it through the want of them which would be very improper or would cause a repetition of them there which would not be very proper Harmony and Explanation Vers. 18. And many other things he Preached c. WHosoever shall read the latter part of the former Section and this verse together as a continued Narration he will see how fitly and closely they joyn together and he is to take this as an Epiphonema to the whole story of Johns Ministery that besides those particular speeches of his mentioned by the Evangelists he preached many other things and used divers exhortations to the people whilest he was abroad and at liberty which he was not very long after that occurrence mentioned in the former Section Vers. 19. But Herod the Tetrarch being reproved for Herodias c. Because we are fallen upon a strange and most unlawful match in Herod the greats family will the reader have the patience before he come to look on this particular act of Herod the Tetrarch his marrying his brothers wife to take a view a little of old Herods whole family and divers strange marriages in it as they may be picked up in several places in Josephus and to acquaint himself in brief with the pedegree of that stock which may be some light for the understanding both of this and of some other places in the New Testament which relate to the story of that house We will begin with Antipater Herods Father the first of the Family that came to honour This Antipater being an Edomite had by his wife Cyprus an Arabian these four sons Phasaelus Herod Joseph Pheroras and one daughter named Salome Joseph Antiq. lib. 14. cap. 12. Herod the second son of Antipater commonly called Herod the Great the King of the Jews Luke 1. 5. the murderer of the Sanhedrin at Jerusalem Joseph Antiq. l. 14. cap. 17. Juchasin fol. 19. and murderer of the children at Bethlehem Matth. 2. and of his own children as we shall see anon had nine wives and by seven of them he had children Joseph de bell lib. 1. cap. 18. 1. He married Doris a woman of Jerusalem before he was King and by her he had a son called Antipater but this wife he put away after he came to the Kingdom that he might marry another Ibid. cap. 17. and this his first born son Antipater he caused to be slain but five days before his own death Id. Antiq. lib. 17. cap. 10. 2. His second wife was Mariam or Mary the beautiful the daughter of Alexander the son of Aristobulus and of Alexandra the daughter of Hyrcanus Antiq. 15. cap. 2. by her he had three sons Alexander and Aristobulus Antiq. 16. cap. 8. and Herod de bell 1. 18. which Herod died young at Rome whither he was set forth for his education And he had also by her two daughters Salampsio and Cyprus Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 7. His wife Mariam he slew upon the accusation of his sister Salome and some suspition and discontent Antiq. 15. cap. 11. Her two sons that lived he married thus Aristobulus to Bernice the daughter of Salome his own Sister by whom he had three sons Herod Agrippa he that is called Herod Act. 12. and Aristobulus and two daughters Herodias and Mariam this Herodias is she that we have here in hand Alexander he married to Glaphyra the daughter of Archelaus a forain King and by her he had two sons Tigranes and Alexander De bell 1. cap. 18. These two sons of Mariam Aristobulus and Alexander their Father caused to be slain as well as he had slain their Mother Antiq. 16. cap. 17. But his two daughters he married to their near kinsman Salampsio to Phasaelus her nephew and Cyprus to Antipater her cousen german the son of Salome Herods sister Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 7. 3. A third wife he had which was called Malthace a Samaritan and by her he had two sons Antipas and Archelaus and one daughter called Olympias De Bell. lib. 1. cap. 18. Archelaus is he of whom there is mention Matth. 2. Antipas is that Herod that we have in hand Archelaus married Glaphyra his brother Alexanders widow Ant. lib. 17. c. 15. Olympias was married to her Fathers own Nephew Joseph De bell lib. 1. cap. 18. 4. His fourth wife Cleopatra of Jerusalem bare him Herod and Philip. Ibid. Antiq. 17. cap. 1. this Philip was Herodias her husband till Herod his brother took her from him not this Herod born of the same mother but Antipas the son of Malthace who was also called Herod as was said before 5. He had another wife called Pallas by whom he had a son called Phasaelus Ibid. and this Phasaelus had a son of his own name to whom Salampsio was married mentioned before 6. A sixth wife Phaedra bare him a daughter called Roxana Ibid. 7. And a seventh called Helpis bare him a daughter named Salome Ibid. And two wives besides these he had which bare him no children whose names Josephus hath not mentioned but hath left this mark upon the matches that the one of those wives was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both his neeces or his very near kindred Ibid. And to look a little further into the stock Salampsio his daughter had by Phasaelus his Grandchild three sons and two daughters Antipater Herod Alexander Alexandra and Cyprus Alexandra married to a Cypriot but died childless Cyprus was married to Agrippa the son of Aristobulus the son of Mariam this was that Herod in Act. 12. by whom she had two sons Agrippa and Drusus and three daughters Bernice Mariam and Drusilla Act. 18. cap. 7. Such marriages as these were in old Herods family the father of this Herod that we have in discourse And now let us look upon the marriage that we have before us between Herod and Herodias 1. Herodias was neece both to Philip and Herod both to her former husband and her latter for she was daughter to their brother Aristobulus whom their father had slain as was said before Josephus must here be corrected by the Evangelist for he saith Herodias was the wife of Herod Herod the Tetrarchs brother but not by the same mother Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 7. There was indeed a Herod which was Philips brother of the same mother Cleopatra but this Herod the Tetrarch called also Antipas was the son of Malthace 2. He might not have married his brothers wife though he had been dead he having had seed by her for so is it very generally held that Herodias daughter that daunced off John Baptists head was the daughter of Philip. If brethren dwell together as heirs to one possession and one of them die and have no child then her husbands brother shall go in unto her c. Deut. 25. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But if her husband leave either son or daughter or sons son or sons daughter or daughters daughter behind him as R. Sol. explains it then might not he marry his brothers wife Lev.
Ieroboam 3 Division 3 and Garrisoneth them He entertaineth the Priests and Levites that out-ran Idolatry for Jeroboam had expelled them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from having their liberty to go up to Jerusalem in the courses and from exercising their functions in the several Cities of their abode ver 14. Three years do Rehoboam and his people of Judah well and uprightly and walk in the ways of David and Solomon vers 17. Observe the ways of Solomon to be paralleld with the ways of David and the ways of David and Solomon commended as patterns of holy walking and this very place and passage may resolve that Solomon was no more finally cast away for his Idolatry then David was finally cast away for his Adultery and Murder Rehoboams Marriages are reckoned here where the text is speaking of his establishment and prosperity and so it would conclude all the particulars of that before it fall to the story of his declining but the most of his Marriages were made before he came to the Kingdom even in the life-time of his father Solomon and he followed the humour of his father very much in desiring many wives His son Abijam reigned but three years after his seventeen and yet is he the father of eight and thirty Children which makes it more then probable that he was born before his father was King 2 Chron. 13. 21. One of Rehoboams wives is said to be Maholah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jeremoth the son of David written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 possibly Tamar the Daughter of Absalom she called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because she was left his only Child his three Sons being dead 2 Sam. 14. 27. 18. 18. and he called Jeremoth partly to intimate his lifting up in pride when he rebelled against his father and his lifting up in the Oak where he took his end and partly to distinguish him from another Absalom whose daughter also Rehoboam married which was called Maachah 1 KING XII From vers 25. to the end of the Chapter Rehoboam 2 Ieroboam 2 Division 2 JEroboam in a hellish policy setteth up Idols in Bethel Rehoboam 3 Ieroboam 3 Division 3 and Dan to keep Israel from Jerusalem least they should revolt to the house of David And he ordaineth a feast of Tabernacles in the eighth month like that at Jerusalem in the seventh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the people went after one of his calves to Dan v. 30. for ere long Abijah the King of Judah had recovered Bethel 2 Chron. 13. 19. 2 CHRON. XII All the Chapter REHOBOAM and Judah World 3033 Rehoboam 4 Ieroboam 4 Division 4 become wicked Shishak World 3034 Rehoboam 5 Ieroboam 5 Division 5 plundereth Jerusalem It may be Rehoboam 6 Ieroboam 6 Division 6 his quarrel was in reference to Rehoboam 7 Ieroboam 7 Division 7 Pharaohs Daughter Solomons Rehoboam 8 Ieroboam 8 Division 8 wife She belike was either his Rehoboam 9 Ieroboam 9 Division 9 Daughter or Sister and if she Rehoboam 10 Ieroboam 10 Division 10 had a Son it is wonder he reigned Rehoboam 11 Ieroboam 11 Division 11 not Rehoboams mother was Naamah Rehoboam 12 Ieroboam 12 Division 12 an Ammonitesse it may be Rehoboam 13 Ieroboam 13 Division 13 she was a young Lady that David Rehoboam 14 Ieroboam 14 Division 14 brought away when he took Rehoboam 15 Ieroboam 15 Division 15 Rabbah For golden Shields Rehoboam Rehoboam 16 Ieroboam 16 Division 16 maketh shields of brass Rehoboam 17 Ieroboam 17 Division 17 Rehoboam dieth 1 KINGS XIII all And XIV all A Double miracle wrought Rehoboam 4 Ieroboam 4 Division 4 at Bethel the Altar rent World 3034 Rehoboam 5 Ieroboam 5 Division 5 and the Idol Shepheards arm Rehoboam 6 Ieroboam 6 Division 6 clean dried up as Zech. 11. 17. Rehoboam 7 Ieroboam 7 Division 7 yet his eyes darkned that he will Rehoboam 8 Ieroboam 8 Division 8 see nothing A false Prophet to Rehoboam 9 Ieroboam 9 Division 9 uphold the Idolatry findeth a Rehoboam 10 Ieroboam 10 Division 10 trick to undo the true Prophet Rehoboam 11 Ieroboam 11 Division 11 that had spoken against it Rehoboam 12 Ieroboam 12 Division 12 God giveth up the true Phrophet to a Rehoboam 13 Ieroboam 13 Division 13 Lion for disgracing his message Rehoboam 14 Ieroboam 14 Division 14 And maketh the false Prophet Rehoboam 15 Ieroboam 15 Division 15 prophesie truly of the ruine of Rehoboam 16 Ieroboam 16 Division 16 those Idolaters Jeroboam looseth Rehoboam 17 Ieroboam 17 Division 17 his best Son Ahijah yet none of these strange and fearful occurrences avail with him to reduce or reverse him from his Idolatry the time of the renting of the Altar at Bethel is uncertain but it was not presently after the building of it for there were now divers high places set up in Samaria as well as in Bethel 1 King 13. 32. Nor is the time of Abijahs death determinable If Shechem and Tirzah were not one and the same Town it appeareth that Jeroboam had removed his Court when his son dieth from where it was when he first erected his Idols Compare 1 King 12. 25. with Chap. 14. 17. and so it may argue that there was some space between There are continual and bitter wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their time though Shemaiah had parted them at the first offer of a battel after the division 1 KING XV. From beginning to ver 9. ABIJAH reigneth wickedly World 3047 Abijah 1 Ieroboam 18 Division 18 three years he fighteth Abijah 2 Ieroboam 10 Division 19 with Jeroboam and slayeth 500000 men the greatest slaughter that ever was at one field in any Story Abijah is also called Abijam and his Mother is called both Maachah and Michah and his Grandfather by his Mothers side is called Absalom and Uriel Such changes of names are frequent in Scripture and sometime so altered by the Holy Ghost purposely to hint something to us concerning the Person and sometimes so â—…red by the people among whom such persons lived they giving them some common name answerable to some qualification or action that they saw in them or in reference to their family or some person of their family from which they descended The Book of Chronicles layeth no wickedness to the charge of this King that we have in hand and therefore sticketh not to joyn Jah the name of God to his name but the Book of Kings that chargeth him with the wickedness of his Fathers ways doth him not that honour in his name but hath changed Jah into Jam. His mother that was named Micah or Michaiah when she cometh to be Queen may be conceived to have her name changed and she is named after the first Mother of a renowned family in that Tribe from whence she descended 1 Chron. 8. 29. She was of Gibeah the City of Saul and it is very probable of the kinred of Saul and therefore her
18. 16. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brothers wife it is thy brothers nakedness Lev. 20. 21. If a man shall take his brothers wife it is an unclean thing he hath uncovered his brothers nakedness they shall be childless Whereupon Aben Ezra giveth this note That none of the unlawful marriages mentioned are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or an unclean thing but only the marrying of a brothers wife And the Jews do make this one of the thirty six offenders that deserve cuting off 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that goeth in to his brothers wife Kerithuth per. 1. 3. It was still worse to marry her as he did whilest his brother Philip was alive for Philip died not till the twentieth year of Tiberius Caesar and John was imprisoned in the sixteenth or thereabout Joseph Ant. l. 18. c. 6. 4. And which was yet worse he divorced his lawful wife the daughter of Aretas King of Arabia that he might marry Herodias and he had basely violated the laws of Hospitality in coming to lodge with his brother Philip as a friend and guest and tempting and winning his wife from him Josephus giveth us the story thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Herod the Tetrarch married the daughter of Aretas and lived a good while with her But being sent for to Rome he lodged in his brother Herods house here Josephus mistaketh Herod for Phiâ—â—p And falling in love with Herodias his wife now she was the daughter of Aristobulus their brother and sister of Herod Agrippa the great Act. 12. 1. he dared to make the motion of a marriage which she imbracing they agreed that he should take her home to himself when he returned from Rome and it was also contained in the Articles of agreement that he should put away the daughter of Aretas And so he did which caused a war betwixt him and Aretas Idem ibid. cap. 7. What other evils Herod committed we cannot give so particular account of because they are rarely if at all recorded but by these two desperate facts of his in his wretched marriage and in his bloody murther of the Baptist we may well guess the temper and conversation of the tyrant a wretch strong in wickedness and strong in power and yet not spared by the Baptist but reproved and told home by him of his villanies as he deserved And here we may fitly parallel this second Elias reproving Herod and Herodias and suffering for it with the first Elias doing the like by Ahab and Jezabel Vers. 20. He shut up Iohn in prison As desperate as he was in wickedness yet the Evangelist tells us that he reverenced John and heard him gladly and did many things after his admonition Mark 6. 20. but when John comes so home to him about his abominable marriage then Herodias another Jezabel strikes in and strikes the stroke for Johns silencing for she had had a quarrel against him Mark 6. 19. seeing this his doctrine tended to her divorce Yet durst not the cruel couple for shame imprison John upon the plain terms of the proper cause of his imprisonment which was because he spake against their cursed marriage but they use another colour as Josephus relateth namely because Johns popularity was dangerous towards some insurrection or innovation He relates the story thus Herod slew John called the Baptist being a good man and one that injoyned the Jews to follow virtue and to use uprightness one towards another and devotion towards God and to knit together by Baptism c. And divers being converted to him for they were well pleased with the hearing of his words Herod fearing that this his perswasiveness with the people might tend to a revolt for they were ready to do any thing upon his counsel he thought it best to lay hold upon him and kill him before any insurrection were rather than repent too late when a change came And so was John upon this suspition of Herod sent prisoner to Machaerus castle and there killed Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 7. where he also relateth that Aretas the Father of her whom Herod had put away that he might take Herodias and Herod upon this and other quarrels having pitched a set field and battel all Herods army was cut off 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And some of the Jews thought that Herods Army was destroyed by God and he most justly punished for the murder of John the Baptist. And thus hath this bright and burning lamp shone abroad till the Sun of righteousness appeared and began to eclipse him The time that he had preached and baptized had been some twenty months or thereabouts from about Easter to about November twelve-month after The time of his imprisonment was some months also above a twelvemonth namely from November or thereabout very near unto Easter twelvemonth after as will be conspicuous in the insuing progress of the story SECTION XVI St. JOHN Chap. IV. WHEN therefore a a a a a a THE Lord The Syriack useth not this expression nor the vulgar Latin but retaineth the word Jesus the Arab. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See this title given to Christ by the Evangelist in historical relation again Chap. 6. 23. 11. 2. c. the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that b b b b b b Gr. Maketh and baptizeth For the Evangelist setteth down the report made to the Pharisees in the reporters own words one or other came and told them thus Jesus maketh and baptizeth more Disciples than John Iesus made and baptized more Disciples than Iohn 2. Though Iesus himself baptized not but his Disciples 3. He left Iâ—dra and departed c c c c c c Compare Chap. 1. 43. 2. 1. again into Galilee 4. And he must needs go through d d d d d d This was the name both of the chief City and of the Country in the time of the ten Tribes residence there but now there was no City of that name at all for Sichem was now the chief City of the Samaritans as Joseph Antiq. 11. cap. 8. testifieth Here therefore it is to be understood of the Country Samaria 5. Then cometh he to a City of Samaria which is called e e e e e e Sychar It is read in some copies and by some expositors with y in the first syllable as in the Text of Chrysostome Montanus the Arabick the Ital. of Brucioli Chemnitius Grotius c. And by some with i Sichar as the Uulgar Latin Beza Deodates Ital. the Spanish French Dutch and some Greek copies which these followed Be it read whether way it will Sychar or Sichar as such changes are not strange the place and City apparently was the same with Sichem so famous in the Old Testament And that appeareth plain by this that it is said there was the portion of land which Jacob gave to his son Joseph which plainly was Sichem Gen. 33. 18
of Israel From the gate of the mountain of the House to the gate of Nicanor the camp of Levi and from the gate of Nicanor inward the camp of the divine glory SECT I. How the unclean were kept from the Temple UPON the observation of what persons were prohibited access to the Temple lest they should defile it two things methodically do come to hand to be considered thereupon as referring to it and those are 1. What course was taken for the prohibiting of the unclean from coming there And 2. What was the penalty of those that were in their uncleanness yet would dare to come The former inquiry is not of so easie resolution as is the latter and the reason is because thousands of persons might come that were not in a fit case to have come thither and yet it was impossible without immodesty and uncivility unless it were by oath to discover in what case they were There were indeed Porters and Guards at the gates but thousands of unclean persons might pass them and they never the wiser unless they should have put the passengers to an oath which I believe was never yet dreamed of by any writer that hath handled the Jews customs Men in issues of blood or seed and women in their ordinary or extraordinary fluxes could neither be discerned by their face in what case they were nor do we find that they were ever at all examined much less sworn or searched They might repel and keep back indeed what or whosoever carried with them visible defiling as one that appeared to be a Leper one that came with things about him that might not be brought into the Temple or they might keep back those that would go beyond their bounds or they might have an eye to any that came suspiciously either to steal or to disturb the Service or they might check those that shewed any lightness at their coming in or being entred or they might direct those that were not well acquainted with the place what to do and how to behave themselves there or they might admonish all that came to take heed of coming there if they were unclean But as for keeping out all that were in any uncleanness and such as whereby the place might receive defilement it was a thing so far impossible that it is far from being imaginable A man might have touched a dead Corps or might have touched a Woman in her separation or suffered Gonorrhoea in the night or twenty such like cases as these and he cometh to enter into the Temple and no one in the world knew how the case was with him but himself how should this man be possibly discovered or restrained unless it were by the spirit of Prophesie or by giving him an oath which power we never read the Porters to have had nor is there any ground or colour to suppose such a thing The security of the place therefore from such pollutions lay more in the severity of the penalties that were sentenced against and inflicted upon those that were deprehended offenders in this kind than it did in any possible care or practical prevention they could use that they should not come there And as the rigour and strictness of Laws and execution upon offenders in other cases is the surest prevention of such offences the like was the way of caution and prevention here SECT II. Penalties doomed upon unclean Persons found in the Temple Death by the hand of Heaven and Cutting off FOur sad and severe punishments for punishments I cannot but call them all were severally allotted two in sentence or doom and two in execution upon those that presumingly by their uncleanness did violate the Holiness of the place and service some upon one degree of offending and some upon another And those were these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Death by the hand of Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cutting off 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whipping 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Rebels beating 1. There is a penalty of which the Jews do speak exceeding often due as they hold to divers sorts of offenders and amongst other to some of those that we are speaking of namely such as being unclean yet would for all that go into the Temple and they do call it Death by the hand of Heaven or by the hand of God a a a Vid. Eliu Levit. in Tisbi in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for they do very commonly call God Heaven b b b Maymon in Biath Mikdash per. 4. An unclean person saith Maymony that serveth in the Sanctuary profaneth his service and is guilty of Death by the Hand of Heaven though he stay not there And again c c c Ibid. per. 5. A Priest that serveth and washeth not his hands and feet in the morning he is guilty of Death by the hand of Heaven And again d d d Ibid. per. 4. Men or Women with Fluxes Women in their Separation and upon Childbirth or one unclean by a creeping thing or by a carcase or the like may not deal with the service nor go into the Court But if they do they are liable to cutting off for their going in thither and to Death by the hand of Heaven for their serving And divers other instances and examples might be given in other delinquencies and offences to which Death by the hand of Heaven is doomed as the proper punishment of them but these may be sufficient to our present purpose 2. There is likewise as frequent mention if not more among the Hebrew Writers of another doom or penalty upon divers offenders and amongst others upon those of whom we are speaking who would go into the Temple in their uncleanness knowing how the case was with them which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 kereth or Cutting off And the Talmud in the Treatise Kerithuth which bears the name upon this very subject doth reckon up six and thirty offences to which if wilfully committed this penalty accrewed It may not be amiss to give the matter at large in their own words and that the rather because we have not only some occasion to look after them now but shall have again also when we come to treat concerning sin-offerings which was a part of their service and which as we shall see then and even in the words now before us had somewhat to say to the matter of Cutting off Their words are these e e e Kerithuth per. 1. There are six and thirty cuttings off in the Law He that lieth with his mother or his fathers wife or his daughter in Law or with a male or with a beast or a woman lying with a beast or a man lying with a woman and her daughter or with another mans wife or with his own sister or his fathers sister or his mothers sister or his wifes sister or his brothers wife or his fathers brothers wife or with a woman in her separation or he that blasphemeth or comitteth Idolatry or giveth
