THE TIMES PLACES AND Persons of the holie Scripture Otherwise entituled THE GENERALL VIEW OF THE HOLY Scriptures AT LONDON ¶ Printed by Thomas Purfoot for Richard Ockould 1607. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL SIR IOHN Brograue Knight his Maiesties Atturney generall of the Duchy of Lancaster RIght Worshipfull the written copie of this booke comming to my hands was thought worthy the presse by men of good iudgement and learning for that it might bee profitable to many aswell those that intend the studie and profession of Diuinitie as to all other good Christians The Author of the booke is vncertaine to me but his worke manifesteth that he was learned and religious which mooued me though with no small charge to impart the same to all and to make it publike And for that the same wanteth the Authors name I thought fit it should not want a Patron neither knew I any other more worthy to whom I might recommend the Patronage thereof than your worship in regard of that seruice wherein I stand bound to your selfe and that most worthy societie of Greyes Inne It may please you therefore to accept the same in good part And I shall euer remaine yours to be commanded Richard Ockould THE AVTHORS EPISTLE TO THE CHRIstian Reader HAuing long purposed to bring into one frame The generall view of the holy Scripture and resoluing the ease would been laying before your eyes The Times Places and principall Persons mentioned in Moses and scattered through the Prophets Opportunitie now fitting my purpose I thought it good by this Tract to manifest the plainnesse of the Truth which all either doe or ought to know that would enioy eternall happinesse by knitting into one bodie the ioynts of Histories The perfect vnderstanding whereof giueth light to the blind eyes to the ignorant and iudgment to such as willingly embrace the knowledge of heauenly wisedome A GENERALL VIEW OF THE HOLY SCRIPTVRES Iehouah our God Iehouah is one Deut. 6.4 Iehouah Is a name of great force to driue vs to the due reuerence of Gods eternall Maiestie for it containeth the Wisedome Power and Eternitie of God His Wisedome In giuing a name vnto himselfe answerable to the glorie of his Maiestie This name was had in great reuerence among the Iewes they trembled to name or read it but vsed the name Adoni Lord. After their comming from Babel they neuer vsed the name Iehouah but a name of twelue Letters containing Father Sonne and holy spirit Iehouah hath in it the fiue Vowels which are the sinewes of all tongues And as without them no tongue can be expressed so without the true knowledge of Iehouah no flesh can be saued It signifieth Praise me the eternall God it containeth in it Father Sonne and holy Ghost His Power In that from Iehouah all Creatures haue their breathing and their being which also in Iehouah is closely expressed For as it consisteth of fiue Vowels so also hath it two hh which schollers call aspirations or breathings which two aspirations make vp the number of 7 which is the number of the Sabbath Saint Paul closely alluding to the name of Iehouah sayth That from him we haue our breathing and our being and in Esay 57. the Lord saith The blasting goeth forth from me and is included in the bodie I made the breath So often therefore as we breath we are to remember the power and maiesty of Iehouah His Eternity Is closely expressed in these 3. letters י ו ה whose terminations are Iod Vaw He is a signe of the future tense presen tense preterperfect tense This is made plaine in Apo. 1. who was is will be to come Our God HErein is expressed the humanitie of Christ for it is neither added to the Father the first person in trinitie nor to the holy Ghost the third person but to the Sonne the second person who was to become ours by taking our nature vpon him Some hold it not to bee meant of the humanitie of Christ but for a word of separation of the God of the Iewes from the gods of the Gentiles To remooue such absurditie the holy Ghost in Marke 13. when there was no difference between the Iew and the Gentile repeateth the verie wordes of Moses Deut. 6. The Lord our God the Lord is one thrise naming God as commaunding vs thereby to vnderstand Father Sonne and holy spirit For this is alwayes to bee obserued whatsoeuer God speaketh of himselfe is to bee taken in the heauenlyest vnderstanding that can be made of it Iehouah our God Iehouah is one There be three in heauen the Father Word and holy Spirit And these Three are one 1. Ioh. 5.7 THe Trinitie is heere described to be one vnited God-head distinguishable in persons but vndiuidable in coeternitie one in three and three in one God who created redeemed and sanctified all one onely wise God who was shewed in the flesh was iustified in the spirite was seene among Angels was preached to the Gentiles was beleeued of the world and receiued vp in glorie 1. Timothy 3. Which to know is the first and chiefest point of all saluation as Iohn 17.3 This is eternall life to knowe the Father and him whome hee hath sent Iesus Christ which must be the true vnderstanding of the Bible as Iohn 5.39 Search the Scriptures and in them yee shall finde eternall life Some will say it is ynough to know Christ crucified Pilate Herod and Iudas the Traytor knewe that yet went to eternall destruction Wherefore saluation consisteth not in outward knowledge but in renewing the spirit of our vnderstanding which standeth first in the knowledge and feare of God then in the knowing of our selues which are the first two steppes to saluation for true knowledge is the mother of godlynesse And as the eye is the light of the body so is vnderstanding the light of the minde This a man hauing truly learned hee is to meditate of the graces of Christ offered vnto vs by his word God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the world c. HErein wee are to consider the louing kindnesse of God to exceed our deserts in louing vs to saluation before wee were The Papists hold merite of saluation which cannot any way hold seeing God of his vnspeakable grace hath elected vs vnto saluation before wee knew him This misterie of gods Election is not fully receiued of all because men take not words of scripture in their proper sense as they are layd downe Election is the eternall counsell of God for the sauing and reiecting of some before the beginning of the world The Heathen neuer receiued comfort by this for being told before of thinges afterward to come to passe they could not knowe the reason but thought that the actions of men were gouerned by the motions of starres and the course of nature and not by the decree or fore-purpose of God who worketh euerie thing according to the counsell of his owne will and not according to our reason Then
and fetch a Kid that thereof she might make pleasant meat for Isaack Iacob is affraid she comforteth him for she had her warrant from God that the elder should serue the yonger and therefore shee boldly aduentureth He commeth to Isaack who supposeth him to bee Iacob by his voyce but feeling the roughnesse of his handes and necke is perswaded that it is Esau and blesseth him When hee was blessed in commeth Esau with his venison and prayeth his Father to blesse him Isaack was now astonied to thinke of this subtiltie His spirite must needs be full of feare to thinke how hee whom he would haue blessed the Lord would not choose Isaack therefore seeing the euent acknowledgeth the election of God in Iacob and concludeth that he shall be blessed Now here is a question to be handled When Iacob saith I am thy Sonne Esau And Isaac answereth It is Iacobs voice Whether Iacob doth lye or no. This answere of Iacobs if we expound in the best sence is no lye for then it is no more but a kind of scoffing called Ironia So God speaketh in Gen. 3. Behold the man is become as one of vs to know good and euill So Christ in the Gospell commeth to his Disciples and finding them a sleepe saith Sleepe henceforth Wee may answere it further thus Iacob in respect of the purpose of God which chose him for the blessed might verie well bee called the onely Sonne Besides in regard of ciuill right now hee was his eldest Sonne seeing hee had bought the birth-right of Esau Whether it were a lye or no we will leaue it to God and wee cannot altogether condemne this answere seeing God approoueth it by giuing Iacob the blessing Plato saith When men are dead wee cannot aske them what they meant Therefore we must expound their speeches and their actions to the best meaning And further words are not alwayes to be taken in proper kinde of speaking For Abram defendeth himselfe that Sara was his Sister to wit the Daughter of his Father but not the daughter of his mother Ioseph sweareth by the life of Pharaoh if you take the words as they lye in proper sence he sinned greatly and was euen for his oath the worst of all Iacobs Sonnes But Salmo Iirki expoundeth him thus by the life of Pharaoh you are Spies that is Pharaohs life is a wormes life which in account is no life euen so are ye no Spies in truth though you may seem so to be So likewise Hushai answereth Absalom for when Absalom saw Hushai Dauids Counsellor he asketh him Is this thy kindnesse to thy friend Why wentest thou not with thy friend meaning Dauid Hushai answereth Nay but whom the Lord and this people and all the men of Israel chose his will I be and with him will I dwell This sentence hath a double meaning either that he meant to serue Absalom or King Dauid Therefore when thinges are spoken doubtfully we must marke how men may in wit expound them 2183. Abraham died Gen. 25. Being One hundred Seuentie and fiue yeares old He was buried in Hebron 2188. Heber died Gen. 11. Being Foure hundred Seuentie and fiue yeares old He was the longest liuer of any that was borne after the flood 2231. Ismael died being 137. yeares old THe prophet Esay Cap. 66. prophecying of the calling of the Gentiles nameth the two eldest Sonnes of Ismael Nebaioth and Kedar saying The Rammes of Nebaioth shall serue thee and the sheepe of Kedar shall be gathered vnto thee Againe hee nameth two of Abraham by Ketura Sheba and Seba which two names doe also containe the Gentiles by Cham and the Gentiles of Sem by Iocktan So that vnder the names of the most worthy Gentiles which are the Gentiles by Abraham he sheweth the calling of all the Gentiles in the world Wherby we are taught that Ismaels posteritie was not wholy rooted out of the fauour of God as Ameleck was 2245. Iacob goeth to Laban Gen. 28. HE goeth into the Countrey of Mesopotamia to Laban There he serueth Twentie yeares This Laban was the Sonne of Bethuell and brother to Rebecca and of the house of Nachor the Brother of Abraham and Haran who remained in the Land of the Chaldees after Abrahams departure So that Laban though of Mesopotamia yet is neere kinsman to Iacob Iacob in this Iourney goeth ouer Iordan with his staffe and skrip as closely and secretly as hee could that thereby Esau might not know of his departure for Esau was mightie and as it appeareth afterwards had a band of Foure hundred men Alexander Polyhistor writeth of this flying of Iacob for feare of his brother Esau of his abode in Mesopotamia his seuen yeares seruice his marrying with two Sisters the number of his children the rauishing of Dina the slaughter of Sichem the selling of Ioseph and of his imprisonment his deliuerance for expounding of dreames his authoritie in Egipt his marrying with Putifars daughter his two Sons by name that were borne of her the comming of his Brethren into Egypt the Feast that he made them the Fiue parts that he gaue to Beniamin whereof this Author intendeth to yeeld a reason the comming of Iacob and his whole houshold into Egypt of what age euerie of them was and how many children euerie one of them had and so he bringeth vs downe from Noah to the flood from the flood to Abraham from Abraham to Leui and from Leui to Moses notwithstanding euer among faults in recording the times with some other additions of small importance Which plainely shew that he had not those Histories immediately out of the Bible but out of some other bookes which he had seene elsewhere Iacob going to Haran stayeth by the way all night because the Sunne was downe and layd of the Stones of the place vnder his head and slept There hee seeth the Vision of the Ladder and when hee awaketh hee saith Surely the Lord was in this place and I was not ware of it Then he rose and tooke vp the stones and made a pillar and called it Bethel for he said This is no other but the house of Iehouah and the gate of heauen He seeth a Ladder c. THis Ladder representeth Christ the foot on the earth his humanitie and the top reaching to heauen his deity The Angels of God ascending and descending the meditations betwixt God and vs And the Lord standing aboue vppon it the readinesse of the Father to receiue our prayers This is expounded Ioh. 1.51 Ye shall see the heauens open and the Angels of God ascending and descending vppon the Sonne of man In this Vision of the Ladder we see the whole meditation of Christ is shewed to Iacob And if we duly consider it there could not bee a fitter similitude in the whole course of nature to represent the meditation than the Ladder For euen as in the Ladder if two or three steps be broken the Ladder is to no vse seeing wee can neither ascend nor goe downe by
some will say If God decreeth euerie thing why punisheth hee any thing It is answered That punishment commeth from God by the iust desert of the ranckor of mans minde Election is of his free grace which hee bestoweth vpon whome he will as he saith I will haue mercie on whome I will haue mercie Therefore the first thing wee ought to knowe is our Election the last is true holynesse That this Election or louing kindnesse of God towards vs is of the will of God according to the counsell of his owne will and not drawne from him by force by helpe of Saints or as being by workes meritorious of the same it may appeare Esay 43. Abraham knoweth vs not neither is Israel acquainted with vs but thou Lord art our Father and Redeemer and of very louing kindnesse thou hast redeemed vs thy name is euerlasting Rom. 8. It is Christ onely that maketh intercession for vs. Esay 43. I am he onely that for mine owne selues sake doe away thine offences and forget thy sinnes For what hast thou for thee to make thee righteous Thy first father offended sore and thy rulers haue sinned against mee Thou art like to a thing of naught thy time passeth away like a shadowe Iere. I loue thee with an euerlasting loue therefore by my mercy haue I drawne thee vnto mee and Iohn 6. No man can come to me except the father draw him as it is written Esay 54. They shall bee all taught of God Esay 26. Lord thou hast wrought all our workes Phil. 2. It is God that worketh in you both the will and also the deed euen of his good will 2. Cor. 3. Wee are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but if wee bee able the same commeth of God which made vs able Esay 51.12 Yea I euen I am he that in all things giueth you consolation Psal 130. For with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption 1. Pet. 1. We are elect according to the foreknowledge of God the father through the sanctifying of the spirit vnto obedience and sprinckling the blood of Iesus Christ Psal 90. Before the mountaines were brought foorth or euer the earth and the world were made thou art our God from euerlasting to euerlasting thou turnest man vnto dust and sayest returne yee sonnes of Adam Rom. 9. Before the children were borne and when they had done neither good nor euill that the purpose of God might stand not by workes but by the Caller it was sayd The greater shall serue the lesser as it is written Mal. 3. Iacob haue I loued Esau