from that it being one of the most difficult and obscure Passages of the whole Pentateuch But still here is nothing proved That Moses wrote this Book called The Wars of the Lord appears not And granting it to be true it is nothing to the purpose For why might not Moses cite a Book of his own Writing as well as another and later Author And what if Moses did write the Wars of Amalek must he therefore write that of the Amorites Warring against the Moabites before he was concerned with them also These kind of pretences may amuse some that are not given to Thinking they can never prevail with them that consider duly Obj. X. 'T is pretended that the Pentateuch was not written by Moses but rather of him And that because Moses is generally mentioned by the Writer as a third Person And besides that we find Moses is commended in the Pentateuch Numb 12.6 8. Deut. 34.10 And if we take him for the Writer of those Books we must suppose him also to have commended himself which will hardly be granted in a Man of so great Humility and Wisdom as Moses was I answer 1. As to the Pretence that Moses is not the Author because he speaks of himself as of a third Person then it follows That whoever does in his History or Work mâ—ntion himself as Moses in these Books is supposed to do he cannot be the Author of that Book or Relation This wou'd be to conclude too much And yet if this Proposition be not true tâ—â—â— Objection hath so far as it goes no manner of force in it That he cannot be the Author of a Book that mentions himself as a third Person may be affirm'd indeed easily but can never be proved If this were admitted we must discharge several Authors of the Books of the Holy Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament also and then we must not believe that Julius Caesar wrote the Commentaries that go under his name or Josephus that part of his reputed Works where he speaks of himself as of a Third Person 'T is hardly credible that the Objectors can believe the Consequence of this Objection and I think there is no fear if they should that any indifferent Person shou'd believe with them 2. As to the second Part of the Objection That we cannot suppose that Moses wou'd commend himself nor consequently that he shou'd write the Pentateuch where he is commended I answer That this Objection whatever may be inferr'd from it does not conclude that Moses was not the Author of these Books For 't is not impossible for a Man to write an Encomium of himself But let us consider the Matter more closely 'T is said indeed that the Man Moses was very meek above all the Men which were upon the face of the Earth Numb 12.3 This is said upon occasion of what was said against him by Miriam and Aaron They spake against him very sharply Upon which 't is said And the Lord heard it Moses is not said to take notice of it himself He was not like to give any just offence nor apt to fall into anger when others reproach'd him It follows Now the man Moses was very meek c. I do not see what there is in these words unbecoming Moses Here 's no boasting or pride no shadow or foot-steps of it He had a just occasion to mention that he had neither provoked these angry persons nor did he highly resent the reproaches they followed him with He might say this well enough and ascribe due honour to God who had wrought this Temper in him The best Man in the World may well be allowed to defend his own Innocence and to own the great Things which God hath done for him The Objection will lie against Job against the Psalmist against St. Paul as well as against Moses if a good Man may not lawfully upon any occasion speak well of himself For what follows in v. 6 7 8. where Moses is preferr'd to any other Prophet 't is certain that they are the Words not of Moses but of God himself And well might he write what God himself said upon this occasion especially when it tended so much to justifie his Divine Mission upon the credit whereof the success of all his Ministry intirely depended The Sin of Moses is related Numb 20.12 and the Punishment inflicted on him on that account The relating of this is as strong an Objection against another Person 's writing these Books as what is nam'd above is against Moses For supposing another Person had been the Writer that Writer must be suppos'd not onely to relate what we read Numb 20. but to repeat it frequently also Obj. XI It is pretended that Moses cannot be supposed to be the Author of those words Exod. 6. These are that Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies These are they which spake to Pharaoh King of Egypt to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt These are that Moses and Aaron v. 26 27. 