fallen it is fallen Babylon the great Citie For she made all nations to drinke of the wine of the wrath of her fornication And I sawe a woman sitting vpon a scarlet coloured beast full of names of blasphemie which had seauen heads and ten hornes and in her forehead was a name written A mistery Great Babylon the mother of whoredomes and abhominations of the earth And I sawe the woman drunken with the bloud of Saints and with the bloud of the Martyrs of Iesus And the Angell said vnto me The woman which thou sawest is the Great City which raigneth ouer the Kings of the earth Ap. 18. And after this I saw an other Angel come downe from heauen and hee cryed with a loude voice saying It is fallen it is fallen Babylon the great Ciâ—ie and is become the habitation of Deuils and the hould of al foule spirits and a cage of euery vncleane and hatefull bird For all nations haue drunke of the wine of her fornication and the Kings of the earth haue committed fornication with her and the Marchants of the earth are waxed rich of the abundance of her pleasures And I heard an other voice from heauen say Goe out of her my people that ye be not partakers in her sinnes and that ye receiue not of her plagues for her sinnes are come vp to heauen and God hath remembred her iniquities Reward her euen as she hath rewarded you and giue her double according to her workes and in the cup that shee hath filled to you fil her the double in asmuch as she glorified her selfe and liued in pleasure so much giue ye to her torment and sorrowe for she saith in her heart I sit being a Queene and am no widdow and shall see no mourning Therefore shal her plagues come at one day death and sorrowe and famine and she shal be burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God which wil condemne her O heauen reioyce of her and yee holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath giuen your iudgment on her Then a mighty Angel tooke vp a stone like a great milstone and cast it into the sea saying With such violence shall the great citie Babylon be cast and shal be found no more And as the Iewes doe praise God after their deliuerance so is it said that vpon the deliuerance from this spirituall bondage all Christians shall say Let vs be glad and reioyce and worship God saying Amen Hallelu-iah for our Lord God Almighty hath raigned At this deliuerance out of Babell about the euening offering the Angell Gabriel appeareth to Daniel and telleth him the exact houre of Christs death Dan. 9. in these wordes Seauenty seauens or 490 yeares are exactly decreed for the death of Christ the King the most Holy to finish sinne to bring in iustice to reconcile iniquity to annoint the most Holy and to performe euery vision and prophecie By this key the Iewes might haue vnderstoode the death of Christ the sonne of all saluation These seauenty seauens are distinguished into seauen seauens and the Temple shall be built into sixtie two seauens wherein Religion shall seeme to be vtterly obscured and into one seauen in the halfe of which Christ the King must be killed not for himselfe but for the people as Dan. 9. The time of the sixtie two seauens is prooued out of the Grecians Storie whome God in his secret wisedome vsed though vnwittingly to themselues to be recorders of his truth These seauens of weekes I wil handle more at large at the death of Christ where they are fully accomplished Vpon the vision of the foure Beasts in Dan which represent foure stately kingdomes figured before in Nebucadnetzars image which he sawe in his dreame Dan. 2. ariseth a great question Whether the fourth Beast containe the kingdome of the Romanes or not It is certaine it doth not and thus it may be prooued Of the first which is the Lion to be meant of Babylon the Beare to be the kingdome of the Medes and Persians and the Leopard to be Alexanders kingdome there is no controuersie but then of the fourth Beast with ten hornes lyeth the question It is said that a stone shall be cut without hands and shall become a great mountaine and shall fill al the earth and shal fal vpon the image and punne it to dust This stone is Christ vpon whose birth this vision ends for the stone falling vpon the feete of iron clay the whole image fell and was beaten to powder If then vpon the birth of Christ the fourth kingdome must be punned to dust and al the beasts be consumed in the fire by the Ancient of daies as Daniel 7. then the fourth kingdome cannot be the Romanes For vntill the comming of Christ they were in no glory and then were they in their chiefest glory for although a little before indeede they had conquered all the world yet the world did not consent to pay tribute vntill Christs time and therefore it could not bee said a full conquest For it is neuer a full conquest vntill a generall consent of tribute be graunted If it be obiected that it is meant of the second comming of Christ how is euery vision and prophesie performed in Christ and with what authority could Daniel speake of the second comming before hee had mentioned the first Therefore to hold this to be meant of the Romanes proueth Christ not to be yet come nor the ceremonies of Moses to be abolished Againe the fourth Beast that is the fourth kingdome hath relation to the fourth part of the image And by the legges of iron clay and thereby as the legges of one body being twaine are expressed Wherefore as the legges of contrary natures that is of iron and clay being twaine proceede out of one body so the kingdome which by them is signified must be a diuided Nation ruling one kingdome which the Romanes were not for Augustus Caesar was onely Emperour otherwise you darken the Romanes glory Againe it is said of these legges that is of this fourth kingdome that they shall striue by marriages because they were two Nations that is of Syria and Egipt to be as one body But as iron cleaueth not in nature with clay no more should they bee one Whose stories if you examine in Iustine and other heathen Authors you shall find they were from time to time preuented by vntimely deathes For the wiues killed their husbands the mothers their sonnes the sonnes their mothers so that they could not bring to passe their purpose This cannot be applied to the Romanes for they were still one sole gouernment and vniuersall Emperours of themselues Againe the little horne that is the tenth horne of the fourth beast is Antiochus the vilde who is the last part of the fourth beast whose villanies indeede are answerable to the impieties of the Romanes therefore in the Reuelation the whole time of their gouernment is by allusion called daies 1260. a time 2. times and halfe
