shall come and carrie away captiue these excellent things and thy Sonnes shall bee courtiers in the court of the king of Babell He hath Fifteen yeares longer allowed for the time of his life in this world and hath this warranted by the course of the Sun going fifteen degrees backward He knew the end and period of his life and thereby no doubt had a wonderfull glorie This is certaine that none can tell by outward blessings how farre he is in the fauour or disfauor of God Ezechias dieth to the end hee should not see the euill dayes 3311. Manasses his Sonne raigneth 55. yeres being wonderfull wicked HEre the long patience of God appeared calling men to repentance as in the dayes of Noah while the Arke was in preparing 3366. Amon his Sonne raigned Two yeares HE committed euill in the sight of the Lord as did Manasses his Father For Ammon sacrificed to all the Images which Manasses his Father had made and serued them and he humbled not himselfe before the Lord as Manasses his Father had humbled himselfe but this Ammon trespassed more and more and his Seruants conspired against him and slue him in his owne house And the people of the Land made Iosias King and hee raigned One and Thirtie yeares and hee did vprightly in the sight of the Lord and walked in the wayes of Dauid his Father and bowed neither to the right hand nor to the left He taketh vp the Prophets bones and burneth them vppon their Altars and purged Iudah and Ierusalem So hee fulfilleth that prophecie Read the 3. King 23.16 He was verie godly at Sixteen yeares of age at Eighteen the Booke of the Lawe is found It is a great question what Booke of the Law it was It is certaine that the prophets had the law to studie as Esay Amos and Ezechiel Therefore the meaning cannot be that before this finding they had no copies of Moses but the truth is Now was found the verie originall which Moses wrote for wicked Manasses was the occasion of hiding thereof Vpon this finding and reading thereof God saith 2. Chron. 34. Because thy heart did melt and thou hast humbled thy selfe before the Lord therfore thou shalt be gathered vnto thy fathers and shalt be put into thy graue with peace He was slaine by Pharaoh Neco at Megiddo for the Lord turned not from his fierce wrath wherewith he was angrie against Iudah because of the prouocations of Manasses therefore hee determined to put Iudah out of his sight Vpon this Ieremie writes the Lamentations of his death In his dayes Ieremie and Sophony prophecied 3399. Ioakim Eleauen yeares HE would not beleeue the iudgments of God against Iudah and Ierusalem pronounced by Ieremie 22. Thus saith the Lord against Ioakim they shall not lament him saying Ah my Brother or ah Sister neither shall they mourne for him saying ah Lord or ah this glorie he shall be buried as an Asse is buried euen drawne and cast forth without the gates of Ierusalem And then began Nebuchadnetzar to besiege Ierusalem and Ioakim cuts Ieremies Lamentations in peeces Therefore he was buried like an Asse and here the succession ended Gregorie Martin herevpon keepes a stirre as if the Scriptures were not true because Saint Mathew saith that Ioakim begat Ieconias and his brethren whereas in truth Ioakim died childlesse The Scripture is true for this word Sonne is taken for any kinsman and so vsed in the scripture He was his Vncle in proper sence and Sonne by succession Here is now the saying fulfilled Ierem. 22. O earth earth earth heare the word of the Lord write Iehoiakim voide of Children Nathaniel he saith of Christ Ioh. 1. Thou art the King of Israel The purpose of God in this Kingdome was this that Christ should bee King for euer whose gouernment they in some sort shadowed and yet seeing they could not performe ciuile Iustice for this life how shall wee if wee trust in our owne righteousnesse appeare in the sight of God The next in order of time to be handled is Nebuchadnetzar and the Storie of the Captiuitie but because before I could not conueniently handle the Kings of Israel before I come to the captiuitie I will heere handle their Stories in generall termes TIll Ieroboams time Iuda ruled ouer all the Tribes but when Salomon was dead and Roboam succeedeth the Ten tribes fall away from Iuda and then those Tribes make another Kingdome by their diuision and frō this time Israel is a kingdom diuided the ten Tribes bearing the name of Israel and the other Tribes Iuda and Beniamin the Kingdome of Iudah This diuision continueth vnto Ezechias time and there endeth the ten Tribes being carried captiue by Salmanasar The Prophet Oseas expresseth their state in this sort Cap. 1. GOe take vnto thee a wife of Fornications and hee tooke Gomer which signifieth a whole bodie or multitude the Daughter of Diblaim which signifieth Barrennesse which was a name of one of the standings in the wildernesse And she conceiued and bare a Sonne and called him Isreel So God calleth the whole state of Israel a whole bodie as barren as the wildernes She conceiued againe and bare a daughter and called her Loruhamah not pitied She bare againe another Sonne and called his name Lognamj that is not my people The meaning is thus much Goe to the multitude of Israel whose Fathers pitched their Tents in the wildernesse of Diblaim and because they fall to Idolatrie worshipping molten Calues as their fathers did in the wildernesse not regarding the glorie of Shiloh tell them that their state shall be as Israel that is like the slaughter of Iehu vpon Achab in the valley of Isreel and they shall be so vnpitied that they shall be as though they were no people vntill they know I am the Lord. Of these calamities Oseas preacheth vnto them in Ieroboams time telleth them vnder these termes of three alterations the one by Iehu which he expresseth by his first Sonne Isreel because a little while and I will visite the blood of Isreel vppon the house of Iehu and will make the gouernment of the house of Israel to cease and at that day will I also breake the bowe of Israel in the valley of Iesrell The Second by his Daughter Loruhamah without mercie For I wil no more haue pitie vpon the house of Israel but I will vtterly take them away which was performed in Tighath Pelesars daies without mercie The Third Lognammi no people for yee are not my people therefore will I not be yours This was performed when Salmanasar caried them cleane away It is not expressed of what Tribes the Kings of Israel were because the Lord keepeth not the wicked in remembrance If any be mentioned it is for some speciall vse in the Storie as Iehu may be supposed to be of Gad because there is mention made that he came from a Towne in that Tribe Ieroboam is of Ioseph and is a plague to Israel when hee erected
