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
a time or 42. monthes alluding to the time of Antiochus gouernment For as Antiochus polluted the Temple of God changing the lawes of Moses forbidding that which God commanded placing idolatry in his sanctuary and persecuting such as would not forsake the Religion of God so the Romanes haue polluted the Temple of God changing the lawes that Moses teacheth and forbiddeth that which God commandeth compelling open idolatry and persecuting such as will not forsake the truth of Gods Religion Againe these legges meaning the fourth kingdome are called in Dan. 11. the King of the North and the King of the South that is Syria which is North from Iudea and Egipt which is South from Iudea therefore not the Romanes Againe the corporation of the Romanes is described in the Reuelation to be one beast with seauen heads and ten hornes This fourth beast in Daniel hath but one head and ten hornes therefore it cannot be meant of the Romanes But in truth the Romanes hauing conquered the whole world imbracing the impieties of the Babylonian Lyon the cruelty of the Persian Beare the fiercenes of the Grecian Leopard and the most tyrannicall and prophane blasphemies of the fourth beast The holy Ghost could not by fitter resemblances describe them than by these beastes therefore hee nameth them vnder the name of one monstrous beast hauing property of all the former that is A beast with seauen heads and ten hornes mouthed like the Babylonian Lyon footed like the Persian Beare bodyed like the Grecian Leopard and hath ten hornes and the blasphemous wordes of the fourth beast whose inhumane cruelty was such that no beast in the earth could be likened vnto it Thus much for the parts of the image and for the foure beasts in generall Now followeth to be handled the Persians Storie particularly And first for Cyrus HE deliuered the people from captiuity the same yeare that hee tooke Babylon and gaue them great treasures to build vp the Temple of Ierusalem whither he sent them vnder the conduct of Zorababel 2. Chro. 36. In the first yeare of Cyrus King of Persia when the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Ieremie was finished the Lord stirred vp the spirit of Cyrus and he made a Proclamation throughout all his kingdome saying Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia All the kingdomes of the earth hath the Lord God of heauen giuen me and he hath commanded mee to build him an house in Ierusalem that is in Iudah Who is among you of all his people with whome the Lord his God is let him goe vp and build the house of the Lord God of Israel he is the God which is in Ierusalem Then the chiefe Fathers of Iudah and Beniamin and the sacrificers and Leuites rose vp with all them whose spirite God had raised to goe vp to build the house of the Lord which is in Ierusalem Also Cyrus brought forth the vessels of the house of the Lord which Nebucadnetzar had taken out of Ierusalem and counted them vnto Sheshbatzar the Prince of Iudah whome the Caldeans called Zorobabel and the number of the vessels of gold and siluer were 5400. Sheshbatzar brought vp all with them of the captiuity that came vp from Babel to Ierusalem the whole congregatiō of them together which came from captiuity were 42360. besides their seruants and maides of whome were 7337. and among them 200. singing men and women And certaine of the chiefe Fathers when they came to Ierusalem gaue after their ability vnto the treasure of the worke 60000. drammes of gold and 5000. peeces of siluer and 100. sacrificers garments the summe of the money in our account amounts to 94493. pounds 6. shillings 8. pence for the dramme is the eight part of an ounce and the ounce the eight part of a marke which according to our estimation amounteth allowing the French crowne for 6. shillings 4. pence the dramme to 24826. poundes 13. shillings 4. pence And the peeces of siluer are called Minaes and euery peece conteine 26. shillings 8. pence so 5000. Minaes make 550000. frankes which in our account is 69666. poundes 13. shillings 4. pence But the Israelites that were beyond the riuer in Samaria placed there by the King of Ashur enuying the prosperous proceeding of the building of the Citie and Temple caused it to be hindred vnto the second yeare of Darius King of Persia But Haggai and Zachariah prophesied vnto the people and encouraged them So they continued in the worke one hand on the trowell the other on the sword vntill it was finished So the foundation is laid in the fourth yeare of Cyrus as the first Temples foundation was laid in the fourth yeare of Salomon This Darius is also called Artaxerxes which in the Persian tongue signifieth an excellent Warriour Some thinke it was Cambyses Darius sonne but Cambyses Cyrus sonne was neuer King but Lieutenant in his fathers absence This Darius was also called Assuerus he was not supreme King but deputie to Cyrus For Cyrus hauing conquered the kingdome of the Medes against Astyages left the said kingdome to his brother Darius by whose ayde he tooke Babylon and transported the kingdome of the Babylonians to the Persians Two yeares after the said Darius returned into Madai and Cyrus raigned alone in Babylon Then he mooued warre against the Scythians and marched towards them and in the meane while left Cambyses his sonne King of the countrey in his absence according to the custome of the Persians which was to appoint the neerest of the Kings bloud to be King ouer the countrie when the King went out to fight against any strange Nation this is the cause why Cambyses was not set in the successiue order of the kingdomes Neither is there mention of two brethren which were Magitians which guilefully vsurped the kingdome but their guile being known they continued but a fewe monthes and Darius sonne to Hystaspis was chosen King Xerxes the sonne of the said Darius succeded him but is not heere placed in the number of the Monarchies for that he left his kingdome to Darius Long-hand his sonne according to the custome of the Persians when he went to warre against the Grecians The Greeke Historiographers not respecting the custome number the said Xerxes Cambyses among the said Monarchies successiuely in order which is the cause that they count more yeares in the Persian Monarchy than were that is 226. yeares whereas their whole gouernment was not aboue 120. yeares or thereabouts Cyrus raigned twelue yeares And after Cyrus death Assuerus Artaxerxes obtayneth the kingdome of the Persians twelue yeares in his third yeare beganne the Storie of Hester After him succeeded Darius Assirius Esdr 6.22 This Darius King of Ashur encouraged the people in the worke of the house of the Lord. He is heere called King of Ashur because he was King of the Medes Persians and Assirians After him succeeded Artaxerxes the godly the sonne of Darius Hystaspis Esdr 7. Neh. 2. 2519. The Temple built in