'T is suppos'd that Moses wou'd not write thus of himself I answer 1. That he may well be suppos'd to write as a Third Person as hath been shewed before And then 2. Allowing him to write for the sake of Posterity and not onely for the Persons of that present Age of which there can be no doubt He may well be granted to be the Writer of these words concerning himself and Aaron who were both greatly concerned in the Matters related afterwards Obj. XII The Author of the Book call'd Tractatus Theologico politicus mentions some other Books written by Moses and wou'd thence inferr by a way of reasoning peculiar to himself that Moses was not the Author of the Pentateuch He mentions the Book of the Covenant Exod. 24. This Book he says contains very little viz. Those Precepts onely which are found from Exod. 20.24 to chap. 24. And he allows that Moses wrote the Book of the Law of God Deut. 31.9 which Joshua afterwards enlarged viz. with the Relation of the Covenant which the People enter'd into in his Time Josh 24.25 26. And because we have no Book that contains at once the Covenant of Moses and that of Joshua he concludes that this Book of the Law is lost He grants that Moses wrote a Book of the Law and gave it to the Priests with a Command that it shou'd be at a certain time read unto the People which cou'd not therefore be the Pentateuch that being too great a Volume to be read at one Solemnity He grants also that Moses wrote the Song mentioned Deut. 32. And this Book of the Law containing part of the Deuteronomy and this Song is all that he will allow him to have written and left to Posterity I answer 1. I am willing to grant that the Book of the Covenant might not contain more than three or four Chapters of Laws And let it
of the Book called the Praeadamitae and Spinosa in his Tractatus Theologico-Politicus This matter is of great moment and that wherein our Common Religion is greatly concerned It strikes at the very root of it and calls its Antiquity in question and leaves the pious Reader at a great loss For whereas we all own that God spake by Moses yet still if these Men be in the right we shall be perfectly at a loss for the Author of these Books and not know whether he were a Servant of God or not Besides when the Authors of the New Testament quote Moses and our Saviour appeals to his Writings we shall however be very uncertain where to find these Writings if he be not allowed to be the Author of the Pentateuch and so will the Christian Religion suffer at the same time My design in what follows is to defend Moses against all the attempts that the Authors above-named have made against his being the Author of the following Books This is as much as my present Argument does oblige me to I am not obliged operosely to prove Moses to be the Author or Writer of the Pentateuch He is in possession of that Title It hath been allowed from the highest Antiquity owned by all sorts of Men Jews and Christians by Infidels and Pagans by Men of all Sects and Parties by Men that in other things have differed greatly from one another But that I may not seem to have neglected any thing of moment in this matter I shall before I proceed any farther shew what good reason we have to believe that Moses was the Writer of these Books and then I shall consider the force of those Objections which have been produced against it For the first part of my design I need not say much both because it hath been made out by others beyond all exception and because the thing is attended with as great Evidence as can be reasonably expected by any that are unprejudiced It is certain that Moses wrote the Law and as will appear farther afterwards that by the Law in the Scripture is meant the Pentateuch Exod. 24.4 And delivered it to the Priests the Sons of Levi Deut. 31.9 He was commanded to write and he did it Exod. 17.14 with Josh 1.8 I shall not need go over the Old Testament and shew the many passages cited by the Sacred Writers of the Books thereof out of the several Books of the Pentateuch as the Law of Moses I will to put this matter out of doubt with all Christians pass on to the New Testament where these Books of the Pentateuch are quoted frequently and they are cited as the Books of Moses I will not shew how often they are quoted in the New Testament which would be more than is needfull it will be enough to shew that they are cited severally as the Law and as the Law of Moses An historical Passage of the Book of Genesis is cited by St. Paul under the Character of the Law Gal. 4.21 and the written Law that was v. 30. and Rom. 4.3 St. Stephen was charged to have spoken blasphemous Words against Moses and against the Law Act. 6.11 13. He was charged to have affirmed that Jesus should change the customs which Moses delivered v. 14. Upon this he makes his defence and owns his belief of the matters related even in the Book of Genesis chap. 7.3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15. Which had not been to his purpose had not that Book been part of that Law which he was accused to have spoken against as well