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
God requireth by the Law is spirituall as the reward which wee ought to looke for is spirituall You are also to note that there was seuen times seuen dayes after the eating of the Lambe before the giuing of the Law Whereby wee may know that God careth not for ciuilitie without the knowledge of Christ though the contrarie bee taught that it is ynough so wee bee ciuill in life though our mindes neuer thinke of the eating of the Lambe But if wee will liue godlie indeed all our care must bee to esteeme highlie of those rules which concerne the teaching of the Redemption By Christ For it is no commendation to liue ciuilly though a sinne to misse in conuersation And yet this honest behauiour amongst all men must not be neglected Where it is said Sanctifie your selues for to morrow is the Sabbath If it bee demaunded how the Iewes could vnderstand this it may thus be answered God so spake that a childe may vnderstand it For Adam fell in Paradise the sixt day and sacrificed the seuenth which is as much as Moses speaketh heere This is the consent of the Hebrewes There is a Question Whether Ioseph in Egypt and the Iewes in Babylon did keepe the Sabbath For any thing that I can finde they did it not publiquelie Peraduenture Ioseph might doe it priuatlie in respect of his owne conscience but not otherwise And for the keeping of the Sabbathes by the Iewes in Babylon wee haue an expresse example to the contrarie There was a feast at Shusan which was on the Sabbath day which feast the Iewes likewise did solemnize immediately vppon that there was a decree to destroy the Iewes The Chaldee paraphrast expounds it to be for the contempt of the Sabbath Iob in his booke expounds this commaundement of honoring Father and Mother by shewing how contumeliously those did vse him whose Fathers he would not haue set with his dogges Saint Paul sheweth that this is the first commaundement that hath a promise annexed shewing thereby that we are to be dealt with like children by allurements to embrace common ciuilitie such is the peruersenesse of our nature Ieremy telleth the Iewes that if they will keep their Sabbaths they shall not goe into captiuitie He thereby meaneth that by the true keeping of the Sabbaths they must learne all religion For they must remember Adams fall and the restoring by Christ and then the instituting of the Sabbath Then must they come to Sem and Abraham and the promise and the offering vp of Isaack which was a figure of the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world and so through the Stories of the Scripture The Law is vsually diuided into two Tables the First Second The Foure first Commaundements concerning God The sixe last concerning man The end of the Law is Christ which is excellently set downe in the Epistle to the Hebrewes which Epistle begins in this sort At sundrie times and in sundry manners God spake in the old time by the Prophets As to Adam The Seed of the woman shall break the head of the Serpent To Noah Blessed be the God of Sem. To AbrahaÌ„ In thy seed al Nations in the earth shall bee blessed c. And now last by his Sonne whome hee hath made heire of all things by whome hee made the world â— who being the brightnesse of his glorie and the Character of his substance sustaineth all thinges by whome the world was made farre aboue all Angels For in the beginning O Lord thou establishedst the heauens they will perish but thou doest remaine And the Angels they are but thy miâ—istring spirits for their sakes which shall be heires of saluation Now if euerie transgression and disobedience receiued a iust reward how shall we escape if wee neglect so great saluation It is easie to make triall hereof For the world was made in the beginning to obey man the Angels receiued damnation for despising this and in respect hereof Dauid sayth What is man that thou shouldest be mindfull of him thou hast made him a little inferiour to the Angels that thou mightest crowne him with glorie and honour And it was necessarie that Iesus should take vpon him the seede of Abraham and so be made inferiour to the Angels by suffering death that so hee might bring many Children to glorie and through death destroy him that had the power of death and by this victorie ouer the Deuill be crowned with glorie and honour and haue all things put in subiection vnder his feet And by these his sufferings hee was made like vnto his brethren that hee might be mercifull and a faithfull high Priest in things concerning God that hee might make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people Moses was a faithfull witnesse hereof and they that beleeued him not but disobeyed were plagued in the Wildernesse Therefore while it is called to day harden not your hearts least hee sweare They shall not enter into my rest This Doctrine was further made plaine by Aaron the Annointed of the Lord whose office was to offer for his owne sins and the sinnes of his brethren But his office ceased This ceasing