of Israel come to Kadesbarnes Then there are Spies sent out to view the Land they are Fortie daies in viewing it They bring word and tell strange things of the goodnes and fatnesse of the Land but they discourage the people and feare them for they told them of huge and great Giants the Sonnes of Anak Iosua he answereth them Let vs goe vp and possesse the Land For if God shall be mercifull vnto vs he will giue vs the Land flowing with milke and honie Vpon this God sweares that they shall not enter into his rest They were for this Forty yeres in the Wildernes Forty daies in viewing the Land S. Paul repeateth this in the Acts 13. God suffered their manners in the Wildernesse they wandred to punish the hardnesse of their hearts for not beleeuing They went vp and downe that all the world might woonder at this dealing of God and thereby learne to feare him for euerie sinne fitteth the prouidence of God and serues for his glorie By this all the world might learne diuinitie For it is sayd of them that their sound was heard to the end of the world So that a man of England meeting with one that had beene about those parts might enquire When doe those people leaue their wandring They were brought out of Egypt strangely for the sea parted and suffered them to goe through and was a wall to them but drowned the Egyptians which followed after Did you euer heare that one striking a Rocke water should come forth Yet this is not all for they had meat from heauen Manna which in English signifieth What shall I call it Besides for their apparell it neuer weareth not so much as their shooes their apparell groweth with their bodies A Childe hath the same apparell being a man that hee had being a Child and the neighbours are in such feare of them as they dare not touch them Surely their God is wonderfull and exceedeth the Gods of other Nations Diodorus Siculus hee speaketh of Moses reuerently Strabo mentioneth these Standings but speaketh wickedly So doth Iustine Hereby is their condemnation iust and they made inexcusable 2554. Moses died Deut. 34. being One hundred and Twenty yeres old Shorter in life than his Father or Grandfather So that seeing long life a great blessing and he so excellent a man euen by the testimonie of the scripture it might be asked why his life was no longer Wee shall see that these his yeares are more glorious than if they had been longer For this comparison of One hundred and twentie yeares with the One hundred and twentie yeares of the building of Noahs Arke is of rare excellencie and euen in this comparison his face must so shine in their harts that they could not behold him without a vaile By this they must likewise remember the promise made to Abraham to be performed for the which he was raised vp And they must ascend higher to Melchisedech who blessed Abraham in whom also the heathen receiued a blessing Then they must goe further to the taking vp of Henoch Homer bringeth in the mother of Achilles telling her Sonne that there was decreed for him a double destinie If he would haue a long life it should then bee obscure If short famous This hee fayneth but yet in fables there is a colour of truth We are to consider further the words of Saint Iude vpon the death of Moses Yet Michael the Archangell when hee stroue with the Deuill and disputed about the body of Moses durst not giue rayling speeches but said The Lord rebuke thee It may be demanded where Saint Iude hath these words seeing they are not expressely laid down in Moses This obiection is thus answered Any Scholler may from a true ground frame a disputation and it is free to vse this kinde of amplification or any other The meaning of Saint Iude is that Iehouah the Eternall buried Moses In the Prophet Zacharias you haue the like in a vision Iehosua the high sacrificer standeth before the Angell of the Lord Sathan at his right hand to resist him and the Lord sayd vnto Sathan The Lord reprooue thee Sathan Here the second person Christ Iesus is called Michaell and here is the like kinde of speaking So that if wee will frame a speech we may thinke that at Moses death God might commaund Michael to go fetch vp the bodie of Moses Satan resisting he forbad him and added The Lord rebuke thee The meaning of Saint Iude is thus much Those which rayle on officers haue not marked Christs dealing who like a stately King in one word rebuketh them This exposition the Iewes in their Talmed agree vnto The end is to this purpose that seeing it is not written by Moses and the holy Ghost cyteth not the place from whence it is taken wee must diligently looke to the matter and searching the scripture for the like Stories we shall easily finde out the vse and order which the holy Ghost vseth in amplifications Moses was a figure of Christ MOses was cast into the flagges Marie the Daughter of Pharaoh saued him so as Marie saued Moses the deliuerer so the Virgine Marie saued Iesus Christ the Redeemer Moses was persecuted of Pharaoh Christ was persecuted of Herod a new Pharaoh Moses deliuered the people from the bondage and slauerie of Egypt so Iesus Christ hath deliuered vs from the spirituall bondage and Tyrannie of the spirituall Pharaoh Satan Moses when he died was buried by Christ Euen so Iesus Christ by his owne death buried all the Ceremonies of Moses 2555. Ioshua ruleth Seuenteene yeares His name was altered by Moses to Iesus because hee was to be a figure of Iesus Christ He with Caleb encouraged the people when the other ten Tribes misbeleeued when they were sent to spie the Land These Seuenteene yeares are not set downe expressely in the Scripture but are gathered from the circumstance of the Storie in this sort From the comming out of Egypt to the building of Salomons Temple are Foure hundred and Eightie yeares 1. King 6.8 All the particulars of this account are layd downe saue Ioshua his gouernment and they make foure hundred sixtie and three to which adde Seuenteene yeares the time that Ioshua ruled you haue full Foure hundred and eightie So you haue another Seuenteene for Iacob and Iosephs Seuenteene yeares Thus much for the time Now for his name Iesus HOseas the Sonne of Nun which was to take the gouernment from Moses hath his name altered and is called Iesus in the 72. Psalme You haue his name repeated Ganushemo 1 He shall increase The Hebrews in their Cabala say that this is the name of Christ they meane nothing else but to keepe in memorie euerie name wherby the glorie of the Kingdome of the Messias is expressed When the Iewes come from Babell you haue Iesus again the Sonne of Iehosadach In Ierem. 31. the Lord speaketh Behold the day commeth that I will raise vnto Dauid a righteous braunch and a King
their Fathers as Saint Paul prooueth in the Acts. This is a Meditation of great comfort if it be applyed to euerie ones conscience Now let vs consider the purpose of Samuel in erecting the Kingdome THis will appeare the plainer if wee looke a little backe vnto Moses actions Moses speaketh glorious things of Iuda yet hee himselfe giueth not the Land to Iuda but leaueth it to him in a Prophecie Iesus of Ephraim diuideth the Land and giueth the pleasant soyle to Iuda Samuel giueth to Iuda by annointing Dauid king so we see how his purpose and practise fulfilleth Moses prophesie concerning the kingdome of Iuda All these things in the Scripture haue their end to the strengthning of Christs kingdome If one of Iuda had diuided the Land and taken the best soyle to himselfe the heathen herein would haue thought it great partialitie therefore one of Ioseph diuideth the Land and refuseth to plant himselfe in the best soyle but giueth that glorie to Iuda Now we haue diuers comparisons between Samuel and Moses FIrst in their births their Mothers being verie old Moses name signifieth Drawne out of the waters and so strangely preserued Samuels name is asked of God and so strangely giuen Moses was brought vp in all the learning of the Egiptians Samuel brought vp in all spirituall learning Moses did rule and left not the kingdome to his posteritie but gaue it to Ioseph that so hee might giue it to Iuda So Samuel giueth it not to his Sonnes but annointeth Dauid of the Tribe of Iuda And so ought Leui to rule to teach