SECT II. The second Paragraph of this Chapter according to the Division of it in the beginning shall contain the several Seasons Quantities Numbers and Measures of things sacrificed unto God under the Jewish Paedagogie IN the first place let 's remember that the Divisions of this Section ratione temporum will out of Scripture produce some short Discourse about 1 The Daily Service 2 The Weekly 3 The Monethly And fourthly the Annual Festivities which were to be punctually observed and solemnly performed in their due time and method according to the Divine Injunctions in this Holy Place Here before I proceed it 's somewhat requisite that I briefly speak a little to the dry and liquid Measures of the Hebrews so far and of so many onely as we shall use in this Discourse of the Sacrifices As to dry Measures there are three onely that we shall use The Omer Ephah and Homer Concerning which we find in Scripture Exod. 16.36 Ezek. 45.11 Antiq. l. 3. c. 7. that ten Omers make an Ephah and ten Ephahs produce an Homer By a tenth deal of Flour so often mentioned in the Levitical Sacrifices we understand an Omer which in the Hebrew Text of Leviticus is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is retained by Josephus who calls this Quantity and Measure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and
fourth part of a Hin There are three Seasons distinctly mentioned wherein Drink-offerings are by name enjoyned though we must be sure that they were constantly poured out according to the Law with all the Offerings fore-spoken of But the particular times are these Numb 6.15 17. Lev. 23.13 First At the limited period of the Nazarites Vow he was commanded to bring his Drink-offerings together with the rest Secondly At the offering up or dedicating of the Sheaf of First-Fruits the Drink-offering then to be presented was the fourth part of a Hin of Wine Ver. 18. Thirdly In the Feast of First-Fruits the Drink-offerings are distinctly mentioned and appointed for the 7 Lambs one Bullock and two Rams that were slain in that Festival The manner of this Offering was to pour out the quantity of Wine allotted even as the Blood of the Sacrifice beside the Altar Thus much shall suffice at present for the brief History or Relation of the Temple-Sacrifices wherein I have endeavoured as much as may be to keep to the Letter of the Scripture What is found defective in this Account may be supplyed out of the ample Treasury of Dr. Lightfoot's Rabbinical yea and all kind of Oriental Literature As for all particularities of the Annual Festivities and the other Solemnities be pleased to consult his learned and excellent Treatise of the Temple-Service where you may receive abundant satisfaction while We endeavour to find out what Salary and Reward the Great God appointed to His Priests for their great and constant pains in Temple-Service which We shall lay down briefly in the next Chapter CHAP. VI. Of the Revenues and Endowments assigned to the Temple and its Officers THE first Work we have to do in this Chapter is to provide Houses over their heads and to give in a Catalogue of the Cities which came to the Children of Levi by Lot when Joshua divided the Land of Canaan which Countrey is estimated by Sir Henry Spelman in his larger Work of Tythes pag. 3. according to the Description of it by Jerom not to have been equal to the Principality of Wales with the Marches yet it did yield for inhabitation to that Tribe of Levi 48 Walled Cities more then are as he says there in all England Which though possibly most of them might not have been so large as many of our Cities and great Towns yet surely were well strengthned according to the Fortification of those days seeing they are styled Castles in the Book of Chronicles 1 Chron. 7.54 which we shall dispose in their Scriptural Order First for the Priests their Cities were nearest to the City of Jerusalem and lay for the most part in the Kingly Tribe of Judah Josh 21 13-16 c. In Judah they had Hebron a Royal City and a City of Refuge with its Suburbs but the Fields and Villages were disposed of to Caleb a happy man that could live under the droppings of the Sanctuary all his dayes Surely his Fields were fat that were washt with Rain from the Hills of Hebron 2. Libnah and then Jattir Eshtemoa Holon or Hilen 1 Chron. 6.58 Debir Juttah and Bethshemesh Josh 21.16 19.7 In Simeon the Priests had Ain or Ashan 1 Chron. 6.59 In Benjamin they had Gibeon Gebah Anathoth and Almon or Alemeth 1 Chron. 6.60 So that the Priests had 13 goodly Cities with their Suburbs Josh 21.19 The Levites that were of Kohath had these Cities Josh 21.21 c. Josh 21.25 In Ephraim 1 Schechem a City of Refuge then Gezer 3 Kibzaim possibly the same with Jokneam 1 Chron. 7.68 and Bethoron In Dan they had Eltekeh Gibbethon Aijalon and Gathrimmon In the half Tribe of Manasseh on this side or West of Jordan they had Tanach called Abner 1 Chron. 6.70 and Gathrimmon possibly the same with Bileam Ver. 26. 1 Chron. 7.70 In all they had ten Cities with their Suburbs The Levites that were of Gershom had these Cities In the half Tribe of Manasseh beyond or East of Jordan they had Josh 21.27 c. 1. Golan in Bashan a City of Refuge 2. Beshterah called Ashteroth 1 Chron. 6.71 In the Tribe of Issachar they had Kishon or Kedesh 1 Chron. 7.72 Dabareh or Dabarath 1 Chron. 6.72 then they had Jarmuth or Ramoth 1 Chron. 6.73 And lastly Engaunim called Anem 1 Chron. 6.73 In Asher they had Mishal or Mashel 1 Chron. 7.74 Abdon Helkath Josh 21.30 c. Ver. 32. or Hukok 1 Chron. 6.75 and Rehob In Naphthali they had Kedesh in Galilee a City of Refuge Hamoth-dor or Hammon 1 Chron. 6.76 and Kartan called also Kiriathaim 1 Chron. 6.76 These all belonged to the Gershomites even 13 Cities with their Suburbs The Levites that descended from Merari had these Cities In Zebulun they had Jokneam and Kartah and Dimnah Ver. 34. otherwise called Rimmon 1 Chron. 6.77 And lastly Nahalal supposed to be the same with Tabor 1 Chron. 6.77 In Reuben they had Bezer a City of Refuge Ver. 36. the same is said to be in the Wilderness on the Plain Josh 20.8 then Jahazah called Jahzah 1 Chron. 6.78 and Kedemoth and Mephaath In Gad they had Ramoth in Gilead a City of Refuge Mahanaim Heshbon Ver. 38. and Jazer These are the Cities belonging to the Merarites even 12 Cities with their Suburbs Thus we see the Priests had 13 Cities in the Tribes of Judah Simeon and Benjamin Secondly The Levites of Kohath had ten Cities in Ephraim Dan and Manasseh Thirdly The Gershonites had 13 Cities in Manasseh Issachar Asher and Naphtali Fourthly The Merarites had 12 Cities in Zebulun Reuben and Gad Josh 12. that is 48 Cities in all Whereof nine were Kingly Cities of the Canaanites and probably according to those times were bravely built and fortified viz. Hebron Jarmuth Gezer Debir Libnah Taanach Kedesh Jokneam and Dor or Hamath-Dor Six were Cities of Refuge viz. Hebron Shechem Golan Kedesh Bezer and Ramoth-Gilead and the rest no doubt were very famous among the thousands of Israel These 48 Cities had Suburbs assigned to them for their Cattel and their Goods and all their Beasts Here I shall not pass over in silence the Conjecture of Sir H. Spelman in his larger Tract about Tythes Chap. 3. apprehending by the somewhat differing names of the Levitical Cities mentioned in Chronicles that they had 68 Cities in all before their transmigration into Babylon according to the increase of their Generations But hereunto I shall onely object the Opinion of another Judicious and Learned Knight Sir Walter Raleigh who by his citation of Junius to that purpose seems to conceive otherwise that they were but the same Cities for the most part onely having different names or else in succeeding times somewhat varying from their ancient denomination in the time of Joshua unless as to Ain and Ashan in the Tribe of Simeon which are mentioned as two distinct Cities Josh 19.7 1 Chron. 4.32 Thus I have done with the first Enquiry