was figured before in Melchisedech blessing Abraham when Leuie was yet in Abrahams loynes and therefore aboue Abraham for the lesser is blessed of the greater to whom Abraham gaue tythes therefore the Iewes must goe to a higher Religion than to the Lawe and Thy God contayneth more than ceremonies Wee shall see this cleare by the Tabernacle in the which wee are not to speake of the particular Ceremonies but of those cheefely which as referred to Christ In the Tabernacle there were two places the Holy the Holy of holiest The Holy was called the Sanctuarie of this world wherein were the Candlestickes Table of shew-bread c. The Holy of holyest did represent the state of heauen in which was the Arke of the Couenant of God In which Arke there was reserued as a memorie for all posterities a potte of Manna Aarons Rodde that alwayes flourished and the Tables of the Lawe The Arke was couered and the couering thereof was called the mercie-seat which figured Christ who is our propiciatorie or mercie-seat to couer our iniquities Ouer the mercie-seat were the forme of two Angels hauing relation to the Angels that kept the way to the tree of life to shew that none were worthie to come into that Holy of holiest but Aaron the annointed of the Lord who likewise figured Christ both in name and office For Aaron signifieth Christ which in English is Annointed and in office by entring once for all into the Holy of holiest For it was the office of the high Sacrificer once euery yeere to enter into this Holy of holyest with blood Of this Dauid speaketh Psalme 40. When hee commeth into the world hee saith Sacrifice and burnt offering thou wouldest not haue but a bodie hast thou ordained In the beginning of thy booke it is written that I should doe thy will O God Then said I loe I
one yeare and is slaine after this there is a Famine for three yeares and the Twelfth yeare Dauid dieth and then Salomon succeedeth in the Kingdome Eupolemus saith that the building of the Temple was reserued to Salomon who came to the Crowne at the age of Twelue yeares This time hath a comparison with Christ As Salomon being Twelue yeares old decided the controuersie between the two women for the dead Child Euen so Iesus Christ much more to be admired than Salomon at Twelue yeares of age disputeth with the Doctors in the Temple For this number of Twelue You haue Twelue Signes Moneths in the yeare Stones in Iordan Loaues of bread in the Tabernacle Stewards of Salomons house Fountaines in the Wildernesse Apostles times 12 thousand Christians sealed in the Reuelatiō Christ telleth that the Queene of the South came to heare the wisedome of Salomon But saith he behold a greater than Salomon Besides cleane through the song of songs you haue Christ and Salomon compared together sauing onely in the beginning where it is sayd a Song of Salomons We read in Plutarch that it was a custome amonge the Kings of old time to put questions one to another to trie the abilitie of their wits and that a certaine praise was appointed to him that got the victorie and Dius an Historiographer of the Phoenicians rehearseth the Riddles and Questions that Salomon sent to King Hiram saying that it cost Hiram verie much in that he could not open them vntill at length he found a young man of Tyrus named Abdemon who decyphered vnto him the most part of them we finde that in the Booke of Iudges Sampson promised great rewardes to them that could declare his Riddle These haue a fit relation to the parables vttered by Christ to the Iewes Something must be said of the annointing of Kings WE shall finde that Saul was annointed because hee was the first King And Dauid was annointed because he was chosen by God of another tribe And Salomon was annointed because that Absolom and Adonay gaue a push for the Kingdome And Ioas was annointed because Athalia sought to set vp other Euerie one that is a Christian is called the annnointed of the Lord as it is in the ◠Psal Touch not mine annointed nor doe my Prophets no harme This is spoken of Abraham Isaacke and Iacob and so consequently of all the faithfull For annointing of Kings it is not lawfull by imitation to reuiue it as a ceremonie seeing this was neuer done but vpon speciall occasion the state requiring it diuers hauing at that time title to the Crowne In respect of policie it is peraduenture lawfull hauing been authorised by the consent of Nations otherwise not Temple built foure Hundred and Eightie yeares after the Children of Israel came out of Egipt 1. King 6. THe foundation of the Temple is laide on Mount Moriah where Adam was created where the Fathers in ancient time sacrificed where Isaack was offered where Iehouah appeared to Dauid staying the plague 2. Chron. 3.1 As a Citie or an house scituate vpon an hill cannot be hidden euen so God would haue his people not to behid but to be an example to all Nations The Temple is twise as bigge as the Tabernacle because that the Temple and the Tabernacle had a relation to the number of the people Seing therefore now the people were twise so many as then the Temple ought to be twise so bigge The efficient cause is the commandement and warrant of God the instrumentall cause is Dauid he putteth it not in practise because hee was a man much busied in warres It was begunne to be built in the Fourth yeare of the raigne of Salomon The Cedars for it were had from Libanon where Noahs Arke was built In the vnderstanding of the Temple and the particulars thereof consisteth the whole summe of Religion It had Sixe Courts and euerie Court of seuerall vse before you came to the holy of holyest and euerie Court were Twelue steppes one aboue another The vse of which is that it is no easie studie to attaine to the depth of the knowledge of God neither can a man attaine vnto it at the first as hee will but he must ascend by degrees So were the windowes narrowe