haue I hated Iohn 13. I know whom I haue chosen Psal 135. Whatsoeuer the Lord pleased that did he in heauen and in earth and in the sea and in all deepe places Rom. 11. There is a remnant left according to the election of grace If it be of grace then it is not now of workes for then grace is no more grace But if it be of workes then is it now no grace what then Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh but the election hath obtained it 2. Thes 2. We are bound to giue thankes alwayes to God because that God hath from the beginning chosen vs to saluation through sanctifying of the spirit and through beleeuing of the truth to obtaine the glory of our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 8. Moreouer whom hee appointed before them also hee called And whom he hath called them also he iustified and whom he iustified them hee also glorified Now followeth the effect of Election either in respect of the Elect or Reiect And first for the Elect. THe Elect whome God in his mercie hath saued for his righteousnes sake and not for their deserts he guideth by the grace of his holy spirit as Rom. 8. As many as are led by the spirit of God they are the Sons of God Esay 43. All those that are called by my name I haue created fashioned and made for my honour Yet he leaueth them sometimes vnto themselues that they may acknowledge the weaknes of their owne nature as Noah Lot Iacob Dauid Salomon Peter and others but neuer suffereth them to fall quite away as appeareth Esay 54. A little while haue I forsaken thee but with great mercie will I take thee vp vnto me When I was angrie with thee I hid my face from thee for a little season but through euerlasting mercie haue I redeemed thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer The mountaines shall moue and the hils shall fall downe but my louing kindnes shall not mooue and the bond of my peace shall not fall downe from thee saith the lord thy mercifull louer Psalme 37. The lord ordereth a good mans going and maketh his way acceptable vnto himselfe though he fall hee shall not be cast away for the lord vpholdeth him with his hand Psalme 103. He dealeth not with them after their sins nor rewardeth them according to their wickednes but looke how the heauen is in comparison of the earth so great is his mercie towards them that feare him for he knoweth whereof they be made and he remembreth that they are but dust He saueth their life from destruction and crowneth them with mercie and louing kindnes Esay 54. Lo this is the heritage of the lords seruants and their righteousnes commeth of me saith the lord The Reiect he leaueth to their owne selues hardening their hearts that hee may haue occasion of Iudgement against them Esay 57. They are like to the raging Sea that cannot rest whose water fometh with the myre and grauell for they haue no peace with God The winde shall blowe them forth and vanitie shall take them all away they are like to dust before the winde and like to the chaffe in a summer floore Psal 73. The lord suffereth them to come in no perrill of death but are lustie and stronge they come in no daunger like other folke neither are they plagued like other men and this is the cause that they be so holden with pride and ouerwhelmed with crueltie their eyes swell for fatnesse and they doe euen what they lust They corrupt others and speake of wicked blasphemie their talking is against the most highest Tush say they how shall God perceive it is their knowledge in the most highest Loe these are the vngodly and these haue riches in posession Such were Kaine the wicked mockers before the floode Cham the builders of Babel the vncleane Cities Ismael Esau Pharaoh Moab Ammon The wicked oppressors Saul Absalom the Kings of Israel and the Kings of Babel Antiochus the vild Herod Pilate and Iudas the traitour many others who brought vpon themselues iust cause of eternall condemnation Psal 73. The Lord hath set them in slipperie places and casteth them downe and destroyeth them Oh how suddenly doe they consume and perish and
died 905 yeeres old Kenan died being 910 yeeres old Mahalaleel died being 895 yeeres old Iared died 962 yeeres old While hee liued there was no proclaiming of the flood but presently after there was 480. 120. Yeres begin Gen. 6. WHerein Noah made the Arke for so long was he in making it not because he could not haue made it sooner for God could haue commanded it to be made with a word aswell as he made all the world but to shew the patience and long suffering of God in sparing his iudgements that they who would not heare the preaching of Noah might iustly be condemned Many things fall out in the Bible whose numbers are answerable to this of 120. 120. Nations paid tribute to bring the Iewes home from captiuity The gouernement of the Persians was about 120. yeeres 120. Seuerall nations that is some of euery Nation were at Ierusalem after Christs resurrection The Hebrewes descant very strangely with the letters of Iehouah and the 120. yeeres wherein the Arke was in making thus Multiplie 120. by the letter ×” which is 5. then you haue 600. Multiplie 600. which is Noahs age at the flood with the letter ×™ which is 10. then you haue 6000 The end of the world This is the consent of all the Hebrewes Here is a doubt to be discussed concerning the wordes spoken in Gen. 6. The occasion of the doubt ariseth thus God saith in Gen. 6. My spirit shall not alwaies striue with man his daies shal be 120. yeares In Ge. 5. Noahs age is reckoned and he is then said to be 500. yeares old and begetteth Sem Cham and Iapheth when his age is reckoned againe at the floude the summe is but 600. so that if the 6 chapter be in time after the fift and in the fift Noah is 500. yeares old and that afterwardes God saith the daies of all flesh shal bee 120. yeares then Noah at the floude must be 620. yeares for put 120. to 500. and you haue 620 but his age at the floude is but 600. Therefore some thinke that either the Chronicle is false or els the 20. yeares were shortned like as it shall bee in the ende of the world least els no flesh should be saued To answere this doubt we must obserue that it is no reason in Diuinitie that because a matter commeth or is made mention of in a Chapter afterwards that the time therfore of that storie or action followeth the Chapters or Actions going before For this is but a circumstance of method For Moses in penning the Scriptures vseth this order he layeth down things of like nature together as Genealogies together and such like though they differ in time because else hee should make often repetitions of the same things The obseruation of this caused the Hebrewes to set downe this rule that Moses in penning his story doth not regard the cricumstance of first and latter To wit he doth not set downe that in the first place which is first in time so that which is later in time afterwards but sometimes that which is later in the first place and that which is first in time in the last as the necessity of the narration giueth occasion This being thus made plaine the doubt is easily discussed for neither is Noah 620. yeares olde at the floude neither are the yeares of the floude any thing shortned but the Chronicle is altogether true For if wee referre the 120. yeares of the floude 20. yeares before that Chapter in which it was sayd Noah was 500. yeares old and begot Sem Cham and Iaphet then do we make all things agree without crossing one another And this of necessetie we must needs doe for seing God hath layd downe the Generals in proper and plaine termes we must so cast the particulers that they may make the generall true and no way alter it Besides we haue a like example for though all the liues deaths of the fathers before the floud are reckoned and summed vp together in one chapter we must not thinke that all their liues are precedent to the Chapters following for the Chronicle sheweth that Lamech liued fiue yeares before the floud and Methushelahs death and the beginning of the floud are very neere Euen so here this sentence of the 120. years is to be counted before the fift chapter wherein Noahs age is reckoned for the shortning of the daies at the end of the world the holy Ghost saith it shal be so But for the shortning of the daies at the floud we haue no such warrant in Moses Therfore we are not to beleiue it 120. Yeares begin Ge. 6. In which the Spirit of Christ preached while the Arke was in making VPon this sentence there dependeth a great and waightie question Whether Christ descended into Hell in his humane soule The cause why this question is necessarie to be handled is because diuers of the ancient fathers hold the opinion of Christ discent into hell in his humane soule whose opinions hauing been so superstitiously receiued haue drawen others of later time into the like errours But if men would follow the plainnesse layd downe in the Bible and with humilitie search it auoiding curiositie they neede not trouble themselues with the errors of the Fathers The words of the text 1. Pet. 3. are these Christ was dead concerning the flesh but was quickened by the Spirit By the which hee also went and preached to the spirits in prison which in times past disobeyed when once the long suffering of God abode in the daies of Noah while the Arke was in making Now the words whereupon this error is grounded are these Christ being dead as concerning the flesh went and preached to the spirits in prison Vpon this they gather that the spirits mentioned there are meant those in hell and went and preached that is after he was dead But if we compare these words with the residue and consider the time when this preaching was we shall see Saint Peter meaneth nothing lesse than the descending of Christs soule into hell For first the text saith Hee went and preached by the same spirit by which he was quickned This spirit is of necessitie the Godhead For what spirit was there that could loosen the sorrowes of death that they should not hold him and raise Christ from the dead but the Godhead of Christ Then the soules of all men godly or vngodlie being immortall cannot die and therefore this quickâ—ing cannot be meant of his humane soule for it needed none Besides we must consider to whom Saint Peter wrote to wit to the Iewes Now seeing Christ taught nothing but Moses and the Prophets and the Apostles nothing but what they learned of Christ with what conscience could Saint Peter write a storie to the Iewes of the seuere iustice of God which was neuer in Moses for Moses neuer mentioneth Christs descent into hell there to cause the wicked to be more tormented Therefore seeing this old opinion gathered out of
him by faith It is sayd that this commaundement of embracing Christ is the first for if this were not the other were to small purpose Now that the Iewes should not be amazed at sixe hundred and thirteene Lawes seuen weekes betweene their comming out of Egypt and the giuing of the Lawe were allowed them for meditation And yet as they made nothing of the Lambe so Antichrist treadeth vnder foot the sufferings of Christ This Commandement of thy God they brought out of Egypt Clemens Alexandrinus saith That Egypt is a signe of the wicked world therefore euerie man must looke by the Redeemer to bee deliuered And wee must remember Moses Law You shall not doe after the manner of the Nations from whence ye came nor whither you goe Concerning the Ceremonie of Sitting Standing at the Passeouer This is the consent of the Iewes they of fit yeares did sit Those which were young did stand vnlesse they were bidden to sit At the first instituting of the Passeouer the gesture was prescribed being fit for them who were presently with speed to passe away When it is repeated againe when they are in the Land this action is left out Christ sat with his Apostles after the manner of the wild Irish on the ground From this we may gather that it is left to the circumstance of time and place and which fitteth best in discretion the manners and comlinesse of the Countrey Therefore the best is that which the common weale alloweth Fiftie dayes after his ascention Christ sendeth downe his spirit And thereby maketh the preaching of the Gospell equall in maiestie to the giuing of the Law Concerning the day no day is prescribed therefore the Church thought good to appoint the first Sabbath after the full moone For Easter mention is made of the Lords day in the 20. Actes 1. Cor. 16. in cap. 1. The next thing to be handled is the giuing of the Law GOd calleth simple men out of Egypt and willeth them to heare and iudge of his Lawes and telleth them Heare Israel I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt c. In this first sentence you haue the Gospell taught in these wordes Thy God For by this is vnderstood the Redemption by Christ For though God in respect that he is Creator is God both of the wicked and the Godlie yet he neuer calleth himselfe The God of the wicked Hitherto is all the Lawe referred For all the prophesies in Christ are Yea and Amen This entrance to the Law by the Gospell is exceeding necessarie For seeing if we behold the infinite maiestie of God in our weaknesse there is no cause but of trembling and feare it pleaseth God in the face of Thy God the Redeemer to shew himselfe fauourable and reconciled whereby we may approch with boldnesse Yet this doctrine of the preaching of the Gospell in the Law hath beene verie much doubted of and hath beene thought erronious But I will aske them Seeing the Law comprehends all righteousnesse and there is no righteousnesse but which is there commanded if to beleeue in Christ which is the Gospell is not there commanded to doe it must needs be sinne And Saint Paul for commaunding beleife in Christ had bene by law lawfully put to death if Moses in his law had not commaunded it All our men which write Catechismes do apply the Sabbath and the Sacraments together so against their wils they confesse that the doctrine of the Sacraments is in the Law Saint Paul if he were demaunded this question would answere to this as Christ himselfe doth The Pharisees demand of Christ Which is the first Commandement He answereth them demandeth another question Whose sonne is the Messias They answere Dauids If he be Dauids sonne how then doth he in spirit call him Lord For if he be his Lord how is he then his sonne And thereupon because the Iewes vnderstood not this he pronounceth against them a great many of Woes This is yet thought doubtfull seeing the Creed hath beene taken for a distinct and diuided thing from the Law But if they marke they shall finde the verie same taught in the Creed which is taught in Heare Israel thy Lord thy God For I beleeue in God the Father Almightie and in Iesus Christ his onely sonne our Lord hath the very same sentence with the former Heare Israel I am the Lord thy God And surely they little know what they teach that doe not in such reference applie the Lawe and the Gospell together God deliuereth the Law in this sort I Am the Lord thy God which with a mightie hand and stretched-out arme shewing my wonders in the land of Egypt haue brought thee out of bondage It is therefore reason that seeing I onely haue done these things for you that you reuerence no Gods but me And seeing I neuer shewed my selfe in any bodily apparance and the Creatures doe but in a sort expresse my infinite power and wisedome it is reason that you should not after the manner of the Nations which I destroy make any image to represent my glory And seeing that hee hath commaunded Holinesse because he himselfe is Holy therefore we must take heed of foolish and vaine calling and talking of the name of God Now for as much as these things may the better be considered hee hath appointed a day of Rest that thereby calling to mind the Creation the fall and restoring we may sanctifie the Lord in our soules And hath appointed it the seuenth day because we should keepe in memorie how God rested from Creating and thereby learne that the true knowledge hereof is the Rest and life of the soule But seeing these things cannot be done without mainteining of policie therefore it is commanded that their should bee honour giuen to Superiors as to Fathers and loue performed by them to subiects as to children which is preserued if Murther Adulterie Theft False witnesse and an vniust desire of thâ— which is not ours be auoided These Lawes are so certaine and plaine that the heart of the simplest cannot but acknowledge them righteous For they may see likewise how one commaundement dependeth of another as lincks of a golden chaine The Cabalists say that these lawes were giuen to man for the sinne of the serpent that is to say not for vs to accomplish for wee cannot attaine thereto but to shew vnto vs how farre the infection of that venome hath carried vs away from that duetie which God requireth of vs which end of the lawe is greatly enlightned into vs by the comming of the Messias in that he teacheth vs that the Lawe is not satisfied with an outward and Pharisaicall obedience by hypocrisie but by the vncorrupt obedience of the heart and by the acknowledgement of our disobedience And Moses and the Prophets commaunded circumcision of heart the offering of prayse and obedience and to abstaine from vnhallowing the Sabbath day with vnrighteousnesse therefore the seruice which