together with the Temple had four times as much as the Wealthiest and fattest Tribe in the Land of Promise which must be needs above the third part of the Income of the whole Countrey Nay in Ezekiel's Visionary Land of Canaan the sacred Portion seems to be the third part of the Land For if we observe the whole House of Israel was to have been but five thousand Reeds broad and twenty five thousand long Ezek. 45.6 which cannot be understood of the City which was to be but square four thousand five hundred c. 48.30 And being compared with the Portion of the Priests and Levites considering also what fell to the Prince it is conceived by some that the third part of the Land was theirs shewing the ample Provision which God determined made for the Gospel-days From all this Discourse will clearly follow an inference of great shame to many Christian Nations of Europe who allow more ample maintenance to very mean and inferiour Officers in the State Civil and Military then to the very Captains in the Spiritual Army who for want of due supplies are generally constrained to their grief to walk Antipodes and contrary to their own Doctrine of Hospitality many times after their own departure exposing their nearest Relations to stand in need of others Hospitality to the great dishonour of God and true Religion Nay such Countries many times compel the Stewards of God's lively Oracles to serve Tables and the Dispensers of the Mysteries of Faith not being able to provide like men for their own Housholds even practically to deny the Faith unwillingly to prove worse then Infidels 1 Tim. 5.8 Whereas it is but equal by the Law of Nature that the Embassadors of most joyful Tydings such as is the Gospel and the New Covenant of Grace should have the most plentifull Rewards when as the Legal Messengers brought News of a fiery Law and a Yoke of costly and insupportable Ceremonies Besides their Work generally contained outward and bodily labour which whets the Appetite and strengthens the Digestive Faculty whilest the New Testament Service being of a more sublime Orb is greatly exhaustive of the Vital Spirits which calls for greater and more costly Supplies for their refection and sustentation Let us in fine remember and beware lest St. Peter's Keyes for want of Oyl should contract an unseemly rustiness and the beautiful Lamps of the Sanctuary without a supply of the Juyce of the Olive should go out in obscurity or at least burn exceeding dimly A sordid maintenance for certain will produce a rusty and sordid Ministry A Jeroboam's Priesthood of the lowest of the People may well carry Wisps of Hay to feed Calves at Dan and Bethel A thing to be trembled at in Gospel-days that the Arch-Enemies of the Truth should have their Designs so deeply fomented But however seeing God's Majesty hath ordained more copiously and splendidly for his own appointed Ministers in the Temple Let then these Divine Officers go on chearfully to their Work of Sacrifices at the Solemn Dedication of the Temple in the next Chapter and answer their Relations Gen. 2.8 as Abraham did his when going up to offer in this very same Mountain of Moriah with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God will provide CHAP. VII Of the Encoenia or Solemn Dedication of the Temple HEre it is requisite for the discharge of our duty as to this Chapter that we first set down the circumstance of time wherein this stately Work was performed Wherein to avoid all Contests at present We shall follow the renowned pious and learned Primate of Ireland in His fore-cited Annals pag. 58. who places it in the Three Thousand Seven Hundred and Tenth Year of the Julian Period and the Three Thousand and first Year of the World and shews that it was co-incident with a Year of Jubilee and in the seventh Moneth of that year called Ethanim 2 Chron. 5.3 The first day whereof according to his Calculation though it 's greatly disputed to the contrary did exactly concur with the 230 October of that Julian Year The Temple was finished in all its parts in seven years and about six moneths For it was first founded in the second day of the second moneth 2993. But the Dedication was prorogued to the 8th Year because of the solemnity of the Year of Jubilee sayes our Reverend Author So Peâ—avius de Doctr. Temp. lib. 13. p. 537. 1 King 6.38 Solomon is said indeed to be but seven years in erecting this Building and all its Appurtenances that is seven compleat years though there were several moneths over We shall then according to His mind present this Season in a silent Scheme onely let 's remember it was the 2758 Judaical Year the Julian Cycle of the Moon five and the Judaical three the Cycle of the Sun that year was 14 the Dominical Letter D. Therefore the Neomenia Tizri or first day or New Moon of Tizri called Ethanim in those dayes must be Feriâ Sexta or Friday Octob. 23. according to Him Ethanim October Feria  8 30 6 The first day of the Feast of Dedication 9 31 Sab. day The second of the Feast  Novemb.  10 1 1 The 3d day and Expiation Day Numb 29.7 11 2 2 The 4th day 12 3 3 5th day 13 4 4 6th day 14 5 5 7th day 1 King 8.65 15 6 6 The first day of the Feast of Tabernacles 2 Chron. 7.8 Numb 29.12 16 7 Sab. The 2d day 17 8 1 3d day 18 9 2 4th day 19 10 3 5th day 20 11 4 6th day 21 12 5 7th day Here the two Feasts of 14 days ended 1 Kin. 8.65 22 13 6 8th day A solemn Assembly 2 Chron. 7.9 Numb 29.35 23 14 Sab. Sabbath day At Even the Sabbath being ended and being the 23 day of the moneth Solomon sent the People away 2 Chron. 7.10 There are great Wranglings among Chronologers in this particular Calvisius places the 23 day of Ethanim on the 5th of October being Monday as he says A. M. 2940. Scaliger An. P. J. 3703. the New Moon of Ethanim October 12. and so his Scholar Helvicus But a late Learned Author casts the New Moon upon Octob. 5. The first day of the Dedication Octob. 11. and the departure of the People Octob. 27. It would take up more time then is necessary to imploy on this Design if we should spend many Lines upon the Reconcilement of various Authors that treat upon this Point To which purpose it were very necessary to enquire anxiously into the exact Julian Year wherein this dedication fell out a fterward to calculate the New Moon of Nisan out of the best Tables and then to assure the Reader by the falling out of the New Moon before or after the Equinoxe whether it was a common or intercalated year Nay to be most exact to deduce the Moons Conjunction out of the Tables for the moneth of Ethanim it self and then add to that time
to the praecise time and punctuall place of the situation of each of these abominable Idols For if the Father had not so soulely praevaricaed his son probably had never felt the weight of the Loins of God's vengeance upon his Kingdom nor the lash of those divine Scorpions that in most righteous and just judgment whipt off ten Tribes at one blow from the Scepter of Judah in his daies whereof we now proceed to speak The state of the Temple under Rehoboam the second King after its Building A.M. 3029. This famous Fabrick stood in its beauty unspoiled of its Ornaments all the daies of Solomon notwithstanding the grand provocations of the divine Majesty 1 Chr. 11.17 cap. 12.1 and so persisted during the three first years of the reign of Rehoboam But having strengthned himself in the Kingdome he forsook the Law of the Lord and all Israël with him denoting to us That unsanctified prospeâ—ity to a carnall Spirit proves many times a sad Temptation to fearfull Apostacy But did not God also forsake Rehoboam yes surely For when he had idolatrously turned his back upon the Temple he beholds in his fifth year Ver. 2. Shishak King of Aegypt marching in the Van of a terrible Army towards Jerusalem probably incited by Jeroboam but certainly by God who under the reign of his Father had resided in Aegypt This potent adversary and his Wars Aut. Iudaic. lib. 8. cap. 4. Lib. 2. p. 127 Edit Paul Steph. A.M. 3026 Pag. 30. Argonaut l. 4. ad ve 272 Josephus peremptorily asserts to be falsly ascribed by Herodotus to Sesostus Concerning whom the latter Historian relates in his Euterpe that in Palaestina of Syria he himself saw stones inscribed with the memoriall of his Victoryes But I rather incline to the Judgment of the learned Primate of Ireland in his Scripture-Annals and Mr. John Greaves in his discourse of the Aegyptian Pyramids who comparing Manetho the Priest with the Scholiast of Apollonius Rhodius Africanus and Eusebius together doth fully agree with Scaliger that this Shishak is the same King called by them Sesochosis or Sesonchis and possibly the same which Josephus de bello Judaic l. 7. c. 18. calls Asochaeus telling us of his taking Ierusalem the same called by Herodstus Asychis reciting some of his Lawes lib. 2. and plainly called Sasyches and related as a famous Lawgiver by Diodorus lib. 1. p. 59. Edit H. Steph. Who came up to the holy City rifled the Temple 1 Kin. 14.26 2 Chr. 12.9 ver 10. and took away the Treasures of the House of the Lord together with the Shields of Gold which his Father Solomon had made In the room whereof Rehoboam was constrained to substitute brazen ones for the Guard to carry before him when he went up to the Temple This was the first plundering Bout which befell that stately piece in this Prince's daies Ver. 12. who having humbled himself lived the remnant of his life in the Sun-shine of peace having reigned seventeen years in Ierusalem at his decease Under Abijah the third King A.M. 3046 Nothing considerable did occurre in his three years reign in relation to the Temple But the Dedication of some Gold some Silver and Vessels of service to the House of God which were carried within its sacred Wals by Asa his godly Son and Successor 1 Kin. 15.15 A.M. 3049 Vnder Asa the fourth King 2 Chr. 24.3 5 It is recorded concerning this good King that he took away the Altars of strange Gods their high places brake down the Images and cut down their Groves among all the Cities of Iudah which was succeeded with serene daies of peace and quietness Nay his Legions in war were attended with fortunate Lawrels in the famous Battel managed against Zerah the Captain of the Arabian Troops as Sir Walter Raleigh excellently manifests him to be Hist of the World part 1 lib. 1. cap. 8. §. 10. †6. 