others how to rule well but not to leaue a kingdome to his children They were both Kings so Moses testifieth of himselfe when there was no King in Israel They both made warres and were Conquerours and both ruled Fortie yeares The Iewes say hee ruled but thirteene yeares but by this they labor to disturbe the plainenesse of the Scriptures which will neuer be easie without the true vnderstanding of the Chronicle Samuel bringeth the Kingdome to Iuda by teaching the religion of god and maketh Schooles of Diuinitie and instructeth them to search Moses This continued in Esdras time and vnder the Antiochi so that as Moses recorded by writing Iudahs gouernment and continuance so Samuel taught it by expounding Moses and thereby established it Here I am to shew a speciall thing When Elias is to be taken vp one telleth Elizeus 2. King 2. Doest not thou knowe that thy Master shall be taken vp from thee If it bee demaunded how hee knewe this it may be thought he knew this from comparison of the ages For as Henoch the Seuenth was taken vp and Moses the Seuenth was buried by God no place remaining of his buriall so nowe in this Seuenth age they were to looke for some rare euent which was performed when Elias was taken vp There bee that thinke that by this kinde of teaching the Ceremonies of Moses are reuiued But they must know that the next way to abolish them is to know what they are and to what vse they serue If wee demaund the reason why God giueth not the gouernment to Iuda we shall see that it was because all Israel followed strange Gods not regarding the glorie of Shiloh And when as the Oxen which carried the Arke were released they went of their owne accord lowing to Iuda and Ieremie saith Marke what I haue done vnto Silo. Therefore to bring in the true worship of God it was necessarie to erect the kingdome in Samuel of Leui Whose gouernment continued Fortie yeares thereby to teach vs that till Religion bee well taught it is not easie to establish a good gouernment and this will bee long in learning Now followeth Sauls Storie SAVL His name signifieth Desired thereby shewing that he was desired of the people casting off the gouernment of God Hee was of the Tribe of Beniamin The prerogatiue that Beniamin hath the first King of his Tribe in that he was the leaft of the Tribes is no doubt an especiall fauour If it be demaunded why hee was of Beniamin before any of the rest of the Tribes this may bee the reason thereof Reuben had defiled his Fathers bed therefore it was no reason that hee should beare sway in the common wealth Simeon neuer shewed any signe of repentance but continued in malice therefore his crueltie must needs hinder him Leui was not to gouerne but to confirme others in the gouernment He must not be of Iuda because God did not choose him but the people for if God had chosen him his kingdome must haue beene established because the gifts of God are without repentance For Isachar and Zabulon the yonger must not bee preferred before the elder Then the Sonnes of the hand-maides to wit Dan and Nephtali by Bilha Gad and Aser by Zilpa must not be first preferred Iosephs pride cast him off for that glorie which he had in the time of the Iudges caused him to despise Iuda and therefore God saith Marke what I haue done to Silo so that of necessitie he must be of Beniamin Concerning Saul he was goodly and faire as any of the Children of Israel Thus the world regardeth onely outward respects but the Lord careth onely for them that feare him and iudgeth not as man iudgeth It is sayd of him 2. Sam. 1. His speare came neuer emptie home We haue a comparison betwixt him and Saul the Apostle for both were of the Tribe of Beniamin both persecuted Dauid the beloued the one for the kingdome the other for profession of the religion of Christ the true king of Dauids Kingdome both end the glorie of their Tribe When Saul is made King the tribe of Reuben might say vnto God O Lord how are wee despised for of all the Tribes we haue no glorie Wilt thou alwaies remember iustice God therefore to comfort them giueth them a conquest ouer the Hagarims by the slaughter of whom they enrich themselues Aser likewise might mourne and reason with God why he neuer looked on them in mercie God therefore giueth them this comfort Anna that is Grace the Daughter of Panuel See God of the happie Tribe of Aser prophecieth at the birth of Christ And surely if we sincerely embrace Christ Iesus wee shall haue the spirite of grace to shew vs the loue of God layd vp in Christ that thereby we may enioy all happines by this you may see the tribe of Aser had a great blessing In the Acts of the Apostles Chap. 4. one Ioses a Leuite of Cyprus selleth his possession and layeth his money at the Apostles feet and he is called the Son of Consolation for the Leuites were scattered in the Land and the Lord the God of Consolation was their inheritance Thus much for those things wherein Saul might seeme glorious Now for his Faults HIs fault was in that he disobeyed the commandement of God insparing Agag and reseruing the best of the spoyle vnto himselfe And in that he was enuious against Dauid and
though he speaketh good things of him and knewe he should succeed him in the Kingdome yet hee persecuteth him This is to runne headlong against the light of Gods truth So the Deuill tempted Christ though he knew thereby he encreased his damnation Sauls punishment was verie great for he is slaine at Easter by himselfe then vndertaking battailes when he should haue celebrated the Lords feasts That it was at Easter it may be gathered by the Witch preparing him vnleauened bread Ionathan the Sonne of Saul loued Dauid as his soule therefore it may be concluded he was saued for hee loued Dauid the beloued of the Lord and therefore beleeued in Christ of whome Dauid was a figure This may be prooued by the new Testament for in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Chap. 11. the Battailes of Gedeon Baracke Sampson and of others are rehearsed of whome this is added that they all by faith subdued Kingdomes and receiued the promise and in these Ionathan is included This testimonie of the holy spirite is of no small glorie Saul goeth to a Witch called Ob which had a Hobgoblin Herein he sinned greatly against the gouernment of God layd downe in Moses The hid things for God those reuealed for you and your children to doe them He fell to this wickednesse because hee killed those which ware the Ephod and therefore God answered him not by Vrim and Thummim God suffereth him to take reuenge of himselfe for being a King hee was the highest Magistrate and not to be put to death by his inferiours His posteritie was likewise plagued because they kept not the Couenant with the Gibeonites which Iosua had made Thus much for Saul Dauid borne in Bethlehem Which the Prophet Micheas Cap. 5. calleth Little because it was a little Village and little in quantitie The Euangelist Math. 2. calleth it not little because it was famous in that Christ and Dauid were borne there His name signifieth The beloued of God so is Christ called in Hoseas and Ezechiel by this name and oftentimes in the song of songs So that after the heart of God and this name Dauid is all one Bethlehem is as much to say as the House of Bread there Dauid the Shepheard the feeder of Israel was borne as a figure and token that Christ the great Shepheard and true bread of life should bee borne there Dauid raigneth Forty yeres Seuen yeares and a halfe in Hebron and Thirtie two yeares and a halfe in Ierusalem HErein is a comparison with