shall raigne and prosper In his dayes Iuda shall bee saued and Israel shall dwell safely and this is the name whereby they shall call him The Lord our righteousnesse In the 110. Psalme the Lord sware and will not repent thou art a King for euer after the order of Melchisedech the King of righteousnesse In the first Epistle of Saint Iohn it is thus expounded If any man sinne wee haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous The Seuentie Interpreters translating the place of Ieremie And this is his name The Lord our righteousnesse because they knew the Egyptians could neuer vnderstand the meaning of the Lord our righteousnesse they translate it thus And he shall be called the Sonne of Iehosadach which is in signification Ichouah Tzedek The Lord our righteousnesse but thereby the Grecians thought hee was the Sonne of Iehosadach Where Saint Paul speaketh Philip. 2. That at the name of Iesus euerie knee should bow both in heauen and in earth We thinke that the meaning is the outward bowing of our knees and of an externall worship to be giuen at the sound of this word Iesus That is not so but this is the meaning That his Maiesty is so omnipotent that all the creatures both in heauen and earth must be subiect to him And this Christ himselfe prooued by his miracles when the fishes obeyed when the Deuils resisted not when the water bare him vp and the winde was calme at his word Wherefore if wee admit the first exposition wee commit a grosse errour for so soone as wee heare Iesus pronounced we begin to worship by bending our knees though that name be not meant of Christ As in the Epistle to the Hebrewes it is sayd If Iesus had setled the people in rest c. Here is meant Iesus the Sonne of Nun and yet this Iesus shall haue bowing of knees Now compare Iesus with Iesus As Iesus the Son of Nun receiued the gouernment and law from Moses before Iesus Iordan opened Iesus caused the Sunne to stay in the firmament So Iesus Christ fulfilled all the same before Iesus Christ when he was baptised at Iordan the heauens opened Iesus Christ caused the sun to be darkened in the firmament If Iesus had setled the people in rest c. IEsus which signifieth Sauiour with Eleasar who is surnamed Aaron which signifieth Christ Annointed setled the Israelites in an earthly rest in the outward Canaan Iesus with Eleasar brought the Iewes out of the captiuitie of Babell and set them in their Land againe Iesus Christ the Annointed Sauiour hauing in halfe a Seuen conquered Hell and Sathan hath setled our mindes and set vs in an heauenly rest in the spirituall Canaan So the holy Ghost speaketh for if Iesus had setled the people in rest then would not Dauid after this haue spoken of another rest Moses giueth instruction to Iesus for the Conquest of the Land and goeth not thither himselfe So Moses vnprofitable except Christ had come and performed it THis Fiftie sheweth that the reckoning of the yeare of Iubilee here beginneth The Seuen sheweth that the people of Israel were sixe yeres in conquering the Land of Canaan and the Seuenth yeare setled in rest as the world was six dayes in making and the Seuenth day appointed for rest The Fiue and Fortie will approoue this true in the Fourteenth of Iosua Caleb saith Fortie yeares old was I when Moses sent mee to spie the Lands Now the people of Israel were Two yeares in the Wildernesse before the Spies were sent When the Land is fully conquered hee sayth I am this day fiue and Fortie yeres old since Moses sent me from Cadesbarnes to view the Land From which fiue and Fortie if you take away Seuen there remaineth Thirtie and Eight to which if you adde the other two in which they were in the Wildernes before the Spies were sent you haue Fortie so long they were in the Wilnernesse and the other Seuen they were in conquering the Land For comparison with this Seuen you haue Seuen Fifties for the house of Ioseph so Hoseas the Prophet speaketh while Ioseph spake there was great terrour Then Seuen Seuenties to the Captiuitie Ten Seuens the Captiuity and Seuen Seuenties to the death of Christ The proofe of this is layd downe in the 25. of Leuit. where they are cōmanded vpon their setling in the Land to number vnto them sixe yeares for tilling and plowing their ground and the Seuenth to be a Sabbath that is holy vnto the Lord. And Seuen Sabbaths of yeares thou shalt likewise number then thou shalt cause to blowe the Trumpet of the Iubilee and that was the next yeare after the seuenth Seuen Theodoretus saith Moses prophecied that Iesus should be Seuen yeares in conquering the Land and thereby likewise expresseth the Iubilee and thereby sheweth the Fiftie yeares after they should ouerthrow Chusan So the first Iubilee hath a wonderfull victorie God had an especiall purpose in his prouidence that the land should not bee conquered in one day which he could haue performed because from obseruing the wonderfull order of Iesus victories the nations farre and neere might bee stirred vp to enquire after their God and if they would not yet hereby to bee made vnexcusable Suidas noteth that hee came into a Countrey where hee found certaine blacke pillars erected wherein this was engrauen Iesus the spoyler droue vs out of Canaan Cadmus builds Thebes while the Grecians flourished and there was continuall enmitie betweene the Athenians and the Thebanes and if you cast the ages to Dauids time you shall find that Iesus draue him out likewise Now followeth the diuiding of the Land which is particularly handled in Ioshua 15 16 17 18 19. NOw the curse is performed Gen. 10. Cursed be Canaan a seruant of seruants shall he be For his posteritie the most part of them are driuen out of their Land being replenished with all good things and Sem doth raigne our him Seuen Nations onely were driuen out the rest God would not as yet vtterly roote out but reserued them to bee spurres in the sides and thornes in the eyes of the Israelites if they should at any time bee stout and forget God This conquest of Sems house vppon Canaan God purposed when hee first setled them in the Land at the scattering of Nations as Moses testifieth Deut. 32. When the most high God diuided to the Nations their inheritance he appointed the borders of a people according to the number of the Sonnes of Israel Our translation is faultie in that place and thereby obscureth the meaning of the place For we say When the most high diuided to the Nations their inheritance hee appointed the borders of the people according to the number of the children of Israel which any man knoweth to be infinite and therfore not proper for the vnderstanding of the text For looke what Countreys Iacob gaue in his will and described Iesus and Eleasar performed in possession to
THE TIMES PLACES AND Persons of the holie Scripture Otherwise entituled THE GENERALL VIEW OF THE HOLY Scriptures AT LONDON ¶ Printed by Thomas Purfoot for Richard Ockould 1607. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL SIR IOHN Brograue Knight his Maiesties Atturney generall of the Duchy of Lancaster RIght Worshipfull the written copie of this booke comming to my hands was thought worthy the presse by men of good iudgement and learning for that it might bee profitable to many aswell those that intend the studie and profession of Diuinitie as to all other good Christians The Author of the booke is vncertaine to me but his worke manifesteth that he was learned and religious which mooued me though with no small charge to impart the same to all and to make it publike And for that the same wanteth the Authors name I thought fit it should not want a Patron neither knew I any other more worthy to whom I might recommend the Patronage thereof than your worship in regard of that seruice wherein I stand bound to your selfe and that most worthy societie of Greyes Inne It may please you therefore to accept the same in good part And I shall euer remaine yours to be commanded Richard Ockould THE AVTHORS EPISTLE TO THE CHRIstian Reader HAuing long purposed to bring into one frame The generall view of the holy Scripture and resoluing the ease would been laying before your eyes The Times Places and principall Persons mentioned in Moses and scattered through the Prophets Opportunitie now fitting my purpose I thought it good by this Tract to manifest the plainnesse of the Truth which all either doe or ought to know that would enioy eternall happinesse by knitting into one bodie the ioynts of Histories The perfect vnderstanding whereof giueth light to the blind eyes to the ignorant and iudgment to such as willingly embrace the knowledge of heauenly wisedome A GENERALL VIEW OF THE HOLY SCRIPTVRES Iehouah our God Iehouah is one Deut. 6.4 Iehouah Is a name of great force to driue vs to the due reuerence of Gods eternall Maiestie for it containeth 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 great reuerence among the Iewes they trembled to name or read it but vsed the name Adoni Lord. After their comming from Babel they neuer vsed the name Iehouah but a name of twelue Letters containing Father Sonne and holy spirit Iehouah hath in it the fiue Vowels which are the sinewes 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 Praise me the eternall God it containeth 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 also hath it two hh which schollers call aspirations or breathings which two aspirations make vp the number of 7 which is the number of the Sabbath Saint Paul closely alluding to the name of Iehouah sayth That from him we haue our breathing and our being and in Esay 57. the Lord saith The blasting goeth forth from me and is included in the bodie I made the breath So often therefore as we breath we are to remember the power and maiesty of Iehouah His Eternity Is closely expressed in these 3. letters י ו ה whose terminations are Iod Vaw He is a signe of the future tense presen tense preterperfect tense This is made plaine in Apo. 1. who was is will 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 bee 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 Marke 13. when there was no difference between the Iew and the Gentile repeateth the verie wordes of Moses Deut. 6. 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 bee obserued whatsoeuer God speaketh of himselfe is to bee taken in the heauenlyest vnderstanding that can be made of it Iehouah our God Iehouah is one There be three in heauen the Father Word and holy Spirit And these Three are one 1. Ioh. 5.7 THe Trinitie is heere described to be one vnited God-head distinguishable in persons but vndiuidable 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 spirite was seene among Angels was preached to the Gentiles was beleeued of the world and receiued vp in glorie 1. Timothy 3. Which to know is the first and chiefest point of all saluation as Iohn 17.3 This is eternall life to knowe the Father and him whome hee hath sent Iesus Christ which must be the true vnderstanding of the Bible as Iohn 5.39 Search the Scriptures and in them yee shall finde eternall life Some will say it is ynough to know Christ crucified Pilate Herod and Iudas the Traytor knewe 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 steppes to saluation for true knowledge is the mother of godlynesse And as the eye is the light of the body so is vnderstanding the light of the minde This a man hauing truly learned hee 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. HErein wee are to consider the louing kindnesse of God to exceed our deserts in louing vs to saluation before wee were The Papists hold merite of saluation which cannot any way hold seeing God of his vnspeakable grace hath elected vs vnto saluation before wee knew him This misterie of gods Election is not fully receiued of all because men take not words of scripture in their proper sense as they are layd 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 knowe 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 euerie thing according to the counsell of his owne will and not according to our reason Then
Iustice to seale the vision and Prophet and to annoint the most Holy By which we are constrained highly to esteeme of the knowledge of the times for they are of as great force to the vnderstading of the Bible as the starres are in the heauens for giuing of light No part of the Bible but consisteth of time place or person If of time as one third part then the knowledge thereof is to be embraced and in no respect to be despised as lightly regarding the vse thereof lest striuing for darknesse we become the children of darkenesse and so loose the light of eternall life as the Iewes and Romanes did whose recompence hath followed The one depriued of their earthly glory the other aduanced to glory to be a staine of eternall damnation The Treatise of Time IOHN 1. In the beginning was the word c. THese words In the beginning are the first wordes of the old Testament whose first word in Hebrew is Bera which consisteth according to the Hebrews of three letters which closely containe in them Father Sonne Holy Ghost as ב for Ben which signifieth Son × for Abba which is Father ר for Rouach Hachodesh which is the Holy spirit Thus the Trinitie is closely contained in the first word but in the first verse is expressed in open words In the beginning God made heauen and earth and the spirit of God moued vpon the waters and God said let their be light This is expounded in Iohn 1. in these words In the beginning was the Word and 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. By him were all things created And Ephes 3. God made all things by his Sonne who ruleth all things by his mighty power Wherefore Christ in the dayes of his flesh chose the trade of a Carpenter Iohn 6. and in Esay 43. It is said 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 and who shall let it Thus saith the Lord the holy one our Redeemer Wherein is distinctly expressed Father Sonne and Holy Ghost IOHN 1. ⧠He was the Light and that Light was the Life of man LIfe and Light is not here carnally meant but spiritually to which two things Aarons Iewell of Vrim and Thummim had a full relation Vrim signifieth light of the mind Thummim perfection of vertue which bringeth life to the soule Christ is the true light that lighteth euery man And hee that abideth in this light hath euerlasting life God is light and in him there is no darknes at all If we 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 great Schollers of the Iewes spake euen in the same words Philo the Iew commenteth vpon these wordes saying God is the Soueraigne begetter and next to him is the Word of God Also there are two firsts the one is Gods word and the other is God which is afore the Word and the same word is the beginning and the end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his good pleasure intent or will And in another place Like as a Citie saith he whereof the platforme is but yet set downe in the mind of the builder hath no being else where but in the builder so this world had no being else where then in the Word of God which ordained all things And this is not the meaning of me only but also of Moses himselfe And in another place This word saith he is Gods yonger sonne but as for the elder sonne he cannot bee comprehended but in vnderstanding for he it is who by prerogatiue of eldership abideth with the Father And againe The Word is the Place the Temple and the dwelling house of God because the Word is the only thing that can containe him and to shew the greatnes of this word he could skarce tell what names to giue it Hee calleth it the booke wherin all essences of all things that are in the whole world are written and printed The Perfect patterne of the word Day sunne that is to be seene but onely of the mind Prince of Angels First borne of God Shepheard of his flocke Chiefe high Priest of the world Manna of mens soules Wisedome of God Perfecting of the Highest Instrument whereby God created the world Altogether Light God and the Beer that is of himselfe And he saith further that this Word is the expresse print or stampe of God and euerlasting as God himselfe is R. Azariel calleth him Spirit Word and Voice saying The Spirit bringeth foorth the Word and the Voice but not by speech of the tongue or by breathing after the maner of men and these three be one Spirit to wit one God one Spirit rightly liuing blessed be he and his name who liueth for euer and euer Spirit Word and Voice that is to say one Holy Ghost and two spirits of that Spirit R. Ioseph saith thus The Light of the soule of the Messias is the liuing God and the liuing God is the fountaine of the liuing Waters and the Soule of the Messias is the riuer or streame of life and none but the Messias knoweth God fully he is the light of God the light of the Gentiles and therefore hee knoweth God and God is knowen by him I thy God saith God am light and mind and of more antiquitie than nature of moisture that is issued from the shadow And this lightsome speach which proceedeth from the mind is the Sonne of God that which seeth and heareth thee is the word of the Lord and the mind is God the Father These differ not one from another as for their vnion it is the vnion of life And this speech being the workman of God the Lord of the whole world hath chiefe power next him is vncreated infinite Proceeding from him the commaunder of all things which he made the perfect and naturall first borne sonne of the most perfect Numenius a Pithagorist saith The first God is free from all worke but the second is the maker which commaundeth heauen and God the worker or maker saith he is the beginner of begetting and God the good is the beginner of Being and the second is the liuely expresser of the first as begetting is an image of Being And in another place he saith that this worker being the Same is knowen to all men by reason of the creating the world but as for the first Spirit which is the Father he is vnknowen vnto them Iamblichus saith plainely that God made the world by his diuine word and the first God being afore the Be-er is the Father of a first God whom hee begetteth and yet neuerthelesse
short of 1000. yeares so much as is the dayes of mans life Iared Methushelah and Noah ouerreached Adam in long life because of the power of the word of God He 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 gouernment and taught them humane arts And he was fittest to do it beeing a King to commaund whome hee would and what hee would and hauing wit 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 vntill he might haue a stately Court Now if a King should coÌ„maund a Diuine to make Adams will from his storie he would make it in this sort O my sonnes gather you together and harken vnto the words of your father Adam the last that euer he shall speake vnto you I was voide of saluation and enioyed not happinesse by disobeying which disobedieÌ„nce I theÌ„ practised wheÌ„ I harkened to the perswasion of Heua did eat the forbidden fruite I then felt the heauy iudgements of God against sinne and sawe my nakednes whereof I was ashamed 〈…〉 not remooued it by offering a blessing in the 〈◊〉 of the woman 〈…〉 you all the dayes of my life as a father that you may learne 〈…〉 gouernours which resemble fathers in behauiour I haue instructed you to loue and obey their gouernement you must know that as my saluation râ—â—â—th vpon beliefe in the sâ—ede 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 bee saued by the Arke yet seuen onely shall keepe sincerely the beliefe in this promise of the seede of the woman My daies haue beene long with the rest of your fathers but the end of all flesh is come vpon me for out of the earth I came and to the earth I must returne 113. Henoch is taken vp being 365. yeres old HIs yeres are answerable to the dayes of the sunne 65. yeres a yere for a day And as the sunne excelleth all other starres in brightnesse so did his life excell all other men then aliue in the world for vertue He is also sayd to haue walked with God to be a preacher of righteousnesse to bee taken vp These foure speciall commendations are of equall glory and wee may be assured by these testimonies that his godlinesse was very rare The Grecians say that hee left a booke behind him of his preaching But thereby as much as in them lyeth they call into question the truth of the Scriptures For first by this opinion they derogate from the glorie of Moses that he should not be the first writer Secondly from the wisedome of God which tooke order to lay downe the liues of the fathers in so short Arithmatique and would thereby haue his wisedome wonderfull to those which should come after which had bene to small purpose if Henoch had left a booke of his preaching But the Grecians thus being answered it followeth that Henochs prophecie was against the wordes of the wicked and against the contempt of religioÌ„ which wicked men shewed in not beleeuing the preaching of the flood Saint Iude in his Epistle from the circumstances of the men and manners of the people to whom Henoch preached gathered what might be the summe of Henochs preaching in this sort Behold the Lord commeth how as at the giuing of the law with thousands of his Angels to give iudgement against all men to rebuke all the vngodly among them of all their wicked deeds which they haue vngodly committed and of all their cruell speakings which wicked sinners haue spoken against him Vpon which words the Grecians not knowing the course of the Hebrewes in their fained speeches say that Henoch left a booke of his preaching behind him His taking vp did shew what should be the state of the godly Hee was taken vp in despite of the wicked and in recompence of his own faith Hee was taken vp 57. yeeres after Adams death all the fathers then being aliue And it may be the fathers did see him taken vp as a figure of Christs ascension The wicked might then say where is the appearance of the flood For Adam is dead and Henoch is taken vp and all things continue as from the beginning In that God bestowed so short life vpon Henoch it sheweth that hee would bestow greater blessings of him in another kind Now compare him with Christ Henoch Christ Was a Prophet for he prophecied of the destruction of the world by the flood Walked with God His dayes were as the dayes of the sunne Was taken vp being the seuenth from Adam Was a Prophet and prophecied of the destruction of the world Did the will of his Father Is the bright sunne of Iustice whose dayes in the Psalmes are likened to the dayes of the sunne In the Scripture is the seuenth that ascended To wit 1. The sonne of the widow of Sarepta 1. King 17. 2. The Shunamites sonne whom Eliseus brought againe to life 2. King 4.32 3. The souldier buried by Eliseus corps 4. Iayrus daughter Mat. 9. 5. The widowes sonne Luke 7. 6. Lazarus Luke 11. 7. Christ That is 3. in the olde Testament new Testament and the Lord was the seuenth 1042. 168. Seth died being 912 yeeres olde 1056. 182. Noah borne HIs name signifieth Comforter or Restorer The faith of Lamech no doubt was cleare concerning saluation by the seede of the woman in that he named his sonne Comforter or Restorer As if he had said though for impietie all the world be destroyed yet I am assured that the promise made to Adam must of necessitie be performed or else no flesh can be saued In this faith Adam after he had transgressed by eating of the forbidden fruite was saued In this faith Abell offered vp a greater sacrifice than Kaine In this faith Henoch walked with God and was no more seene for he was taken vp In this faith all the Fathers obtained eternall life In this faith Noah became a preacher of righteousnesse and an executor of true iudgement and prepared the Arke to the sauing of his houshold c. Heb. 11. 10. This ten is to shew that Noah is the tenth from Adam multiply Henoch by Noah that is the number of of the Sabbath by the full number 10. you haue the number 70. which throughout the Bible is famous and of great force for light in the storie In this tenth age Gods iustice ouer all flesh was extended Compare him with Christ Noah Christ Was a preacher of righteousnesse Found grace before God Was a King Prophet Sacrificer Was the true preacher of righteousnesse Dan 9. Grew in fauour with God and man Luke 2. Was a King Prophet Sacrificer Enosh
mother Mary and fleeth into Egypt Mat. 2. And properly putteth meat into the childs mouth 2280. Er and Onan died Gen. 38. ER and Onan hauing committed horrible sinne before God are slaine and no seed left vnto them Then according to the custome Thamar thought to haue had the third sonne Selah to haue raysed vppe seede But Iuda neglecting it shee attyred her selfe like a light woman and lay in the way as Iuda should goe to the sheepe shearing whom Iuda knew and at the time she bare two children Phares and Serah for which fact Iuda would haue burnt her Whereby we may know that before the law giuen by Moses they had the same equitie of iustice for punishing of sinne that they had afterwards In Moses Law a Magistrate might not be condemned vnder three witnesses Thamar condemneth Iuda by three witnesses his Seale Bracelet Staffe From this deede of Iuda we may vnderstand that the prerogatiue That his brethren should praise him could not be meant of himselfe but herein is manifest the gifts of God to be of grace and not of nature For if Iuda had bene rare for godlinesse the prerogatiue of nature might seeme to haue caused Christ to haue come of him 2288. Isaack died Gen. 35. being 180. yeeres old HEe is the longest liuer after Heber and liueth longer then Abraham To shew that he was a child of Promise For if Abraham begetting him when he was old he should haue died quickelie what rare blessing had it beene to Abraham And therefore that the power of God might be seene euen in the weakenesse of man Isaack hath a longer life than Abraham or any after him Heereuppon it may bee concluded the booke of Tobias to bee false because it maketh Tobies life so long and thereby seemeth to crosse Iacobs blessing Besides wee shall finde that in Nehemiahs time they which came out of captiuitie doe out-liue any in the Scriptures that come after and these men were accounted old The longest liuer of them commeth short of Isaacks age Ezrom borne of him nothing is spoken  2298. Iacob goeth into Egypt Gen. 47. Hee is nourished of Ioseph 17. yeeres NOw for this number of 215. how is that performed Genesis 17. where God saith to Abraham Thy seede shal be euill intreated in a land that is not theirs 400. yeeres Seeing they continue in Egypt but 215. yeeres they were afflicted by some of Egypt 400. yeeres For Ismael the Egyptian by Hagar mocketh Isaack in the beginning of the 400. yeeres and that mocking in the Scripture is called persecution and in the end of 400. yeeres they were afflicted vnto the comming out of Egypt so that they were not in Egypt 400. yeeres but they were afflicted first and last 400. yeeres Psal 105. Israel came into Egypt and Iacob was a stranger in the land of Cham to confirme the couenant that he made with Abraham and the oath that he sware vnto Isaack which he appointed to Iacob for a law to Israel for an euerlasting Testament saying Vnto thee will I giue the land of Canaan the lot of your inheritance When as yet there were but a few of them and they strangers in the land what time as they went from one Nation to another and from one kingdome to annother people hee suffered no man to doe them wrong but reprooued euen Kings for their sakes saying touch not mine anointed and doe my Prophets no harme Yet he called for a dearth vpon the land and destroyed all the prouision of bread But hee had sent a man before them Gen. 45. Euen Ioseph which was sold to be a bondseruant whose feet were hurt in the stocks and the yron entred into his soule vntill the time that his cause was knowne The word of the Lord tried him This famine ouer all the land of Canaan may appeare to be a punishment on Iacobs familie for selling Ioseph into Egypt IAcob goeth into Egypt and there telleth Pharaoh that he was 130. yeeres old Though Pharaoh in his demaund meant no more than a heathen man would to wit to know his yeeres and the age of his life Yet God so disposeth Iacobs answere that he signifieth vnto him that his comming into Egypt with seuentie soules is answerable in a contrarie degree to the first scattering of the seuentie families at the building of the tower of Babell In the 4◠yeeres there came three discents from Iacob Whereby it appeareth that Iuda and Pharez could not bee much elder when they begot children than Salomon was when hee begot Roboam which was about twelue yeeres of age By meanes of which speedie encrease there were of these seuentie in 215. yeeres sixe hundred thousand fighting men besides women and children godlie and of the household of faith to shew how God could performe his promise to Abraham that hee would make his seede as the starres of heauen and as the sand of the sea shoare Hereupon Abacuck saith that the counsels of God are eternall thereby teaching vs to marke diligently the time wherein God performeth his promises which may be made familiar by examples in this sort It is said Gen. 3. The seede of the woman shall breake the head of the serpent This was not performed till Christ tooke flesh of the Virgin and became man which was 4000. yeeres wanting but 70. after the promise made to Adam Satan to trie this tempteth Christ and is ouerthrowne Abraham goeth forth of his countrey to embrace the promise that God would giue him a land 430. yeeres before his seede should enioy it But the true performance was long after that is to say in Christ as Zacharias speaketh Luke 1. To performe the oath which he sware to our Father Abraham that would giue vs. God speaketh as though it should presently fall out but seeing one thousand yeres in his sight are as one day we must marke how his counsels are eternall It was spoken in King Achaz dayes by Esay 7.14 Beholde a Virgin shall conceaue a sonne He nor his seed sawe the performance thereof so was Isaack a figure of Christ and the Lambe kept it in memorie Daniel in his time prophesieth of 70. seuens or 490. yeeres before Christ the King should be killed to performe euerie vision and prophecie 2315. Iacob died in Egypt c. Gen. 49. HE is brought from Egypt to Canaan to bee buried in Hebron with Abraham and Isaack as a signe that he looked for the resurrection and enioying of the spirituall Canaan This place Caleb afterwards claimeth for an inheritance when he commeth into the lande for it was the first purchase and a signification of our pilgrimage in this life hauing here no abiding place Now let vs compare the iourneys of Abraham Iacob Iacobs sonnes and Christ together Abraham Iacob Iacobs sonnes Christ Was borne in Mesopotamia Hee goeth to Canaan Hee returneth to Egypt Hee dieth in Canaan Was borne in Canaan Hee goeth to Mesopotamia Hee returneth to Canaan Hee goeth into Egypt Hee is brought