2 Chr. 21.16 and not of the Aethiopians of Africa who came against him with a Million of men Whence we learn That prosperity both in peace and warr doth crown the heads of those Magistrates that promote the purity of God's Worship Asa the famous Conquerour upon admonition of Azariah the Prophet in the fifteenth year of his Rule and the third Month of the sacred year put away all the abominable Idols out of all his dominions 2 Chr. 15.8 and renewed the brazen Altar for Sacrifices in the Court of the Priests gathered all his People to Ierusalem and offered of their victorious spoiles seven hundred Oxen and seven thousand Sheep to the God of Battell At the same time he made a solemn Covenant between God and his People and commanded that whosoever would not seek the Lord should be put to death His Grand-Mother likewise he removed from being Queen of the Idol Beth-peor De diis Syris p. 160. Syntag 1. c. 5. Ver. 18. 2 Chr. 16.1 Anno Mundi 3064. 1 Kin. 15.18 2 Chr. 16.2 as some conceive stamping her Idol to pieces and burning it at the Brook Kidron He brought likewise the Silver Gold and Vessels into the House of God which himself and his Father had dedicated in that famous year of his Reformation In the thirty sixth year of his Kingdome since the revolt of the 10 Tribes but the 16th year of his Reigne as the reverend Primate observes in his Annals he presents all the Silver and Gold that was left in the Treasures of the House of the Lord unto Benhadad the King of Syria to bribe him to a breach of that League which he had contracted with his fatall Enemy Baasha the King of Israël Here we see that Sacriledge and Truce-breaking two enormous sins are linkt together But he that dares put his hand to the Robbing of God of his Temple-Treasures will not fear to be unjust to man as we behold sadly testified of this Prince who being reproved by Hanani the Seer sent from God added yet more sins to the former in putting the Prophet in prison and oppressing the People at the same time But from thenceforth God denounced War against him and In the thirty ninth year smote him in his feet and yet he added to seek to the Physitians and not to the Lord and died in the one and fourtieth year of his Reigne Take heed therefore of being hardned by holy mens sin as well as of despairing by the story of their falls It was no wonder to behold an Aegyptian King spoiling the Temple of God But for an Asa the Protector and Enricher of the Temple to commit such Aegyptian wickedness for a godly King to manifest such heinous impiety demonstrates the Instability of the best without God's manutenency who though not bound to preserve us alwayes from sin yet hath ingaged himself to punish it even in the Children of David when he threatned to visit their Transgressions with the rod Psal 89.32 and their Iniquity with stripes which is manifest
after our Lords birth till its dissolution by the Roman armies There be others who considering that the Temple was fully finisht in the 3000th year of the World according to Bishop Ushers Calculation and other nice Chronologers being just a 1000d years before our Lords incarnation and precisely in the middle point of the World 's apprehended-duration viz. of 6000d years according to the received tradition of the sons of the House of Eliah mentioned by the same (e) Ibid. pag. 36. Author in the very words of the Jewish Talmud would out of these Rabbinicall flints extract some choise Mystical Oyl to supple the Wheels of their fancy As if so be a glorious external visible Church must needs from thence be evinced to continue upon the Earth 3000 years even just as many as the world had before continued without it and that this admirable beauty of the Church-militant commenced with the Temple 's compleat erection Besides as the Temple did continue though not without some fatal concussions for the space of a 1000d years So in like manner a glorious Evangelical Church thereby typified should endure also for a 1000d years space after the 6000 years of the world in general shall be consummated and ended when the rage and power of her enemies shall be extinct when the Saints of the most High shall Live and Reign with Christ a (f) Rev. 20.4 1000d years And all this must be accomplished say they before the 2d and most glorious coming of our Lord in the Clouds to passe sentence of condemnation upon the World of the ungodly and to put an Ultimate period to its duration Now forasmuch as the Temple suffered many hard things during its long continuance we must not think according to them that the Saints Reign shall have any sad Chasm of affliction seeing the Antitype must alwayes out-vye and excel its prefiguration in glory and excellency But for my part holding it sufficient to have recounted these things to be left or entertained at pleasure seeing there is no solid basis or foundation for these superstructures of fancy revealed in holy Scripture I had rather resolve the Mystery of the Time of the first fixed state of the Temple if there be any couched under it into the good pleasure of God whose Majesty if he had intended any such rare signification in the time of its building would have delivered the meaning thereof more clearly to us had it seemed good in his holy eyes What is secret belongs to the Lord but things revealed to us and our Children Wherefore I shall proceed to a more material inquiry concerning the place of its situation Concerning the place where the holy Temple was built IN this Section I mean not to tell long stories of Gods choosing the people of Israel above all Nations to serve Him or of Canaan above all Lands for his people to dwell in or of Jerusalem above all Cities to place his name there seeing the Lord loved the (a) Psal 87.2 gates of Zion more then all the habitations of Jacob. But shall rather descend immediately to treat of the holy mountain Moriah it self So frequently called in the holy Books the mountain of the House of the Lord wherein he hath promised to make unto all people (b) Isai 25.6 a feast of fat things a feast of Wines on the Lees of fat things full of marrow of Wines on the Lees well refined whereby no doubt the holy Prophet in the name of the Lord doth insinuate the mountain of Moriah to be a most sublime Type of the Gospel-Church exalted even to heaven by the means of grace and salvation when he assures us in so many words that all Nations should be feasted in that blessed mountain which of it self was not sufficient to entertain within its circuit no not the one only Nation of the Jews at a set banquet whereof more in succeding lines In reference to our present work the denomination of this mountain may yield us some light and information in this matter seeing the very name of it probably was imposed by God himself when he commanded Abraham to get him into the Land of (c) Gen. 22.2 Moriah whose manner in the imposition of names is to read a Lecture worthy the attention of Men and Angels As to the signification whereof there are various Conjectures offered by Learned men and many of them are summed up by an Eminent (d) Nic. Fuller Miscell l. 2. c. 12. Critique of our own Nation Some it seems derive it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Myrrh as if this tract of ground had bin antiently famous in bringing forth that curious rarity conceiting withall that the mountain of Myrrh mentioned in the Book of (e) Cant. 4.6 Canticles is to be interpreted and understood of this fragrant place Others would fetch it from the Syriack word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mara which signified the Lord as if it noted out the Grand holinesse of that piece of ground as being by peculiar designation The Lords mountain Others deduce it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying fear hinting forth to us a place destinated to the fear of the Lord such as is exprest by his heavenly worshippers in their solemn attendance upon God according to the antient Mosaical injunctions Whereas in truth the most genuine derivation of the word seems rather to be taken from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to see declaring it to be the Land of vision Wherefore some translate the former text in Genesis Vade in terram excelsam get thee to the high or hilly Country Aquila turns it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is perspicuous shining or illustrious Symmachus by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Land of vision which is therefore interpreted illuminating and irradiating according as Learned (a) Edit Ludg. 1530. Vol. 3. p. 216. Jerom in his questions upon Genesis Others apprehend it to have bin so called from the Eminent conspicuousnesse of the place being by reason of its height seen by travellers at a very great distance from whence by such as stood upon it many rare and lovely prospects presented themselves to the covetous eyes of delighted spectators Whereby is shadowed the rare beauty and comelinesse of the Church the spouse of Christ when she is Enammelled with the (b) Ezek. 16.14 glory of her Lord and Husband and when presented to the view of others that passe by in so much that they have bin inamoured with her beauty and have turned in to her habitation to gain acquaintance with her or else in respect to the profound and deep Mysteries the delicious and pleasant prospects of mercy and grace which have bin presented to the view of such persons who have stood upon this holy mountain There be that apprehend it to have bin termed the Land of Vision from the apparition of that holy Angel who accoasted Abraham at the intended sacrifice of his onely son But the Learned man forecited