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
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
Iustice to seale the vision and Prophet and to annoint the most Holy By which we are constrained highly to esteeme of the knowledge of the times for they are of as great force to the vnderstading of the Bible as the starres are in the heauens for giuing of light No part of the Bible but consisteth of time place or person If of time as one third part then the knowledge thereof is to be embraced and in no respect to be despised as lightly regarding the vse thereof lest striuing for darknesse we become the children of darkenesse and so loose the light of eternall life as the Iewes and Romanes did whose recompence hath followed The one depriued of their earthly glory the other aduanced to glory to be a staine of eternall damnation The Treatise of Time IOHN 1. In the beginning was the word c. THese words In the beginning are the first wordes of the old Testament whose first word in Hebrew is Bera which consisteth according to the Hebrews of three letters which closely containe in them Father Sonne Holy Ghost as ב for Ben which signifieth Son × for Abba which is Father ר for Rouach Hachodesh which is the Holy spirit Thus the Trinitie is closely contained in the first word but in the first verse is expressed in open words In the beginning God made heauen and earth and the spirit of God moued vpon the waters and God said let their be light This is expounded in Iohn 1. in these words In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and that word was God shewing that Word in this place is taken for the Sonne of God by whom he made the world as Iohn 1. By him were all things created And Ephes 3. God made all things by his Sonne who ruleth all things by his mighty power Wherefore Christ in the dayes of his flesh chose the trade of a Carpenter Iohn 6. and in Esay 43. It is said This Record you must beare me your selues saith the Lord that I am God and euen he I am from the beginning I doe the worke and who shall let it Thus saith the Lord the holy one our Redeemer Wherein is distinctly expressed Father Sonne and Holy Ghost IOHN 1. ⧠He was the Light and that Light was the Life of man LIfe and Light is not here carnally meant but spiritually to which two things Aarons Iewell of Vrim and Thummim had a full relation Vrim signifieth light of the mind Thummim perfection of vertue which bringeth life to the soule Christ is the true light that lighteth euery man And hee that abideth in this light hath euerlasting life God is light and in him there is no darknes at all If we walke in light euen as he is light then haue we fellowship with him and the blood of Iesus Christ shall giue vs life and cleanse vs from our sinne We the Gentiles were darknes but now are light in the Lord. Ephes 5.8 The great Schollers of the Iewes spake euen in the same words Philo the Iew commenteth vpon these wordes saying God is the Soueraigne begetter and next to him is the Word of God Also there are two firsts the one is Gods word and the other is God which is afore the Word and the same word is the beginning and the end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his good pleasure intent or will And in another place Like as a Citie saith he whereof the platforme is but yet set downe in the mind of the builder hath no being else where but in the builder so this world had no being else where then in the Word of God which ordained all things And this is not the meaning of me only but also of Moses himselfe And in another place This word saith he is Gods yonger sonne but as for the elder sonne he cannot bee comprehended but in vnderstanding for he it is who by prerogatiue of eldership abideth with the Father And againe The Word is the Place the Temple and the dwelling house of God because the Word is the only thing that can containe him and to shew the greatnes of this word he could skarce tell what names to giue it Hee calleth it the booke wherin all essences of all things that are in the whole world are written and printed The Perfect patterne of the word Day sunne that is to be seene but onely of the mind Prince of Angels First borne of God Shepheard of his flocke Chiefe high Priest of the world Manna of mens soules Wisedome of God Perfecting of the Highest Instrument whereby God created the world Altogether Light God and the Beer that is of himselfe And he saith further that this Word is the expresse print or stampe of God and euerlasting as God himselfe is R. Azariel calleth him Spirit Word and Voice saying The Spirit bringeth foorth the Word and the Voice but not by speech of the tongue or by breathing after the maner of men and these three be one Spirit to wit one God one Spirit rightly liuing blessed be he and his name who liueth for euer and euer Spirit Word and Voice that is to say one Holy Ghost and two spirits of that Spirit R. Ioseph saith thus The Light of the soule of the Messias is the liuing God and the liuing God is the fountaine of the liuing Waters and the Soule of the Messias is the riuer or streame of life and none but the Messias knoweth God fully he is the light of God the light of the Gentiles and therefore hee knoweth God and God is knowen by him I thy God saith God am light and mind and of more antiquitie than nature of moisture that is issued from the shadow And this lightsome speach which proceedeth from the mind is the Sonne of God that which seeth and heareth thee is the word of the Lord and the mind is God the Father These differ not one from another as for their vnion it is the vnion of life And this speech being the workman of God the Lord of the whole world hath chiefe power next him is vncreated infinite Proceeding from him the commaunder of all things which he made the perfect and naturall first borne sonne of the most perfect Numenius a Pithagorist saith The first God is free from all worke but the second is the maker which commaundeth heauen and God the worker or maker saith he is the beginner of begetting and God the good is the beginner of Being and the second is the liuely expresser of the first as begetting is an image of Being And in another place he saith that this worker being the Same is knowen to all men by reason of the creating the world but as for the first Spirit which is the Father he is vnknowen vnto them Iamblichus saith plainely that God made the world by his diuine word and the first God being afore the Be-er is the Father of a first God whom hee begetteth and yet neuerthelesse
abideth still in the solenesse of his vnitie which thing farre exceedeth all abilitie of vnderstanding This is the originall patterne of him that is called both Father to himselfe and sonne to himselfe and is the Father of one alone and God verily good indeed Aemelius the disciple of Plotine notwithstanding how great an enemy he was to Christians speaking of the second person yeeldeth to this which Saint Iohn speaketh Surely saith he this is the Word that was from euerlasting by whom al things that are were made As Heraclitus supposed and before God saith he it is the very same Word which that barbarous fellow auoucheth to haue bene with God at the beginning in the ordering and disposing of things when they were confused and to be God by whom all things were absolutely made and in whom they bee liuing and of whom they haue their life and being And that the same Word clothing it selfe with mans flesh appeared a man insomuch that after he had bene put to death he tooke his Godhead to him againe and was very God as he had bene before yer hee came downe into body flesh and man Another of Platoes imitators speaking to the same effect said That the beginning of S. Iohns Gospell was worthy to be written euery where in letters of gold And the deuill himselfe being asked of the King of Egypt who he was that raigned before him and who should raigne after him answered in these foure verses Suidas First God and next the Word and then their Sprite Which three be one and ioyne in one all three Their force is endlesse get thee hence fraile wight The man of Life vnknowen excelleth thee Seeing then that Iewes Philosophers and the Deuill are compeld to glorifie God in their speeches making as it were large volumes of the creation of God by his word and that the same Word is his sonne How can they escape the wrath of God for not embracing it And againe seeing they but through a mist did see a clearenesse of his brightnesse How skilfull ought we to bee whom hee hath noursed in his owne bosome and comforted with the grapes of his owne vineyard and fedde with the bread of his owne flesh and bathed in the blood of his owne heart in prouing the truth of this doctrine against Iew Turke or Pagan Let vs shew a word or two what the Poets themselues speake of the Beginning Architas saith that he accounteth no man wise but him which reduceth all things to one selfe same originall First to God who is the Beginning Middle and end of all things Empedocles hath these verses All things that are or euer were or shall hereafter bee Both man and woman beast and bird fish worme herbe grasse tree And euery other thing yea euen the ancient Gods each one Whom we so highly honour heere come all of one alone Simplicius saith Whatsoeuer is beautifull commeth of the first and chiefest beauty All truth cōmeth of Gods truth all beginnings must be reduced to one beginning which must not be a particular beginning as the rest are but a beginning surpassing all other beginnings and gathering thē all into himselfe yea giuing the dignitie of beginning to all beginnings as is conuenient for euery of their natures Also one good saith he is the originall and wel-spring of all things It produceth all things of it selfe both the First the Middlemost and the Last The one goodnesse bringeth forth many goodnesses the one vnitie many vnities the one beginning many beginnings Now as for Vnitie Beginning Good and God they all be but one thing For God is the first cause of all and all particular beginnings are first setled and grounded in him he is the cause of causes the God of gods and the Goodnesse of goodnesses The vnderstanding of the stories of the Bible do giue a great light to the minde of man and the practise giueth life vnto euery one that embraceth them as Deut. 8. and Mat. 4. Man liueth not by bread onely but by euerie worde which proceedeth out of the mouth of God The despisers of Religion continue in darkenes and light to them is death as 1. Ioh. 2.9 Hee that saith he is in light and yet hateth his brother is in darknes and walketh in darknes and knoweth not whether he goeth because the darknes hath blinded his eyes 1. Ioh. 5.11 But God hath giuen vs eternall life and that life is in his Sonne who laid downe his life for his sheepe Ioh. 10.15 Wherfore while we haue light let vs walke and beleeue in the light that we may be the children of the light Ioh. 12.36 The first Adam was made of the earth earthly c. The second Adam was made a soule giuing life c. HEre before the comparison betweene Adam and Christ we are to consider the creation wherein we are to vnderstand the creation of Heauen Earth and Sea and all the host of them which doe consist of wights visible and inuisible Inuisible as Angels visible as Sunne Moone and Starres fishes fowles plantes hearbes grasse Beasts and such like which God created before hee created Adam by Christ for Adams sake because he purposed not to take the nature of Angels or of any other creature but of Adam and that he might be knowne in his power and louing kindnes to Adam by his workes For he fore-purposing to make Adam both King and Father of all the earth would not haue his witts entangled with cares for this life but to haue his affections setled on heauenly things that hee might continue holie and blameles before him as Mat. 6. Take no care what you shall eate or what you shall drinke nor yet for your bodie what rayment you shall put on Behold the fowles neither sowe nor reape and your heauenly Father feedeth them are ye not much better than they how much more then shall hee doe the same for you for hee knoweth that yee haue neede of all these things but first seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnes thereof for no mans life standeth in the aboundance of things which he possesseth Now followeth Adams creation HE was made the sixt day as it is gathered of September of the dust of the earth vppon Mount Moriah which is a Mountaine adioyning to the gates of the garden of Eden into which garden he was put to labour the earth about six of the cloke in the morning as wee account when men commonly goe to labour as should appeare by Psal 104. Where it is sayd Adam goeth forth in the morning to his labour This is not particularly meant of Adam but generally of all men no doubt alluding to the time of Adams creatiō He had dominion giuen him ouer all things and witte like to an Angell to giue names to all beasts free libertie to eat of all the trees in the garden the tree of knowledge of good and ill onely excepted As if God should haue sayd to him as Moses afterwards