one yeare and is slaine after this there is a Famine for three yeares and the Twelfth yeare Dauid dieth and then Salomon succeedeth in the Kingdome Eupolemus saith that the building of the Temple was reserued to Salomon who came to the Crowne at the age of Twelue yeares This time hath a comparison with Christ As Salomon being Twelue yeares old decided the controuersie between the two women for the dead Child Euen so Iesus Christ much more to be admired than Salomon at Twelue yeares of age disputeth with the Doctors in the Temple For this number of Twelue You haue Twelue Signes Moneths in the yeare Stones in Iordan Loaues of bread in the Tabernacle Stewards of Salomons house Fountaines in the Wildernesse Apostles times 12 thousand Christians sealed in the Reuelatiō Christ telleth that the Queene of the South came to heare the wisedome of Salomon But saith he behold a greater than Salomon Besides cleane through the song of songs you haue Christ and Salomon compared together sauing onely in the beginning where it is sayd a Song of Salomons We read in Plutarch that it was a custome amonge the Kings of old time to put questions one to another to trie the abilitie of their wits and that a certaine praise was appointed to him that got the victorie and Dius an Historiographer of the Phoenicians rehearseth the Riddles and Questions that Salomon sent to King Hiram saying that it cost Hiram verie much in that he could not open them vntill at length he found a young man of Tyrus named Abdemon who decyphered vnto him the most part of them we finde that in the Booke of Iudges Sampson promised great rewardes to them that could declare his Riddle These haue a fit relation to the parables vttered by Christ to the Iewes Something must be said of the annointing of Kings WE shall finde that Saul was annointed because hee was the first King And Dauid was annointed because he was chosen by God of another tribe And Salomon was annointed because that Absolom and Adonay gaue a push for the Kingdome And Ioas was annointed because Athalia sought to set vp other Euerie one that is a Christian is called the annnointed of the Lord as it is in the ◠Psal Touch not mine annointed nor doe my Prophets no harme This is spoken of Abraham Isaacke and Iacob and so consequently of all the faithfull For annointing of Kings it is not lawfull by imitation to reuiue it as a ceremonie seeing this was neuer done but vpon speciall occasion the state requiring it diuers hauing at that time title to the Crowne In respect of policie it is peraduenture lawfull hauing been authorised by the consent of Nations otherwise not Temple built foure Hundred and Eightie yeares after the Children of Israel came out of Egipt 1. King 6. THe foundation of the Temple is laide on Mount Moriah where Adam was created where the Fathers in ancient time sacrificed where Isaack was offered where Iehouah appeared to Dauid staying the plague 2. Chron. 3.1 As a Citie or an house scituate vpon an hill cannot be hidden euen so God would haue his people not to behid but to be an example to all Nations The Temple is twise as bigge as the Tabernacle because that the Temple and the Tabernacle had a relation to the number of the people Seing therefore now the people were twise so many as then the Temple ought to be twise so bigge The efficient cause is the commandement and warrant of God the instrumentall cause is Dauid he putteth it not in practise because hee was a man much busied in warres It was begunne to be built in the Fourth yeare of the raigne of Salomon The Cedars for it were had from Libanon where Noahs Arke was built In the vnderstanding of the Temple and the particulars thereof consisteth the whole summe of Religion It had Sixe Courts and euerie Court of seuerall vse before you came to the holy of holyest and euerie Court were Twelue steppes one aboue another The vse of which is that it is no easie studie to attaine to the depth of the knowledge of God neither can a man attaine vnto it at the first as hee will but he must ascend by degrees So were the windowes narrowe without and wide within to shewe that they which once had obtained the knowledge of Christ embracing it with a liuely faith doe behold his graces in a full clearer sort than those which are without For the Courts they were thus distinguished Within the vtmost rayles the heathen and prophane people might stand to see and heare and as they were like beasts in knowledge so their place was next to the beasts of the field In the second Court the women stood In the third Court the Common people In the fourth Court the King did heare the Law read In the fift were the Sacrifices burnt vppon the brasen Altar In the sixt was the golden Altar and the Table of Shew-bread In the Seuenth was the holy of holyest where was the Arke of the Couenant of Iehouah and within it the two tables of Testimony Into it onely might enter the high Sacrificer and that he might doe but once a yeare figuring Christ the high Sacrificer which once for all should enter into the holy of holyest to make intercession for all the world Betweene the holy and the holy of holyest there was a vaile of blew silke purple crimson and fine linnen and Cherubines wrought thereon This vaile represented the bodie of Christ and shewed that none could come to the Father but by the Sonne and none come vnto the Sonne except the Father draw him When Christ was crucified this vaile did teare from the toppe to the bottome and shewed that by his suffering of death all men then were Kings and Sacrificers and might by their owne prayers grounded on knowledge and the feare of God obtaine forgiuenesse of their sinnes The dores pillars and seeling of the Temple were couered with gold resembling the golden spirite of prophecie And when the Temple was built the stones were so squared before they were brought that there was neither hammer axe or any toole of yron heard in the Temple while it was in building To teach the Israelites that they ought to liue in peace loue and vnity one with another without iarring or contention if they would haue the vse of Gods holy Temple For saith God My house is a house of prayer The Temple is a resemblance of things in earth respecting God in heauen The summe is Moses to bee compared with Salomon Salomon with Daniel Daniel with Christ Christ to be compared with all In the Eleauenth yeare of Salomon he finished the Temple AS the Tabernacle was 7. Months in building so now the Temple was Seuen yeares in building thirteene yeares after Salomon builds his owne house There be that thinke he was twentie yeares old when hee tooke vpon him to succeed in the Kingdome and they cast his yeares to be foure
by Nebuchadnetzar BEfore I handle the Kings particularly this must bee vnderstood that now the Kingdome of Iuda was distinguished from Israel For Ieroboam of Iosephs house withdrew the hearts of ten Tribes from vnder the Scepter of Roboam of Iuda and caused all Israell to worship strange Gods and therefore they had two Kingdomes one of Iuda the other of Israel And first I will speake of the Kings of Iuda Roboam Seuenteene yeares HIs name signifieth Sauouring with the people When Salomon was dead his Son Roboam succeeded him in the Kingdome his wise men came and counselled him to serue the people one day and they would serue him all the dayes of his life but hee following the counsell of his young men sayd vnto them My little finger shall be bigger than my Fathers thigh Therevpon the ten Tribes fell away and rebelled against the kingdome of Iuda crying Home Israel to your Tents and they made Ieroboam of the house of Ioseph King ouer them They forgot the Temple of Iuda the promise made to Dauid and the Messias to come of his loynes saying What is Iessai hee was but a yeoman of the house of Iuda Is the house of Iuda better than the house of Ioseph who was King ouer vs in Egypt but Beniamin and the Leuites kept within Iuda And in the Fift yere of Roboam â—kisacke King of Egipt came vp spoyled the Temple the treasures of the kings house For seeing they had lost the gold of their Religion God suffered them to lose the gold of their Temple And this is to be obserued in the state of the kings of Iuda that in it all coÌ„mon wealths in the world are figured For some of them began well and ended ill some begunne ill and ended well some were wise some foolish some verie godly some extreame wicked and finally what condition soeuer the state of a common wealth might be of was expressed in the manners of the kings of Iuda Abiam Three yeares HE succeeded Roboam his Father He wrought wickednesse in the sight of the Lord yet for Dauids sake God set him vp in IerusaleÌ„ he had continuall warre with Ieroboam but alwayes became victor because hee knew that the kingdome belonged to Iuda and therefore waxed mighty so that Ieroboam all his daies could recouer no strength He dyeth Asa succeedeth him and raigneth One and Fortie yeares HE was a godly King for he maketh a lawe 2. Chron. 15. That whosoeuer will not seeke the Lord God of Israel shall be slaine whether he be small or great It is said that in the Thirtie and sixe yeare of his raigne came Baasa King of Israel vp against Iuda That is meant the Thirtie and six yere since the diuision of the kingdome in Ieroboams time His fault was that he put Hanani the Prophet in prison because he reprooued him for making couenant with Benadad King of Aram. 3889. Iosaphat Twentie and fiue yeares HE succeedeth his Father Asa His fault was in ioyning with Ahab of the house of Omri In his dayes Elias was taken vp He repenteth him of his sinne by seeing the king of Israell plagued and himselfe in danger He hath victorie ouer the Moabites and the Ammonites because he set his hart to seek the Lord and so he had rest on euerie side Yet in the end he ioyned with Ahasiah King of Israel who was giuen to doe euill and so he died 1. King 22. 3110. Ioram Eight yeares HE walked in the waies of the Kings of Israel as the house of Ahab had done and wrought euill in the eyes of the Lord. Howbeit the Lord would not destroy the house of Dauid because hee had promised to giue a light to him and to his Sonnes for euer In his dayes Edom rebelled from vnder the hand of Iuda Now is performed the saying of Isaacke when he blessed Esau Gen. 27. But the day shall come that thou shalt loosen the yoake from off thee He slew all his brethren and the Princes of Iuda and made high places in the Mountaines and caused the Inhabitants of Ierusalem to commit Idolatrie So there came a writing to him from Elijah the Prophet Because thou hast done these things behold with a great plague will the Lord smite thy people and thy childreÌ„ thy wiues al thy substance and thou shalt be in great diseases in the disease of thy bowels vntill thy bowels fall out day by day So the lord stirred vp against Ioram the spirit of the Philistins the Arabians that were besides the Ethiopians Because there were other ArabiaÌ„s in Africa southward toward Egipt I distinguish theÌ„ And they came vp to Iuda and carried away all the substance that was in the Kings house and his Sonnes also and his wiues so that there was not a Sonne left him aliue saue Iehaahaz the youngest of his Sonnes to shew that wherein a man offendeth therein hee shall be punished And after all this the Lord smote him in his bowels with an incurable disease and within two yeares his guttes fell out with his disease and he died of sore diseases yet hee was buried in the Citie of Dauid but not amonge the Sepulchers of the Kings 2. Chron 21. So that we may see by Gods Iudgments vpon him that wee cannot both ioyne with the wicked and serue God neither are Gods promises tied to men longer than they continue in his feare keeping his coÌ„mandements as it is written 1. King 2.4 If thy Sonnes take heede to their way that they walk before me in truth that is without hypocrisie with all their hearts and all their soules thou shalt not sayd he want one of thy posteritie to sit vpon the throne of Israel 3117. Ochosias One yeare HE was two and Fortie yeares old when hee began to raigne The meaning is this He is the child of the two and Fortieth yeare for it is two and Fortie yeares since the house of Omri came vp Here is repeated the like storie of two and Fortie yeares in the wildernesse He was the Sonne of Athalia the Daughter of Ahab of the house of Omri hee walked also in the way of Ahab King of Israel for his mother counselled him to doe wickedly wherefore hee did euill in the sight of the Lord like the house of Achab. For they were his Counsellors after the death of his Father to his destruction Which sheweth that such as the rulers be such are their Counsellors and that there can neuer bee a godly Kingdome where wicked Counsellors are suffered to beare stroke And the destruction of Ochosias came in that hee went to Ioram the Sonne of Achab King of Israel to fight against Hazael King of Aram at Ramoth Gilead and against Iehu the Sonne of Nimshi whome the Lord had annointed to destroy the house of Achab. Therefore when Iehu executed iudgement vppon the house of Ahab and found the Princes of Iuda and the Sonnes of the brethren of Ochosias that wayted on Ochosias he slue them
on the mercies of God acknowledging his power and his iustice which they neglecting to embrace God to shewe his iudgements hardneth their hearts to follow that which shall bee their owne destruction as Amasias did who contrary to the coūsell of the Prophet of God goeth vp against Ioash king of Israel After him the kingdome of Iuda was voide Eleauen yeares 3201. Azarias two and Fiftie yeares HIs name was also called Vzzias All is one in Hebrew it signifieth Might or Strength In his dayes Amos the Prophet the Father of Esay did prophecy so did Oseas the prophet Amos beginneth to preach two yeares before the Earth-quake which was in his time Azarias did vprightly in the sight of God according to al that Amasias his father did and he sought God in the daies of Zechariah which vnderstood the visions of God and when he sought the Lord God made him to prosper for he went forth and fought against the Philistins and brake down the wall of Gath and the wall of Iabneth and the wall of Ashdod and built Cities in Ashdod and amonge the Philistines and many valiant things did he But when he was stronge his heart was lifted vp to his destruction for he transgressed against the Lord his God and went into the Temple of the Lord to burne incense vpon the Altar of incense vsurping the office of the Sacrificers and is stroken with leaprosie and therefore dwelt apart being cut off from the house of the Lord and so continued vnto the day of his death From hence wee may learne what a grieuous thing it is in the sight of God to meddle in the office of the Sacrificers which the Lord had forbidden Num. 18. We may also learne from hence not to forget God in our prosperitie least therby we procure our owne destruction In Antiochus time the Leuites who were appointed of God onely to sacrifice and offer incense before him will vsurpe into the kings seat and beare rule vpon the like successe in victories And then God plagueth thē with a spirituall leaprosie more foule and filthy than that of the bodie being from Pharisees become Saduces denying the resurrection and the life of the soule departed from the bodie This Azarias king of Iuda saw the daies of Eight kings of Israel wherein the word of God remaineth true The wicked shall not liue out halfe their dayes 3253. Iotham Sixteene yeares HIs Fathers plague causeth him to rule indifferently well His Sonne Achaz succeeding is farre worse Micheas the Prophet teacheth in the dayes of Iotham King of Iuda 3268. Achaz Sixteene yeares HE walked in the wayes of the Kings of Israel and made moulten Images for Baalim Moreouer he burnt incense in the valley of Benhinnom and burnt his Sonnes with fire after the abhomination of the heathen whome the Lord had cast out before the Children of Israel He sent for helpe to Tiglah Pilueeser and the rest of the Kings of Ashur which was not lawfull to seeke helpe of Infidels Then the Prophet Esay prophecied and by him God giues a prophesie for when Ierusalem was besieged for the wickednesse of Achaz God sendeth Esay to Achaz and willeth him to aske a signe Who answereth hee will not tempt God Esay 7. The Prophet replyeth Is it not a small thing to grieue men but you must also grieue my God therefore the Lord will giue you a signe A Virgin shall conceiue and beare a Sonne and she shall call his name Emanuel God with vs. Thereby to shew Achaz the greatnesse of his impietie for seeking to the Nations for helpe For seeing God spareth not his owne Sonne but giueth him to death for vs will not he likewise send strength to Iudah He was buried in the Citie of Ierusalem but not in the Sepulchres of the Kings of Iudah 3281. Ezechias nine and Twentie yeres A new Heber HEre we see some recouerie of the state For in the yeare that Azarias died Esay sawe the Lord sitting in the Temple the Seraphins stood vpon it euerie one hauing sixe winges and one cryed to another Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts And God speaketh Ye shall heare me but not vnderstand yee shall see plainely and not perceiue Esay asketh How longe Lord vntill the Cities be wasted the house without a man and the Land vtterly desolate Thereby meaning their captiuitie wherein there shall be tenne forsakings in Ezecchias time two in Manasses one Iosias time one the fift in Iehoachaz time the Sonne of Iosias the sixt in Iehoiakim the Seuenth when he rebelled after he had serued the King of Babell three yeares the Eight in Ieconias time the two last which makes the Tenth vnder Zedechias himselfe being carried to Babell his eyes put out and his Sonnes slaine and after the house of the Lord burnt and all the Citie carried captiue so the Lord is in his Temple beholding the actions of men and his skirts fill the Temple the least of Gods mysteries excelling all the wisedome of man and the Angels proclaime Holynesse to God this Esay confessed for he saw nothing but woe vnto himselfe being a man of polluted lippes that so by faith in the Sonne of God his sinne might bee put away In Ezechias time Esay speaketh of nine Nations plagued which were borderers on Iudea From this we might gather that seeing their wickednesse was equall they should receiue the like measure of punishment Hee goeth further and telleth what Assur shall speake and Babell and prophecieth of Cyrus one hundred yeares before he was borne answerable to the prophecie that was of Iosias in Ieroboams time concerning the taking vp of the bones of the Prophets Esay in Ezechias dayes prophecieth of Christ and saw the promise a farre off and embraced it and shewed the particulars as if they were now perfourmed by Pilate This would not haue mooued a prophane man but he being a prophet knew that God was faithfull who had promised And the men in his time gathered together Salomons Prouerbs Yet for all this we shall finde that fewe were saued and Christ saith that many Kings desired to see that which you see and saw them not Ezechias was verie desirous to haue his posteritie to keepe the Kingdome in the true Religion Esay commeth vnto him and willeth him to set his house in a readinesse for he should die for any thing yet reuealed Hee wept not for feare of death seeing he had great assurance of Gods fauor and thereby his saluation made certaine but to remember the wickednesse of the Kings before and how through their impiety Iuda was humbled and that now hee should sleepe with his Fathers not leauing a godly one to succeed him He hath a Sonne but it had been better that Manasses his Sonne had neuer been he was so wicked This Ezechias committeth a grieuous offence in shewing his wealth to the Embassadors of the king of Babell Thereupon saith the prophet because thou trustedst not in God but in thy wealth therefore one of Babell
euer were in 3680. Seleucus Callinicus the fourth Horne HE slew his Step-mother Berenice and her young Sonne But out of the budde of her rootes as Dan. 11.7 shall one stand vp in his stead meaning that Ptolomeus Euergetes the fift Horne after the death of his Father Ptolomeus Philadelphus should succeede in the Kingdome being of the same stock that Berenice was and he shall come with an armie and shall enter into the fortresse of the King of the North meaning Seleucus Callinicus to reuenge Berenice his sisters death Wherfore Seleucus Callinicus Sons that is Seleucus Ceraunus and Antiochus the Great Dan. 11.10 shall bee stirred vp and shall assemble a mightie great armie Seleucus died whiles the warres were preparing but Antiochus the great prepared a wonderfull great armie hee had Sixe thousand horsemen and Threescore thousand footmen and grew to be verie great But the king of the North that is Ptolomeus Philopater the eight horne when he saw Antiochus the great take away so many of his Dominions in Syria and that hee was also readie to inuade Egypt he prepareth a great armie and withstandeth Antiochus the king of the North. But it did not preuaile for not onely Antiochus came against him but also Philip king of Macedon and they brought a great power with them as Dan. 11.14 And at that same time there shall many stand vp against the King of the South Also the rebellious children of thy people shall exalt themselues to establish the vision but they shall fall She here meaneth by the rebellious children certain Iewes which vnder the conduct of Onyas retyred with him into Egypt vppon the false alleadging of a place out of Esay 19.19 In that day shall the Altar of the Lord bee in the middest of the Land of Egypt and a pillar by the border thereof vnto the Lord c. And Dan. 11. So the King of the North shall come and cast vp a mount and take the stronge Citie and the armes of the South that is The power of the Egyptians shall not resist neither his chosen people neither shall there bee any strength to withstand But hee that is Antiochus the great shall come and doe vnto him that is Ptolomeus Epiphanes what hee list and none shall stand against him and hee shall stand in the pleasant Land which by his hand shall be consumed meaning that hee shall not onely afflict the Egyptians but the Iewes also the people of the pleasant Land Againe hee shall set his face to enter with the power of his whole Kingdome and his confederates with him and thus shall hee doe And hee that is Ptolomeus Epiphanes shall giue him a Daughter of women that is one Cleopatra the Daughter of Antiochus to destroy her but shee shall not stand on his side neither bee for him For hee shall turne his face toward the forts of his owne Land that is for feare of the Romans hee shall flye to his holds Then shall stand in his place in the glorie of the Kingdome one that shall rayse taxes that is Seleucus Philopater shall succeed his Father Antiochus but after fewe dayes he shall be destroyed neither in wrath nor in battell that is not by forraine enemies or battell but by treason and in his pâ—ace shall stand vp a vilde person that is Antiochus Epiphanes the little Horne of the fourth beast to whome shall not bee giuen the honour of the kingdome but hee shall come in peaceably that is pretending peace and obtaine the kingdome by flatteries according to the S. of Daniel And out of them that is out of the Hornes of the Goat Bucke there came forth a litte Horne which waxed verie great toward the south and toward the east and toward the pleasant Land meaning Antiochus who was of a seruile and flattering nature and by subtiltie depriueth three other that were betweene him and the Kingdome and is called the little Horne because hee should continue but a little while and in him was found neither princely conditions nor any other thing worthy to obtaine a kingdome Hee beganne his raigne in the One hundred thirtie and seuenth yeare of the Grecians 1. Mach. 1. and raigneth Twelue yeares He maketh Battels against Ptolomeus Philometor A prophane Schoole was erected in Ierusalem and in the One hundred fortie and three yeare of the Grecians he spoyleth the Temple of Ierusalem and burned all the bookes of Moses and put to death all persons with whom they were found and after two yeares hee sendeth Appolonius and placeth a garrison in Ierusalem on the Fifteenth of Cislen in the One hundred fortie and fiue yeare of the Grecians they builded an Altar vpon the holy Altar an abhomination of desolation and placeth an Idoll of Iouis Olympij in the holy Temple as Dan. 11.38 And in the 2. Thess 2. Saint Paul compareth the Antichrist with this Idoll Also Ap. 20. Saint Iohn compareth Gog and Magog with this historie speaking of the Antichrist as Saint Paul doth Antiochus by letters Patents graunteth the Iewes their owne religion after One thousand two hundred and ninetie dayes since the Temple was prophaned in their One hundred fortie and eight yeare the Fifteenth of their Month Xanticus which differeth from the Iewes account to whome the Fiue and twentie of Cislen or Nouember commeth before this time about One hundred eightie and fiue dayes and after two and fiftie dayes in the yeare One hundred fortie and nine Antiochus dyeth of a notorious strange sicknesse and acknowledgeth the hand of God to bee vpon him after the Temple was prophaned One thousand three hundred fortie and fiue dayes Dan. 12.7 It shall tarrie for a time two times and halfe a time and when hee shall haue accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people all these things that is all the troubles of the Iewes shall be finished Here it falleth out that was spoken Dan. 8.25 He shall resist the Prince of Princes and shall be broken without hands Here Iudas Machabeus recouereth the gouernment of Iudea from Antiochus Thus the legges of yron and clay nothing cleauing together by marriages are made weake not any more treading downe the Iewes but rather are beaten to dust by Christ the Stone The Fourth beast is cast into the fire by Christ his fierie iudgement the little Horne is broken the Saints that is the Iewes possesse their Kingdome Gog and Magog are ouerthrowne The rest of the Kings of Syria because they are not expressed in the Sinay sight and in Daniel nothing spoken of them I passe them ouer Wherefore Christ in the dayes of his flesh Ioh. 10.22 celebrateth the feast of this deliuerance After this time God shaked the kingdome of Syria by Ligranes King of Armenia vntill it came to the hands of the Romanes On the Fiue and twentie of Cisleu or Nouember in the One hundred fortie and eighth yeare of the Grecians the Altar was restored 1. Mac. 4.25 And Iudas