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
come to a fearefull end Yea euen like as a dreame doth hee make their image to vanish Some folishly dispute why God hath not saued all things seeing he made all they are answered Ier. 12. The Lord is more righteous then that he should be disputed with Ier. 18. They are in the hand of the Lord as the clay in the hand of the potter Rom. 9. God maketh of one lumpe of clay one vessell to honor and another to dishonour What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power knowen suffereth with long patience the vessels of wrath appointed to destruction What art thou that disputest with God Esay 45. It is I that created the light and the darkenesse I make peace and trouble euen I the Lord doe all these things Woe bee vnto him that striueth with his maker the potsherd with the potter saith the clay to the potter what makest thou or thy worke serueth for nothing Woe be vnto him that saith vnto his father why begettest thou and to his mother why bearest thou Thus saith the Lord euen the holy one and maker of Israel That their sinne is the cause of their Condemnation And God not the author thereof Prou. 29. The sinne of the wicked is their owne snare Esay 50. For your offences are you sold and because of your transgression is your mother forsaken Esay 49. Their misdeeds haue separated them from their God and their sinnes hath hid his face from them that hee heareth them not They hope in vaine things imagining deceit and bringing forth euill they breed Cockatrices egges and weaue the spiders webbe who so eateth of their egges dieth but if one treade vpon them there commeth vp a Serpent their deeds are the deeds of wickednes the worke of robbery is in their hands their feet run to euil they make haste to shed innocent blood all their counsels are wicked harme and destruction are in their wayes but the way of peace they haue not knowen in their goings there is no equity their waies are so crooked that whosoeuer goeth therein knoweth of no peace and this is the cause They looke for light and loe it is darkenes They grope like the blind vpon the wall euen as one that hath no eyes They roare like Beares and mourne like Doues looking for health but it is farre from them for their offences are many and their sinnes testifie against the Lord. They will not confesse and acknowledge their sinnes but doe amisse transgresse and dissemble against the Lord and fall away from their God vsing presumptuous and traiterous imaginations in their hearts casting away equitie truth and righteousnesse but the Lord holdeth himselfe by his owne power and he sustaineth him by his owne righteousnesse he putteth on wrath in steed of clothing and taketh iealousie about him for a cloake like as when a man goeth forth wrathfully to recompence his enemies and to be auenged of his aduersaries But vnto Sion hee is a Redeemer and of Iacob which turne from their wickednesse he is a Sauiour and he will giue them an euerlasting name that shall not perish Esay 56. Thus saith the high and excellent euen he that dwelleth in eternitie whose name is the holy one I dwell high aboue and in the sanctuarie and with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit doe I pitch my habitation Psal 104. As for sinners they shall be consumed out of the earth and the vngodly spall come to an end Psal 59. For the sinne of their mouth and for the words of their lippes they shall be taken in their pride and why their preaching is of cursing and lyes Psal 62. Their deuise is onely how to put him out whom God hath exalted their delight is in lies they giue good words with their mouth but curse with their heart for they persecute him whom the Lord hath smitten And they talke how they may vexe him whom he hath wounded 2. Thes 2. Therefore shall the Lord send them strong delusions that all they might bee damned which beleeued not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse and obeyed not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus With euerlasting damnation shall they be punished from the presence of the Lord and from the presence of his power Psal 51. That hee may bee iustified in his sayings and cleare when hee iudgeth EPHESIANS 1.10 ⧠That in the fulnesse of time all should be brought vnder one head FVlnesse of time is here taken for the time of Christs death whose death should accomplish the Ceremonie oblation and breake downe the wall betweene the Iew and the Gentile when men should looke no longer for saluation onely from Ierusalem but should prayse God euery where their hearts being assured that they were members of Christ the head The heathen not taking notice of this could neuer come to saluation The blind Iewes not marking this ioyned with Chittim in the second degree which are the Romanes To crucifie Christ the King of the most Holy because hee testified of himselfe that he was that day Starre which was to appeare That Scepter that should dash all the sonnes of Seth The Ladder by