is the difference the Lawes of the godly are so reasonable that euery one may see presently the equitie of them on the contrarie it is enough in the Lawes of the wicked That it is the Kinges pleasure or that it satisfies their Humors To returne wee may gesse that Isaacke was fiue yeares old when Ismael mocked him for otherwise Isaacke could not haue perceiued it Ismaels flouting might be after this sort Is this hee that shall haue the Promise in whom the Nations shall be blessed a goodly one I warrant you What continuance or strength can there be in him seeing at the time of his birth his father and mother were very old and decayed in strength and yet when hee is weaned there must be great Festing and iolly cheare If we consider what an offence it is esteemed if one being a Subiect or otherwise inferiour should contumeliously and despightfully taunt and vpbraide the Heire apparant to a Kingdome wee will thinke this an iniurie not sufferable If we obserue the time when the Children of Israel came out of Egipt which was about Easter and that this time of flouting that time maketh 400. yeares we shall find that this mocking was likewise about Easter Selah died Cen. 11.14.15 being 514. yeares old Iosephus thinketh that Jsaacke was appoynted to be sacrificed at 35. yeares Codomanus is of opinion that Isaacke at this time was offered being now 32. yeares old and three quarters answerable to the death of Christ at his death seeing his death was a figure of the death of Christ There is nothing precisely determined by the Scriptures and therefore it is left for vs to follow which we will This Isaacke in respect of the commandement of God that he should be offered vp and the obedience of Abraham in offering him was dead and was restored to Abraham as if he had been risen from the dead He was offered on Mount Moriab a part of the Mountaine of Sion called afterwardes Ierusalem Of this Christ speaketh O Ierusalem Ierusalem thou that sawest those thinges that concerne thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes therefore thou art Iebus that is troden downe God altereth the name Moriah to Ierusalem because he would haue kept in memorie Abrahams Obedience Sems Religion and therefore giueth it a name comprehending both for in respect of Abraham he calleth it Iirie Abraham giuing it the name Iehouah Iirie that is In the Mount will the Lord be seene In respect of Sem he keepeth the name of Salem still and so it is called Iirie Salem The sight of Peace From this Storie the Iewes might haue knowne the death of Christ seeing Christ compareth them togeather and yet by putting Christ to death haue saued the world though not heaped condemnation on their owne heads for as it was prophecied that one man must die for all the people so they might haue thus reasoned we know this is the Messias and that he must die for the sinnes of the people Isaacke being a figure and this time wherein hee now is on the earth agreeth with Daniels seauens Therfore as Abraham offered vp Isaacke so let the high Sacrificer according to the law put him to death but then as Saint Peter speaketh if they had knowne this they would not haue crucified the Lord of glorie But as the windows of Salomons Temple bee narrow without wide within so Christ speaketh of parables that they are therefore spoken that in hearing they should not heare and in seeing they should not see least they should repent and be saued The author to the Hebrewes sayth By Fayth Abraham offered vp Isaacke and hee that receiued the promise offered his onelie begotten Sonne to whom it was sayd In Isaacke shall thy seede bee called for hee considered that GOD was able to raise him vp euen from the dead from whence he receiued him also after a sort Christ in the Gospell affirmeth that Abraham saw my dayes That is in Isaacke and reioyced God speaketh from heauen to Abraham in this sort By my selfe haue I sworne because thou hast done this thing and hast not spared thine onlie Sonne therfore will I surely blesse thee In Rom. 8.32 Saint Paul speaketh thus What shal we then say to these things if God be on our side who can be against vs who spared not his owne Sonne but gaue him to death for vs How shall hee not with him giue vs all thinges also Compare Isaacke with Christ Was not Abraham our Father iustified by Workes when he offered his Sonne Isaacke vpō the Altar Iam. 2. Isaacke was bound Isaacke after three daies was offered vp to death and after a sort reuiued to life God spared not his owne Sonne but gaue him for vs all to death Christ was bound Christ hauing suffered death riseth vp againe the third day to life Sara died being 127. yeayes old She was buried in Canaan in the Fielde of Machpelah which Abraham hought of the Hittits This place they would haue giuen Abraham freelie for they confessed that he was a Prince of God amongst them but he would buy it because they should not say that they had made Abraham rich wherefore we must know if we will be godly that all our life is but a Pilgrimage and that wee are but Strangers and that all our Inheritance is nothing else but a place for Buriall The Hebrewes expound Sarahs death a mortification and dying vnto sinne Rebecca is married to Isaacke Gen. 24.47 when he is 40. yeares old SHee is the Daughter of Bethuel the Sonne of Nachor the Sonne of Terah and Brother of Abraham her Grandfather Nachor was an Idolater but her Grandmother Milka is thought to be of a good Religion in that two of her Sonnes Bethuel and Kemuel haue El the mighty God in their names Isaacke goeth to Mesopotamia for a Wife of his owne kindred for in Canaan there were none of his owne kindred and of the women of the Land he might not marrie Iacob his Sonne likewise goeth to Mesopotamia to Laban the brother of Rebecca and there taketh him Wiues of the same kindred SEM died Gen. 11.10 being 600. yeares old borne 98. yeares before the Flood and was taught by Methushelah and Lamech who saw Adam many yeares THis Sem was a great King and liued sixe hundred yeares as Noah before the Flood He is called Melchisedech the King of Peace He dwelt at Salem where his name continued 65. ages halfe one hundred and thirtie answerable to Seth till that the Apostles receiued the holy Ghost after the ascention of Christ Hee is resembled to the Sonne of God Sems house beleeued that Christ should come till hee came and when he came they denied him and were cut off Esau Iacob borne Gen. 25.25 their grandfather Abraham bing 160 and their father Isaacke 60. yeares old THe first matter in this Storie to be considered is how the two Twinnes in Rebeckahs wombe are called two Nations Malachi