some will say If God decreeth euerie thing why punisheth hee any thing It is answered That punishment commeth from God by the iust desert of the ranckor of mans minde Election is of his free grace which hee bestoweth vpon whome he will as he saith I will haue mercie on whome I will haue mercie Therefore the first thing wee ought to knowe is our Election the last is true holynesse That this Election or louing kindnesse of God towards 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 Saints or as being by workes meritorious of the same it may appeare Esay 43. Abraham knoweth vs not neither is Israel acquainted with vs but thou Lord art our Father and Redeemer and of very louing kindnesse thou hast redeemed vs thy name is euerlasting Rom. 8. It is Christ onely that maketh intercession for vs. Esay 43. I am he onely that for mine owne selues sake doe away thine offences and forget thy sinnes For what hast thou for thee to make thee righteous Thy first father offended sore and thy rulers haue sinned against mee Thou art like to a thing of naught thy time passeth away like a shadowe Iere. I loue thee with an euerlasting loue therefore by my mercy haue I drawne thee vnto mee and Iohn 6. No man can come to me except the father draw him as it is written Esay 54. They shall bee all taught of God Esay 26. Lord thou hast wrought all our workes Phil. 2. It is God that worketh in you both the will and also the deed euen of his good will 2. Cor. 3. Wee are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but if wee bee able the same commeth of God which made vs able Esay 51.12 Yea I euen I am he that in all things giueth you consolation Psal 130. For with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption 1. Pet. 1. We are elect according to the foreknowledge of God the father through the sanctifying of the spirit vnto obedience and sprinckling the blood of Iesus Christ Psal 90. 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 yee sonnes of Adam Rom. 9. 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 sayd The greater shall serue the lesser as it is written Mal. 3. Iacob haue I loued Esau haue I hated Iohn 13. I know whom I haue chosen Psal 135. Whatsoeuer the Lord pleased that did he in heauen and in earth and in the sea and in all deepe places Rom. 11. 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 is it now no grace what then Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh but the election hath obtained it 2. Thes 2. 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. Moreouer whom hee appointed before them also hee called And whom he hath called them also he 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 whome God in his mercie hath saued for his righteousnes sake and not for their deserts he guideth by the grace of his holy spirit as Rom. 8. As many as are led by the spirit of God they are the Sons of God Esay 43. 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 weaknes 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. A little while haue I forsaken thee but with great mercie will I take thee vp vnto me When I was angrie with thee I hid my face from thee for a little season but through euerlasting mercie haue I redeemed thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer The mountaines shall moue and the hils shall fall downe but my louing kindnes shall not mooue and the bond of my peace shall not fall downe from thee saith the lord thy mercifull louer Psalme 37. The lord ordereth a good mans going and maketh his way acceptable vnto himselfe though he fall hee shall not be cast away for the lord vpholdeth him with his hand Psalme 103. He dealeth not with them after their sins nor rewardeth them according to their wickednes but looke how the heauen is in comparison of the earth so great is his mercie 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 mercie and louing kindnes Esay 54. Lo this is the heritage of the lords seruants and their righteousnes commeth of me saith the lord The Reiect he leaueth to their owne selues hardening their hearts that hee may haue occasion of Iudgement against them Esay 57. They are like to the raging Sea that cannot rest whose water fometh with the myre and grauell for they haue no peace with God The winde shall blowe them forth and vanitie shall take them all away they are like to dust before the winde and like to the chaffe in a summer floore Psal 73. The lord suffereth them to come in no perrill of death but are lustie and stronge they come in no daunger like other folke neither are they plagued like other men and this is the cause that they be so holden with pride and ouerwhelmed with crueltie their eyes swell for fatnesse and they doe euen what they lust They corrupt others and speake of wicked blasphemie their talking is against the most highest Tush say they how shall God perceive it is their knowledge in the most highest Loe these are the vngodly and these haue riches in posession Such were Kaine the wicked mockers before the floode Cham the builders of Babel the vncleane Cities Ismael Esau Pharaoh Moab Ammon The wicked oppressors Saul Absalom the Kings of Israel and the Kings of Babel Antiochus the vild Herod Pilate and Iudas the traitour many others who brought vpon themselues iust cause of eternall condemnation Psal 73. The Lord hath set them in slipperie places and casteth them downe and destroyeth them Oh how suddenly doe they consume and perish and
abideth still in the solenesse of his vnitie which thing farre exceedeth all abilitie of vnderstanding This is the originall patterne of him that is called both Father to himselfe and sonne to himselfe and is the Father of one alone and God verily good indeed Aemelius the disciple of Plotine notwithstanding how great an enemy he was to Christians speaking of the second person yeeldeth to this which Saint Iohn speaketh Surely saith he this is the Word that was from euerlasting by whom al things that are were made As Heraclitus supposed and before God saith he it is the very same Word which that barbarous fellow auoucheth to haue bene with God at the beginning in the ordering and disposing of things when they were confused and to be God by whom all things were absolutely made and in whom they bee liuing and of whom they haue their life and being And that the same Word clothing it selfe with mans flesh appeared a man insomuch that after he had bene put to death he tooke his Godhead to him againe and was very God as he had bene before yer hee came downe into body flesh and man Another of Platoes imitators speaking to the same effect said That the beginning of S. Iohns Gospell was worthy to be written euery where in letters of gold And the deuill himselfe being asked of the King of Egypt who he was that raigned before him and who should raigne after him answered in these foure verses Suidas First God and next the Word and then their Sprite Which three be one and ioyne in one all three Their force is endlesse get thee hence fraile wight The man of Life vnknowen excelleth thee Seeing then that Iewes Philosophers and the Deuill are compeld to glorifie God in their speeches making as it were large volumes of the creation of God by his word and that the same Word is his sonne How can they escape the wrath of God for not embracing it And againe seeing they but through a mist did see a clearenesse of his brightnesse How skilfull ought we to bee whom hee hath noursed in his owne bosome and comforted with the grapes of his owne vineyard and fedde with the bread of his owne flesh and bathed in the blood of his owne heart in prouing the truth of this doctrine against Iew Turke or Pagan Let vs shew a word or two what the Poets themselues speake of the Beginning Architas saith that he accounteth no man wise but him which reduceth all things to one selfe same originall First to God who is the Beginning Middle and end of all things Empedocles hath these verses All things that are or euer were or shall hereafter bee Both man and woman beast and bird fish worme herbe grasse tree And euery other thing yea euen the ancient Gods each one Whom we so highly honour heere come all of one alone Simplicius saith Whatsoeuer is beautifull commeth of the first and chiefest beauty All truth cōmeth of Gods truth all beginnings must be reduced to one beginning which must not be a particular beginning as the rest are but a beginning surpassing all other beginnings and gathering thē all into himselfe yea giuing the dignitie of beginning to all beginnings as is conuenient for euery of their natures Also one good saith he is the originall and wel-spring of all things It produceth all things of it selfe both the First the Middlemost and the Last The one goodnesse bringeth forth many goodnesses the one vnitie many vnities the one beginning many beginnings Now as for Vnitie Beginning Good and God they all be but one thing For God is the first cause of all and all particular beginnings are first setled and grounded in him he is the cause of causes the God of gods and the Goodnesse of goodnesses The vnderstanding of the stories of the Bible do giue a great light to the minde of man and the practise giueth life vnto euery one that embraceth them as Deut. 8. and Mat. 4. Man liueth not by bread onely but by euerie worde which proceedeth out of the mouth of God The despisers of Religion continue in darkenes and light to them is death as 1. Ioh. 2.9 Hee that saith he is in light and yet hateth his brother is in darknes and walketh in darknes and knoweth not whether he goeth because the darknes hath blinded his eyes 1. Ioh. 5.11 But God hath giuen vs eternall life and that life is in his Sonne who laid downe his life for his sheepe Ioh. 10.15 Wherfore while we haue light let vs walke and beleeue in the light that we may be the children of the light Ioh. 12.36 The first Adam was made of the earth earthly c. The second Adam 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 Heauen Earth and Sea and all the host of them which doe consist of wights visible and inuisible Inuisible as Angels visible as Sunne Moone and Starres fishes fowles plantes hearbes grasse Beasts and such like which God created before hee 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 kindnes to Adam by his workes For he fore-purposing to make Adam both King and Father of all the earth would not haue his witts entangled with cares for this life but to haue his affections setled on heauenly things that hee might continue holie and blameles before him as Mat. 6. Take no care what you shall eate or what you shall drinke nor yet for your bodie what rayment you shall put on Behold the fowles neither sowe nor reape and your heauenly Father feedeth them are ye not much better than they how much more then shall hee doe the same for you for hee knoweth that yee haue neede of all these things but first seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnes thereof for no mans life standeth in the aboundance of things which he possesseth Now followeth Adams creation HE was made the sixt day as it is gathered of September of the dust of the earth vppon Mount Moriah which is a Mountaine adioyning to the gates of the garden of Eden into which garden he was put to labour the earth about six of the cloke in the morning as wee account when men commonly goe to labour as should appeare by Psal 104. Where it is sayd Adam goeth forth 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 creatiō He had dominion giuen him ouer all things and witte like to an Angell to giue names to all beasts free libertie to eat of all the trees in the garden the tree of knowledge of good and ill onely excepted As if God should haue sayd to him as Moses afterwards
thus expresly So long O Serpent as the womans children keepe the law they kill thee and when they cease to doe so thou stingest them in the heele and hast power to hurt them much But whereas for their harme there is a sure remedie to heale it for thine there is none for in the last dayes they shall crush thee all to peeces with their heeles by means of Christ their King The particulars wherof Adam neglected not to examine And the woman likewise vnderstanding from thence duly marking embracing the same that God had a purpose to saue her gathereth from these words matter inough to saue her and all the world after her which receiue like comfort of the same promise For she rightly vnderstood that this seede must needs be Christ who must come and take Adams nature vppon him who should bee subiect to death that hee might ouercome him that had power of death For shee knew and so did Adam that if euer man being but onely man might work his owne redemption himselfe was likelyest to haue done it because hee was the chiefest of all the men that euer should be in the world but Adam being the goodlyest man and not able to doe it himselfe he knew it must needs be God who must appeare in the similitude of Adams nature and suffer death that hee might rise againe to sit at the right hand of his Father to make intercession for all the sonnes of Adam They both the man and the woman embracing this obtayned the fauour of God and Adam called his wife Euah that is Life to shew that whosoeuer beleeued as she beleeued should bee partakers of eternall life as it is written Rom. 10. Who so confesseth with his mouth and beleeueth with his heart that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of the liuing God he shall be saued But Adam and Euah were driuen out of Paradise Cherubins were set to keep the way of the tree of life they were clothed with skins as it shuld appeare with skins of beasts to shew their beastlines which God for them had slaine to offer for sacrifice to teach thē the vse thereof for no doubt God would not destroy beasts to haue them spoyled seeing that Adam was not to eat any And we see that Kaine and Abel offered sacrifices as being taught from Adam whose sacrifices were of two sorts Abel offred as appeareth in sinceritie of Religion the other for outward ceremonie voide of true Religion wherefore to Abel and his offring God had respect but to Kaine and his offring he had no regard Wherefore Kaine being possessed with the poyson of the Serpent enuied Abel because his workes were good and his owne euill and killed him and being asked of God why he had slaine his brother in stead of asking pardon of God he sayd that his fault was greater than that Gods mercie could forgiue it Against whom Saint Augustine cryeth vehemently that by how much lesse the mercie of God could be inferiour to the fault of Kaine seeing that to forgiue is a thing proper to God and to reuenge and punish is farre estranged from his nature by so much more great was the offence of Kaine in the words he sayd than in the murther he did seeing that by the stroke of the sword hee tooke away but the life of his brother but by the blasphemie of his tongue hee gaue death to his owne soule To kill his brother was euill done but to despaire in Gods mercie was euen a transgression of the Deuill For more doe we offend God to esteeme him without mercie than in any other sinne we commit against man For which God curseth him giuing him a marke of a guiltie conscience alwayes accusing him of sinne against God and inhumanitie against nature Whereupon he goeth vp and downe wandring as one finding no rest or peace like an excommunicate person from the place of true religion into the land of Nod which signifieth Fugitiue This Kaine was the eldest sonne of Adam whom he named Possession for so doth Kaine signifie as if he had gained a goodly possession But seeing what might be the comfort of such possession hee calleth his other sonne Abell that is Vanitie to shewe that if a man haue neuer so large kingdomes or possessions or bee neuer so noblie borne as Kaine was except the sonne of God it is all but vanitie and a vexation of mind It is not now to be vnderstood that Adam had now no more children but Kaine and Abell for doubtlesse Adam had many more as may appeare by Kaines story For it is sayd that Kaine departed into the land of Nod and knew his wife who must needes be Adams daughter and married before the murther for we are not to thinke that Adam would afterward haue bestowed his daughter vpon a reprobate The Holy Ghost nameth onely three of Adams sonnes Kaine Abel and Seth to make a proportionable number answerable to the number of the letters of the words of the holy tongue or the tongue of Adam for vpon three letters doth euery word in the tongue consist Kaine to represent the afflictors of such as in this life esteemed the world and the pleasures thereof Vanitie which is Abell and Seth whose name signifieth setled or foundation to shew the assurance of his faith in the promises of God to the confirming of our faith which was that from him must come that seede of the woman that should bruse the head of the Serpent This sentence they and we and all the world were and are bound to take notice of For this we ought to know and beleeue so assuredly that we might shew our selues setled vpon a sure foundation not vpon sands where sea and wind may ouerthrow vs but vpon the Rocke Christ Iesus That our building may remaine as the mount Sion and as the heauenly Ierusalem which is builded foure square of three foures of precious stones that howsoeuer we be tossed with afflictions of this life we may stand firme acknowledging Iehouah to be the one true and euerlasting God Father Sonne and Holy Spirit and that his mercy is like to eternall mountains that cannot be remoued wherewith hee loued vs vnto saluation before the foundation of the world Thus duly considering his power and wisedome in the particular actions of the creation Adams fall the promise of eternall life Adams faith and his sacrifices the shadowes of our Redemption The seuenth day and the vse thereof we shall spend our dayes in beholding our end and neuer doe amisse sorrowing with a godly sorrowe as Enosh whose name signifieth Sorow did for as in our dayes so in his men fell from the true Religion of Adam Seth and other godly men which were then aliue turning the grace of God into wantonnesse marrying wiues of Kaines poysoned seede respecting beauty and other outward guifts rather than vertue not remēbring their Grandmother Euah that for beholding the beauty of one forbidden fruit commending it to Adam
for the pleasantnesse of the taste and the vnlawfull desire that shee had of diuilish knowledge not long before was driuen out of Paradise whose blessing of procreation was ioyned with sorrow of conception whose innocent soule by breaking but one commaundement became guiltie of eternall death and lost the whole glory of Paradise and was driuen out into mountaines as not worthy to enioy the benefit of the tree of life in the garden of Eden But Enosh being a godly man and knowing that the fruits of worldly sorrow are likewise eternal death of godly sorrow repentance which word signifieth a changing of iudgement from ignorance to true knowledge to the renewing of the spirit nameth his sonne Kenan Contrite or repenting or a looking backe into their impieties detesting their vaine conuersation to the killing of sinne in himselfe and to the embracing of righteousnesse For it is not onely required of a man to eschew euill but withall to doe good to flee darkenesse if wee will enioy light to follow the right way if wee will not erre to auoid the mire and durt if we will be cleane and without spot and forbeare to be euill if we will begin to be good for it is not enough for a valiant man to doe what he may but also he is bound to attempt nothing but what he ought And as repentance is the fruit of godly sorrow so thankefulnesse to God for deliuerance from like trials proceedeth from repentance Therefore Kenan the Contrite nameth his sonne Mahalaleel my praise God which none can doe effectually without a lowly mind sanctified first by grace to the subduing of the flesh Mahalaleel knowing that such fruit is required of such a tree nameth his sonne Iared the lowly which gifts of grace God bestoweth vpon such onely as he accepteth vnto himselfe as it is written Blessed is the man vnto whom God imputeth not his sinne c. So that a man hauing thus purged himselfe from the iniquitie of wicked men marking the rules of Gods eternall wisedome he shal be a vessell sanctified vnto honour meete for the vses of the Lord 2. Tim. 2. Therfore Iared the lowly nameth his sonne Henoch the holy Now God commaunding all men to direct their steppes by the straight line of his word first layeth downe his will what we ought to doe to please him and then induceth vs thereto not onely by hope of eternall life but promiseth vs in this life long and happy daies as in the eternall lawe is expressed Loue God aboue all and thy neighbour as thy selfe that thy dayes may bee longe in the Land which the Lord thy God giueth thee c. Henoch therefore being assured of the infinite mercies of God towards him and his seede by faith still beholding as in a glasse the redemption by the Sonne of God the summe of all saluation nameth his sonne Methushelah long life or Speare-death For euen as the point of a Speare keepeth off that which would otherwise destroy euen so Methushelah kept away the Floud a longe time from drowning the World But because men should not thinke that any liueth without calamities least outward happinesse should make men to forget God Methushelah hauing heard his fathers and himselfe also being a Prophet preach of the destruction of the world by the floud calleth his sonne Lamech that is Stroken or Hart-wounded which is to be vnderstood that in respect that he being neere those times of dangers many of his posteritie were like to be drowned not only in the floud but eternally tormented for ioyning with the wicked mockers which despised the preaching of the Fathers But although God throweth mens consciences downe for a while with griefe of other mens iust punishment yet hee rayseth them vp againe giuing them hope of his assured promises and a sweet comfort of eternall life Lamech being thus strengthned with the faith of his Fathers ayming still to the sentence of saluation pronounced in Paradise calleth his Sonne Noah Restorer or Comforter saying This Sonne shall comfort vs concerning the sorrow of our hands and concerning the earth which the Lord hath cursed Wherein he sheweth that he both looked backward to the creation and forward to the Redemption by Christ the Seede of the Woman that should bruse the head of the Serpent Thus much for the vse of the names of the Ten Fathers before the floud in generall ⧠Now follow their liues and deaths in particular and first for Adam There is a great doubt made of the time of the yeere of Adams creation and of the day of his fall and is refused as a thing vnprofitable to be knowen and vnpossible to be proued First for the time of his Creation IT is certaine he was created in September at the time that fruits be ripe which is at the fall of the leafe and that was the fittest time seeing in the course of nature there was no fitter time to expresse the nature of Adams fall And as the fall of Adam being answerable to the fall of the leafe because by his fall death was brought vpon all So the death of Christ beeing contrarie to Adams fall because it brought life to all the fittest time to resemble this life in the course of nature was the spring therefore Christ dyed at the spring to deliuer vs out of the spirituall prison when as all thinges shewe themselues to bee deliuered out of this earthly prison Now for the day of Adams fall IT was on fryday the sixt day the day of Adams creation at the time of eating For wee doe not reade that euer Adam did eate before he did eate of the forbidden fruit Therefore when by the storie the time of eating cannot be separated in time reason sheweth vs to ioyne them in time for Satan was a Murtherer from the beginning and we must bring it from the beginning as neere as can be not crossing any Scripture The searching of this matter is not of small importance for from the true vnderstanding of the creation we see the cleerenesse of the Redemption and not marking the creation aright is the cause of much follie and they that misse of the lawes of creation are sure to misse of the lawes of Redemption And Moses making mention of many times hee would not haue omitted the time of the fall except it had beene done presently after the creation thetefore Adams fall must needes bee layd as neere the beginning as may bee not crossing the story The bare narration sheweth that no famous action went betweene the commaundement and the fall and the shortnesse of the time doth shewe the force of the aduersarie Besides it is a great sinne to say that euery man except Christ could fulfill any one point of the Lawe for thereby wee darken the glory of Christ and prooue him not to haue performed the whole lawe If Adam had continued vntill the Sabbath in his innocencie no doubt he would haue kept a perfect Sabbath and if hee had kept a