whom the Angels of God ascended and descended Shiloh Emmanuel the Lion of the tribe of Iuda The roote of Iessay The Stone which the builders refused The true Manna That spirituall Rocke that would giue waters of life The true Bread that came downe from heauen He vnto whom the Crowne and Diademe did belong Michael who thought it no robberie to bee equall with God The Stone that did punne Nebuchadnetzars Image to dust Palmoni the secret Numberer He who waieth numbreth and diuideth The great shepheard of his sheepe The true Vine from whose sides doe proceed wine of euerlasting life He that came to doe the will of his Father Iohn 4.10 He that met with the woman of Samaria at Iacobs well to whom he promised euerliuing water The Stumbling Blocke to the Iewes The Light to the Gentiles The Eye to the blind And an Helpe to the lame For that is his name God is my strength and my righteousnesse c. Wherefore he hath made them Vagabonds ouer the whole earth and hath brought that Abhomination of Desolation vpon them whereby their Citie and Sanctuarie is destroyed and why because they would not know the Fulnesse of time the day of saluation The Crane the Swallow and the Turtle Doue doe know their time but my people will not know the time of my comming saith the Lord. Also our Sauiour Christ saith Woe bee vnto you Scribes and Pharises Hipocrites You can discerne the wind and the weather but you know not the time of the comming of the son of man which they might haue knowne from Daniel 9. Where the Angel Gabriel saith 70. seuens or 490. yeeres are determined for the death of Christ the King of the most Holy to finish sinne to reconcile iniquity to bring in
sayd to the children of Israel I set here before you life and death eate of the one and liue and eate of the other and die eternally Yet could not be content with this glorious estate but did eate of the forbidden fruit by the perswasion of a woman which God framed out of Adams ribbe and ioyned to him to be an helpe for him Before they had continued in Paradise one day as it is written Psal 49. Adam being in honour continueth not a night but is like to the beasts that perish which woman was deceiued by the subtiltie of a Serpent that is of the Deuill speaking in a Serpent which beast was fittest to possesse to the deceiuing of her because he excelled all other beasts in the field in wit For if an Asse had sayd so much to her as did the Serpent it is very likely shee would haue examined the cause further but he hauing once bin an Angel of light but not keping his first originall being throwne downe from heauen continuing his knowledge though he lost his vertue was not to seeke either for matter or oportunitie enuying their states to bring his murtherous purpose to passe for so is he called the Serpent the old Deuill or Satan who was a Murtherer from the beginning but knowing the prohibition commeth to the woman saying Yea hath God sayd Yee shall not eate of euery tree in the garden to whome the woman answereth saying We may eate freely of the fruite of the Trees in the garden but as for the Tree in the middest of the garden God hath sayd yee shall not eate of it nor touch it least happily you die Out of which speeches the Serpent beeing a ramping and a roaring Lyon going about seeking how hee might deuoure her quickly sucketh aduantage finding her to haue digressed from the words of the commaundement adding thereto a tricke of his owne head saith to the woman Ye shall not die at all but you shal be as Gods knowing good and euill In that he saith gods he meaneth not the true God for whatsoeuer hee speaketh is to be taken in the worst meaning that can be made of it but he meaneth you shal be in the state of damnation as Deuils which are called Princes Gods of the world And likely enough that he touched the fruit because that shee added to the Commaundement the worde touche Now the woman beholding the fruit that it was good to eate pleasant to the eyes a Tree to be desired to get knowledge She tooke of the fruit did eate gaue also to her husband and he did eat These 3. properties aboue are expounded in Iohn Wantonnes of the eies Lust of the flesh The pride of life By reason of which sinne Adam and Eue seeing their owne nakednes sowed figge-tree leaues together and hidde themselues from the presence of God among the Trees of the garden their soules beeing then in the state of Damnation with a light shining in darknes but their darknes not comprehending the same shewing thereby the weaknes of their nature and of their posteritie God but a little leauing them to their selues that when they had sinned they had rather hide themselues in darkenesse and seek to stockes and trees that haue no help in them than to God that made them But Dauid afterwards being clothed with the spirit of wisedome vnderstanding acknowledgeth the power of God to ouer-reach the compasse of mans vaine imagination when he sayth Whether shall I flye from thy presence If I take the winges of the morning and flye to the vttermost part of the world thou art there If I climbe vp to heauen thou art there If I goe downe to hell thou art there also For God who made the eye shall not hee see all the dwellers vppon earth who hath weighed all men in a ballance numbring the dayes and verie haires of their heads diuiding to euerie one their double portion according to the fore-purpose of his election being a righteous Iudge sparing not the person of Adam though hee were a King and the stateliest King that euer should bee but calleth him to account in the coole of the same day wherein he was created and fell punisheth him though not according to the desert of his transgression like a merciful Iudge that would saue and as a Father that pitieth his owne childe knowing whereof he was made and that he was but dust sayth to Adam