Christ for as Dauid was King proclaimed at Easter ouer Iuda so Christ by his resurrection at Easter was prooued King ouer the whole world Dauid after the death of Saul asketh God whether hee shall goe God answereth To Hebron This is not without speciall obseruation that God should commaund him to goe thether The monuments of places are of great force to bring Stories into remembrance For in Hebron Sara was buried being the first purchase which Abraham made Isaacke and Rebecka were buried there Iacob and Leah there there Caleb challenged his inheritance So that Dauid being King there is ioyned in a kind of purchase with these Fathers and their glorie herein matched So the Hebrewes apply it Hebron is called Consociation The Seuen yeares King is a comparison with the Seuen yeares of conquering the Land so that looke what glorie is reaped in the conquest thereof the same you may gather in the time of Dauids gouernement in Hebron Further it was requisite there should be proofe of the sufficiencie of his gouernment by gouerning Hebron before hee should rule so stately a kingdome as Ierusalem was His Two and thirtie yeares and sixe Moneths haue a comparison with Christs liuing on earth He began his gouernment there exactly One thousand yeares before Christ was baptized at the verie same time that Christ began so you see all Gods dealings cast in a fine and sweet proportion Dauid commeth of Iessai in this respect Christ is called the roote of Iessai The ages of Dauids Auncestors calleth in minde Abrahams yeares at the birth of Isaacke and so remembreth his Storie About Seuen yeares before he was King he fights with Goliah the Philistine who came of Mitzraijm which filled Egypt the cursed Nation of Cham. Dauid is hereunto encouraged by a miracle being made Victor ouer a Lion and a Beare and thereupon hee concludeth This vncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them Goliah challengeth all Israel and defieth them Dauid trusting in the strength of the Lord vnarmed onely with stones in his bagge and his sling slayeth the Philistine He was about this time Three and Twentie yeares old This is the vse Looke what this Goliah and the Philistines were to the state of Israel so is the Deuill and his Angels to the children of God And as Dauid the beloued by trusting in the beloued Sonne of God ouercame so shall we if we beleeue as he did putting on the armor of God The summe in regard of the Iewes is this that as he being of Iuda subdued this Philistine so likewise in all other battailes they should couragiously follow him seeing he of Iuda should come after the flesh which fought for them from heauen Saul giueth Dauid his Daughter to wife it hath been a receiued opinion that the Iewes might not marrie out of their Tribes This is onely to be vnderstood of the heires because inheritance might not goe from one Tribe to another but if they were not heires they might As we see Dauid of Iuda marrieth one of Beniamin Now for his Victories THe 60. and 108. Psalme speaketh shortly of them in this sort Giliad is mine Manasses is mine Ephraim the strength of my head Iuda is my Law-giuer Moab is my Washpot ouer Edom will I cast out my shooe vppon the Philistines will I triumph The meaning of it is Christ will come and subdue all Nations vnto himselfe and erect his kingdome for euer And yet as all these Nations Moab and Ammon and Edom striue against Dauid so will the Gentiles against Christ And yet why doe the Gentiles rage and the people imagine a vaine thing The Kings of the earth stand vp and the Rulers counsell together against the Lord and against his annointed and yet all in vaine for hee will bruse them with a rodde of yron for hee hath giuen him the ends of the world for his Dominion therefore are the heathen fooles In the Reuelation you haue the like striuing by the Emperours against Christ but the Mountaine is cast into the fire In the Acts of the Apostles Pontius Pilate and the rest did that which the Lord decreed In these battailes of Dauid Saint Paules rule taketh place the sound of them was heard to the ends of the world For Dauids victories being gained not in one but being fortie yeares allotted to the accomplishment of them no doubt were an astonishment vnto the nations and by them to be greatly obserued Here wee haue the like comparison of the Fortie yeares
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
also and hee sought Ochosias and caught him where hee was hid in Samaria and brought him to Iehu and slue him and buried him because they sayd hee is the Sonne of Iosaphat which sought the Lord with all his heart So the house of Ochosias was not able to retaine the Kingdome This was the iust plague of God because he ioyned himselfe with Gods enemies yet God to declare the worthinesse of Iosaphat his Grandfather mooued them to giue him the honour of buriall 2. Chron. 22. 3118. Athalia Sixe yeares WHen shee heard that her Sonne Ochosias was dead she putteth to death all the Kings seed of Ochosias house because she might by that meanes bring the Kingdome to Israel and so haue established Idolatrie But Iehoshabeath the daughter of the King tooke Ioash the Sonne of Ochosias and stole him from among the Kings Sons that should be slaine and put him and his Nurse in the Bed-chamber So Iehoshabeath the daughter of King Ioram the wife of Iehoida the Sacrificer for she was the Sister of Ochosias hid him from Athalia So she slue him not and hee was hid with them in the house of God sixe yeares whiles Athalia raigned ouer Iuda But after this Iehoida caused Athalia to be slaine to shew that who so sheddeth blood by man shall their blood be shed 3124. Ioas Fortie yeares THen they brought out the Kings Sonne and put on him the crowne and gaue him the testimonie that is his oath and royall apparell and made him King and Iehoida and his Sonnes annointed him and sayd God saue the king Then all the people of the Land reioyced and the Citie was quiet after they had slaine Athaliah with the sword For where a tyrant and an Idolatrer raigneth there Gods religion cannot flourish but the plagues of God are euer amonge such people This Ioas while Iehoida liued kept religion sincerely but he being dead fell to Idolatrie And because Zacharias the Sonne of Barachias or Iehoida reprooued him he commaunded him to be slaine between the Altar and the Temple that so all the righteous blood from Abel hitherto might come vpon the Iewes and their children Here wee may obserue how hard a thing in a wicked Kingdome it is to escape the wrath of God and to keepe our handes from reaching vnto wickednesse And here looke what Kaines age was for impietie so was this for so Christ ioynes them together Mat. 23. That all the righteous blood from Abel hitherto might come vpon them Thus Ioas forgot the kindnesse which Iehoida the father of Zacharias had done to him And when the yeare was out the Host of Aram came vp against Ioas and they came against Iuda and Ierusalem and destroyed all the Princes of the people from amonge the people and sent all the spoyle of them vnto the King of Damascus Though the Armie of Aram came with a small companie of men yet the Lord deliuered a verie great Armie into their hand because they had forsaken the Lord God of their Fathers And they gaue sentence against Ioash and when they were departed from him for they left him in great diseases his owne seruants conspired against him for the blood of the children of Iehoiada the Sacrificer and slue him on his bed And he died and they buried him in the Citie of Dauid but they buried him not in the Sepulchres of the Kings 2. Chron. 