perfect Sabbath hee had performed some part of the Lawe and thereby beene partaker with Christ in the worke of our Redemption Againe if Adam had continued in the image of God which is in righteousnesse and true holinesse vntill the Sabbath hee would haue performed the ordinances of the Sabbath which was to eate of the tree of life which was made for a Sacrament of conseruation vnto him and should not haue needed a Redeemer Hee did not eate of the Tree of Life for God after his fall setteth Cherubims to keepe the way of the Tree of Life least Adam eating should liue for euer Whereby it appeareth that if hee had eaten thereof before hee had not fallen Therefore it cannot be that Adam continued perfect vnto the Sabbath And further it is written Psal 49. Adam being in honour continueth not one night but is like to the beasts that perish Cedrenus a Greeke writer saith that Adam fell the sixt day of the first weeke Saint Augustine saith the woman streight way after her creation before she accompained with Adam became into the transgression otherwise Kaine had beene conceaued without sinne Theophilact vpon Matthew sayth that as man was formed the sixt day and did eate of the tree the sixt howre so Christ reforming man and healing the fall was fastened to the tree the sixt day and the sixt howre And in the storie of the creation in Genesis presently after the fall Moses speaketh of the Redemption And without wee compare the Creation with the Redemption wee misse of all For Adam to bee compared with Christ is the summe of all And wherefore should all the actions of the Redemption bee accomplished in such rarenesse except to bee aunswerable both to the fall and to the time of the fall Wherefore it is needfull wee should know our thraldome if wee will receaue comfort by the Redeemer thus First Christ the Restorer was borne of a Virgine Why because by a Virgine destruction came to the world Chrysostome compareth Eue and Marie together thus Eue beeing a Virgine hearing the wordes of the SERPENT and beleeuing them brought foorth DEATH The Virgine Marie hearing the wordes of the Angell Gabriel and beleeuing them brought foorth Life Againe why should Christ die on the sixt day rather than on the fifth or fourth And why was there darkenesse vntill the coole of the day rather than till the Sunne setting but to make the Redemption answerable to euery part of the fall because God according to the secret counsell of his owne will before the foundations of the earth were laide would make the Art of saluation so easie and the harmonie of the Bible so tuneable that no musicke in the world can bee more pleasant to the eare than the meditation of the loue of God towards vs in Christ is comfortable to the heart of man Therefore the meditation of Adams fall and the victorie of Christ ought to bee continually in our mindes Now compare Christ with Adam Adam Christ The first Adam was made a soule hauing life of earth earthly therefore by the earthly one came disobedience sinne iudgement condemnation death was created on the sixt day and did eate of the tree the sixt howre was made a man without a Father made not inferiour to the Angels 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 darkenes from the sixt houre vntil the ninth howre by breaking one commandement lost all was called to account at the ninth howre was debarred of the tree of life was driuen out of Paradise was the head of his Wife was a King Prophet Sacrificer liued a thousand yeeres wanting seuentie The second Adam was made a spirit giuing Life from heauen heauenlie thetefore by the heauenly one came obedience grace forgiuenesse iustification life reforming man healing the fall is fastened to the tree the sixt day the sixt howre was made a man without a Father made lower then the Angels is crowned with glory and all the Angels worship him being man whereby wee may know the world was made subiect to a 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 darkenes to couer the whole earth from the sixt howre till the ninth howre by fulfilling all the commaundements brought life to all at the ninth howre yeeldeth vp the Ghost and goeth to giue account to his Father is the true Tree of Life on that day openeth Paradise to the poore theefe the head of his Church was a King Prophet Sacrificer was borne seuentie yeeres before foure thousand BEcause these two Tables consist onely of numbers and that numbers in the scripture are great helpes for the vnderstanding of the same before wee 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. 1 Expressing the vnion of the Godhead and from thence the vnitie of all godly as being members of one head Christ Iesus which is made plaine Psal 133. Behold how good and comely a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in vnitie c. 3 The distinguished Trinitie within which number many excellent things fall out still to put vs in minde of the vndeuidable coeternitie of Father Sonne and holy Spirite To shew that neither in eldest yongest or middlemost but in Gods free election standeth our eternall happinesse Adam Kaine Of Adam the eldest extreame wicked Abel Of Adam the eldest extreame wicked Seth. Of Adam the eldest extreame wicked Noah Iaphet Of Noah the youngest wicked Sem Of Noah the youngest wicked Cham. Of Noah the youngest wicked Terah Haran Of Terah the middlemost was wicked Nachor Of Terah the middlemost was wicked Abram Of Terah the middlemost was wicked Three Angels appeared to Abraham in his Tent. Three Fowers of precious stones were set in Aarons breast Three Things reserued in the Arke Three Taken vp in the old Testament and 3 in the new The Booke of the Lawe The pot of Manna and Aarons rod that did alwaies flourish Three Parts was Ierusalem diuided into Three Letters the root of euerie word in the Hebrew tongue Three Captiuities of the Iewes Three Times was the Temple grosly poluted by the Babilonians Antiochi Romanes Three Times a yeere were the Iewes bound to come to Ierusalem to giue account of their Religion Three Dayes and Nights was Ionas in the Whales belly Nights and dayes was Christ in the graue Iohns viz. Iohn Baptist Luk. 1. Iohn Euangelist Mat. 4. Iohn Marke Act. 12. Iob saued 3 Eliphaz Sophar Bildad Daniel saued 3 Ananias Azarias Mishael Noah saued 3 Sem. Cham. Iaphet In the 3. seuenth Iubile the Iewes felaway and then Ieremie said O earth earth earth Heare the word of the Lord
c. The title ouer Christ on the crosse was written in 3. tongues Hebrew Greeke Latine Although it may not bee vrged that all these Threes haue full relation to the Trinitie seeing they fall not out by chaunce wee are not to despise the pleasant harmonie and comfortable vse of them but to thinke that the wisedome of God hath contriued saluation into such a sweet Art that verie children may learne the same and therefore the Scripture is called verie fitly a shallow water and a deepe fountaine shallow that the Lambe may wade and deepe that the Elephant may swimme Foure Is a square number and vsuall Heber the Fourth after the floud Iuda the Fourth Sonne of Iacob Square signifieth true Religion The Lord came in the 4000. yeare of the world Moses Fourth Son in the 4. age was sacrificer to the tribe of Dan. Times 7 Iubiles the time of Christs death The forme of the heauenly Ierusalem Fiue The Letters of Iehouah The 5 Vowels the sinewes of all tongues Christ feedeth 5000. with 5 Loaues Six The day of Adams creation which number is oftentimes vsed in the scripture to put vs in mind of the Creation Hundreth Thousand fighting men came out of Egipt Hundreth yeares old was Noah at the floud Times 7 standings had the children of Israell in the Wildernesse Yeeres was the Land of Canaan in conquering Cities of refuge for one that killed a man by chaunce and not of malice had the Iewes to flie vnto Times did the children of Israell fall before Dauids time in the time of the Iudges Seuen The number of the Sabbath which number of 7. as it is famous for the creation so God continueth the same proportion throughout the Bible to the redemption For as God the Father made the world in six daies and rested the seuenth so God the Son hauing performed his Fathers will resteth the seuenth day in the graue Is a yeare of Grace Planets in the Firmament which Plato compareth to the number of Seuen Starres in Ap. 1. Yeares was the Land of Canaan plagued for that Ioseph the beloued of the Lord should haue been slaine by his brother Stones in the Temple Gods Seuen-fould wisedome or prouidence in all his actions Seuen eyes to looke vpon the building of euery stone in the Temple of Ierusalem Yeares the Land of Canaan was setled in rest Yeares the Temple was in building Yeares Nebucadnetzer was a beast for destroying it Gates in the Temple before you come to the Holy of holiest Braunches did the Candlesticke in the Temple stand vrpon which had 42. knobbes signifying the six dayes worke and the Seuenth day of rest in the creation Moneths was the Tabernacle in building Iubiles was the Arke in the house of Ioseph Trumpeters is a great number that doe alwaies sound Gods praise Henoch the seuenth from Adam Heber the seuenth from Henoch Isaack the seuenth from Heber Moses the seuenth from Abraham Iosua the seuenth from Ephraim Elias taken vp in the seuenth age from Samuel Ioram the seuenth from Dauid Salomons Temple was consecrated in the seuenth moneth answerable to the birth of the Fathers The ceremonie of the Feast of Tabernacles continued seuen dayes After the comming from Egipt it was seuen times seuen daies before the law was giuen Seuen times seuen daies after Christs resurrection descended the holy Ghost The stories of the Scripture goe by seuens From Moses till Christs death thus Seuen yeares the land of Canaan was in conquering Seuen fifties for the glorie of Iosephs house Seuen seuenties for the house of Iuda Seuen tennes for the captiuity From the captiuitie to the death of Christ seuen seuenties Moses ceremonies for the most part were in the seuenth moneth The Manna that was gathered on the sixt day serued for the seuenth The seuenth yeare the Iewes might not plowe sowe nor reape In the end of seuen seuens was the yeare of Iubilee In the seuenth seuen from Cyrus the walles of Ierusalem were built Seuen times seuen Thousand of the Iewes came from captiuitie Ioakim endeth the seuenth seuentie with affliction Seuen yeeres plenty Seuen yeeres dearth in the land of Egipt figured by seuen eares of corne and seuen kine Noah liued seuen Iubilees after the flood Seuen Thousand in the booke of Kings mentioned that neuer bowed their knees to Baal Kaines house cut off in the seuenth age How often shall I forgiue my brother till seuen times I say vntill seuen times seuenty times alluding vnto Daniels Seuens The number of the persons saued in the Arke The day of circumcision Ten is a full number and the highest of last of simple numbers All Nations after the number of Ten beginne againe for plaine teaching and plainenesse in reckoning Ten is the yeare of iudgement or accompt You haue Ten woordes for the creation of the world and Ten words for the gouernment of the whole world The Tenth is a holy number as in Tythes which is giuen to vs to acknowledge our duties In the Tenth moneth the waters of the floude abated Sem liued to see the Tenth age a great blessing Ten plagues were the Egiptians plagued with for afflicting Sems house Ten spyes in the Wildernes misbelieued Ten tribes fell away at Roboams time Daniels beast hath Ten hornes which doe represent Ten cruell Kings The beast in the Reuelation hath Ten hornes The Pope had Ten stately kingdomes to assist him Noah is the Tenth from Adam Abraham the Tenth from Noah Twelue signes in the Zodiacke Twelue monthes in the yeare Twelue Fathers from the floude to Iacob Twelue Sonnes of Iacob Twelue Fountaines in the Wildernesse Twelue stones in Iordan Twelue stones in Aarons breast Salomon had Twelue Stewards and Dauid Twelue valiant Captaines Salomon at Twelue yeares of age discided the controuersie betweene the women for the dead Childe Christ at Twelue yeares of age is founde disputing among the Doctors He likewise ordayneth Twelue Apostles and Twelue times did he appeare after his resurection and in the reuelation of euery Tribe is sealed Twelue thousand The heauēly Ierusalem is described to haue Twelue foundations of Twelue precious stones Twelue gates and Twelue Angels and the names written of the Twelue Apostles and through the Citie 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 layd downe in close signification and such easy proportions the whole scope of his gouernment to the worlds end is to shew that his wisedome is infinite and that nothing in the Scriptures doe fall out by chaunce but by his fore-purpose according to the secret counsell of his own will to make vs still looke backe vnto the Creation 130. Seth borne ge 5. when Adam is 130. yeares old ADam was made in the Image of God but Seth is begotten in the
Iewes was extinct Iohn was banished into Patmes and is commaunded 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 Spirits expressed in Esay 11. which are before his throne and from Iesus Christ which is a faithfull witnesse and first begotten of the dead Alpha and Omega the first and the last who is aliue but was dead and behold he liues for euer and euer and hath the keys of hell and of death and giueth light and life to Iaphet the Gentile who was in darkenesse and in the shadowe of death perswading him to dwell in the Tents 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 one Hundred yeares old begetteth Arphaxad two yeeres after the flood so old was Abraham when hee begat Isaack 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 the should looke to him in whom Sem and the whole world should be blessed He had fiue sonnes Elam Ashur Arphaxad Lud. Amram Elam of whom the Persians Ashur of whom the Assyrians Arphaxad of whom Christ Amram of whom the Aramites Lud of whom the Lidians There be diuers which condemne Genealogies warranted therby as they affirme by Saint Pauls Councill to Timothie neither that they giue heed to fables and Genealogies endlesse which breede rather questions then godly edifying by faith 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 and 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 100. Arphachsad borne HIs name signifieth Healing Some hold that the Caldeans come from him CHRIST healeth all our infirmities Shelah borne HIs name signifieth Spoyling He was the Father of the Shelanites When he is thirtie yeeres old he begetteth Heber Heber a representer of the sonne of God who beginning to be thirtie yeeres old buildeth vp the decayed walles of the Gentiles Thirtie yeeres after the promise giuen to Abram was it before his seed began to be afflicted Ioseph being thirtie yeeres old expoundeth Pharaohs dreame Heber signifieth Pilgrime or stranger so saith Abraham I am a stranger and Pilgrime giue me a place for money to burie my dead So saith Saint Peter repeating the same storie I beseech you as Pilgrims and strangers to abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight against the soule Hebers posteritie went as strangers flitting from land to land looking for a Citie whereof God was the builder Heb. 11. Hereby we are taught that the world is not the end to which wee were created but that the glory of God is the end or marke that wee ought to leuell at For if we consider Man and the World in man the sences and in the world the sensible things Man as the beholder the world as the Theatre Man as the guest in the world the Feast prepared of all things conuenient for him wee will presently say not only that they be made one for another but also that in very deed the world was made for man and not man for the world And againe if wee consider how the world affordeth content of pleasures to all the sences but nothing sufficient to content the minde shall wee not conclude that as the pompe of this pilgrimage cannot bee mans end so can it not also bee his full contentation but man by a peculiar priuiledge hath an Vnderstanding wit which was giuen vnto him and Will which he receiued franke and free the one to knowe and discerne the leuell of his ende the other to loue and embrace it Seeing then the hither ende of all creatures heere beneath is Man and the furthest end of them is God the neerest and immediate end of man is to know God in the death merits of his Sonne Christ and them to embrace as the soueraigne welfare and comfort of our soules when from this handfull of earth our soules must goe to God that gaue it And what gaineth it a man to get all the kingdomes in the world by humane policie and want grace to ayme the end of our pilgrimage at heauen For what else is the getting of this world but a proofe of want and pouertie And what are honour vaine titles and Imperiall glories but a stampe of the diuels nature Therefore as the end of the first man when he was in his perfect holines was to attaine vnto God so the end of vs who by regeneration are partakers of that righteousnes must tend wholly to the mortifying of our worldly affections and accounting of these transitory momentaries as though they were not And to be short like as the soule is the shape of man so is the knowledge of God the true shape of mans vnderstanding and what desire we but the things that are and what can he want which possesseth him in whom all things are Then let vs say that as it had beene a happie case for Adam to haue continued still in his first estate so is it now for vs to returne thither againe that is to be set againe in Gods fauor that we may one day see his face yet againe And because this vnspeakeable blessednesse cannot be brought to perfection in this life so full of miserie we must so dispose our life in this world not to liue still in the world but to die in respect of these dead things and to liue vnto God if we intend to liue the true and euerlasting life for our true resting point is the turning againe vnto God from whose fauour and fellowship we be departed Man is composed of bodie and soule the body mortall the soule immortall now if we set mans felicitie in his bodie onely we doe too great wrong both to the soule and to the whole man For if it consist in the bodie it perisheth and fadeth with the body and then what remaineth to the soule which ouerliueth but wretchednesse but wee looke for a felicitie which belongeth to the whole man In the soule ioyned with the body we haue three abilities Life Sence Vnderstanding The soule giueth life vnto the body and the perfection of life is health If our life then serue to no other end than the outward things of this pilgrimage what had the first man to do with any of them who was created perfect
the godlie endure many harde thinges in the frowarde generations This Heber is from the Creation the fourteenth two seuens a double Henoch He is the fourth after the flood as Iuda is the fourth sonne of Iacob of whom Christ came He is the seuenth from Henoch a man for rare blessings 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 he 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 and acceptable vessels for the vse of his Temple we must beare palme boughes in our hands singing Hosanna to the highest and be estraunged from the vaine conuersation of this earthly Paradise so shall our names continue famous through many generations as Hebers did we shall speake the praises of God in our owne tongue for we will not consent with Nimrod to the building of our owne confusion whereby we might be shaken of from the fauour of God as he and his adherents were Hebers glory is further enlarged in that the Hebrew tongue taketh the name from him The Iewes kept this sincerely till they went into captiuitie into Babylon but when they came from thence they began to stammer for there they learned the tongue of the Babilonians Malachie endeth the old Testament and the Hebrew tongue for though schollers write Hebrew yet vpon the first sight it is apparant to be the writing of man so far it diffreth from the stile of the holy spirit There be one thousand seuen hundreth fifty and eight roots in the Hebrew tongue And this is a wonderfull thing that the bare actions of the creatures should expresse Hebrew words as a horse running vpon a causey the sound of his feet is much expressing this noyse Ratsat which in Hebrew is to run The noyse which birdes make by clapping their wings when they flie is of this sound Gnoth which in Hebrew signifieth a fowle The Grecians cannot find out the rootes of their tongue The Lord tooke such order in penning of the olde 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 were so perfect and ready in the text of the olde Testament that they could tell how many times the letter Alpha was vsed in the Bible so that to beleeue these bookes to be Scripture is to crosse the testimonie 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 very happie man and his happinesse made manifest in that none which liued after him came to his dayes For he being a Prophet knew how heauy the curse of God would be vppon the sonnes of men for building the tower of Babell therefore he nameth his sonne Peleg Diuided The Hebrew name is halfe the abridgement 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 Iocktains sonnes to whom Heber was Grandfather 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 blessings For they dwelt neere to Ierusalem and Iacobs sonnes in Egypt married with Chams daughters Iacob sons called themselues Hebrewes because the story of Heber is the most famous of all the auncient fathers Heber a pilgrime or stranger The Foxes haue holes and the birds of the aire haue nests but the Son of man hath not where to hide himselfe 1757. Peleg borne HIs name signifieth Diuision In his dayes the tongues of those that built the Tower of Babell were confounded In the consideration of which Story Time are to be vnderstood Time at or a little before Pelegs birth Place are to be vnderstood Place a plaine in the land of Shinear Persons are to be vnderstood 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 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 the words And as the builders of Babell fell to babling so the despisers of Diuinitie 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 story whensoeuer they heare any man speake in an other tongue which they vnderstand not For entring into the consideration thereof they are driuen presently to examine the story of the tenth of Genesis in which they may see the iust and seuere dealing of God to such as enuy the blessing of their brother for going from sinne to sinne they had their tongues deuided and their dwellings scattered It appeareth by this storie that the dealings of Cham and his sonnes were in the same kind that Kaines were Kaine after his curse wandring like a vagabond from the place of true Religion into the land of Nod which signifieth Fugitiue buildeth a citie and calleth it after the name of his son Henoch C ham after his curse goeth wandring about from the place that Noah liued and Sem sacrificed at vnto the land of Shinear which signifieth Shake of and there hee built a Citie of Confusion From which story also we may obserue the iudgements of God that wherein a man offendeth he or his seed is commonly punished for it is certaine that all the actions of wicked are a harmonie with Gods dealings though in respect of the wicked they agree not with vertue The sonnes of Sem for ioyning with rebellious Nimrod of Cham as it were flouting their fathers blessing to furnish vp the number of 70. made bricke for the building
of the tower of Confusion 70 of Sems posteritie 600. yeeres after were forced to goe into the land of Cham and there compelled to be bricke-makers vnder Pharaoh King of Egypt because they despised the blessing of Sem and remembred not the story of the 70. Families that built the tower of Babell To shew that when in prosperitie men forget God turning his graces into wantonnesse and his blessings to foolish pleasures that hee will take his blessings of bread and wine and oyle from vs driue vs into forraine Nations amongst Egyptian dogges to seeke reliefe whose succour shal be yokes of heauy bondage to punish vs in the same pleasure wherein we offended All the Seuentie Families doe afflict Sem for this before he hath his full renowne and in scattering of Iocktanes Sons they are placed furthest off Ierusalem of any Peleg diuided Christ is Palmoni the secret Numberer that weigheth numbreth and diuideth Vnto the building of the Tower of Babel we haue Sem Name Arphachsad Heaâ—ing Sale Spoyling Heber Pilgrime Peleg Diuâ—ded Put these together and you haue a short sentence A good name like precious Oyle shall heale the spoyling of poore strangers for God will dâ—uâ—de to euerie one accordâ—ng to his workes 1787. Regu borne Euill 1819. Sarug borne Bough or Plant. 1849. Nachor borne Drie 1878. Terah borne Smelling AN euill Plant that hath lost his sappe and is become drie being not watered with the dew of heauenly grace can giue no good smell which appeareth in that Terah quite forgetting that euer God created and consumed the world and brought the deuises of the Sonnes of Noah his great Grandfather to open shame of eternall memorie scattering them vp and downe like Vagabonds ouer all the earth figuring the calamities of their later ages the punishment wherof chiefely to be perfourmed in his owne kindred became an Idolatrer as Ioshua 24. Your Fathers in old time worshipped strange Gods euen Terah the Father of Abraham c. But marke the euent For euen as the Sonnes of Sem for ioyning with the rest were scattered with the rest so the posteritie of Terah by Abram euen the best of them namely the Iewes were once scattered Vagabonds ouer all the earth for not embracing the couenant of Abraham Isaack and Iacob but in mercie gathered together againe to the Mountaine of grace to Iacobs Well that giueth euerliuing water to so many as would acknowledge Christ the Rocke to the Land that flowed with Milke and Honie to Bethel the house of Iehouah where they might see a Ladder reaching from heauen to earth with Angels ascending and descending to that fresh springing hill of Sion which is watered with the dew of Hermon from whence it runneth like the precious oyntment that ran downe from Aarons beard to wash away their former vncleanesse and to purge their filthy leaprousie that they might be a sweet smelling sacrifice vnto the Lord holy and acceptable before his Throne hauing an high sacrificer to enter into the Holy of Holyest to make intercession for them that they might be free from confusion and deliuered out of the bondage of the outward and spirituall Babel But euen as the dog that returneth to his vomite and the hogge to his wallowing in the mire so these Iewes of vncircumcised hands and hearts forgetting all those and many more benefits of God bestowed vpon them crucifying Christ the King of glorie the God of Sem and not remembring their former punishments are once againe so scattered ouer the face of the earth that while the world endureth they shall be Vagabonds and neuer gathered together againe To teach vs that if God spared not them nor suffered them to continue in their transgressions being his peculiar people that wee are to looke for no other recompence than they had if we despise the knowledge of Christ as they did Terah hath three Sons Haran Nachor Abraham as Adam and Noah had 1996. Peleg died being 229. yeeres old He had not halfe the yeares of his Father Heber the most aged man after the flood liued not to halfe Methushelahs yeres to shew the curse that came by the flood So euery man in the world hath part of Gods curse by the flood 1997. Nachor died being 148 yeares old  2006. Noah died being 950 yeares old He liued after the flood 350 yeares that is Seuen Fifties or Seuen Iubilees of yeres as many as were from conquering the Land of Canaan to the gouernment of Samuel Noahs whole life was a singing of saluation to the holy Lambe seeing all the world drowned and he onely saued When Noah dyeth Abram was borne So God stirres vp one good man after another oftentimes 2008. Abram Borne His name signifieth His Father being the Tenth from Noah another establisher of Religion as Noah the restorer or comforter was the Tenth from Adam And as in Noahs dayes hee being the Tenth from Adam Gods Iustice ouer all flesh was extended so in Abram he being the Tenth from Noah Gods mercie to all the world is pronounced When Terah is 130 yeares old he begat So old was Adam when he begat Seth a foundation of Religion Iacob a bringer of Religion into Egypt is 130 yeares old when he standeth before Pharaoh Iehoiada the high sacrificer saueth Ioas the Kings Sonne from the malice of Athalia which had destroyed all the rest of the Kings seede and dieth being 130 yeares old While he liued Ioas kept Religion and worshipped the God of his Father After his death he fell away and suffered incense to be offered in the groues to whome Zacharias the Sonne of Barachias sayd Is this the reward of all my Fathers paines that assoone as my Father is dead you forsake the true God and worship the Gods of the Nations For which cause Ioas caused him to be slaine between the Altar and the Temple So that as death is contrarie to life and as at the birth of Seth and Abraham the graces of God were manifested to the world so at Iehoiadahs death the Tribe of Iuda lost all Religion It is a question howe Terah being an Idolatrer could name Abram Hie Father for so doth the word signifie He might guesse like a worldly man that his Sonne Abram should be likely to be rich and mightie and so should haue many vnder him Howsoeuer it was this is certaine that God directed the tongue of this Idolatrer to set forth and preach his glorie though his life had no shew of vertue Here is another question to be discussed of the age of Terah when he begat Abram Of Terah his age when he begat Abram SOme will haue Abram to be borne at Terahs Seuentieth yeare because in Gen. 11. it is sayd Terah liued Seuentie yeares and begat Abram Nachor and Haran Whereupon they gather that Abraham was the first borne because hee is put in the first place and that hee was borne in that yeare of Terah to wit the Seuentie But they marke not that Terahs Sonnes are