A Briefe Discourse of the Scriptures Declaring the seuerall Stories Liues and Deaths of the Fathers from the Creation of Adam vnto the death of Ioseph Very necessarie to be read and practised for easie vnderstanding of the Scriptures in a short time Imprinted at London by W. White dwelling in Cow-lane 1614. THE PRINTER To the Reader THis short Treatise Christian Reader of The storie of the Fathers from Adam to Ioseph comming to my hands and beeing well approoued of by many godly and discreetly zealous men for the worthinesse of the subiect I was at the earnest request of sundry my especiall good Friendes drawne to commit it as thou seest to the Presse for the benefite of many Of the Author hereof I finde no mention yet likely it is to haue been penned by an Attendaunt on that learned Diuine M. H. B. as a collection from his Notes or Readings Perused it hath been before the authorizing thereof for the print by a Diuine of mature iudgement who corrected such thinges as he found faultie therein Read it without preiudice or partialitie and I doubt not but the profite which thou shalt reape thereby for the increase of thy knowledge in holy Scripture will preserue thee from all repenting of thy paines W. W. A Briefe Discourse of the Scriptures declaring the seuerall Stories Liues and Deaths of the Fathers from the creation of Adam vnto the death of Joseph very necessarie to be read and practised for easie vnderstanding of the Scriptures in a short time Jehouah our God Jehouah is one Deut. 6.4 IEHOVAH is a name of great force to driue vs to the due reuerence of Gods eternall Maiestie for it conteyneth the Wisedome Power and Eternitie of God His Wisedome In giuing a Name vnto himselfe answerable to the glorie of his Maiestie This Name was had in such reuerence among the Iewes that they trembled to name or read it but vsed the name Adonai Lord. After their cōming frō Babel they neuer vsed the name Jehouah but a name of twelue letters conteining Father Sonne and Holy spirit Jehouah hath in it the fiue Vowels which are the sinnewes of all Tongues And as without them no tongue can be expressed so without the true knowledge of Iehouah no flesh can be saued It signifieth Prayse mee the eternall God It conteineth in it Father Sonne and holy Ghost His Power In that from Iehouah all creatures haue their breathing and their being which also in Iehouah is closely expressed For as it consisteth of fiue vowels so hath it two hh which Sholers call Aspirations or Breathings which two Aspirations make vp the number of 7. which is the number of the Sabboth S. Paul closely alluding to the name of Iehouah sayth that from him we haue our breathing and our beeing and in Esay 57.16 the Lord sayth The blasting goeth foorth from me and is included in the body I made the breath So often therefore as we breath we are to remember the Power and Maiestie of Iehouah His Eternitie Is closely expressed in these three Letters י ו τ Whose terminations are Jod vavv be is a signe of the Futertense Presentense Preterperfectense This is made plaine in Apoc. 1.4 Who was is wil be to come Our God Herein is expressed the Humanitie of Christ for it is neither added to the Father the first person in Trinitie nor to the holy Ghost the third person but to the Sonne the second person who was to become ours by taking our nature vpon him Some hold it not to be meant of the Humanitie of Christ but for a word of separation of the God of the Iewes from the Gods of the Gentiles To remooue such absurditie the holy Ghost in Mark 12.29 when there was no difference betweene the Iew and the Gentile repeateth the very words of Moses Deut. 6.4 The Lord our God The Lord is one Thrise naming God as commaunding vs thereby to vnderstand Father Sonne and Holy spirit For this is alwayes to be obserued Whatsoeuer God speeketh of himselfe is to be taken in the heauenliest vnderstanding that can be made of it Iehouah our God Iehouah is one There be three in Heauen The Father the Worde and the Holy Spirit And these three are one 1. Iohn 5.7 The Trinitie is heere described to be one vnited Godhead distinguishable in persons but vndeuidable in coeternitie one in three and three in one GOD who Created Redeemed and Sanctified all One onely wise God who was shewed in the Flesh was iustified in the Spirit was seene among Angels was preached to the Gentiles was beleeued on in the World receiued vp into Glorie 1. Timo. 3.16 Which to know is the first and chiefest poynt of all saluation as Iohn 17.3 This is eternall life to know the Father and him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ Which must be obteined by the true vnderstanding of the Bible as Iohn 5.39 Search the Scriptures and in them ye shall find eternall life Some will say it is enough to know Christ crucified Pilate Herod and Iudas the traytor knew that yet went to eternall destruction Wherefore saluation consisteth not in outward knowledge but in renewing the spirit of our vnderstanding which standeth first in the knowledge and feare of God then in the knowing of our selues which are the first two steps to saluation For true Knowledge is the mother of Godlinesse and as the Eye is the light of the Body so is Vnderstanding the light of the Minde This a man hauing truly learned he is to meditate of the graces of Christ offered vnto vs by his Word God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the World c. Ephes 1.4 HErein we are to consider the louing kindnesse of God to exceed our desertes in louing vs to saluation before we were The Papistes hold merites of saluation which cannot any way hold seeing God of his vnspeakable grace hath elected vs vnto saluation before we knew him This mysterie of Gods Election is not fully receiued of all because men take not words of Scripture in their proper sense as they are layde downe Election is the eternall counsell of God for the sauing and reiecting of some before the beginning of the world The Heathen neuer receiued comfort by this for being told before of thinges afterward to come to passe they could not know the reason but thought that the actions of men were gouerned by the motions of Starres and the course of Nature and not by the decree or fore-purpose of God who worketh euery thing according to the counsell of his owne will not according to our reason Then some will say if God decreeth euery thing why punisheth he any thing It is answered that punishment commeth from God by the iust desert of the rancor of mans minde Election of his free grace which he bestoweth vpon whō he will as he saith Rom. 9.15 I will haue mercie on whom I will haue mercie Therefore the first thing we ought to know is our