apparent that Abram was born to Terah when he was a hundred and thirty years old and therefore must that passage Verse 26. And Terah lived seventy years and begat Abram Nahor and Haran be understood that he begat one of these as the like expression is Chap. 5. 32. Noah was five hundred years old and Noah begat Sem Ham and Japhet Haran was Terahs eldest son though named last as Japhet was Noahs Abram is named first because of his dignity and because the story was to fall upon him And so is it with Sem in that place CHAP. XII XIII XIV XV. World 2083 Sem 525 Arphaxad 425 Salah 390 Eber 360 Abram 75 THE PROMISE given to Abram in Haran after Abram 76 his fathers death On the 15 day of the moneth Abram 77 Abib or Nisan Exod. 12. 41. He journyeth that Spring into Abram 78 the land of Canaan and at or near Abram 79 mount Gerizim and mount Ebal he buildeth two Altars and taketh possession Abram 80 of the land by faith Famine driveth him into Egypt Abram 81 where the Blackmoor Egyptians are soon aware of the Abram 82 beauty of Sarai a white woman and she is taken into Abram 83 Pharaohs house but redeemed by the Lord himself plaguing the Egyptians A type of things to come upon her posterity and upon the Egyptians for their sake Abram returning Sem 534 Arphaxad 434 Salah 399 Eber 369 Abram 84 out of Egypt into Canaan again riches suffer not Lot and him to dwell together in unity they part asunder in the valley of Achor and Lot separateth from Abrams family and chooseth residence among the Sodomites to his own danger and detriment when he is parted Abram hath a full promise of the land and thereupon flits his habitation to Hebron a place of singular eminency in time to come Then Abram that hitherto had the land by promise hath it now by victory For Kedorlaomer of Elam the eldest son of Sem and so heir apparent to Canaan in Noahs prophecy being now in the fourteenth year of his reign over the Country and being provoked by the rebellion of the five Cities in the plain of Jordan he bringeth three Kings more with him and conquereth all the Canaanites both without and within Jordan as first the Rephaims under Lebanon the Zuzims in Amon the Emims in Moab the Horims or Hivites in the caves of Edom and all the Canaanites in Hazezon Tamar at the point of the dead Sea Then turn they into the land within Jordan and as they had subdued all the Countries from North to South without so now they do the like from South to North within but when they were come with all their spoil to the out-going of the land upon the North border Abram over-takes them and so their victories are become his Sem or Melchisedech observeth this dispensation of God and his devolving the land by so special a providence upon Abram and therefore he meets him in his return with bread and wine as a King and with a blessing as a Priest and passeth the possession of the land and of the blessing upon him Afterwards Abram hath the promise of an heir out of his own loins God maketh a covenant with him by sacrifice passing in the appearance of fire between the parts of the slain beasts and consuming them four hundred years affliction and sojourning of his seed are foretold CHAP. XVI World 2093 Sem 535 Arphaxad 435 Salah 400 Eber 370 Abram 85 ABRAM marrieth Hagar that he might compass the promise of having a son of his own body he being not yet informed whither by Sarai or no Hagar through Sarai's harsh dealing is forced to return towards her own Country but by the way seeth the God of vision 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by him is instructed concerning the condition and name of the son in her womb and is sent back to Sarai again World 2094 Sem 536 Arphaxad 436 Salah 401 Eber 371 Abram 86 ISMAEL born the son of the bond-woman Abram 87 Ismael 1 born in the very latter end of Abrams eighty sixth year World 2096 Sem 538 Arphaxad 438 Salah 403 Eber 373 Abram 88 Ismael 2 ARPHAXAD dieth 438. years old read Gen. Abram 89 Ismael 3 11. 11 13. It is now 440. years since the flood for Abram 90 Ismael 4 Arphaxad was born but two years after it The Septuagint Abram 91 Ismael 5 makes him the father of Cainan which never was in being and yet is that followed by Saint Luke Chap. 3. 36. for special reason There be that suppose the Chasdim Abram 92 Ismael 6 or Chaldeans took their denomination from the last letters Abram 93 Ismael 7 Abram 94 Ismael 8 of Arphaxads name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and this hath the more probability Abram 95 Ismael 9 because they are so called Chasdim Gen. 15. 7. before Abram 96 Ismael 10 Chesed which otherwise might have seemed to have given Abram 97 Ismael 11 Abram 98 Ismael 12 them their denomination was born Gen. 22. 22. CHAP. XVII XVIII XIX XX. World 2107 Sem 549 Salah 414 Eber 384 Abram 99 Ismael 13 IN this year these several occurrences came to pass Circumcision was instituted in the moneth Abib or Nisan and instituted in Hebron In which very place and at which time of the year John Baptist is born who brought in Baptism in stead of Circumcision Abram and Sarai have their names changed at the institution of Circumcision and Isaac is named before he is conceived Some three moneths after this the three Persons in the Trinity dine with Abraham and foretel the birth of Isaac again The Son and the Holy Ghost go down to Sodom but the first Person in the Trinity stayeth with Abraham and condescendeth to his prayer as long as he asketh Sodom and Gomorrah Admah and Zeboim destroyed with fire and brimstone Lot escapeth but loseth two of his daughters in the flames and his wife by lightning his other two daughters help to undo him Abraham denyeth Sarah again the son of the promise being now in her womb but she not yet to be discovered to be with child CHAP. XXI World 2108 Sem 550 Salah 415 Eber 385 Abram 100 Ismael 14 ISAAC born the son of the promise Abraham in Abram 101 Ismael 15 Isaac 1 the supernatural birth of Isaac fore-saw the supernatural Abram 102 Ismael 16 Isaac 2 birth of Christ and rejoyced Isaac was not so Abram 103 Ismael 17 Isaac 3 named Laughter only because of Abrahams joy for him Abram 104 Ismael 18 Isaac 4 but also for his joy in Christ John 8. 56. Your father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad World 2113 Sem 555 Salah 420 Eber 390 Abram 105 Ismael 19 Isaac 5 ISMAEL mocketh Hagar and he is cast out of Abram 106 Ismael 20 Isaac 6 Abrahams family From hence begin the 400 years Abram 107 Ismael 21 Isaac 7 mentioned Chap. 15. 13. Abimelech and Abraham make a Abram 108
before had occasioned the loss of his birth-right and if he missed of it now it would be a sign to Isaac that God would have him also to lose the blessing And this Rebeccah easily knew to be Isaacs mind in sending Esau upon that imployment and she accordingly makes use of it for the advantage of her beloved son Jacob and Isaac likewise passeth some blessing upon Esau when he seeth him to have sped of a prey because he saw that God would have him to have some blessing according to the sign that Isaac had proposed to himself Jacob in his eldest brothers garments obtains the blessing the garments of the Priest-hood which belonged to the first born and so were now kept by Rebecoah in Jacobs right Jacob upon fear of Esaus displeasure fleeth to Haran before he goeth he hath the blessing which he had stollen from his father now confirmed upon him by his father knowingly and purposely At Bethel in his way he hath a vision of a ladder a type of Christ incarnate that brings Heaven and Earth together in his two natures and in his reconciliation he anoints the pillar and consecrates the place where he had lain and voweth his tythes The mention of Esaus going to Ismael that is to Ismaels family for Ismael was dead and taking his daughter to wife is set before the mention of the vision at Bethel and the actions at Haran well though it were not so very soon because the Holy Ghost would take up Jacobs story intire and uninterrupted therefore he setteth that story before Jacob at Haran well sheweth himself stronger then three men and rolleth away a stone from the wells mouth which three shepherds could not he meeteth with Rachel and Laban and indenteth for seven years service A man of threescore and seventeen years old is bound apprentice for a wife That this was the year of these occurrences namely the seventy seventh of Jacobs age is to be collected backward from the story following thus Joseph the son of Jacob was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh Gen. 41. 46. then came seven years plenty ver 47 53. which made Joseph thirty and seven years old then passed two years famine ere Jacob came into Egypt Chap. 45. 6. and now was Joseph thirty and nine years of age when Jacob came at the end of the two years famine he himself was an hundred and thirty years old Chap. 47. 9. Now take the thirty and nine years of Joseph out of the hundred and thirty years of the age of Jacob and it appeareth that Jacob begat Joseph at the ninety first year of his age Now Joseph was born in the last year of the second seven or in the fourteenth year of Jacobs service with Laban in the very conclusion of that year Chap. 30. 25 26. take therefore fourteen years out of Jacobs ninety one when Joseph was born and the remainder seventy seven was the age of Jacob when he entred upon those fourteen years service World 2246 Isaac 138 Iacob 78 Jacob beginneth his seven years apprentiship Leah and Rachel are Isaac 139 Iacob 79 figures of the two Churches the Church of the Jews under the Law Isaac 140 Iacob 80 and the Church of the Gentiles under the Gospel the younger the more Isaac 141 Iacob 81 beautiful and more in the thoughts of Christ when he came in the Isaac 142 Iacob 82 form of a servant but the other like Leah first imbraced and taken Isaac 143 Iacob 83 to wife World 2252 Isaac 144 Iacob 84 At the end of this year Jacobs apprentiship for Rachel is out but Laban deceiveth him with Leah and so is Jacob paid in kind for deceiving his father He had deceived his father with a suborned person taking on him to be Esau when he was Jacob and he is deceived by his father-in-law with a suborned person and so imbraceth Leah thinking he had imbraced Rachel his thoughts were upon a child by Rachel whilst he had Leah in his arms and so the birth-right by his thoughts and intention should be Rachels first-born and so it was in time He being thus deceived indenteth yet seven years service longer for Rachel and serveth a week in earnest that he will serve yet other seven years and at the weeks end he marrieth Rachel World 2253 Isaac 145 Iacob 85 REUBEN born and the rest of Jacobs sons probably in this order Isaac 146 Iacob 86 SIMEON born Isaac 147 Iacob 87 LEVI and DAN born Isaac 148 Iacob 88 JUDAH and NAPHTHALI born Isaac 149 Iacob 89 GAD born Isaac 150 Iacob 90 ASHER and ISSACAR born World 2259 Isaac 151 Iacob 91 JOSEPH born and ZEBULON born not long before him Isaac 152 Iacob 92 Ioseph 1 Rachel prophecieth Dinah not born in these seven years unless she Isaac 153 Iacob 93 Ioseph 2 were a twin with Zebulon Isaac 154 Iacob 94 Ioseph 3 Upon a new bargain with Laban Jacob by Gods blessing and direction Isaac 155 Iacob 95 Ioseph 4 groweth exceeding rich to the envy of Laban and his sons Isaac 156 Iacob 96 Ioseph 5 Laban dealeth deceitfully with him about his cattel as he had done about his daughters but the Lord suffered him not to hurt him CHAP. XXXI World 2265 Isaac 157 Iacob 97 Ioseph 6 JACOB departeth secretly from Laban but at last is persued by him Rachel stole Labans Teraphim which were the pictures or statutes of some of her ancestors and taken by her for the preservation of their memory with her now she is never to see her country and fathers house again Laban had abused them to Idolatry He and Jacob make a covenant CHAP. XXXII and XXXIII to ver 17. Isaac 158 Iacob 98 Ioseph 7 JAcob afraid of Esau is shaken in his faith at his approach though he have the visible attendance of Angels for which distrust the Angel of the Covenant Christ meets him by the way wrestles with him and seeks to kill him but he weepeth and maketh supplication and is only maimed but escapeth with life He is called Israel to assure him that he should prevail with Esau who had thus prevailed with God and now with the first naming of Israel is a ceremony taken up to distinguish Israel from other people namely the foregoing to eat the sinew that shrank Esau and Jacob meet friendly and so they part When a mans ways please the Lord he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him CHAP. XXXIII ver 17 18 19 20. Isaac 159 Iacob 99 Ioseph 8 JAcob maketh some abode at Succoth beyond Jordan Eastward and there buildeth boothes for his cattel till they have brought forth their young See ver 13. and an house or a tent for himself Isaac 160 Iacob 100 Ioseph 9 Jacob is at Shechem thither he came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or peaceably for till he came there there was no miscarriage in his house he purchaseth a piece of ground and buildeth his first altar CHAP. XXXVIII ver 1 2 3 4 5. JUdah
goeth from his brethren at Shechem and marrieth Isaac 161 Iacob 101 Ioseph 10 ER born to Judah Isaac 162 Iacob 102 Ioseph 11 ONAN born to Judah Isaac 163 Iacob 103 Ioseph 12 SHELAH born to Judah Judah is now resident at Chezib near the borders of the Philistims observe these particulars concerning Judah 1. That he was but three and forty years old at their going down into Egypt 2. That his son Pharez had then two sons Gen. 46. 12. 3. Observe the story of Er Onan and the birth of Pharez and then guess how very young Judah was when he had his first child these stories of his marriage and birth of his children are laid after the story of the sale of Joseph though they were before because the Holy Ghost would handle all Judahs story together Now there are some things in that Chapter that come to pass after Josephs sale and are laid there in their proper order and so these are laid with them that all that story may be taken up at once CHAP. XXXIV Isaac 164 Iacob 104 Ioseph 13 DINAH ravished giveth cause of tears to the tender eyes of her mother Leah this was the first miscarriage in Jacobs house and it is no wonder if the Lord overtake him with some scourge when he is so slack to purge his family and to pay his vows it is now seven or eight years since the Lord brought him back from Haran and yet he hath not thought of the vow that he made when he went thither Circumcision groweth deadly to the Sichemites CHAP. XXXV from ver 1. to ver 28. Isaac 165 Iacob 105 Ioseph 14 NOW it is time for Jacob to pay his vows and to purge his Isaac 166 Iacob 106 Ioseph 15 house from Idols when he hath neglected it so long and when Isaac 167 Iacob 107 Ioseph 16 so sad a dysaster is befaln him in his family the Lord therefore commands him to Bethel where his vow had been made and there he burieth all his family Idols under an oak and admitteth the Proselytes of Shechem and Syria into his Religion by Baptism for Circumcision was become deadly before their eyes He burieth Deborah at Shechem hath a vision and setteth up a pillar He maketh thence for Hebron hath Benjamin born by the way and burieth Rachel besides Bethlehem and hath Bilhah defiled by Reuben and at length he cometh up to Hebron to his father Isaac when he had now been thirty years absent from him CHAP. XXXVI 1 CHRON. 1. ver 34. to the end THE thirty and sixth Chapter doth very properly come next after these stories for when the Holy Ghost hath related the story of Jacob hitherto and is now to fall upon the story of Joseph he doth first dispatch the story of Esau he had reckoned the sons of Jacob immediately before and now he cometh to reckon up the posterity of Esau that the blessing of Isaac upon Esau may be observed how it took place Observe in this Genealogy of Esau and Seir besides the change of the names of Esaus wives 1. That Esau marrieth Aholibamah the great grand-child of Seir the daughter of Anah the son of Zibeon the son of Seir ver 20 24 25. whereas Eliphaz the son of Esau marrieth Timnah Seirs immediate daughter ver 20 22. and so the fathers wife is of the third generation after the sons 2. That Timna the concubine of Eliphaz is reckoned as his son 1 Chron. 1. 36. 3. That there was a Duke Korah of the stock of Eliphaz in after-times whereas Eliphaz had no immediate son of that name compare ver 11. with ver 16. 4. That whereas it is said that Esau took his wives and his children and his cattel and went into the countrey from the face of his brother Jacob ver 6. It is to be understood that he did this to make room for Jacob against he should come from Haran for when he went thither he left Esau in Canaan and when he came thence he found him in Seir. CHAP. XXXVII World 2276 Isaac 168 Iacob 108 Ioseph 17 JOseph sold he being seventeen years old ver 2. the 36 Chapter handleth the story of Esau the hater of his brother and that lost his birth-right by his own fault Now this 37 Chapter cometh and handleth the story of Joseph the hated of his brethren and he that obtaineth the birth-right by the fault of another Reuben had forfeited his birth-right about a year or two ago by lying with his fathers wife and now Jacob devolveth the birth-right upon Joseph and maketh him a part-coloured coat as the badge of it for this love of Jacob to him and for this priviledge conferred upon him his brethren hate him and for his dreams their hate increaseth that they sell him His father first sets him to feed the flocks with his brethren but the sons of the very hand-maids made * * * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers. 2. a servant of him then his father sent him to visit his brethren at their flocks at Shechem but there the Amorite had taken possession upon Jacobs departure and theirs after Shechems slaughter so that they are forced to go for pasture at Dothan there Joseph findeth them and by the counsel of Judah as Christ by the villany of Judas he is sold to Medanites Midianites and Ismaelites for by all these names are the merchants that brought him named for these people lived so promiscuously together that any of them did indifferently bear any of these names Jacob is now deceived with the blood of a kid in stead of Josephs as he had deceived his father with the flesh and skin of a kid in stead of venison and his own skin Joseph is sold to Potiphar CHAP. XXXIX Isaac 169 Iacob 109 Ioseph 18 JOseph in Egypt is prosperous in his masters house and the Lord is Isaac 170 Iacob 110 Ioseph 19 with him his master intrusteth him with all that he hath his Isaac 171 Iacob 111 Ioseph 20 black-moor mistress lusting after his beauty causeth his misery she Isaac 172 Iacob 112 Ioseph 21 cloaks her villany under his coat the shewing of his coat had before caused his fathers sorrow and now it doth his own Here the chastity of Joseph now the first-born shameth the unchastity of Reuben the first-born before the one denies his mistress the other solicites his fathers wife CHAP. XXXVIII from ver 6. to the end Isaac 173 Iacob 113 Ioseph 22 ER and Onan about this time miscarry and Judah himself not Isaac 174 Iacob 114 Ioseph 23 very long after incestuates his own daughter-in-law of which Isaac 175 Iacob 115 Ioseph 24 incest Pharez is begotten yet a father of Christ according to the Isaac 176 Iacob 116 Ioseph 25 flesh The story of the affairs of Judahs is laid presently after Isaac 177 Iacob 117 Ioseph 26 the story of the sale of Joseph though some things contained in it Isaac 178 Iacob 118 Ioseph 27 came to pass a long time before
Promise 240 Canaan and was to be victorious against the Hagarens see Ioseph 65 Years of the Promise 241 Jos. 4. 12. and 1 Chron. 5. 10. He was unstable as water in affecting the Ioseph 66 Years of the Promise 242 Priest-hood and refusing the land Numb 16. 1 2. and 32. 1. but his father adviseth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Al tother let not unstability remain Ioseph 68 Years of the Promise 244 in him Ioseph 69 Years of the Promise 245 That the scattering of Simeon and Levi among the rest of the Ioseph 70 Years of the Promise 246 tribes should be for the benefit of themselves and of others Ioseph 71 Years of the Promise 247 That Judah should be Prince and should be victorious that Shiloh Ioseph 72 Years of the Promise 248 should descend of him and that either the Scepter or Law-giver Ioseph 73 Years of the Promise 249 should continue in that tribe till his coming That Judahs habitation Ioseph 74 Years of the Promise 250 should be a country of vines so as to tie asses or colts to them and Ioseph 75 Years of the Promise 251 not to be nice of spoiling them they should be so abundant that Ioseph 76 Years of the Promise 252 he should sowse his garments in wine with treading the wine-presses Ioseph 77 Years of the Promise 253 c. Ioseph 78 Years of the Promise 254 That Zebulon should trade at Sea on both hands in the Ocean and Ioseph 79 Years of the Promise 255 the Sea of Galilee Ioseph 80 Years of the Promise 256 That Issachar should be burdned with two Kingdoms of Phenicia Ioseph 81 Years of the Promise 257 and Samaria on either hand him yet love of ease should make Ioseph 82 Years of the Promise 258 him bear and become tributary Ioseph 83 Years of the Promise 259 Ioseph 84 Years of the Promise 260 That Dan in Samson shall bite the heels of the Philistims house Ioseph 85 Years of the Promise 261 and overthrow so many thousand riders and that makes Jacob to Ioseph 86 Years of the Promise 262 look at the delivery by Christ in the like manner who should destroy Ioseph 87 Years of the Promise 263 Ioseph 88 Years of the Promise 264 Samson-like by dying Ioseph 89 Years of the Promise 265 That Gad should be hard set with the Hagarites but he and his Ioseph 90 Years of the Promise 266 friends should overcom them at last Ioseph 91 Years of the Promise 267 Ioseph 92 Years of the Promise 268 That Ashur should abound in corn and provision and Naphtali in Ioseph 93 Years of the Promise 269 venison and in him should begin the Gospel Ioseph 94 Years of the Promise 270 Ioseph 95 Years of the Promise 271 That Josephs sons should grow by Jacobs well unto a Kingdom Ioseph 96 Years of the Promise 272 and that his daughters should go 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even to the enemy to repair Ioseph 97 Years of the Promise 273 Ioseph 98 Years of the Promise 274 the hostile tribe of Benjamin which otherwise had decayed for Ioseph 99 Years of the Promise 275 want of wives as Judg. 21. Ioseph 100 Years of the Promise 276 Ioseph 101 Years of the Promise 277 That Benjamin should be ravenous and devour the prey to themselves Ioseph 102 Years of the Promise 278 in the morning of their estate in the great slaughter of Gibeah and in stealing them wives but should divide the spoil for the good of the other tribes in the evening of their first estate by Mordecai and in the evening of their second estate by Paul Ioseph 103 Years of the Promise 279 The Apostle in Heb. 11. 21. mentioneth only Jacobs blessing the two Ioseph 104 Years of the Promise 280 Ioseph 105 Years of the Promise 281 sons of Joseph because born out of his family in a forain land yet Ioseph 106 Years of the Promise 282 Ioseph 107 Years of the Promise 283 by faith adopted by Jacob for his own children the Apostle there Ioseph 108 Years of the Promise 284 follows the LXX that in their unprickt Bibles read Matteh a rod for Ioseph 109 Years of the Promise 285 Mittah a bed World 2369 Ioseph 110 Years of the Promise 286 JOSEPH dieth 110 years old having lived to see Ephrams children Years of the Promise 287 to the third generation that is to the third generation from Ephraim or fourth from Joseph and to this the great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chap. 50. ver 23. seemeth to point to teach us to construe this to the greatest extent namely to the third from Ephraim as the like is expressed of Manasseh 1 CHRON. VII ver 21 22 23. Years of the Promise 288 EPHRAIM at Josephs death could not be less then threescore and Years of the Promise 289 fiteen years old and therefore that passage concerning his sons being Years of the Promise 290 slain by the men of Gath seemeth to have been not very long after Years of the Promise 291 Josephs death if not before unless we will conceive Ephraim to Years of the Promise 292 have begotten children after that at a very great age Zabad his son Years of the Promise 293 and Shutelah and Ezer and Elead his grandchildren probably enough Years of the Promise 294 that third generation of Ephraim meant Gen. 50. 25. were the men so Years of the Promise 295 unhappily slain by the men of Gath that were born in the land that is Years of the Promise 296 men born in Egypt but now resident in Gath and who came down to Years of the Promise 297 take away these Ephraimites cattel and slew them as they stood in defence Years of the Promise 298 and retention of them for so should I rather translate the verse Years of the Promise 299 Years of the Promise 300 and men of Gath who were born in the land slew them for they came down Years of the Promise 301 to take away their cattel so as to make the men of Gath the plunderers Years of the Promise 302 Years of the Promise 303 rather then the sons of Ephraim Ephraim their father upon the sad occurrence Years of the Promise 304 Years of the Promise 305 mourneth many days but afterward goeth in to his wife and Years of the Promise 306 giveth him that name because it went ill at that time with his house Years of the Promise 307 Israel by this time is grown to a vast multitude in Egypt The Book of EXODUS CHAP. I. World 2391 Years of the Promise 308 ABout this time Levi dieth having lived 137 years Exod. 6. 16. Years of the Promise 309 Years of the Promise 310 It is like that he lived longest of all the tribes and that because Years of the Promise 311 only his age and the age of Joseph are mentioned of all Years of the Promise 312 the rest it seemeth that the one died the soonest and the Years of the Promise 313 Years of the Promise