What hast thou done and leauing him to consider of his sinne goeth to the woman with like tendernesse saying What hast thou done as if he should haue sayd Oh daughter haue I made the heauens and the host thereof that is Angels Sunne Moone and Starres c. to be thy seruants and the earth and all that therein is to be obedient at thy call breathing into thy nostrils life wherby thou becamest a liuing soule in the image of God that is in righteousnesse and true holynesse to be a temple and a Tabernacle for the holy of the holyest to dwell in and hast thou defiled the same with fond lusts regarding the wordes of the Serpent the Father of lyes not respecting my power and my seueritie that as I made thy body and soule that I could destroy the same whereby thou hast purchased the execution of my law established at thy creation to thee and thy husband what hast thou done But God hauing examined the matters and finding them both guiltie and the malice of the Serpent to bee the cause of their guiltinesse neuer stayeth iudgement nor vouchsafeth once to reason the matters with him but presently curseth him and punisheth Adam and the woman and curseth for their sakes the earth plants and whole course of nature and made them of obedient seruants rebellious enemies to Adam and his posteritie And because Adam was not deceiued but the woman became into the transgression he maketh her will subiect to the desire of her husband encreasing her sorrowes and her conceptions Thus he chastiseth them but giueth them not ouer but pronounceth to the woman a short but a pithy sentence That the seede of the woman should breake the head of the Serpent That is to say I will cause one to be borne of the womans seede which shall subdue the Deuill and the Deuill shall doe his endeauour to trip vp his heeles by tempting him In this beginneth a controuersie against the Iewes of later times who hold opinion that the Messias or Christ whome wee vphold to be the mediator between Gods iustice and mans sinne shall be some great Emperor that shall deliuer them from bodily oppression howbeit they cannot deny but that by the death which God threatneth to Adam for his transgression Rabbi Moses vnderstandeth a spirituall death that is to wit the death of the soule wounded with sinne and forsaken of her life which is God and that by the venome of the Serpent he meaneth sinne it selfe which shall cease saith he vnder the Messias And the Thargum of Ierusalem sayth
hundred hath relation to the time that Ismael and Hagar were expelled Abrahams house for Ismaels flowting of Isaack Here is the performance of Gods promise to Abraham Gen. 15. Thy seede shall be in a strange Land foure hundred yeares but the people whome they shall be in bondage to will I iudge saith God Which was made plaine in the ten plagues of Egipt and in the ouerwhelming of Pharaoh and his Chariots in the red sea as Exod. 14. and Psal 78. Maruailous things did the lord in the sight of our Fathers in the land of Ham euen in the field of Zoan he diuided the Sea and let them go through he made the waters to stand on an heap and led forth his people like sheep and carried them in the wildernesse like a flocke And Psal 114. When Israel came out of Egipt and the house of Iacob from among the strange people Iudah was his Sanctuarie and Israel his Dominion The Sea sawe that and fledde Iordan was driuen back this was performed at the beginning of the Law The Mountaines skipped like Rams and the litle hils like yong sheep c. And Psal 105. Egipt was glad at their departure for they were affraid of them And Psa 106. He rebuked the Red Sea and it was dryed vp he led his people through the deepe as through a wildernesse As for those that troubled them the waters ouer-whelmed them and there was not one of them left Then the children of Israel beleeued his words and sange praise vnto him But within a while they forgat his workes and would not abide his counsell but lust came vpon them in the wildernesse and they tempted God in the desert And Psa 78. They forgat what he had wrought in Egipt and his wonders in the field of Zoan How he led them in the day with a cloud and all the night through with a pillar of fire Hee claue the hard Rockes in the wildernesse and gaue them drinke thereof hee brought waters out of the Stonie Rocke so that it gushed out like the Riuers But they prouoked the most highest in the wildernesse and tempted God in their harts saying Shall God prepare a table in the wildernesse He smote the stonie Rocke indeed and the streames flowed withall but can he giue bread also or prouide flesh for his people wherewith the Lord was wroth so hee rained downe Manna from heauen So man did eate Angels food for hee sent them meat ynough At their desire he brought quailes and hee filled them with the bread of heauen hee rayned flesh vppon them as thicke as dust and feathered fowles as the sands of the sea he let it fall amonge their tents euen round about their habitation so they did eat and were filled for hee gaue them their owne desire they were not disappointed of their lust but while the meat was in their mouths the heauie wrath of God came vppon them and slue the wealthiest of them and smote downe the chosen men that were in Israel But for all this they sinned yet more Againe psal 106. They angred Moses in their Tents and Aaron the Saint of the Lord. So the earth swallowed vp Dathan and couered the congregation of Abiram and the fire was kindled in their companie the flame burnt vp the vngodly They made a Calfe in Horeb and worshipped the moulten Image Thus they turned the glorie of God into the similitude of a Calfe that eateth hay So he sayd he would haue destroyed them had not Moses his chosen stand before him in the gappe to turne away his wrathfull indignation yea they thought scorne of that pleasant