thus expresly So long O Serpent as the womans children keepe the law they kill thee and when they cease to doe so thou stingest them in the heele and hast power to hurt them much But whereas for their harme there is a sure remedie to heale it for thine there is none for in the last dayes they shall crush thee all to peeces with their heeles by means of Christ their King The particulars wherof Adam neglected not to examine And the woman likewise vnderstanding from thence duly marking embracing the same that God had a purpose to saue her gathereth from these words matter inough to saue her and all the world after her which receiue like comfort of the same promise For she rightly vnderstood that this seede must needs be Christ who must come and take Adams nature vppon him who should bee subiect to death that hee might ouercome him that had power of death For shee knew and so did Adam that if euer man being but onely man might work his owne redemption himselfe was likelyest to haue done it because hee was the chiefest of all the men that euer should be in the world but Adam being the goodlyest man and not able to doe it himselfe he knew it must needs be God who must appeare in the similitude of Adams nature and suffer death that hee might rise againe to sit at the right hand of his Father to make intercession for all the sonnes of Adam They both the man and the woman embracing this obtayned the fauour of God and Adam called his wife Euah that is Life to shew that whosoeuer beleeued as she beleeued should bee partakers of eternall life as it is written Rom. 10. Who so confesseth with his mouth and beleeueth with his heart that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of the liuing God he shall be saued But Adam and Euah were driuen out of Paradise Cherubins were set to keep the way of the tree of life they were clothed with skins as it shuld appeare with skins of beasts to shew their beastlines which God for them had slaine to offer for sacrifice to teach thē the vse thereof for no doubt God would not destroy beasts to haue them spoyled seeing that Adam was not to eat any And we see that Kaine and Abel offered sacrifices as being taught from Adam whose sacrifices were of two sorts Abel offred as appeareth in sinceritie of Religion the other for outward ceremonie voide of true Religion wherefore to Abel and his offring God had respect but to Kaine and his offring he had no regard Wherefore Kaine being possessed with the poyson of the Serpent enuied Abel because his workes were good and his owne euill and killed him and being asked of God why he had slaine his brother in stead of asking pardon of God he sayd that his fault was greater than that Gods mercie could forgiue it Against whom Saint Augustine cryeth vehemently that by how much lesse the mercie of God could be inferiour to the fault of Kaine seeing that to forgiue is a thing proper to God and to reuenge and punish is farre estranged from his nature by so much more great was the offence of Kaine in the words he sayd than in the murther he did seeing that by the stroke of the sword hee tooke away but the life of his brother but by the blasphemie of his tongue hee gaue death to his owne soule To kill his brother was euill done but to despaire in Gods mercie was euen a transgression of the Deuill For more doe we offend God to esteeme him without mercie than in any other sinne we commit against man For which God curseth him giuing him a marke of a guiltie conscience alwayes accusing him of sinne against God and inhumanitie against nature Whereupon he goeth vp and downe wandring as one finding no rest or peace like an excommunicate person from the place of true religion into the land of Nod which signifieth Fugitiue This Kaine was the eldest sonne of Adam whom he named Possession for so doth Kaine signifie as if he had gained a goodly possession But seeing what might be the comfort of such possession hee calleth his other sonne Abell that is Vanitie to shewe that if a man haue neuer so large kingdomes or possessions or bee neuer so noblie borne as Kaine was except the sonne of God it is all but vanitie and a vexation of mind It is not now to be vnderstood that Adam had now no more children but Kaine and Abell for doubtlesse Adam had many more as may appeare by Kaines story For it is sayd that Kaine departed into the land of Nod and knew his wife who must needes be Adams daughter and married before the murther for we are not to thinke that Adam would afterward haue bestowed his daughter vpon a reprobate The Holy Ghost nameth onely three of Adams sonnes Kaine Abel and Seth to make a proportionable number answerable to the number of the letters of the words of the holy tongue or the tongue of Adam for vpon three letters doth euery word in the tongue consist Kaine to represent the afflictors of such as in this life esteemed the world and the pleasures thereof Vanitie which is Abell and Seth whose name signifieth setled or foundation to shew the assurance of his faith in the promises of God to the confirming of our faith which was that from him must come that seede of the woman that should bruse the head of the Serpent This sentence they and we and all the world were and are bound to take notice of For this we ought to know and beleeue so assuredly that we might shew our selues setled vpon a sure foundation not vpon sands where sea and wind may ouerthrow vs but vpon the Rocke Christ Iesus That our building may remaine as the mount Sion and as the heauenly Ierusalem which is builded foure square of three foures of precious stones that howsoeuer we be tossed with afflictions of this life we may stand firme acknowledging Iehouah to be the one true and euerlasting God Father Sonne and Holy Spirit and that his mercy is like to eternall mountains that cannot be remoued wherewith hee loued vs vnto saluation before the foundation of the world Thus duly considering his power and wisedome in the particular actions of the creation Adams fall the promise of eternall life Adams faith and his sacrifices the shadowes of our Redemption The seuenth day and the vse thereof we shall spend our dayes in beholding our end and neuer doe amisse sorrowing with a godly sorrowe as Enosh whose name signifieth Sorow did for as in our dayes so in his men fell from the true Religion of Adam Seth and other godly men which were then aliue turning the grace of God into wantonnesse marrying wiues of Kaines poysoned seede respecting beauty and other outward guifts rather than vertue not remēbring their Grandmother Euah that for beholding the beauty of one forbidden fruit commending it to Adam
perfect Sabbath hee had performed some part of the Lawe and thereby beene partaker with Christ in the worke of our Redemption Againe if Adam had continued in the image of God which is in righteousnesse and true holinesse vntill the Sabbath hee would haue performed the ordinances of the Sabbath which was to eate of the tree of life which was made for a Sacrament of conseruation vnto him and should not haue needed a Redeemer Hee did not eate of the Tree of Life for God after his fall setteth Cherubims to keepe the way of the Tree of Life least Adam eating should liue for euer Whereby it appeareth that if hee had eaten thereof before hee had not fallen Therefore it cannot be that Adam continued perfect vnto the Sabbath And further it is written Psal 49. Adam being in honour continueth not one night but is like to the beasts that perish Cedrenus a Greeke writer saith that Adam fell the sixt day of the first weeke Saint Augustine saith the woman streight way after her creation before she accompained with Adam became into the transgression otherwise Kaine had beene conceaued without sinne Theophilact vpon Matthew sayth that as man was formed the sixt day and did eate of the tree the sixt howre so Christ reforming man and healing the fall was fastened to the tree the sixt day and the sixt howre And in the storie of the creation in Genesis presently after the fall Moses speaketh of the Redemption And without wee compare the Creation with the Redemption wee misse of all For Adam to bee compared with Christ is the summe of all And wherefore should all the actions of the Redemption bee accomplished in such rarenesse except to bee aunswerable both to the fall and to the time of the fall Wherefore it is needfull wee should know our thraldome if wee will receaue comfort by the Redeemer thus First Christ the Restorer was borne of a Virgine Why because by a Virgine destruction came to the world Chrysostome compareth Eue and Marie together thus Eue beeing a Virgine hearing the wordes of the SERPENT and beleeuing them brought foorth DEATH The Virgine Marie hearing the wordes of the Angell Gabriel and beleeuing them brought foorth Life Againe why should Christ die on the sixt day rather than on the fifth or fourth And why was there darkenesse vntill the coole of the day rather than till the Sunne setting but to make the Redemption answerable to euery part of the fall because God according to the secret counsell of his owne will before the foundations of the earth were laide would make the Art of saluation so easie and the harmonie of the Bible so tuneable that no musicke in the world can bee more pleasant to the eare than the meditation of the loue of God towards vs in Christ is comfortable to the heart of man Therefore the meditation of Adams fall and the victorie of Christ ought to bee continually in our mindes Now compare Christ with Adam Adam Christ The first Adam was made a soule hauing life of earth earthly therefore by the earthly one came disobedience sinne iudgement condemnation death was created on the sixt day and did eate of the tree the sixt howre was made a man without a Father made not inferiour to the Angels lost all was tempted lost saluation at the time of eating was made ruler of the world and did not hold it did fall in the Garden his soule was in darkenes from the sixt houre vntil the ninth howre by breaking one commandement lost all was called to account at the ninth howre was debarred of the tree of life was driuen out of Paradise was the head of his Wife was a King Prophet Sacrificer liued a thousand yeeres wanting seuentie The second Adam was made a spirit giuing Life from heauen heauenlie thetefore by the heauenly one came obedience grace forgiuenesse iustification life reforming man healing the fall is fastened to the tree the sixt day the sixt howre was made a man without a Father made lower then the Angels is crowned with glory and all the Angels worship him being man whereby wee may know the world was made subiect to a man was tempted brought saluation to all at the time of eating was made ruler of the world and did hold it went into a Garden to recouer Adams fall in the garden when he suffered caused darkenes to couer the whole earth from the sixt howre till the ninth howre by fulfilling all the commaundements brought life to all at the ninth howre yeeldeth vp the Ghost and goeth to giue account to his Father is the true Tree of Life on that day openeth Paradise to the poore theefe the head of his Church was a King Prophet Sacrificer was borne seuentie yeeres before foure thousand BEcause these two Tables consist onely of numbers and that numbers in the scripture are great helpes for the vnderstanding of the same before wee come to speake of Seth it is not amisse to lay downe what numbers are of most vse in the Bible namely 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 12. 1 Expressing the vnion of the Godhead and from thence the vnitie of all godly as being members of one head Christ Iesus which is made plaine Psal 133. Behold how good and comely a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in vnitie c. 3 The distinguished Trinitie within which number many excellent things fall out still to put vs in minde of the vndeuidable coeternitie of Father Sonne and holy Spirite To shew that neither in eldest yongest or middlemost but in Gods free election standeth our eternall happinesse Adam Kaine Of Adam the eldest extreame wicked Abel Of Adam the eldest extreame wicked Seth. Of Adam the eldest extreame wicked Noah Iaphet Of Noah the youngest wicked Sem Of Noah the youngest wicked Cham. Of Noah the youngest wicked Terah Haran Of Terah the middlemost was wicked Nachor Of Terah the middlemost was wicked Abram Of Terah the middlemost was wicked Three Angels appeared to Abraham in his Tent. Three Fowers of precious stones were set in Aarons breast Three Things reserued in the Arke Three Taken vp in the old Testament and 3 in the new The Booke of the Lawe The pot of Manna and Aarons rod that did alwaies flourish Three Parts was Ierusalem diuided into Three Letters the root of euerie word in the Hebrew tongue Three Captiuities of the Iewes Three Times was the Temple grosly poluted by the Babilonians Antiochi Romanes Three Times a yeere were the Iewes bound to come to Ierusalem to giue account of their Religion Three Dayes and Nights was Ionas in the Whales belly Nights and dayes was Christ in the graue Iohns viz. Iohn Baptist Luk. 1. Iohn Euangelist Mat. 4. Iohn Marke Act. 12. Iob saued 3 Eliphaz Sophar Bildad Daniel saued 3 Ananias Azarias Mishael Noah saued 3 Sem. Cham. Iaphet In the 3. seuenth Iubile the Iewes felaway and then Ieremie said O earth earth earth Heare the word of the Lord
the workes of the fathers and bred by them maintaineth manifest absurdities we must seeke for another exposition If we consider the old Testament we shall find that Eliphaz in the booke of Iob preacheth the same doctrine that Saint Peter doth and therefore will serue for an exposition Eliphaz reasoneth with Iob thus Haste thou O Iob marked the way of the world wherein wicked men haue walked which were cut off by time and whose foundation was couered with waters which said vnto God depart from vs And yet what could he doe more for them he filled their houses with good things yet they refused the way of the Almightie So Saint Peter speaketh that the spirit of God went in like manner as he is said to come downe at the ouerthrow of Babell by confounding their tongues and when he destroyed Sodome and Gomorrah and preached in Noah to wit the time while the Arke was in making To whom to the spirits now in prison why because they said to God depart from vs we wil none of thy wayes Thus you see the words of Saint Peter made plaine This time of 120. yeeres Saint Peter calleth the patience and long suffering of God The Iewes in a booke called Zoar expound S. Peters words in this sort The Lord commeth to plague the wicked for their vnbeliefe sixe moneths with water sixe monethes with fire hot and cold and sent them all to Gehenna which is hell Not that they meant so the story of the word by plaine eye-sight controleling it but that the anger of God was as grieuous to their soules as the waters of the flood which wrinkled their bodies Christ in the Gospell compareth the flood with the end of the world for in the dayes of Noah they had rich Iubal to feast them and cunning Tubalkain to delight them in building or such like deuises and faire Naamah that they might marry according as their eyes lusted till the waters of the flood ouerwhelmed them so shall it be in the end of the world Eliphaz counselleth Iob that considering the ende of these men hee should bee at peace with God before our substance be cut off and the fire consume the rest of them Iaphet borne HIs name signifieth Perswaded He was the eldest sonne of Noah whereof many seeme to doubt which being examined by Scripture will appeare most certaine in Gen. 5. It is sayd Noah being 500. yeres old he begetteth Sem Cham and Iaphet Now it is certaine that they were not borne all at once for the plaine storie crosseth that In Gen. 6. Noah is said to be 600. yeeres old and the flood commeth then he must needes haue a sonne that is 100. yeeres old It could not be Sem for hee was but 100. yeeres olde two yeeres after the flood Gen. 11. Neither was it Cham for he was yonger than Sem For Noah said hee knew what his yongest sonne had done The reason of the doubt ariseth because Sem is named first in Gen. 5. Whom Moses penning the storie long after placed first to shew that Sem was the most worthie and had the prerogatiue of first borne because Christ was to come from him according to the promise made to Eua in Paradise The seede of the woman shall breake the head of the Serpent Sem borne WHich signifieth Name or Renowne Whereby we are to vnderstand that Noah had a wonderfull assurance of the promise in Christ in calling him Sem or as we say Name And withall we are to seeke by the like faith to be renowned that our names may be written in the booke of life For Salomon saith Pro. 22. A good name is more worth than a precious oyntment But God will put out