grandchilds actions were like Manasses his actions the King of Judah CHAP. XIX Othniel 27 ISrael tolerateth this Idolatry and never stirreth either against Micah or the Danites which toleration breedeth all iniquity so that Gibeah a City of Israel becometh as abominable as Sodom A whorish woman is kill'd with whoredom CHAP. XX. ALL Israel goeth against Gibeah and that by Gods express commission and command and yet 40000 of them are slain by that wicked and wretched Town and by the Tribe that took part with it Thus did God avenge his own cause against Israel because Israel would not avenge Gods cause against Idolatry they were so sensible of an injury done to a whore in Gibeah but were not at all sensible of an injury done to God by Dan's Idolatry when God hath thus used Benjamin to execute his justice against Israel for not punishing Idolatry he then useth Israel to punish Benjamin for not delivering Gibeah up to justice Othniel it is like was chief commander in this service and Phineas was zealous in this case as he had been in one of a not much different nature Numb 25. Benjamin is now Benoni a son of sorrow and Rachel hath cause to weep for her children CHAP. XXI HAdad Rimmon Zech. 12. 11. or the sad shout of Rimmon the Prophet alludeth to the two great and general Lamentations of Israel the one about the rock Rimmon where a whole Tribe was now come to 400 men and whereupon even the very conquerors become mourners The other in the valley of Megiddo for the death of Josiah The one in the beginning of their estate the other in the latter end Jabesh Gilead is destroyed for affection to Benjamin they were both of Joseph and both had pitched under one standard Benjamin raveneth like a wolf for wives Josephs daughters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 49. 22. go to the enemy and repair the decaied Tribe when the daughters of Shiloh in Ephraim and of Jabesh in Manasseh supply Benjamin an hostile Tribe with wives or else it had perished and thus is the story of these Chapters knit to it self Now that the beginning of the Book of Judges is the proper time and place of these stories may be concluded upon these reasons 1. The Danites were unsetled when the stories of the seventeenth and eighteenth Chapters came to pass and therefore this could not be long after Joshua's death 2. Phinehas was alive at the battle at Gibeah Chap. 20. 28. 3. The wickedness of Gibeah is reckoned for their first villany Hos. 10 9. 4. Deborah speaketh of the 40000 of Israel that perished by Benjamin as if neither sword nor spear had been among them Chap. 5. 8. 5. Mahaneh Dan which was so named upon the march of the Danites when they set up their Idolatry Chap. 18. 12. is mentioned in the story of Samson though that story be set before the story of their march Chap. 15. 25. 6. Dan is omitted among the sealed of the Lord Rev. 7. because idolatry first began in his Tribe as is said before 7. Ehud may very well be supposed to have been one of the left-handed Benjamites and one of them that escaped at the rock Rimmon Chap. 20. 16. 21. Now the reason why the Holy Ghost hath laid these stories which came to pass so soon in so late a place may be supposed to be this 1. That the Reader observing how their state-policy failed in the death of Samson which was a Danite might presently be shewed Gods justice in it because their Religion had first failed among the Danites 2. That when he observes that eleven hundred pieces of silver were given by every Philistim Prince for the ruin of Samson Chap. 16. 5. he might presently observe the eleven hundred pieces of silver that were given by Micahs mother for the making of an Idol which ruined Religion in Samsons Tribe 3. That the story of Micah of the hill Country of Ephraim the first destroyer of Religion and the story of Saemuel of the hill Country of Ephraim the first reformer of Religion might be laid together somewhat near CHAP. II. Ver. 11. to the end And CHAP. III. to Ver. 11. Othniel 28 WHEN these stories are read the story returns to Chap. 2. 11. and relateth Othniel 29 the spreading of Idolatry over all the Tribes as it had done over Othniel 30 that of Dan and how mixt marriages with cursed Canaanites undo Israel their Othniel 31 first afflicter is Cushan Rishathaim a Mesopotamian he oppressed them eight Othniel 32 years it is like he broke in upon the Tribes that lay on the other side Jordan Othniel 33 as those that lay nearest to his own Country and there got possession for so Othniel 34 many years together and incroached upon them within Jordan by degrees as Othniel 35 he found strength and opportunity but Othniel of Judah maketh good the Othniel 36 Prophecy of Judahs being a Lions whelp c. and so the tents of Cushan come into Othniel 37 affliction c. Hab. 3. 7. The consideration and observing that the first forain Othniel 38 oppressor of all others that troubled Israel in their own land was a man of Othniel 39 Aram Naharaim or a Mesopotamian it cannot but call to mind the dealing of Laban with Jacob in that place and it is a matter of question and some strangeness how and why a man of that Country of all others should thus oppress theirs CHAP. III. Vers. 11. World 2610 Othniel 40 OThniel dieth CHAP. III. Verse 12. to the end World 2611 Ehud 1 Ehud 2 Ehud 3 EHuds eighty years begin not that he ruled so long without intermission Ehud 4 Ehud 5 or so long in any sense at all for eighty years was even a mans Ehud 6 Ehud 7 whole life but that there were fourscore years from the death of Othniel Ehud 8 and that after Ehud delivered them from Eglon he was Judge and a Ruler Ehud 9 Ehud 10 over them whilest he lived not as a Monarch for the Sanhedrin bare the Ehud 11 sway but as a chief commander and one ready to undertake for them if Ehud 12 Ehud 13 any enemies should arise and one ready to teach and lead them in the ways Ehud 14 of God as was said before of Othniel It is said of Othniels time that the Ehud 15 Ehud 16 land had rest Ehud 17 forty years and Othniel died by which it is apparent that the forty years are reckoned till Othniels death so in Chap. 22. Ibsan judged Ehud 18 Ehud 19 seven years and died Elon judged ten years and died Abdon judged eight Ehud 20 years and died c. Samson judged twenty years and these twenty years Ehud 21 ended in his death and so are we to conceive of these fourscore of Ehud Ehud 22 Ehud 23 that they ended with his death also and therefore it is improper to conceive Ehud 24 that the eight years of Cushans afflicting were the last eight years of Ehud 25 Ehud 26 Othniels
Months 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 19. which the Rabbins interpret And one Officer which was in the Land for the Leap-year or for the thirteenth Month which befel every third year Solomon had four thousand Stables of Horses and Chariots 2 Chron. 9. 25. that is forty thousand Stalls of Horses for his Chariots 1 King 4. 2. one Horse in every Stall and ten Horses to a Chariot and in a Stable So seven hundred Chariots 2 Sam. 10. 18. is rendred seven thousand 1 Chron. 19. 18. that is seven thousand men with seven hundred Chariots ten to a Chariot Solomon is said to be wiser then Heman and Ethan and Chalcol and Darda that is in humane learning for these men lived in Egypt in the time of Israels affliction there and it seemeth were singularly skilled in all the wisdom of the Egyptians Yet Solomon went beyond them in Philosophy CHAP. II. from vers 39. to the end And CHAP. III. vers 1 2. ABout the latter end of Solomons third year or beginning of his fourth Shimei compasseth his own death by breaking the bonds and bounds of his consinement And as the Jews held Solomon after that marrieth Pharaohs daughter The time is uncertain and the determination of it not much material Solomon preferreth her before the rest of his wives for they were of Nations that were his Subjects but she the daughter of an intire King and by this match he allieth that potent King to him and secureth himself the better abroad especially from Hadad his Enemy who had married a Lady from the same Court 1 King 11. 19. CHAP. VI. all And VII from vers 13. to the end 2 CHRON. III IV. World 2993 Solomon 4 THE foundation of the Temple laid on Mount Moriah where Isaac had Solomon 5 been offered It is said That the foundation of the house of the Lord was Solomon 6 laid in Solomons fourth year in the month Zif or the second month and in the eleventh year in the month Bul which is the eighth month it was finished and Solomon 7 Solomon 8 so was he seven years in building it It was exactly seven years and six months Solomon 9 in building but the odd six months are omitted for roundness of the sum as Solomon 10 the six odd months are of Davids reigning in Hebron Compare 1 King 2. 11 with 2 Sam. 5. 5. Now the beginning of the seventh Chapter of 1 Kings relateth the Story of Solomons building his own house before it come to mention the furniture of the Temple because the Holy Ghost would mention all Solomons fabricks together or the piles of his buildings before it come to speak of the furniture of any CHAP. VIII all 2 CHRON. V. VI. VII to ver 11. World 3000 Solomon 11 THE Temple finished in the three thousand year of the world and dedicated by Solomon with Sacrifice and Prayer and by the Lord with fire from Heaven and the cloud of glory This dedication of the Temple was in the month Tisri or Ethanim the seventh month answering to part of our September at which time of the year our Saviour whom this Temple typified Joh. 2. 19. was born and 29 years after Baptized And thus have we an account of three thousand years of the world beginning with the Creation and ending with the finishing of Solomons Temple CHAP. VII From vers 1. to vers 13. World 3001 Solomon 12 SOLOMON after the building of the house of the Lord buildeth his Solomon 13 own house in Jerusalem and buildeth a summer house in Lebanon and an Solomon 14 house for Pharaohs Daughter and his own Throne so sumptuous as there was Solomon 15 not the like And thus doth he take up twenty years in this kind of work in Solomon 16 building the house of the Lord and his own houses His wisdom power Solomon 17 Solomon 18 peace and magnificence exceeding all Kings upon earth did make him not only Solomon 19 renowned among all people but also in these he became a type of Christ. Solomon 20 Thus high in all eminencies and perfections that earth could afford did the Solomon 21 Lord exalt him and yet afterward suffered him so fouly to fall that he like Solomon 22 Adam in happiness might exemplifie that no earthly felicity can be durable and Solomon 23 that here is nothing to be trusted to but all things vanity but the Kingdom Solomon 24 that is not of this world CHAP. IX From beginning to Vers. 10. 2 CHRON. VII From Vers. 11. to the end SOLOMON hath an answer to his prayer made in the Temple thirteen years ago Then the Lord made a return to it by fire and a cloud and here he doth the like again by an apparition this is the second time that the Lord appeareth to him The first was when he was even entring and beginning upon his Kingdom and this is now he is come to the height of settlement and prosperity in it CHAP. IX From Vers. 10. to the end 2 CHRON. VIII all Solomon 25 SOLOMON buildeth Cities up and down the Country conquereth Solomon 26 Hamath Zobah setleth Pharaohs Daughter in the house he had built for her Solomon 27 setteth out a Fleet at Ezion-Geber for Ophir is growing still more and Solomon 28 more potent rich and magnificent Is constant still and forward in Religion Solomon 29 and offereth a constant rate of Sacrifices every day and extraordinary ones at Solomon 30 the solemn festivities The Book of the PROVERBS AMong the Stories of Solomons renown in other things may be inserted also and conceived his uttering of his Proverbs three thousand in number as is related 1 King 4. 32. and the making of his Songs one thousand and five as is storied in the same place Now it is no doubt but the most of these are lost as also are his Books of Philosophy But these that are now extant in the Book of the Proverbs and the Song of Songs we may very properly conceive to have been penned by him in some of those times that have been mentioned The very exact time is uncertain and therefore not curiously to be enquired after but the time at large betwixt his Sons growing to capacity whom he instructeth and his own fall by the inticement of his Idolatrous Wives The Book of the Proverbs falleth under several divisions As 1. From the beginning of the first Chapter to the end of the ninth which whole piece seemeth to have been compiled by him more especially for the instruction of his Son 2. From the beginning of the tenth Chapter to the latter end of the four and twentieth wherein are lessons framed for the instruction of others 3. From the beginning of the five and twentieth Chapter to the end of the twenty ninth are Proverbs of Solomon found in some Copy of his in the time of Ezechiah as Moses his Copy of the Law was found in the days of Josiah 4. The thirtieth Chapter is a script of Agur the Son of Jakeh
clearly and therefore it was neither when Uzziah was made leprous nor in the year when he died as the Jews conjecture but it was before After this came a Plague of more misery but of lesser terrour and that was of fearful and horrid Locusts Caterpillars and Cankerworms whose like the oldest men alive had never seen Joel 1 2 3 c. These came towards harvest time in the beginning of the growth after mowing Amos 7. 1. And then were the fields and trees laden with corn and fruit but these laid the vines waste and barked the fig-trees Joel 1. 7. And causeth the harvest of the field to perish and the trees to wither so that there was not corn and wine sufficient for a meet Offering and drink Offering in the House of the Lord ver 10 11 12. then did the Cattel groan ver 18. and the beast of the field did languish Hos. 4. 3. This heavy Plague of Locusts was at last removed by prayer but the sins of the people called for another Therefore the Lord called to contend by fire Amos 7. 4. namely by an extreme drought with which were mingled fearful flashes of fire which fell from Heaven as in Egypt Eccl. 9. 23. and devoured all the pastures of the wilderness and the flame burnt up all the trees of the field Joel 1. 19. and some Cities were consumed by fire from Heaven as was Sodome Amos 4. 11. Esay 1. 9. And the rivers of water were dryed up Joel 1. 2. yea even the great deep was devoured by the heat and part of it eaten up Amos 7. 4. and the fishes destroyed Hos. 4. 3. After all these judgments when they prevailed not but the people were still the same God set a line upon his people and decreed that the high places of Isaac should be desolate and the Sanctuaries of Israel should be laid waste Amos 7. 9. yet did not the Lord leave himself without witness but against and in these times of Judgment and successively and continually did the Lord raise up a race of Prophets among them both in Israel and Judah that gave them warning threatning instruction and exhortation from time to time and did not this only by word of mouth but also committed the same to writing and to posterity that all generations to come might see the abomination and ingratitude of that people written as it were with a pen of Iron and a point of a Diamond and might read and fear and not do the like The Prophesie of HOSEA CHAP. I II III IV. THE first Prophet of this race was Hosea and so he testifieth of himself chap. 1. vers 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord spake first by Hosea And thus as under an Hosea Israel did enter into the Land of Canaan Numb 13. 16. and under an Hosea were captived out 2 King 17. So did the Lord raise up an Hosea the first of these Prophets to tax their unthankfulness for the one and to foretel the fearfulness of the other His Prophesie is common both to Israel and Judah even as was his adulterous wife a mate as unfit for so holy a Prophet as her actions were fit to resemble such a wicked people The date of his Prophesie tells us that he began in the days of Uzziah and continued till the days of Ezekiah and so was a Preacher at the least seventy years and so saw the truth of his Prophesie fulfilled upon captived Israel Of all the Sermons that he made and threatnings and admonitions that he gave in so long a time only this small parcel is reserved which is contained in his little Book the Lord reserving only what his divine Wisdom saw to be most pertinent for those present times and most profitable for the time to come That being to be accounted canonical Scripture not what every Prophet delivered in his whole time but what the Lord saw good to commit to writing for posterity To fit every Prophesie of this Book whether Chapter or part of Chapter to its proper year when it was delivered is so far impossible as that it is not possible to fit them certainly to the Kings reign and therefore the Reader can but conceive of their time in gross as they were delivered by him in the time of his Preaching which was exceeding long only these two or three considerations and conjectures may not be unprofitable towards the casting up of some of the times and towards the better understanding of his Prophesie in some particular 1. He began to Prophesie in the days of Uzziah and began first of any that were Prophets in his reign as were Joel Amos and Esaiah Jonah was a Prophet in these times but there is no Prophesie of his left against Israel or Judah the second Verse of the first Chapter cited even now cannot be understood so properly in any sence as this that God now raising up in the days of Uzziah a generation of Prophets that should continue in a succession till the captivity and that should leave their Prophesies behind them in writing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord spake first of all these by Hosea Therefore whereas it is apparent that Amos by the date of his Prophesie ver 1. lived in those days of Uzziah which were contemporary with the days of Jeroboam so also is it apparent by this passage of Hosea that he himself began in some time of those concurrent years of Uzziah and Jeroboam which were fifteen and somewhat before the beginning of Amos. 2. His two first Chapters seem to be uttered by him in the very beginning of his Preaching of the first there can be no doubt nor controversie and the other two may be well conceived to be of the same date as appeareth by the matter In the first Chapter under the parable of his marrying an adulterous wife which he names Gomer the daughter of Diblaim either for that there was some notorious whorish wife in those times of that name or for the significansie of the words for they import corruption of figs as Jer. 24. 3. as our Saviour in a parable nameth a begger Lazarus either because there was some noted poor needy wretch of that name in those times or for the significansie of the word Lazarus signifying God help me as proper a name for a begger as could be given under this Parable I say of his marrying an adulterous wife and begetting children of her he foretels first the ruine of the house of Jehu this typified by a Son she bears called Jezrael then the ruine of the ten Tribes this typified by a daughter she bears which he calls Lo-ruchamah or unpitied for in these times of Jeroboam when Hosea began to Prophesie the Lord had pittied Israel exceedingly and eased them much of their trouble and oppressions 2 King 24 26 27. but now he would do so no more but Judah he would yet pitty and save them not by bow and sword but by an Angel in the days of Ezekiah
and this is the last victory of Syria before Assyria swallowed it up 2 KINGS XVI ver 7. to 17. World 3271 Ahaz 4 Pekah 20 Division 242 AHAZ hireth Tiglath-Pilefer this rasor that is hired namely Assyria Esa. 7. 20. doth now shave Galilee Gilead and Damascus and ere long it lighteth on him that hired it Tiglath captiveth Damascus to Kir and slayeth Rezin as Amos 1. 5. Ahaz goeth to Damascus to see him and bringeth away with him the pattern of an idolatrous Altar Ahaz 5 Pekah 1 Division 243 Ahaz as he falleth into great Ahaz 6 Pekah 2 Division 244 sins so falleth he into great Ahaz 7 Pekah 3 Division 245 miseries being oppressed by Ahaz 8 Pekah 4 Division 246 enemies on every hand yet Ahaz 9 Pekah 5 Division 247 still groweth he worse and Ahaz 10 Pekah 6 Division 248 worse and is no whit humbled Ahaz 11 Pekah 7 Division 249 by his calamities therefore the Text sets a special mark and brand upon him for such impenitency This is that King Ahaz 2 Chron. 28. 22. He setteth up a Dial which yieldeth a miraculous sign to his son Hezekiah though he himself had scorned to ask for a sign 2 KINGS XV. vers 30 31. World 3271 Ahaz 4 Pekah 20 Division 242 PEKAH before he dieth loseth all Gilead and Galilee and at last is slain himself by Hoshea the son of Elah In the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah Now is revenge taken on Pekah for all his cruelty against Judah but it is not for Ahaz his sake therefore it is not dated by his time but by Jothams in the grave Ahaz 5 Pekah 1 Division 243 After the death of Pekah Ahaz 6 Pekah 2 Division 244 there is no mention of any King Ahaz 7 Pekah 3 Division 245 in the Throne of Israel for Ahaz 8 Pekah 4 Division 246 compleat seven years together Ahaz 9 Pekah 5 Division 247 For though Hoshea slew Elah in Ahaz 10 Pekah 6 Division 248 the fourth of Ahaz which is Ahaz 11 Pekah 7 Division 249 called Jothams twentieth yet is not he said to raign till Ahaz his twelfth year 2 King 17. 1. The reason of this will be worth the labour a little to inquire after for the resolving of this matter doth not only clear this place but also gives light to one or two places more which are of obscurity HOSEA V. VI. IN the times of Ahaz after his seeking to Assyria for help do these Chapters seem to have been uttered for Chapter 5. 13. reproveth that in Ephraim and Judah both and threatens them both with judgments And Chapter 6. inviteth and exhorteth to repentance and promiseth good Ephraim is the more specially named in the reproof for relying upon Ashur though Judah were now under the same sin and falleth under the same reproof because Ephraim was first in that fault 2 Kings 15. 19. and was first ruined by Ashur 2 KING XVI ver 17 18. 2 CHRON. XXVIII ver 16. to 26. World 3279 Ahaz 12 Hoshea 1 Division 250 AHAZ is intrapt in his Ahaz 13 Hoshea 2 Division 251 own snare his hired Assyrians now overfloweth himself Such days come upon him and his people as had not been since Ephraim departed away from Judah now that is fulfilled Esay 7. 17. 2 KING XVII ver 1 2. World 3279 Ahaz 12 Hoshea 1 Division 250 HOSHEA reigneth in the Ahaz 13 Hoshea 2 Division 251 twelfth year of Ahaz and reigneth nine years from that time forward Now since the time that Hoshea had slain Pekah Shalmanezer the King of Assyria had come up against him and brought him into Vassalage and now in the twelfth year of Ahaz sets the Crown upon his head and he and the Kingdom of Samaria become subjects and tributaries to the Crown of Assyria for observe in the Text that Hoshea becomes Shalmanezers servant and gave him tribute this was in the twelfth of Ahaz and from thence the nine years of his reign are dated but afterward he is found faulty and caught and imprisoned and then Samaria in three years siege is taken So that those seven years that were between the death of Pekah and Ahaz his twelfth are without the mention of any King in Samaria because Hoshea was not yet established in the Throne but kept under by the Assyrian till the twelfth of Ahaz and then he sets him up King there This observation of the vassalage of Samaria before the final taking of it in the ninth of Hoshea helpeth first to understand that place in Hosh. 10. 14. namely that Shalman or Shalmanezer for Eser was but an additional title to the Assyrian Monarchs as Pil-eser Eser-haddon c. spoiled Beth-arbel in this his first voyage against Samaria and so would he spoil Bethel at his second ESAY X XI XII XIII XIV to ver 28. AND the same observation also helpeth to methodize these Chapters in Esay and to remove that doubt that ariseth by comparing Esay 10. ver 9. 11. with Chap. 14. 28. together for the former place speaketh of the subduing of Samaria by the Assyrian which was not till some years after Ahaz his death and yet the latter speaks but of the the year in which Ahaz died yet is there no dislocation at all in this but that taking of Samaria that Chap. 10. 9. speaketh of was in this first expedition of Shalmaneser against Hoshea before the twelfth of Ahaz when he subdued Samaria and her Idols and brought that Kingdom under tribute In Esay 10. he threatens to do the like to Jerusalem and indeed he doth it He came up to Ajath passed to Migron laid up his Carriages at Micmash lodged at Geba Cities within Ahaz his dominion and came over the passage that had been straitly kept as a Frontier between the Kingdom of Samaria and the Kingdom of Judah c. and indeed came up to Jerusalem and subdued Ahaz These were those strong waters that over flowed Judah and Emanuels land in Ahaz his time Esay 8. 8. and the bitter days that he saw the like not seen since the ten Tribes revolt Esay 7. 17. Of these days it is that Hezekiah speaketh in the very next year or fourteenth of Ahaz Our fathers have fallen â—y the sword and our sons and daughters and wives are in captivity 2 Chron. 29. 9. And be not ye like your fathers and like your brethren which trespassed against the Lord and the Lord gave them up to desolation as you see 2 Chron. 30. 7. This coming up of the Assyrian King against Jerusalem was the occasion of Ahaz his spoiling the things of the Temple his cutting off the borders and bases and removing the laver and sea and the covert for the people to stand under on the Sabbath and his turning away his own entry aside from the house of the Lord 2 King 16. vers 17 18. Because of the King of Assyria as saith the Text either to bestow those things that he thus cut off upon the King or for fear the King