Land and gaue no credence to his words but murmured in their Tents they ioyned themselues with Baal Peor and eat the offerings of the dead Thus still they prouoked God vnto anger with their inuentions and the plague was great amonge them But Phinees stoode vp and prayed and the plague ceased and that was counted to him for righteousnesse throughout all posterities for euer They angred him also at the waters of strife so that he punished Moses for their sakes because they prouoked his spirite so that he spake vnaduisedly with his lips Neuerthelesse he thought vpon his couenant and pitied them according to the multitude of his mercies as appeareth 2. Esdr 9 Thou camest downe vpon Sinay and spakest to them from heauen and gauest them right iudgements true Lawes good Commandements and Statutes and declaredst vnto them thy holy Sabbath and commaundedst them Precepts Ordinances and Lawes by the hand of Moses thy seruant and gauest them bread from heauen when they were hungry and broughtest forth water out of the Rocke for them when they were thirstie and promisedst them that they should goe in and take and possesse the Land but they were proude and became obstinate and heady but God forgaue them and was gracious and mercifull patient and of great goodnesse and forsook them not although they made a moulten Calfe and said These are our Gods that brought vs out of the Land of Egipt and did speake blasphemously yet hee forsooke them not in the wildernesse according to his great mercie Fortie yeares long made he prouision for them in the wildernesse so that they lacked nothing their clothes waxed not old and their feete swelled not In this Fortie yeares of their being in the wildernesse many things are to be vnderstood God chose these Forty that all the world might knowe of the Redemption by Christ It standeth of Foure Tens This time is made more famous by the Storie wherein a speciall thing is to be obserued that in all these Forty yeres you haue but three yeares storie and a halfe And thus it is cast One yeare is spent in the Tabernacle halfe a yeare after the Spies are sent to view the Land Vpon their Storie God sweares that they shall not enter into his rest From thence you haue no Storie till the two last yeares of the conquest of Ob and of Maries death This one would not thinke of if the bare Storie did not compell him For comparison with this three yeares and a halfe I will speake more hereafter You haue in the wildernesse the Lambe which represented Christ and Manna which Christ expounds in Ioh. 6. I am the true bread that came from heauen Your Fathers did eat Manna and are dead hee that eateth of this bread shall liue for euer The Rock signified Christ The lifting vp of the Serpent his death Balaam he prophecieth of Christ There shall come a Starre from Iacob and a Scepter shall rise from Israel Kittim and Assur shall afflict Heber but they also shall come to destruction at the last This prophecie begins in the sixt yeare of Ezechias THe time was in the Moneth Abib which Moneth containeth part of March and part of Aprill The Seuentie Interpreters call it Tanda the Moneth of greene blades for about this time of the yeare corne beginneth to shew it selfe aboue the ground Their yeare before
God requireth by the Law is spirituall as the reward which wee ought to looke for is spirituall You are also to note that there was seuen times seuen dayes after the eating of the Lambe before the giuing of the Law Whereby wee may know that God careth not for ciuilitie without the knowledge of Christ though the contrarie bee taught that it is ynough so wee bee ciuill in life though our mindes neuer thinke of the eating of the Lambe But if wee will liue godlie indeed all our care must bee to esteeme highlie of those rules which concerne the teaching of the Redemption By Christ For it is no commendation to liue ciuilly though a sinne to misse in conuersation And yet this honest behauiour amongst all men must not be neglected Where it is said Sanctifie your selues for to morrow is the Sabbath If it bee demaunded how the Iewes could vnderstand this it may thus be answered God so spake that a childe may vnderstand it For Adam fell in Paradise the sixt day and sacrificed the seuenth which is as much as Moses speaketh heere This is the consent of the Hebrewes There is a Question Whether Ioseph in Egypt and the Iewes in Babylon did keepe the Sabbath For any thing that I can finde they did it not publiquelie Peraduenture Ioseph might doe it priuatlie in respect of his owne conscience but not otherwise And for the keeping of the Sabbathes by the Iewes in Babylon wee haue an expresse example to the contrarie There was a feast at Shusan which was on the Sabbath day which feast the Iewes likewise did solemnize immediately vppon that there was a decree to destroy the Iewes The Chaldee paraphrast expounds it to be for the contempt of the Sabbath Iob in his booke expounds this commaundement of honoring Father and Mother by shewing how contumeliously those did vse him whose Fathers he would not haue set with his dogges Saint Paul sheweth that this is the first commaundement that hath a promise annexed shewing thereby that we are to be dealt with like children by allurements to embrace common ciuilitie such is the peruersenesse of our nature Ieremy telleth the Iewes that if they will keep their Sabbaths they shall not goe into captiuitie He thereby meaneth that by the true keeping of the Sabbaths they must learne all religion For they must remember Adams fall and the restoring by Christ and then the instituting of the Sabbath Then must they come to Sem and Abraham and the promise and the offering vp of Isaack which was a figure of the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world and so through the Stories of the Scripture The Law