without and wide within to shewe that they which once had obtained the knowledge of Christ embracing it with a liuely faith doe behold his graces in a full clearer sort than those which are without For the Courts they were thus distinguished Within the vtmost rayles the heathen and prophane people might stand to see and heare and as they were like beasts in knowledge so their place was next to the beasts of the field In the second Court the women stood In the third Court the Common people In the fourth Court the King did heare the Law read In the fift were the Sacrifices burnt vppon the brasen Altar In the sixt was the golden Altar and the Table of Shew-bread In the Seuenth was the holy of holyest where was the Arke of the Couenant of Iehouah and within it the two tables of Testimony Into it onely might enter the high Sacrificer and that he might doe but once a yeare figuring Christ the high Sacrificer which once for all should enter into the holy of holyest to make intercession for all the world Betweene the holy and the holy of holyest there was a vaile of blew silke purple crimson and fine linnen and Cherubines wrought thereon This vaile represented the bodie of Christ and shewed that none could come to the Father but by the Sonne and none come vnto the Sonne except the Father draw him When Christ was crucified this vaile did teare from the toppe to the bottome and shewed that by his suffering of death all men then were Kings and Sacrificers and might by their owne prayers grounded on knowledge and the feare of God obtaine forgiuenesse of their sinnes The dores pillars and seeling of the Temple were couered with gold resembling the golden spirite of prophecie And when the Temple was built the stones were so squared before they were brought that there was neither hammer axe or any toole of yron heard in the Temple while it was in building To teach the Israelites that they ought to liue in peace loue and vnity one with another without iarring or contention if they would haue the vse of Gods holy Temple For saith God My house is a house of prayer The Temple is a resemblance of things in earth respecting God in heauen The summe is Moses to bee compared with Salomon Salomon with Daniel Daniel with Christ Christ to be compared with all In the Eleauenth yeare of Salomon he finished the Temple AS the Tabernacle was 7. Months in building so now the Temple was Seuen yeares in building thirteene yeares after Salomon builds his owne house There be that thinke he was twentie yeares old when hee tooke vpon him to succeed in the Kingdome and they cast his yeares to be foure
also and hee sought Ochosias and caught him where hee was hid in Samaria and brought him to Iehu and slue him and buried him because they sayd hee is the Sonne of Iosaphat which sought the Lord with all his heart So the house of Ochosias was not able to retaine the Kingdome This was the iust plague of God because he ioyned himselfe with Gods enemies yet God to declare the worthinesse of Iosaphat his Grandfather mooued them to giue him the honour of buriall 2. Chron. 22. 3118. Athalia Sixe yeares WHen shee heard that her Sonne Ochosias was dead she putteth to death all the Kings seed of Ochosias house because she might by that meanes bring the Kingdome to Israel and so haue established Idolatrie But Iehoshabeath the daughter of the King tooke Ioash the Sonne of Ochosias and stole him from among the Kings Sons that should be slaine and put him and his Nurse in the Bed-chamber So Iehoshabeath the daughter of King Ioram the wife of Iehoida the Sacrificer for she was the Sister of Ochosias hid him from Athalia So she slue him not and hee was hid with them in the house of God sixe yeares whiles Athalia raigned ouer Iuda But after this Iehoida caused Athalia to be slaine to shew that who so sheddeth blood by man shall their blood be shed 3124. Ioas Fortie yeares THen they brought out the Kings Sonne and put on him the crowne and gaue him the testimonie that is his oath and royall apparell and made him King and Iehoida and his Sonnes annointed him and sayd God saue the king Then all the people of the Land reioyced and the Citie was quiet after they had slaine Athaliah with the sword For where a tyrant and an Idolatrer raigneth there Gods religion cannot flourish but the plagues of God are euer amonge such people This Ioas while Iehoida liued kept religion sincerely but he being dead fell to Idolatrie And because Zacharias the Sonne of Barachias or Iehoida reprooued him he commaunded him to be slaine between the Altar and the Temple that so all the righteous blood from Abel hitherto might come vpon the Iewes and their children Here wee may obserue how hard a thing in a wicked Kingdome it is to escape the wrath of God and to keepe our handes from reaching vnto wickednesse And here looke what Kaines age was for impietie so was this for so Christ ioynes them together Mat. 23. That all the righteous blood from Abel hitherto might come vpon them Thus Ioas forgot the kindnesse which Iehoida the father of Zacharias had done to him And when the yeare was out the Host of Aram came vp against Ioas and they came against Iuda and Ierusalem and destroyed all the Princes of the people from amonge the people and sent all the spoyle of them vnto the King of Damascus Though the Armie of Aram came with a small companie of men yet the Lord deliuered a verie great Armie into their hand because they had forsaken the Lord God of their Fathers And they gaue sentence against Ioash and when they were departed from him for they left him in great diseases his owne seruants conspired against him for the blood of the children of Iehoiada the Sacrificer and slue him on his bed And he died and they buried him in the Citie of Dauid but they buried him not in the Sepulchres of the Kings 2. Chron. 