conceives some Typical hint of the Lord Jesus to have bin involved in the very name and accordingly expounds it of the apparition of (c) 1 Tim. 3.16 God manifest in the flesh viz. of our blessed Saviour who was born conversed very frequently and at last suffered in this tract of mountains known of old by the name of the Land of Moriah or of Vision In this particular ridge being the mount it self precisely whereon the Temple stood some (d) Breidenbachius have blessed themselves with a conceit that good Jacob saw in his dream the ladder reaching up to heaven and moreover that he called it Bethel by an Historical prolepsis whereas it is certain the good Patriarch was then passing on in a journey at a good distance from this place toward Syria But the true place of the sacrifice of Abraham indeed was here being frequently called in Scripture by the name of mount Zion especially in the writings of the Prophets where by a Synecdoche the name of one little hill is given and ascribed to all the mountaines thereabout and so Moriah in a more laxe acceptation of Zion is frequently termed by that name whereas in a more strict sense Zion was properly the name only of the neighbouring mount whereupon King David dwelt whose entertainment of the Ark within the verge of his own house hath caused this denomination to be given to all the sacred places thereabouts where the Ark of Gods presence was afterward seated The constant residence whereof by the appointment of God and the care of Solomon was upon the hill strictly so called of Moriah within the walls of the City Jerusalem where it was encompassed with a beautiful Temple instead of the Mosaical Curtains The glorious Majesty of heaven chose a mountain rather then a valley for the habitation of his holinesse thereby giving us to understand the excelsity and dignity of the Gospel-Church in a figure which was of old prophesied of to be (e) Isa 2.2 Mic. 4.1 Dan. 2.44 exalted over all the Mountains and Kingdoms of the Earth It was set upon a lofty mountain to shadow forth the visibility of the Evangelical Church in all ages to such as have spiritual eyes to discern it (f) Mat. 5.14 For a City that is set on a hill cannot be hid Besides as buildings which are fixed upon mountains enjoy a more pure and defaecated aire therefore several of the antients have accounted such places as most proper for those persons who study and consult their health more then their profit In particular (a) In Geoponic p. 31. Bas 80.15.38 Didymus hath these words in his advice to this purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It behoveth to build your houses on the highest places For such are most commodious both for health and prospect (b) De re Rust Lib. 1. Tit. 8. Palladius also gives counsel thus Ipsius Pratorii situs sit loco aliquatenus erectiore sicciore quà m catera propter injuriam fundamentorum ut laeto fruatur aspectu The situation of the Mansion it self let it be in a place more lofty and dry than of the others to prevent injuries to the foundations and that you may enjoy a refreshing prospect Lastly (c) L. 1. C. 4. Vitruvius saies Primum electio loci saluberrimi is autem erit excelsus First of all ye must design the most wholesome place for your dwelling even such as is higher than Ordinary In like manner the wholesome and healthful situation of the Temple of old did decypher and mark out to us that the health of our souls is then most prudently consulted when we live in such places where we may suck-in the sweet aire of the Gospel-Ordinances in the assemblies of Zion For as much also as the mountains in their stately and elevated position are neerer to the Starrs than ordinary Champion plaines or depressed vallies we may thence conceive that the noble exaltation of this place where the Temple stood might denote the Churches vicinity to heaven whither all its fervent devotions must be directed It being observable in Scripture that the usual seats of divine worship were constituted in such places as were very high shadowing forth the heavenlinesse which is required in the minds of divine worshippers Besides as it was usuall of old to build their fenced Cities and Castles upon hills that were precipicious and most inaccessible So it was Gods good pleasure that the Temple of his presence should have the like secure situation to note the impregnablenesse of the Church which is set upon (d) Psal 2.6 mount Zion Furthermore It is recorded in the sacred Volumes to have bin built upon the threshing-floor of Araunah or Ornan the Iebusite to manifest saith (e) P. 58. Ribera that in time to come the Gentiles should be admitted into consoederation with the Jews in divine worship not unlike to what (f) Vol. 1. pag. 125. Jerom had before observed in his letter written as Erasmus conceives in the name of Paula and Eustochium to Marcella in these words Angelus c. in Orne Jebusaorum regis areâ Templum Domini designavit jam tunc significans Ecclesiam Christi non in Israel sed in gentibus consurgentem The Angel c. designed the Temple of the Lord to be in the threshing-floor of Orne the King of the Jebusites even then signifying the Church of Christ arising not in Israel but among the Gentiles Further the Temple was built on a mountain to note its perennity and duration of the Church They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion which cannot be removed but abideth for ever Psal 125.1 He also that doth the will of God is promised to abide for ever 1 Joh. 2.17 Finally it was built in a mountain possibly to set out the glory of heaven it self even as our Saviour represented the radiancy of heaven to some of his Apostles when he was transfigured before them in the exceeding high mountain as is generally conceived of Tabor His glorious ascension also into heaven took its rise from the mountain of Olives Concerning the Builder of the Temple King Solomon SOlomon the most Famous and Peaceable King of Israel was (a) 1 Chron. 17.12 appointed by God to erect this Royal Structure who as to his name disposition and reign for the grand serenity of his times was a pregnant Type of the Prince of peace Who being entred upon his Government made Zadok (b) 1 King 2.35 High Priest in the Room of Abiathar The name of Solomon signifies peaceableness the name of Zadok righteousnesse even as Christ was a Priest after the Order of Melchizedeck being Clothed with Royal Righteousnesse and styled also by Isaiah the Prince of peace Isai 9.6 hinting to us that at the entrance of Christ our Lord into his Royal Dignity and glorious work of framing his Gospel-Church that (c) Psal 85.10 righteousnesse and peace kissed then each other that truth should
(i) Luk. 2.27 Simeon and (k) Ver. 38. Anna with Mary the Mother of our Lord according to the flesh where do they meet with Christ but in this holy place The two former having bin long expectants and waiters for the consolation of Israel at last found Him whom their souls loved when presented before the Lord in his Temple The Virgin Mary likewise having sorrowfully sought him in other places for three daies together at last met with him in the (l) Ver. 46. Temple doing his Father's businesse He that was the (m) Hag. 2.7 desire of all Nations through whom alone both Jews and Gentiles can expect restauration to the favour of God would then more fully performe the promises of the new Covenant of grace to his people when he should (n) Mal. 3.1 come into his Temple The Dove-like spouse finds her safest and sweetest repose in the (o) Cant. 2.14 Clefts of this rock in the secret places of the staires of the Temple-Tower Nay the Sparrows and Swallows of the Gentiles who formerly were (a) Eph. 2.12 without Christ and without God in the World have now found an house yea and nests for themselves where they may lay their (b) Psal 84.3 young even thine Altars O Lord of Hosts our God and our King The kingdome of heaven from a graine of mustard-seed is shott up into a (c) Luk. 13.19 great tree so that those birds which formerly lived according to the course of this World according to the (d) Eph. 2.2 Prince of the power of the aire do now lodge and sing in its branches But to retreat to the former Metaphor This is the noble stone of the corner unto which the Church and all its particular members are fastned by the cement of Faith and Love The union whereof is undiscernable by common and carnal eyes not unlike the stones of the Typical Temple which Josephus reports to have bin so admirably laid and fastned with such rare artifice that the junctures could not be perceived as if the whole building had bin made one intire stone and that not unlike to the Helio-Selenus a precious stone mentioned by (e) Art Mirab. l. 4. c. 45. p. 694. Gregory of Tholouze that shews the Synod or Conjunction of the two great luminaries the Sun and the Moon Christ the Sun of righteousnesse and the Church the Moon of the Gospel-heavens Whosoever then erres in respect of this (f) 1 Cor. 3.10.11 c. foundation stone must of necessity erre likewise most grossely in the whole super-structure We may observe then that the builders of this World who own an other Head laying aside this Corner-stone do consequently erre in the deep and profound doctrine of election seeing