is vsually diuided into two Tables the First Second The Foure first Commaundements concerning God The sixe last concerning man The end of the Law is Christ which is excellently set downe in the Epistle to the Hebrewes which Epistle begins in this sort At sundrie times and in sundry manners God spake in the old time by the Prophets As to Adam The Seed of the woman shall break the head of the Serpent To Noah Blessed be the God of Sem. To AbrahaÌ„ In thy seed al Nations in the earth shall bee blessed c. And now last by his Sonne whome hee hath made heire of all things by whome hee made the world â— who being the brightnesse of his glorie and the Character of his substance sustaineth all thinges by whome the world was made farre aboue all Angels For in the beginning O Lord thou establishedst the heauens they will perish but thou doest remaine And the Angels they are but thy miâ—istring spirits for their sakes which shall be heires of saluation Now if euerie transgression and disobedience receiued a iust reward how shall we escape if wee neglect so great saluation It is easie to make triall hereof For the world was made in the beginning to obey man the Angels receiued damnation for despising this and in respect hereof Dauid sayth What is man that thou shouldest be mindfull of him thou hast made him a little inferiour to the Angels that thou mightest crowne him with glorie and honour And it was necessarie that Iesus should take vpon him the seede of Abraham and so be made inferiour to the Angels by suffering death that so hee might bring many Children to glorie and through death destroy him that had the power of death and by this victorie ouer the Deuill be crowned with glorie and honour and haue all things put in subiection vnder his feet And by these his sufferings hee was made like vnto his brethren that hee might be mercifull and a faithfull high Priest in things concerning God that hee might make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people Moses was a faithfull witnesse hereof and they that beleeued him not but disobeyed were plagued in the Wildernesse Therefore while it is called to day harden not your hearts least hee sweare They shall not enter into my rest This Doctrine was further made plaine by Aaron the Annointed of the Lord whose office was to offer for his owne sins and the sinnes of his brethren But his office ceased This ceasing was figured before in Melchisedech blessing Abraham when Leuie was yet in Abrahams loynes and therefore aboue Abraham for the lesser is blessed of the greater to whom Abraham gaue tythes therefore the Iewes must goe to a higher Religion than to the Lawe and Thy God contayneth more than ceremonies Wee shall see this cleare by the Tabernacle in the which wee are not to speake of the particular Ceremonies but of those cheefely which as referred to Christ In the Tabernacle there were two places the Holy the Holy of holiest The Holy was called the Sanctuarie of this world wherein were the Candlestickes Table of shew-bread c. The Holy of holyest did represent the state of heauen in which was the Arke of the Couenant of God In which Arke there was reserued as a memorie for all posterities a potte of Manna Aarons Rodde that alwayes flourished and the Tables of the Lawe The Arke was couered and the couering thereof was called the mercie-seat which figured Christ who is our propiciatorie or mercie-seat to couer our iniquities Ouer the mercie-seat were the forme of two Angels hauing relation to the Angels that kept the way to the tree of life to shew that none were worthie to come into that Holy of holiest but Aaron the annointed of the Lord who likewise figured Christ both in name and office For Aaron signifieth Christ which in English is Annointed and in office by entring once for all into the Holy of holiest For it was the office of the high Sacrificer once euery yeere to enter into this Holy of holyest with blood Of this Dauid speaketh Psalme 40. When hee commeth into the world hee saith Sacrifice and burnt offering thou wouldest not haue but a bodie hast thou ordained In the beginning of thy booke it is written that I should doe thy will O God Then said I loe I
foretold should come vpon them in the Lawe of Moses Leuit. 26. In these wordes If you will not bee reformed but walke stubbornly against me c. I will appoint ouer you fearefulnesse a consumption and the burning ague to consume the eyes and to make the heart heauie and you shall sowe your seede in vaine for your enemies shall eat it I will breake the pride of power and I will make your heauen as yron and your earth as brasse This was perfourmed when Elias was constrayned to pray for raine Your strength shall be spent in vaine neither shall the Land giue her increase neither shall the trees of the Land giue their fruit I will also send wilde beasts vpon you which shall spoyle you and destroy your cattell and a sword that shall auenge the quarrell of my couenant and when yee are gathered in your Cities I will send the pestilence vpon you and ye shall be deliuered into the hand of the enemie when I shall breake the staffe of your bread then tenne women shall bake your bread in one Ouen and they shall deliuer your bread againe by weight and ye shall eat but not be satisfied and yee shall eat the flesh of your Sonnes and the flesh of your Daughters shall yee deuoure I will make your Cities desolate and bring your Sanctuarie to nought Vpon this destruction Ieremie lamenteth the state of Ierusalems miserie and sheweth therewith the cause of her punishments How doth the Citie remaine solitarie that was full of people she is as a widowe she weepeth continually in the night her teares run downe her cheekes amonge all her louers she hath none to comfort her Iudah is caried away captiue because of affliction and because of