24. Saint Mathew in the Genealogie saith that Ioas was not the natural Sonne of Ochosias for he omits three Kings in the Genealogie First let vs see why hee omits any and then why these three It is certaine that the Iewes wrote the Genealogies and reduced them to sixe Seuens two and Fortie Fathers Saint Mathew was to take them as hee found them seeing they spake true For it was ynough to tell that Christ was of Abraham and Ioseph The rest betwixt are to shew the varietie of Gods wisedome and prouidence The six Seuens haue in them a sweet proportion to the creation and that they make vp two and Fortie they resemble the standings in the wildernesse being likewise two and Fortie Standings Now for the reason why Sant Mathew leaueth out three this it is They were verie wicked and for their wickednesse were grieuously plagued and therefore seeing the Iewes would not exceede the number of two and Fortie they were the fittest to bee left out The like example we haue in the blessing of Moses where Simeon is left out being wicked and the number of Twelue must bee obserued And in the Reuelation where the Tribes are sealed Dan is omitted for the reason afore euen so these three kings being very wicked had violent deaths in token of Gods curse and therefore the Iewes penning Christs Auncestors might iustly leaue them out To proceed when Henocke was taken vp there was a prophecie for the flood In Hebers daies Pelegs name prophecied the cōfounding of their tongues When Elias is taken vp there is presently a great alteration for Ochosias is killed and Athalia doth in sixe yeares as it were vnconquer the Land and bring all to an vproare Ioas the remnant of the Kings seede preserued by Iehoiada the high Sacrificer from slaughter commeth vp verie weakely thereby to shew vnto vs that there is no strength in man whose breath is in his nostrils 3161. Amasias Nine and Twentie yeares HE did vprightly in the eyes of the Lord but not with a perfect heart meaning in respect of his predecessors albeit he had his imperfections For when the Kingdome was established vnto him he slue his seruants that had slain the King his Fathers but he slue not their children but did as it is written in the Lawe and in the Booke of Moses Deut. 24.16 Where the Lord commaunded saying The Fathers shall not die for the children neither shall the Children die for the Fathers but euery man shall die for his owne sinne And Amasias assembled Iudah and made warre against Edom and smote off the children of Seir ten Thousand and other ten Thousand the Children of Iudah tooke aliue and carried them to the toppe of a Rocke and cast them downe from the top and they all burst to peeces Now after that Amasias was come from the slaughter of the Edomites he brought the Gods of the children of Seir and set them vp to be his Gods and worshipped them and burned incense vnto them So that instead of praise giuing to God for his victorie he committeth grosse Idolatry Now after the time that Amasias did turne away from the Lord they wrought treason against him in Ierusalem and hee fled to Lachish and they sent after him and slue him there and he was brought vpon horses and buried with his Fathers in the Citie of Iuda 2. Chron. 25. Here you see a good beginning but an ill end and that God plagueth by those means wherein men most trust to teach them that he sitteth vpon a fiery throne thereby to cause them haue their affections setled only
of iron and clay and brake them to peeces then was the iron the clay the brasse the siluer and the gold broken all together that no place was found for them and the stone that smote them became a great mountaine and filled the whole earth Dan. 2. Daniel sawe some great beasts come vp from the sea the first a Lyon the second a Beare the third a Leopard the fourth vnlike the former with teeth of iron and tenne hornes Dan. 7. These great beasts which are foure are foure Kings which shall take the kingdome of the Saints of the most high In the thirteenth of the Reuelation Iohn sawe a beast rise out of the sea hauing seauen heads and tenne hornes mouthed like a Lyon bodied like a Leopard footed like a Beare and the Dragon gaue him his power And Daniel beheld till the thrones were set vp and the Ancient of daies did sit whose garment was white as snowe and the haire of his head like the pure wooll his throne was like the fiery flame and his wheeles as burning fire a fiery streame issued and came forth from before him thousand thousands ministred vnto him and tenne thousand thousands stood before him the iudgement was set and the bookes opened the beasts were slaine and their bodies cast into the burning fire and behold one like the Son of man came in the clowdes of heauen and came to the Ancient of daies and he gaue him dominion and honour and a kingdome that all people nations and languages should serue him his kingdome shall neuer be destroyed so as Reuel 20. Iohn sawe a great white throne and one that sate on it from whose face flied both the earth and the heauen and he sawe the dead both great and small stand before God and the bookes were opened and another booke was opened which was the booke of life and the dead were iudged of those thinges which were written in the bookes according to their workes and whosoeuer was not found written in the booke of life was cast into the lake of fire Dan. 3. Nebucadnetzar erecteth an Image and commaundeth to worshippe it Sidrach Mishach and Abednego refused This sheweth that wicked lawes cannot compell godly men to doe that which God forbiddeth for the faithfull are alwaies assured that God wil defend them this is the meaning of this place and will not feare him that can throwe the body into the fire but stand in awe of him that can throwe both body and soule into eternall fire so in Apoc. 1◠As many as would not worship the image of the beast were killed 3409. Ioachin three moneths