we are (g) Eph. 1.5 predestinated unto the adoption of Children by Jesus Christ The foundation of God remaineth sure having this seal (h) 2 Tim. 2.19 THE LORD KNOWETH who are his even that such who name the name of Christ should depart from iniquity Those will erre also in the doctrine of Baptism seeing we are to be (i) Act. 19.5 baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus They will erre further in the doctrine of holy and spiritual-good works which flow only from the principle of a new nature united unto Christ by Faith For (k) Joh. 15.5 without him we can do nothing They erre likewise in the doctrine of the Resurrection For this is the belief that we are to hold firmely and inviolably that if [l] Rom. 6.8 c. we be dead with Christ we shall also live with him who will [m] Joh. 6.40 54. raise us up at the last day Finally such will erre in the excellent doctrine of eternal salvation For it is [n] Act. 15.11 through the grace of the Lord Jesus that we shall be saved The Mysteries of the body of the Covered Building called The Temple in a strict sense HAving finished the inquiry about the Foundation in some measure in the foregoing discourse It is high time now to work upon the Body of the Temple it self or the covered building which was extant above ground endeavouring with all sobriety and submission to search out the mysteries contained within those famous walls Concerning which I shall crave leave to speak a few words in general and afterward descend to treat of the three particular parts included in it The immensity of the Divine Essence and the most radiant excellency of Gods glorious Majesty which no creature can behold in its full purity and live cannot be contained and immured within (a) Act. 17.24 Temples made with hands Wherefore it is observable that holy John relates that he saw (b) Rev. 21.22 no Temple in the new and heavenly Jerusalem that is above For the LORD GOD Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it Yet it was his own good and holy pleasure that (c) Act. 7.47 Solomon should build him an House wherein as to his manifestative presence he was resolved to dwell more especially among the Children of Israel his chosen people In these Gospel-dayes under which we live through divine goodnesse when the worship of God is farre more spiritual though his Majesty hath not appointed a peculiar City wherein to place his name yet is it not unlawful even in these times but very commendable and useful to erect material Temples wherein the solemnities of Gospel-Ordinances may be celebrated and the congregations of his faithful people may more commodiously meet together Without which persons you read the words of (d) Comment in Act. 17. part 2. p. 31. Streso being there assembled they have no more holinesse in them than a Court or Palace neither is the (e) Joh. 4.21 c. Prayer or the Congregation lesse holy though convented together in a field than in such a building if necessity should so require Of old indeed (f) Mat. 23.17 the gold was sanctified by the Temple and the (g) Ver. 19. gift by the Altar But now ' its the (h) 1 Pet. 1.7 gold of Faith and (i) Heb. 13.15 the Sacrifice of Praise which must sanctifie the Temple If so be there is any metaphorical or (k) Mede's holinesse of Churches p. 46. relative holinesse which may safely and without danger be ascribed to it Especially at such a time when the cloud of Gods gracious and evangelical presence shall fill the Tabernacle where his Saints and people are assembled in his name and fear But as to the antient Temple there is no scruple or doubt to be made of a degree of sanctity formerly attending it different from that of ours wherein we meet for the management of divine services Though for certain we ought to conceive so candidly and charitably of all men that bear the honourable name of Christians that there can scarce be a person found so stupid and senselesse as to think that there was any real inherent holinesse in those beautiful
238. or at the furthest at 50. if so be that be the same place with the former which is mentioned by the same Author pag. 818. But when and from whence it was carryed thither it doth not fully appear but that it was here in the daies of King David and the beginning of Solomon is (i) 1 Kin. 3.4 1 Chr. 16.39 21.29 2 Chr. 1.3 plain and evident out of the sacred books till it was (k) 2 Chr. 5.5 brought up to Jerusalem But the Ark steered another course by the special guidance of God For the Philistins having overthrown the Israelites in Battel took the Ark of the Covenant and carried it from Eben-Ezer to (l) 1 Sam. 5.1 Ashdâ—d thence to (m) ver 8. Gath thence to (n) ver 10. Ekron and having continued seven Months in the Land of the Philistius it was sent home to (o) 1 Sam. 6.12 Bethshemesh in the Tribe of Judah thence to Kiriath jearim in the same Tribe called also (p) Jos 15.60 18.14 Kiriath-Baal to the house of (q) 1 Sam. 7.1 2. Abinadab in the hill and theâ—e it continued twenty years This place is called (r) 2 Sam. 6.2 Baaleh of Judah and the house of Abinadab that was in (Å¿) ver 3.4 Gibeah or in the hill which Josephus reports to have been at the distance of fifty stadiae or furlongs from Jerusalem the head-Head-City pag. 907. Indeed we find one City of Judah to be called (t) Josh 15.57 Gibeah and I suppose it to be the same exactly with (u) Josh 15.9 1 Chron. 13.5 6. Kiriath Baal or Kiriath jearim called Gibeah from its hilly situation although (x) Vol. 3. p. 14 Weemse would have it a Mistake in the Translation wherein an Apellative is made a Proper Name But seeing as I said we find a City of Judah in the book of Joshua called Gibeah possibly this place might have two Names However that be it 's clear that the place was Kiriath-jearim which (y) Ibid. p. 10. lin 18. Jerom in his Catalogue of Hebrew places fixes but at 1 Mile distance from Jerusalem in the way to Diospolis or Lydda From this Kiriath-jearim it was brought to (z) 2 Sam. 6.6 Nachon's threshing-floor otherwise called (a) 1 Chr. 13.9 Chidon where Uzza was smitten and the place therefore called by David Perez-Uzza and then it diverted to the house of (b) 2 Sam. 6.10 Ver. 11. Obed-Edom probably in the borders of the same City and there it staied three months and thence at last it was brought to the (c) Ver. 12. 1 Chr. 15.29 16.1 City of David at (d) 2 Sam. 5.7 Mount Zion in Jerusalem about the third year of his reigne over all Israel and in the tenth alter his Unction at Hebron it being a Sabbatical year as the (e) Usher Annal p. 52 learned Primate conceivs and there it continued the residue of his Reigne in Zion that is about thirty years and in the eleventh of King Solomon's when the Temple was fully finisht it was brought (f) 1 Kin. 8.1 2 Chr. 5.2 from the City of David in a most solemn manner into the glorious Oracle or Holy of Holies Having traced the Arks motions from place to place till it came to rest in Moriah's sacred Mountain let me craâ—e leave to add a few words about that kind of wood whereof it was made (g) Gregor Lexiâ— sanct p. 401. Some would have it to be a kind of excellent Cedar whose wood will not putrify and is the smoothest of all other sorâ—s excelling in strength solidity shining and beauty Others a kind (h) Avenari ' of Thorn not subject to putrefaction It seems indeed to have been of a very durable nature by its continuation from Moses to Solomon and thence to the captivity about 900 years Others take it to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mentioned by Dioscorides de med mater cap. 74. the Pitch-Tree others the Box. It could not be the ordinary and common Cedar nor Pine nor Box nor Myrtle for it is reckoned among them as a distinct species under the name of the Schittah-Tree by the Prophet (i) Isa 41.18 Isaiah Jerom in his Comment upon Esay saies it was a Tree like to the white-Thorn for colour and leaves but not for magnitude That it was the same Tree which (k) Lib. 2. Diodorus calls the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I dare not affirm which he reports to have grown in that part of Arabia which the Nabathaeans dwelt in that is the posterity of Nebaioth so called in Scripture whom (l) l. 12. c. 17. Pliny also placeth as borderers upon Syria Yet truly by the Balsame and Palmes which Diodorus reckons up to grow in that Country it seems somewhat probable that it was the place whereabout Moses was at the erection of the Tabernacle It is observable to this purpose that the (m) Exod. 3.3 Bush wherein God appeared to Moses was in the same Mount where afterwards near to it the encamping of the Israelites was fixed at the making of the several Vessels of the Tabernacle Though by some it is thought to be a (n) Talmudists in Schindler Thorn that bore Roses by others a white-Thorn and a Bramble by others Yet (o) Lib. 16. p. 767 edit Casaub Strabo out of Eratosthenes tells us that no other Trees grew in that North part of Arabia but a few Dates the Tamarisk and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a certain prickly Thorn which probably was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sineh or Bush of Moses which might be the same which is turned in Diodorus by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by some counted to be a sort of sharp prickly Cedar and thought to be the Schittim wood whereof this Ark was made (p) Mar. 12.20 Act. 7.30 Our blessed Lord and the Proto-martyr Stephen following the 70 call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and this might be the same Tree in a low and shrubby state upon so dry and stony a place â— Bellonius in his Observations when travelling that Country saies there was but one sort of Thorn in all Syria which is since brought over into England and nursed in Noblemens Gardens with us if it be the right and termed Our Lord's Thorn If it should be the same Tree with Moses his Bush it is very worthy our note to remember the Churches preservation in all the flames of trouble and persecution to have bin managed by God's presence in the Ark in the midst of them Indeed the Septuagint translate these Shittim Trees by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Tree Thya by (q) L. 5. c. 5. Theophrastus described to be tall ever green like the Cypresse of a solid and sweet sented wood smelling like Cedar and not easily corrupted Of which Homer speaks when he tells us of Calipso's Island that there was a fire Odyss 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That smelt
