ascending and descending vpon the Sonne of man In this vision of the Ladder we see the whole Mediation of Christ is shewed to Jacob And if we duely consider it there could not be a fitter Similitude in the whole course of Nature to represent the Mediation then the Ladder for euen as in a Ladder if two or three Steppes be broken the Ladder is to no vse seeing we can neither ascend nor goe downe by it euen so the whole Mediation is so vnited knit togeather that by despising any one part wee bereaue our selues of the benefite of the whole After that Iacob was come to Haran hee serued Seauen yeares for Rachel Laban giueth him Leah and deceiueth him and vseth this excuse That it was not the vse of the Countrie that the younger should be serued before the elder Leah is sayd to be Contrite Heere we may see what it is to enioy the truth of Gods Religion and to worship him truely Leah committeth a great sinne and though God make her fruitfull yet this euent excuseth not the fault before committed Shee knew very well that she could not enioy saluation by staying with her Father and we are to make the best collection of the actions of the best Women and therefore no doubt the zeale that she had to know God made her to venture so farre No doubt this was a great sinne and yet a farre greater to haue been marryed to an vnfaythfull Husband for thereby there was no hope left for saluation And wee see that Christ chooseth to come of Leah by Iuda rather then of Rachel God himselfe onely knoweth how farre he will pardon so great offences Then hee serueth Seauen yeares for Rachel Leah is fruitfull shee hath Reuben and saith The Lord hath Looked on my tribulation Then she conceiued and bare Simeon and saith Because the Lord Heard that I was hated therefore he hath giuen me this Sonne Shee conceiued againe and bare Leui and sayth Now my Husband will be Ioyned vnto mee therefore she named him Leui Ioyned Then she bare Iuda and sayd Now will I Prayse the Lord. The Heathen by the light of Nature will confesse that the Lord looketh on their tribulation and helpeth them that he heareth their hatred and reuengeth it But they cannot for all these benefites prayse the Lord Therefore she as a Prophet knowing that Christ should come of Iuda Pray seth God for so glorious a blessing Then shee left bearing for a time Rachel giueth Bilha to Jacob she beareth Dan Iudgement and sayth God hath giuen Sentence on my side Afterwardes Nepthali Wraftling Leah doth the like and giueth Iacob Zilpha who beareth Gad a Companie and Asher Happy Leah after beareth Isachar Wages or Reward then Zebulon God hath giuen me a goodly Dowrie and last Dina a Daughter Iudgement So God shewed iudgements to the Sichemites for rauishing of her Fourteene yeares after Ioseph Encrease is borne A rare man and we commonly see that rare men haue great expectation before their birth After this Iacob like a good Philosopher enricheth himselfe by vsing Roddes of diuers colours Ioseph in Egipt vseth a kind of pollicie to take away the Landes from the people and to bring them to the King These actions at the first might seeme vnlawfull because the cause is hid from vs though afterwardes the purpose of God appearing they are approoued Iuda borne his father Iacob being 87. yeares old HEe was the fourth Sonne of Iacob his mother nameth him Prayse God Whereby it appeareth that she looked for Redemption by Christ respecting the Promise concerning the Seed of the Woman to be accomplished in him It could not so haue appeared by naming Ruben Simeon or Leui for a wise Philosopher might haue giuen those names But Iuda contayning a name of heauenly comfort sheweth a spirit gouerned by the holy Ghost Iacob goeth from Laban Gen. 31.17 WHere he had bin twentie yeares two seuens a sixe in which number is contained the Creation and the Sabaoth And as any one may gather closely expressed seuen yeares plentie and seuen yeares dearth As he returned from Laban he feared his brother Esau But the Angell of God met him to comfort him therefore he calleth the name of the place Mahanaim that is Gods Hoste This Campe of Angels is repeated in the Song of Songes and applyed to Christ as the companie of an Armie So Dauid likewise affirmeth that the Angels of God doe pitch their Tentes about them that feare him When Absolom is destroyed Dauid and his Campe were at Mahanaim the place where the Angel mette Iacob Wherein we are to learne that God so disposeth the actions of his elect that hee regardeth their goinges out and their commings in and marketh all their Paths that whether they be at home with their Father or abroad among Strangers they are shadowed vnder the defence of the most High whose dwelling is in