striuing for darknes we become children of darknes so lose the light of eternall life as the Iewes and Romanes did whose recompence hath followed The one depriued of their earthly glorie the other aduanced to glorie to be a staine of eternall damnation In the begining was the word c. Iohn 1.1 THese words In the beginning are the first wordes in the old Testament whose first word in the Hebrew is Bara which consisteth according to the Hebrew of three letters which closely conteine in them Father Sonne and Holie Ghost as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Ben which singnifieth Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Abba which is Father and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Ruach Hakodesh which is the Holy spirit Thus the Trinity is closely contained in the first word but in the first verse is expressed in open wordes In the beginning God made heauen and earth and the spirit of God mooued vpon the waters and God said Let there be light This is expounded Iohn 1.1 in these wordes In the beginning was the Word the Word was with God and that Word was God shewing that Word in this place is taken for the Sonne of God by whom he made the world as Iohn 1.3 By him were all things created And Heb. 1.2 God made all things by his Sonne who ruleth all things by his mightie power Wherefore Christ in the dayes of his flesh chose the trade of a Carpenter Iohn 6.42 Math. 13.55 And in Esay 43.10 It is sayd This record you must beare me your selues saith the Lord that I am God and euen he I am from the beginning I doe the worke who shall let it Thus saith the Lord the holy one our redeemer Wherein is distinctly expressed Father Sonne and Holy Ghost He was the Light and that Light was the life of man Iohn 1.4 LIfe and light is not here carnally meant but spiritually To which two thinges Aaarons Iewell of Vrim and Thummim had a full relation Vrim signifying Light of the minde Thummim Perfection of vertue which bringeth life to the soule As Iohn 1.9 Christ is the true light that lightneth euery man And hee that abideth in this light hath euerlasting life 1. Iohn 1.5 God is light and in him is no darknes at all If wee walke in light euen as he is light then haue we fellowship with him and the blood of Iesus Christ shall giue vs life and cleanse vs from our sinne We the gentiles were darknes but now are light in the Lord. Ephes 5.8 The vnderstanding of the stories of the Bible doth giue a great light to the mind of man and the practise giueth life vnto euery one that embraceth them as Deut. 8.3 and Mat. 4.4 Man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God The despisers of religion continue in darknesse and light to them is death as 1. Iohn 2. 9. He that saith hee is in light and hateth his brother is in darknesse and walketh in darknesse and knoweth not whither he goeth because the darknesse hath blinded his eies 1. Iohn 5.11 But God hath giuen vs eternall life and that life is in his Sonne who layed downe his life for his Sheepe Iohn 10.15 Wherefore while wee haue light let vs walke beleeue in the light that we may be the children of the light Iohn 12.36 The first Adam was made of the Earth earthly c. The second was made a soule giuing life c. HEre before the comparison betweene Adam and Christ we are to consider the Creation wherein we are to vnderstand the Creation of the Heauen Earth and Sea all the hoast of them which doe consist of Wightes visible and inuisible Inuisible as Angels Visible as Sunne Moone Starres Fishes Fowles Plants Hearbs Grasse Beastes and such like which God created before he created Adam by Christ for Adams sake because he purposed not to take the nature of Angels or of any other creature but of Adam and that he might be knowne in his power and louing kindnesse to Adam by his workes For he fore-purposing to make Adam both King and Father of all the Earth would not haue his wittes entangled with cares for this life but to haue his affections setled on heauenly things that he might continue holy and blamelesse before him as Mat. 6.25 Take no care what you shall eate or what you shall drinke nor yet for your body what rayment you shall put on Behold the Fowles neither sow nor reape and your heauenly Father feedeth them Are yee not much better then they How much more then shall he doe the same for you For he knoweth yee haue need of all these thinges But first seeke the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse Math 6.33 For no mans life standeth in the aboundance of thinges which he possesseth Now followeth Adams creation HEe was made the sixt day as it is gathered in September of the dust of the earth vpon Mount Moriah which is a Mountaine adioyning to the gates of the Garden of Eden into which Garden hee was put to dresse it about sixe of the clocke in the morning as we account when men commonly goe to labour as should appeare by the Psal 104.23 where it is said Adam goeth foorth in the morning to his labour This is not particularly meant of Adam but generally of all men no doubt alluding to the time of Adams creation Hee had dominion giuen him ouer all things and witte like to an Angell to giue names to all Beastes free libertie to eate of all the Trees in the Garden The Tree of knowledge of good and ill onely excepted As if God should haue said vnto him as Moses afterwardes sayd to the Children of Israel I set heere before you life and death eate of the one and liue and eate of the other and die eternally Yet could not he be content with this glorious estate but did eate of the forbidden Fruite by the perswasion of the Woman which God framed out of Adams Ribbe and ioyned to him to be an helpe for him before they had continued in Paradice one day as it is written Psal 49.20 Adam being in honour continueth not a night but is like to the Beastes that perish which Woman was deceiued by the subtiltie of a Serpent that is of the Deuill speaking in a Serpent which Beast was fittest to possesse to the deceiuing of her because he excelled all other Beastes in the Field in witte For if an Asse had sayd so much to her as did the Serpent it is very likely shee would haue examined the cause further But hee hauing once been an Angell of light but not keeping his first originall being throwne downe from Heauen continuing his knowledge though he lost his vertue was not to seeke either for meanes matter or oportunitie enuying their estates to bring his murtherous purpose to passe for so is he called the Serpent the old Deuill or Satan who was a