obsequiousness For he dying and leaving Nero and his own two daughters his heirs by Will the Roman Centurions as in claim to Nero's Legacy ransack and catch all they can and pull his Kingdom all to pieces and abuse his wife and two daughters barbarously and inhumanely and spare not either his friends kindred or Nobles This stirs all to commotion which is eagerly prosecuted by Bondicea or Bunduica the widow of the King deceased in so much that they destroy the Colony at Camalodunum the Roman Garrison and associates at London and the like at Verulam in all to the number of 70000 persons Suetonius at last comes in and fights them they being near upon 230000 in arms under Bunduica he routeth them slays about 80000 of them Bunduica for vexation poisons her self and the Roman destroies with sire and sword all the Towns before him that were of the adverse party or adhered to it Divers prodigies are mentioned by the Historians that relate these bloody occurrences as presages of it as the Sea bloody strange voices and howlings heard sights seen in the Thames of houses under water a Colony overturned c. CHRIST LXII NERO. VIII PAVL in the Epistle to the Colossians Chap. 4. 10. intimateth that Mark who was then with him at Rome was likely ere long to come to them into the East and he willeth them to receive him as from him though there had once been disagreement betwixt Mark and him Whether Timothy's imprisonment delayed Mark 's journey may be some question for Paul having sent for them two to come to him together 2 Tim. 4. 11. it is like he could ill part with the one when the other was made useless to him by restraint and so we have some cause to suppose that while Timothy was in prison Mark remained with Paul However whensoever it was that he went for the East we have this reason to think that Paul wrote and sent by him THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS And that he having delivered it where Paul had appointed him went away to Peter to Babylon in Chaldaea because Peter there mentioneth Mark now with him 1 Pet. 3. 15. And this Epistle 2 Pet. 3. 15. It is observable that these two great Apostles Peter and Paul the several Ministers of the Circumcision and Uncircumcision had their interchanged agents Sylvanus or Silas Pauls Minister resident with Peter and imployed by him to carry his first Epistle 1 Pet. 5. 12. And Mark Peters Minister resident with Paul 2 Tim. 4. 11. Col. 4. 10. and very probably imployed by him to carry this Epistle to the Hebrews And thus in the interchanged agencies of their Ministers the parties with whom they had to deal might own the joynt agreement of both the Apostles Although we dare not punctually assert either the bearer of this Epistle or the exact time of its writing yet that it was written and sent about these times that we are upon may be observed by these two boundaries that shut it up within some reasonable compass of the time hereabout First A parte ante or that it could not be written much sooner then this may be concluded by this that Timothy had gone through his imprisonment and was now inlarged before its writing Heb. 13. 23. And secondly A parte post or that it could not be written much after this time may be observed from that passage Chap. 12. 4. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood For presently after this bloody times came on That it was written by Paul hath not only the concurrent consent of all Copies and Translations but even this proof for it That none can be named A prisoner Chap. 10. 34. and in Italy Chap. 13. 24. and in so near converse with Timothy Chap. 13. 25. as the Author of this Epistle was so likely as Paul His not affixing his name to this as he had done to his other Epistles doth no more deny it to be his then the first Epistle of Johns is denied to be Johns upon the same account especially considering that the name of the Apostle of the uncircumcision would not sound so well before an Epistle to the Circumcised and yet the more still because he sent it by Mark for so we cannot but suppose who was a Minister of the Minister of the Circumcision and who could easily inform them of the Writer Unto what part of the Jewish Nation he sendeth the Epistle under the indorsement To the Hebrews and why that indorsement To the Hebrews rather then To the Jews may be a useful and a needful Quaere It cannot be imagined but that he sendeth it to be delivered at a certain place within some reasonable compass because it was impossible for the bearer whosoever he was to deliver it to all the Jews dispersion and because in Chap. 13. 23. he saith that when Timothy came he would come with him and see them Therefore the title The Hebrews must determine the place since there is nothing else to determine it A double reason may be given why he so stileth them rather then Jews namely either because the name Jew was now beginning to become odious or rather because he would point out the Jews that dwelt in Judea or the Land of Israel And this sense doth the Holy Ghost put upon the title the Hebrews Act. 6. 1. where it is said There was a murmuring of the Hellenists against the Hebrews By The Hellenists meaning the Jews that dwelt in forreign Countries among the Greeks and by The Hebrews those that dwelt in Judea And so it is most proper to understand the inscription of this Epistle namely that Paul directs and sends it to the believing Jews of Judea a people that had been much ingaged to him for his care of their poor getting collections for them all along his travels and Mark whom we suppose the bearer of this Epistle had come in to his attendance and to the attendance of his Uncle Barnabas when they had been in Judea to bring almes unto those Churches Act. 11. 12. It is not to be doubted indeed that he intendeth the discourse and matter of this Epistle to the Jews throughout all their dispersion and therefore Peter writing to the Jews of Pontus Galatia Cappadocia and Asia applies it as written to them 2 Pet. 3. 15. yet doth he indorse it and send it chiefly to The Hebrews or the Jews of Judea the principal seat of the Circumcision as the properest center whither to direct it and from whence it might best diffuse in time to the whole circumference of their dispersion He hath to deal in it mainly with those things that the Jewish writers commonly call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ordinances affixed to the Land or such Ceremonious part of their Religion as while it stood was confined to the Land as Temple Sacrifice Priesthood c. Therefore it was most proper to direct his speech in its first bent to those that dwelt in the Land and were most near to those
verum bonum truth and goodness so the whole tenor of Scripture doth run upon these two and they are indeed the sum of all as Psal. 25. 10. and 40. 12. and 36. 5. and 138. 2. Hos. 2. 19. c. Now Christ being the substance of the promises which had the original from grace and their performance in truth they being in him yea and in him Amen the Evangelist saying that he dwelt among us full of grace and truth holdeth out that he was the performance and accomplishment of all the promises of grace and the truth of all the types and prophecies before the Law and under it that tended to such a purpose and in him was the fulness of that mercy and truth that the Patriarchs Prophets and holy men looked after and he the whole tenor scope and subject of the Scriptures SECTION III. S. LUKE CHAP. I. The Conception and Birth of Iohn the Baptist and of Christ foretold by the Angel Gabriel c. Ver. 5. THere was in the days of ††††††Herod written with Câ—eth in the beginning signifieth fear or trembling as the trembling cowardise of Gedeons souldiers named the well Harod Judg. 7. 1. c. But the Syr. Arab write this with He. Herod the King of Judea a certain Priest named Zacharias of the course of Abiah and his wife was of a a a a a a John Baptist of the Priestly line both by Father and Mother the Daughters of Aaron and her name was b b b b b b The Seventy call wife of Aaron the first Priest by the same name Exod. 6. 23. Elizabeth 6. And they were c c c c c c Such couples were Abraham and Sarah Isaac and Rebeccah Elkanah and Hannah both righteous and a long time childless both righteous before God walking in all the Commandements and Ordinances of the Lord blameless 7. And they had no child because that d d d d d d Throughout the Scripture want of Children is ascribed to the woman Elizabeth was barren and they were both now e e e e e e An Hebraisme as Gen. 18. 11. 1 Kings 1. 1. c. well striken in years 8. And it came to pass that while he executed the Priests Office f f f f f f The Worship of God in the Temple was said to be before him Exod. 23. 17. Lev. 1. 3. 11. And the ark being the representation of Christ is called bis face Psal. 105. 4. yea even God himself Psal. 132. 5. before God in the order of his course 9. According to the custome of the Priests Office his lot was to burn Incense when he went into the Temple of the Lord. 10. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the tine of Incense 11. And there appeared unto him an ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ Compare the appearing of the Angel Gabriel to Daniel about the time of Incense Dan. 9. 21. Angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the Altar of Incense 12. And when Zacharias saw him g g g g g g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the LXX to express Pharaohs trouble upon his dream Gen. 41. 8. and his Servants upon theirs Gen. 40. 6. Compare Judg. 6. 22. 13. 22. Dan. 8. 17. Joâ— 4. 14. he was troubled h h h h h h As Gen. 15. 12. and fear fell upon him 13. But the Angel said unto him fear not Zacharias for thy prayer is heard and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a Son and thou shalt call his name ††††††John the same with Jochanan so frequent in the Old Testament as 1 Chr. 3. 19. 6. 9. 12. 12. 26. 3. and 2 Chron. 17. 15. 23. 1. and 28. 12. Jer. 40. 8. John 14. And thou shalt have i i i i i i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Job 3. 22. The Arab addeth thou shalt have great joy joy and gladness and k k k k k k As Gen. 21. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the LXX for it Lev. 10 5. Numb 6. 3. Esay 5. 11. and 28. 7. c. which sometimes signifieth Wine as Num. 28. 7. but most commonly any thing that will cause drunkenness Wine of fourty days old is called Shekar saith R. Menohem on Lev. 10. and so the Chaldee paraphraseth it Numb 6. 3. and 28. 7. Judg. 13. 4. But any thing that will make one dunk is called Shekar whether it be made of Corn Honey or Fruits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on Lev. 10. D. Krinch in Miclol Brucioli his Italian and the French express it by Cervisia Ale or Bear many shall rejoyce at his birth 15. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord and shall drink neither wine nor l strong drink and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Moses Act. 7. 20. Jer. 1. 5. even from his Mothers womb 16. And many of the Children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God 17. And he shall go before in the spirit and power of m m m m m m Heb. Elijahâ— 1 Kings 17. c. and there turned by the LXXâ— Elion but in Mal. 4. 5. the Hebr. hath it Eliah and the LXX Elias Elias to turn the hearts of the Fathers to the Children and the disobedient ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In or by the wisdom to the wisdom of the just to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. 18. And Zacharias said unto the Angel whereby shall I know this for n n n n n n As Gen. 18. 12. I am an old man and my wife well stricken in years 19. And the Angel answering said unto him I am o o o o o o Dan. 8. 29. 9. 21. Gabriel that stand in the presence of God and p p p p p p This relateth to his assuming a visible shape am sent to speak unto thee and to shew thee these glad tidings 20. And q q q q q q So a sign is given to Ahaz with a Behold Isa. 7. 14. compare Ezek. 3. 26. behold thou shalt be dumb and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed because thou believest not my words which shall be fulfilled r r r r r r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 2. 23. at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 8. 23. in their season 21. And the people waited for Zacharias and marvelled that he tarried so long in the Temple 22. And when he came out * * * * * * At the first burning of Incense the Priests miscarried Lev. 10. and thus that right which the Jews value for the highest of all legal offerings beginneth
of the Section next going before Now since the Evangelist hath begun with the genealogy that also must here be taken in and that the rather because he hath placed it in the forefront of his Gospel for special reason First that he might make way for the understanding of those words of the Angel Joseph thou Son of David Verse 20. Secondly that the title which the wisemen give to our Saviour might be cleared when they call him King of the Jews Chap. 2. 2. Thirdly that his being the true and right Messias might be approved by shewing that according to the promises and Prophecies made before concerning him he was descended of the seed of Abraham and the stock of David For the two first and main things that the Jews would inquire after concerning our Saviour to try whether he were the true Messias or no would be these First whether he were of the house of David Secondly whether he were born in Bethlehem and so we find them questioning about him Joh. 7. 42. In this regard it was necessary that Mathew an Hebrew writing his Gospel for the Hebrews should at the very first entrance of it give them satisfaction in these two particulars which he doth accordingly shewing his descent from David in this Chapter and his birth in Bethlehem in the next Chapter following The last verse of this Section and Chapter He knew her not till she had brought forth her first-born Son c. may seem to interrupt the right order of the story and to bring in Christs birth before its time if we lay it here But since the Evangelist will say no more of it but only this and because we desire to break the text into as few peeces as possible this shall be let to lie where it doth without any transposition and we will imagine the two next Sections to be expositions at large upon what this verse doth but speak in brief Harmony and Explanation PUblike Registers of the Tribe of Judah and of the other Tribes that adhered to it were reserved even in the Captivity and forward as may be collected by the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah And from Lukes telling that Anna was of the Tribe of Aser and Pauls that himself was of the Tribe of Benjamin From one of these doth Matthew fetch the latter end of his genealogy and Luke from another the beginning of his having then the civil records to avouch for them if they should be questioned which the Jews now wanting do unjustly cavil The Son of David the Son of Abraham Jesus Christ is to be applyed unto both thus Jesus Christ the Son of David Jesus Christ the Son of Abraham as see the like phrase Gen. 36. 3. Aholibamah the Daughter of Anah the Daughter of Zibeon that is thus to be understood Aholibamah the Daughter of Anah Aholibamah the Daughter of Zibeon as that Chapter maketh it most clear And there is the like and far more largely Luke 3. 32. c. Now Abraham and David are named rather then any other First because one of them was father of the Jewish Nation and the other the first in the Kingdom of which Nation and Kingdom all Prophecies had told that Christ should come Secondly because the promise of Christ was made to these two in plainer termes then to any other David is first named first because the promise to him was fresher in memory plainer and more explicate secondly because the descent of the Messias from David was the main thing the Jews looked after in him thirdly the Holy Ghost doth hereby as it were beforehand answer the impious distinction so frequent among the Rabbines of Messias ben Joseph and Messias ben David Ver. 2. Judas and his brethren His Brethren are added from Gen. 49. 8. to comfort the dispersed Tribes that were not yet returned out of Captivity as Judah was in their equal interest in Christ as well as he as Hos. 1. 11. Ver. 3. Phares and Zara He nameth Zara because he would bring in their Mother Tamar Ismael and Esau the one a brother to Isaac the other a twin to Jacob are not named because they were both wicked but the brethren of Juda and the twin to Phares are named because they are both good At the birth of Jacob and Esau it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 twins with the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wanting because Esau one of them was evill But at the birth of Phares and Zara it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with that letter supplyed because both of them were good R. Sol. in Gen. 25. and 38. Of Thamar Four women are named in this genealogy women once of notorious infamy Tamar incestuous Rahab an harlot Ruth an Heathen and Bathsheba an Adulteress To shew that Christ came to heal all sores when he recured such sinners and that he despised not our shame when he shamed not to descend of such Parents Ver. 5. Rahab It can little be doubted but that he meaneth her mentioned Josh. 2. Now the Jews belike to deface the truth of Mathew who from ancient Records averreth her for the wife of Salmon have broached this tenet that she was married unto Joshua vid. Kimki in loc Ver. 8. Joram begat Ozias Here * * * * * * The seed of the wicked shall be cut off Psal. 37. 28. See the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the last letter of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the seed and of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wicked cut out of that Acrostical and Alphabetical Psalm at that very place three descents are omitted namely Ahaziah Joash and Amaziah as compare 2 Chron. 3. 2 Kings 8. But it is most divinely done from the threatning of the second Commandement Thou shalt not commit Idolatry for I visit the sins of the Fathers upon the children to the third and Fourth Generation Joram committed Idolatry like the house of Ahab for the daughter of Ahab was his wife 2 King 8. 18. Therefore it is just with God to visit that sin upon his children in sign of which he blotteth them out of this line to the fourth generation So is it the manner of Scripture very often to leave out mens names out of certain stories and Records to shew a distaste at some evil in them So all Cains posterity is blotted out of the Book of the Chronicles as it was out of the world by the Flood So Simeon is omitted in Moses blessing Deut. 33. for his cruelty at Shechem and to Joseph So Dan at the sealing of the Lords people Rev. 7. because of Idolatry begun in his Tribe Judg. 18. and so Joab from among Davids worthies 2 Sam. 23. because of his bloodiness to Amasa and Abner Such another close intimation of Gods displeasure at this wickedness of Joram is to be seen 2 Chron. 22. 1 2. where the reign of his Son Ahaziah is not dated according to the custom and manner of the other Kings of Judah but by the
stile of the continuance of the house of Omri into which Family his Father had married and was become so prophane as to worship their Idols The Son of the two and forty years was Ahaziah when he began to reign That is of the last of the two and forty of the house of Omri in which it fell and Ahaziah with it Ver. 11. Josias begat Jechonias So readeth the Syrian Arabrick and the most and best Greek Copies And so the Evangelist himself requireth that it be read to make fourteen generations from David to the Captivity into Babel And so readeth D. Kimchi on 1 Chron. 3. 15. Josias indeed begat Joachim and Joachim begat Jechonias but he that was neither fit to be lamented nor to be buried like one of the Kings of Judah Jerem. 22. 18 19. was much more unfit to come into the Line of the Kings of Judah that leadeth to Christ. Ver. 12. Jechonias begat Salathiel Jechonias was Father to Salathiel as Baasha was to Ahab 1 King 20. 34. not by generation but by predecession For Jechonias in very deed was childless Jer. 22. 30. and the natural Father of Salathiel was Neri Luke 3. 27. yet he is said to beget him because he declared and owned him for his next heir and Successor As God is said to beget Christ on the day of his Resurrection Psal. 2. 7. Act. 13. 33. that is declared him thereby to be his Son Rom. 1. 4. The Scripture affecteth to speak short in relating of Stories that are well known before as to spare more you may find an example far harsher than this in 1 Chron. 1. 36. where Timna the Concubine of Eliphaz is named as Eliphaz his Son And in 1 Chron. 3. 16. Zedechia the Uncle of Jechoniah is called his Son because he succeeded him in the Roialty The Jews in their Talmud give this rule for a fundamental point That there is no King to be for Irael but of the house of David and of the seed of Solomon only And he that separateth against this Family denyeth the Name of the blessed God and the words of his Prophets that are spoken in truth Sanhedr Perek 10. R. Samuel in Ner. Mitsvah fol. 153. With which opinion although Matthew seem to comply at the first appearance in that he deriveth our Saviour from Solomon because of the Hebrews for whom he wrote which looked for him from thence yet the carnal sense of it which aimeth only at the earthly Kingdom of the Messias and at the exact descent from Solomon he closely confuteth to the eyes of the intelligent Reader by these two things First in that he bringeth the Line along to Jechonias in whom the seed of Solomon and the regal dignity also with it failed Secondly in that he deriveth the interest of Christ in that dignity if it were any only by Joseph which according to the flesh had no relation at all to him save the marriage of his Mother The Jews to disgrace the Gospel of S. Luke do hold that Jechonias was the natural Father of Salathiel and that upon his repentance in Babel God gave him Children as Assir and Salathiel D. Kimchi on 1 Chron. 3. But God had sworn Jer. 22. 28. and he will not repent Psal. 110. 4. that he should die childless to the Throne and his repentance could no more repeal this Oath of God then the prayer of Moses did the decree of his not entring into the Land And Salathiel begat Zerobabel Salathiel begat Pedaiah and Pedaiah begat Zorobabel 1 Chron. 3. 18. 19. But because when the masculine Line of Solomons house failed in Jechonias the dignity turning over to the Line of Nathan first setled upon Salathiel but first shewed it self eminent in Zorobabel therefore constantly when mention is made of Zorobabel he is not called the Son of Pedaiah a man of no action but obscure but the Son of Salathiel in whom the honour of that Family began For Jechonias was a signet plucked off Jer. 22. 24. and Zorobabel was set on again in his stead Hag. 2. 23. Ver. 13. And Zorobabel begat Abiud Among the children of Zorobabel mentioneth 1 Chron. 3. 19 20. there is no memorial either of Abiud his Son named here or of Rhesa his Son named by St. Luke But as in Scripture it is ordinary for one man to have several names so is it to be understood of these The eldest Son then of Zorobabel to whom the honour lately faln upon that house was to descend was called Mesullam Either in memorial of Solomon the glory of whose house was transferred to him and so he also calleth a daughter of his Shelomith the name by which the wife of Solomon is called Cant. 6. 13. as being but the feminine of Shelomoh Or from the significancy of the word which importeth requited For whereas Jeconias was also called Shallum that is finished because the race and line of Solomon did end in him when a recompence of the failing of that is made by the succession of Salathiel in its stead well might Zorobabel in whom it first shewed call his Son Meshullam or requited Or from their peaceable building and inhabiting Jerusalem after their return from Babel The Son Meshullam was called also Abiud in remembrance of his Fathers glory And his second brother Hannaniah was also called Rhesa that is The chief or principal because of Christs descending from him These things we have now but by conjecture but that we may take the bolder because the Text in the place alledged in the Chronicles hath set these two Sons of Zorobabel apart and distinct from the rest of their brethren as if for some special thing more remarkable then they But there is no doubt but the Evangelists in naming them by these names had warranty from known and common Records to justifie them in it Ver. 17. Fourteen generations In every one of these several fourteens they were under a several and distinct manner of Government and the end of each fourteen produced some alteration in their state In the first they were under Prophets in the second under Kings and in the third under Hasmonean Priests The first fourteen brought their state to glory in the Kingdom of David The second to misery in the Captivity of Babylon and the third to glory again in the Kingdom of Christ. The first begins with Abraham that recived the promise and ends in David that received it again with greater clearness The second begins with the building of the Temple and ends in the destruction of it The third begins with their peeping out of misery in Babel and ends in the accomplished delivery by Christ. The second that terminateth in the peoples captiving into Babel fixeth not no Jehoiakim in whom the captivity began nor in Zedekiah in whom it was consummate but in Jechonias who was in the middle space between And from the same date doth Ezekiel count and reckon the captivity through all his book as Chap. 8. 1. 20. 1.