eternitie After this he wrastleth with the Sonne of God that is in likenesse of the same nature which he afterward tooke vpon him vntill the breake of the day and would not let him goe till he had blessed him Therefore hee called him Israel a Conquerour This is expounded in Oseas By his strength he had power with God To shew that as he had power with God so he should preuaile with men Then hee erected an Altar there and called it Penuel for sayth hee I haue seene Ged face to face This storie of Iacob is repeated in Iohn 1.47 where Christ sayth to Nathaniel Behold a true Israelite in whom there is no guile Nathaniel is called the true Israelite in that hee acknowledged Christ to be the Sonne of God which hee might know by casting Daniels Seauens Afterwardes hee is reconciled to his brother Esau and beyond Iordan hee dwelt neere Sichem where Dina is deflowred Er Onan Selah borne Er Onan were married to Thamar committed grieuous sins before God and therfore he destroyeth them Ioseph is sode into Egipt when he is 17. yeares old so long was he nourished at home of Iacob IOseph Dreameth that the Sunne Moone and eleuen Starres worshiped him Gen. 37.9 meaning his Father Mother and his eleuen Brethren of whom in the creation the twelue Signes in the Zodiacke had a full reference shewing thereby that God in his Counsell at the Creation had a great regard to the number of the Sonnes of Iacob which were to be borne more then two thousand yeares after He hath the like regard at the confusion of Tongues in setling Canaan and his eleuen Sonnes in a soyle which Iacobs sonnes should afterwards possesse For declaring this Dreame the poyson of the Serpent possessing his Brethrens heartes they were mooued with enuie and sold Joseph into Egipt Iuda caused him to be sold to saue his life but Iudas Iscariot that is which falleth away for reward sold Christ to loose his life Math. 26.15 Iacob deceiued his father Isaacke with a Kidd Gen. 37.31 When Ioseph is
Election The last is true Holines That this Election or louing kindnes of God toward vs is of the will of God according to the counsell of his owne will and not drawne from him by force by helpe of Saintes or as being by workes meritorious of the same it may appeare Esay 63.16 Abraham knoweth vs not neither is Israel acquainted with vs but thou Lord art our Father and Redeemer and of very louing kindnes thou hast redeemed vs thy name is Euerlaistng Rom. 8.34 It is Christ onely that maketh intercession for vs. Esay 43.25 I am hee onely which for mine owne selfes sake doe away thine offences and forget thy sinnes for what hast thou to make thee righteous with Thy first Father offended sore and thy Rulers haue sinned against me Thou art like a thing of naught thy time passeth away like a shadow Ier. I loue thee with an euerlasting loue therefore by my mercie haue I drawne thee to mee And Iohn 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father draw him as it is written Esay 54.13 They shall be all taught of God Esay 26.12 Lord thou hast wrought all our workes Phil. 2.13 It is God that worketh in you both the will and also the deed euen of his good will 2. Cor. 3.5 Wee are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but if wee be able the same commeth of God which made vs able Esay 51.12 Yea I euen I am hee that in all thinges giueth you consolation Psal 130.7 For with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plentious redemption 1. Pet. 1.2 Wee are elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through the sanctifying of the Spirit vnto obedience and sprinkling the blood of Iesus Christ Psal 90.2 Before the Mountaines were brought foorth or euer the Earth and the World were made thou art our God from euerlasting to euerlasting thou turnest man vnto dust and sayest returne ye sonnes of Adam Rom. 9.11 Before the Children were borne and when they had done neither good nor euill that the purpose of God might stand not by workes but by the Caller it was said The greater shall serue the lesser as it is written Mala. 1.2.3 Iacob haue I loued Esau haue I hated Iohn 13.18 I know whom I haue chosen Psal 135.6 Whatsoeuer the Lord pleased that did he in heauen and in earth and in the sea in all deepe places Rom. 11.5.6 There is a remnant left according to the election of grace If it be of grace then it is not now of workes for then grace is no more grace But if it be of workes then it is now no grace What then Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh but the Election hath obtained it 2. These 2.13 We are bound to giue thankes alwayes to God because that God hath from the beginning chosen vs to saluation through sanctifying of the spirit and through