Election The last is true Holines That this Election or louing kindnes of God toward vs is of the will of God according to the counsell of his owne will and not drawne from him by force by helpe of Saintes or as being by workes meritorious of the same it may appeare Esay 63.16 Abraham knoweth vs not neither is Israel acquainted with vs but thou Lord art our Father and Redeemer and of very louing kindnes thou hast redeemed vs thy name is Euerlaistng Rom. 8.34 It is Christ onely that maketh intercession for vs. Esay 43.25 I am hee onely which for mine owne selfes sake doe away thine offences and forget thy sinnes for what hast thou to make thee righteous with Thy first Father offended sore and thy Rulers haue sinned against me Thou art like a thing of naught thy time passeth away like a shadow Ier. I loue thee with an euerlasting loue therefore by my mercie haue I drawne thee to mee And Iohn 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father draw him as it is written Esay 54.13 They shall be all taught of God Esay 26.12 Lord thou hast wrought all our workes Phil. 2.13 It is God that worketh in you both the will and also the deed euen of his good will 2. Cor. 3.5 Wee are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but if wee be able the same commeth of God which made vs able Esay 51.12 Yea I euen I am hee that in all thinges giueth you consolation Psal 130.7 For with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plentious redemption 1. Pet. 1.2 Wee are elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through the sanctifying of the Spirit vnto obedience and sprinkling the blood of Iesus Christ Psal 90.2 Before the Mountaines were brought foorth or euer the Earth and the World were made thou art our God from euerlasting to euerlasting thou turnest man vnto dust and sayest returne ye sonnes of Adam Rom. 9.11 Before the Children were borne and when they had done neither good nor euill that the purpose of God might stand not by workes but by the Caller it was said The greater shall serue the lesser as it is written Mala. 1.2.3 Iacob haue I loued Esau haue I hated Iohn 13.18 I know whom I haue chosen Psal 135.6 Whatsoeuer the Lord pleased that did he in heauen and in earth and in the sea in all deepe places Rom. 11.5.6 There is a remnant left according to the election of grace If it be of grace then it is not now of workes for then grace is no more grace But if it be of workes then it is now no grace What then Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh but the Election hath obtained it 2. These 2.13 We are bound to giue thankes alwayes to God because that God hath from the beginning chosen vs to saluation through sanctifying of the spirit and through beleeuing of the truth to obtaine the glory of our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 8.30 Moreouer whom he appointed before them also hee called And whom he hath called them also hee iustified and whom he iustified them hee also glorified Now followeth the effect of Election either in respect of the Elect or Reiect And first for the Elect. THE Elect whom God in his mercie hath saued for his righteousnesse sake and not for their desertes he guideth by the grace of his holy Spirit as Rom. 8.14 As many as are led by the spirit of God they are the Sonnes of God Esay 43.7 All those that are called by my name I haue created fashioned and made for my honour Yet he leaueth them sometimes vnto themselues that they may acknowledge the weakenes of their owne nature as Noah Lot Iacob Dauid Salomon Peter and others but neuer suffereth them to fall quite away as appeareth Esay 54.8 A little while haue I forsaken thee but with great mercy will I take thee vp vnto mee When I was angry with thee I hid my face from thee for a little season but through euerlasting mercy haue I redeemed thee sayth the Lord thy Redeemer The Mountaines shall mooue and the Hilles shall fall downe but my Louing kindnesse shall not mooue and the bond of my peace shall not fall downe from thee sayth the Lord thy mercifull louer Psalm 37.23 The Lord ordereth a good mans going and maketh his way acceptable vnto himselfe Though he fall he shall not be cast away for the Lord vpholdeth him with his hand Psal 103.10 He dealeth not with them after their sinnes nor rewardeth them according to their wickednes but looke how the Heauen is in comparison of the Earth so great is his mercy towards them that feare him for he knoweth whereof they be made and he remembreth that they are but dust He saueth their life from destruction and crowneth them with mercy and louing kindnesse Esay 54.17 Loe this is the heritage of the Lords Seruants and their righteousnes commeth of mee sayth the Lord. The Reiect hee leaueth to their owne selues hardning their owne heartes that hee may haue occasion of iudgement against them Esay 57.20 They are like to the raging Sea that can not rest whose water fometh with the myre and grauell for they haue no peace with God The Winde shall blow them foorth and Vanitie shall take them all away they are like to Dust before the Winde and like to the Chaffe in a Sommer floore Psal 73.4 The Lord suffereth them to come in no perill of death but they are lusty and strong they come in no danger like other folke neither are they plagued like other men And this is the cause that they be so holden with pride and overwhelmed with crueltie their eyes swell with fatnesse and they doe euen what they lust They corrupt others and speake wicked blasphemie their talking is against the most highest Tush say they how shall God perceiue it is there knowledge in the most highest Loe these are the vngodly and these haue riches in possession Such were Kaine the wicked mockers before the floode Cham the builders of Babel the vncleane Citties Ismael Esau Pharaoh Moab Ammon The wicked oppressers Saul Absalon the Kings of Israel and the Kings of Babel Antiochus the vild Herod Pilate and Iudas the traytour and many others who brought vpon themselues iust cause of eternall condemnation Psa 73.18 The Lord hath set them in slipperie places and casteth them downe and destroyeth them Oh how suddenly doe they consume and perish and come to a fearefull end Yea euen like as a dreame doth hee make their image to vanish Some folishly dispute Why God hath not saued all things seeing he made all they are answered Ier. 12.1 The Lord is more righteous then that he should be disputed with Ier. 18.6 They are in the hand of the Lord as the clay in the hand of the potter Rom. 9.21 God maketh of one lumpe of clay one vessell to honour another to dishonour What if