Adam in Paradise and to Sem after the flood is here renewed to Abraham when he is Seuentie and fiue yeares old So many yeares old as there be Fathers of Christ from Adam to Ioseph Saint Matthew beginning at Abraham reckoneth them but Forty and two that is three Fourteenes or six Seuens but Saint Luke reckoning them bringeth them him from Adam and sheweth their number to bee 75. Saint Mathews meaning was to prooue him King of the Iewes and Saint Lukes to shew that he is the Seede of the woman Seuentie fiue hath in it Ten Seuens and Fiue the number of the letters of Iehouah God changeth Abrams name from Abram to Abraham of Haman a Multitude because in him all the Nations and multitude of the earth should bee blessed like vnto Noah a new Comforter Hee left his Countrey and his Fathers house and went to a Land which God would shew him so that Saint Paul teacheth by faith AbrahaÌ„ when he was called obeyed God to goe into a place which he should aâ—ter receiue for an inheritance and he went out not knowing whether he went In this faith Moses a high Sonne refused to be called the Sonne of Pharaohs Daughter Saint Luke testifieth of him Act. 7. That the God of glorie appeared to our Father Abraham when hee was in Mesopotamia before he dwelt in Charran and sayd vnto him Get thee out of thy Country and from thy kindred and come into a Land that I shall shew thee Then came he out of the Land of Chaldea and dwelt in Charran and from thence when his Father was dead hee brought him into the Land of Canaan but hee had no inheritance in it no not the breadth of a foote Yet God promised that hee would giue it him to possesse and to his seede after him when as yet hee had no Childe Wherefore beleeuing in God it was counted to him for righteousnesse For the promise to Abraham that hee should bee the heire of the world was not giuen him or his seede through the lawe but through the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 4. In 2. Esdras 0. You haue there in the prayer of Nehemiah an abridgement of all this Storie how the Lord chose Abram and brought him out of Vr of the Chaldees and called him Abraham and found his heart faithfull and made a couenant with him to giue his seed the Land c. Saint Paul Act. 17. reasoneth with the men of Athens thus You Grecians you say that you are of Iapheth and that your Countrey is Ionia and yee are the Sonnes of the earth Be it knowne vnto you that God at the first made all mankind of one blood to dwell on all the face of the earth and assigned the seasons which were ordained before and the bonds of their habitations for hee diuided vnto them the Land according to the number of the Sonnes of Israel Now yee heathen your owne Poets say ye are the generation of God And we may obserue that in all the ceremonies of Moses there is a great priuiledge layd downe for the heathen And besides Melchisedech being a heathen and greater than Abraham and a resembler of the Sonne of God is a manifest argument that God would saue the Gentiles in Christ And it is added by Saint Paul God which iustifieth the wicked euen Abram being an Idolatrer The Gentiles are no worse therefore they haue no cause to despaire And where it is sayd in this Storie of Abraham that he forsooke his Father and his Fathers house Saint Stephen Act. 7. sheweth that it was at the time his Father was dead for otherwise it had beene an hard example and Gods actions must bee so wisely disposed that the verie heathen must acknowledge them to be iust which they would not haue done if hee had left his Father he being aliue It is further added that Abraham was rich He was of behauior quiet for to auoide strife and contention betwixt his shepheards and the shepheards of Lot hee willed him to choose whether he would take to the right hand or to the left Lot chooseth the best for eye-sight though by the close counsell of God ordering his choise it prooued farre contrarie Abraham was politique for he had Three hundred and Eighteen souldiers of his owne familie which he himselfe had instructed And thereby we may gather that hee vsed recreation and in curiositie did not contemne it for otherwise hee could not haue made his men so expert Warriours And surely there is nothing disturbeth Religion more than curiositie He was a stately man and couragious and had authoritie of life and death else hee could not haue kept so many in good order His moderation appeareth also in that hee suffered Sara to rule at home He was politique in choosing the night to set on his enemies for seeing he was in the fauour of God hee was sure hee could not walke in darkenesse and it was the fittest time to make his enemies affraid 2090. Melchisedech King of Salem A figure of the Sonne of God meeteth Abraham IT is a question who this Melchisedech should be It is most certaine it is Sem the Sonne of Noah Which may be gathered from the circumstance of the Storie being modestly expounded Heb. 7. This Melchisedech King of Salem who met Abraham as he returned from the slaughter of the Kings to whome also Abraham gaue tythes of all things first is called by interpretation King of righteousnesse and after that King of Salem that is to say King of Peace without Father without mother without kindred and hath neither beginning of dayeâ— nor end of life but is likened to the Sonne of God He was without Father without Mother when Abraham met him Fiue last ages aboue Abraham being dead hee was vnknowen of his owne kindred He had no end of life in the olde world for he liued through the flood and no beginning of dayes in the newe world Christ in respect of his Godhead had no mother and in regard of his Manhead he had no father Surely our men be very vnaduised that because Caluin and a fewe Grecians doe stacker in this opinion whether Sem should be Melchisedech therefore they will not admit the truth hereof as though they should bee a rule of truth vnto them But to answere them First the consent of all the Iewes is that Sem is Melchisedech and if he be not then let vs see what inconueniences will follow First he must be a godlier man than Sem that crosseth Sems blessing Blessed be the God of Sem. Besides it standes not with Religion that any man should be rare in the highest degree no prophecie going before it to warrant his rarenesse But this is the cause why men bee deceiued The Grecians erre in this and are the cause why others haue erred It was not possible for them to know the truth thereof for the Iewes appointed by Ptolomeus Philodelphus to translate the Bible seeing there was such difference at the birth
of men after the flood both in comparison with those before the flood and those after that their storie might not be flouted of the Egyptians adde of purpose 1500. yeares to the Fathers after the flood For seeing Terah begot Abraham at 120. And because Sem begot Arphacsad at 100. yeares old to euery one where wanteth an hundred they put an hundred As Arphacsad liued 3â— yeres and begot Selah they translate Arphacsad liued 135. and begot Selah and so in the rest By which reckoning Sem is dead before the time he should meet with Abraham Saint Ieâ—om accquainted with the Hebrewes dealings knew that their consent was that Sem was Melchisedech and so he affirmeth Besides it is not likely that any of Chams house should be like to the Son of God being a cursed generation Againe if it be obiected that Moses doth not call Melâ—hisedech Sem and therefore it is likely hee was not Sem This obiection is thus answered Moses penneth his storie short because he knew all the Iewes were well acquainted therwith And as for the Author to the Hebrewes setting him downe to bee without father without mother we must consider in what sense and meaning he speaketh for seeing it is added by Moses in Melchisedechs storie that he was king of Salem and it is not possible for a king to be borne without Father without Mother and it was neuer the meaning of the holy Ghost to crosse the course of the creation therefore we must looke for some other exposition than that which the bare litterall sense will afford vpon the first sight This therefore is the Author to the Hebrew meaning He was now to call to the Iewes minde one who in their storie was a figure of the Messias Now seeing Christ the Sauiour of the world as he was God had no mother and as he was man no father therefore to make this plaine that is to make Melchisedech a figure answerable to this truth he so speaketh of him as if hee were without Father or Mother because he resembled the Sonne of God Now the Author to the Hebrewes might verie safely vse this kind of speaking For Sem being borne before the floode and in Abrahams time being a Grandfather of eight degrees must needes be thought to Abrahams Souldiers to bee without father without mother who had neither beginning of dayes nor end of life So that a Souldier of Abrahams campe might aske of one of Canaan Goodman of Canaan who is this goodlie old man with a hoarie beard Hee would answere thus Hee is called the iust King and his towne is named the quiet Towne For when all the other Kings his neighbours are at variance he onely liueth in peace And when Elam ouercame fiue Kings no man offered him any violence We haue in euery village a seuerall God but he sacrificeth to the God as he saith that made vs and them And marke what I shall tell you When he offereth an Oxe or a Ramme to his God which he saith made the heauens and the earth fire commeth from heauen to consume it and he seemeth to be so strong that none of vs shall liue to see his dayes In this respect therefore the Author to the Hebrewes affirmeth that he was without father without mother who hath neither beginning of dayes nor end of life For in proper sence it cannot be true 2094. Ismael borne THe sonne of Hagar an Egyptian whom Sara gaue to Abraham because her selfe was barren When Ismael was thirteene yeeres old as Gen. 17. Abraham tooke Ismael and euery man child among the men of his house and circumcised the fore-skin of their flesh the same day as God had commaunded Which Ceremonie of circumcision continued vnto Christ but since his death it is abrogated with the rest of the ceremonies of the law and is of no force vnto saluation As Gal. 5. I Paul testifie that if ye be circumcised Christ shall profite you nothing at all for whosoeuer is circumcisied is bound to keepe the whole lawe And as many as are iustified by the lawe are fallen from grace For in Iesus Christ neither is circumcision any thing worth nor vncircumcision But faith which worketh by loue as Abak 2. The iust shall liue by his faith The day of Circumcision was the Eight day The seale was answerable to Baptisme Wee haue no speciall storie of Eight to be compared with this but the eight that were saued in the Arke The ceremony of the day is answerable to the number of the persons and the seale it selfe answerable to the waters of the floode to the which answereth Babtisme which now saueth vs. Ismael had twelue sonnes and one daughter Iacob had twelue sonnes and one daughter Ismael was answerable in outward blessings to Isaack and Iacob but not in spirituall for hee was borne after the flesh And although he were the sonne of Abraham hee was not the sonne of Abraham as it is written They are not all children because they are the seede of Abraham but In Isaack shall thy Seede bee called that is they which are the children of the flesh are not the children of God but the children of the Promise are counted for the Seede In the Bible there are two Ismaels the one an Egyptian by the mother the other by the Father The one of Abraham by the mother the other of Abraham by the Father Both these were enemies to the True seede of Abraham This Ismael flowted the Promise in Isaack the other Ismael killeth Godoliah Hee being left a Gouernour of the seede of Isaack Ismael was vpon euery mans head and euery man vpon his head seeing he persecuted Isaack 2096. Arphachsad died being 438. yeere old Gen. 11. Â 2100. Isaack borne Gen. 21. When Abraham is 100. yeeres olde and Sara 90. yeeres old according to Gen. 17. HIs name signifieth Laughter When Isaack is promised Sara Laughed so did Abraham So did Ismael laugh at Isaack These three laughters in Hebrew are expressed by one word but there is great difference Sara Laughed as at a thing vnlooked for For she said I am now 90. yeeres olde and my Lord 100. shall I now giue my selfe vnto lust seeing it ceaseth to bee withe mee as with other women And the Lord said is any thing vnpossible with God Abraham laughed as reioycing thereat for it is said Abraham beleeued in God and it was reckoned to him for righteousnesse Ismael laughed as flowting at Isaack as though he were such a goodly fellow in whom the Promise should be established You haue this storie renewed againe in the New Testament For the Angel Gabriel saith vnto Mary For with God nothing is impossible Elizabeth commeth to salute Mary and she saith Blessed is she that beleeueth for those things shal be performed which are told thee from the Lord. It is sayd of Abraham that hee laughed when the Angel promised he should haue a sonne thereby signifying his reioycing Isaacks life was answerable to this ioy for
yeeres olde 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 Isaack in respect of the commaundement 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 beene risen from the dead He was offered on mount Moriah a part of the mountaine of Sion called afterwards Ierusalem Of this Christ speaketh O Ierusalem Ierusalem that thou sawest those things that concerne the peace but now they are hid from thine eyes therefore thou art Iebus that is troden downe God altereth the name of 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 Iire Abraham giuing it the name Iehouah Iire 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 Iire Salem the Sight of peace From this storie the Iewes might haue knowne the death of Christ seeing Christ compareth them together 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 Isaack beeing a figure and this time wherein hee nowe is on the earth agreeing with Daniels seuens Therefore as Abraham offered vp Isaack so let the high sacrificer according to the lawe 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 windowes of Salomons Temple bee narrow without and 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 bee saued The Authour to the Hebrewes sayth By faith Abraham offered vppe Isaack and hee that receiued the promise offered his onelie begotten sonne to whome it was saide In Isaack shall thy Seede bee called for thee considered that God was able to raise him vppe euen from the dead from whence hee receiued him also after a sorte Christ in the Gospell affirmeth That Abraham sawe my dayes that is in Isaack and reioyced God speaketh from heauen to Abraham in this sorte By my selfe haue I sworne because thou hast done this thing and haste not spared thine onely sonne therefore will I surely blesse thee In Rom. 8. Saint Paul speaketh thus What shall we say then 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 he not with him giue vs all things also Compare Isaack with Christ Was not Abraham our father iustified by workes when he offered his son Isaack vpon the Altar Iam. 2. Isaack was bound Isaack after 3. daies was offred 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 Hauing suffred death riseth vp againe the third day to life 2145. Sara died Being 127. yeeres old She was buried in Canaan in the field of Machpelah which Abraham bought of the Hittites This place they would haue giuen Abraham freely for they confessed that hee 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 godlie that all our life is but a pilgrimage and that wee are but straungers 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 Isaack Gen. 25. When he is 40. yeeres old She is the daughter of Bethuel the sonne of Nachor the sonne of Terah and brother of Abraham her Grandfather Nachor was an idolatrer but her grandmother Milka is thought to bee of a good Religion in that two of her sonnes Bethuel and Kemuel haue El. the mightie God in their names Isaack goeth to Mesopotamia for a wife of his owne kinred for in Canaan there were none of his kinred and of the women of the lande 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 2158. Sem died Gen. 11. This Sem was a great King and liued Sixe Hundred yeares as Noah before the flood He is called Melchisedech the King of peace Hee dwelt at Salem where his name continued Sixtie and fiue ages halfe One hundreth 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 denyed him and were cut off 2160 Esau and Iacob borne Gen. 25. The first matter in this storie to bee considered is how the two twinnes in Rebeckahs wombe are called two nations Malachi speaking in the person of God saith I haue loued Iacob and hated Esau So Saint Paul saith to the Romanes Cap. 9. Ere they were borne it was sayd The elder shall serue the younger as it is written Esau haue I hated and Iacob haue I loued ESaus description is thus layd downe in the Scriptures First that he was hayrie that hee was of great courage and at his birth Iacob holdeth him by the heele God thereby shewing at their birth what should be the course of their liues afterwards Homer maketh mention that Vlisses ouerthrew Aiax by striking him on the leg The Greeke translators handle it so and call him Thermistes that is to say a Heeler Esau was a Hunter liuing like the Ruffians and Roysters of our time He selleth his birth-right for a messe of pottage for Iacob would not giue it vnto him except Esau would first sweare to sell him his birth right Saith Esau I am contented for it will bee so long ere it will be enioyed that I and my sonnes Sonne shal be dead first So with an oath he sold Iacob his birth-right therefore hee was called Edom Redde pottage No doubt Isaacks men knew this to bee a rare blessing and seeing he had despised it they must needs whensoeuer they called him Edom keepe his wickednesse in memorie for by this sale he despised Noah Sem Heber and Abraham and all his victories in the faith of which blessing Abraham ouercame so gloriously This is the first combate by the which Iacob a Heeler supplanteth Esau The whole posteritie of Esau bare the name of this infidelitie hee thought it a
long time to the performance of a promise to be accomplished almost Foure hundred yeares after ayming like a prophane worldling at the outward inheritance of the Land of Canaan and not respecting the blessing of the spirituall Salem He was the eldest and extreame wicked notwithstanding he was the Sonne of a righteous Father to shew that the sincerest nature of the godlyest men is extream wicked Hee was to Iacob as Kaine to Abel and as Ismael to Isaack And as in his owne person he persecuted and sought the death of his Brother Iacob so his posteritie were continuall enemies to the seed of Iacob Amelech of Esau lay in waight for the children of Israel when they came out of Egipt to destroy them but God commaunded them to put out his name from vnder heauen Wicked Haman would at once haue destroyed all the Iewes but he and his ten Sonnes were hanged Haman was of Agag the Amalekite of Esau In him is performed a prophecie in Numb 24. Ameleck is the beginning of Nations but his later end shall perish vtterly Herod of Edome likewise seeketh to put Christ the true Israel to death wherein you may see the malice of Esau to continue euen till Christ Esau was hated of God before he was borne therefore whatsoeuer he did it turned still into a curse vnto him hee prepareth venison for his Father and the whiles loseth the blessing of eternall life he would please his father by marrying into Abrahams stocke and maryeth Ismaels daughter he wept for the blessing but found no place of repentance though he sought the blessing with teares In like sort is the repentance of euerie wicked man when he is touched with the conscience for sinne he will then acknowledge his sinne and with teares shew forth for his transgressions but through the hardnes of his hart which cannot repent he returneth like to Esau to his vomite againe IAcobs Storie will appeare the better by declaring Esaus euen as contraries are set together that thereby euerie one may shewe the cleerer His name signifieth a Suplani or Heeler and all his life sheweth him to be contrarie to Esau The one an image of all impietie the other a mirrour of all godlynesse the one a persecutor the other persecuted the one a despiser of grace the other an embracer of vertue You haue from the creation to Iacob two and Twentie Fathers answerable to the Two and Twentie Letters in the Hebrew tongue So Epiphaneus in Ankorato handleth them Thus by comparisons God maketh his dealings easie to bee kept in memorie Iacob though the Two and Twentie from Adam yet the third Seuenth of those which were borne after Adams creation Now the Chronicle is ended for particular liues for after Iacobs Storie the Scripture containes whole Stories of whole States and Kingdomes Noah is the Tenth from Adam Abraham the Tenth from Noah Iacob the Twelfe so you haue the two and Twentie The Hebrewes admire the patience of God that Tenne whole ages God gaue them time to repent and yet Esay sayth that the Lord looked about and saw that there was none good vpon the earth The Seuentie Interpreters translating the old Testament into Greek thrust in one Kenan whose name is not in the Hebrew If the reason be demaunded why they did so this may be answered The Seuenty Interpreters knew that a great deale of wisedom was contained in the comparison between the Two and Twentie Letters of the Hebrew tongue and the Two and Twentie Fathers Now because they enuied the Egyptians and were loath they should gaine any wisedome by them of purpose they adde Kenan to disturbe this proportion and so they make Iacob the Three and Twentieth Saint Luke setting downe the Genealogie of Christ alleageth Kenan following the Genealogie penned by the Seuentie Interpreters For Saint Luke was to take it as he found it and hee knewe that all the Iewes were well acquainted with the reason why Kenan was added Therefore there could no danger growe in his time though Kenan were kept still in the Genealogie Beza translating the new Testament leaueth him out for the which the Iesuits accuse him Now Beza to the end ignorāt men shuld not stagger by finding him in Luke which is not in Moses leaueth him out and this may Beza doe well inough for any one may know that Saint Luke neuer meant that Arphachsad begat Kenan seeing that he addeth being as men supposed the Sonne of Arphachsad to wit of those men that knew not the meaning of the Translators Besides Epiphanius being a Grecian and being acquainted with the Greeke translation yet concludeth the Fathers vnder the number of Two and Twentie Iacob is called The beloued of the Lord before he was borne In which he is answerable to Dauid whose name signifieth Beloued And to our Sauiour Christ of whome it was sayd This is my beloued Sonne in whome I am well pleased And further we are to note in this storie how Esau by hast not willing to stay for the promise till the time appointed felt the heauie iudgement of God Wee haue the like example of this hast and the like punishment in Saul Samuel annointed Saul King and willed him to go before him to Gilgall to stay there for him 7 daies till he came Saul tarieth 7 daies according to the time appointed but Samuel came not therefore the people were scattered Saul seeing the peoples mindes seuered that he might vnite them againe offered a burnt offering Then came Samuel rebuked him saying Thou hast done foolishly thy kingdom shal not cōtinue the lord hath sought him a man after his own heart Thus you haue the like example both for Storie and prophecie ISaack is blinde Sem Heber and Abraham being dead onely Esau and Iacob aliue to enioy the blessing after Isaacks death Now if we examine the sequele we shall see that if Isaack had not been blinde he would for his part haue brought destruction vpon the whole earth for hee would haue blessed Esau who vpon any occasion would haue sould it and besides being verie wicked in despising it would haue brought the heauy wrath of God vpon his posterity for disobedience Therefore his blindnesse was a great blessing euen as Saint Paul speaketh euerie thing turneth to the best to the children of God Isaack willeth Esau to goe and kill him some venison that his soule may blesse him before he die So the Prophets vse to desire meate before they prophecie that being refreshed they may be the fuller of spirite and cheerefulnesse The Hebrewes dispute from this place whether Isaack was growne into pouertie Some thinke hee was by reason of the famine which fell in Canaan because the Philistines kept not couenant with him for which cause Sampson afterwards taketh occasion to plague them and that iustly Aben Ezra is of this opinion Rebecca she heareth this Commandement of Isaack and knowing that speedinesse in dispatching is oftentimes a great cause of aduantage willeth Iacob to goe