Bareketh from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to lighten or shine bright The 70 here and in the 29 of Exodus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so Jerome Josephus here notes that Symmachus translates it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Thunder-stone Others turn it by the Carbuncle as our Translators but the general current of Expositors hold it to be the Smaragd In Ezekiel that which is here in the Hebrew Bareketh and is the last of the stones in the Otnaments of the King of Tyre the Septuagint as our Coppy is not being constant to themselves have there turn'd it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Onyx and we the Carbuncle as in this place translating Nophec the first of the second row by Emerald or Smaragd But with the 70 Josephus and Jerome agree of our modern Authors Ainsworth Prideaux Rivet c. that it is the Smaragd and the name doth not very much dissent although the Greek derive it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shine and thence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Among all the precious Stones none so lovely as this for the admirable refreshing greennesse that is in it called by Jerome Virens Smaragdi Gemma from its grass-green colour in his Epistle to Pammachius Tom. 1. It doth comfort the eye-sight beyond all the Herbs and green Fields by its pleasantnesse It is a Pellucid or clear Stone there is neither blewnesse in it as in the Turcois nor yellownesse as in the Topaz of the Ancients It s counted good for an Amulet to hang about little children for the Epilpesie and was the stone on which Levi's name was graven So the Covenant of Grace which is opened by the Gospel-Ministers is compared to an Emerald Rainebow round about the Throne in the Book of the (c) Rev. 4.3 4. Carbuncle Revelations The fourth Stone in number and the first of the second Row in the Hebr. is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nâ—phec which we translate by the Emerald but we shall see the generality of Writers hold it to have been the Carbuncle and that one sort of them being the Chalcedony is mentioned in the Revelations in stead of this Rev. 21.19 in the third place where Judah is set in the room of Levi because of the everlasting Priesthood of Christ The Emerald of Levi being set in there in the fourth place Now the Chalcedony or Carchedony is but a dark or blacker sort of Carbuncle as (a) Boet. l. 2. c. 9. p. 141. c. 87. p. 238. Boetius hath observed The word in the Hebr. some hold to have affinity with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fucus a paint or dye of red for the face and therefore sometimes taken for the Carbuncle it self being of a fiery red colour so that what the Hebrew styles (b) 1 Chron. 29.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and were glistering stones some translate Carbuncles In another place its rendred by (c) Isa 54.11 stones of fair colours Arias Montanus by the Carbuncle the 70 in this place of Exodus do call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the common name of a Carbuncle because 't is like a Coal red-hot with fire and such is its colour shining like fire and is the true and proper stone of Judah the Progenitor of the royal Race Of which Tribe came Caleb Othniel David Solomon and all the Kingly posterity of that Noble House and above all the Lord Jesus Christ who appeared in a Vision in a humane shape in the likenesse of (d) Ezek. 1.27 fire his eyes like a (e) Prov. 1.14 15. 2.18 19.12 flame of fire his feet like fine Brasse burning in a Furnace This stone the Carbuncle or true Rubine resisteth poyson and hath many excellent qualities it shines in the dark most radiantly and is a most proper resemblance of the war-like Tribe of Judah The fifth stone is called (f) Exod. 20.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Arias Montanus the 70 the vulgar Lat. Josephus though mis-placed and by Jerome nay by general consent is termed the Sapphire following the Hebrew in express words some hold the word to have affinity with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be fair and beautiful It comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to number (g) Rivet in Exod. 24. p. 1103 6 Edit Tol. and because of the excellent and rare blew tincture wherewith it is adorned resembling the colour of the Firmament therefore Rivet says it hath its denomination from the multitude of Stars which shine in the Heavens and because of its Heavenly colour is usually brought to resemble the Throne of God who sits in the Heavens (h) Exod. 24.10 Ezek. 1.26 10.11 It is saith (i) pag. 133. Ainsworth Rivet Boetius of an azure or bright blew colour clear and transparent and much resembles the delicate colour'd Flower of the little plant called Mous-ear-Scorpion-grass There is no rednesse at all in them as is found in the Amethyst But some are of a little paler blew and are call'd the females Others of a more illustrious and deep tincture are called Masculine Sapphires Some following the Rabins put the name of Issachar upon this stone but Dr. Prideaux the name of Dan the fifth son of Jacob according to the order of his birth I suppose upon this apprehension that the same order was observed in these stones which was commanded expresly to be in the two shoulder-stones of the Ephod This indeed seems more probable than that of the Rabbies who place all the six children of Leah first and then those of the two hand-maids before the children of Rachel the free woman I am sure Josephus being himself a Priest and one surely well acquainted with these matters sayes they were engraven (a) Ioseph Antiq. l. 3. c. 8. p. 85. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the order in which it happened every one of them to be born And so Jerom who lived in the Holy Land In singulis lapidibus secundum aetates duodecim tribuum sculpta sunt nomina (b) Ierome pag. 61. Tom. 3. The names of the 12 Tribes were graven in each of the stones according to their ages Accordingly I shall crave leave to place the name of Dan upon this excellent stone of the Sapphire For that his posterity were Sea-faring men had their coasts upon the Mediterranean-sea where Ekron (c) Iosh 19.43 46. Judg. 5. Japha or Joppa the chief port of Judea with others were their Cities and therefore that Expostulation may take place of Dan's not coming up to help the Lord against the mighty but remaining in Ships when the Battel went against Sisera * Ezek. 27.19 Dan and Javan i. e. the Grecians did go to and fro for precious Commodities The Sapphire is reckoned by Dioscorides †Gen. 49.17 l. 5. c. 114. an Antidote against the stings of Scorpions and Adders and seeing Dan is compared to a Serpent this stone for Dan might hint