Redemption answerable to euerie part of the Fall because God according to the secret counsell of his owne will before the foundations of the earth were layd would make the art of Saluation so easie and the harmonie of the Bible so tunable that no musicke in the world can be more pleasant to the eare then the meditation of the loue of God towardes vs in Christ is comfortable to the heart of man Therefore the meditation of Adams fall and the victorie of Christ ought to be continually in our mindes Adam dieth THe Hebrewes descant very strangely vpon the Arithmeticke of Adams yeares which he liued which were 930. vpon a sentence in the 24. of Iob where it is sayd All the dayes of man vpon earth are but a shadow as if hee should say All the dayes of Adam are but Abel for Adam in Hebrew signifieth Earth and Abell signifieth shadow or vanitie Whereby we are taught that from the Earth we came and to the Earth we must returne againe according to Gen. 3.19 Wee are also to vnderstand from hence that although God deferre his punishmentes yet hee is mindfull of his promises for not one tittle or iod of his Word shall passe as appeareth in Adams death which God before had promised and was accomplished though it were 930. yeares after Wherefore howsoeuer we be setled on the pleasures of this life or be aduanced to thrones of Maiestie as Adam was we are to know that it is but a Steward-ship bestowed vpon vs for a season and that in this world we are to looke for no abiding place for we are but Grasse we are consumed as Smoake our dayes come to an end A thousand yeares in Gods sight is as yesterday He turneth Adam to dust and sayth Returne to dust yee sonnes of Adam He bringeth our yeares to an end as it were a tale that is told Wherefore let vs pray to God with Moses To teach vs to number our dayes aright that we may apply our heartes vnto Wisedome Adam commeth short of 1000. yeares so much as is the dayes of mans life Iared Methushelah and Noah ouer-reached Adam in long life because of the power of the word of God Hee died about Mount Moriah where he was made He liued till he saw many Kings he himselfe the greatest and vntill he had erected a stately gouernement taught them humane artes who was fittest to doe it being a King to commaund whom he would and what he would and hauing witt excelling all the men in the world And as in a Princes court it is requisite to haue Noble men some higher and some lower and men of all degrees so Adam liued till he might haue a stately Court Now if a King should commaunde a Diuine to make Adams Will from his Storie he would make it in this sort O my Sonnes gather you togeather and harken vnto the wordes of your Father Adam the last that euer he shall speake vnto you I was voyde of saluation and enioyed not happinesse by disobeying which disobedience I then practised when I harkened to the perswasion of Heua and did eate the forbidden Fruite I then felt the heauie iudgementes of God against sinne and saw my nakednesse whereof I was ashamed Thereby I brought death vpon all my posteritie which Curse had continued if the Mercie of God had not remooued it by offering a Blessing in the Seede of the Woman I haue ruled you all the dayes of my life as a Father that you may learne to choose Gouernours which resemble Fathers in behauiour I haue instructed you to loue obey their gouernment you must know that as my saluation resteth vpon beliefe in the Seede of the Woman so must yours But the house of Kaine despising this and killing Abel a figure of him who by dying shall ouercome the power of the Serpent will cause the Flood to destroy the earth Few shall embrace this Doctrine for though eight be saued by the Arke yet seuen onely shall keepe sinceerely the beliefe in this Promise of the Seed of the Woman My dayes haue been long with the rest of your Fathers but the end of all flesh is come vpon mee for out of the Earth I came and to the Earth I must returne Now compare Christ with Adam The first Adam was made a soule hauing life of earth earthly therfore by the earthly one came Disobedience Sinne. Iudgement Condemnation Death The second Adam was wade a spirit giuing life from heauen heauenly Therefore by the heauenly one came Obedience Grace Forgiuenesse Iustification Life Adam was created on the sixt day did eate of the tree the sixt houre Was made a man without a Father made not inferior to the Angelles â— lost all Was tempted lost saluation at the time of eating Was made Ruler of the world and did not hold it Did fall in the Garden His soule was in darknes from the sixt houre vntill the ninth houre Christ Reforming man and healing the fall is fastened to the tree the sixt day and sixt houre Was made a man without a Father Made lower then the Angels is crowned with glory all the Angels worship him being man whereby we may know the world was made subiect to man Was tempted Brought saluation to all at the time of eating Was made Ruler of the World and did hold it went into a garden to recouer Adams fall in the garden when he suffered caused darknesse to couer the whole earth from the sixt houre till the ninth houre Adam By breaking one Commandement lost all Was called to accompt the ninth houre Was debarred of the Tree of life Was driuen out of Paradise Was the head of his Wife was a King Prophet Sacrificer Liued 1000. yeares wanting 70. Christ By fulfilling all the Commandementes brought life to all At the ninth houre yeeldeth vp the ghost goeth to giue accompt to his Father Is the true Tree of life on that day openeth Paradise to the poore Theefe The Head of the Church was a King Prophet Sacrificer Was borne 70. yeares before 4000. Because these two Tables consist onely of Numbers and that Numbers in the Scriptures are great helpes for the vnderstanding of the same before we come to speake of Seth it is not amisse to lay downe what Numbers are of most vse in the Bible namely 1.3.4.5.6.7.8.10.12 ONE One Expressing the vnion of the God-head and from thence the vnitie of all Godly as being members of one head Christ Iesus which is made plaine Psal 133.1 Behold how good and comely a thing it is for Breathren to dwell togeather in vnitie THREE Three Expressing the distinguished Trinitie within which number many excellent things fall out still to put vs in minde of the vndeuidable coeternity of Father Sonne and Holy Spirit Adam Kaine Of Adam the eldest extreame wicked Abel Seth Noah Iaphet Sem Cham Of Noah the youngest wicked Terah Haran Nachor Of Terah the middlemost was wicked Abram To shew that neither in eldest youngest