HE was eight yeares old when he beganne to raigne and hee ruled three monthes and ten dayes in Ierusalem and did euill in the sigh of the Lord. And when the yeare was out King Nebucadnetzar sent and brought him to Babel with the pretious vessels of the house of the Lord. He beganne his raigne at eight yeares and raigned ten yeares when his father was aliue and after his fathers death which was the eighteenth yeare of his age he raigned alone three monthes and ten dayes So he was brought prisoner to Babel and Zedechias his brother but in truth his Vncle was made King in his steede so he continued in prison all the daies of Nebucadnetzar that is seauen and thirtie yeares after Nebucadnetzar had carried him captiue vnto the first yeare of euill Merodach King of Babel who succeeded Nebuchadnetzar This was foretold him by the Prophet Ieremie cap. 22. Thou that dwellest in Lebanon and makest thy nest in the Cedars how beautifull shalt thou be when sorrowes come vppon thee as the sorowes of a womā in trauaile as I liue saith the Lord though Coniah that is Ioachin or Ieconias the sonne of Iehoiachim King of Iuda were as the signet of my right hand yet would I plucke thee thence and I will giue thee into the hand of them that seeke thy life and into the land of them whose face thou fearest euen into the hand of Nebucadnetzar King of Babel and into the hand of the Chaldeans and I will cause them to carry thee away thy mother that bare thee into another countrie where ye were not borne and there shall yee die but to the land whereunto they desire to returne they shall not returne thither But after the death of Nebucadnetzar euill Merodach his sonne did lift vp the head of Ioachin or Ieconias King of Iudah out of the prison and spake kindely to him and set his throne aboue the throne of the Kings that were with him in Babel changed his prison garments and he did continually eate meate before him all the daies of his life and his portion was a continuall portion giuen him by the King euery day a certaine all the daies of his life 3410. Zedechias Eleauen yeares HIs name was first Mattamah but Nebucadnetzar changed his name to Zedechiah Hee was one and twentie yeares olde when he beganne to raigne And he did euill in the sight of the Lord according to all that Iehoiakim had done Therefore the wrath of the Lord was against Ierusalem and Iudah vntill he cast them out of his sight And Zedechias rebelled against the King of Babell and in the ninth yeare of Zedechias raigne the tenth month and which day of the month Nebucadnetzar King of Babel came he and all his host against Ierusalem and pitched against it and they built forts against it round about So the citie was besieged vnto the eleauenth yeare of King Zedechias and the ninth month the famine was so great in the citie that there was no bread for the people of the land So that the fourth of Ieremies Lamentations was trulie performed that mothers did eate their owne children So the citie was broken vp and the King Zedechias fledde but the armie of the Caldees pursued after him and tooke him in the deserts of Iericho and all his host was scattered from him Then they tooke the King and carried him vp to the King of Babel to Riblah where they gaue iudgment vpon him and they slue the sonnes of Zadechias before his eyes and put out the eyes of Zedechias and bound him in chaines and carried him to Babel Heere is performed the wordes of Ieremie the Prophet chap. 24. I will giue Zedechias the King of Iudah and his Princes and the rest of Ierusalem for a terrible plague to all the kingdomes of the earth and for a reproch and for a prouerb for a common talke for a curse in all places where I shall cast them and I will send the sword the famine and the pestilence among them till they be consumed out of the land that I gaue to them and their Fathers And Ier. 5. For the house of Israel and the house of Iudah haue grieuouslie transgressed against me saith the Lord they haue denied the Lord and said It is not he neither shall the plague come vpon vs neither shall wee see sword nor famine
the end of the seauenth seauen THE time from the first proclamation by Cyrus for the building of this Temple is seauen seauens that is Nine and fortie yeares but being hindred vntill the third yeare the exact time is but six fortie yeares according to Iohn 2. Fortie and six yeares was this Temple in building The meaning is that the Temple and walles of the Cities were now fullie reedified by Nehemiah This nine and fortie yeares was the twentieth yeare of Artaxerxes the godly Neh. 6.25 By the way here is to be vnderstoode that presently after the building of the Temple all prophesying fayled The Prophets that were in these times after the captiuity of Babylon were Esdras Nehemias Haggai Zacharias and Malachi All the other Prophets as Esay Amos Micheas Oseas Ieremie Sophonie Obadias Ionas Nahum Abacuk or Ioel were before the captiuity and Daniel and Ezechiel in the captiuity After him succeeded Xerxes the fift King of the Persians The time when he first warred with Grecia is not certainely set downe After him Artaxerxes Longi-manus the sixt King of Persia Then Ochus Artaxerxes Darius Nothus the seauenth Artaxerxes Memor the eighth Arses Artaxerxes and then Darius the last King of the Persians conquered by Alexander according to Dan. 10. Behold I goe away and the King of Grecia commeth Here the Ramme is ouerthrowne by the goate bucke Alexander the horne in the forhead of the Bucke ouercommeth him as Dan 8. I saw in a vision in the Pallace of Shusan in the Prouince of Elam being by the riuer Vlai a Ramme with two hornes and the Ramme pushed against the West against the North and against the South so that no beasts might stand before him nor could deliuer out of his hand but he did what he listed and became great And as I considered behold a goate