24. Saint Mathew in the Genealogie saith that Ioas was not the natural Sonne of Ochosias for he omits three Kings in the Genealogie First let vs see why hee omits any and then why these three It is certaine that the Iewes wrote the Genealogies and reduced them to sixe Seuens two and Fortie Fathers Saint Mathew was to take them as hee found them seeing they spake true For it was ynough to tell that Christ was of Abraham and Ioseph The rest betwixt are to shew the varietie of Gods wisedome and prouidence The six Seuens haue in them a sweet proportion to the creation and that they make vp two and Fortie they resemble the standings in the wildernesse being likewise two and Fortie Standings Now for the reason why Sant Mathew leaueth out three this it is They were verie wicked and for their wickednesse were grieuously plagued and therefore seeing the Iewes would not exceede the number of two and Fortie they were the fittest to bee left out The like example we haue in the blessing of Moses where Simeon is left out being wicked and the number of Twelue must bee obserued And in the Reuelation where the Tribes are sealed Dan is omitted for the reason afore euen so these three kings being very wicked had violent deaths in token of Gods curse and therefore the Iewes penning Christs Auncestors might iustly leaue them out To proceed when Henocke was taken vp there was a prophecie for the flood In Hebers daies Pelegs name prophecied the cōfounding of their tongues When Elias is taken vp there is presently a great alteration for Ochosias is killed and Athalia doth in sixe yeares as it were vnconquer the Land and bring all to an vproare Ioas the remnant of the Kings seede preserued by Iehoiada the high Sacrificer from slaughter commeth vp verie weakely thereby to shew vnto vs that there is no strength in man whose breath is in his nostrils 3161. Amasias Nine and Twentie yeares HE did vprightly in the eyes of the Lord but not with a perfect heart meaning in respect of his predecessors albeit he had his imperfections For when the Kingdome was established vnto him he slue his seruants that had slain the King his Fathers but he slue not their children but did as it is written in the Lawe and in the Booke of Moses Deut. 24.16 Where the Lord commaunded saying The Fathers shall not die for the children neither shall the Children die for the Fathers but euery man shall die for his owne sinne And Amasias assembled Iudah and made warre against Edom and smote off the children of Seir ten Thousand and other ten Thousand the Children of Iudah tooke aliue and carried them to the toppe of a Rocke and cast them downe from the top and they all burst to peeces Now after that Amasias was come from the slaughter of the Edomites he brought the Gods of the children of Seir and set them vp to be his Gods and worshipped them and burned incense vnto them So that instead of praise giuing to God for his victorie he committeth grosse Idolatry Now after the time that Amasias did turne away from the Lord they wrought treason against him in Ierusalem and hee fled to Lachish and they sent after him and slue him there and he was brought vpon horses and buried with his Fathers in the Citie of Iuda 2. Chron. 25. Here you see a good beginning but an ill end and that God plagueth by those means wherein men most trust to teach them that he sitteth vpon a fiery throne thereby to cause them haue their affections setled only
groues and high places prophaned the name of the mightie God of Iacob Whose sin saith the Prophet Ieremie c. 17. is written with a pen of iron and with the point of a Diamond grauen vpon the table of their hearts and vpon the hornes of their Altars They shall serue their enemies in the land which they know not for they haue kindled a fire in the Lords anger which shal burne for euer saith the Lord. For where the Lord said Take heede to your soules and beare no burthen on the sabbath day nor bring it in by the gates of Ierusalem but sanctifie the sabbath as I commanded your fathers they obeyed not neither inclined their eares but said desperately surely we will walke after our owee imaginations and doe euery man according to the stubbornnes of his wicked heart Therefore thus saith the Lord The Virgin of Israel hath done very filthily will a man forsake the snowe of Lebanon which commeth from the rocke or shall the cold flowing waters that come from an other place be forsaken I shall scatter them with an East winde before the enemie and I will shew them the backe and not the face in the day of their destruction their children shall be deliuered vp to famine and they droppe away by the force of the sword their citie shall be desolate and an hissing and they shall eate the flesh of their owne children For the Lord will visite them according to the fruit of their workes and kindled a fire to deuoure them round about For his kindred he was of Nimrod of Chams house and partaker of the ancient curse Gen. 10. For we doe not reade that euer he acknowledged the Redemption by Christ which is the summe of al saluation though he by punishments was forced to acknowledge the power of God in his iudgments This is the case of all wicked His countrie was called Babel or Shinear Babel signifying Confusion Shinear Shake off God gaue him a stroke ouer al the world but the glory of captiuing Sems house was the greatest honour this was a wonderfull blessing of God to make himselfe knowne in Babylon rather than among other heathen if he had rightly embraced it but we cannot finde that euer he came to any hope of grace But it was a wonderfull iudgement vpon the Iewes for God thereby shewed himselfe to be better knowen in Babylon though but barely confessed Creator than he was in Dauids kingdome at home who neither acknowledged him Redeemer nor Creator This conquest of Nebucadnetzar ouer the Iewes was prophesied of long before by Ieremie cap. 25. in these wordes From the thirteenth yeare of Iosias the sonne of Amon King of Iudah the word of the Lord came vnto me and I haue spoken vnto you rising earely and speaking but ye would not heare Therefore thus saith the Lord of hostes because ye haue not heard my wordes I will send and take to me all the families of the North and Nebucadnetzar the King of Babel my seruant that is in executing Gods iudgments and will bring them against this land and this whole land shall be desolate and these nations shall serue the King of Babel seauenty yeares This by faith they might haue preuented as did the Niniuites For the Lord promised if they would turne euery one from his euil way and from the wickednesse of their inuentions they should dwel in the land that the Lord had giuen them and their fathers for euer and euer and that he would not punish them But in this we see the purpose of God to be eternall He suffereth his chosen to be tryed and chastised with the afflictions of wicked men that thereby the condemnation of the vngodly may be the swifter against themselues This victorie which God gaue vnto the Babylonians ouer the Iewes was not in that they in any thing deserued the fauour of God but to the end he might the sharplier be auenged of them as Ier. 25 And when these seauentie yeares are accomplished I will visite the King of Babel and that Nation saith the Lord for their iniquities euen the land of the Chaldeans and wil make it a perpetuall desolation and will bring vpon that land all my wordes which I haue pronounced against it for many nations and great Kings shall euen serue