their names from vnder heauen that flatter themselues in their wickednesses and whose roote beareth gall and wormewood as he commaunded Deut. 25. Put out the name of Amalecke from vnder heauen he is the beginning of Nations but his latter end shall perish vtterly 93. Lamech died Fiue yeeres before the flood being 777. yeeres olde His name runneth vpon seuens For what he wanted in long life he had it in casting a sweet account If Lamech had the age of his fathers he might haue seene the flood 98. Methushelah dieth Being 969. yeeres old and the seuenth that died after Adam as his Father Henoch was the seuenth that was borne after Adam Hee died but a few dayes before the flood to shew that he being a iust man kept away the flood and lacked but 31. yeere of 1000. Now it is not to be vnderstood that he liued full 969 yeeres for hee liued but a fewe dayes of his last yeere For if his yeeres be cast you shall see hee dieth in the yeere of the flood Now the flood came not in the first moneth because Methushelah then liued the tenth day of the second moneth the flood came Methushelah was dead before that time his dayes were the exact rule of the flood for so long as hee liued the waters could not ouerflow the earth he being dead the waters might aske God whether they should now worke vengeance to the wicked No saith God Noah shall mourne him a moneth as the children of Israel mourned Iacobs death Afterwards this moneth of sorrow being ended then they demaund of God againe whether now the wicked should be ouerwhelmed with waters God answereth No For Noah shall haue a Sabbath of preparation This being finished the flood couereth the face of the earth Methushelah Spoile death or Speare death Christ Died and rose againe and reuiued that he might be Lord of quicke and dead Suffered death that by his death he might ouercome him that had the power of death This halfe sheweth that at the flood the dayes of man were shortned halfe in halfe as Psal 89. The Lord hath shortned the dayes of youth These numbers are the summe of the yeares from the Creation to the floud which are gathered by the particuler natiuities of the Ten Fathers before the floud These particulers being added they make the yeares of the world at the floude 1656. Adam 130 Seth. 105 Enosh 90 Kenan 70 Mahalaleel 65 Iared 162 Henoch 65 Methushelah 187 Lamech 182 Noah 600. The floud is brought vpon the olde world c. THe floude is a resemblance of the destruction of the world and was the greatest iudgement of the world till the world shal be consumed with fire Therfore the story of the floud doth cause vs to consider of things past and to haue iudgement of things to come For in the floude are rare examples concerning waighing numbring and diuiding It was 40. daies in rayning the like time in abating God hath numbred waighed and diuided The second day of the seuenth moneth The times do shew that God doth waigh and number wonderfully all the affaires of men but men did not then know what God would doe because he had hardned their hearts and scorning Noah all his life time they were ashamed then to fly vnto him
but the floud came for the sinnes of man for the bloud of Abell came the floude and washt them all away Yea the waters that were vnder the earth aduanced themselues aboue man Further in this storie of the floud these three things are chieflye to be considered the Arke Persons that were saued Time of the continuance of the floude And first for the Arke THe Arke was made about mount Lebanon where the Cedars for Salomons Temple were had and it was sixe score yeeres in making which time in Saint Peter is called the long suffering of God The fortie yeeres in the wildernesse was a famous thing but the making of the Arke was more famous and the time thrise so long not any thing so famous as the Arke except the Lords death The proportions of height depth and breadth are described Gen. 6. The heighth is the tenth part of the length The beasts were in the middlemost place the fodder aboue the dung beneath And God bids vs marke the quantitie of all the beasts of the earth by the bulke of the Arke There is much speach taken from the Arke to the Church but the consequent of the one followeth not in the other In the Arke were beasts cleane and vncleane Some in the Arke did perish They that were out of the Arke did perish The waters did hold vp the Arke In the Church are faithfull and vnfaithfull Some in the Church do perish So the Turke being out of the Church doth perish The waters doe wash them clean away that are without The tossing vpon the waters doth represent the troubles which the Church of God is to endure in this life Againe no man of modestie but may know that it was no pleasant life for Noah and his familie to dwell an whole yeere vpon the waters and to abide the noisomnes of all kindes of beasts in the Arke which came to the Arke at the appointment of God to the condemnation of all the world For it appeareth that the verie brute beasts had more regard to themselues than the wicked workers which despised the preaching of Noah and the making of the Arke who said where is the appearance of his comming Euer since the Fathers died all things continue in one state winter summer spring haruest c. And while they were thus saying the flood commes and washeth away their foundation But saith Saint Peter in this they aâ—e willingly ignorant for euen as before the flood they married feasted builded goodlie houses c. euen to the day that Noah entred into the Arke and neuer thought the preaching of Noah true because all things continued still in the same sort they thought it vnpossible that the waters which were beneath the valleyes could couer the highest mountaines fifteene cubits and yet this they might haue knowen that as the waters in the Creation couered the earth till God commaunded them to goe to their channell euen so againe at the commaundement of God they could returne to couer it Saint Peter therefore addeth that these men were willinglie ignorant The Arke rested vpon mount Ararat which is a mountaine in Armenia and signifieth Take away feare Whereby we are to note that whosoeuer dwelleth vnder the defence of the most high and shall say vnto the Lord Thou art my hope my strong hold and my God in whom I put my trust shall not be afraid for any terror by night nor for the arrow that flyeth by day for the pestilence that walketh in darkenesse nor the sickenesse that destroyeth in the noone day For a thousand shall fall at their right hand ten thousand at their left hand but they shall not be touched With their eyes shall they see the reward of the vngodly for the Lord is their hope and he hath set his house of defence very high With long life will he satisfie them and through his louing kindnesse will he shew them his saluation Let euery one therefore say The Lord is my light and my saluation whom then shall I feare The Lord is the strength of my life whereof then should I be afraid for in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his Tabernacle and set me vp vpon a Rocke of Stone Now compare Christ and the Arke together The Arke had a doore by the which Noah and his houshold entred in to the sauing of them Mount Ararat Take away feare Christ Is the doore by whom we enter into the holy of holiest to the sauing of our soules Christ Is that mount Ararat vpon whose shoulders if we rest wee need not feare what man can doe vnto vs. The persons were Noah Iaphet Sem Cham and their wiues Psal 130. The Lord hath brought my soule out of hell and kept my life from them that goe downe to the pit Hebrews 11. By faith Noah prepared the Arke to the sauing of his houshold NOah walked with God therefore it is certaine that the spirit of Christ preached by him For Saint Peter giueth a rule The spirit of Christ spake in all the Prophets His calling was very glorious being made a preacher to declare saluation to all which would beleeue in Christ How he was receiued it is manifest seing he preuailed with a very few yet the word of God is not in vaine for seeing they refused the mercie of God offered in Christ it is certaine Noah would preach the iudgements of God the other part of the Gospell which the Latines call excommunication The Hebrewes The Lord commeth The Hebrewes and with them the Greeke Orators do vse to faine Prosopopeia which is a conference or communication when they meane to expresse things more at full So wee may imagine Tubalkaine to say Surely Noah is an honest man and payeth well for his worke and hee hath with very great charge kept a great sort of labourers these sixe-score yeeres What should he meane by this Surely answereth Iubal I will tell you strange things Seuen of my best Rammes and seuen of my best Ewes ran from my flocke right foorth to the Arke and there they went in And another standing by replieth I am sure I can tell saith he as great a meruaile as this for comming by a wood I sawe a fearefull Lyon and a fierce Lyonesse and they went as gently by me as two Lambes not offering to do me any hurt and came to the Arke and there were plankes set and they went in Yea saith another I saw a huge Beare doe the like and so they might speake of the rest of the beasts This might driue them to an amasednesse but this could not saue them And hereby it is apparant that it is not in our power to repent when we list For this is not repentance to be sory for our sins There is no man so wicked but hath done so There must also be a turning to God which is neuer except we be lightned by his spirit The Lord vseth first to offer mercy which if it be contemned he hardneth our hearts
that thereby we may be made more fit for his iudgements C ham was saued in the Arke to be a scourge for all the rest And if you marke through the Bible you shall find that God dealeth in the like seueritie For euery good familie hath one of Chams impietie to persecute him Adam had The Serpent to tempt them Abell had Kaine to kill him Isaack had Ismael to flout him Iacob had Esau to pursue him Ioseph had His owne brethren to sell him Iob had His wife and friends to reproue him The Israelites had Pharaoh to afflict them Dauid had Saule and Absalom to persecute him The Iewes had the Babylonians Medes and Persians Grecians Sirogrecians to subdue them Christ had the Iewes and Romanes to crucifie him ⧠The time of the continuance of the Flood is thus described IN the dayes of the Flood Moses teacheth two things the dayes of the moneth and the dayes of the whole yeare For hee writeth that the Flood began the Seuenteenth day of the Second moneth and that the waters preuailed One Hundred and Fiftie dayes and that the next day after One Hundred and Fiftie was the Seuenteenth day of the Seuenth moneth Six and Fortie dayes had passed before the Floud for the Seuen and Fortie day I meane the Seuenteenth day of the Second moneth the Floud began Ioyne One Hundred and Fiftie with Six and Fortie they make plainely One hundred Nintie and Sixe dayes which diuided by Thirtie leaue Sixe exact moneths and the Seuenteene dayes of the Seuenth Moneth in which Moses writeth that the Arke rested Hereby it is most euident that in ancient time they had Thirtie dayes to a Moneth Moreouer a moderate expounder of Moses shall finde Three hundred sixtie and fiue dayes in the yeare of the floud Thus The first day of the Tenth Moneth Two hundred Seuentie and One dayes from the beginning of the yeare the tops of the Mountaines were discouered Noah taried yet Fortie dayes when Three hundred and Eleuen dayes were past then he sent forth a Rauen which houered a long time hee nameth not the time but as Seuen vpon Seuen in the Doue is expressed so Fortie vppon Fortie is here to be vnderstood So then there are Three hundred fiftie and one dayes to which adde the fourteene last in which the Doue was twise sent forth then you haue Three hundred sixtie and foure dayes after the Fourteene dayes in which the Doue returned not Moses reckoneth the first day of the Moneth in these words In the Six hundred and One of the age of Noah the first day of the first Moneth the waters were dried vp Concerning the fiue dayes euerie sixe yeares they make a leap Moneth and the odde quarter of a day in One hundred and Twentie yeares make a leape Moneth Thus much for the vse of the Fathers before the Flood ⧠NOW FOLLOWETH THE Fathers after the Flood whose Storie containeth vnto the promise giuen vnto Abraham 427 yeeres ⧠Some thinge will I speake of the generall vse of them both WE haue two stayes the Fathers before the flood and the Fathers after the flood The summe of all is nothing else but to know God and him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ For surely the spirit of God hath in such plainesse penned downe the Storie of the Scriptures that all the world must wonder at the wisdome of God layd downe so shortly and plainely Before the flood hee taught nothing but the Gospell adding to the doctrine thereof Kaines Murther and Lamechs Adulterie And after the flood we haue not Ten notable Fathers as before for Terah the Father of Abraham fell away and worshipped strange Gods And surely as the Sunne Moone and Starres are glorious and excellent for the distinguishing of times so are the numbers of the ages of the fathers and through the Scripture for the clearenesse of the word Times are generall or particular generall from Adam to the flood and from thence to Abrahams promise from thence to the comming out of Egipt then to the building of Salomons Temple then to the burning thereof by the Babilonians and then to the end of the captiuity and from thence to the death of Christ These are the summe of all the times the proofe of these is scattered through the Scriptures Thus much for the two tables in generall After the flood NOah and Sem be here handled againe because their story continued through and after the floode Compare Noah with Adam and you shall see that Noah is another Adam Adam Noah was an husbandman Became into transgression by eating vnlawfully And Euah after their transgression seeing their nakednes sowed figge tree leaues to couer them and the very same words that God spake to Adam in Paradise for ruling and encreasing the very same he reneweth to Noah Had the tree of life in Paradise for a seale of conseruation Had twoo younger Sonnes good and the elder wicked Was an husbandman Became into transgression by drinking vnlawfully After his transgression hauing his nakednes vncouered is couered by Sem Iaphet Had the rainbowe as a couenant of preseruation Had twoo eldest Sons good and the younger wicked Kaine the eldest Son of Adam was cursed C ham the yongest Son of Noah euen to Canaan his youngest Sonne was cursed The one against nature killed his brother The other against humanitie vncouered his fathers nakednes Adam before the flood might eate no flesh Noah after the floode might eat flesh the blood onely excepted because in the blood of euerie thing is the life and the life of euerie thing will God require at euerie creatures hand from the seueritie of which a commandement against murther was giuen to Noah The reason why they might eat flesh after the flood and not before may be because the dayes of man being shortened at the flood halfe in halfe the bodies of men were afterwards of a more weake constitution and then you read first of planting of Vines for wine which was added to be a helpe in digestion to the strengthning of the bodie and quickning of the vitall spirits as in Psal 104. Wine doth make the heart glad and oyle doth cause a cheerefull countenance Noah was drunke and vncouered in the midst of his tent and awaking from his wine hee knew what his youngest Sonne had done and sayd Cursed be Canaan a slaue of slaues shall he be now Noah would not curse Cham because God blessed him but hee cursed Canaan his Nephew the Sonne of Cham who as some suppose derided also his Grandfather Blessed be the God of Sem and God will perswade Iaphet to dwell in the Tents of Sem. Vpon these three sentences doe the chiefe Stories of the Bible depend For whatsoeuer plagues doth befall the Egyptians the Cananites Ethiopians Blackemores Babylonians and such like is contained within Chams curse Whatsoeuer blessing is promised or performed to the Iews is comprehended within Sems blessing Whatsoeuer promises of mercie and sauing health was prophecied of to