as against Moses Again We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write Joh. 1.45 This Law here cannot be exclusive of the Book of Genesis which contains the first and also the clearest Prophecy of the Messias of which no Christian can make any doubt that consults Gen. 3.15 and chap. 49.10 These Prophecies are allowed by the Jews themselves the great Enemies of Jesus to belong to the Messias The Book of Exodus is by our Saviour expressly called the Book of Moses Mark 12.26 as it is called the Scripture by St. Paul Rom. 9.17 and the Law of the Lord by St. Luke chap. 2.23 Leviticus is cited also by our Saviour as a part of the Law of Moses Matt. 8.4 And what that Book describes St. Paul reckons as described by Moses Rom. 10.5 And Moses is said to Command what is commanded in that Book Joh. 8. â— For the Book of Numbers though I find it not particularly quoted as other Books under this character yet have we no cause to exclude it from what that place referrs to mentioned above viz. Joh. 1.45 Tâ—â— which we may add what our Saviour says Had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me for he wrote of me Joh. 5.46 For so indeed he did in the Book of Numbers chap. 24.17 And farther still our Saviour referrs to a passage related in this Book of Numbers as a Type of himself As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up Joh. 3.14 Deuteronomy is quoted as part of the Law of Moses Matt. 19.7 8. And what we find said there is imputed to Moses as said by him which cannot be if he were not the Writer of it Act. 3.22.7.37 This Book is expressly called the Law of Moses 1 Cor. 9.9 And what is therein contained is said to have been said by Moses Matt. 22.24 The whole Pentateuch is included by the word Law in the style of the New Testament as well as in that of the other and later Jewish Writers Our Saviour says That all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning me Luk. 24.44 Whence 't is manifest that under the Law of Moses the whole Pentateuch is comprized For Jesus gives us the whole Scripture as the Jews divide it to this day For they divide it into three parts The Law which taken in these Five Books of Moses the Prophets which the Jews divide into the former and latter and the Kethuvim or Hagiographical Books And the Book of Psalms being the Principal of them is put by our Saviour here for all that fall under that General Head This Law came by Moses Joh. 1.14 He wrote it and when the Law is read Moses is said to be read Act. 13.15 and chap. 15.21 2 Cor. 3.15 If I should add to what hath been said that Moses hath been owned to be the Writer of these Books by all Mankind by all sorts of Authors and by an Universal Tradition I think nothing can be wanting to confirm us in this belief And yet is this not denied by our Adversaries in this Question I shall now proceed to consider what can be said on the other side The Proofs had need be very clear before Moses can be dispossessed of so just a claim and title which he hath enjoyed
for For those we have of this kind some of them are too voluminous and the People have not ability to purchase or leisure to peruse them Others are not perhaps so fitted for common use But that which I insist mainly upon is this That 't is fit something of this kind should be contrived which might serve the Reader 's necessity to the greatest advantage that might be short and perspicuous cheap and easie to be purchased and after all such as bears the stamp of publick allowance For the following Notes I shall not need say much having acquainted the Reader already with the Occasion of them Some few things I think fit to add First That I have all along made the Hebrew Text my Rule nor do I see how I could do otherwise I am sure this is agreeable to the Sense of the Church of England and this was the Rule which our Translators were governed by Secondly That I have never attempted to advance any private Opinion nor in the least departed from my Rule for any Consideration whatsoever And though I have a great Opinion both of the LXXII Interpreters especially on the Pentateuch and no mean one of the Vulgar Latin and have with some labour compared them yet I have always had my Eye on the Hebrew Text as upon the Rule which was to govern me Nothing could tempt me to alter the Hebrew Text or to depart from it Thirdly I must own that as to the Sense of the Text I have received considerable assistance from the Ancient Interpreters and from the Modern especially from the LXXII the Vulgar and the Targum of Onkelos which is generally a Version rather than a Paraphrase nor hath the Syriac been forgot and the Samaritan hath upon occasion been considered For the Modern Versions I know none better than our own in English that of Diodati in Italian and the Tigurin in Latin which have been considered in the following Notes Fourthly Nor have I neglected