themselues of them Thus will I recompence them according to their deedes and according to the workes of their owne handes For loe I beginne to plague the citie where my name is called vpon and should you goe free yee shall not goe quite saith the Lord of hosts When the Lord hath accomplished all his worke vpon mount Zion and Ierusalem I will visite the fruit of the prowd King of Ashur and his glorious and prowd lookes because he said By the power of mine owne hand haue I done it and by my wisedome because I am wise Shall the axe boast it selfe against him that heweth with it or the saw exalt it selfe against him that moueth it therfore shall the Lord send among his fat men leannesse and vnder his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of fire and shall consume the glory of his forrest and of his fruitfull field both soule and flesh and he shall be as the fainting of a Standard-bearer For the Lord of hosts shall make the consumption euen determined in the middest of al the land Therefore O people of Sion be not afraid of Ashur he shall smite thee with a rodde nor shall lift vp his staffe against thee after the manner of Egipt But yet a very little time and the wrath shall be consumed and the Lord of hostes shall raise vp a scourge for him according to the plague of Midian in the rocke Oreb as his staffe was vpon the sea so he will lift it vp after the manner of Egipt For behold the day of the Lord commeth cruel with wrath and fierce anger to lay the land waste and he shall destroy the sinners out of it He will visite the wickednesse of the world and their iniquity vpon the wicked and will cause the arrogancie of the prowd to cease and will cast downe the pride of tyrants Their children also shall be broken in peeces before their eyes their houses spoyled and their wiues rauished For Babel the glory of kingdomes the beautie and pride of the Chaldeans shal be as the destruction of God in Sodom and Gomora It shall not be inhabited for euer neither shall it bee dwelt in from generation to generation neither shall the Arabian pitch his tents there neither shall the sheepheards make their fouldes there But Zijm shall lodge there and their houses shall be full of Ohim Ostriges shall dwell there and the Satires shall dance there And Iim shall crie in their places Then shalt thou take vp this Prouerb against the King of Babel say How hath the oppressor ceased and the gold-thirstie Babel rested the Lord hath broken the rodde of the wicked and the scepter of
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
ond the Prophets shall bee as winde and the word is not in them Wherefore thus saith the Lord God of hostes because yee spake such wordes I will bring a Nation vpon you from farre O house of Israel which is a mighty Nation and an ancient Nation and a Nation whose language thou knowest not neither vnderstandest what they say whose quiuer is an open sepulchre they are all very strong and they shall eate thine haruest and thy bread and they shall deuoure thy sonnes and thy daughters they shall eate vp thy sheep and thy bullockes they shal eate thy vines and thy figge trees they shall destroy with the sword thy fenced cities wherein thou didst trust Neuerthelesse saith the Lord at those daies I will not make a full end of you And when you shall say Wherefore doth the Lord these things vnto vs then shalt thou answere them Like as you haue forsaken me and serued strange Gods in your land so shall yee serue strangers in a land that is not yours Declare this in the house of Iacob and publish it in Iudah for among my people are found wicked persons that lay waite as he that setteth snares and as a cagefull of birdes so is their housefull of deceit they do ouerpasse the deeds of the wicked they execute no iudgment no not the iudgment of the fatherlesse And shall not visite for these things saith the Lord or shall not my soule be auenged on such a Nation as this an horrible and filthy thing is committed in the land the Prophets prophesie lies and the Priests receiue gifts in their hands ard my people delight therein Here the crowne and kingdome is ouerthrowen according to that prophecie I will ouerturne ouerturne ouerturne the kingdome vntill he come vnto whome the crowne and diademe doth belong meaning Christ And indeede the Iewes after this time had neuer an established kingdome seuerall to themselues free from forraine gouernment 3414. Ezechiel prophecieth WHo cap. 1. sawe the heauens open and foure beastes that is Angels like a man a lyon an eagle and an oxe full of eyes and with foure winges and aboue the firmament that was ouer their head was the fashion of a throne like vnto a Saphir stone and vpon the similitude of the throne was by appearance as the similitude of a man vpon it and the likenesse of the bow that is in the clowd in the day of raine so was the apparance of the light round about it this was the apparance of the similitude of the glory of the Lord. Ezechiel being in Chaldea in a vision is carried into Ierusalem and there seeth the glory of God as before and sawe horrible idolatrie The similitude of creeping things and abhominable beasts and all the idols of the house of Israel painted vpon a wall whence the wrath of Christ kindled against them is thus signified one from the throne of Saphir stone clothed with linnen filleth his hands with coles of fire scattereth them ouer Ierusalem So in the fall of the Church Ap. 8. The Angell tooke the censure and filled it with fire of the Altar and cast it into the earth and there were voices and thundrings and earthquakes 3419. Temple burnt IN the Nineteenth yeare of king Nebuchadnetzar king of Babel came Nebuzaradan cheefe Steward and seruant of the king of Babel to Ierusalem and burnt the house of the Lord and the kings house and all the houses of Ierusalem Also all the pillars of brasse the bases the brasen sea did the Chaldees breake and carried the brasse of them to Babel The pots also and the besomes the instruments of musick and the incense ashes and all the vessels of brasse that they ministred in tooke they away It is to be noted that so long as the Temple stood there was peace in all the earth but it being once ouerthrowne there was after that generall warres the Persians against the Babylonians and the Babylonians against all Nations and the Grecians against the Persians For when God once plagued his owne people his iustice was extended ouer all and as it was Seuen yeres in building so Nebuchadnetzar was Seuen yeares a beast for destroying it that is the heart of a man not the bodie of a man was taken from him Megastenes an ancient author writeth that Nebuchadnetzar at his return home was striken with madnes and died crying incessantly to the Babilonians that a great mischiefe was nere them which all the power of their Gods could not stay For quoth he a Hafeasse of Persia shall come make vs thrals The man that he spake of was Cyrus who as Alexander Polihistor witnesseth builded vp the temple of Ierusalē againe Here is performed Iere. 20. I will make this Citie desolate and an hissing so that euerie one that passeth by shall be astonished and hisse because of all the plagues thereof for the people are all rebellious traytors they are brasse and yron they all are destroyers And Ierem. 