into an hotch-potch of Religion in some things like the Jewish in many things exceeding Heathenish And the people sometime shewed friendship to the Jews sometimes enmity sometimes claiming kinred of them when they saw them in prosperity pretending to have been descended from Joseph but sometimes again scorning and despising them when they saw them brought to any ebb or in calamity Jos. Ant. l. 9. c. 14. lib. 12. cap. 7. 3. When the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin were brought to the lowest ebb and captived out of their own land into Babel then did these Samaritans get elbow-room and insolency against them against their coming to their own land again These were the main opposers and hinderers of the building of the Temple Ezra 4. called the Adversaries of Judah and Benjamin vers 1. and the people of the land vers 4. yet pretending to seek God and to sacrifice as well as the Jews vers 2. c. Here the fewd and hatred began to be more apparent and as the Samaritans were thus bitter to the Jews so the Jews to their power were not behind hand with the Samaritans For if we may believe their own Authors Ezra Zorobabel and Joshua gathered all the Congregation into the Temple and brought in three hundred Priests and three hundred books of the Law and three hundred Infants and they blew Trumpets and the Levites sung and chanted and cursed excommunicated and separated the Samaritans by the secret Name of God and by the glorious writing of the Tables and by the curse of the upper and lower house of Judgment that no Israelite eat of any thing that is a Samaritans for he that doth doth as if he eat swines flesh Nor that any Samaritan be proselyted to Israel nor have any part in the Resurrection as it is said what have you to do with us to build the house of the Lord our God Nor have you any part or right or memorial in Jerusalem And they wrote out and sent this curse to all Israel in Babel and they added thereto curse upon curse and the King fixed a curse everlasting to them as it is said And God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all Kings and people that shall put to their hands to alter it Haec R. Tanchuma fol. 17. 4. Hitherto the Samaritans after the captivity of the ten Tribes were Heathenish and no Jews among them save one or a few Priests to teach them the Law according to the ten Tribes usage of it and as it seemeth by Aben Ezra on Esth. 1. they had the book of Moses law among them but in so wild a translation that the first verse of it was read thus In the beginning Ashima created heaven and earth What Ashima meaneth see 2 King 17. 30. but from the times of Ezra and Nehemiah exceeding many Jews began to be mingled among them and became Samaritans The main occasion was this One of the sons of Jojada the son of Eliashib the High Priest married the daughter of Sanballat the Horonite a chief man among the Samaritans for which cause he was driven from the Priesthood by Nehemiah Neh. 13. 28. Josephus nameth both the man and the woman and relateth the full story to this purpose Manasses saith he the brother of Jaddua the High Priest had maried Nicasso the daughter of Sanballat Which thing the Elders of the Jews taking exceeding ill as a violation of their Laws and as an introduction to strange marriages they urged that either he should put away his wife or that he should be put away from the Priesthood Yea and Jaddua his brother drave him away from the Altar that he should not Sacrifice Whereupon Manasses addressing himself to his Father in Law Sanballat tells him that it was true indeed that he loved his daughter Nicasso most dearly but yet would not lose his function for her sake it being hereditary to him by descent and honourable among his Nation To this Sanballat replied that he could devise such a course as that he should not only injoy his Priesthood still but also obtain an High Priesthood and be made a primate and metropolitane of a whole Country on condition that he would keep his daughter still and not put her away For he would build a Temple on mount Gerizim over Sichem like the Temple at Jerusalem and this by the consent of Darius who was now Monarch of the Persian Empire Manasses imbraced such hopes and promises and abode with his Father in Law thinking to obtain an High Priesthood from the King And whereas many of the Priests and people at Jerusalem were intricated in the like marriages they fell away to Manasses and Sanballat provided them lands houses and subsistence But Darius the King being overthrown by Alexander the Great Sanballat revolted to Alexander and did him homage and submitted both himself and his Dominion unto him and having now gotten an opportunity he made his Petition to him and obtained it of building this his Temple And that that helped him in this his request was that Jaddua the High Priest at Jerusalem had incurred Alexanders displeasure for denying him help and assistance at the siege of Tyrus Sanballat pleaded that he had a son in Law named Manasses brother to Jaddua to whom many of the Jews were very well affected and followed after him and might he but have liberty to build a Temple on mount Gerizim it would be a great weakning of Jaddua for by that means the people would have a fair invitation to revolt from him Alexander easily condescended to his request and so he fell on to build his Temple with might and main When it was finished it caused a great Apostasie at Jerusalem for very many that were accused and indited for eating of forbidden meats for violating the Sabbath or for other crimes fled away from Jerusalem to Sichem and to mount Gerizim and that became as a common Sanctuary for offenders To this purpose Josephus To which it may not be impertinent to add the relation of R. Abrah Zaccuth about this matter When Alexander the Great saith he went from Jerusalem Sanballat the Horonite went forth to him with some Israelites and some of the sons of Joshua the High Priest who had made marriages with the Samaritans and whom Ezra and Nehemiah had driven from the house of the Lord and he desired of Alexander that the Priests his sons in law might build a Temple in mount Gerizim and the King commanded that it should be done and so they built a Temple Thus was Israel divided half the people after Simeon the Just and Antigonus his scholar and their society following what they had received from the mouth of Ezra and the Prophets And the other half after Sanballat and his sons in Law and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed out from the house of the Lord and made ordinances of their own invention And Manasseh the son in Law of Sanballat the son of Joshua the son
Cains and his desert of punishment proportionable for Cain had slain but one man and but the body but he by his evil example had killed old and young and their very souls and therefore he maketh his complaint to his two wives that had brought him to it CHAP. V. A Chronicle of 1556 years and all the years are reckoned compleat but only Noahs five hundreth year in vers 32. Vers. 3. Seth born in Original sin the Father of all men in the new world after the flood Numb 24. 17. Vers. 23. Enoch liveth as many years as be days in a year Those that lived nearer the flood lived the longer unmarried because they would not generate many children for the water Vers. 29. Noah a comforter because in him liberty should be given to the World to eat flesh CHAP. VI. In the general corruption of the World Noah the eighth person in descent from Enoch in whose time profaneness began as 2 Pet. 2. 5. Escapeth the abominations and desolation of the times CHAP. VII VIII IX The flood the Beasts in the Ark live without enmity which sheweth how the words Gen. 3. 15. about enmity with the Serpent are to be understood the Serpent and Noah are now friends each to other this is alluded to Esay 11. 6 7. Noah is in the Ark just a compleat and exact year of the Sun but reckon'd in the Text by the Lunary Months Universal darkness all the forty days rain The door of the Ark under water The Ark draweth water eleven cubits The waters when they came to abate while they lay above the Mountains fell but one Cubit in four days but far faster afterward After their coming out of the Ark for a whole half year together Noah and his family and all the Creatures live upon provision that was still in the Ark for they came out just upon the beginning of Winter when there was neither grass corn nor fruits till another spring The forbidding to eat flesh with the blood condemneth the Doctrine of Transubstantiation CHAP. X XI Seventy Nations dispersed from Babel but not seventy Languages the fifteen named in Act. 2. were enough to confound the work and they may very well be supposed to have been the whole number Sem as he standeth in the front of the Genealogy of the new world hath neither Father nor Mother named nor beginning of days nor end of life Nahors life is shortned for Idolatry CHAP. XII Abraham at 75 years old receiveth the promise and cometh into Canaan and just so many years did Sem live after Abrahams coming thither and so might well be Melchizedeck in Chap. 14. Vers. 6 7. Abraham buildeth an Altar near if not upon Mount Gerizim the hill of blessing and vers 8. Another Altar he buildeth near unto if not upon Mount Ebal the hill of cursing Deut. 27. And so taketh possession of the land by faith in the very same place where his sons the Israelites did take possession of it indeed Josh. 8. 12. c. 30. Vers. 11. When he is ready to enter into Egypt whither famine drave him as it did his posterity afterward he is afraid of his life in regard of Sarah who being a white woman would soon be taken notice of by the Egyptians who were Blackmoors This was one main inticement to Josephs Mistress to cast an eye of lustfulness upon him because he was a white Man and she a Moor. Of the same complexion was Pharaohs daughter whom Solomon took to wife of whom that in the first and literal acceptation is to be understood which spiritually is to be applied to the Church Cant. 1. 5 6. I am black but comly and I am black because the Sun hath looked on me and that Psal. 45. 13. The Kings Daughter is all glorious within for she was a Blackmoor without Vers. 20. Pharaoh plagued for Sarah's and Abrahams sake who was an Hebrew Sheepherd giveth charge to the Egyptians making it as it were a law for time to come that they should not converse with Hebrews nor with forrain Sheepherds in any so near familiarity as to eat or drink with them which the Egyptians observed strictly ever after Gen. 42. 32. 46. 34. CHAP. XIII Abraham and Lot quarrel and part in the valley of Achor and this is at the very same time of the year that Israel came into the Land viz. in the first month of the year or Abib CHAP. XIV Noah in the blessing of his son Sem maketh him in a special manner Lord of the Land of Canaan Gen. 9. Hither therefore came Sem and built a City and called it after his own peaceable condition Salem here he reigned as a King but so quietly and retiredly as that he was a Priest also In this sequestration of the father from worldly cares and affairs Elam his eldest son and heir apparent though he were seated far distant in the East yet it concerneth him to have an eye to Canaan and how matters go there for the land by bequest of his grand-father Noah descended to him as by the Common Law This title bringeth Chedorlaomer an heir of Elam from Persia into Canaan when the five Cities of the plain rebel Into this war he taketh three partners younger brothers of the House of Sem Amraphel of Arphaxad King of Chaldea Arioch of Lâ—d King of Ellasar bordering upon Babylonia and Tidal of Assur King of Nations and late built Niniveh These four thus banded together and all children of Sem and all in claim of his land against the usurping Canaanites are resolved to march over and so they do all that Country both within Jordan and without Their first inrode is upon the Rephaims that lay most North and lay first in their way and so over run the Zuzims in Ammon Emims in Moab Horites or Hivites that were Troglodytes or dwelt in the rocky Caves of Mount Seir in Edom as Jer. 49. 10. Obad. ver 3. And all the Canaanites South-East and full South to Hazezon Tamar a point below the dead Sea There they turn in to the land of Canaan properly so called and as they had subdued all the Countries from North to South without Jordan so now they intend to do from South to North within And so they did but when they were come to Dan the North out-going of the land Abram overtaketh them and conquereth the conquerors and now he is doubly titled to the land namely by promise and by victory This Sem or Melchizedeck observeth upon his return with triumph and perceiveth that it was he and his posterity to whom the Lord had designed that Land in the prophetick spirit of Noah and had refused the heirs that were more apparent in Common Law and reason and therefore he bringeth forth bread and wine the best fruits of the land and tenders them as livery and sâ—isin of it to him whom he perceived that God had chosen and pointed out for the right heir CHAP. XV. All fear of claim
his friends to a most miserable and intolerable imprisonment and being solicited and earnestly sued unto that he might be speedily executed and put out of his misery he flatly denyed it saying That he was not grown friends with him yet Such was the penance that he put poor Gallus to a life far worse than a present death for he ought him more spite and torture than a suddain execution The miserable man being imprisoned and straitly looked to not so much for fear of his escape by flight as of his escape by death was denyed the sight and conference of any one whosoever but him only that brought him his pitiful dyet which served only to prolong his wretched life and not to comfort it and he was forced to take it for he must by no means be suffered to dy Thus lived if it may be called a life a man that had been of the honourablest rank and office in the City lingring and wishing for death or rather dying for three years together and now at last he findeth the means to famish himself and to finish his miserable bondage with as miserable an end to the sore displeasure of the Emperour for that he had escaped him and not come to publick execution Such an end also chose Nerva one of his near friends and familiars but not like the other because of miseries past or present but because of fear and foresight of such to come His way that he took to dispatch himself of his life was by total abstinence and refusal of food which when Tiberius perceived was his intent he sits down by him desires to know his reason and begs with all earnestness of him that he would desist from such a design For what scandal saith he will it be to me to have one of my nearest friends to end his own life and no cause given why he should so die But Nerva satisfied him not either in answer or in act but persisted in his pining of himself and so dyed § 6. The miserable ends of Agrippina and Drusus To such like ends came also Agrippina and Drusus the Wife and Son of Germanicus and Mother and Brother of Caius the next Emperour that should succeed These two the Daughter in law and Grandchild of Tiberius himself had about four years ago been brought into question by his unkind and inhuman accusation and into hold and custody until this time It was the common opinion that the cursed instigation of Sejanus whom the Emperour had raised purposely for the ruine of Germanicus his house had set such an accusation on foot and made the man to be so cruel towards his own family but when the two accursed ones had miserably survived the wicked Sejanus and yet nothing was remitted of their prosecution then opinion learned to lay the fault where it deserved even on the cruelty and spite of Tiberius himself Drusus is adjudged by him to die by famine and miserable and woeful wretch that he was he sustaineth his life for nine days together by eating the flocks out of his bed being brought to that lamentable and unheard of dyet through extremity of hunger Here at last was an end of Drusus his misery but so was there not of Tiberius his cruelty towards him for he denyed the dead body burial in a fitting place he reviled and disgraced the memory of him with hideous and feigned scandals and criminations and shamed not to publish in the open Senate what words had passed from the pining man against Tiberius himself when in agony through hunger he craved meat and was denyed it Oh what a sight and hearing was this to the eyes and ears of the Roman people to behold him that was a child of their darling and delight Germanicus to be thus barbarously and inhumanely brought to his end and to hear his own Grandfather confess the action and and not dissemble it Agrippina the woeful Mother might dolefully conjecture what would become of her self by this fatal and terrible end of the poor Prince her Son And it was not long but she tasted of the very same cup both of the same kind of death and of the same kind of disgracing after For being pined after the same manner that it might be coloured that she did it of her self a death very unfitting the greatest Princess then alive she was afterward slandered by Tiberius for adultery with Gallus that died so lately and that she caused her own death for grief of his She and her Son were denyed burial befitting their degree but hid in some obscure place where no one knew which was no little distast and discontentment to the people The Tyrant thought it a special cause of boasting and extolling his own goodness that she had not been strangled nor dyed the death of common base offenders And since it was her fortune to die on the very same day that Sejanus had done two years before viz. Octob. 17. it must be recorded as of special observation and great thanks given for the matter and an annual sacrifice instituted to Jupiter on that day Caius her Son and Brother to poor Drusus took all this very well or at least seemed so to do partly glad to be shut of any one that was likely to have any colour or likelyhood of corrivality with him in his future reign and partly being brought up in such a School of dissimulation and grown so perfect a Scholar there that he wanted little of Tiberius This year he married Claudia the daughter of M. Silanus a man that would have advised him to good if he would have hearkned but afterward he matched with a mate and stock more fitting his evil nature Ennia the Wife of Macro but for advantage resigned by her Husband Macro to the adulterating of Caius and then to his marriage § 7. Other Massacres The death of Agrippina drew on Plancina's a Woman that never accorded with her in any thing but in Tiberius his displeasure and in a fatal and miserable end This Plancina in the universal mourning of the state for the loss of Germanicus rejoyced at it and made that her sport which was the common sorrow of all the State How poor Agrippina relished this being deprived of so rare a Husband can hardly be thought of without joyning with her in her just and mournfull indignation Tiberius having a spleen at the woman for some other respect had now a fair colour to hide his revenge under to call her to account and that with some applause But here his revenge is got into a strait for if he should put her to death it may be it would be some content to Agrippina and therefore not to pleasure her so much he will not pleasure the other so much neither as with present death but keepeth her in lingring custody till Agrippina be gone and then must she follow but her resoluteness preventeth the Executioner and to escape anothers she dieth by her own hand Let us make up the heap