Josephus and Philo the Jew I have considered how they have rendred the words of the Pentateuch as they have cited them on occasion and what other accounts they have given of many passages of these Books Nor have I over-looked the Rabbinical Commentators And I have received great help from Maimon especially whom I have frequently consulted and made use of upon this occasion I am fully of opinion the Writings of that Jew next to the Sacred are one of the greatest Blessings that the learned World hath And that if young Divines would read his Works with due care they would arrive at a greater degree of Scripture-knowledge than by all the other methods which are usually taken I do not wonder that the Jews when they speak of Moses Maimonides should say That from Moses to Moses there never was a Man like Moses Fifthly I have endeavoured to make things as plain as I can to the ordinary Reader I have studied to be short and not to disturb the Reader with hard Words or unnecessary Quotations For those few Quotations I have they are not taken upon Trust but I have constantly seen with my own Eyes What-ever defects there may be found in this Work this I can truly say for my self That I have diligently pursued the Truth And shall be very ready to listen to any Man that shall shew the my mistakes and shall most readily retract them I have used what care I could to minister to the Necessities of others and done what lies in me to this purpose I am fond of no singular Opinions have pursued no worldly Advantage and what-ever Censure I may meet with from abroad I am not conscious to my self of any want of diligence or integrity If this will be of any use to others I shall be well satisfied and shall be much better pleased if it should be any occasion to excite others to carry on the Work which is begun to better purpose and a far greater advantage to the well-disposed Readers THE CONTENTS Of the following Dissertation ATtempts to disparage the Holy Scriptures and particularly the Writings of Moses Of those who have endeavoured to prove that Moses did not write the Pentateuch That this is a matter of great moment The design of the following Dissertation That Moses did write the Pentateuch is shewed and hath been owned by a multitude of Witnesses The Objections of some late Writers against it with their Answers The first Objection from Deut. 1.1 answered The second Objection from Gen. 36.31 with some Reflections on a late Writer of a Commentary on Genesis Printed at Amsterdam An Answer thereunto Obj. 3. concerning Hebron and Dan. An Answer to it Obj. 4. from Deut. 2.12 answered Obj. 5. from Gen. 12.6 with its Answer Obj. 6. from Deut. 3.11 14. answered Obj. 7. from Exod. 16.35 with its Answer Obj. 8. from Gen. 22.14 answered Obj. 9. from Numb 21.14 answered Obj. 10. from Numb 12.6 and Deut. 34.10 answered Obj. 11. from Exod. 6. answered Obj. 12. answered Obj. 13. from Gen. 40.15 answered Obj. 14. from Gen. 35.21 An Answer to it Obj. 15. from Gen. 20.7 That the word Prophet was as old as Moses shewed in the Answer to it Obj. 16. from Exod. 16.36 answered Obj. 17. from Gen. 2.11 12. and chap. 10.8 answered Obj. 18. from the many Repetitions in these Books The Reader is referred to the General Argument to Deuteronomy where this Objection is answered at large Obj. 19. 'T is pretended that this Pentateuch is confused and therefore not written by Moses An Answer to that Objection Obj. 20. from the obscurity of these Books An Answer to this Objection Obj. 21. from the difference of Style in the several Books of the Pentateuch An Answer to this Objection Obj. 22. from Deut. 34. 'T is pretended that Moses cou'd not write that Chapter An Answer to that Objection The Conclusion A Dissertation CONCERNING The Author or Writer OF THE PENTATEUCH IT hath been the business and study of some Men of late years to disparage the Holy Scriptures and all revealed Religion What attempts have been made to that End is sufficiently known The Authority and Inspiration of these Sacred Oracles hath not onely been called in question but professedly opposed And those who have been so hardy and profane as to Libel the Scriptures have not onely escaped without Punishment or Censure but they have been cried up and famed for their Performances of this kind as great Wits and Men of wonderfull Sagacity Their Writings have been industriously spread And those who set up for Wit have openly avowed their disbelief of the Scriptures The Books of Moses have not escaped They have been so far from it that there have been those who have given out that the Five Books commonly believed to be his were never written by him And they pretend that they neither were nor could be written by him And there are three Writers of late that in their Works have boldly asserted this Mr. Hobs in his Leviathan the Author