great seruitude shee dwelleth amonge heathen and findeth no rest all her persecutors tooke her in the straights The wayes of Sion lament because no man commeth to the solemne feasts all her gates are desolate her Priests sigh her Virgins are discomfited and shee is in heauinesse her Aduersaries are the chiefe and her enemies prosper for the Lord hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions and her children are gone into captiuitie before the enemie And from the Daughter of Sion all her beautie is departed her Princes are become like Harts that finde no pasture and they are gone without strength before the pursuer Ierusalem remembred the dayes of her affliction and of her rebellion and all her pleasant things that she had in times past when her people fell into the hand of the enemie and none did helpe her the aduersaries saw her and did mocke at her Sabbaths Ierusalem hath greeuously sinned therefore she is in derision all that honoured her despise her because they haue seen her filthinesse yea shee sigheth and turneth backward her filthines is in her skirts she remembred not her last end therefore she came down wonderfully she had no comforter shee hath seen the heathen enter into her Sanctuarie whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy Church Sion stretcheth out her hands and there is none to coÌ„fort her The Lord hath appointed the enemies of Iacob round about him Ierusalem is as a menstruous woman in the middest of them The Lord is righteous for I haue rebelled against his commaundement Heare I pray you all people and behold my sorrow my Virgins and my young men are gone into captiuitie I called for my Louers but they deceiued me my priests and mine Elders perished in the Citie while they sought their meate to refresh their soules how hath the Lord darkened the Daughter of Sion in his wrath and hath cast downe from heauen vnto the earth the beautie of Israel and remembred not his foot-stoole in the day of his wrath The Lord hath destroyed all the habitations of Iacob and not spared hee hath polluted the Kingdome and the Princes thereof he hath destroyed his Tabernacle as a Garden he hath destroyed his congregation the Lord hath caused the feasts and Sabbaths to bee forgotten in Sion He hath forsaken his Altar hee hath abhorred his Sanctuarie he hath giuen into the hand of the enemie the walles of her Pallaces they made a noyse in the house of the Lord as in the day of solemnitie her gates are sunke to the ground he hath destroied and broken her barres her King and her Princes are amonge the Gentiles the lawe is no more neither can her Prophets receiue any vision from the Lord all that passe by the way clappe their hands at thee they hisse and wagge their head vpon the daughter Ierusalem saying Is this the Citie that men call the perfection of beautie and the ioy of the whole earth thy enemies hisse and gnash their teeth against thee saying Let vs deuoure it surely this is the day that wee looked for we haue found and seene it The Lord hath done that which hee purposed hee hath fulfilled his word that he had determined of old 3431. Ezechiel seeth a Vision of the restoring of the Temple THe name of Ezechiels Temple is The Lord is there This Temple had more spirituall ornaments than the first for all the Nations of the earth came thither Christ himselfe taught there a greater than Aaron The old Temple had gold that is the spirite of prophecie which the new Temple had not All the lawes and ceremonies of the former Temple was deliuered vnto them againe anew and Israel and Iudah brought all vnder one head as in the dayes of Dauid and Salomon In the fiue and Twentieth yeare of our being in captiuitie in the beginning of the yeare in the Tenth day of the Moneth in the Fourteenth yeare after the Citie was smitten the hand of the Lord was vpon me and brought mee into the Land of Israel in a diuine vision and set me vpon a verie hye Mountaine wherevpon was as the building of a Citie And behold there was a man with a reede to measure it So in the Ap. 21. Iohn sayth The Angell caried me away in the spirite to a great and a hye Mountaine and he shewed me the great Citie holy Ierusalem descending out of heauen from God and I saw no Temple therein for the Lord God almightie and the Lambe are the Temple of it 3446. Euilmerodach two and Twentie yeres OF him no euill is spoken in the Scripture something is spoken in his praise that he entreated fauourably Ieconias King of Iudah Zorobabel His name signifieth Free from confusion This was perfourmed in him when as hee with Iesus the Son of Iehosadach Ezra 3.2 ledde the people from Babell which signifieth Confusion and builded the Altar of the Lord to offer burnt offerings thereon as it is written Exod. 23. This deliuerance was prophesied of Zorobabell by Haggai the prophet Cap. 2. I will take thee O Zorobabel the Sonne of Selathiel and make thee as a signet vpon my right hand 3469. Baltazar Three yeares HIs name signifieth a searcher of treasuâ—â—â— He was verie wicked as was