adopted therefore to keepe the number of Twelue hee must leaue out some Simeon was the fittest seeing hee was without repentance Leui must be reckoned seeing his was a spirituall inheritance and the Lord promised to be his inheritance therefore Dan must be omitted And this may be the reason when the Children of Israel came into the Land of Canaan the Tribe of Dan causeth the first Idolatrie and therfore that Tribe was iustly plagued And in this Tribe Idolatrie continued vntill the remoouing of the Arke from Siloh But yet this wee must vnderstand that though Dan is not named yet in respect his tribe are Iacobs Sonnes the Tribe is comprehended in the generall blessing And Moses concludeth that seeing the eternall God is the refuge Israel the Fountaine of water shall dwell in safetie Isachar Was content to liue vnder tribute like to an Asse couching downe betweene two burthens rather than to seeke glorie by leading bands of men Reuben He looseth his prerogatiue because he went vp to his Fathers bed therefore hee is light as water hee shall not excell Reuben hath one of Dauids Captaines of his Tribe but it is presently added therewith Nine and Twentie better than he Reuben sheweth some compassion to Ioseph and would not haue him killed but cast him into some pit Iudah thought that might be too long ere he would be dispatched and therefore selleth him Simeon and Leui. Their wrath was fierce yet because Leui afterwardes repented and shewed tender affection to Ioseph and was zealous in destroying Idolatrers therefore he had a blessing in Moses will Simeon neuer shewed any tender affection to Ioseph and therefore when his brethren come into Egypt and Ioseph accuseth them for Spies he keepeth Simeon in prison till they come downe againe as a kinde of punishment for his former malice His sinne against the Sichemites was exceeding great and seeing he neuer shewed any signe of repentance hee was iustly cut off from the hope of a blessing By this wee may learne to reiect the authoritie of the booke of Iudith First because she sayd to be of the Tribe of Simeon If wee marke this well wee shall see how this booke cannot be scripture For wee must note that it is no small glorie to haue the spirite of God penne a booke of ones actions If there be but a sentence spoken in the commendation of any in the scripture it is a great weight of glorie Now if wee looke to Iacobs will and see that he hath a curse and not a blessing and in the course of Scripture afterward no mention of any repentance that Simeon and his Tribe shewed nor any zeale of religion expressed how can this stand with Iacobs prophecie nay it cleane crosseth it and maketh it frustrate For seeing Iacob as a Prophet telleth all his Sonnes what should befall them in the last dayes to euerie one and his tribe so long as the Kingdome of the Iewes and their policie stood and in his will maketh no mention of the booke of Iudith We must by admitting this booke accuse the spirite of God of ignorance Besides it is a Storie and yet the time thereof doth not fall out within the compasse of any time neither before the captiuitie neither after and therefore to be despised And for my opinion I make as much account of Ouids Metamorphosis as of Iudith for Plato sayth that in fables there is a truth reuealed secretly Thus we are to thinke likewise of the booke of Tobie Leui he repented when Amram of the tribe of Leui saued Moses Zabulon Was a Marchant and delighted in Shippes In Greeke Canaan is called Phenicia and the men of Canaan Phenices Aristotle a Thousand yeares after Moses makes mention of a Riuer Tartesus he meant the Sea Tharsis and the Phenices brought gold had such plenty that their anchors were thereof No doubt he had heard of Salomons time wherin gold and siluer was no more esteemed than stone This trauelling of Iacobs Sonnes into farre Countreys must needs make the heathen haue a tast of Religion And Moses he willed the heathen to resort to the Mountain where the Temple was built Aser Was a Farmer to prouide pleasures for a King You haue in the old Testament little spoken of him but because his tribe should not thinke themselues excluded the fauour of God you haue in the newe Testament Anna that is Grace a verie rare woman for godlynesse the daughter of Phanuel that is See God of the happie Tribe of Aser for Aser signifieth Happie Gad He shall lead an Host of men This was performed when Reuben Gad and halfe Manasses gaue a great ouerthrowe to the Hagarims about the time that Saul was annointed King Thus wee may see that whatsouer is requisite in policie for the maintenance of a common weale you shall finde expressed in the liues and behauiours of the Sonnes of Israel 2369. Ioseph died Gen. 50. being One hundred and ten yeares old By Faith Ioseph when hee died hee made mention of the departing of the Children of Israel out of Egypt and gaue commaundement of his bones Heb. 11. Now because many excellent things are to bee said of Ioseph before his death when hee was in Egypt and in the Sinay sight no yeares layd downe I will here handle them together God prospered him in Egypt in all his actions And euen as God blessed Laban for Iacobs sake so hee blessed Iosephs Master for Iosephs sake Ioseph was a goodly person and a well fauored which commendation in the same words is bestowed vpon Dauid 1. King 16. the same of Daniel and the same of Christ Ioseph would not bee defiled with the fornication of Egypt Daniel would not bee defiled with the vncleane diet of Babell Ioseph expoundeth Pharaohs dreame Daniel expoundeth Nebuchadnetzars dreame Ioseph was made Ruler ouer Egypt Daniel was made Ruler ouer Babell Ioseph being in prison found fauour with the Master of the prison Daniel found fauour with the Kings Chamberlaine Iosephs name was changed by Pharaoh Daniels name was changed by Nebuchadnetzer Ioseph was falsely accused Christ was falsely accused Ioseph was Thirtie yeares old when hee stood before Pharaoh Iesus is baptised beginning to be Thirtie yeares old Ioseph was in prison betweene two theeues the one of them was saued the other condemned Christ was crucified betweene Two theeues the one of them was saued the other condemned Yet notwithstanding all these blessings of God vpon Ioseph to shew that euen the best haue their infirmities his vertues were darkened verie much in that hee marrieth an Egyptian woman Gen. 41. which was altogether vnlawfull For Esau before doing the like is blamed and Rebecca hauing an especiall care ouer Iacob least he should commit the like wickednesse sendeth him to Laban to choose a wife of his owne kindred Abraham had the like care for Isaack and Moses afterwars forbids it by a law thereby confirming the vnlawfulnesse thereof Seuen hundred yeres after is this sinne punished in Israel
for Ieroboam receiueth the Religion of Egypt and maketh two Calues whereby all Israel became Idolatrers Here beginneth Iobs Storie Satan compasseth all the earth c. BEfore wee come to examine Iobs causeâ— there may bee by the way a question discussed concerning succession that is to say Whether succession of Bishops be a necessarie marke of the Church And we shall if we mark the Stories of the Scripture find that is none for in Iobs time where there was a visible Sacrificer to continue the Religion of God in outward policie Satan hauing ouerranne the whole earth telleth God that hee could finde none iust or that feared God So that thereby wee may gather that there were verie fewe whome the world by eye-sight acknowledged godly And to make this more plaine wee are to obserue that the question is not Whether the godly in their owne hearts doe knowe who serue God but Whether there bee continually such an apparance thereof that it may appeare to eye-sight Since Christ wee haue not the like time to this wherein Satan can bragge he ouer-runneth the whole earth For in Iobs time Iacob is dead the Religion which Iobs friends hold is condemned by God Elihu is verie young and Iob himselfe condemned of his friends therefore wee may verie well conclude That it is no sound Diuinitie to affirme that it is no true Church except the policie thereof be so visible as it may be knowne by eye-sight In the Reuleation foure Angels stand on the foure Corners of the earth holding the foure Windes of the Earth that they should not blowe neither on the earth neither on the Sea neither on any greene Tree By this likewise wee may gather that the godly were verie fewe and scarce knowne For the office of these foure Angels was to stay the graces of Gods Spirite from blowing vppon and refreshing the soules of those which dwelt on the earth Wee shall see this cleerer if wee obserue the particular fallings through the Scriptures In Enosh his time Religion decayed in the house of God for the which the flood came and drowned the world After the flood for their wickednesse which they manifested in building the Tower of Babell they haue their tongues confounded and all their families scattered In Iobs time none of the children of Israel forsook the Idols of Egypt In the time of the Iudges you shall finde a great many of fallings away and therefore God gaue them into the hands of diuers and sundry oppressors In Roboams time the ten Tribes fell away In Antiochus time Religion was so corrupted that the Leuites would be Kings and thereby became Saduces maintaining an opinion That after this life the bodie was no more and concerning the soule it was no more to be esteemed than the soule of a beast or any other creature In Christs time all the Iewes were back-sliders except some few perhaps about seuen Thousand which might hold religion sincerely answerable to Elias time After Christ in Vrbanus time all the Christians fell away and then came vp the power and authoritie of Antichrist for whom he made lawes So that if wee consider these things well we shall finde that the godly haue alwaies been so fewe and the outward policie of true Religion so darkened that it could hardly bee discerned This question being thus discussed wee are to consider the time when Iob was afflicted And if we examine things duly we shall find this time to be before Moses There bee slouthfull fellowes that say the time cannot bee prooued when Iobs Storie fell out As though if any one should write Epistles or Orations a good Scholler could not easily from the matter find out the time wherein hee should liue In the Three and Twentie Orations made by Iob and his friends there is mention made of the Creation of the Flood of Babell and the Seuentie Families of Lot of Sodom and his destruction but nothing of the comming from Egypt which being so famous a deliuerance they would not haue omitted For the Prophets continually rehearse it and doe as it were make large Commentaries thereon Further it must bee at such a time wherein Satan had the conquest ouer the whole world for so Satan sayth he had run ouer the whole world and found none that feared God and departed from euil which affirmation cannot bee true but onely when Israel was in Egypt for then all the world but they worshipped strange Gods and of them Ezechiel sayth None of the Children of Israel forsooke their Idols of Egypt Therefore this must needes bee a maruailous Victorie which Satan had gotten Besides Iob himselfe sayth O that God would answere and trie mee This had beene a foolish speech if it had beene after Moses for then his integritie should haue beene determined by Moses lawes When the tongues are diuided you haue Abraham called and made a rare man So when in Egypt all Religion was corrupted you haue Moses borne thereby to shew that when Satan thinketh hee beareth most sway the Lord in mercie will raise vp one to ouerthrowe his Kingdome The temptations of Iob must needes bee about the birth of Moses when the lawe was made of killing the young Children Satan possessing the hearts of the wicked that all their care and studie was bent to the ouerthrowe of the Church and when Aaron was borne but three yeares afore there was peace for wee doe not read that they were faine to hide him Thus much for the time THe place where hee dwelt was Eastward The Sabeans on the one side the Caldeans on the other and Canaan on the other and he as it were in the middest This Country is called Huts God hath in his prouidence dealt so surely that the verie heathen if they bee marked will make plaine the euent of Gods promises Nimrod hee goeth about to ouerthrow Sems blessing and builds him a Tower but God giueth it an ouerthrow Afterwards Nachors Twelue Sonnes ouerrunne the land of Chush Ismaels Twelue Sonnes they doe the like Esau hath eleuen Dukes and Eight Kinges and eleuen Dukes againe and that afore there was any King in Israel as Moses speaketh and they conquer Chush and his Land In Egypt Chush his posteritie imagine by the multitude and strength of their Chariots and Horsemen to reuenge themselues of the Children of Israel but the Lord ouer-whelmed them in the red Sea When the Children of Israel are in the wildernesse they of Canaan and their borders deale despightfully with them and will graunt them no passage thinking therby to starue them in the wildernesse But the Lord by Iesus their Captaine destroyeth them all euen to Canaan the youngest according to the curse of Noah And let Canaan bee his seruant When the Iewes are carried away captiue to Babylon there Chush his posteritie haue a great stroke and seeme to ouerthrow Sems blessing But God raysed vp Cyrus of Sem and Darius of Iaphet to ouerthrow the Babylonians and therby comforteth the Iewes