of Deuteronomy therefore I have very fully consider'd it in the General Argument prefix'd to that Book and therefore I referr the Reader to that place for satisfaction as to this matter Obj. XIX 'T is also said that these Books do not report Facts in that Order in which they hapned and that Moses therefore is not the Author of so confused and distorted a Work And the Author last above-named gives one remarkable instance to this purpose from Deut. 10.6 To which I answer 1. That if the Objector mean no more than this That things are not always related in that very Order in which they hapned I do allow that this is true and that it cannot be deny'd This will be readily granted by Jews and by Christians who yet do believe Moses to be the Author of the Pentateuch Nothing is more common among the Hebrew Doctors than this Saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Non est prius posterius in Lege They allow that things are not laid before us in that order in which they hapned or came to pass Josephus when he reckons up the number of the Books of the Old Testament tells us expressly that Moses wrote the Pentateuch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. contra Apion l. 1. He tells us elsewhere that all things are written as Moses left them That they had added nothing not even for Ornament which Moses had not left But yet he adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That these Writings were left by him dispersed as he had occasion to consult the Divine Majesty This says he I think needfull to premise that none of our People might when they read be scandalized on this account Jos Antiq. l. 4. c. 8. 2. That it does not thence follow that Moses was not the Author 'T is strange that any Man who professeth Christianity shou'd argue at this rate Because it must be allow'd that the Evangelists themselves do not always in their Gospels relate Facts in that Order in which they came to pass and yet they do believe that these Gospels were written by those persons whose Names they bear 3. As 't is far from being an Argument that Moses was not the Author of these Books so the thing it self is of a very trifling Consideration For the Journey of Jethro to Moses whether it hapned before the giving of the Law or after is a thing of very small Consideration As long as we have the Fact related we are well enough dealt with And if it cou'd be prov'd that what is related of that matter Exod. 18. did not come to pass till after the Law was given yet will this be no Objection against Moses because that might notwithstanding be the fittest place to relate Jethro's Journey Moses being just entring upon the account of the giving the Law and then of the particular Laws that were given c. Moses does not date the Coming of Jethro and for what appears 't is related in the fittest place For Abraham's Journey with Sarah to Gerar we are not concern'd to know the precise time of it nor does Moses give it us and we have no cause to find fault with his placing the Relation where we find it We are very unreasonable in this matter The Historian was best Judge where to relate the several Facts he had to mention And we do not when we object this allow him the liberty that all other Historians are allow'd viz. To make their Relations in such places as they judge most convenient And it is to me a very evident proof that those Men have very little to say against Moses who will lay hold on such impertinent trifles as these are These are mere Cavils and speak a bad Temper 4. Nor is there much of this to pretend Moses indeed did not write his History by way of Annals nor his Laws in the exact method and form of Justinian's Institutions But this is no Objection against the Author of the Books or the Books themselves As there is not that method so there is not that confusion which is pretended The Objector needed not to have said that there are in the Pentateuch Tam multa confusa inordinata extra locum seriem posita For there is no great matter of this kind to be objected after all this noise For the Instances he gives of Jethro's Journey and Abraham's going to Gerar they are not worth his while For in truth they do not serve his purpose And though he instance in the Journey of Isaac to Gerar that will do his Cause no good I appeal to any indifferent Reader The Objector shou'd have laid these things before the Reader and shewed how they tend to his great End For here 's nothing prov'd nor is there any thing in the Instances above that do in the least bear against Moses For as I observ'd above Moses does not write Annals nor date those Facts and might therefore insert them in that place of his Book which he judged most reasonable 5. I◠is true that this Author does produce one Instance that looks like an Objection And I do grant that the place hath a considerable difficulty attending it and that is what we read Deut. 10.6 But because there are some difficult passages