beleeuing of the truth to obtaine the glory of our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 8.30 Moreouer whom he appointed before them also hee called And whom he hath called them also hee iustified and whom he iustified them hee also glorified Now followeth the effect of Election either in respect of the Elect or Reiect And first for the Elect. THE Elect whom God in his mercie hath saued for his righteousnesse sake and not for their desertes he guideth by the grace of his holy Spirit as Rom. 8.14 As many as are led by the spirit of God they are the Sonnes of God Esay 43.7 All those that are called by my name I haue created fashioned and made for my honour Yet he leaueth them sometimes vnto themselues that they may acknowledge the weakenes of their owne nature as Noah Lot Iacob Dauid Salomon Peter and others but neuer suffereth them to fall quite away as appeareth Esay 54.8 A little while haue I forsaken thee but with great mercy will I take thee vp vnto mee When I was angry with thee I hid my face from thee for a little season but through euerlasting mercy haue I redeemed thee sayth the Lord thy Redeemer The Mountaines shall mooue and the Hilles shall fall downe but my Louing kindnesse shall not mooue and the bond of my peace shall not fall downe from thee sayth the Lord thy mercifull louer Psalm 37.23 The Lord ordereth a good mans going and maketh his way acceptable vnto himselfe Though he fall he shall not be cast away for the Lord vpholdeth him with his hand Psal 103.10 He dealeth not with them after their sinnes nor rewardeth them according to their wickednes but looke how the Heauen is in comparison of the Earth so great is his mercy towards them that feare him for he knoweth whereof they be made and he remembreth that they are but dust He saueth their life from destruction and crowneth them with mercy and louing kindnesse Esay 54.17 Loe this is the heritage of the Lords Seruants and their righteousnes commeth of mee sayth the Lord. The Reiect hee leaueth to their owne selues hardning their owne heartes that hee may haue occasion of iudgement against them Esay 57.20 They are like to the raging Sea that can not rest whose water fometh with the myre and grauell for they haue no peace with God The Winde shall blow them foorth and Vanitie shall take them all away they are like to Dust before the Winde and like to the Chaffe in a Sommer floore Psal 73.4 The Lord suffereth them to come in no perill of death but they are lusty and strong they come in no danger like other folke neither are they plagued like other men And this is the cause that they be so holden with pride and overwhelmed with crueltie their eyes swell with fatnesse and they doe euen what they lust They corrupt others and speake wicked blasphemie their talking is against the most highest Tush say they how shall God perceiue it is there knowledge in the most highest Loe these are the vngodly and these haue riches in possession Such were Kaine the wicked mockers before the floode Cham the builders of Babel the vncleane Citties Ismael Esau Pharaoh Moab Ammon The wicked oppressers Saul Absalon the Kings of Israel and the Kings of Babel Antiochus the vild Herod Pilate and Iudas the traytour and many others who brought vpon themselues iust cause of eternall condemnation Psa 73.18 The Lord hath set them in slipperie places and casteth them downe and destroyeth them Oh how suddenly doe they consume and perish and come to a fearefull end Yea euen like as a dreame doth hee make their image to vanish Some folishly dispute Why God hath not saued all things seeing he made all they are answered Ier. 12.1 The Lord is more righteous then that he should be disputed with Ier. 18.6 They are in the hand of the Lord as the clay in the hand of the potter Rom. 9.21 God maketh of one lumpe of clay one vessell to honour another to dishonour What if
his will what we ought to doe to please him and then induceth vs thereunto not onely by hope of eternall life but promiseth vs in this life long and happy dayes as in the eternall Law is expressed Loue God aboue all and thy neighbour as thy selfe that thy dayes may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee c. Henoch therefore being assured of the infinite mercies of God towards him and his seed by fayth still beholding as in a glasse the Redemption by the Sonne of God the summe of all saluation nameth his sonne Methushelah Long life or Speare-death For euen as the poynt of a Speare keepeth off that which would otherwise destroy euen so Methushelah kept away the Flood a long time from drowning the World But because men should not thinke that any liueth without calamities least outward happines