and made Baal Berith their God and they remembred not the Lord their God which had deliuered them out of the hands of all their enemies on euery side neither shewed they mercie on the house of Ierubbaal or Gedeon according vnto all the goodnes which he had shewed vnto Israell Then Abimelech went vnto his fathers house and slue his brethren the sonnes of Ierubbaal or Gedeon about seauentie persons vpon one stone so Abimelech raigned three yeares ouer Israel But God sent an euill spirit betweene Abimelech and the men of Sechem and they brake their promise to him that the cruelty toward the seauentie persons and their bloud might come and be laid vpon Abimelech their brother And a certaine woman cast a peece of a mil-stone vpon Abimelechs head brake his braine panne And when the men of Israel saw he was dead they departed euery one vnto his owne place Thus God rendred the wickednesse of Abimelech which he did vnto his father in slaying his seauentie brethren To shew that God by vntimely and miserable death taketh vengeance on tyrants euen in this life Iud. 9. After Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Thola of the tribe of Isachar and he iudged Israel twentie three yeares and died and was buried in Shamir And after him arose Iair of the tribe of Manasses and iudged Israel two and twentie yeares and he had thirtie sonnes that rode on Asse-coltes signifying they were men of authority They had thirtie Cities which are called Hauoth Iair vnto this day and are in the land of Gilead And Iair died and was buried in Chamon And the children of Israel wrought wickednes againe in the sight of the Lord and serued Baalim and Ashtarath and the Gods of Aram and the Gods of Sidon and the Gods of Moab and the Gods of the children of Ammon and the Gods of the Philistines and forsooke the Lord and serued him not And in processe of time the children of Ammon made warre with Israel and they said vnto Iephte of the tribe of Ephraim Come be our Captaine and the spirit of the Lord came vpon Iephte he went to the children of Ammon to fight against them and the Lord deliuered them into his hands Whereupon he according to a foolish vow being ouercome with blinde zeale not considering whether the vow were lawfull or no offred vp his onely daughter in sacrifice and Iephte iudged Israel six yeares Iud. 11. and 12. Chap. Iessai borne ALthough he was but an obscure man in respect of worldly glory yet no doubt he was a very godly man and taught his sonnes the religion of God in that the holy Ghost doth so often repeate his name in the Scripture In the Reuelation chap. 5. Christ is calâ—ed the Lion of the tribe of Iuda and the roote of Iessay And Esay chap. 11. prophecying of the graces of Christ saith There shal come a rodde sorth of the stock of Iessay and a branch shall growe out of his rootes and the spirit of the Lord shall rest vpon him the spirit of wisdome and vnderstanding the spirit of counsell and strength the spirit of knowledge and of the feare of God c. To shew that as Dauid who in diuers respects figured Christ came out of Iessay a man without dignity so Christ shoulde come of a poore Carpenters house as out of a dead stocke as Esay 53.2 He shall growe vp before him as a branch and as a roote out of a dry ground he hath neither forme nor beautie when we shall see him there shal be no forme that we should desire him Againe with the very same skorne that the Iewes despised Christ vpbrayding him by the basenesse of his kindred Is not this the Carpenters sonne doe the Israelites obiect against the house of Iuda when the ten Tribes ioyned with Ieroboam 1. King 12. saying What haue wee to doe with Iessay what haue we to doe with the house of Dauid As if they should say why Iessay was but an husbandman and Dauid was but a sheepheard we will not be subiect to so base kindred nor suffer such a foole as Roboam of their bloud to raigne ouer vs for we be noble and vnfitte to be gouerned by such a poore stocke but we will worship Ieroboam of the house of Ioseph for he is a noble man and diuers valiant and worthy men came of his kindred in the time of the Iudges And so they indeede vtterly forsooke the house of Iuda the stocke of Iessay and walked in the waies of Ieroboam choosing rather for outward dignity to goe to destruction than embracing vertue depend vpon the promises of God to obtaine eternall life Therefore our Sauiour Christ saith in the Gospell Whosoeuer denyeth me before men I will denie him before my Father which is in heauen Luke 9. AFter Iephte Abesan of Bethleem of the tribe of Iuda iudged Israel seauen yeares He had Thirtie sonnes and thirtie daughters He died and was buried at Bethleem And after him iudged Israel Elon of the tribe of Zabulon and hee iudged Israel ten yeares Tthen he died and after him Abdon of the tribe of Ephâ—aim iudged Israel eight yeares and he had 40. sons and thirtie Nephewes that rode on seauentie asse-coltes and he died Iud. 12. But the Children of Israel continued to commit wickednesse in the sight of the Lord and the Lord deliuered them into the handes of the Philistines Fortie yeares Then the spirite of the Lord came vpon Sampson of the Tribe of Dan and with the iawe-bone of an Asse hee slue a Thousand of the Philistines and he iudged Israel Twentie yeares The Philistines in reuenge of this put out both his eyes but the Lord strengthned Sampson against them and hee slue at the time of his death three Thousand more of them Here is perfourmed Iacobs Will in Gen. 49. Where hee saith Dan shall be a Serpent by the way and an Adder by the path byting the Horse heeles so that his Rider shall fall backeward And in Iudg. 16. Hee ouerthroweth the house where the Princes of the Philistines were so that he slue more at his death than in all his life and notwithstanding he died with them yet hee looked for saluation in Christ of whom he himselfe was a figure Now compare him with Christ Sampson Christ was a Nazarite vnto God to the time of his death and saued Israel from the handes of the Philistines was brought before the Princes and mocked at his death ouercame more than in his life was a Nazarite vnto the time of his death and deliuered vs from the spiritual Philistins Sathan and his Angels was brought before the Magistrates and was mocked at his death ouercommeth him that had the power of death The Ceremonie of the Nazarites is prescribed in Numb 6. They were such as vowed themselues to God and from the vaine desires of the world 2870. Heli of the Tribe of Leui iudged Israel Fortie yeares THis Heli
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
and Fortie when hee fell to Idolatrie They reckon it thus He is twentie yeares old when he is King Foure yeres after he builds the Temple hee is Seuen yeares in building thirteene yeares after he builds his owne house Vpon this his Idolatrie there hath been a great doubt whether he was saued or not It is without questiō he was saued but yet it was not without singuler reason that the holy Ghost left it doubtfull for if it had been easie for him to bee saued hee had been an example of great impietie It is promised him that if he sinne he shall be chastised but God will neuer take his mercie cleane from him This cannot bee meant of succession in the kingdome for what comfort had it beene to him to haue enioyed the Kingdome and afterwardes to haue enioyed damnation therefore it must needs bee meant of his estate after this life Besides hee is called the Beloued that may bee a reason to prooue his saluation And in the 13. of Marke Abraham Isaack and Iacob and the Prophets are sayd to be in the kingdome of heauen therefore he being a prophet must needes be there Yet false prophets are excepted as Balaam and others of whome Saint Peter giueth a rule 2. Pet. 2. That they bring vpon themselues swift damnation Now God knowing his own wisdome speaks things wonderfull short Where it is sayd He worshipped strange Gods I haue oftentimes muzed what should be the meaning of it For I could neuer thinke that hee could esteeme the Idols of the heathen for Gods considering he had such woonderfull knowledge But surely this is the meaning that allowing his Concubines to worship them seeing done by his commaundement it was as his act and this will I hold till I be better instructed For if hee had come to so open a folly as to worship them as God this sinne must needs haue been the sinne against the holy Ghost Now concerning his felicitie THere is no one thing setteth it forth more than the Booke of the Preacher which Booke was made in his age and after his repentance yet in that he speaketh coldly of repentance He beginneth Vanitie of vanities all is but vanities saith the Preacher This is the summe of the Booke It is amplified by the generall state of all things then by the particular The generall thus The earth standeth yet one Generation passeth and another commeth so there is nothing constant If we consider thinges past they are the same which shall be all things haue a time And the Persians called wise men the searchers of time Moses teacheth vs to pray to God to teach vs to number our dayes that wee may apply our hearts to wisedome In all this there is nothing but for a man to bee merrie in his labor Let vs behold the Sunne it riseth and setteth and returnes againe to his place and there rising goeth towards the South and bendeth towards the North he neuer continueth in one place he causeth Winter and Summer Spring time and Haruest the Riuers runne all into the sea and they ouer-flowe againe into the sea Of all these this is the summe that all things vnder the Sunne are vanitie and affliction of spirite Euen so is the state of man This likewise the creation sheweth for there is nothing new vnder the Sunne either for good or badde Euen the finest inuentions haue been before but we count them new because the generation that knew them is past and so forgotten So that by this wee may see no happpinesse vnder the Sunne but all is vanitie Thus much for the generall Now follow the particulars FIrst as concerning men and they are in two sorts The first concerning the best men then men of corrupt conuersation I therefore saith the Preacher I meant to trie pleasure alone and wisedome alone and then both together Concerning wisedome I talked with the best Schollers I knew all the plants from the lowest shrubbe to the tallest Cedar in Libanon and their vse in cleansing the leaprosie and how thereby Christ was signified Yet this knowledge did not ouer-reach Moses The nature of the fowles was familiar vnto me If it bee asked how hee came by this knowledge it may be answered partly by education and partly by an immediate inspiration from God and yet of all this is the end Much reading is a wearinesse of the flesh and there is no end of making many bookes So wise men are neuer quiet because they see so few saued for crooked things shall not bee made streight from this I went saith the Preacher and tryed pleasure Goe to now I will prooue thee with ioy and with pleasant things and yet this is a vanitie Of laughter this I sayd that it was madnesse and of ioy What is that thou doest Wee may see hee neuer disputes of these things but speakes short for the heathen by the light of nature knew thus much I went yet further saith the Preacher and ioyned pleasure and wisedome together For I made great workes I built houses set Gardens planted vineyardes and trees of all sorts I got seruants and maides and had children borne in the house I had great possession of Beeues and Sheepe and to conclude I was great and encreased aboue all that were before mee in Ierusalem When I beganne to looke on all these thinges I beheld nothing but vanitie and vexation of spirit and that there was no profite vnder the Sunne Besides when I looked who should after mee possesse these and thought with my selfe What Roboam the foole and then I hated all the labor wherein I had trauailed vnder the Sunne seeing no man knoweth whether he shall be wise or foolish which shall be ruler ouer my workes and wherein I haue shewed my selfe wise this is also a vanitie Therefore we see to all things an appointed time A time to be borne and a time to die a time to loue and a time to hate a time of warre and a time of peace Thus God turneth the wheele of our life to the end that we should not set our affections on these earthly vanities but being risen with Christ seeke those things which are aboue Now that all hope of constancy in these transitory things might be takē away he reproues it frō his owne person For if he being a king and the greatest in Israel and such a one as Who is the man that will come after the King in things which hee now hath done and yet could not finde wherein to free his heart from vexation and disquietnesse shall any other thinke to finde quietnesse and securitie in this life therefore of all these experiences thus he concludeth There is no profite to a man seeing all his dayes are sorrow and his trauaile griefe that hee eate and drinke and delight his soule with the profite of his labours because this is of the hand of God Concerning actions they are either without a man or within him Without the most excellent is Iustice and
the two Calues in Dan and Bethel This punishment Ioseph drew vpon the Children of Israel by matching with the Egiptians and his sinne is now plagued It is sayd of Ieroboam that he made all the Kings of Israel to sinne sauing of Sallum and Hoseas Hereby we may gather that Kings being no Prophets esteeme no more of religion than Calues and if they make Lawes for the establishing of religion it is but only for a colour to keepe the Kingdome sure and in peace The Iewes conclude that all the Kings of Israel went to destruction to Gehenna Oh but some say we must not iudge least wee thereby become vncharitable This is certaine that the holy spirite testifieth that they continued in the sinnes of Ieroboam and there is no mention of their repentance which is not likely the holy spirit of God would haue left vntouched if there had been any Therefore seeing there is no saluation but through beleefe in Christ in whome they neuer trusted why should wee hope better of them than the scripture warrants The cause of this falling away was the pride of Iosephs house despising the glorie of Iuda There is one onely good of Israel Abia the Sonne of Ieroboam who being sicke by the counsell of Ieroboam his mother enquires of Ahijah the Prophet whether he should liue or die If shee had had faith she would neuer haue entred the house and then the child should haue liued the ordinarie course of life In Iesabels Story we are to note that wicked heretiques in the Reuelation are called by the name of Iesabel Israel became Iesabels that is Scattered of God when they were caried into captiuitie sauing a scattered remnant as corne in the field left standing after the mower here and there an Eare. Iosaphat lost his ships and Ioram was plagued because they ioyned in affinitie with Achab. Micheas telleth them that they made Statutes for Omri Mich. 6. This rule is eternall God plagueth those which ioyne with Infidels Heere againe was repeated Ochosias Storie being the Childe of the two and Fortie yeares Wee may further obserue that in the Seuenth King of Israel the Kingdome of Iuda almost lost all their state Iehu he did a verie good worke in ouerthrowing Achab Rechab of Abrahams house giuing him counsell and therefore hee hath a promise that the kingdome shall continue in his house for foure discents This was a speciall glorie the Kings before him not continuing halfe so long though this ouerthrowe was not done by faith The fourth man of Iehus house was Twentie yeres without the kingdome and then ruled but sixe Moneths Now in Hoseas time this prophecie is fulfilled Iehu shall be afflicted like Achab not because his actions were so wicked but because he himselfe not sincerely godly did them not in faith and stood in feare of the neighbours about In that the Kings of Israel haue so short continuance we may know that God caring not for them they were not to looke for any quietnesse in this life Saint Paul handleth the state of Israel as Hoseas did in the case of the Gentiles where he saith which sometimes were vnpipitied and sometimes no people For this wee may likewise conclude that they goe to destruction which beleeue not in Christ The Kings of Israel in respect of the kingdome sometimes vnpitied as in Tiglahpelesar sometimes no people as in Salmanasar in respect of their soules alwaies vnpitied alwayes no people In Elias Storie we haue a speciall obseruation 1. King 19. Elias was Fortie dayes and Fortie nights in mount Horeb where the Law was giuen as was Moses and first there comes a wind but God was not in the wind and then a fire and God was not in the fire and then a soft voice God was in the voice And then God and he reasoneth together for Israel regarded not Gods wrath neither in the wind of Iehu which ouerthrew Achabs house nor in the fire of the Assirians onely seuen Thousand which neuer bowed their knees to Baal heard the voice of the Lord and feared In the sixt of Ezechiel the Lord sheweth his wonderfull tendernesse in that he is so vnwilling to plague them if so be he could by any meanes spare them Now though Ieroboam had a prophecie that he should be King yet it stretched not to his Sonnes nor further than himselfe and therefore after his death they should haue yeelded the Kingdome to Iuda for which because they did not they were so notably plagued This foure Hundred and ninetie sheweth the time from Samuels gouernement vnto this time which are Seuentie Seuens of yeares or foure Hundred and ninetie yeares The Seuentie sheweth the generall time of their being in Babylon which was prophecied in Ierem. 