in the Pentateuch must not Moses therefore be allow'd to be the Author At this rate we may discharge all the Writers of the Old and New Testament also But as to that difficult place it is very particularly consider'd in the following Notes on that Chapter to which therefore I referr the Reader 6. After all 't is very unfit we shou'd prescribe Laws and Methods that God's Holy Prophets are to use in revealing his Will to us 'T is great sawciness in us to prescribe God is wise when he does not use our methods Obj. XX. The same Author objects the Obscurity of these Books as an Argument that Moses was not the Author of them To which I answer 1. It is not to be wonder'd that there shou'd be some obscure places in the Pentateuch allowing it to be written by Moses for then the Book was written above 3000 years ago and that in the Eastern Country and in a Language much different from the Modern We are not acquainted with the History of that Age the Customs of those Times and Idiotisms of the Language in which it was written And therefore we are apt to mistake and many times at a loss where these Books referr to some Facts or Records or Rites and Usages then well known But then as I intimated this is no Argument that Moses was not the Author of it For this wou'd oblige us to discharge all the ancient Authors which we do not understand 2. Besides this Obscurity is very often to be imputed to a fault or defect of the Readers not to any defect or fault in the Books The Reader perhaps wants Skill and good Judgment he does not use fit means or sufficient diligence Perhaps he is
2. A fugitive i. e. Thou shalt wander about not having a setled and fixed Habitation 14. From the face of the Earth That is from that land or ground where now I am and which I have tilled The Hebrew word which is here rendred Earth is not the same word which is so rendred v. 12. but a word of a narrower extent and which is rendred ground v. 2 3. And in those places it signifies tilled ground and ground improved and is used with a particular reference to that very ground which Cain tilled The same word is used v. 11. And though it be rendred Earth there yet it might have been as well rendred Ground as it is in the places mentioned and as it signifies When Cain is said to be cursed from the Earth it seems to referr especially to that ground where he then was and where he shed his Brother's bloud And Cain says here that he is driven from the face of the Earth i. e. From that Ground or Land where he was for it cannot be understood of the Earth in the largest sence in which he was to be a fugitive and vagabond v. 12. From thy face shall I be hid i. e. I shall be separated from that place where thou hast more peculiarly manifested thy self This God does in his Church and this he did at the Altar or place where the Sacrifices were offered See verse 4. and Gen. 28.16 17. Every one that findeth Whether Man or Beast The guilty Man fears every thing and flies when no Man pursues It is reasonable to believe that there were more of Mankind in the World than those whose Birth is expresly mentioned See verse 16 17. and chap. 5.4 15. Seven-fold i. e. Abundantly Compare Levit. 26.28 Mark Whether by over-awing the rest of the Creatures or what other way soever it were God thought fit to preserve the first Murderer alive as a lasting and sad Example to the World of the greatness of his Crime 16. Nod So called from Cain's wandring up and down 17. He builded Or he was building as it is in the Hebrew It does not appear from the original Text that he finished it much less that he had a fixed habitation there v. 12. 19. Two Wives Polygamy was a deviation from the first institution of Marriage Gen. 2.24 It is brought into use by Cain's off-spring Though it were afterwards indulged to the Israelites and so was Divorce also for the hardness of their hearts Matt. 19.8 20. Have cattel Or of Shepherds and of such as feed cattel which agrees with several ancient Versions 23. And Lamech said c. The occasion of this Speech of Lamech's not being revealed it cannot be reasonably expected that any man should positively determine the full sence thereof Thus much seems plain that they are vaunting words intimating his expectation of God's extraordinary regard to him though he had or should kill a man as Cain did many times beyond what he shewed to Cain as appears from v. 24. He seems from Cain's indemnity to encourage himself in his violence and wickedness 25. Called i. e. She called as it is in the Hebrew Text which she did not do without the consent of Adam as appears from chap. 5.3 26. Then began c. After Seth and Enos were born Religion did arise to a greater degree than it had arrived to under the Off-spring of Cain who are therefore onely called the children of Men whereas the Religious Off-spring of Seth and Enos are called the children of God ch 6. v. 2. CHAP. V. The