and fetch a Kid that thereof she might make pleasant meat for Isaack Iacob is affraid she comforteth him for she had her warrant from God that the elder should serue the yonger and therefore shee boldly aduentureth He commeth to Isaack who supposeth him to bee Iacob by his voyce but feeling the roughnesse of his handes and necke is perswaded that it is Esau and blesseth him When hee was blessed in commeth Esau with his venison and prayeth his Father to blesse him Isaack was now astonied to thinke of this subtiltie His spirite must needs be full of feare to thinke how hee whom he would haue blessed the Lord would not choose Isaack therefore seeing the euent acknowledgeth the election of God in Iacob and concludeth that he shall be blessed Now here is a question to be handled When Iacob saith I am thy Sonne Esau And Isaac answereth It is Iacobs voice Whether Iacob doth lye or no. This answere of Iacobs if we expound in the best sence is no lye for then it is no more but a kind of scoffing called Ironia So God speaketh in Gen. 3. Behold the man is become as one of vs to know good and euill So Christ in the Gospell commeth to his Disciples and finding them a sleepe saith Sleepe henceforth Wee may answere it further thus Iacob in respect of the purpose of God which chose him for the blessed might verie well bee called the onely Sonne Besides in regard of ciuill right now hee was his eldest Sonne seeing hee had bought the birth-right of Esau Whether it were a lye or no we will leaue it to God and wee cannot altogether condemne this answere seeing God approoueth it by giuing Iacob the blessing Plato saith When men are dead wee cannot aske them what they meant Therefore we must expound their speeches and their actions to the best meaning And further words are not alwayes to be taken in proper kinde of speaking For Abram defendeth himselfe that Sara was his Sister to wit the Daughter of his Father but not the daughter of his mother Ioseph sweareth by the life of Pharaoh if you take the words as they lye in proper sence he sinned greatly and was euen for his oath the worst of all Iacobs Sonnes But Salmo Iirki expoundeth him thus by the life of Pharaoh you are Spies that is Pharaohs life is a wormes life which in account is no life euen so are ye no Spies in truth though you may seem so to be So likewise Hushai answereth Absalom for when Absalom saw Hushai Dauids Counsellor he asketh him Is this thy kindnesse to thy friend Why wentest thou not with thy friend meaning Dauid Hushai answereth Nay but whom the Lord and this people and all the men of Israel chose his will I be and with him will I dwell This sentence hath a double meaning either that he meant to serue Absalom or King Dauid Therefore when thinges are spoken doubtfully we must marke how men may in wit expound them 2183. Abraham died Gen. 25. Being One hundred Seuentie and fiue yeares old He was buried in Hebron 2188. Heber died Gen. 11. Being Foure hundred Seuentie and fiue yeares old He was the longest liuer of any that was borne after the flood 2231. Ismael died being 137. yeares old THe prophet Esay Cap. 66. prophecying of the calling of the Gentiles nameth the two eldest Sonnes of Ismael Nebaioth and Kedar saying The Rammes of Nebaioth shall serue thee and the sheepe of Kedar shall be gathered vnto thee Againe hee nameth two of Abraham by Ketura Sheba and Seba which two names doe also containe the Gentiles by Cham and the Gentiles of Sem by Iocktan So that vnder the names of the most worthy Gentiles which are the Gentiles by Abraham he sheweth the calling of all the Gentiles in the world Wherby we are taught that Ismaels posteritie was not wholy rooted out of the fauour of God as Ameleck was 2245. Iacob goeth to Laban Gen. 28. HE goeth into the Countrey of Mesopotamia to Laban There he serueth Twentie yeares This Laban was the Sonne of Bethuell and brother to Rebecca and of the house of Nachor the Brother of Abraham and Haran who remained in the Land of the Chaldees after Abrahams departure So that Laban though of Mesopotamia yet is neere kinsman to Iacob Iacob in this Iourney goeth ouer Iordan with his staffe and skrip as closely and secretly as hee could that thereby Esau might not know of his departure for Esau was mightie and as it appeareth afterwards had a band of Foure hundred men Alexander Polyhistor writeth of this flying of Iacob for feare of his brother Esau of his abode in Mesopotamia his seuen yeares seruice his marrying with two Sisters the number of his children the rauishing of Dina the slaughter of Sichem the selling of Ioseph and of his imprisonment his deliuerance for expounding of dreames his authoritie in Egipt his marrying with Putifars daughter his two Sons by name that were borne of her the comming of his Brethren into Egypt the Feast that he made them the Fiue parts that he gaue to Beniamin whereof this Author intendeth to yeeld a reason the comming of Iacob and his whole houshold into Egypt of what age euerie of them was and how many children euerie one of them had and so he bringeth vs downe from Noah to the flood from the flood to Abraham from Abraham to Leui and from Leui to Moses notwithstanding euer among faults in recording the times with some other additions of small importance Which plainely shew that he had not those Histories immediately out of the Bible but out of some other bookes which he had seene elsewhere Iacob going to Haran stayeth by the way all night because the Sunne was downe and layd of the Stones of the place vnder his head and slept There hee seeth the Vision of the Ladder and when hee awaketh hee saith Surely the Lord was in this place and I was not ware of it Then he rose and tooke vp the stones and made a pillar and called it Bethel for he said This is no other but the house of Iehouah and the gate of heauen He seeth a Ladder c. THis Ladder representeth Christ the foot on the earth his humanitie and the top reaching to heauen his deity The Angels of God ascending and descending the meditations betwixt God and vs And the Lord standing aboue vppon it the readinesse of the Father to receiue our prayers This is expounded Ioh. 1.51 Ye shall see the heauens open and the Angels of God ascending and descending vppon the Sonne of man In this Vision of the Ladder we see the whole meditation of Christ is shewed to Iacob And if we duly consider it there could not bee a fitter similitude in the whole course of nature to represent the meditation than the Ladder For euen as in the Ladder if two or three steps be broken the Ladder is to no vse seeing wee can neither ascend nor goe downe by
it euen so the whole meditation is so vnited and knit together that by despising any one part we bereaue our selues of the benefite of the whole After that Iacob was come to Haran he serued 7 yeres for Rachel Laban giueth him Leah and deceiueth him and vseth this excuse That it was not the vse of the countrey that the yonger should be serued before the elder Leah is said to be contrite Here we may see what it is to enioy the truth of Gods religion and to worship him truly Leah committeth a great sin and though God make her fruitfull yet this euent excuseth not the fault before coÌ„mitted She knew verie well that she could not enioy saluation by staying with her Father and wee are to make the best collection of the actions of the best women therfore no doubt the zeale that she had to know God made her to venture so farre No doubt this was a great sinne and yet a farre greater to haue been maried to an vâ—faithfull husband for therby there was no hope left for saluation And we see that Christ chooseth to come of Leah by Iuda rather than of Rachel God himselfe onely knoweth how farre he will pardon so great offences Then he serueth 7 yeres for Rachel Leah is fruitfull shee hath Reuben and saith The Lord hath looked on my tribulation Then shee conceiued and bare Simeon and saith Because the Lord heard that I was hated therefore he hath giuen mee this Sonne Shee conceiued againe and bare Leui and sayth Now my husband will be ioyned vnto me therefore she named him Leui Ioyned Then she bare Iudah and sayd Now will I praise the Lord. The heathen by the light of nature will confesse that the Lord looketh on their tribulation and helpeth them that he heareth their hatred and reuengeth it but they cannot for all these benefites praise the Lord. Therefore she as a prophet knowing that Christ should come of Iudah praiseth God for so glorious a blessing Then she left bearing a time Rachel giueth Bilhah to Iacob she beareth Dan Iudgement and saith God hath giuen sentence on my side afterwards Nepthali Wrestling Leah doth the like and giueth Iacob Zilpah who beareth Gad a Companie and Asher Happie Leah after beareth Isachar Wages or Reward then Zabulon God hath giuen me a goodly Dowrie and last Dina a daughter Iudgement So God shewed Iudgement to the Sichemites for rauishing of her 2260. Fourteen yeres after Ioseph is borne A rare man And we commonly see that rare men haue great expectation before their birth After this Iacob like a good philosopher enricheth himselfe by vsing rods of diuers colours Ioseph in Egypt vseth a kinde of policie to take away the lands from the people and to bring them to the King These actions at the first might seeme vnlawfull because the cause is hid from vs though afterwards the purpose of God appearing they are approoued Iuda borne HE was the fourth Sonne of Iacob his mother nameth him Praise God whereby it appeareth that shee looked for Redemption by Christ respecting the promise concerning the Seede of the woman to be accomplished in him It could not so haue appeared by naming Reuben Simeon or Leui. For a wise philosopher might haue giuen those names but Iuda contayning a name of heauenly comfort sheweth a spirite gouerned by the holy Ghost 2264. Iacob goeth from Laban Gen. 30. WHere he had bene 20. yeres two seuens and a sixe In which number is conteined the creation and the Sabbath And as one may gather closely expressed 7. yeeres plentie 7. yeeres dearth As hee returned from Laban he feared his brother Esau but the Angell of God met him to comfort him therefore calleth the name of the place Mahanaim that is Gods hoste This campe of Angels is repeated in the song of songs and applied to Christ as the companie of an armie So Dauid likewise affirmeth that the Angels of God doe pitch their tentes about them that feare him When Absalom is destroyed Dauid and his campe were at Mahanaim the place where the Angell met Iacob Wherein we are to learne that God so disposeth the actions of his elect that he regardeth their goings out and their commings in and marketh all their pathes that whether they be at home with their father or abroad among strangers they are shadowed vnder the defence of the most high whose dwelling is in eternitie After this hee wrastleth with the sonne of God that is in the likenesse of the same nature which he afterwards tooke vpon him vntill the breake of the day and would not let him goe till he had blessed him Therefore he called him Israel a conqueror This expounded in Oseas By his strength he had power with God to shew that as hee had power with God he should preuaile with men Then he erected an Altar and called it Penuel for saith he I haue seene God face to face This storie of Iacob is repeated in Iohn 1. Where Christ saith to Nathaniel Beholde a true Israelite in whom there is no guile Nathaniel is called the true Israelite in that he acknowledged Christ to be the Son of God which he might know by casting Daniels seauens Afterwards hee is reconciled to his brother Esau and beyonde Iordan he dwelt neere Sichem where Dina is deflowred Er borne Onan borne Selah borne Er Onan Were married to Thamar and committed grieuous sins before God therefore he destroyeth them 2276. Ioseph is sold into Egypit when he is 17. yeeres old so long was he nourished at home of Iacob IOseph dreameth that the Sunne Moone and eleuen starres worshipped him Gen. 37. Meaning his father mother and his eleuen brethren of whom in the creation the twelue signes in the Zodiacke had a full reference shewing thereby that God in his Counsell at the creation had a great regard to the number of the sonnes of Iacob which were to be borne more than 2000. yeeres after Hee hath the like regard at the confusion of tongues in setling Canaan and his eleauen sonnes in a soile which Iacob sonnes should afterwards possesse For declaring this dreame The poyson of the serpent possessing his brethrens hearts they were moued with enuie and sold Ioseph into Egypt Iuda caused him to be sold to saue his life but Iudas Iscariot that is which falleth away for reward sold Christ to loose his life Iacob deceiued his father Isaack with a kid Gen. 27. When Ioseph is sold his brethren sprinkle the blood of a kid vpon his partie-coloured coat and brought it home to their father and said a wilde beast had slaine him Iacob was 20. yeeres froÌ„ his Father Isaack did not see his face Ioseph was 20. yeeres from his Father Iacob before hee seeth his face To shew that wherein a man offendeth therein he shal be punished Ioseph the sonne of Iacob fedde Israel in Egypt as putting meate into the mouth of a child Ioseph the sonne of Iacob taketh the child Iesus and his
and prouideth for the building of the Temple Thus we see how God is still true in his promises Cursed be Canaan a seruant of seruants shall he be Iob he goeth to Sems house for his possessions thereby shewing his religion which would not enioy earthly possessions amongest those whome God had cursed And wee may see in this the law of nature obserued that euerie one is to resort to his eldest brothers house Thus much concerning the place The next circumstance is of what kindred he is HE is of Abraham by Keturah for it is said that he was the richest of all the men of the East This cannot be meant generally for no doubt the kings of the east exceeded him in riches But if we take it of those of Abrahams house by Keturah to whome Abraham gaue gifts and sent them away it is true Besides hee calleth his friends which come to comfort him his brethren for hee sayth My Brethren are like Riuers of water This were improperly spoken if he were not of Abraham he cannot be of Esau for how could that then be true that Esau I haue hated being likewise cursed for despising the promise if so rare a man for godlinesse and sinceritie and that before Moses should be of Esaus kindred Ieremie speaketh in his Lamentations in this wise Lament 4. Reioyce thou Edom in the Land of Huts From hence some conclude that seeing Huts is in the Land of Edom and Iob of Huts therefore he is of Esaus kindred and not of Abraham by Keturah This obiection though it may seeme at the first sight of force yet it is easily answered by marking the times for many ages had passed betwixt Iobs age and Ieremies prophecie Esaus posteritie might at this time haue brought Huts vnder his subiection but in Iobs time wee doe not reade hee had done so And the scripture makes plaine that Abrahams Sonnes by Keturah went and dwelt East-ward And considering Iobs Religion which no doubt was not embraced in Esaus house we must needs thinke notwithstanding this obiection that Iob was of Abrahams kindred Thus much for the circumstance of his kindred ELihu whome God approoueth is of Aram by Milcah who hath Bethuel God is risen the Father of Rebecca and the Father of Aram of whome Elihu These two names containe in them great Religion for the rest of Nachors Sonnes they signifie nothing Here wee see Saint Paules rule true If the vnbeleeuing man will dwell with the beleeuing woman let them not depart for the vnbeleeuing man is sanctified by the beleeuing woman And I rather thinke that Milcah named these two than Nachor thereby to shew her faith in God hauing obtained that prerogatiue at her husbands hand for Nachor must needs learne Idolatrie from Terah his Father Wee may likewise obserue from Iobs kindred what a care Abraham had yea euen in his old age to teach his posteritie the law of God seeing hee instructed Keturah and her Sonnes And this care God affirmeth when hee sayth Gen. 18. That hee cannot keepe secret from Abraham his Counsels for he will teach it his posteritie Therefore we shall find that this booke of Iob is a Commentarie on this sentence Now we come to the question and the summe of the Booke THe question is not concerning Adams fall or the goodnesse and purenesse of workes they doubt not of the Resurrection nor of the Trinitie nor of any other points of faith but it is only a Question of Practise that is to say Whether a man which aboundeth in wealth and being brought to pouertie can be in fauour of God and whether God do so gouern the world that those whom he loueth he will suffer to see affliction Iob is declared to be merueilous great his blessings multiplied in his sonnes in his daughters in Sheepe Oxen Asses and Cammels He himselfe could not bee old perhaps at this time sixtie yeeres for they say they had then liuing elder then his father and after his temptation he liued 140. yeeres and we must take heed we make him not to outliue Isaack Now all his wealth is taken from him himselfe in great miserie remembreth Iacobs storie going with his staffe and his scrip ouer Iordan and by the remembrance thereof comforteth himselfe and confesseth Chap. 1. Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I returne thither the Lord giueth and the Lord taketh away blessed therefore be his name Saint Paul in the 1. Tim. cap. 6. Tels him that godlinesse is great riches if a man be content with that he hath for we brought nothing into the world and it is certaine we can carrie nothing out And the children of Israel euery yere when they came to offer after the Priests had taken the basket of first fruits and set it before the Altar of the Lord were wont to say Deu. 26. A Syrian was my father to wit Iacob who went ouer Iordan with his staffe and his bagge and after he returned into Canaan and being readie to perish went downe into Egypt and soiourned there with a small company and grew there vnto a nation great mightie and full of people This confession was not miraculous in Iob. For the heathen could say thus much as they cōfesse in their Epigrams that naked they came out of the earth and naked they shall goe thither Sathan touched his bodie and left him him nothing free but the flesh of his teeth and his tongue that with his tongue he might by desperation blaspheme God Suidas thinketh his torments endured seuen yeeres by matters mentioned in his orations which likelihood could not fall out sooner as that euery one mocked him and fleed from him Then it was a great while after that his kins-men heard of his temptation yet they could come being Dukes and great men and dwelling farre When they come they tarry seuen dayes without speaking any word so great was his griefe vpon him that all this while it droue them into an amazednesse Then they begun to dispute with him Their disputations are true and voide of oathes they make mention of the Sabbath the inueigh against adulterie and other sinnes of the second table they confute iustification by workes they pray not to Saints departed for Iobs recouerie By their orations wee may easily learne to confute these fond opinions which Popery holdeth His friends may seeme to stacker concerning his saluation by reason of his rauing and speaking so doubtfully of the truth for the which God condemneth him after and asketh Iob 38. Who is he that obscureth knowledge with many words Eliphas therefore beginneth thus Chap. 4. Wilt thou be grieued if one assay to commune with thee but who can hold himselfe from speaking Thou thy selfe hast taught many and hast strengthened the weary hands Thou hast had great hope patience and confidence And yet I can tell thee thy case is very ill and if thou dost not repent thou wilt not be saued For who euer perished being an innocent Indeed the
this began in September answerable to the Creation which prooueth the time of Adams creation to bee then For this Moneth is the seuenth Moneth but now commaunded to bee the first The alteration of this old yeare by commanding the keeping of a new yeare as a remembrance of their deliuerance out of Egypt teacheth plainely the Redemption by Christ whereof this deliuerance out of Egypt was a figure And this teacheth vs further that Moses Lawes had not their end only in policy but that their chiefe scope was Christ The passeouer likewise made this plaine for they were to choose the Lambe the Tenth day of the first Moneth in which Moneth they came out of Egypt and on the Fourteenth day hee was to bee slaine The Foure dayes respite betwixt the choosing and the killing admonished them that the matter now to be perfourmed was verie weightie and therefore they were deepely to consider it for now was the action and summe of all saluation in handling In the seuenth Moneth and the first day of the moneth they had the feast of blowing the Trumpets The tenth day of the seuenth Moneth was the feast of offering Sacrifices an holy conuocation to humble them to the Lord. The Fifteenth day the feast of Tabernacles or Cottages to keepe in remembrance thereby the dwelling of the children of Israel in boothes in the wildernesse The vse of the Passeouer was to assure them that God would be their defence seeing according to the promise made to Abraham after Foure hundred and thirtie yeares they were brought out of Egypt and that Christ their Passeouer was to be offered vp in fulnesse of time When Christ was crucified this was perfected and finished hee was crucified at Easter The Iewes thinke that the world shall end at Easter for then they came out of Egypt and then was their yeare altered And in the song of songs this is expressed Behold the winter is past the voice of the Turtle is heard in the Mountaines the figge-tree hath brought foorth her young figges Come my beloued arise and come away my Loue my faire one Cant. 2. From this place they gather the end of the world Christ in the Gospell seemeth to allude to this in this sort Behold saith he the Figge-tree and all trees when they now shoore foorth yee seeing them know of your owne selues that summer is neere so likewise when yee see these thinges come to passe knowe that the Kingdome of God is neere Luke 22. There is nothing in the Bible contrary or to confute this And seeing it is yet to come it may verie well be so Christ was answerable to these figures for he died at Easter though before the Iewes would haue killed him yet they could not lay handes on him for his houre was not yet come Hereby we are now occasioned to returne to the Passeouer The Pascall was killed on a Fryday Codomanus saith that name signifieth a passing ouer because God that night passing ouer the Hebrewes did kill the first borne in Egypt This Pascall was a Kidde or a Lambe figuring Christ the Lambe of God which should take away the sinne of the world Iohn 1. It ought to bee without blemish because that wee are redeemed from our vaine conuersation giuen from our fathers not with corruptible things gold or siluer but with the precious blood of Christ the Lambe vnblemished and vnspotted appointed from the beginning of the world shewed in the last times 1. Pet. 1.18 No bone of the Lambe might bee broken Because of Christ no bone should be broken and when Christ was crucified the theeues legges were broken but into Christ his side a speare was thrust Ioh 19. It was eaten in the euening at that time the promise was giuen to Abraham At that time came the Iewes from Babell at that time Christ celebrated his last Supper It was eaten of the circumcised onely because Christians should bee all circumcised in heart for they doe eat his flesh and drinke his blood The loynes of the bodie should bee girded because the loynes of our minds should be gyrded not setting our mindes vppon treasure in Raamsees where wormes corrupt and rage but should be as men looking for their Lord when hee shall returne from the marriage At that time for Seuen dayes they did eat vnleauened bread as their mindes should take heed of the sower leauen of pharisey call doctrine Mat. 16. for a little leauen sowreth the whole lumpe of dowe So we must remooue away the old leauen that wee may become a newe lumpe as wee are vnleauened Therefore let vs keepe the old feast not with the old leauen of wickednesse and maliciousnesse but with the vnleauened bread of sinceritie and truth for Christ our paschall is offered for vs 1. Cor. 5.7 It was to be killed and his blood sprinkled and to bee eaten all saue the fat and the kidneys Thereby to teach vs that the naturall man sauoureth not the things which are of God This Saint Paul expounds Heb. 9. The blood of Christ purge your consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God It was eaten with bitter hearbs to shew that such is the practise of Religion The time of this was when the Moone was at the full and in the Spring of the yeare This time is the pleasure of the whole yeare so is Christ to those who haue grace to thinke on him aright The agreement of all these must needes make a Turke a Christian for it is impossible that either by the wit of man or by chaunce these things could haue so come to passe The Iewes had in their Passeouer the Lambe Bread and Wine Christ instituting his last Supper endeth the eating of the Lambe because he offered vp his owne bodie as a full bodie of all shadowing Sacrifices and kept Bread and Wine to bee a remembrance hereof Hee was the true Lambe as hee saith Ioh. 1. Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinne of the world So hee testifieth of himselfe and altereth it because now the full and whole Sacrifice being offered vp all Sacrifices were to cease according to Dan. 9. where it is sayd Christ the King the Holy of Holyest shal be killed and shall end the Sacrifice and Oblation and seale euerie vision and prophesie Neither shall the blood of Buls or Goats any more auaile to the clensing of sinne But the blood of Christ onely that Lambe vnspotted whose blood shall purge our consciences from dead workes to bee sanctified by his righteousnesse to the seruing of the liuing Lord who hath layd downe his life for his sheepe and being dead raised himselfe vp again as one hauing power ouer death hell and victorie NOw for the popes Transubstantiation besides that it is repugnant to sence it cannot be spoken in Hebrew and in Greeke onely by fayning and inuenting of new termes Reall is no word seeing it comprehends many things as well as a bodie Yet Christ is truely present to those which embrace
him by faith It is sayd that this commaundement of embracing Christ is the first for if this were not the other were to small purpose Now that the Iewes should not be amazed at sixe hundred and thirteene Lawes seuen weekes betweene their comming out of Egypt and the giuing of the Lawe were allowed them for meditation And yet as they made nothing of the Lambe so Antichrist treadeth vnder foot the sufferings of Christ This Commandement of thy God they brought out of Egypt Clemens Alexandrinus saith That Egypt is a signe of the wicked world therefore euerie man must looke by the Redeemer to bee deliuered And wee must remember Moses Law You shall not doe after the manner of the Nations from whence ye came nor whither you goe Concerning the Ceremonie of Sitting Standing at the Passeouer This is the consent of the Iewes they of fit yeares did sit Those which were young did stand vnlesse they were bidden to sit At the first instituting of the Passeouer the gesture was prescribed being fit for them who were presently with speed to passe away When it is repeated againe when they are in the Land this action is left out Christ sat with his Apostles after the manner of the wild Irish on the ground From this we may gather that it is left to the circumstance of time and place and which fitteth best in discretion the manners and comlinesse of the Countrey Therefore the best is that which the common weale alloweth Fiftie dayes after his ascention Christ sendeth downe his spirit And thereby maketh the preaching of the Gospell equall in maiestie to the giuing of the Law Concerning the day no day is prescribed therefore the Church thought good to appoint the first Sabbath after the full moone For Easter mention is made of the Lords day in the 20. Actes 1. Cor. 16. in cap. 1. The next thing to be handled is the giuing of the Law GOd calleth simple men out of Egypt and willeth them to heare and iudge of his Lawes and telleth them Heare Israel I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt c. In this first sentence you haue the Gospell taught in these wordes Thy God For by this is vnderstood the Redemption by Christ For though God in respect that he is Creator is God both of the wicked and the Godlie yet he neuer calleth himselfe The God of the wicked Hitherto is all the Lawe referred For all the prophesies in Christ are Yea and Amen This entrance to the Law by the Gospell is exceeding necessarie For seeing if we behold the infinite maiestie of God in our weaknesse there is no cause but of trembling and feare it pleaseth God in the face of Thy God the Redeemer to shew himselfe fauourable and reconciled whereby we may approch with boldnesse Yet this doctrine of the preaching of the Gospell in the Law hath beene verie much doubted of and hath beene thought erronious But I will aske them Seeing the Law comprehends all righteousnesse and there is no righteousnesse but which is there commanded if to beleeue in Christ which is the Gospell is not there commanded to doe it must needs be sinne And Saint Paul for commaunding beleife in Christ had bene by law lawfully put to death if Moses in his law had not commaunded it All our men which write Catechismes do apply the Sabbath and the Sacraments together so against their wils they confesse that the doctrine of the Sacraments is in the Law Saint Paul if he were demaunded this question would answere to this as Christ himselfe doth The Pharisees demand of Christ Which is the first Commandement He answereth them demandeth another question Whose sonne is the Messias They answere Dauids If he be Dauids sonne how then doth he in spirit call him Lord For if he be his Lord how is he then his sonne And thereupon because the Iewes vnderstood not this he pronounceth against them a great many of Woes This is yet thought doubtfull seeing the Creed hath beene taken for a distinct and diuided thing from the Law But if they marke they shall finde the verie same taught in the Creed which is taught in Heare Israel thy Lord thy God For I beleeue in God the Father Almightie and in Iesus Christ his onely sonne our Lord hath the very same sentence with the former Heare Israel I am the Lord thy God And surely they little know what they teach that doe not in such reference applie the Lawe and the Gospell together God deliuereth the Law in this sort I Am the Lord thy God which with a mightie hand and stretched-out arme shewing my wonders in the land of Egypt haue brought thee out of bondage It is therefore reason that seeing I onely haue done these things for you that you reuerence no Gods but me And seeing I neuer shewed my selfe in any bodily apparance and the Creatures doe but in a sort expresse my infinite power and wisedome it is reason that you should not after the manner of the Nations which I destroy make any image to represent my glory And seeing that hee hath commaunded Holinesse because he himselfe is Holy therefore we must take heed of foolish and vaine calling and talking of the name of God Now for as much as these things may the better be considered hee hath appointed a day of Rest that thereby calling to mind the Creation the fall and restoring we may sanctifie the Lord in our soules And hath appointed it the seuenth day because we should keepe in memorie how God rested from Creating and thereby learne that the true knowledge hereof is the Rest and life of the soule But seeing these things cannot be done without mainteining of policie therefore it is commanded that their should bee honour giuen to Superiors as to Fathers and loue performed by them to subiects as to children which is preserued if Murther Adulterie Theft False witnesse and an vniust desire of thâ— which is not ours be auoided These Lawes are so certaine and plaine that the heart of the simplest cannot but acknowledge them righteous For they may see likewise how one commaundement dependeth of another as lincks of a golden chaine The Cabalists say that these lawes were giuen to man for the sinne of the serpent that is to say not for vs to accomplish for wee cannot attaine thereto but to shew vnto vs how farre the infection of that venome hath carried vs away from that duetie which God requireth of vs which end of the lawe is greatly enlightned into vs by the comming of the Messias in that he teacheth vs that the Lawe is not satisfied with an outward and Pharisaicall obedience by hypocrisie but by the vncorrupt obedience of the heart and by the acknowledgement of our disobedience And Moses and the Prophets commaunded circumcision of heart the offering of prayse and obedience and to abstaine from vnhallowing the Sabbath day with vnrighteousnesse therefore the seruice which