should make men to forget God Methushelah hauing heard his fathers and himselfe also being a Prophet preach of the destruction of the World by the Flood calleth his sonne Lamech that is Stroken or Heart-wounded which is to be vnderstood that in respect that he being neere those times of dangers many of his posteritie were like to be drowned not onely in the flood but eternally tormented for ioyning with the wicked mockers which despised the preaching of the Fathers But although God throweth mens consciences downe for a while with griefe of other mens iust punishment yet he rayseth them vp againe giuing them hope of his assured Promises and a sweete comfort of eternall life Lamech being thus strengthened with the fayth of his Fathers ayming still to the sentence of Saluation pronounced in Paradise calleth his sonne Noah Restorer or Comforter saying This Sonne shall comfort vs concerning the sorrow of our hands and concerning the earth which the Lord hath cursed Wherein he sheweth that he both looked backward to the Creation formard to the Redemption by Christ The Seed of the Woman that should bruse the head of the Serpent Thus much for the vse of the names of the ten Fathers before the Food in generll Now followeth the liues and deaths of the Fathers in particular and first of Adam There is a great doubt made of the time of the yeare of Adams Creation and of the day of his fall and is refused as a thing vnprofitable to be knowne and Vnpossible to be prooued First for the time of his Creation IT is certaine hee was created in September at the time that Fruits be ripe which is at the fall of the Leafe And that was the fittest time seeing in the course of Nature there was no fitter time to expresse the nature of Adams fall And as the fall of Adam was answerable to the fall of the Leafe because by his fall death was brought vpon all So the death of Christ beeing contrary to Adams fall because it brought life to all the fittest time to resemble this life in the course of Nature was the Spring Therefore Christ dyed at the Spring to deliuer vs out of the spirituall Prison when as all thinges shew them-selues to be deliuered out of this earthly Iayle Now for the day of Adams fall IT was on Fryday the sixt day the day of Adams creation at the time of eating For we doe not read that euer Adam did eate before he did eate of the forbidden fruite Therefore when by the storie the time of eating cannot be seperated in time reason sheweth vs to ioyne them in time For Satan was a murderer from the beginning and wee must bring it from the beginning as neare as can be not crossing any Scripture The searching of this matter is not of small importance For from the true vnderstanding of the Creation we see the clearenes of the Redemption and not marking the Creation aright is the cause of much folly and they that misse of the lawes of Creation are sure to misse of the lawes of Redemption and Moses making mention of many Times hee would not haue omitted the time of the Fall except it had been done presently after the Creation therefore Adams fall must needs be layd as neere the beginning as may be not crossing the Storie The bare Narration sheweth that no famous action went betweene the Commandement and the Fall And the shortnesse of the time doth shew the force of the Aduersarie Besides it is a great sinne to say that any man except Christ could fulfill perfectly any one poynt of the Law for thereby we darken the glory of Christ and prooue him not to haue performed the whole Law If Adam had continued vntill the Sabaoth in his innocencie no doubt he would haue kept a perfect Sabaoth And if he had kept a perfect Sabaoth he had performed some part of the Law and thereby been partaker with Christ in the worke of our Redemption Againe if Adam had continued in the image of God which is in righteousnesse and true holinesse vntill the Sabaoth he would haue performed the ordinances of the Sabaoth which was to eate of the Tree of life for God after his fall setteth Cherubins to keepe the way of the Tree of life least Adam eating should liue for euer Whereby it appeareth that if he had eaten thereof before he had not fallen Therefore it cannot be that Adam continued perfect vnto the Sabaoth And further it is written Psal 49.20 Adam beeing in honour continueth not one night but is like to the Beastes that perish Cedrenus a Greeke writer sayth That Adam fell the sixt day of the first weeke Saint Augustine sayth The Woman straight way after her creation before she accompanied with Adam became into the transgression otherwise Kaine had been conceaued without sinne Theophilact vpon Matthew sayth That as Man was formed the sixt day and did eate of