ARGUMENT The Genealogy the Age and Death of the Off-spring of Adam by Seth unto the days of Noah being an account of the Patriarchs or principal Heads of Families of those who continued in the Worship of the true God See the Note on ch 6. v. 2. The Piety of Enoch and his Translation The Birth of Noah and of his Sons 1. THis is the book of the generations of Adam in the day that God created man in the likeness of God made he him 2. Male and female created be them and blessed them and called their name Adam in the day when they were created 3. And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years and begat a son in his own likeness after his image and called his name Seth. 4. And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years and he begat sons and daughters 5. And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years and he died 6. And Seth lived an hundred and five years and begat Enos 7. And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years and begat sons and daughters 8. And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years and he died 9. And Enos lived ninety years and begat Cainan 10. And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years and begat sons and daughters 11. And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years and he died 12. And Cainan lived seventy years and begat Mahalaleel 13. And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years and begat sons and daughters 14. And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years and he died 15. And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years and begat Jared 16. And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years and begat sons and daughters 17. And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years and he died 18. And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years and he begat Enoch 19. And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years and begat sons and daughters 20. And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years and he died 21. And Enoch lived sixty and five years and begat Methuselah 22. And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years and begat sons and daughters 23. And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years 24. And Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him 25. And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years and begat Lamech 26. And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years and begat sons and daughters 27. And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years and he died 28. And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years and begat a son 29. And he called his name Noah saying This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed 30. And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years and begat sons and daughters 31. And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years and he died 32. And Noah was five hundred years old and Noah begat Shem Ham and Japheth 1. THE Book of the generations i. e. The Catalogue of those that after
5.16 And one for him that had failed in Trust and defrauded his Neighbour Lev. 6.2 3 4 5 6. I shall now proceed to the remaining sort of bloudy Sacrifices viz. The Peace-offerings The two last kind of Offerings viz. that for Sin and Trespass supposed the Offerer obnoxious and God to be displeased and they were appointed for Atonement and Reconciliation But these Offerings suppose God reconciled to the Offerer and him to be at peace with God and in his favour And as an undeniable proof of that the Offerer was here admitted to partake of the Altar For whereas in the Holocausts the Altar consumed all the Flesh of the Sacrifice neither Priest nor People were allowed to partake And in the Sin and Trespass-offerings though the Priests did partake yet the Offerers had no share allowed them In these Peace-offerings the Offerers themselves were admitted to partake of the Sacrifice and to feast upon it They did partake of the Lord's Table and that was a sign of favour and friendship For eating together was always esteemed so and was therefore used of old in making Covenants and Agreements They who partake of the Altar have fellowship or communion with God as they are partakers of his Table vid. 1 Cor. 10.16 17 18 19 20 21. There are three several sorts of these Peace-offerings expressly mentioned in this Book of Leviticus ch 7.11 12 16. viz. The Thanksgiving the Vow and voluntary Offering We must know that all these Offerings had relation to prosperous things the first of these three to such as were already obtained and did therefore look backward altogether the other two looked forward toward some good things in hope or prospect The Jewish Writers observe a difference between the two latter of them in the manner after which the Offerer obliged himself