which was Aretas daughter and having taken Herodias the wife of his own brother Philip and he yet living in her stead it is no wonder if Aretas dogged him for revenge for this indignity to his Daughter and himself Wherefore he beginneth to quarrel with him and to seek occasion of war by challenge of a territory controvertible and they come to a pitched battel in which Herods Army is utterly overthrown by means of some treachery wrought by some fugitives from his brother Philips Tetrarchy which had taken up Arms to fight under his colours And here as Josephus hath observed It was the observation of divers that this his Army utterly perished through Gods just punishment upon him for the murder of John the Baptist. And it is worth the marking that this overthrow took beginning from men of that Country whence Herodias the causer of that murder and of the present disquietness had come Herod upon this defeat doubtful of better success at another time for it may be his conscience told him this was but deserved betaketh himself by letters to Tiberius certifying him of the accident and it is likely not without much aggravation The Emperor either displeased at the fortune of Aretas in his victory or at his audaciousness in stirring so within the Empire or at both together sendeth angry letters to Vitellius the Governor of Syria charging him to undertake the war and either to bring the rebellious King prisoner alive or to send his head to Rome But before the design came to maturity Tiberius that had thus threatned another mans life had lost his own as will appear hereafter when this first battel was that was so fatal to Herod it shall not be insisted on to question but that this brewing towards a new war befel in this year is apparent sufficiently by the sequel THE ROMAN AND JEWISH Story For the Year of CHRIST XXXVIII And of TIBERIUS XXIII The first Year also of CAIUS CALIGULA Being the Year of the WORLD 3965. And of the City of ROME 790. Consuls Cn. Proculus Acerronius C. Pontius Nigrinus PART I. The ROMAN Story §. 1. Macro all base THIS man had been mischievous ever since he had power to be so but now was he so most of all that he might keep that power of his afoot or might raise it more and more He was used by Tiberius as an instrument to bring down Sejanus the one bad and the other worse and after he had done that none must stand by his good will that was likely to stand in his way He was made Master of the Praetorian Souldiers in Sejanus his stead and as he possessed his place so did he his favour with the Emperor and the crookedness of his conditions as if all the honours fortune and wickedness of Sejanus had been intailed upon Macro An agent as fit for Tiberius as could be required and a successor as fit for Sejanus A man as bloody as the Tyrant could desire him and sometimes more than he set him on work He was the continual Alguazil and Inquisitor for the friends and complices of the late ruined Favorite and under colour of that pursuit he took out of the way whosoever would not friend and comply with him Of that number were Cn. Domitius and Vibius Marsus accused with Albucilla the wife of Satrius secundus for Adultery but all three together for conspiracy against the Emperor yet was there no hand of the Emperors shewed for the prosecution of the matter which shewed the only spleen and machination of the Blood-hound Macro Albucilla whether guilty indeed or knowing that his malice and power would make her so stabbed her self thinking to have died by her own hand but the wound not being deadly she was taken away to prison Grasidius and Fregellanus the pretended Pandars of her adulteries were punished the one with banishment and the other with degradation and the same penalty was inflicted upon Laelius Balbus A man but justly paid in his own coin to the rejoycing and content of divers for he had been a strong and violent accuser of many innocents Domitius and Marsus it may be as guilty as the woman but more discreet traversed the indictment and saved their own lives partly by the shortness of the Emperors life and partly by the feigned prediction of Thrasyllus that promised that it should be long But too sullen was the indignation of L. Arruntius against Macro and too desperate his ill conceit of Caius who was to succeed in the Empire for when he was inwrapt in the same accusation with the two last named and might have escaped the same escape that they did yet despised he so to outlive the cruelty of Tiberius and Macro as to come under the greater cruelty of Macro and Caius No saith he I have lived long enough and to my sorrow too long Nor doth any thing repent me more than that thus I have endured an old age under the scorns dangers and hate first of Sejanus now of Macro and always of one great one or another and that for no other fault than for detesting their flagitiousness It is true indeed that I may survive the old age and weakness of Tiberius but what hopes to do so by the youth of Caius and wickedness of Macro Can Caius a youth do well being led by Macro who so corrupted Tiberius in his age No I see more tyranny like to come than hath been yet And therefore will I deliver my self from the present misery and that to come And with these words and resolution he cut his own veins and so bled to death and spent a blood and a spirit what pity it was that they should have been so lost As Macro thus divided his pains in cruelty betwixt the satisfying of Tiberius his mind and his own malice so also did he his affections shall I say or flattery rather and own-end observances betwixt Tiberius and Caius For as he sought to please the one that now ruled for his own present security so did he to indear the other that was to succeed for his future safety Hereupon he omitted not any opportunity nor occasion that he might skrew Caius further and further into Tiberius his favour and to keep him there that he might do as much for himself into the favour of Caius One rarity and non-parallel of obsequiousness he shewed to the young Prince worth recording to his shame for he caused his own wife Ennia Thrasylla to intangle the youthfulness of Caius into her love and adultery and then parted he with her and gave her to him in marriage The old Emperor could not but observe this monster of pretended friendship nor were his old eyes so blind but he perceived his flattery plain in other carriages in so much that he brake out to him in these plain words Well thou forsakest the setting Sun and only lookest upon the rising §. 2. A wicked woman With the wife of Macro that made her own prostitution to become
would he have the month September to be called by his name placing him in the Calendar next Augustus His Grandmother Antonia he also dignified and deified equally with Livia and that by the consent and decree of the Senate His Uncle Claudius he honoured with partnership with him in the Consulship and his Brother and partner Tiberius with adoption to put him in future hopes now he had lost his present ones and he titled him The Prince of the Youth to stop his mouth belike when he had put him beside his being the Prince of Men. But as for his Sisters the sequel shewed that it was more doting and lust than pure brotherly affection that caused him to shew these expressions that in all oaths that were administred to any this must be one clause to which they must swear That they neither accounted themselves nor their children dearer than Caius and his Sisters and this in all the Records of the Consuls Which he for the happiness of Caius and his Sisters c. The like popularity used he likewise to the people releasing the condemned and recalling the banished condemning on the contrary all enormities in Judicature and banishing all incentives to evil manners Forgiving his own private grievances and satisfying for injuries done by his Predecessors that it was no marvail if the whole State were sick in the sickness of such a Prince §. 9. Caius beginning to shew himself in his own colours Not to insist longer upon the vizor of this dissembler but to take him as he was and not as he seemed his nature began more evidently to shew it self after his recovery of his sickness mentioned and then the State began by degrees to be sick indeed His beginnings were in lightness sports and lavishing of money but his proceedings were in bestiality cruelty and effusion of blood His Banquets Plays Sword-fights Fighting of Beasts as 400 Bears and as many other African wild Beasts at one time his Musick Shews strictness that none should be absent from them and expensiveness in all insomuch that he spent above twenty millions in such vanities in less than three years may be thought as vertues in him in comparison of that that followed and of the mischiefs that he mingled between §. 10. Caius cruel The recovery of the Emperor Caius from that disease under which we left him ere while proved the sickness of the whole State and the death of divers For now he began to shew himself in his own colour and to lay open the inside of his barbarous nature which hitherto he had hid under strange dissimulation P. Asranius Petitus a Plebeian and Atanius Secundus a Knight had bound themselves by oath in the Emperors sickness partly in flattery partly in hope of reward the one that he would die on condition the Prince might recover and the other that he would venture his life in combate on the same condition Caius understanding of this obligation and pretending that he would have neither of them perjured seeing he was now well again constrained them both to perform their vows and brought them to repent their flattery with repentance too late and vain and to a reward clean contrary to their expectation Nor was his cruelty any whit less though for very shame it must be better dissembled to his Father in Law the noble Silanus A man hated of him for the two main things that in humane society are the tyes of love vertue and alliance and so indignly used him that he found no way to regain his love nor any better to avoid his hate than to murder himself with his own hands Claudia the daughter of Silanus was his wife but he divorced her from him and took Cornelia Orestilla from her husband Calpurnius Piso on their very wedding day where he was present at the solemnization and he kept her not two months but sent her to her Piso again §. 11. Young Tiberius brought to a miseriable end These entries being made for the fleshing as it were the Tyrant in bloodiness and cruelty he is now made ready and fit to execute a more horrible design upon his poor Brother partner and son by adoption the young and innocent Tiberius He poor Prince having been thrust by him out of his right and patrimony by the nullifying of old Tiberius his will must now also be deprived of life This was it that the old Testator did presage and yet would leave him for a prey to his inhumanity The pretences against this young Prince were that either he had been a means to cause his sickness or at least had rejoyced in it and desired his death A sleight accusation to bring such a Person to death yet might he only have died it might have seemed more tolerable but the manner of it made the cruelty double He is commanded to die by his own hand though Tribunes Centurions and men of war fitter far to have done such an execution stood by and would have done it He desired but this mercy that he might have been slain by some of them but that was denied him upon a point of Honor and Justice forsooth because it was not fit that such a Prince should die by inferior hands The poor Prince offered his neck to every one that stood near but they durst not strike for fear of their own The only favour that he could obtain was this that they might teach him where to wound himself for his soonest dispatch and so he did And thus is the Tyrant delivered as he thinketh from all fear and danger of compartnership and corrivality in the Empire next will he take a course with those that any way may cross him in or advise him against his headlong humors and of them we shall hear in their course The last six months of this year he had taken the Consulship upon himself and had chosen his Uncle Claudius for his colleague but we have reserved the names of the old till now to avoid confusion THE ROMAN AND JEWISH Story For the Year of CHRIST XXXIX The second Year also of CAIUS CALIGULA Being the Year of the WORLD 3966. And of the City of ROME 791. Consuls M. Aquila Iulianus P. Nonius Asprenas PART I. The ROMAN Story §. 1. Cruelties at Rome THIS year began at Rome with a fatal Omen For on the first of January Machaon a Servant went up to the shrine of Jupiter Capitolinus and there having presaged and prophecied many fearful and terrible things first he slew a whelp that he had with him and then he slew himself These beginnings had answerable sequels for Caius addicted himself wholly to bloodiness sometimes for his sports sometimes in cruel earnest He commanded sword-plays to be made in which he set not man to man but multitudes to multitudes to slaughter each other He slew in the same manner six and twenty Roman Knights with great contentment taken by him in the effusion of their blood He set also another Knight to the same
under this sweet and lovely denomination given equally to them both The current of the story hitherto hath fairly and plainly led this occurrence to this year as the Reader himself will confess upon the trace of the History and he will be confirmed in it when he seeth the next year following to be the year of the famine which next followeth in relation in St. Luke to this that we have in hand Act. 11. 26 27 28. By what names the Professors of the Gospel were called before this time it is plain in Scripture Among themselves they were called b b b Act. 4. 15. Disciples c c c Cap. 5. 14. 6. 1. 9. 1. Believers d d d Act. 8. 1. The Church e e e Act. 8. 2. Devout men f f f Act. 11. 29. 1 Cor. 15. 6. Brethren But among the unbelieving Jews by this sole common and scornful title of g g g Act. 24. 5. The sect of the Nazarites Epiphanius hath found out a strange name for them not to be found elsewhere nor to be warranted any where and that is the name of Jessaeans Before they were called Christians h h h Lib. 1. advers Nazaraeos pag. 120. saith he they were called Jessaei either from Jesse the father of David from whom the Virgin Mary and Christ by her descended or from Jesu the proper name of our Saviour Which thou shalt find in the books of Philo namely in that which he wrote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In which treating of their Policy Praises and monasteries which are about the Marish Marian commonly called Mareotis he speaketh of none others than of Christians Of the same opinion in regard of the men themselves are divers others both the Fathers and later writers though they differ in regard of the name No Romanist but he takes it for granted that Philo in that book that is meant by Epiphanius though he either title it not right or else couch two books under one title speaketh of Christian Monks and from thence who of them doth not plead the antiquity of a Monastick life so confidently that he shall be but laughed to scorn among them that shall deny it They build indeed upon the Ipse Dixit of some of the Fathers to the same purpose besides the likeness of those men in Philo to the Romish Monks that such a thing as this is not altogether to be passed over but something to be examined since it seemeth to carry in it self so great antiquity and weightiness Eusebius therefore in his i i i Lib. 2. c. 15 Ecclesiastical History delivereth such a matter as tradition They say saith he that Mark being first sent in Egypt preached the Gospel there which he also penned and first founded the Churches of Alexandria where so great a multitude of believing men and women grew up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a most Philosophical and strict course that Philo himself vouchsafed to write of their converse meetings feastings and all their demeanor And for this his writing of them He is reckoned by us saith k k k De Scriptorib Eccles. tom 1. pag. 102. Jerome amongst the Ecclesiastical writers because writing concerning the first Church of Mark the Evangelist he breaketh out into the praises of our men relating that they are not only there but also in many other Provinces and calling their dwellings Monasteries Of the same mind with these Fathers are Cedrenus l l l Lib. 2. cap. 16. 17. Nicephorus m m m Bibl. Sanct. l. in voce Philo. Sixtus Senensis n n n Lib. 2. c. 1. de Monach. Bellarmine o o o Apparat. Sacer. in voce Philo. Possevine and others which last cited Jesuite is not contented to be satisfied with this opinion himself but he revileth the Magdeburgenses and all others with them that are not of the same opinion with him For the examining of which before we do believe it we may part their position into these two quaeres First Whether Mark the Evangelist had founded the Church at Alexandria before Philo wrote that book And secondly whether those men about Alexandria reported of by Philo were Christians at all yea or no. First then look upon Philo and upon his age and you shall find that the last year when he was in Embassie at Rome he was ancient and older than any of the other Commissioners that were joyned with him for so he saith of himself Caesar speaking affably to them when they first came before him the standers by thought their matter would go well with them p p p In legat ad Caium But I saith he that seemed to outstrip the others in years and judgement c. and then from him look at the time when Mark is brought by the Ecclesiastical Historians first into Egypt and Alexandria q q q In Chronico Eusebius for we will content our selves with him only hath placed this at the third of Claudius in these words Marcus Evangelista interpres Petri Aegypto Alexandriae Christum annunciat And then is Philo four years older than before To both which add what time would be taken up after Marks preaching before his converts could be disposed into so setled a form of buildings constitutions and exercises and then let indifferency censure whether Philo that was so old so long before should write his two books of the Esseni and the Therapeutae after all this But because we will not build upon this alone let us for the resolution of our second Quaere character out these men that are so highly esteemed for the patterns of all Monasticks and that in Philo's own words and description PART III. The JEVVISH History §. 1. The Therapeutae THEY are called Therapeutae and Therapeutrides saith Philo either because they profess a Physick better than that professed in Cities for that healeth bodies only but this diseased souls Or because they have learned from nature and the holy Laws to serve him that is Those that betake themselves to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this course do it not out of fashion or upon any ones exhortation but ravished with a heavenly love even as the Bacchantes and Corybantes have their raptures until they behold what they desire Then through the desire of an immortal and blessed life reputing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 themselves to die to this mortal life they leave their estates to sons or daughters or to other kindred voluntarily making them their heirs and to their friends and familiars if they have no kindred When they are thus parted from their goods being taken now by no bait they flie irrevocably leaving Brethren Children Wives Parents numerous Kindreds Societies and Countries where they were born and bred they flit not into other Cities but they make their abode without the walls in gardens or solitary Villages affecting the wilderness not for any hatred of men but because of
are girded with strength And so doth the Targum on the Canticles apply the seventh verse of the sixth Chapter of that Book to the same House As a piece of a Pomegranate are thy Temples The Kingdom saith it of the Asmonaean Family was full of Judgments as a Pomegranate c. Not to be inquisitive after the derivation of the word which we find in Psal. 68. 32. and which is generally interpreted by the Jews to signite great Dukes and Princes Mattathias not living long after his first appearing a Champion for his distressed Country he left the charge of that War and Expedition to his sons after him amongst whom 17. JUDAS surnamed Maccabaeus from these four Acrostick Letters in his Ensign Ioseph Antiq. l. 12. c. 9 10 c. 1 Mac. 3. 4 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which meant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 15. 12. Lord who is like thee among the mighty undertook the quarrel of his People and of the Law Religion and Covenant and did very victoriously but at last was slain In these times when all things were in a combustion and confusion in the Land and in Ioseph ubi sup c. 15 16 17. 1 Mac. 7. 12. 13 14 c. 9. 1. 5 55. 1 Mac. 9. 10. 11. 2â— Iosep. Ant. â— 13. ad c. 11. Religion one ALCIMUS bare the name of High-priest being indeed of that Line but a man for mischief and impiety more like a Heathen than a High-priest of Israel doing much evil whilst he lived and coming at last to a most fearful end 18. JONATHAN succeedeth his brother Judas as chief Commander he was made High-priest by Alexander the son of Antiochus and confirmed therein by Antiochus the son of Alexander doth many valiant acts and at last is slain by Trypho 19. SIMON his brother succeedeth him valiant also and advantagious to his people 1 Mac. 14. 15. 16. Ioseph ubi sup c. 11 12 13. like his brethren but slain at last treacherously by his own son in Law 20. JOHN called also Hyrcanus or Hyrcanus Jannai He sacked Samaria destroyed Ioseph ubi sup cap. 18. Iuchasin â—ol 14 the Temple at Gerizim slew many of the wise men at Jerusalem was High-priest eighty years and turned Sadducee 21. ARISTOBULUS his son He first took upon him to be King Ioseph ib. c. 9. 22. ALEXANDER He bare also the name of King made many Wars and at Ibid. c. 22 23. last died of a Quartan Ague which had held him three years 23. HYRCANUS his son is made High-priest but his mother Alexandra by the Ibid. c. 24. support of the Pharisees sways the Kingdom 24. ARISTOBULUS younger brother to Hyrcanus after the death of their Lib. 14. c. 4 5 6. mother Alexandra maketh War upon his brother drives him from his Kingdom to a private life and takes both Kingdom and High-priesthood upon himself They both desire help and assistance from the Romans Scaurus and Pompey Aristobulus provoking Pompey by some dalliance causeth the sacking of Jerusalem and the subjecting of the Jews to the Roman yoke from under which they were never delivered Pompey restoreth the High-priesthood to Hyrcanus and carries Aristobulus and his son Antigonus prisoners to Rome and his two daughters 25. ALEXANDER the son of Aristobulus escaped the hands of Pompey when he Ibid. c. 10. captived his father and his brother to Rome and he in Judea raised divers stirs and tumults and affecting the Kingdom is twice suppressed by the Roman Gabinius 26. ANTIGONUS Aristobulus his other son escaping from Rome into Judea first Ib. c. 21. 25. by the help of the King of Tyrus and after by the help of the Parthians busleth for the High-priesthood and power out of the hands of Hyrcanus getteth Hyrcanus prisoner causeth his ear to be cut off and by that blemish or maim he maketh him uncapable of the Priesthood But as Hyrcanus lost his ears so at last Antigonus lost his head by the ax of Lib. 15. c. 1. Dion Cas. l. 49. Antony at Antioch having been first crucified and whipt 27. ANANELUS an inferiour Priest sent for out of Babylon is made High-priest Iosd 15. c. 2. by Herod Here Alexandra the daughter of Hyrcanus and wife of Alexander the son of Aristobulus took indignity and so did Mariam Herods wife who was Alexandra's daughter that an inferiour person should be preferred to the High-priesthood and Aristobulus Mariams brother and Alexandra's son be passed by These womens shifts and importunities Ibid. c. 2. obtain the High-priesthood for Aristobulus and the deposition of Ananelus 28. ARISTOBULUS a young man of a rare beauty is made High-priest being Ibid. c. 3. not much above fifteen years old after a years injoyment of it or little more he is drowned by Herods policy as he was swimming And then Ananelus becomes High-priest again 29. JESUS the son of Favens him Herod removed again Ibid c. 12. 30. SIMON the son of Boethus he was but a Priest before But Herod marrying Ibid. his daughter a woman of a rare beauty he made him High-priest 31. MATTHIAS the son of Theophilus Herod deposed his father in law Simon Lib. 17. c. 6. from the High-priesthood because he thought both he and his daughter Herods wife were privy to the counsels of his son Antipater 32. JOZARUS the son of Simon Herods brother in law Matthias being deposed Ibid. c. 8. by Herod 33. ELEAZAR made High-priest by King Archelaus Jozarus being deposed Ibid. c. 15. 34. JESUS the son of Sie shoulders Eleazar out Ibid. 35. JOZARUS again He was now in the place when Judea was taxed under Cyrenius Lib. 18. â— 1. Luke 2. at the birth of Christ and when the people were ready to rebel rather than be taxed he overcame them with perswasions 36. ANANUS upon the removal of Jozarus made High-priest by Cyrenius Ibid. c. 3. 37. ISMAEL promoted by Valerius Gratus upon Ananus his removal 38. ELEAZAR the son of Ananus promoted by the same Gratus upon Ismaels removal Ibid. he injoyed the High-priesthood but one year 39. SIMON the son of Kamith advanced by the same Gratus The Jerusalem Talmud calls him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and relates this story of him that on the Eve of the day of Expiation he went out to speak with the King and some spittle fell upon his garments and defiled him therefore Judah his brother went in on the day of Expiation and served in his stead and so their Mother Kamith saw two of her sons High-priests in one day She had seven sons and they all served in the High-priesthood hence came up this Proverb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All meal is meal but Kamiths meal is fine flower In Joma per. 1. 40. CAIAPHAS who was also called Joseph He was Gratus his creature too Ibid. and all these changes were made by Gratus in eleven years and now are