bucke came from the West ouer the whole earth and touched not the ground and this Goate had a horne that appeared betweene his eyes and he came to the Ramme that had the two hornes and ran vnto him in his fierce rage and he smote the Ramme and brake his two hornes and there was no power in the Ramme to stand against him but he cast him downe to the ground and stamped vpon him and there was none that could deliuer the Ramme out of his power Therefore the Goate waxed exceeding strong and when he was at the strongest his great horne was broken and for it came vp foure that appeared towardes the foure windes of the heauen This Ramme is the kingdome of Media and Persia the two hornes are to distinguish the kingdomes and doe represent the Meeds Persians they are also the Beare the armes and brest of siluer Here the Beare is cast into the fire by Christ the fierie iudge and the armes and brest of the image are punned to dust and the Ramme that boasted himselfe in his strength stamped vnder foote And heere endeth the glorie of the Persians IT is sayd Dan. 11. Behold there shall stand vp three Kings in Persia and the Fourth shall be farre richer than they all Now hee meaneth that there shall be but Foure Kings in Persia for the Plaine crosseth but from Cambyses who at this time raigned there should be foure Kings that should bee enemies to the Iewes that is Cambyses Smerdes Darius the Sonne of Hystaspis and Artaxerxes or Darius whome Alexander ouerthrew This Darius was of wonderfull power hee had in his armie Nine hundred thousand men Yet he was not able to withstand Alexander the Horne in the fore-head of the Bucke The reason was he trusted in his strength and not in God And againe God had promised Alexander the victorie One hundred yeares before As touching their confused names ye shall vnderstand that among the Persians Darius signifieth he that subdueth Xerxes a Warriour Also that this name Assuerus is drawne from the Hebrewes in stead of Artaxerxes Further that Artaxerxes was the common name of all kings of Persia as Pharaoh was the common name of the kings of Egypt and Caesar of the Romane Emperours Therefore where ye finde many indifferently named Darius or Artaxerxes or both together you must diligently examine the Storie and the difficultie of vnderstanding vnder what king that happened which is recited in the Bookes of Esdras Nehemias and Ester will easily be made plaine Here the old Testament ends and Malachi prophecieth of the comming of Iohn Baptist vnder the name of Elias Mal. 3. Behold I send you Elias Christ himselfe expoundeth this of Iohn Baptist Mat. 11. This is he of whome it is written behold I send mine Angell before thy face which shall prepare thy way before thee for all the Prophets and the lawe prophecied vnto Iohn and if ye will receiue it this is Elias which was to come He that hath eares to heare let him heare Here endeth also the Hebrew tongue And though Schollers write Hebrew yet vpon the first sight it is apparant to be the writing of man so farre it disagreeth from the stile of the holy spirite Now all prophecying ceaseth And where the old Testament leaueth there the new beginneth The old Testament beginnes with describing the earthly habitation for man and the tree of life The new Testament ends with description of the heauenly habitation of the soule of man that is the heauenly Ierusalem and the tree of life The old Testament ends with grace that is Iochanan or Iohn The new Testament both begins with grace and ends with grace that is to say with Iohn Baptist and Iohn the Euangelist ⧠Here beginneth the Kingdome of the Grecians to flourish 3591. Alexander the great raigneth Twelue yeares HIs name signifieth Conquerour His Countrey was Macedonia or Grecia Iauans Countrey that is where Iauans Sonnes were scattered at the confusion of tongues He is of Iaphet by kindred In his conquest ouer the whole world there is the wonderfull loue of God to bee vnderstood and that is that by his meanes the Greeke tongue wherein the newe Testament was afterwards to be written was made famous ouer all the world that when the holy Ghost should penne the Booke it might bee easie to all This blessing was to Iaphet in recompence of his vertuous action with Sem in couering their Father For Noah prophecied that Sem should first be blessed and then Iaphet should haue a larger glorie This blessing concerning Iaphets house began in the successe of Darius of Iaphet with Cyrus of Sem against the Babylonians enlarged now by Alexanders conquest and by making the Greeke tongue famous but most of all after Christ when Iohn was banished into Iaphets Country to see the glorious forme of the heauenly Ierusalem and a Booke in the Greeke tongue deliuered vp to all the world containing the graces of Christ and the glad tidings of the euerlasting Gospell The comfort of this is vnspeakable being duly embraced but especially to vs of Iaphets house that is the Ilands of the ends of the
earth seeing by the benefite thereof we haue the true vnderstanding of eternall life The vse of this compelleth vs to search the Stories of our antiquities which wee may finde in the 10. of Genesis About this time Solon the wise flourished and made a law that Homer the Poet who was long before him should be read in the publike assemblies on holy dayes and festiuall dayes as the Epistles and Gospels bee read in our Churches This Homer in a trifling argument of the warre at Troy layeth downe all the excellencie of the Greeke tongue About this time also the Seuen wise men of Greece were famous and all their disputations be vpon Homer as Plato Aristotle and Zenophon c. The Grecians affirme that Homer was translated into the Indian tongue and other languages that so he might be knowne and vnderstood of other nations also Againe Alexander being of great possessions hee must haue many vnder-officers