25. That so it should come to passe because they would not keepe their Sabbaths the Land should rest Seuentie yeares vntill it had fulfilled it owne Sabbaths Vpon this number of Seuentie wee haue exceeding many things to be noted First it is a sweet proportion to the sweetnesse of mans life Iosua sendeth Twelue to spie and view the goodnesse of the Land of Canaan Tenne of those doe not beleeue and are the discouraging of the people so that they likewise perish through vnbeleefe Vpon this Moses maketh the Foure-score and tenth psalme and sets downe as a decree the wrath of God shortning mans life and saith The dayes of man are Threescore yeares and Ten and if one come to Foure-score then are his dayes nothing but sorrow so soone passe wee away and are gone Another comparison wee haue with Adam He liued nine Hundred and thirtie yeares one Thousand yeares wanting but Seuentie The Iewes delighting to descant say that Adam as a Prophet saw that Dauid should liue but Seuentie yeares to make vp Adams Thousand For vs not one of many Thousands come to Dauids yeares so heauie is the wrath of God vppon sinners Solon being demaunded who were happie tels a Storie of two who in loue and affection to their Parents drew their Mothers chariots to the Temple And the God for recompence caused them to die presently Cressus going further asked him whether he thought him happie he answered There be in a yeare three Hundred sixtie and fiue daies and in euerie day houres and minutes wherein our life is subiect to change and alteration and therefore till all this be ended I cannot tell whome to account blessed This number of Seuentie depends of Seuen and Ten thereby we may still remember the creation and the Fathers before the flood Vppon this there depends a prophecie Leuit. 26. If you will not keepe my lawes nor obserue my Statutes yee shall be in your enemies land till the land hath payd her Sabbaths which was fulfilled in ten Sabbaths The state of the people of the Iewes in Babylon Ezechiel compareth to dead bones For as it may seem to euerie man that dead bones shall not be reuided so should they neuer bee deliuered Yet hee comforteth them by
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
looking for iudgment Our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell Mat. 20.21 When the mother of Zebedeus worshipping him desired that her two sonnes might sit one at his right hand and the other on his left in the kingdome of heauen answered her To sit on my right hand or on my left is not in mee to giue but it shall be giuen vnto them for whome it is prepared of my father Againe his Disciples at an other time said vnto him Behold thy mother thy brethren and thy sisters to whome he answered Who is my mother my brother and my sister euen he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen Whereby it appeareth that Christ regarded the Virgin Mary as he was God no more than he doth any other faithful in the world for God hath no respect of persons And againe he saith Ioh. 6. None commeth vnto me except the father drawe him And Rom. 6. Eternal is the gift of God not the gift of men or women departed And Dauid saith Psal 4. It is thou Lord only that makest me dwell in safety Againe Christ being become an high Sacrificer of good thinges to come not by the bloud of goates or calues but by his owne bloud hath entred once for all vnto the Holy place and obtayned eternall redemption for vs. And for this cause is He the mediator of the new Testament that through death which was for the redemption of the transgressions that were in the former Testament they which were called might receiue the promise of eternal inheritance For Christ is not entred into the holy places that are made with hands which are similitudes of the true sanctuary but is entred into very heauen to appeare now in the sight of God for vs not that he should offer himselfe often as the high Sacrificer did once euery yeare for then he must haue often suffered but now in the end of the world hath he appeared once to put away sinne by the sacrifice of himselfe by the which we are sanctified Euery sacrificer appeareth daily ministring and oft times offereth one manner offering which can neuer take away sinnes but this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sinnes sitteth for euer at the right hand of God and from hence forth tarrieth vntil he hath made his enemies his footestoole for with one offering hath he consecrated for euer them that are sanctified Seing therefore brethren that by the bloud of Iesus we may be bold to enter into the holy place by the new and liuing way which he hath prepared for vs through the vaile that is his flesh And seeing we haue a high sacrificer ouer the house of God let vs draw neere with a true heart in assurance of faith sprinkled in our hearts from an euill conscience and let vs keepe the profession of our hope without wauering for he is faithfull that promised Hee that despiseth Moses law dieth without mercie vnder two or three witnesses of how much sorer punishments suppose ye them worthy which tread vnderfoot the Sonne of God and counteth the bloud of the Testament as an vnholy thing wherewith we are sanctified for we know him that hath said Vengeance is mine I will recompence saith the Lord and againe the Lord shall iudge the people Cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompence of reward For the iust shall liue by his faith But without faith it is impossible to please him For hee that commeth to God must beleeue that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seeke him Let vs therefore by him not by the Virgin Marie or Saints offer the sacrifice of praise alwaies to God that is the fruit of the lippes which confesse his name For saith the Lord I euen I am the Lord and beside me there is no sauiour This being dulie marked rightly applied is a full and large disputation against any Papist Elias Iohn Baptist borne HIS name Iohn signifieth The grace of God Baptist was in respect of his office which was to baptize and to preach repentance and forgiuenesse of sinnes and foretold a fore-runner of the blessed Messias in Malach. 3. where it is written Behold I send my Ambassador to make way before him and by and by after shall the Lord whome ye seeke enter into his Temple and in the next chapter he is called Elias by reason of the likenesse of their offices and this text by the Iewes themselues is vnderstood concerning the Messias and the Scribes do say in the Gospel that Elias must first come and in another place Art thou Christ or Elias or one of the Prophets He was the sonne of Zacharias of the course of Abia and his mother was Elizabeth The Angel of the Lord sheweth vnto Zacharias that he is that Elias of whom Malachi foretold chap. 3. That he should turne many of the children of Israel to their Lord God for he shall goe before him in the spirit and power of Elias to turne the hearts of the fathers vnto the children and the disobedient to the wisdome of the iust men to make readie a people prepared for the Lord. And the Angell gaue Zacharias a signe of this to be performed that is he made him dumb vntill the child was borne Now Elizabeths time was fulfilled that she should bee deliuered and she brought forth a sonne and on the eight day her friends came to circumcise the babe and called him Zacharias after the name of his Father But his mother answered he shall be called Iohn and his father being dumb tooke writing tables and wrote saying His name is Iohn And his mouth was opened immediately and his tongue loosed and he spake and praysed God and was filled with the holy Ghost and prophesied saying Blessed bee the Lord God of Israel because he hath visited and redeemed his people and hath raised vp the horne of saluation for vs in the house of his seruant Dauid c. And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit and was in the wildernesse till the day came that he should shew himselfe vnto Israel Here you may see Zachary and Iohn were the two first of the new Testament So in the old Testament Zachary and Malachi called also Iochanan or Iohn doe end the old Testament You haue in the new Testament another Iohn the sonne of Zebedeus who with his brother Iames were called by Christ as they were mending their nets and became Apostles This Iohn forbadde one to cast out Deuils by the name of Iesus but Christ reprooued him He was the beloued Apostle on whose brest Christ leaned Christ reuealeth vnto him who should betray him He was banished into the Isle of Patmos and hath a reuelation of the heauenly Ierusalem and misticall Babylon There was also Iohn called Marke Act. 15.37 3928. Iesus is borne THis name Iesus signifieth A Sauiour so named in his mothers wombe A great Rabbin saith that because the Annointed shall saue folkes therefore he shall be called Iesus
because it did not see those things that touched the the peace of it and sheweth how it shall no more be Ierusalem but Iebus that is troden vnder foot for now Melchisedech vnder whome it was first called Salem is to bee acknowledged a figure of the Lord. Now Isaacke offered not offred is knowne whereof he was a figure which Isaack gaue Abraham occasion to augment that name Salem with Iire before Salem where the Lord will prouide for euerlasting peace 3960. Iesus Christ the King the most holy is betrayed by Iudas Iscarioth that is which falleth away for reward CHrist is crucified according to Daniel 9. Pontius Pilate being then Lieutenant of Iurie for Tiberius Caesar then Emperour of Rome after that he had preached three yeares and a halfe For comparison with this three yeares and an halfe you haue Elias in praying it might not raine and it rained not in three yeares and sixe moneths Our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell remembreth this Storie when he maketh comparison with his comming to the Iewes with that of Elias In the dayes of Elias sayth Christ many widdowes were in Israel when the heauens were shut three yeares and sixe Moneths but vnto none was Elias sent saue vnto the widdow of Sarepta Further the Iewes vnder Antiochus Epiphanes had the like storie of three yeares and sixe moneths when the Idoll was set in the Temple of God Moses layd downe a law that when they came into the Land what tree they planted good for meat they should the three first yeares hold it vncleane and those three yeares they should not eat the fruit thereof So Christ in the Gospell handleth it thus in a parable A man had a figge-tree planted in his Vineyard and finding no fruite thereon hee sayd to the dresser of this Vineyard Behold these three yeres haue I come and sought fruit but I finde none cut it downe why keepeth it the ground barren and hee answered Lord let it alone this yeare till I digge it round about and dunge it and if then it beare not fruit you shall cut it downe We haue the like comparison of three yeres and an halfe in the Reuelation For all the persecution vnder the Romane Emperours being about three hundred yeres is alluded to this time of Christs preaching being called fortie and two Moneths which makes three yeres and sixe moneths The Papists vpon this dreame that Antichrist when hee comes shall raigne but three yeares and a halfe and therefore the Pope cannot be Antichrist seeing he hath raigned many hundred yeres But to what purpose should the holy spirite speake of him so long before if his tyrannie should bee of no longer continuance Besides seeing by the two and fortie moneths which are the same in account with One thousand three hundred and sixtie dayes the whole time of the tyrannie executed by the prophane Emperours is meant It must needs be that the Popes gouernment which commeth vp in their stead must be signified by One thousand three hundred and sixtie daies To this Carthusianus and Beda expound this time of One thousand three hundred and sixty dayes to cōprehend the whole continuance of the preaching of the Gospel to the end of the world This their own side vse for an exposition and seeing it is true wee embrace it It is further to bee demaunded of them how it can bee possible that the Antichrist should be able in three yeares and a halfe to subdue all the world Before Christ this time was spoken in proper termes but since in a metaphor because there ensueth the like dealings The Two and thirtie and a halfe are the yeares of Christs gouernment vpon the earth and haue comparison with Dauids two and thirtie yeares and sixe moneths gouernment in Ierusalem This Seuentie is to shew that this is the last Seuen of the 70 Seuens or Foure hundred and ninetie yeres expressed Dan. 9. wherein Christ should end the sacrifice and oblation The Fifty is to shew that it is the last Iubilee of the eight twenty His humilitie his life his death the cause and manner of his death was told before by the Prophets In Esay Ieremie and Daniel In Esay 53. it is sayd of him Who will beleeue our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed hee hath neither forme nor beautie when wee shall see him there shall bee no fourme that wee should desire him Hee is despised and reiected of men hee is a man full of sorrowes and hath experience of infirmities He was despised and wee esteemed him not Surely he hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrowes yet we did iudge him as plagued and smitten of God and humbled but hee was wounded for our transgressions hee was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes wee are healed He was oppressed and afflicted yet did hee not open his mouth He is brought as a sheepe to the slaughter and as a sheepe before his shearer is dumbe so hee openeth not his mouth Hee was taken out of prison and from iudgment and who will declare his age for he was cut out of the land of the liuing for the transgression of my people was he plagued And he made his graue with the wicked and with the rich in his death though he had done no wickednesse neither was any deceite in his mouth By his knowledge shall hee iustifie many for hee shall beare their iniquities He was counted with the transgressors and he bare the sinne of many and prayed for the transgressors And againe he sayth Esay 50. I gaue my backe vnto the smiters and my cheekes to the nippers I hid not my face from shame and spitting And againe Psal 22. As for me I am a worme and no man a verie scorne of men and the out-cast of the people All they that see mee laugh me to scorne they shoot out their lippes and shake their heads saying He trusted in God that hee would deliuer him let him deliuer him if hee will haue him Many Oxen are come about mee fatte Bulles of Basan enclose me in on euerie side they gape vpon me with their mouthes as it were a ramping and roaring Lion I am powred out like water and all my bones are out of ioynt my heart also in the midst of me is euen like melting waxe They pierced my hands and my feete I may tell all my bones they stand staring and looking vpon me They part my garments among them and cast lots vpon my vesture Yea the verie abiects came together against me vnawares making mowes at me and ceased not With the flatterers were busie mockers which gnashed vppon me with their teeth they gaped on me with their mouthes and sayd Fie on thee fie on thee we saw it with our eyes They that sit in the gate speake against me and the drunkards make song vpon me they gaue mee gall to eate and when I was thirstie they gaue