Whosoever putteth away his wife let him give her a bill of Divorsement NOtice is to be taken how our Saviour passeth into these words namely by using the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But it hath been said This particle hath this Emphasis in this place that it whispers a silent objection which is answered in the following verse Christ had said Whosoever looks upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already But the Jewish Lawyers said If any one sees a woman which he is delighted withal above his wife let him dismiss his wife and marry her Among the Chapters of Talmudical Doctrine we meet with none concerning which it is treated more largely and more to a punctilio than of Divorces and yet there the chief care is not so much of a just cause of it as of the manner and form of doing it To him that turns over the Book Gittim as also indeed the whole Seder Nashim that part of the Talmud that treats of women the diligence of the Masters about this matter will appear such that they seem to have dwelt not without some complacency upon this article above all others God indeed granted to that Nation a Law concerning Divorces Deut. XXIV 1. permitted only for the hardness of their hearts Mat. XIX 8. In which permission nevertheless they boast as though it were indulged them by more priviledg When God had established that fatal Law of punishing Adultery by death Deut. XXII for the terror of the people and for their avoiding of that sin the same merciful God foreseeing also how hard occasion being taken from this Law the issue of this might be to the women by reason of the roughness of the men lusting perhaps after other women and loathing their own wives he more graciously provided against such kind of wife-killing by a Law mitigating the former and allowed the putting away a wife in the same case concerning which that fatal Law was given namely in the case of Adultery So that that Law of Divorce in the exhibition of it implied their hearts to be hard and in the use of it they shewed them to be carnal And yet hear them thus boasting of that Law k k k k k k Hieros in Kiddushin fol. 158. 3. The Lord of Israel saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he hateth putting away Mal. II. 16. Through the whole Chapter saith R. Chananiah in the name of R. Phinâ—has he is called the Lord of Hosts but here of Israel that it might appear that God subscribed not his name to Divorces but only among the Israelites As if he should say To the Israelites I have granted the putting away of wives to the Gentiles I have not granted it R. Chaijah Rabbah saith Divorces are not granted to the Nations of the World Some of them interpreted this Law of Moses as by right they ought to interpret it of the case of Adultery only l l l l l l Gittin cap. 9. hal ult The School of Shammai said a wife is not to be divorced unless for filthiness that is Adultery only because it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because he hath found filthy nakedness in her that is Adultery m m m m m m Gemara â—b Rabh Papa said If he find not adultery in her what then Rabba answered When the merciful God revealed concerning him that corrupted a maid that it was not lawful for him to put her away in his whole life Deut. XXII 29. you are thence taught concerning the matter propounded that it is not lawful to put her away if he shall not find filthiness in his wiâ—e With the like honesty have some commented upon those words cited out of the Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For he hateth putting away n n n n n n Ibid. R. Jochanan saith The putting away of a wife is odious Which others also have granted indeed of the first wife but not of those that a man took to himself over and above For this is approved among them for a Canon o o o o o o Maimon in Gerushin cap. 10. Let no man put away his first wife unless for adultery And p p p p p p Gittin in the place above R. Eliezer saith for the divorcing of the first wife even the Altar it self sheds tears Which Gloss they fetch from thence where it is said Let no man deal treacherously towards the wife of his youth Mal. II. 15. The Jews used Polygamy and the divorcing of their wives with one and the same license and this that they might have change and all for the sake of lust q q q q q q Maimon in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap. 10 14. It is lawful say they to have many wives together even as many as you will but our wise men have decreed that no man have above four wives But they restrained this not so much out of some principles of chastity as that least a man being burdened with many wives might not be able to afford them food and clothing and due benevolence for thus they comment concerning this bridle of Polygamy For what causes they put away their wives there is no need to enquire for this they did for any cause of their own free will I. It is commanded to divorce a wise that is not of good behaviour and who is not modest as becomes a daughter of Israel So they speak in Maimonides and Gittin in the place above specified Where this also is added in the Gemarists R. Meir saith As men have their pleasures concerning their meat and their drink so also concerning their wives This man takes out a fly found in his cup and yet will not drink after such a manner did Papus ben Judah carry himself who as often as he went forth bolted the doers and shut in his wife Another takes out a fly found in his cup and drinks up his cup that he doth who sees his wife talking freely with her neighbours and kinsfolks and yet allows of it And there is another who if he find a fly in his basket eats it and this is the part of an evil man who sees his wife going out without a vail upon her head and with a bare neck and sees her washing in the baths where men are wont to wash and yet cares not for it whereas he is bound by the Law to put her away II. r r r r r r Maimonides in the place above If any man hate his wife let him put her away excepting only that wife that he first married In like manner R. Judah thus interprets that of the Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If he hate her let him put her away Which sense some Versions dangerously enough have followed R. Solomon expresses the sense of that place thus It is commanded to put away ones wife if she obtain not favour in the eyes of her
husband III. s s s s s s Gittin in the place above And R. Sol. R. Nissin there The School of Hillel saith If the Wife cook her husbands food illy by over salting or over roasting it she is to be put away IV. Yea If by any stroke from the hand of God she become dumb or sottish c. V. But not to relate all the things for which they pronounce a wife to be divorsed among which they produce some things that modesty allows not to be repeated let it be enough to mention that of R. Akibah instead of all t t t t t t Mishnah ult in Gittin cap. 9. R. Akibah said If any man sees a woman handsomer than his won wife he may put her away because it is said If she find not favour in his eyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bill of Divorce And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Bill of Divorce Mat. XIX 7. and in the Septuagint Deut. XXIV 1. Of which Beza thus This bil may seem to be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as much as Departing away not in respect of the wife put away as of the husband departing away from his wife Something hard and diametrically contrary to the Canonical doctrine of the Jewes For thus they write u u u u u u Maimon in Gerushin ca. 1. It is written in the bill Behold thou art put away Behold thou art thrust away c. But if he writes I am not thy husband or I am not thy spouse c. it is not a just bill for it is said He shall put her away not He shall put himself away This Bill is called by the Jews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Bill of cutting off and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Bill of expulsion and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An Instrument and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An Instrument of dismission and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Letters of forsaking c. I. A Wife might not be put away unless a bill of divorce were given Therefore it is called saith Baal Turimi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A bill of cutting off because there is nothing else that cuts her off from the husband For although a wife were obtained three ways of which see the x x x x x x Kiddush cap. 1. hal 1. Talmud yet there was no other way of dismissing her besides a bill of divorce y y y y y y Baal Turim upon Deutr. XXIV II. A wife was not put away unless the husband were freely willing for if he were unwilling it was not a divorce but whether the wife were willing or unwilling she was to be divorsed if her husband would z z z z z z Maimon in Gerushin cap. 1. III. a a a a a a Rashba in Tikkun Gâ—t at the end of Gittin in Alphes A bill of divorce was written in twelve lines neither more nor less R. Mordechai gives the reason of this number in these words b b b b b b Ch. 1. upon Tract Gittin Let him that writes a bill of divorse comprize it twelve lines according to the value of the number of the letters in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Get. But Rabh Saadias interprets that the bill of divocre should be written with the same number of lines wherein the books of the Law are separated For four lines come between the book of Genesis and the book of Exodus four between the book of Exodus and the book of Leviticus four between the book Leviticus and the book Numbers But the four between the book of Numbers and Deuteronomy are not reckoned because that book is only a repetition of the Law c. IV. You have the Copy of a Bill of Divorce in c Alphesius upon Gittin in this form 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Bill of Divorce On the day of the week N. of the month of N. of the year of the Worlds Creation N. according to the computation by which we are wont to reckon in the Province N. I N. the son of N. and by what name soever I am called of the City N with the greatest consent of my mind and without any compulsion urging me have put away dismissed and expelled thee thee I say N. the daughter of N. by what name soever thou art called of the City N. who heretofore wert my wife But now I have dismissed thee thee I say N. the daughter of N. by what name soever thou art called of the City N. So that thou art free and in thine own power to marry whosoever shall please thee and let no man hinder thee from this day forward even for ever Thou art free therefore for any man And let this be to thee a bill of rejection from me Letters of Divorse and a Scedule of expulsion according to the Law of Moses and Israel Reuben the son of Iacob witness Eliezer the son of Gilead witness See also this form varied in some few words in Maimonides d d d d d d In Gerushin sol 273. 2. V. This bill being confirmed with the husbands seal and the subscription of witnesses was to be delivered into the hand of the wife either by the husband himself or by some other deputed by him for this office or the wife might depute some body to receive it in her stead VI. It was not to be delivered to the wife but in the presence of two who might read the bill both before it was given into the hand of the wife and after and when it was given the husband if present said thus Behold this is a bill of Divorce to you VII The wife thus dismissed might if she pleased bring this bill to the Sanhedrin where it was enrolled among the Records if she desired it in memory of the thing The dismissed person likewise might marry whom she would if the husband had not put some stop in the bill by some clause forbidding it VERS XXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Whosoever shall put away his wife c. 1. OUR Saviour does not abrogate Moses permission of Divorses but tolerates it yet keeping it within the Mosaic bounds that is in the case of adultery condemning that liberty in the Jewish Canons which allowed it for any cause II. Divorse was not commanded in the case of adultery but permitted Isralites were compelled sometimes even by Whipping to put away their Wives as appears in e e e e e e In Gerushin cap. 2. Maimonides But our Saviour even in the case of adultery does not impose a compulsion to divorse but indulgeth a licence to do it III. He that puts away his wife without the cause of Fornication makes her commit adultery that is if she commits adultery or although she commit not adultery in act yet he is guilty of all the lustful motions of her that is put away for he that lustfully desires is said to commit adultery vers 28. VERS XXXIII 〈◊〉
Ark of Noah swam upon the waters as upon two rafters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as much space as is from Tiberias to Susitha h h h h h h Joseph in the place above Gadara was distant sixty furlongs from Tiberias i i i i i i Id. de bell lib. 2. cap. 13. Bethsaida was in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lower Gaulanitis beyond Jordan in Batanea It is shewn to Pilgrims on the shore of the Sea of Genesaret in Galilee and thence the error of the Maps was taken Hear our Countryman Biddulph who saw those places about the year MDC March the twenty fourth we rode by the Sea of Galilee which hath two names Joh. VI. 1. The Sea of Galilee and Tiberias of Galilee because it is in Galilee and of Tiberias because the City of Tiberias was built near it also Bethsaide another antient City We saw some ruines of the Walls of both But it is said in that Chapter Joh. VI. 1. That Jesus sailed over the Sea of Galilee And elsewhere that he went over the Lake and Luke IX 10. it is said that he departed into a desert place near the City Bethsaida Which Text of John I learned better to understand by seeing than ever I could by reading For when Tiberias and Bethsaida were both on the same shore of the Sea and Christ went from Tiberias to or near Bethsaida hence I gather that our Saviour Christ sailed not over the length or bredth of the Sea but that he passed some bay as much as Tiberias was distant from Bethsaida Which is proved thence in that it is said elsewhere That a great multitude followed him thither on foot which they could not do if he had sailed over the whole Sea to that shore among the Gergasens which is without the Holy Land These are his words But take heed Sir that your Guids who shew those places under those names do not impose upon you If you will take Josephus for a Guid he will teach That l l l l l l Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 3. Philip repaired the Town Bethsaida and he called it Julias from Julias the Daughter of Cesar. And That m m m m m m Id. in the place above that Julias was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In lower Gaulanitis Nor is the argument good Otherwise they could not follow him a foot for from Capernaum and Tiberias there was a very beaten and common way by the bridge of Chammath into the Country of the Gadarens and so to Bethsaida Cana was a great way distant from Tiberias n n n n n n In his own life p. 631. Josephus spent a whole night travailing from this Town to that with his Army It was situate against Julias of Betharamptha as may be gathered from the same Author in the place quoted in the margin o o o o o o Ibid. p. 653. Now that Julias was situate at the very influx of Jordan into the Sea of Genesaret These things might be more largely explained and illustrated but we are affraid of being too long and so much the more because we have treated copiously of them elsewhere This will be enough to an unbiassed Reader to whose judgment we leave it and now go on to Dalmanutha SECT II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zalmon Thence Dalmanutha IF we may play a little with the name Dalmanutha hear a Talmudical Tradition p p p p p p Bava bathra fol. 98. 2. He that sells a Farm to his neighbour or that receives a place from his neighbour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make him a house of betrothing for his son or a house of widowhood for his daughter let him build it four cubits this way and six that Where the Gloss 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An house of widowhood for his daughter whose husband is dead and she now returns to the house of her father The meaning of this Tradition is When the son of any one had married a wife he did not use to dwell with his father in Law but it was more customary for his Father to build him a little house near his own house So also when the husband was dead and the daughter now being a widow returned to her father it was also customary for the father to build her a little house in which she dwelt indeed alone but very near her father But now from some such house of more note than ordinary built for some eminent widow or from many such houses standing thick together this place perhaps might be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dalmanutha that is The place of widowhood And if some more probable derivation of the name occurred not it might not without reason have had respect to this But we suppose the name is derived elsewhere namely from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zalmon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tsaddi being changed into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Daleth which is no strange thing to the Syrians and Arabians Of Zalmon we meet with mention Judg. IX 48. namely a Mountain or some tract in a Mountain near Sychem but that place is a very great way off of that concerning which we are now treating But the Talmudists mention a place called Zalmon which agrees excellently well with Dalmanutha q q q q q q â—vamoth fol. 122. 1. There is a story say they of a certain man in Zalmon who said I N. the son of N. am bitten by a Serpent and behold I die They went away and found him not they went away therefore and married his wife The Gloss is They heard the voice of him crying and saying Behold I die but they found not such a man in Zalmon And again r r r r r r Kilaim cap. 4 hal 9. Bava Bathra fol. 82. 2. There is a story in Zalmon of a certain man who planted his Vineyard sixteen and sixteen cubits and a gate of two ranks of Vines now he turned on this side and the year following on the other and plowed on both sides And the cause was brought before the wise Men and they approved of it None will suspect this Zalmon to be the same with that near Sichem when it is said that they brought the cause before the wise Men for what had the Samaritans to do with the wise Men of the Jews One might rather believe it to be some place near to Tiberias where was an University of wise Men well known and commonly spoke of and mentioned in the Traditions cited as a place so known So divers places about Tiberias are mentioned by the Talmudists as well known which you will scarce find any where but in the books of the Talmudists Such are Chammath Magdala Beth Meon Paltathan Caphar Chittaia c. Concerning which we have spoken in another place There was also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mizgah s s s s s s Bereshith rabb § 34. The seat of Simeon ben
of some delicate niceness VERS V. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Above three hundred pence I. THE prizes of such precious oyntments as it seems in Pliny were commonly known For thus he f f f f f f Lib. XII c. 1◠The price of Costus is XVI pounds The price of Spike Nard is XC pounds The Leaves have made a difference in the value From the broadness of them it is called Hadrospherum with greater Leaves it is worth X xxx that is thirty pence That with a lesser leaf is called Mesopherum it is sold at X lx sixty pence The most esteemed is that called Microspherum having the least leafe and the price of it is X lxxv seventy five pence And elsewhere g g g g g g Cap. 20. To these the merchants have added that which they call Daphnois surnamed Isocinnamon and they make the price of it to be CCC 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Three hundred pence See more there II. It is not easie to reduce this sum of three hundred pence to its proper value partly because a peny was twofold a silver peny and a gold one partly because there was a double value and estimation of mony namely that of Jerusalem and that of Tyre as we observed before Let these be silver which we believe which are of much less value than gold and let them be Jerusalem pence which we also believe which are cheaper than the Tyrian yet they plainly speak the great wealth of Magdalen who poured out an oyntment of such a value when before she had spent some such other Which brings to my mind those things which are spoken by the Masters concerning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The box of spices which the husband was bound to give the wife according to the proportion of her dowry h h h h h h Bab. Chetub fol. 66. 2. But this is not spoken saith Rabh Ishai but of Jerusalem people There is an example of a daughter of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nicodemus ben Gorion to whom the Wise men appoynted four hundred crowns of gold for a chest of spices for one day She said to them I wish you may so appoynt for their daughters and they answered after her Amen The Gloss is The husband was to give to his wife ten Zuzees for every Manah which she brought with her to buy spices with which she used to wash her self c. Behold a most wealthy woman of Jerusalem daughter of Nicodemus in the contract and instrument of whose marriage was written A thousand thousand gold pence out of the house of her Father besides those she had out of the house of her Father in-Law whom yet you have in the same story reduced to that extream poverty that she picked up barly corns for her food out of the cattles dung VERS VII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For ye have the poor always with you SAmuel i i i i i i Bab. Schabb. fol. 63. 1. saith There is no difference between this world and the days of the Messias 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 anless in regard of the affliction of the Heathen kingdoms as it is said A poor man shall not be wanting out of the midst of the earth Deut. XV. 11. Observe a Jew cofessing that there shall be poor men even in the days of the Messias Which how it agrees with their received opinion of the pompous kingdom of the Messias let him look to it R. Solomon and Aben Ezra write If thou shalt obey the words of the Lord there shall not be a poor man in thee but thou wilt not obey therefore a poor man shall never be wanting Upon this received reason of the thing confess also O Samuel that there shall be disobedient persons in the days of the Messias which indeed when the true Messias came proved too too true in thy Nation VERS XII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And on the first day of unleavened bread SO Matth. Chap. XXVI 17. and Luke Chap. XXII 7. And now let them tell me who think that Christ indeed kept his Passover the fourteenth day but the Jews not before the fifteenth because this year their Passover was transferred unto the fifteenth day by reason of the following Sabbath Let them tell me I say whether the Evangelists speak according to the day prescribed by Moses or according to the day prescribed by the Masters of the Traditions and used by the Nation If according to Moses then the fifteenth day was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first of Unleavened bread Exod. XII 15 18. But if according to the manner of the Nation then it was the fourteenth And whether the Evangelists speak according to this custom let us enquire briefly Sometime indeed the whole seven days feast was transferred to another month and that not only from that Law Numb IX but from other causes also concerning which see the places quoted in the margin l l l l l l Hieros in Maasar Sheni fol. 56. 3. Maimon in Kiddush Hodesh cap 4. But when the time appointed for the feast occurred the Lamb was always slain on the fourteenth day I. Let us begin with a story where an occasion occurs not very unlike that for which they of whom we spake think the Passover this year was transferred namely because of the following Sabbath The story is this m m m m m m Hieros Pisachin fol. 33. 1. After the death of Shemaiah and Abtalion the sons of Betyra obtained the chief place Hillel went up from Babylon to enquire concerning three doubts When he was now at Jerusalem and the fourteenth day of the first month fell out on the Sabbath observe that it appeared not to the sons of Betyra whether the Passover drove off the Sabbath or no. Which when Hillel had determined in many words and had added moreover that he had learnt this from Shemaiah and Abtalion they laid down their authority and made Hillel president When they had chosen him President he derided them saying What need have you of this Babylonian Did you not serve the two chief Men of the world Shemaiah and Abtalion who sat among you These things which are already said make enough to our purpose but with the Readers leave let us add the whole story While he thus scoffed at them he forgat a Tradition For they said What is to be done with the people if they bring not their knives He answered I have heard this tradition but I have forgot But let them alone for although they are not Prophets they are Prophets sons Presently every one whose Passover was a Lamb stuck his knife into the fleece of it and whose Passover was a Kid hung his knife upon the horns of it And now let the impartial Reader judge between the reason which is given for the transferring the Passover this year unto the fifteenth day namely because of the Sabbath following that they might not be forced to abstain from