controuersie betweene the Women for the dead Child Christ at Twelue yeares of age is found disputing among the Doctors He likewise ordained Twelue Apostles and Twelue times did he appeare after his resurrection In the Reuelation of euery Tribe is sealed Twelue thousand The heauenly Ierusalem is described to haue Twelue Foundations of 12. precious Stones Twelue Gates and Twelue Angels and the Names written of the Twelue Apostles and through the Cittie there runneth a pure Riuer and on either side of the Riuer the Tree of Life which beareth Twelue manner of Fruites and beareth Fruite euery moneth in the yeare and the leaues of the Tree doe serue to heale the Nations with Now the reason why God in the beginning layde downe in close signification and such easie proportions the whole scope of his gouernment to the Worldes end is to shew that his Wisedome is infinite and that nothing in the Scriptures doth fall out by chaunce but by his forepurpose according to the secret counsel of his owne will to make vs still looke backe vnto the Creation Seth borne Gen. 5. when Adam is 130. yeares old ADam was make in the image of God Seth is begotten in the image of Adam to shew that whatsoeuer is borne of the flesh is flesh and whatsoeuer is borne of the spirit is spirit When Adam was 130. yeares old hee begetteth Seth being as may be gathered not one day more nor one day lesse And this rule serueth for all the Ten Fathers before the Flood The holy Ghost keeping an exact Chronicle of the times beginneth at Adam and so goeth forward laying downe the particular ages of the Fathers vnto the Flood saying When Adam is 130. yeares old Seth is borne Now if he had been one day more the number had not been perfect if one lesse it had not been exact We may better therefore conclud that all the ten Fathers were borne on the sixt day that is the day of Adams creation rather then on any other day seeing it can not well be denied and that it crosseth neither Storie nor rule of Religion Seth signifieth Setled or Foundation Hee knew the Creator and that the world should be founded vpon him Esay 58.11 The Wicked haue no sure foundation but are like to the Chaffe in a Summer floore But the Godly shall be like a fresh watred Garden and like the Fountaine of water that neuer leaueth running whose foundation is layde for many generations For as a Tree that hath sure rootes will beare many Branches so to be setled in Religion as Seth was many things will appeare to be of singular force Seth died being 912. yeares old Now compare him with Christ thus Seth His name signifieth Foundation He was begotten in the image of Adam Christ The Rocke and sure Foundation of his Church The very caracter of his Father Enosh borne when Seth is 105. yeares old In these numbers you haue 10. multiplyed by 10. and 5. which is the number of the letters of Iehouah HIs name signifieth Sorowfull Euery man is called sorowfull Enosh and the Hebrew tongue sometime calleth a man Enosh and sometimes Adam The Caldeans call a man Enosh but not Adam because they had not the antiquitie of the Creation of the world In Enosh his time Religion decayed in the house of God for which the Flood came and drowned the World This Sorrow is called a Godly sorrow to which the Lord hath added a Blessing as Mat. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourne for they shall receiue comfort And Ecclesiastes 7.5 Crauitie is better then laughter for when the countenaunce is heauie the heart is reformed And Christ in Luk. 6.21 sayth Blessed are yee that weepe now for yee shall laugh Christ being sorrowfull for the negligence of the Iewes knowing that they should be plagued for not embracing the Promise to Abraham Isaacke and Iacob weepeth ouer Ierusalem saying O Ierusalem Ierusalem O sight of peace O sight of peace If thou haddest knowen those thinges that belong to thy peace And so with griefe and sorrow of heart he leaueth off as not able to expresse the summe of his sorrow Againe with like sorrow he sayth How often would I haue gathered you togeather as a Henne gathereth her Chickens and you would not Enosh dyed being 905. yeares old Kenan borne when Enosh was 90. yeares old HIs name signifieth Contrite or small store Mat. 5.3 Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of heauen Esay 57.15 Thus sayth the High and Excellent euen hee that dwelleth in Eternitie whose name is the Holy one I dwell high aboue and in the Sanctuarie and with him also that is of a Contrite spirit doe I dwell that I may heale a troubled minde and a Contrite heart Psal 51.17 An humble and Contrite heart the Lord doth not despise Therefore shall euery godly man prayse the Lord without ceasing Kenan dyed being 910 yeares old Mahalaleel borne when Kenan was 70. yeares old You haue in this number ten seuens or seuen multiplyed by ten which is 70 which is the number of his natiuitie wherein you haue a sweete resemblance of the Creation of which number many excellent thinges are to be spoken which I will handle afterwardes THis name signifieth My prayse God Leah nameth her fourth sonne Iuda the Father of Shiloh Prayse God for so his name likewise signifieth The vse of this ought to be imbraced of all seeing it stretcheth to the saluation of all It appeareth hereby that the godly Fathers in auncient time had wonderfull regard in naming their Children For if you doe marke the whole Stories of the Bible you shall finde very few notable men whether they were godly or wicked but they containe rare matter in their names From Mahalaleel we are taught to Prayse God aright that is in sinceritie of spirit with sounde knowledge grounded vpon the trueth of his word David knowing that prayse giuing to God is not onely required at our hands but also at euery creatures in their kind biddeth the whole course of Nature Prayse the Lord. And in Psalm 47.6 hee sayth O sing prayses sing prayses vnto our God O sing prayses sing prayses vnto our King for the Lord is high and to be feared Hee is the great King vpon all the earth sing prayses therefore with vnderstanding Hee sheweth vs a reason in the 19. Psal 1. when he sayth The Heauens declare the glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handie worke One day telleth another one night certifieth another c. Therefore let the wordes of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be alway acceptable in thy sight O Lord my Locke and my Redeemer Whereby we are taught that the true prayse of God consisteth not onely in outward acknowledging of his workes and his iudgementes for that the wicked are often times compelled to confesse as Pharaoh Nebucadnetzar and others but we must prayse God so as that all our