to belong vnto him then he that would beare any office or bee in any credite must be skilfull in the greeke tongue Caesar Seuen and Fortie yeares before Christ speaketh of the Denides learning greeke in England Tullie pro Archia the poet reasoneth thus Though Archias the poet be not by nature a Citizen yet he deserueth to bee thought so to bee seeing by birth hee is a Grecian and of Antiochia a populous Citie and of great account from whence flowed learned men and liberall studies And if any man shall thinke a lesser fruite of glorie to be reaped from greeke verses than from latine hee erreth in good sadnesse because those thinges which are written in greeke are read almost into all nations those which are in latine are contained with their owne borders which in good sooth are verie narrowe Thus by Tullies testimonie the greeke tongue stretched ouer the whole world At Augustus Caesars time the latine beganne to flourish and the greeke tongue ceased as if the holy ghost should haue aduised the Grecians to haue written no more For Plutarch and Athenaeus doe not write any new storie but either cōment on that which was written before or abridge it And any one skilfull in the greeke tongue may easily perceiue from what notable place of Plato Homer or other greeke writers euerie phrase in the newe Testament is deriued and those which are not there to bee found in those authors are fetched from the hebrew of the old Testament from whence all the rootes of the greeke tongue are drawne So that to the exact knowledge and vnderstanding of the new testament two things are requisite cunning in the greeke authors and in the old Testament Let vs returne to Alexander He is the great Horne in the forehead of the Goat Bucke Hee is also the Leopard but the foure heads of the Leopard are foure Captaines to whome after his death his Kingdome was diuided He is also the belly and sides of brasse Alexanders great power is broken for when he had ouercome all the East he thought to returne to Grecia to subdue them that there had rebelled and so hee died by the way after he had raigned twelue yeares Here the bellie and sides of brasse are beaten to dust by Christ the Stone The Leopard is cast into the fire by Christ the fierie Iudge The great Horne is broken by Christ truely Palmoni hauing secrets numbred Who numbreth wayeth and diuideth This sentence doth extend to the vse of all men in the world For God numbreth all our wayes and wayeth vs in the ballance of his iustice but entreth not into iudgement with his seruants knowing whereof they be made He diuideth his mercie vnto vs farre beyond the compasse of our desarts whereby we crie Abba Father Now after Alexanders death the whole gouernment was diuided vnto foure of his Captaines which are the foure heads of the Leopard The bodie of the Leopard was himselfe and his entier gouernement the winges the speedie spoyle that he made of the Persians The names of his Captaines were Cassander Seleucus Antigonus Ptolomeus who had Macedonia Syria Asia the lesse Egypt And in a short space after the gouernement came into two heads that is it was ruled by Seleucus king of Syria and Ptolomeus Lagi king of Egypt the King of the North and the King of the South and their gouernment and the succession of their gouernment are the beast with tenne Hornes and the legs of yron and clay they are also called Gog and Magog in Ezechiel The whole gouernement or Kingdome is the beast the tenne hornes are tenne cruell Kings that shall arise out of that kingdome namely Seleucus Nicator Antiochus Soter Antiochus Theos Seleucus Callinicus Seleucus Ceraunus Antiochus the great Seleucus Philopater Ptolomeus Euergetes Ptolomeus Philopater and Antiochus Epiphanes 3620. Seleucus Nicator one of Alexanders Successors HE held Asia two and fortie yeares Here beginneth the tyrannicall gouernment of the tenne Hornes and the hardnesse of the yron legges for yet the legges are yron Hee is the first Horne that rusheth against Iudea exacting all duties as if he had been their king From this time to Antiochus Epiphanes is reckoned one hundred thirtie and seuen yeares 1 Mach. 1.11 3663. Antiochus Soter the second Horne HE is made king in his fathers life Hee falleth sicke for loue of his Fathers wife and afterwards marieth her and within few yeares dyeth in recompence of that villanie 3663. Antiochus Theos the third Horne HE marrieth Berenice the Daughter of Ptolomeus Philadelphus king of the South or Egypt hauing a former wife Laodice by whome hee is poysoned and Berenice with all her Assistants slain This is handled Dan. 11.6 And in the end of yeares they shall bee ioyned together for the Kinges Daughter of the South shall come to the king of the North to make an agreement but she shall not retaine the power of the arme neither shal he continue nor his arme but she shall be deliuered to death and they that brought her and hee that begat her and hee that comforted her in these times Thus it appeareth how the legges of yron and clay cleaue not together This Ptolomeus Philadelphus king of Egipt being desirous to bee famous for Bookes getteth a Librarie of all the bookes hee could heare of Amongst which he heard of a booke that the Iewes had at Ierusalem which was the Bible so hee sent for Seuentie Iewes to translate the booke out of hebrew into greeke which they did in Seuentie dayes Now they knowing that it was not of any deuotion of religion that he desired it but to furnish his Librarie they thrust in likewise into the Bible diuers of their owne fables as the storie of Susanna of Bell the Dragon of Esdras the bookes of Tobie and Iudith la the bookes that we call Apocripha because they knew that God had no purpose to saue them being Egiptian Dogs and because they would not throwe pearles to swine they thrust into the ages before the flood more yeares by a thousand than