cap. 4. hal 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For every Course there was a Stationary Assembly of Priests Levites and Israelites at Jerusalem When the time came wherein the Course must go up the Priests and the Levites went up to Jerusalem but the Israelites that were within that Course all met within their own Cities and read the History of the Creation Gen. I. The Stationary men fasting four days in that week viz. from the second to the fifth Glosse There was a Stationary Assembly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for every Course stated and placed in Jerusalem who should assist in the Sacrifices of their brethren besides these that were stated in Jerusalem there was a Stationary Assembly in every City All Israel was divided into Twenty four Stations according to the Twenty four Courses There was the station of Priests Levites and Israelites at Jerusalem the Priests of the Course went up to Jerusalem to their Service the Levites to their Singing and of all the Stations there were some appointed and settled at Jerusalem that were to assist at the Sacrifices of their Brethren The rest assembled in their own Cities poured out Prayers that the Sacrifices of their Brethren might be accepted Fasting and bringing forth the Book of the Law on their Fast-day c. So the glosse hath it The reason of this Institution as to Stationary Men is given us in the Mishnah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For how could every mans offering be made if he himself were not present Now whereas the daily sacrifice and some other offerings were made for all Israel and it was not possible that all Israel should be present these Stationaries were instituted who in the stead of all Israel should put their hands upon the daily Sacrifice and should be present at the other Offerings that were offered for all Israel And while these were performing this at Jerusalem there were other Stationaries in every Course who by Prayers and Fasting in their own Cities helpt forward as much as they could the Services of their Brethren that were at Jerusalem k k k k k k Sipâ—ra sol 3. 2. The Children of Israel lay on their hands but the Gentiles do not The Men of Israel lay on their hands but the Women do not R. Jose saith Abba Eliezer said to me we had once a Calf for a Peace-offering and bringing it into the Court of the Women the Women put their hands upon it not that this belonged to the Women so to do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but that the Womens spirits might be appeased A remarkable thing The Priests throughout all the Courses grew into a prodigious number if that be true in Jerusalem Taanith l l l l l l Fol. 69. 1. R. Zeora in the name of Rabh Honnah said that the least of all the Courses brought forth Eighty five thousand branches of Priests A thing not to be credited 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And his Wife was of the Daughters of Aaron In the Talmudists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Priestess viz. one born of the lineage of Priests It was lawful for a Priest to marry a Levitess or indeed a Daughter of Israel m m m m m m Kiddushin cap. 4. hal 1. But it was most commendable of all to marry one of the Priests line Hence that Story in Taanith ubi supr Fouscore pair of Brethren-Priests took to Wife fourscore pair of Sister-Pristesses in Gophne all in one night There was hardly any thing among the Jews with greater care and caution lookt after than the marrying of their Priests viz. that the Wives they took should not by any means stain and defile their Priestly blood and that all things which were fit for their eating should be hallowed Hence that usual phrase for an excellent Woman 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 She deserves to marry with a Priest n n n n n n Joseph cont Appion lib. 1. pag. mihi 918. Josephus speaks much of this care 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the whole priestly Generation might be preserved pure and unblended 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elizabeth The Seventy give this name to Aarons Wife Exod. VI. 23. VERS VI. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. In all the Commandments and Ordinances c. SO Numb XXXVI 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These are the Commandments and judgments It would perhaps seem a little too fine and curious to restrain the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Decalogue or Ten Commandments and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Ceremonial and judicial Laws though this does not wholly want foundation It is certain the precepts delivered after the Decalogue from Exod. XXI to Chap. XXIV are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 judgments or ordinances Exod. XXI 1. XXIV 3. The Vulgar can hardly give any good account why he should render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by justifications much less the followers of that Translation why they should from thence fetch an Argument for justification upon observation of the Commands when the commands and institutions of men are by foreign Authors called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nay the corrupt customs that had been wickedly taken up have the same word 1 Sam. II. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Priests custom with the people was c. 2 Kings XVII 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And walked in the Statutes of the Heathen The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is frequently rendered by those Interpreters from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which to wave all other instances may abundantly appear from Psalm CXIX and the very things which the Jews speak of the Hebrew word obtain also in the Greek a a a a a a R. Solomon in Numb XIX Perhaps Satan and the Gentiles will question with Israel what this or that Command means and what should be the reason of it the answer that ought to be made in this case is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is ordained it is a Law given by God and it becomes not thee to cavil b b b b b b Joma fol. 67. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ye shall observe my statutes That is even those which Satan and the Nations of the World do cavil at Such are those Laws about eating Swines flesh heterogeneous cloathing the nearest Kinsman's putting off the Shoe the cleansing of the Leper and the scape Goat If perhaps it should be said that these precepts are vain and needless the Text saith I am the Lord. I the Lord have ordained these things and it doth not become thee to dispute them They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 just and equal deriving their equity from the authority of him that ordained them VERS VIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the order of his course a a a a a a Hieros Taanith ubi supr THE heads of the Courses stood forth and divided
count amiss when they tell us that the Roman Empire took its beginning in the days of Cleopatra a a a a a a Avodah Zaaah fol. 8. 2. And you may if you please call that a Monarchical Government in opposition to the Triumvirate which at that battel breathed its last But that certainly was the pure and absolute Monarchy which the Senate and the Common-wealth did agree and consent together to set up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Should be taxed The Vulgar and other Latin Copies read ut describeretur should be described which according to the letter might be understood of the setting out the whole bounds of the Empire according to its various and distinct Provinces Only that Aethicus tells us this had been done before whose words since they concern so great and noble a Monument of antiquity may not prove tedious to the Reader to be transcribed in this place Julius Caesar Bissextilis rationis inventor c. Julius Cesar the first inventer of the Bissextile account a man singularly instructed in all divine and humane affairs in the time of his Consul-ship by a decree of the Senate procured that the whole Roman jurisdiction should be measured out by men of greatest skill and most seen in all the attainments of Philosophy So that Julius Cesar and M. Antony being Consuls the world began to be measured That is from the Consulship of Cesar above mentioned to the Consulship of Augustus the third time and Crassus the space of One and twenty years five months and eight days all the East was surveighed by Zenodoxus From the Consulship likewise of Julius Cesar and M. Antony to the Consulship of Saturnius and Cinna the space of two and thirty years one month and ten days the South was measured out by Polyclitus so that in two and thirty years time the whole world was surveighed and a report of it given in unto the Senate Thus he Though something obscurely in the accounts of the Consuls as also in his silence about the West which things I must not stand to enquire into at this time This only we may observe that Julius Cesar was Consul with Antony A. U. C. 710. And that the surveigh of the Roman Empire being two and thirty years in finishing ended A. V. C. 742. that is twelve years before the Nativity of our Saviour Let us in the mean time guess what course was taken in this surveigh I. It is very probable they drew out some Geographical Tables wherein all the Countries were delineated and laid down before them in one view II. That these Tables or Maps were illustrated by Commentaries in which were set down the description of the Countries the names of places the account of distances and whatever might be necessary to a compleat knowlede of the whole bounds of that Empire That some such thing was done by Augustus his own hand so far as concerned Italy seems hinted by a passage in Pliny b b b b b b Lib. 3. cap. 5. Quâ in re praefari necessarium est Authorem nos Divum Augustum secuturos descriptionemque ab eo factam Italiae totius in regiones XI In which thing we must tell before hand that we intend to follow Augustus and the description he made of all Italy dividing it into XI Countries And now after this Surveigh of Lands and Regions what could be wanting to the full knowledge of the Empire but a strict account of the people their Patrimony and Estates and this was Augustus his care to do c c c c c c Sueton. in Octaviano cap. 27. Recepit morum legumque regimen aeque perpetuum c. He took upon him the Government both of their manners and Laws and both perpetual By which right though without the title of Censor he laid a tax upon the people three times The first and third with his Collegue the second alone The first with his Collegue M. Agrippa The third with his Collegue Tiberius The second by himself alone and this was the Tax our Evangelist makes mention of in this place VERS II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. This taxing was first made c. NOT the first taxing under Augustus but the first that was made under Cyrenius For there was another taxing under him upon the occasion of which the Sedition was raised by Judas the Gaulonite Of this Tax of ours Dion Cassius seems to make mention the times agreeing well enough though the agreement in other things is more hardly reducible a a a a a a Lib 55. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He began a tax upon those that dwelt in Italy and were worth two hundred Sesterces sparing the poorer sort and those that lived beyond the Countries of Italy to avoid tumults If those that lived out of Italy were not taxed how does this agree with the Tax our Evangelist speaks of unless you will distinguish In one sense they were not taxed that is as to their Estates they were not to pay any thing but in another sense they were that is as to taking account of their names that they might swear their allegeance and subjection to the Roman Empire As to this let the more learned judge VERS IV. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because he was of the House and Lineage of David WE read in the Evangelists of two Families that were of the Stock and Line of David and the Talmudick Authors mention a third The Family of Jacob the Father of Joseph the Family of Eli the Father of Mary and the Family of Hillel the President of the Sanhedrin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who was of the seed of David of Shephatiah the Son Abital a a a a a a Juchas fol. 19. 2. I do not say that all these met at this time in Bethlehem It is indeed remark't of Joseph that he was of the House of David partly because he was to be the reputed though he was not the real Father of Christ and partly also that the occasion might be related that brought Mary to Bethlehem where the Messiah was to be born But it may be considered whether Cyrenius being now to take an estimate of the people might not on purpose and out of policy summon together all that were of David's Stock from whence he might have heard the Jews Messiah was to spring to judge whether some danger might not arise from thence VERS VII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There was no room for them in the Inn. FRom hence it appears that neither Joseph nor his Father Jacob had any House of their own here no nor Eli neither wherein to entertain his Daughter Mary ready to lye-in And yet we find that two years after the birth of Christ Joseph and Mary his Wife lived there in an hired House till they fled into Egypt a a a a a a Midras â—chah fol. 48. 3. A certain Arabian said to a certain Jew the Redeemer
Corps out of the Court-gate d d d d d d Hieros Beracoth fol. 5. 4. At what time do they take their beds lower from the time that the person deceased is carried out of the Court-gate of his twn house Secondly it is taken also for carrying the Corps out of the City For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the burying places were not near the City e e e e e e Gloss in Kiddushin fol. 80. 2. f f f f f f Moed Katon fol. 24. 1. The infant dying before it be thirty days old 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is carried out in the bosom and is buried by one Woman and two Men. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An infant of thirty days old is carried out in a little Coffin R. Judah saith not in a Coffin that is carried on mens shoulders but in their arms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A child of three years old is carried out in a bed And so onward from that age 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Much people was with her g g g g g g Moed Katon ibid. R. Simeon ben Eliezer saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the dead that is carried out on his bed there are many mourners If he be not carried out on his bed but in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Coffin there are not many mourners 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If the deceased person be known to many then many accompany him There were ordinarily at such Funerals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those that carried the Bier and some to take their turns and some also to take their turns again h h h h h h Beracoth cap. 3. hal 1. For as as the Gloss hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every one desired that office There were also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those that stoood in order about the mourners to comfort them i i i i i i Ibid. Chetub fol. 8. 2. VERS XIV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Touched the Bier IN Syriac 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He approached to the Bier The Talmudists would say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He came to the bed of the dead Which indeed is the same 2 Sam. III. 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 David followed after the Bed The Targumist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 After the Bier k k k k k k Beresh rabb sect 100. Jacob said to his Sons beware ye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that no uncircumcised person touch my Bed lest he drive away thence the divine presence VERS XXXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Woman that was a sinner I. WOmen of an ill name amongst the Jews were such as these l l l l l l Chetub fol. 72. 1. She who transgresseth the Law of Moses and the Jewish Law The Gloss is The Jewish Law that is what the Daughters of Israel follow though it be not written Who is she that transgresseth the Law of Moses She that gives her husband to eat of what is not yet tithed She that suffers his embraces while her Menstrua are upon her She that doth not set apart a loaf of bread for her self She that voweth and doth not perform her vow How doth she transgress the Jewish Law If she appears abroad with her head uncovered If she spin in the streets If she talk with every one she meets Abba Saul saith If she curse her Children R. Tarphon saith If she be loud and clamorous The Gloss is If she desire coition with her husband within doors so very loud that her neighbours may hear her Maimon upon the place If when she is spinning in the street she makes her arms so naked that men may see them If she hang either Roses or Myrtle or a Pomegranate or any such thing either at her eyes or cheeks If she play with young men If she curse her husbands father in the presence of her husband c. II. However I presume the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sinner sounds something worse than all this which also is commonly conjectured of this Woman viz. that she was actually an Adulteress and every way a lewd Woman It is well known what the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sinners signifies in the Old Testament and what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sinners in the New VERS XXXVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And stood at his feet behind him SHE washed his feet as they lay stretcht out behind him of which posture we treat more largely in our Notes upon Joh. XII VERS XLVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For she loved much IF we consider these two or three things we shall quickly understand the force and design of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for c. I. That this was not the first time when this Woman betook her self to our Saviour nor is this the first of her receiving remission of her sins It is supposed and that not without good reason that this was Mary Magdalen If so then had her seven devils been cast out of her before and at that time her sins had been forgiven her our Lord at at once indulging to her the cure both of her body and her mind She therefore having been obliged by so great a mercy in gratitude and devotion now throws her self at the feet of Christ. She had obtained remission of her sins before this action And from thence came this action not from this action her forgiveness II. Otherwise the similitude which our Saviour propounds about forgiving the debt would not be to be the purpose at all The debt is not released because the debtor loves his creditor but the debtor loves because his debt is forgiven him Remission goes before and love follows III. Christ doth not say she hath washed my feet with her tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head and anointed me with oyntment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore her sins are forgiven but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. For this cause I say unto thee her sins are forgiven her He tells Simon this that he might satisfie the murmuring Pharisee Perhaps Simon thou wonderest within thy self that since this hath been so lewd a Woman I should so much as suffer her to touch me but I must tell thee that it is very evident even from this obsequiousness of hers and the good offices she hath done to me that her sins are forgiven her She could never have given these testimonies and fruits of her gratitude and devotion if she had still remained in her guilt and not been loosed from her sins CHAP. VIII VERS II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mary called Magdalene WHence should she have this name I. We have observed above in our Notes upon Matth. XXVII 56. that there is mention made in the Talmudick Authors of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Maria Magdilaseen Nashaia the Daughter of Maria a plaiter of Womens hair who they say was the Wife of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Papus ben Juda
almost with one consent do note that this story of the woman taken in adultery was not in some ancient Copies and whiles I am considering upon what accident this should be there are two little stories in Eusebius that come to mind The one we have in these words a a a a a a Hist. Eccles. lib. 3. cap. ult 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He Papias tells us also another History concerning a woman accus'd of many crimes before our Lord which History indeed the Gospel according to the Hebrews makes mention of All that do cite that story do suppose he means this adulteress The other he tells us in his life of Constantine b b b b b b Lib. 4. cap. 36. he brings in Constantine writing thus to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I think good to signifie to your prudence that you would take care that fifty Volumes of those Scriptures whose preparation and use you know so necessary for the Church and which beside may be easily read and carryed about may by very skilful pen-men be written out in fair parchment So indeed the Latin Interpreter but may we not by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 understand the Gospels compacted into one body by way of Harmony the reason of this conjecture is twofold partly those Eusebian Canons form'd into such a kind of Harmony partly because cap. 37. he tells us that having finisht his work he sent to the Emperour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 threes and fours which words if they are not to be understood of the Evangelists sometimes three sometimes four the greater number including the less imbody'd together by such an harmony I confess I cannot tell what to make of them But be it so that it must not be understood of such an Harmony and grant we further that the Latin Interpreter hits him right when he supposes Eusebius to have pickt out here and there according to his pleasure and judgment some parts of the Holy Scriptures to be transcribed surely he would never have omitted the Evangelists the noblest and the most profitable part of the New Testament If therefore he ascrib'd this story of the Adulteress to the Trisler Papias or at least to the Gospel according to the Hebrews only without doubt he would never insert it in Copies transcribed by him Hence possibly might arise the omission of it in some Copies after Eusebius his times It is in Copies before his age viz. in Ammonius Tatianus c. VERS I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He went to the mount of Olives BUT whether to the Town of Bethany or to some Booth fixed in that mount is uncertain For because of the infinite multitude that had swarm'd together at those Feasts it is probable many of them had made themselves Tents about the City that they might not be too much streightned within the walls though they kept within the bounds still of a Sabbaths-days journey c c c c c c Gloss. in Pesachin fol. 95. 2. And thou shalt turn in the morning and go into thy Tents Deut. XVI 7. The first night of the Feast they were bound to lodg within the City after that it was lawful for them to abide without the walls but it must be within the bounds of a Sabbath-days journey whereas therefore it is said Thou shalt go into thy Tents this is the meaning of it Thou shalt go into thy Tents that are without the walls of Jerusalem but by no means into thine own house d d d d d d Vid. Aben Ezra in Deut. XVI It is said Chap. VII That every one went to his own house ver 53. upon which words let that be a Comment that we meet with e e e e e e Pische Tosaphoth in Sanhedr Artic. 34. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 After the daily evening sacrifice the fathers of the Sanhedrin went home The eighth day therefore being ended the History of which we have in Chap. VII the following night was out of the compass of the Feast so that they had done the dancings of which we have spoken before The Evangelist therefore does not without cause say that every one went to his own house for otherwise they must have gone to those dancings if the next day had not been the Sabbath VERS III. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A woman taken in Adultery OUR Saviour calls that generation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An Adulterous Generation Mat. XII 39. See also Jam. IV. 4. which indeed might be well enough understood in its literal and proper sense f f f f f f Sotah fol. 47. 1. From the time that murderers have multiplied amongst us the beheading of the Heifer hath ceased and since the encrease of Adultery the bitter waters have been out of use g g g g g g Maimon in Satah cap. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Since the time that Adultery so openly prevailed under the second Temple the Sanhedrin abrogated that way of tryal by the bitter water grounding it upon what is written I will not visit your Daughters when they shall go a whoring nor your Wives when they shall commit Adultery The Gemarists say that Rabban Jochanan ben Zacchai was the Author of this Counsel he lived at this very time and was of the Sanhedrin perhaps present amongst those that set this Adulterous Woman before Christ. For there is some reason to suppose that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scribes and Pharisees here mentioned were no other than the Fathers of the Sanhedein VERS V. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That such should be stoned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such Who what all Adulteresses or all taken in Adultery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the very act There is a third qualification still For the condition of the Adulteress is to be considered whether she was a married Woman or betrothed only God punisheth Adultery by death Levit. XX. 10. but the Masters of Traditions say That wherever death is simply mentioned in the Law that is where the kind of death is not expressly prescribed there it is to be supposed no other than strangling Only they except 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Daughter of an Israelite if she commit Adultery after she is married must be strangled if only betrothed she must be stoned A Priest's Daughter if she commit Adultery when married must be stoned if only betrothed she must be burnt * * * * * * Sanhedr fol. 51. 2. Hence we may conjecture what the condition of this Adulteress was either she was an Israelitess not yet married but betrothed only or else she was a Priests Daughter married rather the former because they say Moses in the Law hath commanded us that such should be stoned See Deut. XXII 21. But as to the latter there is no such command given by Moses VERS VIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iesus stooped down and wrote on the ground