all the world so notwithstanding the sinne of the Iewes Christ in Canaan wrought the full saluation of all the world These eleuen sonnes of Canaan were setled in one soyle that is in Canaan which is about 160. myles from North to South and 60. myles from East to West Their names are Zidon who built Tyrus the glory of the world for trafique of Marchandize Heth Gebusi who after Sems death as it should appeare possessed Ierusalem Amori Girgashi of whom there were some left till Christes time as Matt. 8. 28 Hiuits of whom Abraham bought his burying place of whose kindred also Esau tooke him Wiues Arkite Siuite Aruadite Zemathite Hemathite It is supposed there were so many Tongues as there were Nations but it was no otherwise then our Cornish and Northerne men differ in their tongues These were Lordes of the whole soyle to plant buyld and replenish it against time to come that the twelue Trybes of Israel might haue Vineyardes that they neuer planted and Houses they neuer builded Whereupon Moses sayth Deut. 32.8 When the most high God deuided to the Nations their Inheritance hee appoynted the borders of a people according to the number of the Sonnes of Israel And when God promiseth to Abraham Gen. 15.18 that he will giue his seed a Land that shall flow with Mylke and Hony hee bordereth it from Egipt to the great Riuer Euphrates within which borders are contained the seuerall Lordships of Canaan and his Sonnes namely the Kenites the Kenesites the Cadmonites the Hithites the Pheresites the Gyaunts the Amorites the Cananites the Girgashites and the Gebusites Because C ham scorned his father who was the restorer of all the world therefore his Countrie was to be giuen to Sems House the Iewes and they were driuen out of their Land by the Sword of Ioshua except some few who were left in the Land to be Spurres in the sides and Thornes in the eyes of the Israelites who were to possesse it that when through the aboundance of wealth they grew to forget God they might be chastened with his rod of correction Thus Shams curse is extended euen vnto Canaan his youngest sonne and he is made a Seruant of seruantes to Sem that the blessing of Sem might appeare and the open cursed should serue the open blessed although it be nine hundred yeares after Noahs Prophecie to shew that although God suffer the wicked a while and doth deferre his punishmentes vntill the sinne of the Amorites come to a full ripenesse that yet he is a righteous Iudge and sitteth vpon a firie Throne from whose presence doth issue Ryuers of fire to consume all such as will not learne to know The Seed of the Woman to be able to breake the head of the Serpent nor desire to dwell in the Tentes of Sem acknowledging the God of Abraham the God of Isaacke and the God of Iacob to be the true GOD that keepeth couenant with all whose Garments were washed in Wine and his Mantell in the blood of Grapes nor marke that Shiloh is that Emmanuel God with Vs who is that Stone that can grind the mightiest Gyant in the land of Canaan to powder Who haue eyes and will not see how God with fire from Heauen consumed their Cities turned Lots wise into a Piller of Salt ouerthew their kinsmen Pharaoh in the read Sea and made the Walles of Iericho to fall downe without violent handes Chams House was not plagued for building Babel onely but for falling from the Religion of Sem and his posteritie had a deadly minde against true Religion And as Cham the rest are in Gehenna in darknesse so in Scripture they are left in darknesse for there is no time of any mentioned when they died but are left in darknesse The wicked men of Canaan would neuer yeeld to the trueth but praysed Gods of Gold Brasse and Stone Now followeth for Iaphet HIs name signifieth Perswaded He had seuen Sonnes Gomer Magog Madai of whom came the Meedes Jauan of whom the Grecians and Romanes come And Tubal and Mesech of whom the Muscouites come And Tiras of whom the Thracians come Of these were the Isles of the Gentiles diuided in their Landes Iaphet hee was pertaker with Sem in the action of couering thier Father but Sem had the prerogatiue of the Promise concerning Christ notwithstanding Iaphet was the elder And if you marke through al the Bible you shal not finde the first borne of any of Christes auncestors to haue the Promise pronounced to them in open tearmes because Christ the first begotten of his Father would not come according to the lust of the flesh or course of nature but by grace Sem in regard of that had the glory of God preached in his Tentes vntill the acceptable Child did come in whom all Nations should be blessed And when the glory of Sems house which were the Iewes was extinct Iohn was banished into Patmos is commanded to write to the seuen Congregations in Asia the lesser where Iaphets sonnes were first setled to so many Congregations as Iaphet had sonnes Grace and peace from him that was and is and which is to come and from the seuen Spirites expressed in Esay 11.7 which are before his throne from Iesus Christ which is a faythfull witnes and first begotten of the dead Alpha and Omega the first and the last who was dead but is aliue and behold he liues for euer euer and hath the keyes of Hell and of Death giueth light life to Iaphet the Gentile who was in darknes and in the shadow of death perswading him to dwell in the tentes of Sem to be a dweller in the spirituall Canaan and a Citizen in the heauenly Salem where there is no earthly Temple For God almightie and the Lambe are the Temple of it Now for SEM. SEM being an hundred yeares old begetteth Arphaxad two yeares after the Flood So old was Abraham when he begat Isaacke He is in vertue equall with any before the Flood This Sem was a King Prophet Sacrificer He signifieth a Name to teach them that they should looke to him in whom Sem and the whole world should be blessed He had fiue Sonnes Elam Ashur Arphaxad Lud. Aram. Elam of whom the Persians Ashur of whom the Assirians Arphaxad of whom CHRIST Aram of whom the Aramites Lud of whom the Lidians There be diuers which condemne Genealogies warranted thereby as they say by Saint Paules Councell to Thimothie Neither that they giue heed to Fables and Genealogies Endlesse which breede rather questions then godly edifying by Fayth Indeed seeing Genealogies are of great consequence to the prouing of Christ to be the Messias the Iewes to crosse this faine diuers of their owne which S. Paul calleth Endlesse therefore to be auoided as also tales inuented by them whereby they corrupted the story of the Scriptures But this condemneth not the Genealogies which the Holy Ghost penneth but rather approueth them And