the Jewish Paedagogy so came it to passe also in the approaching Evening of the World Nay in the times presently succeeding James told them that (l) Jam. 5.9 the Judge was then at the door and generally throughout the Epistles Gospel-daies are called the (m) Heb. 1.2 last daies The (n) 1 Cor. 10.11 Dr. Whitaker de Sacramentis pag. 109. Edit Francof 1654. ends of the World being come upon us Some there be who conceived that the Passeover did typify and praefigure the Sacrament of our Lord's Supper wherein the soul of a Believer feeds upon Christ the Lamb of God But doubtlesse in the main the Scripture doth therein point at Christ The Sacraments of both Testaments do hold forth the Lord Jesus the former look forward upon him as being not yet come the latter look backward upon him as being already come For hereby we (o) 1 Cor. 11.26 shew forth the Lord's death till he come that is in his last and most glorious Advent to deliver his people and to judge the World of the ungodly The next Annual festivity was the Feast of first-fruits or Feast of weeks being celebrated fifty daies after the Israelites coming out of Egypt and therefore is called in the New-Testament (p) Act. 20 16. Pentecost At the first Pentecost in the wildernesse was the Law given by Moses In the last Jewish Pentecost was the (q) Act. 2.1 Holy Ghost given to the Apostles at Jerusalem and then the first-fruits of the Gospel were offered up to God through Jesus Christ by that miraculous conversion of (g) Act. 2.41 3000 souls by the Sermon of Peter Which was the earnest of the great Harvest to follow in the whole world The Feasts of the seventh moneth were these 1. The blowing of (h) Lev. 23.24 Trumpets on the first day of the seventh moneth and might hint at the preaching of the Gospel most clearly in the latter end of the world as some apprehend The Fast of Expiation on the tenth day of the seventh moneth was a most clear presignification of our blessed Lord's (b) Crames expiating for sin (a) Ribera p. 339. Some apprehend that this and other Fasts among the Jews might denote the solemn fastings for sin under the Gospel the denial of our selves taking up the Cross of Christ and the constant study of the mortification of (c) Gal. 5.24 the flesh and all the lusts thereof The Feast of Tabernacles as it reflected backward on the Jews (a) Lev. 23.42 dwelling in Booths in the Wildernesse so it looked forward likewise on the state and condition of Christians while travelling thorough the wilderness of this World that we are but strangers in this Earth (d) 1 Chron. 29.15 as all our Fathers were Our dayes flee away like a shadow we have here no abiding City The Lord himself alone is (e) Jerom. Tom. 6. in Zach. p. 347. cum solice Psalm 90.1 the dwelling place of Saints in all generations as holy Moses speaks of himself and the children of Israel while wandring in the howling Desart of Sinai Wherefore Abraham and all the Blessed Patriarchs dwelt in Tents (f) Heb. 11.14 15 16. plainly declaring that they sought a Country which is Heavenly To which God of his infinite mercy bring us through the propitiatory blood of the (g) Heb. 13.20 Great Shepheard of the sheep the Lord Jesus whom he raised from the dead On the seventh day of this great Feast of Tabernacles there was offered the smallest number of Sacrifices to note the declining of that antient legal and Ceremonial Worship (h) Sheringham in Codicem Joma p. 39. and that a more perfect sacrifice was ready to be introduced in their room Besides the presignification of some Gospel-Excellencies by these Feasts It is noted by a learned Man that there was a reason for their celebration among the Jews referring to the impetration of some particular blessings upon the Earth according to the several seasons of the Year wherein they were solemnized There was an offering of the quantity of a Homer given up at the Passover to beg a blessing on the Harvest The first-fruits they offered up at Pentecost to obtain a blessing on the fruits of their trees at the Feast of Tabernacles they (a) 1 Sam. 7.6 powred out water to beg the blessing of Rain upon the Earth it being then the seed-time in the land of Judea These Waters were drawn out of the Fountain of Shiloah Whence it is that the Evangelical Prophet complains of the Jews that they refused the (b) Isa 8.6 waters of Shiloah that go softly not trusting in Gods gracious promise that he made to King Ahaz of the true Shiloah He that was to be sent to them the Messiah Isa 7.14 which was given as a firm word for him to rest upon against the Kings of Israel and Syria For it was plain that the Race of David should continue till the coming of that Immanuel who was to be born of a Virgin and therefore the enemies should not prevail to extinguish the Royal Race of Judah Hence is it that our blessed Lord alluding to this Libation or powring out of Waters at the Feast of the Tabernacles cryes out in the last and great day of the Feast John 7.37 that they should come to him as the true Fountain of Shiloah that gives forth living waters which thing he spake concerning the Spirit For he that believeth on him as the Scripture saith that is he whose Faith is grounded on Scripture-promises for we are not to understand that Text of any citation there being no such place extant out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living-waters i. e. There shall be within him a Heavenly spring of Grace that shall flow into the Ocean of Glory The Heathen had an apish imitation of this great Festivity Plut. Thes gr p. 19. Edit 1. Steph. 80. Plut. Romul p. 66. gr Aedit H. Steph. as Plutarch remembers in the life of Theseus that the Athenians had their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in memory of the deliverance of their City by Theseus and to implore a blessing on the fruits of the earth and moreover concerning the Romans at set times dwelling under Fig-trees as the same Author hath recorded in the life of Romulus and in the fourth of his Symposiacks mentioning this Feast foolishly compares it with the Heathenish Feast of Bacchus qu. 5. Here before I conclude give me leave to treat a while upon the Conjecture of some persons who conceive the 3 solemn Festivals celebrated among the Christians to have been pre-exemplified in those 3 Eminent Feasts of the Jews The birth of our Saviour answering to the Feast of Tabernacles For so a very Learned man of our Nation and others viz. Beroaldus Mede Vol. 1. p. 618. Scaliger and Calvisius conceive and seem to prove it by good arguments that our Saviour was born in September the time answering to
the rivers of Babylon convert the songs of the Temple into bitter howlings Amos 8.3 and their Sacrifices into the bread of mourners Hos 94. Psal 137.1 2 Kin. 21.13 Hos 2.11 Mal. 2.3 and swell the rivers they sit by with floods of tears and weep unspeakably while they remember Zion Alas for Jerusalem the line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab is now stretched over that beautiful City God had now caused all her mirth to cease her Feast-days her New-Moons her Sabbaths and all her Solemn Feasts The dung of her Solemnities was now spread upon her face nay the very place where the Temple once stood in full beauty and glory was in the days of Jerom an eye witness after its last ruine Hieronym t. 5. in Isa 64. p 293. c. Job 30.31 Isa 27.9 Lam. 4.1 Mic. 3.12 Lam. 5.18 turned in sterquilininum urbis novae into the dunghil of the new city called Aeâ—ia Well may the harps of the Temple be now changed into mourning and the organ into the voyce of them that weep when the stones of the Altar become as vile as chalk stones that are beaten in sunder and the stones of the Sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street and the fine gold thereof become dim and the precious Sons of Zion esteemed as earthen pitchers Zion it self is plowed like a field Jerusalem laid on heaps and the Mountain of the House as the high places of the Forrest and the Foxes walk upon that mountain without controul Jer. 7.12 Wheâ—ce we learn That as God did to Shiloh so he dealt with his House at Jerusalem turning an Eden into a Desart a pleasant Land into an howling Wilderness causing stately Palaces to become a throne for bryars and nettles to triumph in Isa 13.21.34.14 15. and their sad ruinous heaps to be dens of Dragons for Iim and Ohim and the wilde Satyrs to dance their measures for the wickedness of them that dwelt therein Whereby let us be warned if we act over their sins lest God act over us their judgements If we shall abuse such places which our devout fore-fathers have erected by idolatry and Superstition to the high provocation of the pure eyes of Gods glory to jealousie against us certainly he will proceed yet further as he hath in some measure begun in his wrath Isa 64.11 to make even our Jerusalem become a desolation and our beautiful houses wherein we and our Fathers have praised him to be burnt with fire and all our pleasant things to be laid waste 'T is not outward glittering pomp that God looks at The hour is now come that neither in the Mountain of Samaria John 4. nor at Jerusalem will the Father be worshipped but those that now present their homage to him must perform it in Spirit and in truth For the Salvation of Israel hath long since appeared from Zion Psal 14.7 and hath abrogated all the ancient Ceremonies and God hath revealed himself in a spiritual way to such as have waited for the Consolation of Israel Luke 2.25 They must now expect a Temple not made with hands coming down from God out of Heaven which shall need no Golden Candlestick to enlighten it Rev. 21.23 no Sun or Moon to shine into it But the Glory of God and of the Lamb shall be the light thereof most radiantly beautiful is the place where his Honour dwelleth From out of whose Throne rivers of Water of Life Rev. 22.1 clear as Chrystall shall shall proceed for the true Worshippers that shall reign with him for ever to bathe themselves in being streams of inexpressible pleasure that flow at his right hand for evermore The Epilogue HAving now finish'd the main Design through the merciful conduct of Providence I might here add a discourse about the Visionary Temple described by the Prophet Ezekiel exhibited to him in a Divine extasie of spirit during the Babylonian captivity and take notice out of the most approved Writers how far the building of Zorobabel did square with it Sherringham Jom p. 102. and wherein it dissented and therein speak of the five memorable things wherein it fell short of the glory of Solomon's Temple viz. The Ark of the Propitiatory the Cherubims and the fire descending from heaven as at the Dedication in Solomons days The Oyl of Unction in the room thereof others place the presence of the holy Spirit speaking to the Prophets and the answer by Urim and Thummim I know that the Pseudo-Hegesippus relates concerning Pompey Hegesip l 1. c. 17. p. 42. c. Edit Colon. 