the thinges hid in secret places that thou mayest know that I am the Lord which call thee by thy name euen the God of Israel For Iacob my seruants sake and Israel mine elect I will euen call thee by thy name and name thee though thou hast not knowne me I whose hands haue spread out the heauens I haue euen commaunded all thine armie I haue raysed thee vp in righteousnesse and I will direct all thy wayes thou shalt build my Citie and let goe my captiues not for price nor reward saith the Lord of Hostes The labour of Egipt and the marchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans men of stature shall come vnto thee and they shall be thine they shall follow thee and make supplication vnto thee saying Surely God is in thee and there is none other Gods besides And Esay 46. For I call a bird from the East and the man of my counsell from farre as I haue spoken so will I bring it to passe I haue purposed and I will doe it Heare me yee stubborne hearted and that are farre from iustice I bring neere my iustice it shall not be farre off and my saluation shall not tarrie for I will giue saluation in Sion and my glorie vnto Israel These people here mentioned were tributaries to the Persians Cyrus was a figure of Christ For as Cyrus deliuered the Iewes from the bondage of Babel so Iesus Christ deliuered vs from the bondage of the spirituall Babel Thus much for the Prophecie of the persons who should destroy Babylon Now followeth the Prophecies of the destruction thereof BEL is bowed downe Nebo is fallen they are bowed downe and fallen together for they could not rid them of their burden and their soule is gone into captiuitie And Esay 47. Come downe and sitte in the dust O Virgin daughter Bahel sitte on the ground there is no throne O Daughter of the Caldeans for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate Take the mill stones and grinde meale loose thy lockes make bare thy feete vncouer the leg and passe through the flouds Thy filthinesse shall be discouered and thy shame shall be seene I will take vengeance and not meete thee as a man meaning that he would vse no humanity nor pittie towardes it Our Redeemer the Lord of hostes is his name the Holy one of Israel Sit still and get thee into darknesse O daughter of the Caldeans for thou shalt no more be called the Lady of Kingdomes I was wrath with my people I polluted mine inheritance and gaue them into thine hands and thou diddest shew them no mercie but thou laidst the very heauie yoke vpon the ancient and thou saidst I shall be a Lady for euer so that thou didst not set thy heart to these things neither didst thou remember the latter end thereof Therefore now heare thou that art giuen to pleasures and dwellest carelesse Thou saist in thy heart I am and none else I shall not sit as a widdowe neither shall know the losse of children but these two things shall come to thee in one day the losse of children and widdowhood for the multitude of the diuinations and for the great abundance of thine enchanters haue caused thee to rebell and thou hast said in thy heart I am and none else Stand now among thy enchanters and in the multitude of thy sooth-sayers let now the Astrologers the starre gasers and Prognosticators stand vp and saue thee from these things Behold they shall be as stubble they shall burne like fire and shall not deliuer their owne liues from the power of the flame For Babell is fallen it is fallen and all the images of her Gods are broken to the ground this is the time of the Lords vengeance he will render vnto her a recompence Babell hath beene as a golden cuppe in the Lords hand that made all the earth drunken the Nations haue drunke of her wine therefore doe the Nations rage Babell is sodainely fallen and destroyed howle for her bring balme for her sore if she may be healed We would haue cured Babell but shee could not be healed Forsake her and let euery one goe into his own cuntrey for her iudgment is come vp into heauen and is lifted vp to the clowds O thou that dwellest vpon many waters aboundant in treasures thy end is come euen the end of thy couetousnesse Behold I come vnto thee O destroying mountaine which destroyest all the earth saith the Lord and I will stretch out my hand vpon thee and roll thee downe from the rockes and will make thee a burnt mountaine They shall not take of thee a stone for a corner nor a stone for foundations but thou shalt bee destroyed for euer saith the Lord. A Poste shall runne to meete the Poste and a Messenger to meete the Messenger to shew the King of Babell how his citie is taken on a side therof and that the daughter of Babel is like a threshing floore and the time of her threshing is come saith the Lord. The spoile of me and that which was left of me is brought vnto Babel shall the inhabitant of Sion say and my bloud vnto the inhabitants of Caldea shall Ierusalem say Therefore Babel shall be as heapes a dwelling place for Dragons an astonishment and an hissing without an inhabitant They shall roare together like Lions and yelle as the Lyons whelpes In their heate I will make them feastes I will make them drunken that they may reioyce and sleepe a perpetual sleepe and not wake saith the Lord. How is Sheshack taken how is the glory of the whole world taken how is Babell become an astonishment among the Nations her cities are desolate the land is dry and a wildernesse a land wherein no man dwelleth neither doth the Sonne of man passe therby Though Babell should mount vp to the heauens and though she should defend her strength on high yet from me shall come her destroyers saith the Lord. For the Lord God that recompenceth will surely recompence and I wil make drunke her Princes and her Wisemen her Dukes and her Nobles and they shall slâ—epe a perpetuall sleepe and not wake saith the King whose name is the Lord of hostes And Ieremie tooke a great stone and cast it into Euphrates and said Thus shall Babylon be ouerthrowen Thus the word of the Lord remayneth for euer as it is written If any leade into captiuity hee shall goe into captiuity and if any kill with a sword he must be killed with a sword Ap. 13. Now compare the impieties of Rome or misticall Babylon with these times and you shall find them the very same and therefore the Holy Ghost layeth downe her destruction as the destruction of Babel ANd Ap. 14. I sawe an Angell flie in the middest of heauen hauing an euerlasting Gospel saying with with a loude voice Feare God and giue glory to him for the houre of his iudgment is come And there followed an other Angel saying It is
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