must cast to end iust with the death of Christ or else howe doth Christ according to Daniel the 9. end the ceremonie oblation and the wisedom of God hath taken such order that where the Scripture seemeth to leaue off to reckon there the heathen keepe a iust account nothing at all crossing Daniels Seuens For the Iubilee which the Iewes and Romanes obserue there is no colour of Religion in it nor warrant in Moses for them Therefore we leaue them to obloquie as not worth the handling amongst the rest of their grosse errours which they against Scripture foolishly maintaine 2611. Aod Eightie yeares HE was of the Tribe of Beniamin The Children of Israel committed wickednesse in the sight of the Lord and the Lord strengthned Eglon King of Moab against Israel But when they cryed vnto the Lord hee stirred them vp a Sauiour Aod the Sonne of Gera the Sonne of Beniamin a man lame of his right hand and the Children of Israel sent a present by him vnto Eglon King of Moab and Aod made a sharpe Dagger and carried it priuily and when he had deliuered the Present he thrust it into him and killed him and they slue the same day ten Thousand Moabites so Moab was subdued vnder the hand of Israel and the Land had rest Fourescore yeares Iudg. 3. 2671. Eglon oppresseth Eighteen yeares Iudg. 3.  2691. Baracke and Deborah Fortie yeares Baracke was of Nephtali and Deborah of Ephraim THe Children of Israel began againe to doe wickedly in the the sight of the Lord when Aod was dead and the Lord sold them into the hand of Iabin King of Canaan whose cheefe Captaine was called Sisera Then they cryed vnto the Lord For Sisera had Nine hundred yron Chariots and Twentie yeares hee had vexed them And at that time Deborah a Prophetesse the wife of Lapidoth iudged Israel And shee called vnto her Baracke the Sonne of Abinoam and she went with Baracke to Kedesh against Sisera and the Lord destroyed Sisera and all his Chariots at the waters of Maggeddon in the Reuelation the ouerthrow of Antichrist is compared to the ouerthrow of Sisera at Mageddon Then sange Deborah and Barack the same day saying Praise ye the Lord for auenging of Israel c. to the last verse of the Chapter So let thine enemies perish O Lord but they that loue him shall be as the Sunne when he riseth in his might and the Land had rest Fortie yeares Here is perfourmed Gen. 49. Where Iacob blessing Nephtali saith Hee shall bee a Hinde let goe giuing goodly words Hee was in the pursute of Sisera as swift as a Hinde and gaue goodly words with Deborah Iudg. 5. 2711. Sisera oppresseth Twentie yeares Obed of Ruth IN the time that the Iudges ruled there was a dearth in the Land and a man of Bethelem in Iuda went for to soiourne in the Country of Moab The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife was Naomi and his two Sonnes Mahlon and Chilion Ephrathites of Bethlehem and they came into the Countrey of Moab and continued there and they tooke wiues of the Moabites the name of the one was Ophrath and the name of the other Ruth and so read through the first and second Chapters of the Booke of Ruth We haue the like commendation of Ruth that is spoken of Abraham That she left her Father and Mother and the Land where she was borne and came into a people whome shee knewe not in times past And withall she is blessed in these words The Lord recompence thy worke and a full reward be giuen thee of the Lord God of Israel vnder whose winges thou art come to trust Ruth 2. So Booz tooke Ruth and she was his wife and the Lord gaue that she conceiued a Sonne and called his name Obed the same was the Father of Iessay the Father of Dauid Ruth 4. In that Christ chooseth to come of Rahab of Cham of Ruth of Moab he purposed not to come into the world by the prerogatiue of nature or as the Iewes looked he should come in most tryumphant sort but by grace offering grace to Cham recompencing the loue of Lot to Abraham and opening the eyes of all the Gentiles in the world and causing the dumbe Nations that knewe not that the seed of the woman should breake the Serpents head to speake the prayses of God in their owne tongue Againe if his Parents had been from time to time of vertuous life vnspotted as many of them were the woonderfull graces of Christ would haue been attributed vnto the generalitie of his Fathers But hee preuented euerie obiection that the peeuish vnbeleeuing Pharisees might imagine by comming of such as the Iewes held as vncleane before God 2731. Gedeon Fortie yeares Gedeon Baracke Sampson Iephte Dauid Samuel and the Prophets obtained promises but receiued not the promise Heb. 11. AGaine the Children of Israel committed wickednesse in the sight of the Lord and the Lord gaue them into the hands of Madian Seuen yeares so Israel was exceedingly impouerished by the Madianites Therefore they cryed vnto the Lord and when they cryed the Lord sent a Prophet vnto them who sayd vnto them Thus saith the Lord God of Israel I haue brought you vp from Egipt and haue brought you out of the house of bondage and I said vnto you feare not the Gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell but you haue not obeyed my voice And Gedeon of the Tribe of Ephraim was threshing of wheat to hide it from the Madianites Then the Angell of the Lord appeared vnto him and sayd The Lord is with thee thou valiant man And the Lord looked vpon him and sayd vnto him Goe in this thy might and and thou shalt saue Israel out of the handes of the Madianites Haue not I sent thee The multitude of the Madianites and the Amalekites and all they of the East lay in the valley like Grashoppers and there Camels were without number as the sand by the sea-shore But Gedeon with three Hundred destroyed the Madianites To shew that victorie consisteth not in strength of men or multitude of Camels but in God who giueth the Victorie For at the sounding of Gedeons Trumpet the enemies ranne and cryed and fledde and the Lord caused them to kil one another Thus was Midian brought lowe before the Children of Israel so that they lift vp their heads no more and the Countrey was in quietnesse fortie yeares in the dayes of Gedeon This Gedeon had Seuentie Sonnes begotten of his bodie for hee had many wiues and he had a Sonne by a Concubine whose name was Abimelech So Gedeon died in a good age and was buried in the Sepulchre of Ioash his Father in Ophrath Read the 6 7 and 8 Chapters of Iudges Madian oppresseth Seuen yeares  2771. Abimelech Three yeares the Sonne of Gedeon of the Tribe of Ephraim When Gedeon was dead the children of Israel turned away and went a whoring after Baalim
and made Baal Berith their God and they remembred not the Lord their God which had deliuered them out of the hands of all their enemies on euery side neither shewed they mercie on the house of Ierubbaal or Gedeon according vnto all the goodnes which he had shewed vnto Israell Then Abimelech went vnto his fathers house and slue his brethren the sonnes of Ierubbaal or Gedeon about seauentie persons vpon one stone so Abimelech raigned three yeares ouer Israel But God sent an euill spirit betweene Abimelech and the men of Sechem and they brake their promise to him that the cruelty toward the seauentie persons and their bloud might come and be laid vpon Abimelech their brother And a certaine woman cast a peece of a mil-stone vpon Abimelechs head brake his braine panne And when the men of Israel saw he was dead they departed euery one vnto his owne place Thus God rendred the wickednesse of Abimelech which he did vnto his father in slaying his seauentie brethren To shew that God by vntimely and miserable death taketh vengeance on tyrants euen in this life Iud. 9. After Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Thola of the tribe of Isachar and he iudged Israel twentie three yeares and died and was buried in Shamir And after him arose Iair of the tribe of Manasses and iudged Israel two and twentie yeares and he had thirtie sonnes that rode on Asse-coltes signifying they were men of authority They had thirtie Cities which are called Hauoth Iair vnto this day and are in the land of Gilead And Iair died and was buried in Chamon And the children of Israel wrought wickednes againe in the sight of the Lord and serued Baalim and Ashtarath and the Gods of Aram and the Gods of Sidon and the Gods of Moab and the Gods of the children of Ammon and the Gods of the Philistines and forsooke the Lord and serued him not And in processe of time the children of Ammon made warre with Israel and they said vnto Iephte of the tribe of Ephraim Come be our Captaine and the spirit of the Lord came vpon Iephte he went to the children of Ammon to fight against them and the Lord deliuered them into his hands Whereupon he according to a foolish vow being ouercome with blinde zeale not considering whether the vow were lawfull or no offred vp his onely daughter in sacrifice and Iephte iudged Israel six yeares Iud. 11. and 12. Chap. Iessai borne ALthough he was but an obscure man in respect of worldly glory yet no doubt he was a very godly man and taught his sonnes the religion of God in that the holy Ghost doth so often repeate his name in the Scripture In the Reuelation chap. 5. Christ is calâ—ed the Lion of the tribe of Iuda and the roote of Iessay And Esay chap. 11. prophecying of the graces of Christ saith There shal come a rodde sorth of the stock of Iessay and a branch shall growe out of his rootes and the spirit of the Lord shall rest vpon him the spirit of wisdome and vnderstanding the spirit of counsell and strength the spirit of knowledge and of the feare of God c. To shew that as Dauid who in diuers respects figured Christ came out of Iessay a man without dignity so Christ shoulde come of a poore Carpenters house as out of a dead stocke as Esay 53.2 He shall growe vp before him as a branch and as a roote out of a dry ground he hath neither forme nor beautie when we shall see him there shal be no forme that we should desire him Againe with the very same skorne that the Iewes despised Christ vpbrayding him by the basenesse of his kindred Is not this the Carpenters sonne doe the Israelites obiect against the house of Iuda when the ten Tribes ioyned with Ieroboam 1. King 12. saying What haue wee to doe with Iessay what haue we to doe with the house of Dauid As if they should say why Iessay was but an husbandman and Dauid was but a sheepheard we will not be subiect to so base kindred nor suffer such a foole as Roboam of their bloud to raigne ouer vs for we be noble and vnfitte to be gouerned by such a poore stocke but we will worship Ieroboam of the house of Ioseph for he is a noble man and diuers valiant and worthy men came of his kindred in the time of the Iudges And so they indeede vtterly forsooke the house of Iuda the stocke of Iessay and walked in the waies of Ieroboam choosing rather for outward dignity to goe to destruction than embracing vertue depend vpon the promises of God to obtaine eternall life Therefore our Sauiour Christ saith in the Gospell Whosoeuer denyeth me before men I will denie him before my Father which is in heauen Luke 9. AFter Iephte Abesan of Bethleem of the tribe of Iuda iudged Israel seauen yeares He had Thirtie sonnes and thirtie daughters He died and was buried at Bethleem And after him iudged Israel Elon of the tribe of Zabulon and hee iudged Israel ten yeares Tthen he died and after him Abdon of the tribe of Ephâ—aim iudged Israel eight yeares and he had 40. sons and thirtie Nephewes that rode on seauentie asse-coltes and he died Iud. 12. But the Children of Israel continued to commit wickednesse in the sight of the Lord and the Lord deliuered them into the handes of the Philistines Fortie yeares Then the spirite of the Lord came vpon Sampson of the Tribe of Dan and with the iawe-bone of an Asse hee slue a Thousand of the Philistines and he iudged Israel Twentie yeares The Philistines in reuenge of this put out both his eyes but the Lord strengthned Sampson against them and hee slue at the time of his death three Thousand more of them Here is perfourmed Iacobs Will in Gen. 49. Where hee saith Dan shall be a Serpent by the way and an Adder by the path byting the Horse heeles so that his Rider shall fall backeward And in Iudg. 16. Hee ouerthroweth the house where the Princes of the Philistines were so that he slue more at his death than in all his life and notwithstanding he died with them yet hee looked for saluation in Christ of whom he himselfe was a figure Now compare him with Christ Sampson Christ was a Nazarite vnto God to the time of his death and saued Israel from the handes of the Philistines was brought before the Princes and mocked at his death ouercame more than in his life was a Nazarite vnto the time of his death and deliuered vs from the spiritual Philistins Sathan and his Angels was brought before the Magistrates and was mocked at his death ouercommeth him that had the power of death The Ceremonie of the Nazarites is prescribed in Numb 6. They were such as vowed themselues to God and from the vaine desires of the world 2870. Heli of the Tribe of Leui iudged Israel Fortie yeares THis Heli
had Two Sonnes Ophni and Phineas which were Sacrificers and they sinned greeuously against God as appeareth 1. Sam. 2.12.22 And Eli in stead of putting them to death reprooued them with tender words So there came a man of God vnto him and sayd Wherefore haue you kicked against my Sacrifice and mine offering which I commanded in my Tabernacle and honourest thy children aboue mee Wherefore the Lord God of Israel sayth Behold the dayes come that I will cut off thine arme and the arme of thy Fathers house that there shall not bee an old man in thy house shall be a signe vnto thee that thy Sonnes die both for them that honour me I will honour and they that despise mee shall bee despised 1. Sam. 2. This our Sauiour Christ repeateth in the Gospell Who so loueth Sonne or Daughter more than me is not worthy of me Mat. 10. and in the 1. Sam. 15. it is sayd Behold to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken is better than the fat of Rams For rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft and transgression is wickednesse and idolatrie Afterwards the Arke of the Couenant of the Lord was taken from the host of Israel by the Philistines and Israel was smitten down and there was a great slaughter for there fell of Israel thirtie Thousand footmen and Hophni and Phineas died And when Heli heard that the Arke was taken he fell from his seat backward and his necke was broken and he died for hee was an old man and heauie and had iudged Israel Fortie yeares So the Arke of the Lord was in the Countrey of the Philistines Seuen moneths But the Lord plagued them all the time that they kept it So they knew not what to doe with it but put it into a cart and set a couple of young kine to to drawe it and the Kine caried it directly to the Israelites and turned neither to the right hand nor to the left till they came at the Isralites This sheweth the wonderfull impietie of the Philistines in that the beasts had more knowledge then they Therefore the Prophet Dauid saith they are like vnto horse and Mule that hath no vnderstand For they worshipped Dagon a moulten Image But the hand of the Lord was vpon them and the Lord destroyed them with Emorods which was the cause they sent away the Arke The vse of it is thus much that the wicked when they feele the hand of God grudge and reiect him whereas the godly embracing Christ humble themselues and crie for mercie Thus much for the particuler stories of the Iudges Now followeth somewhat againe in generall IN these Stories we are to note that Iosephs Tribe hath more Iudges than Iuda or any other Tribe This may be the reason We shall see through the course of the Scriptures that the Children haue diuers times great prerogatiues in regard of their Parents Stories Ioseps mother was first contracted but Iudahs Mother first bare Children this wee shall further obserue in things concerning outward life and therefore in respect of the first loue of Iacob and that Rachel was first contracted it was necessarie that in outward blessings Ioseps house should seeme to ouer match Iudahs Yet seeing Leahs zeale was verie feruent the Messias choseth to come of her Othoniel the first Iudge was of the Tribe of Iudah to shew that they should looke for their deliuerer which should end all the visions prophesies and perfect all righteousnesse to bee of Iudah The second is Aod of Beniamin who is called the beloued of Israel and of whom Moses prophecieth that God should rest vpon his shoulders Ioseph gathered poyson where he should haue gathered honie of him Hoseas speaketh while Ephraim spake there was great terrour And thus we see that none can come to the Sonne except the Father draw him as hee himselfe testifieth for Ioseps glorie and blessing was the cause of his ouerthrowe This was the cause that in Roboams dayes the ten Tribes fell away and despised the glorie of Iudah compelling euerie one to his Tents saying What haue we to doe with the Sonne of Iessai forgetting Booz Salmon Obed and Iessai who in age at the birth of their Sonnes resembled and kept in minde Abrahams age at the birth of Isaacke Thus much for the Iudges in generall Now let vs returne to the Oppressors THe first is Chusan of Mesopotamia The second is Eglon of Moab The 3. is Sisera of Canaan the 4. Madian of Moab then Ammon of Mesopotamias then the Philistins in Canaan so forth in the like sort We may obserue in these Iudges the gentle patient punishing of God who first beginneth 〈◊〉 but if thereby the wicked grow worse and worse and will not be bettered he vseth more seuere corrections for Chusan is more milde than Eglon Eglon more seuere than Chusan But Sisera with nine Hundred Chariots wonderfull vehement in oppressing We shall see that the Moabites were lesse heauie in afflictions towards the Children of Israel than the rest of the oppressors The reason hereof may thus be rendred The Moabites were of affinitie with Abrahams seede and God promised that whosoeuer blessed Abraham he would likewise blesse and therefore Lot and his posteritie had diuers blessings and the memorie of this must in some sort asswage their malice Thus we see an art as it were in Gods punishments and the order which he obserueth and yet the Stories containe this doctrine so layd downe as if they fell out at randome Now for the time of the Iudges gouernment SSaint Paul in the Act. cap. 7. mentioning their Storie saith That God gaue them Iudges after a kinde of reckoning Foure hundred and Fiftie yeares if you count the yeares of the Iudges exactly they were but three Hundred thirtie and nine Therefore Saint Paul addeth after a kinde of reckoning that is as the Iewes accounted it taking in the yeares of the oppressors whose tyrannie amounted to one hundred and eleuen yeares which one Hundred and eleuen yeares being added to the three Hundred thirtie and nine yeares make vp the iust summe of foure Hundred and Fiftie yeares This kinde of reckoning Iosephus an ancient Iew vseth who of some is thought to erre because they marke not his purpose in the 1. King 6. where the Text sayth From the going out of Egipt to the building of the Temple are foure Hundred and Eightie yeares Iosephus as if he purposed to crosse the text sayth that the time was fiue Hundred ninetie and two yeares we haue no warrant to thinke Iosephus either of so great impietie as to denie the truth of the Scripture or of such ignorance as to bee vnskilfull in so plaine a matter which might bee discussed by eye-sight Therefore if we take in the yeares of the Oppressors and the yeares wherein the Egiptians were plagued wee haue iust fiue Hundred ninetie and two yeares so Saint Paul in the followeth the account of the Iewes though in right the time of the Oppressors
in the Wildernesse Dauid referred all his actions to the building of the Temple And if we will truly be beloued all our actions must haue this end to aduance the glorie of God in his Temple Dauid had many enemies so that the 18. Psalme is a thankesgiuing to God for his deliuerance from them God would not haue his afflictions easie because the comfort and consolation in ouercomming should be sweeter and that he being the beloued of God and yet afflicted men might learne to leaue to trust to the happinesse in this life and thirst after the felicitie of the world to come Hee had enemies abrode and enemies at home As Adonay Absalom c. and in respect of this hee maketh the 86. Psalme The consideration of this is of great vse to euerie godly man in his priuate life Besides these he himselfe was his owne greatest enemie in seeing Vrias wife and coueting her and killing of Vrias Gods purpose in these great offences of the godly is wonderfull vpon this he sung the 51. Psalme shewing himselfe to be a spirituall Leapour more odious and detestable in the sight of God than the bodily leaprousie in the sight of men In the psalme there is a sentence vsed which Saint Paul applyeth in the new testament for he sayth then shall I teach thy way vnto the wicked and sinners shall be conuerted vnto thee And sayth Saint Paul God hath shewed mercie to me a sinner These fallings of Dauid are no warrant for any man to presume to doe the like But from hence ariseth a wonderfull comfort to the sinner which transgresseth by infirmitie to hope for forgiuenesse that so hee may bee free from desperation If Dauid being so glorious in conquests and other graces had not thus transgressed hee would haue been too proude but hee was therefore humbled that hee might thereby keepe the Commaundements of the Lord. Now let vs consider him in his learned affaires THe whole Booke of Psalmes are called Dauids but there be many which are none of his yet they are called Dauids psalmes because they bee in that volume All Dauids Psalmes haue relation to Moses and there is great vse of them to expound Moses For as Moses at his death blesseth Iuda the second psalme expounds that blessing and applyeth it to Christ Moses teacheth the Children of Israel to blesse in this sort Numb 6. The Lord blesse you and keepe you the Lord make his face to shine vpon you the Lord turne his louing countenance towards you and graunt you his peace Dauid in the 67. Psalme expounds this and telleth wherein this consisteth Hee beginneth in the like order that God would bee mercifull vnto vs and shew vs the light of his countenance This appeareth in that the earth knoweth his way and the Nations his sauing health When hee iudgeth the folke righteously and gouernes the Nations vpon the earth and then shall the earth increase therefore let the people praise thee o God yea let all the people praise thee by this one you may gather all the rest In Moses it is sayd that God did arise The 68. Psalme beginneth so Let God arise and his enemies shall be scattered There he sayth Thou art gone vp on high thou hast led captiuitie captiue and receiued gifts for men Saint Paul expounds this of Christ Ephes 4. Thus much for his Doctrine generally ABenezra an ancient Iew mooueth a doubt concerning Dauids Organes and Instruments of Musicke It may thus bee answered when they came from Egipt they had Organes and hauing one kinde it was lawfull to haue other kindes also The Prophets which knewe the Iewes should be trayned vp in ceremonies might vse these to the same purpose This is no warrant for the vse of them nowe seeing Ceremonies cease Concerning the ecclesiasticall discipline amongst the Iewes we shall see that Dauid durst not aduenture to appoint the Sacrificers whose turne should be first or second but they cast lots for it for as he was Prince ruler ouer the people so they were al Princes of the sanctuarie and therein equall with him When the Leuites tooke vpon them to be Kings they became Saduces and Malachi calleth this time the time of the curse Rabbi Leui Ben Gerson sheweth that though the Leuites had notable victories against the Antiochi yet they all died of violent deaths because they tooke the glorie from Iuda therefore God would not hold them vnpunished In the 22. Psalme Dauid as a prophet telleth what the Scribes and pharisees would doe vnto Christ and therein sheweth likewise the calling of the Gentiles He entituleth the Psalme the Hart of the morning that looke euen as the Hart is the pleasure of the beasts and the morning the glorie of the day so is Christ to the soules of those which beleeue in him As Dauid a great many yeares looketh to the death of Christ so must wee following Saint Peters rule look to the end of the world that from the meditation thereof wee may lift vp our heads knowing that our saluation is at hand Dauid knew of these contumelies against Christ by the spirite of prophesie but yet he must prooue the truth therof therefore imagineth the most outragious And surely we cannot imagine greater than that Christ should bee as one forsaken of God Besides what could bee more cruell than to giue vinegar to drinke to those which are sicke Dauid in his psalmes goeth further and compareth Melchisedech with Christ saying Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech and from thence descendeth to the calling of the heathen He shall smite in sunder the heads ouer diuers Nations He likewise in the 49. Psal mentioneth Adams Storie Adam being in honour continueth not one night but is as the beast that perisheth The summe of all is that as Paul taught nothing but Moses and the prophets so doth hee In that his Sonnes are wicked wee haue to learne that godlinesse is no inheritance neither doth it lineally descend from the Father to the Sonnes His afflictions may teach vs that the best men are not without the greatest calamities seeing there is no goodnesse in them And if their actions haue good successe it is because God doth blesse the whole state Thus much for Dauids Storie Salomon borne HIs name signifieth Peaceable so was his Kingdome and gouernement thereby to shew that Christ the King whome he representeth should giue peace passing all vnderstanding Hee was of Dauid by Bershabe This blemish the holy Ghost noteth to comfort vs in our infirmities and to keepe vs from desperation Salomon raigneth Fortie yeares THe Grecians say that Salomon was King at Twelue yeres of age The reason is because mention is made of him when Thamar was defloured and they cast it thus two yeares after the deflouring of Thamar Ammon is slaine for the which Absalom flyeth to Geshur and there hee remaineth three yeares afterwards hee is two yeares banisht from the presence of the King then he rebelleth