7. Wherefore thus saith the Lord Is this house become a denne of Theeues wherevpon my name is called before your eyes This our Sauiour Christ in the 21. of Mathew vseth to the mony changers Behold I see it saith the Lord. But goe ye now to Silo where I set my name at the beginning and behold what I did to it for the sinnes of my people Israel euen so will I doe to this house wherein also ye trust euen to the place that I gaue to you and to your Fathers as I haue done vnto Silo. And I will cast you out of my sight as I haue cast all your brethren euen all the children of Ephraim For seest thou not what they doe in the Cities of Iudah and in the streetes of Ierusalem The children gather wood the fathers kindle the fire and the women knead the dough to make Cakes to the Queene of heauen and to powre out drinke offerings vnto other Gods that they may prouoke mee vnto anger Therefore thus saith the Lord God Behold my anger and my wrath shall be powred vpon this place vpon man and vpon beast and vpon the tree of the field and vpon the fruite of the ground and it shall burne and not bee quenched Ezech. 4. And behold I will breake the staffe of bread in Ierusalem and they shall eat bread by waite and with care and they shall drinke water by measure and with astonishment And Ezek. 5. the third part of thee shall die with pestilence and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee and another third part shall fall by the sword and I will scatter the last third part into all the winds and I will draw a sword after them saith the Lord so thou shalt be a reproach and shame a chastisement and astonishment vnto the Nations when I shall execute my iudgments For I will send vpon you a famine and beasts and pestilence and blood shall passe thorough thee I the Lord haue spoken it These plagues were
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
Nebuchadnetzar his Grandfather blasphemed God and polluted his vessels For hee made a great banquet and called therevnto his wiues and his Concubines his Lords and his Nobles and was drunke with the wine which hee dranke out of the vessels of the house of the Lord which Nebuchadnetzar had brought out from the Temple of Ierusalem and the same houre whilst he was boasting of himselfe in the pride of his greatnesse a peece of hand writeth on the wall where hee was banqueting Mene Mene Tekel Vpharsin At the sight whereof his countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him so that the ioynts of his loynes were loosened and his knees smote one against the other and his Princes were astonied Wherefore he sent for all his Astrologians Caldeans and Soothsayers to tel him the interpretation of the words but they could not then the Queene mother to wit Nebuchadnetzars wife and Grandmother to Baltazar telleth the King that there was in his Kingdome a man in whom was the spirite of the holy Gods light and vnderstanding and wisedome was found in him whome Nebuchadnetzar made chiefe of the Enchaunters Astrologians Caldeans and Soothsayers because a more excellent spirite and knowledge and vnderstanding was found in him for hee did expound dreames and declare hard sentences and dissolued doubts euen Daniel whome the King named Belteshazter according to the name of Nebuchadnetzars God which hee did of purpose Daniel being young to make him forget his owne name and thereby his Religion if it could haue been for Daniels name indeed contained singuler assurance of Gods mercie towards him Daniel God is my Iudge Then Daniel was brought before the King and the King spake and sayd vnto Daniel Art thou that Daniel which art of the Children of the Captiuitie of Iudah whome my Father the King brought out of Iurie I haue heard of thee that the spirite of the holy Gods is in thee and that light and vnderstanding and excellent wisedome is found in thee Now wise men and Astrologians haue ben brought before me that they should read this writing shew me the interpretation but they could not which if thou canst doe it thou shalt bee clothed with purple and shalt haue a chaine of gold and bee the thirde ruler in my Kingdome Then Daniel answered before the King Keepe thy rewards to thy selfe and giue thy gifts to another Yet will I reade the writing vnto the King and shew him the interpretation By the way wee haue here to vnderstand how godly men cannot liue in a kingdome but God will make them known to be his seruants which they may knowe if they despise vnlawfull preferments trusting to the prouidence of God Abraham was of this Religion hee would not bee enriched by the King of Sodome And Moses had rather suffer affliction with the Children of God than to bee called the Sonne of Pharaohs Daughter Daniel before hee readeth the writing declareth to the King his wonderfull and impious ingratitude towards God considering his wonderfull worke toward his Grandfather and so sheweth that he doth not sinne of ignorance but of malice and therefore cannot be forgiuen Daniels speach is bold yet reuerent O King heare thou The most high God gaue vnto Nebuchadnetzar thy Father a Kingdome and maiestie and honour and glorie and for the maiestie that he gaue him all people Nations and languages trembled and feared before him He put to death whom he would and whome he would he smote he set vp whome hee would and whome hee would hee put downe but when his heart was puft vp and his minde hardned in pride hee was deposed from his kingly throne and they tooke his honour from him and hee was driuen from the Sons of men and his heart was made like the beasts and his dwelling was with the wilde Asses they fed him with grasse like Oxen and his body was weat with the deaw of heauen till he knew that the most high God bare rule ouer the kingdom of men that he appointeth ouer it whomsoeuer hee pleaseth And thou his Sonne O Belshatzer hast not humbled thy heart though thou knewest all these things But hast lift vp thy selfe against the Lord of heauen and they haue brought the vessels of his house before thee and thou and thy Princes thy wiues and thy Concubines haue drunke wine in them and thou hast praysed the Gods of siluer and gold of brasse yron wood and stone which neither see nor heare â—or vnderstand and the God in whose hand thy breath is and all thy wayes him hast thou not glorified ⧠Now this is the writing that he hath written This is the interpretation Mene Mene Mene. God hath numbred thy kingdome and hath finished it Tekel Tekel Thou art weighed in the ballance and art found too light Vpharsin Peres Thy Kingdome is diuided giuen to the Medes Persians The same night was Baltasar the King of the Caldees slaine and Darius of the Medes tooke the Kingdome Thus the head of gold is punned to dust and Babylon the Lion is cast into the fire by Christ the fierie Iudge And here endeth the glorie of the Babylonians Now the Seuenty yeres of captiuing the Iewes is accomplished and the plague ruine of Babylon foretold by the Prophets is now performed For Cyrus of Sem and Darius of Iaphet ioyne together to ouerthrow Baltasar of Chams house here Iaphet is perswaded to dwell with Sem and Canaan is made a seruant of seruants to them both according to Gen. 10. Now followeth to be handled the ouerthrow of Babel and the prophecies which concerne the same and by whome the destruction is prophecied A Greeuous vision was shewed vnto mee The transgressor against a transgressor and the destroyer against a destroyer Goe vp Elam besiege O Madat By Elam he meaneth the Persians by Madai the Meedes This prophesie was foretold a Hundred yeares before this time Esay 13. Behold I will stirre vp the Medes against them which shall not regard siluer nor be desirous of gold their children also shal be broken in peeces before their eyes their houses shall be spoyled and their wiues rauished Of Cyrus one Hundred yeares before hee was borne the Lord said Esay 44. Cyrus thou art my shepheard and he shall perfourme all my desire saying also to Ierusalem Thou shalt be built and to the Temple thy foundation shall be surely layd And Esay 45. Thus sayth the Lord vnto Cyrus his annointed whose right hand I haue holden to subdue Nations before him Therefore I will weaken the loynes of Kings and open the dores before him and the gates shall not bee shut This is verified when Baltazar being drunke at his banquet the watches of the Citie were left open that Cyrus and Darius came suddainly vpon them It is sayd further there I will goe before thee and make the crooked streight I will breake the brasen dores and brust the yron barres and I will giue thee the treasures of darknesse and