1575. that when entering this second Temple he saw therein among other things the Tables of the Testament and the Cherubims standing upon the Mercy-seat But alas this story is built upon a very sandy foundation viz. that passage in the Author of the Macchabees that the Prophet Jeremiah should take with him the Tabernacle the Ark and the Altar of Incense and hide them in a Cave in Mount Horeb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Macchab. 2.7 Until the time that God shall gather together the congregation of his people and be merciful to them Against which Jewish fiction Pet. Galat. de Arcan Cathol Relig. l. 4. c 9. p. 211 Edit Franc. 1612. some of their own Rabbies have plainly declared in that they held the five afore-mentioned things to be utterly wanting in the second Temple as is attested out of their writings by Galatinus Nay Josephus an Author to be brought against the Jews without exception speaks plainly of it in his time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 treating of that part of the Temple called the Oracle and by him in that place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the innermost part of the house says it had nothing at all within it Yet there were many excellent and costly ornaments wherewith it was beautified in a marvellous manner As particularly it is related Jos. de Bell. Judaic sec Gr. l. 5. c. 14. secund Lat. Ruffin l. 6. c. 6. p. 918. A. 3 Esd 8.14 That Artaxerxes the Persian King gave all the gold and sllver which was found in Babylon to it A strange story if creditable but 't is found in an Apocryphal Writer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I might mention what gifts Alexander the great Ptolomy Philadelphus his son Evergetes did bestow upon that Temple or what was done by Antiochus the great or his son Seleucus Philopater by Simon the son of Ouias I might treat of the restauration of that Temple by Judas Macchabeus the valiant Captain of the Jews after the profanation of it by Antiochus Epiphanes or of what Helena the Queen of Adiabene did contribute Concerning all which things the Authors of the Apocrypha and Josephus in many places speak amply with high commendations I might lastly if I would follow Josephus tell great stories of the building of a Temple from the very foundations by K. Herod in the space
of eight years But yet says one he gives in some couchant expressions whence we may gather that he did not build all the body of the covered Temple anew but perhaps raised it higher adorned and beautified it with many rare Porches and other external buildings As to this point at present I shall enter no contest though to me it seems very evident from cap. ult Of his 15. book that Josephus doth directly assert it from these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That taking away the foundations he did substitute others in their room upon which he raised the Temple and then in the following words plainly declares both the length and height of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for its length 100 cubits and in height 20 more that is above 100 being 120. in all But how this will stand with the assertion of the Prophet Haggai Hag. 2.9 that the glory of this latter house speaking of Zorobabel's Temple shall be greater then the former Why Because in that house the Lord promised to gâ—ve peace which is plainly spoken of Christ Luk. 2.14 Hieron in Hagg. 2. Vol. 6. p. 279. who brought peace upon earth especially seeing the word in the Hebrew Text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is by the 70. translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Paguine and the Vulgar Latine as we have it and the ancienter of Jerome himself in his own works set forth more purely it is turned by Novissima the last House Hag. 2.7 Mal. 3.1 and so the word will bear it But not to lean upon any versions the seventh verse speaks plainly that therein the glory of that House should consist and excel that other of Solomon's because the desire of all Nations should come and fill that very House with glory which by the Jews themselves is interpreted of the Messiah This as it is a most strong Argument against the Jews to prove that the true Messiah is long since come because that Temple is long since ruin'd so it seems also to evince that Zorobabels Temple should not be pull'd down before the coming of Christ for how could he come into that very Temple if it were pluckt up by the very foundations as to its self and all its Buildings and another more pompous built by Herod before Christ appeared in the flesh Besides the Jews who had little reason to maligne the glory of Herod Joh. 2.20 as a great Benefactor to and adorner of their land with sumptuous Buildings do plainly reply to our Lord concerning the Temple then extant in his days that it was 46. years in Building whereas Herod's by the testimony of Josephus was but 8. Casaubon in Baron execr 13. num 38. p. 203. This I leave to be solved by others as Tarnovius and Chemnitius cited by him who think that the same Temple stood in its entire body but sumptuously repaired and adorned by Herod with great magnificence Insomuch that Josephus and the Jewish Author of the Codâ—â— Middoth do seem to ascribe it wholly to K. Herod So likewise Tacitus in the fifth book of his Histories Tarnov in Joh. p. 223. cited by L. Empereur seems to manifest That the Temple which Pompey invaded and Titus destroyed were the same Although that learned Author in his Comment on Middoth thinks that Herod did build one anew from the very foundations Tacit. l. 5. Hist p. 626. Edit Lugd. Bat. 1640. but because it was done with the free consent of the Jews to whom he makes an Oration extant in Josephus and for as much as the old materials were used in the frame of the work they still counted it one and the same Temple with the former of Zorobabels and with him the learned Primate agrees Usser Anna. part 2. Lat. p. 516. Though the former speaks in conclusion somwhat dubiously in these words Non dest tuuntur argumentis qui asserunt Templum ab Herode non de integro exâ—ructum sed immutatum auctum veteri conservaâ—o fuisse They want not arguments who do assert the Temple not to have been wholly built anew by Herod L'Empereur praefat in Middoth p. 20. but changed and augmented the old being conserved But leaving this to the fuller disquisition of others we are sure that the last Temple by who ever it was built was destroyed by the Roman Army of Titus who was that Prince prophesied of by Daniel that should come and destroy the City and the Sanctuary the end whereof should be with a flood and unto the end of the War desolations were determined Dan. 9.26 Sacrifice and Oblation was then utterly to cease when the over-spreading of abominations should make all desolate v. 27. even till the consummation and that which was determined should be poured upon the desolate when the ships of Chittim should afflict Eber Num. 24.24 and he should perish for ever when God brought a Nation from far Deut. 28.49 v. 53. Greg. Thol Hist Mir b. Vol. 2. p. 167 ex Babylon Talmud Ezek. 11.23 from the end of the Earth as the Eagle flyeth even under the Banners of the Roman Eagle a Nation whose Tongue they knew not and of a fierce countenance so that they should eat the fruit of their own bodies by reason of that strait siege wherewith they should be girt in all their gates A Prophesie most fully accomplished in the days of Jerusalems final ruine as is wofully and sadly related by Hegesippus and Josephus then the ten miracles finally ceased such as the Jews usually relate concerning their Temple Then the glory of the Lord indeed departed fully from the Temple and stood upon Mount Olivet on the East side of the City the place from whence Christ our Lord ascended up into heaven to shew to us that upon Christ's Ascension that all the glory of an external Temple was then consummated and fully ended Of these and the like matters I might have enlarged copiously But when I reflect upon the Title of this Treatise which leads me to speak only of the Temple of Solomon that being finished manum de Tabula my poor labours must also receive their period which I humbly commit to the blessing of God whose gracious hand hath enlarged my life through his abundant mercy to arrive at length to the conclusion of this present work for which with all adoration of the Divine Majesty I give most humble and hearty thanks to his holy name and freely submit my self and all my endeavours to the iudgement of pious learned candid and ingenious breasts Only for a peroration of the whole work give me leave to observe the admirable fulfilling of the Prophesie of our blessed Lord concerning the irreparable ruine of the last Temple which although Julian the Apostate Emperour endeavoured with all his might to enervate and invalidate yet his designe by the most just judgment of God could never take effect Two witnesses whereof I shall alledge the one of a heathen the