to one or the other of them He that made a Vow said thus or to this effect Behold I take upon my self an Holocaust or a Peace-offering to be offered But the voluntary Offerer said Behold such a beast is an Holocaust or a Peace-offering The difference is very considerable For in the first there is an Obligation to a certain kind of Oblation in the second the individual Beast or thing to be offered is named So that in the voluntary Offering if the Beast c. set aside for the Offering should chance to perish before 't was offered the Obligation of the Offerer was in the same moment extinguished 'T was otherwise in a Vow For as the Votary is supposed in some strait or danger when he made his Vow so the very form of words in which his Vow is conceived obligeth him to make it good There is this farther difference between these two Offerings and the reason of it is manifest That whatever was vowed must be perfect in its kind for nothing else might be sacrificed But a less perfect Beast was accepted in a voluntary Offerer and though the thing that was imperfect might not be offered on God's Altar yet the price of it would be accepted for an holy use The words of the Law are express Either a Bullock or a Lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in its parts that mayest thou offer for a free-will Offering but for a Vow it shall not be accepted Levit. 22.23 This Observation gives great light to the words of the Prophet Cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing Mal. 1.14 The VOWING and SACRIFICING a corrupt thing was a breach of two Laws and most express Prohibitions For the Thanksgiving-offering 't was provided with great reason that it should be eaten the same day Levit. 7.15 This obliged the Offerer to Charity or Hospitality For 't is not supposed he could eat it alone Under this Head are reckoned the Nazarite's Offering Numb 6.17 The Paschal Lamb the Chagigah or Festival and additional Offerings c. These Peace-offerings were for the Congregation in which case the remainder belonged to the Priests or else for private persons And then the Sacrifice was divided into three parts First there was God's part which the Jews call Immurim which was burnt upon the Altar or God's Table of which see Levit. 3.2 3 4 5. Secondly the Priest's Portion viz. the Breast and Shoulder Levit. 7.31 32. Thirdly the Offerer's part which was the rest of the Flesh and above three parts of four of the flesh of the whole which might be eaten any-where in Jerusalem or any clean place in the Camp to which the City answered in after-times Levit. 10.14 And it might be eaten by any Israelite Man or Woman that were clean The Peace-offering is not offered of the Fowls but of the Bullock Sheep or Kid Male or Female Small or Great And this is a more general account of the bloudy Sacrifices and all the bloudy Sacrifices mentioned in the Law of Moses are reducible to one of these sorts or compounded of them says Maimon Praefat. ad Seder Kodashim I proceed to give some short account Of the Meat-offering which by the Jews is called Minchah which consisted of things inanimate as was observed before And such things they were as are of great use to the support of life viz. Flour Oil Wine Salt c. I will not enlarge upon this Head Some of these Meat-offerings were solitary i. e. were offered alone and by themselves others were offered with bloudy Sacrifices as concomitants Some without Wine others with viz. the concomitant ones Some were for the whole Congregation viz. the waved sheaf Levit. 23.11 The two wave loaves Levit. 23.17 The shew-bread Exod. 25.11 Some for private persons And under this last Head the Jews reckon several Among which were that for the poor Sinner who could not bear the price of a bloudy Sacrifice Lev. 5.11 That for the suspected Woman Numb 5. besides the voluntary ones III. I shall shew in few words how very usefull it is to understand this matter And so it is on sundry accounts For 1. We shall by this means the better apprehend the meaning of the Law of Moses and many times better discern the reason of some particular Laws and see in the whole System and Doctrine of the Sacrifices a greater Congruity and Harmony and Consistence than we could do otherwise And this will render the reading this part of the Law more entertaining to us 2. We shall better understand the Christian Doctrine For here are many things that point at things to come to pass in the days of the Messias and that referr to his Sufferings and Death and the atonement he made by the Sacrifice of himself And there are many passages in the New Testament especially in the Epistle to the Hebrews which will by this means be better understood I have often thought the Book of Leviticus an excellent Comment on the Epistle to the Hebrews 3. We may hence be farther convinced of the Divine Perfections Of God's purity who declares his hatred of