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
The number of the generations are 75 answerable in number to Abrahams yeares when the promise concerning the state of the outward Canaan figuring the spiritual holy land was giuen vnto him The key of all Chronicles is taught in Luke 3. Where he compareth the age of Christ with the Romane Empire whereby the writers of Chronicles are taught to compare the heathen histories with the Bible without which place they should hardly haue beene compared so certaine as now they may AT twelue yeares of age Iesus is found in the Temple disputing among the Doctors doubtlesse of the Messias seeing therein all wisdome standeth This twelue hath comparison with the yeres of Salomons age when he decided the controuersie for the dead child But saith S. Mathew Behold a greater than Salomon 3956. Christ baptized BEginning to be thirtie yeares olde according to the manner of the high sacrificer which shadowed Christ who might not enter into that office before he was Thirtie yeares olde His name Christ signifieth Annointed so Aaron in Hebrew signifieth Annointed Now in the Fifteenth yeare of Tiberius Caesar Pontius Pilate beeing gouernour of Iudea and Herod being Tetrarch of Galile and his brother Philip Tetrarch of Iturea and of the country of the Trachonitis and Lysanias the Tetrarch of Abilene when Annas and Caiphas were the high Priests the word of God came vnto Iohn the sonne of Zacharias in the wildernesse and he came into all the coasts of Iordan preaching the baptisme of repentance for the remission of sins as it was foretold Esay 40. The voice of a cryer in the wâ—ldernesse is 5 Prepare the way of the Lord make his paths streight euerie valley shall be filled and euerie mountaine and hill shall bee brought lowe and crooked things shall be made streight and the rough waies shall be made smooth and all flesh shall see the saluation of God The people maruailed at him thinking him to bee Christ but Iohn answered I baptize you with water but one stronger than I commeth whose shooes latchet I am not worthy to vnloose hee will baptize you with the holy ghost and with fire Thus then with many exhortations hee preached vnto the people Now it came to passe as all the people were baptized Iesus also is baptized at Iordan the place of passage and the heauens did open as to the passage of the children of Israel Of this Dauid 114. Psal speaketh Iordan what ayleth thee that thou art turned backe As touching the peculiar act of baptizing it seemeth that the Leuites wayted for some speciall thing vpon it in that they asked of Iohn How happeneth it that thou baptizest if thou bee neither Christ nor Elias the Prophet After this Iohn Baptist hauing beene put in prison for rebuking Herod the Tetrarch for Herodias his brother Philips wife and because of an oath he made to Herodias Daughter is beheaded Mat. 14. And Iesus full of the holy ghost returneth from Iordan and was in the wildernesse fortie dayes and fortie nights as was Moses and was tempted of the Deuill Luk. 4. At Nazareth he sheweth out of Esay all the ioy of the proclamation of the ioyfull or Iubilee yeare to bee fulfilled in him that day At Nazareth also out of Esay hee sheweth the nature of his name Christ for that God annointed him to shew the glad tidings to the poore to heale the broken in heart to preach to the captiues libertie and to the blinde recouerie of sight to proclaime the shaking away of all burthens the ioyfull yeare of the Lord and sheweth how that day that scripture was fulfilled in their eares Now the proclaiming of the Iubilee yeare was on the Tenth day of Tisri euen the same day that the high priest entred into the sanctuarie It seemed therefore that he that day expounded the name and office of the Messias Christ preacheth the word of God in euery towne all his preachings are of the forgiuenesse of sinnes and of the Kingdome of heauen His Disciples were alwaies importune in asking him Lord when wilt thou set vp the Kingdome of Israel againe in stead of contenting them he answereth concerning the Kingdome of heauen One of them would needes haue sit on his right hand and another on his left but he answereth Whosoeuer will be greatest let him be least Hee feedeth Foure thousand with fiue loaues and two fishes Easter being neere but hee went not to the feast This Christ by his power and prouidence doth to the worlds end which we by experience doe knowe if wee marke the woonderfull encrease of the blessings of God He teacheth of the Manna that giueth life vnto the world also of the eating of his flesh and drinking of his blood Easter being neere On the Fiue and twentie of Cisleu Dan. 8. Christ celebrateth the feast that Iudas Machabeus ordained in memorie of the Temple renued from the idolatrie of Antiochus and there hee teacheth that hee is Michael in the forme of God that standeth for his people saying My Father and I am one and none can take my sheepe from me He goeth into Iericho the City of Rahab which was accursed by Iosua in old time and there saueth Zache a chiefe publican froÌ„ the curse He raiseth Lazarus from death Lazarus is my God is the helpe Christ is sayd to loue him Ioh. 11.3 as he loueth all that answere to that name whereof in that parable Luk. 16. Lazarus is set downe for any godly men Moses handleth this name Exod. 2. when he calleth Sonne Eleasar or Lazarus for Eleasar is the same in signification with Lazarus Vpon this occasion for raysing to life the dead for louing of those who hold God their helper the high Priests assembled the Sanedrin or high counsell and from that day they took counsell how to kill him After this he suppeth in Bethani the house of affliction Sixe dayes before the Passeouer where Marie with precious Nard annointeth him vnto his buriall This is foretold in the Song of songs When the King did sit at his repast my Spikenard gaue the smell thereof He commeth to Ierusalem the people tooke palme treeboughes and goe to meet him saying Hosanna It is to bee vnderstood that the feast of Tabernacles ordayned to begin the Fifteenth of Tisri was ordained in token of Gods defence of the people in the cloude in the wildernesse which signified the dwelling of the word of God in the nature of man And whereas hee was borne the day of preparing the boughes and then baptized and at the feast of Tabernacles proclaimed himselfe that all should come to him that thirsted to haue waters of life out of the rocke this being not vnderstood in the feast of Tabernacles the people now performe that which was to bee done in bearing the boughes they cryed Hosanna whereof those boughes were called Hosanna so that in Hosanna to the Sonne of Dauid they meane thus much these boughes we beare in the honour of the Sonne of Dauid Iesus bewayleth Ierusalem