the Rulers which smote the people with a continuall plague and ruled the nations in wrath The whole world doth sing for ioy they that see thee shall looke vpon thee and consider thee saying Is this the man that made the earth to tremble and that did shake the kingdomes he made the world as a wildernesse and destroyed the cities thereof and opened not the house of his prisoners All the Kings of the nations sleepe in glory euery one in his owne house but thou art cast out of thy graue like an abhominable branch and like the rayment of those that are slaine thou shalt not be ioyned with them in the graue because thou hast destroyed thine owne land and slaine thy people for the seede of the wicked shall not be renowned for euer Prepare a slaughter for his children for the iniquitie of their fathers let them not rise vp and possesse the land nor fill the face of the world with enemies for I will rise vp against them saith the Lord of hostes and will cut off from Babel the name and the remnant and the sonne and the nephewe saith the Lord and I will make it a possession to the Hedg-hogge and pooles of water and I will sweepe it with the beesome of destruction saith the Lord of hostes For the Lord hath sworne saying like as I haue purposed so it shall come to passe and as I haue consulted it shall stand That I wil breake to peeces Ashur in my land and vpon my mountaines will I tread him vnderfoote so that his yoke shall depart from my people and his burden shall be taken from off their shoulder for the Lord will haue compassion on Iacob and will yet choose Israel and cause them to rest in their owne land and the stranger meaning the Gentiles shall ioyne himselfe vnto them and they shall cleaue vnto the house of Iacob and the people shal receiue them and bring them to their owne place and the house of Israel shall possesse them in the land of the Lord for seruants and hand-maides and they shall take them prisoners whose captiues they were and haue rule ouer their oppressors and the light of Israel shal be as a fire and the holy one thereof as a flame meaning that God is a light to comfort his people and a consuming fire to destroy his enemies and it shall burne and deuoure these thornes and briars in one day And at that day shall the remnant of Israel and such as are escaped of the house of Iacob stay no more vpon him that smote them but shall stay vpon the Lord the holy one of Israel in truth the remnant shall returne euen the remnant of Iacob vnto the mightie God For though thy people O Israel be as the sand of the sea yet shal the remnant of them returne the consumption decreed shall ouerflowe with righteousnesse and there shall be a path to the remnant of his people which are left of Ashur like as it was vnto Israel in the day that he came out of the land of Egipt In that day also shall the great trumpe be blowne and they shall come which perished in the land of Ashur and they that were chased into the land of Egipt and they shal worship the Lord in the holy Mount at Ierusalem as it was promised Leuit. 26. Then will I remember my couenant with Iacob and my couenant with Isaack and my couenant also with Abraham will I remember the couenant of olde when I brought them out of Egipt in the sight of the heathen that I might be their God I am the Lord. And thou shalt say in that day O Lord I wil praise thee though thou wast angry with me thy wrath is turned away and thou comfortest me Behold God is my saluation I will trust and will not feare for the Lord God is my strength and song he also is become my saluation Therefore with ioy shall yee drawe waters out of the welles of saluation and yee shall say in that day Praise the Lord call vpon his name declare his works among the people make mention of them for his name is exalted Sing vnto the Lord for he hath done excellent things this is knowne in all the world Crie out and showte O inhabitant of Sion for great is the holy one of Israel in the middest of thee In that day also shall this song be sung in the land of Iudah We haue a strong citie Saluation shall God set for walles and bulwarkes Open ye the gates that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in By an assured purpose wilt thou preserue perfect peace because they trusted in thee Trust in the Lord for euer for in the Lord God there is strength for euermore for hee will bring downe them that dwell on hie the high citie will he abase euen to the ground will he cast it downe and bring it to dust The way of the iust is righteousnes thou wilt make equall the righteous path of the iust the wicked O Lord will not behold thy high hand but they shall see it and bâ— confounded But Lord vnto vs thou wilt ordaine peace for thou hast also wrought all our works for vs. O Lord our God other Lordes besides thee haue ruled vs but we will remember thee only and thy name Thus we see that God doth not vtterly forsake his elect though sometimes he leaueth them for the triall of their faith to their owne infirmities but for euer destroyeth the wicked and vngodly We haue the like storie of Gods iustice in the affliction of Abrahams seede in Egypt God tolde Abraham that his seede should bee euill intreated in a land that was not theirs foure hundred yeares but the people to whome they are in bondage too will I iudge saith the Lord Gen. 15. The afflicters both of Cham. The afflicted both of Abraham It is said in the 25. of Ieremies Prophecie that the fourth yeare of Iehoiakim King of Iuda was the first yeare of Nebucadnetzar King of Babel And in the first of Daniel it is said In the third yeare of Iehoiakim King of Iuda came Nebucadnetzar King of Babel vnto Ierusalem and besieged it The question is how these two places are reconciled the one to the other It is certaine that it is in the third yeare accomplished and in the beginning of the fourth for though Nebucadnetzar began to raigne in the third yeare of Iehoiakims raigne yet that yeare in Ieremie is not counted because it was almost expired but in Daniel it is laid down to make plaine the first yeare of the seauenty which they were to bee in captiuity In the second yeare after this captiuity Nebucadnetzar seeth a great Image whose head was of fine gold his brest and armes of siluer his belly and his thighes of brasse his legs of iron and his feete part of iron part of clay he beheld also till a stone was cut without hands which smote the image vpon his feete that were
Machabeus celebrated the restoring of the Altar eight dayes and maketh a decree of this to bee obserued yearely Christ celebrateth this Ioh. 10.22 The feast of dedication then was in Ierusalem and it was winter and Iesus walked in the Temple in Salomons porch Here is accomplished Dan. 7. 25. of changing the Ceremonies for a time two times and halfe a time also of the One thousand and three hundred dayes iustly compleat since a prophane Schoole was erected in Ierusalem The beast ouerthrowne is the subuersion of the kingdome of Syria Kings of Leuj PResently after vpon the successe of Iudas Machabeus victories after his death the Leuites tooke vpon them kingly authoritie contrarie to the lawe of Moses Exod. 28. where their office was only to attend vpon the sacrificers of the Tabernacle and the Temple Now to colour this to be lawfull they raise vp diuers sects of religion Then came vp the Saduces and Pharisees these Saduces hold that the soule of man or woman dieth with the bodie as a beast denying the resurrection So likewise after Christ when the Bishops tooke vpon them imperiall authoritie and the supremacie was graunted to Bonifacius by Phocas then to colour the lawfulnesse thereof they frame new sects and heresies in religion Of the rest that succeede in that order vntill Herod as Aristobulus Alexander Ianneus Alexandra Hircanus Aristobulus and Antigonus because they are not spoken of in Daniel haue small vse in religion I referre you to the reading of their Stories in the bookes of the Machabees 3883. Iulius Caesar Fiue yeares  3887. Augustus Six and fiftie yeares HE was Emperour of all the world and appointeth Herod an Idumean of the kindred of Esau King ouer the Iewes he was the first Aliant that raigned in Iudea Now the Romanes kingdome flourished six and fortie yeares before the Incarnation of our Lord and here the Greeke writers ceased Now the Latine tongue grew to be famous ouer the whole world Now Daniels foure beasts are quite consumed and a more monstrous beast hauing property of all them that is with seauen heads and tenne hornes ariseth out of the earth This beast is fullie handled in the Reuelation In this place he hath not his full power giuen vnto him The beast is Rome the seauen heads are seauen hilles whereupon Rome standeth namely Palatinus Capitolinus Auentinus Exquilinus Coeluis Viminalis and Quirinalis The tenne hornes are ten seuerall kindes of gouernments vnder which the Romanes were gouerned Marie borne HEr name signifieth Exalted This shee vseth in her song Luke 1. He hath put downe the mighty from their seat and hath exalted the humble and meeke She was the naturall daughter of Eli as Luke 3. She had a sister whose name was Marie Cleophas or Marie Iames because she was the wife of Cleophas and mother of Iames. She was likewise a very godly woman and bestowed great labour vpon Gods preachers as Rom. 16.6 There was also Marie Magdalen the sister of Lazarus and Martha out of whome Christ cast seauen Deuils And she followed him ministring to him of her substance Shee annointed the Lord and wiped his feete with her haire Shee was the first to whome Christ appeared after his resurrection The Virgin Marie being told by the Angel Gabriel that shee should conceaue a sonne whome she should call Sauiour beleeueth that he was that seede of the woman that should breake the head of the serpent therefore is she called Happie aboue other women By this faith the Virgin which God made vnto Adam is called Euah that is Life By this faith all the righteous that euer were or shall be are saued The Papists attribute this power to the Virgin Marie saying Shee shall breake thy head and thou shalt bruse her heele and thereupon they make an Idoll of her offering their prayers vnto her derogating from Christ his glorie whereas they are commanded Mat. 6. When you pray pray vnto your Father which is in heauen The Tabernacle did represent the dwelling of God with men so the Virgin Marie is compared vnto the Tabernacle A cloud ouershadowed the Tabernacle so the power of the highest ouershadwed her shewing that Iesus Christ should take flesh and haue his Tabernacle amongst vs. She is betrothed to Ioseph therefore is Ioseph called the sonne of Ely not that he was so naturally for he was the sonne of Iacob answerable in godlinesse to Ioseph the sonne of Iacob in Genesis so by supputation he is the sonne of Ely and by nature the sonne of Iacob She is that Virgin of whome Esay fore-tolde Esay 7. Behold a Virgin shall conceaue a sonne and he shall be called Emanuel God with vs. She goeth to her Cousin Elizabeth the wife of Zacharias mother of Iohn Baptist to Hebrō the inheritance of Caleb saluteth her And as Elizab heard the salutation of Mary the Babe that is Iohn Baptist sprang in her womb Eliz was filled with the holy Ghost and she cried with a loud voice said Blessed art thou among women because the fruit of thy wombe is blessed Vpon this place one of the fathers of the church saith that more blessed was the Virgin Marie for retayning the faith of Christ than in conceiuing the body of Christ for to haue all happines and knowledge and not to knowe Christ is neither to be happie nor to knowe any thing For in the true knowledge of Christ that is knowing him to be God and Man and one Christ and truely to embrace the same consisteth the highest point of all saluation Then Marie singeth a song of thanksgiuing vnto God Luke 1. In the olde Testament you haue Marie a Prophetesse the sister of Aaron who likewise singeth a song of thanksgiuing for the deliuerance of Israell out of Egipt and for the ouerthrowe of Pharaoh in the red Sea Exod. 15. Sing yee vnto the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriouslie the horse and the rider hath he ouerthrowne in the sea And to the same effect are the Virgin Maries wordes Luke 1. Hee hath shewed strength with his arme he hath scattered the prowde in the imaginations of their hearts c. Notwithstanding that Elizabeth was married to one of Leuies tribe yet she was of the tribe of Iuda Maries Cousin For the law which forbadde marriage out of their owne tribe was onely that the tribes should not be mixt and confounded which could not be with marriing with the Leuites for they had no portion assigned to them In the old Testament you haue Marie and Elizabeth both of one kindred both rare for godlinesse Whereas the Papists hold inuocation to the Virgin Mary and to Saints and call her the Queene of heauen therefore greater than her sonne Christ therein they commit open blasphemy against the holy Ghost For saith the prophet Esay Shall the axe boast himselfe against the hewer or the saw against him that vseth it Therefore whosoeuer wittingly holdeth it there is no hope of saluation left for them but a fearefull
looking for iudgment Our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell Mat. 20.21 When the mother of Zebedeus worshipping him desired that her two sonnes might sit one at his right hand and the other on his left in the kingdome of heauen answered her To sit on my right hand or on my left is not in mee to giue but it shall be giuen vnto them for whome it is prepared of my father Againe his Disciples at an other time said vnto him Behold thy mother thy brethren and thy sisters to whome he answered Who is my mother my brother and my sister euen he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen Whereby it appeareth that Christ regarded the Virgin Mary as he was God no more than he doth any other faithful in the world for God hath no respect of persons And againe he saith Ioh. 6. None commeth vnto me except the father drawe him And Rom. 6. Eternal is the gift of God not the gift of men or women departed And Dauid saith Psal 4. It is thou Lord only that makest me dwell in safety Againe Christ being become an high Sacrificer of good thinges to come not by the bloud of goates or calues but by his owne bloud hath entred once for all vnto the Holy place and obtayned eternall redemption for vs. And for this cause is He the mediator of the new Testament that through death which was for the redemption of the transgressions that were in the former Testament they which were called might receiue the promise of eternal inheritance For Christ is not entred into the holy places that are made with hands which are similitudes of the true sanctuary but is entred into very heauen to appeare now in the sight of God for vs not that he should offer himselfe often as the high Sacrificer did once euery yeare for then he must haue often suffered but now in the end of the world hath he appeared once to put away sinne by the sacrifice of himselfe by the which we are sanctified Euery sacrificer appeareth daily ministring and oft times offereth one manner offering which can neuer take away sinnes but this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sinnes sitteth for euer at the right hand of God and from hence forth tarrieth vntil he hath made his enemies his footestoole for with one offering hath he consecrated for euer them that are sanctified Seing therefore brethren that by the bloud of Iesus we may be bold to enter into the holy place by the new and liuing way which he hath prepared for vs through the vaile that is his flesh And seeing we haue a high sacrificer ouer the house of God let vs draw neere with a true heart in assurance of faith sprinkled in our hearts from an euill conscience and let vs keepe the profession of our hope without wauering for he is faithfull that promised Hee that despiseth Moses law dieth without mercie vnder two or three witnesses of how much sorer punishments suppose ye them worthy which tread vnderfoot the Sonne of God and counteth the bloud of the Testament as an vnholy thing wherewith we are sanctified for we know him that hath said Vengeance is mine I will recompence saith the Lord and againe the Lord shall iudge the people Cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompence of reward For the iust shall liue by his faith But without faith it is impossible to please him For hee that commeth to God must beleeue that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seeke him Let vs therefore by him not by the Virgin Marie or Saints offer the sacrifice of praise alwaies to God that is the fruit of the lippes which confesse his name For saith the Lord I euen I am the Lord and beside me there is no sauiour This being dulie marked rightly applied is a full and large disputation against any Papist Elias Iohn Baptist borne HIS name Iohn signifieth The grace of God Baptist was in respect of his office which was to baptize and to preach repentance and forgiuenesse of sinnes and foretold a fore-runner of the blessed Messias in Malach. 3. where it is written Behold I send my Ambassador to make way before him and by and by after shall the Lord whome ye seeke enter into his Temple and in the next chapter he is called Elias by reason of the likenesse of their offices and this text by the Iewes themselues is vnderstood concerning the Messias and the Scribes do say in the Gospel that Elias must first come and in another place Art thou Christ or Elias or one of the Prophets He was the sonne of Zacharias of the course of Abia and his mother was Elizabeth The Angel of the Lord sheweth vnto Zacharias that he is that Elias of whom Malachi foretold chap. 3. That he should turne many of the children of Israel to their Lord God for he shall goe before him in the spirit and power of Elias to turne the hearts of the fathers vnto the children and the disobedient to the wisdome of the iust men to make readie a people prepared for the Lord. And the Angell gaue Zacharias a signe of this to be performed that is he made him dumb vntill the child was borne Now Elizabeths time was fulfilled that she should bee deliuered and she brought forth a sonne and on the eight day her friends came to circumcise the babe and called him Zacharias after the name of his Father But his mother answered he shall be called Iohn and his father being dumb tooke writing tables and wrote saying His name is Iohn And his mouth was opened immediately and his tongue loosed and he spake and praysed God and was filled with the holy Ghost and prophesied saying Blessed bee the Lord God of Israel because he hath visited and redeemed his people and hath raised vp the horne of saluation for vs in the house of his seruant Dauid c. And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit and was in the wildernesse till the day came that he should shew himselfe vnto Israel Here you may see Zachary and Iohn were the two first of the new Testament So in the old Testament Zachary and Malachi called also Iochanan or Iohn doe end the old Testament You haue in the new Testament another Iohn the sonne of Zebedeus who with his brother Iames were called by Christ as they were mending their nets and became Apostles This Iohn forbadde one to cast out Deuils by the name of Iesus but Christ reprooued him He was the beloued Apostle on whose brest Christ leaned Christ reuealeth vnto him who should betray him He was banished into the Isle of Patmos and hath a reuelation of the heauenly Ierusalem and misticall Babylon There was also Iohn called Marke Act. 15.37 3928. Iesus is borne THis name Iesus signifieth A Sauiour so named in his mothers wombe A great Rabbin saith that because the Annointed shall saue folkes therefore he shall be called Iesus
And because hee shall be God and Man therefore he shall be called Emanuel This is he of whome the Prophet Esay cap. 9. foretold saying Vnto vs a childe is borne and vnto vs a sonne is giuen and the gouernment is vppon his shoulder and he shall cal his name Wonderfull Counseller the Mighty God the euerlasting Father the Prince of Peace The encrease of his gouernment and peace shall haue no end He is also called The Sonne of the Virgin Emanuel God with vs Es 7. Shiloh the acceptable child Gen. 49. The bright day starre Luke 3 The Seede of the woman Gen. 3 The Phisition to the helplesse The proclaymer of the acceptable yeare of the Lord The starre and Scepter that should dash all the sonnes of Seth Numb 24 The stone cut out of the mountaine without hands that now filleth all the earth with his glory euē he that should punne Nebucadnetzars image to dust Dan. 2 The sprigge of the root of Iessaj Esay 11 The most holy The annointed of the Father That great Prophet The Tabernacle The Temple The Altar The mercie seate The way that leadeth to the heauenly Ierusalem The truth that directeth to eternall happinesse The life that redeemed Adam from death The true Israelite in whome there is no guile The law-giuer of the Gentiles The propitiatory for our sinnes The mediator betwixt God and man The first begotten Sonne of the Father The euerlasting our Righteousnesse The great sheepheard of his sheepe whome Angels worshipped to whom Kings brought sweet odors as to Salomon to whome the sheepheards of the ends of the earth came to worship He is also called Palmony the secret Numberer who weigheth numbreth and diuideth The Messias Dan. 9. The sonne of Dauid The Lion of the tribe of Iuda The sonne of man The spirituall Rocke The true bread that came from heauen The word that created all things The beloued of the Lord The light and life of man The true vine The dwelling of God with men Michael who thought it no robbery to be equall with God He to whome the Crowne and Diademe doth belong The King of the Iewes Alpha and Omega The Lambe that was killed from the beginning of the world The place where he was borne was Bethlehem of Iudah which the Prophet Micheas calleth Little to be among the thousands of Iudah yet saith the prophet out of thee shall he come forth vnto me that shal be the ruler of Israel whose goings forth haue been from the beginning and from euerlasting The prophet calleth it Little because according to the custome of the Iewes who diuided their countrie into thousands for euery thousand a chiefe Captaine Bethleem was not able to make a thousand But S. Mathew Chap. 2. in respecting the greatnes of the Ruler of Israel that was borne there saith And thou Bethlehem art not the least of the cities of Iudah The time of his birth was in the 42. yeare of Augustus Caesar who Luc. 2. gaue a commandement that all the world should be taxed Therfore went euery man to his owne citie and Ioseph went from Galile out of a citie called Nazaret in Iudea vnto the citie of Dauid which is called Bethleem because he was of the house and lineage of Dauid to be taxed with Mary that was giuen him to wife which was with child And there shee brought forth her first begotten sonne and wrapped him in swadling clothes and laid him in a cribbe because there was no roome for them in the Inne And there were in the same countrie sheepheards abiding in the field and keeping watch by night because of their flockes loe the Angel of the Lord came vpon thē and the glory of the Lord shone about them and they were sore afraide Then the Angell said Be not afraid for behold I bring you tidings of great ioy that shall be to al people that is vnto you is borne this day in the citie of Dauid a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord. And strait way there was with the Angell a multitude of heauenly souldiers praysing God and saying Glory be to God in the highest heauens and peace in earth and towards men good will And these sheepheards following the starre it vanished away where fore they came to Ierusalem and asked saying Where is he that is borne King of the Iewes The purpose of God in this was that the Iewes who by the Prophets might and were bound to haue knowen this by the diligence of the heathen might bee vnexcusable in the day of wrath But departing from Herod the Starre which they before had seene appeared vnto them and went before them till it came stood ouer the place where the Babe was and they went into the house and fell downe and worshiped him and opened their treasures and presented vnto him gifts euen gold and incense and mirhe Heere is performed Esay 60. They of Sheba and Seba shall bring forth gold and incense vpon mine Altar meaning Christ And I will magnifie the house of my glory These were the first fruits of the Gentiles And these Gentiles also were of Abraham by Keturah to whome when he died he gaue gifts and sent them away to the East There was Iob found a iust and perfect man when all the world else had forsaken God And the Sheepheards returned glorifying and praysing God for all they had heard and seene And after eight daies they circumcised the child his name was then called Iesus which was named of the Angell before hee was conceaued in the wombe Herod another Pharaoh proceeding of Esau the old enemie to Iacob destroyeth the little children not by water as the first Pharaoh did Exod. 2. but by the sword Math. 2. Rachel weepeth for her children and would not be comforted because they were not that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet Ier. 31.15 Ioseph taketh the Babe and Marie his Mother and goeth into Egypt vntill the death of Herod and then returneth againe that it might bee fulfilled which was written Oseas 11.1 Out of Egipt haue I called my son There is a great doubt of the time of the yeare of Christs birth which because it is very necessary to bee knowne I thinke it not amisse to lay it downe in the treatise following SAint Mathew reckoning the kindred of Christ brings them down but from Abraham to make the number of his generations Fortie two that is six seauens or three fourteenes and bringeth him also from Salomon thereby to prooue him King of the Iewes But in reckoning the Kings to make the number answerable to a sweet proportion of a former storie that is of the two and fortie standings in the wildernesse and the two and fortie flowers bowles knobbes of the candlesticke in the tabernacle which figured Christ leaueth out three Ioas Amasias and Azarias S. Luke reckoning his kindred bringeth thē from Adam and from Dauid by Nathan thereby to prooue him to be the Seede of the woman