if we doe but crosse the account laide downe by the Heathen we do obscure the euidence of the Scriptures Thus much for the answere of this obiection Arphaxad borne when his father Sem was 100. yeares old Noah 602. and Iaphet 102. HIs name signifieth HealÃng Some hold that the Caldeans come from him CHRIST healeth all our infirmities Shelah borne Arphaxad being 35. yeares old HIs name signifieth a Branch or Twigge Hee was the Eather of the Shelanites Heber borne Shelah being 30. yeares old HEber a representer of the Sonne of God who beginning to be thirtie yeares old buildeth vp the decayed walles of the Gentiles Thirtie yeares after the promise giuen to Abram was it before his seede began to be afflicted Ioseph being thirtie yeares old expoundeth Pharaohs Dreame Heber signifieth Pilgrime or Stranger So his faythfull seede confessed themselues to be Saith Abraham I am a Stranger and Pilgrime Giue mee a place for money to burie my dead So saith Saint Peter repeating the same Storie I beseech you as Pilgrimes and Strangers to abstaine from fleshy lustes which fight against the soule And Christ the chiefest of Heber said The Foxes haue holes and the Birdes of the ayre haue nestes but the Sonne of man hath not whereon to lay his head Hebers posteritie went as strangers flitting from Land to Land Looking for a Citie whereof GOD was the builder Heb. 11.10 This Heber is from the Creation the fourteenth two seuens a double Henoch He is the fourth after the flood as Iudah is the fourth sonne of Iacob of whom Christ came He is the seuenth from Henoch a man for rare blessinges to be compared with Henoch and is the same in force that Henoch is although you would thinke them cleane contrary and so they are in signification but in effect of diuinitie all one For Henoch signifieth Dedicated to God and Heber Pilgrime or Stranger and hee that is a stranger vpon earth despising the state of worldly pompe is a Citizen with God therefore whosoeuer will be a true Henoch must also be a true Heber And if we will be holy before God acceptable vessels for the vse of his Temple wee must beare Palme boughes in our handes that is sing Hosanna to the highest and be estranged from the vaine conuersation of this earthly Paradise so shall our names continue famous through many Generations as Hebers did and we shall speake the prayses of God in our owne tongues for wee will not consent with Nimrod to the building of our owne Confusion whereby wee might be shaken off from the fauour of God as hee and his adherents were Hebers glory is further enlarged in that the Hebrew tongue taketh the name from him The Iewes kept this sinceerely till they went into Captiuitie into Babylon but when they came from thence they began to stammer for they learned the tongue of the Babylonians Malachy endeth the old Testament the Hebrew tongue for though Schollers write Hebrew yet vpon the first sight it is apparant to be the writing of man so farre it differeth from the stile of the holy Spirit There be one thousand seauen hundred fifty and eight rootes in the Hebrew tongue And this is a wonderfull thing that the bare actions of the Creatures should expresse Hebrew wordet as a horse runninig vpon a cawsey the sound of his feete is much expressing this noyse Ratsat which in Hebrew is to run the noise which birds make by clapping their wings when they flie is of this sound Goth which in Hebrew signifieth a Fowle The Grecians cannot find out the roots of their tongue The Lord tooke such order in penning of the old Testament that one skilfull in the Hebrew tongue will easily know if there be a sentence or a word put in nay if there be but a letter added so that they are very vnwise that perswade others or beleeue themselues that the bookes of Iudith and Tobie are Canonicall scriptures for they are not Hebrew neither were they receiued at any time by the auncient Hebrewes who where so perfect and ready in the text of the old Testament that they could tell how many times the letter Aleph was vsed in the Byble so that to beleeue these bookes to bee Scriptures is to crosse the testimony of the Iewes for their owne story and if they knew our opinions herein they would condemne vs for missing of Religion This Heber was a varie happie man and his happinesse made manifest in that none that liued after him came to his daies for he being a Prophet knew how heauy the curse of God would be vpon the sonnes of men for building the tower of Babel therefore hee nameth his sonne Peleg Diuided The Hebrew name is halfe the abridgment of the story as it falleth out for the most part He had also great cause of sorrow and heauinesse in that thirteene families of Ioctaines sonnes to whom Heber was Graundfather went quite away and were farre from Ierusalem and being out of the fauour of God were bereaued of saluation so that Chams house might seeme to haue greater blessinges for they dwelt neere to Ierusalem and Iacobs sonnes in Egypt married with Chams daughters Iacobs sonnes called themselues Hebrewes because the storie of Heber is the most famous of all the Fathers Peleg borne Heber being 34. yeares old HIs name signifieth Diuision In his dayes the tongues of those that built the Tower of Babel were confounded In the consideration of which storie Time Place Persons are to be vnderstood Time at or a litle before Pelegs birth Place a Plaine in the land of Shinear Persons 70. of Sem. 27. Iaphet 14. Cham. 29. These 70. spake one language the tongue of Heber and going from the East they found a plaine in the land of Shinear where they abode and made bricke in stead of stone and slime in stead of morter and ioyning with Nimrod sayd Let vs make vs a Sem that is a name euen in despight of the blessing of Noah bestowed vpon Sem. But God scattered them from that place into the vpper face of all the earth and they left off to build the Citie therefore the name of it is called Ba-bell that is Come confusion because there the Lord confounded the language of all the earth Babell is Babling both in Hebrew and in English 1 This halfe sheweth that as the dayes of men at the 2 Flood were cut off halfe in halfe so likewise at the confusion of Tongues for none after Peleg commeth to halfe Hebers yeares As at the confusion of tongues there was great falling out about words because one could not vnderstand another so hitherto all the world is at variance for the vnderstanding of words And as the builders of Babell fell to Babling so the despisers of diuinity shall fall to Babling Therefore it were to be wished that euery man in the world vnderstood the Hebrew tongue All nations in the earth are compelled to take notice of this