the Tree the sixt houre so Christ reforming Man and healing the fall was fastned to the Tree the sixt day and the sixt houre And in the storie of the Creation in Genesis presently after the fall Moses speaketh of the Redemption And without we compare the Creation with the Redemption we misse of all For Adam to be compared with Christ is the summe of all And wherefore should all the actions of the Redemption be accomplished in such rarenesse except to be answerable both to the fall and to the time of the fall Wherefore it is needfull we should know our thraldome if we will receiue comfort by the Redeemer thus First Christ the Restorer was borne of a Virgin Why Because by a Virgin destruction came to the world Chrysostome compareth Eue and Marie togeather thus Eue being a Virgin hearing the wordes of the Serpent and beleeuing them brought foorth Death The Virgin Marie hearing the wordes of the Angel Gabriel and beleeuing them brought foorth Life Againe why should Christ die on the sixt day rather then on the fifth or fourth And why was there darkenesse vntill the coole of the day rather then till the Sunne setting But to make the
if we doe but crosse the account laide downe by the Heathen we do obscure the euidence of the Scriptures Thus much for the answere of this obiection Arphaxad borne when his father Sem was 100. yeares old Noah 602. and Iaphet 102. HIs name signifieth HealÃng Some hold that the Caldeans come from him CHRIST healeth all our infirmities Shelah borne Arphaxad being 35. yeares old HIs name signifieth a Branch or Twigge Hee was the Eather of the Shelanites Heber borne Shelah being 30. yeares old HEber a representer of the Sonne of God who beginning to be thirtie yeares old buildeth vp the decayed walles of the Gentiles Thirtie yeares after the promise giuen to Abram was it before his seede began to be afflicted Ioseph being thirtie yeares old expoundeth Pharaohs Dreame Heber signifieth Pilgrime or Stranger So his faythfull seede confessed themselues to be Saith Abraham I am a Stranger and Pilgrime Giue mee a place for money to burie my dead So saith Saint Peter repeating the same Storie I beseech you as Pilgrimes and Strangers to abstaine from fleshy lustes which fight against the soule And Christ the chiefest of Heber said The Foxes haue holes and the Birdes of the ayre haue nestes but the Sonne of man hath not whereon to lay his head Hebers posteritie went as strangers flitting from Land to Land Looking for a Citie whereof GOD was the builder Heb. 11.10 This Heber is from the Creation the fourteenth two seuens a double Henoch He is the fourth after the flood as Iudah is the fourth sonne of Iacob of whom Christ came He is the seuenth from Henoch a man for rare blessinges to be compared with Henoch and is the same in force that Henoch is although you would thinke them cleane contrary and so they are in signification but in effect of diuinitie all one For Henoch signifieth Dedicated to God and Heber Pilgrime or Stranger and hee that is a stranger vpon earth despising the state of worldly pompe is a Citizen with God therefore whosoeuer will be a true Henoch must also be a true Heber And if we will be holy before God acceptable vessels for the vse of his Temple wee must beare Palme boughes in our handes that is sing Hosanna to the highest and be estranged from the vaine conuersation of this earthly Paradise so shall our names continue famous through many Generations as Hebers did and we shall speake the prayses of God in our owne tongues for wee will not consent with Nimrod to the building of our owne Confusion whereby wee might be shaken off from the fauour of God as hee and his adherents were Hebers glory is further enlarged in that the Hebrew tongue taketh the name from him The Iewes kept this sinceerely till they went into Captiuitie into Babylon but when they came from thence they began to stammer for they learned the tongue of the Babylonians Malachy endeth the old Testament the Hebrew tongue for though Schollers write Hebrew yet vpon the first sight it is apparant to be the writing of man so farre it differeth from the stile of the holy Spirit There be one thousand seauen hundred fifty and eight rootes in the Hebrew tongue And this is a wonderfull thing that the bare actions of the Creatures should expresse Hebrew wordet as a horse runninig vpon a cawsey the sound of his feete is much expressing this noyse Ratsat which in Hebrew is to run the noise which birds make by clapping their wings when they flie is of this sound Goth which in Hebrew signifieth a Fowle The Grecians cannot find out the roots of their tongue The Lord tooke such order in penning of the old Testament that one skilfull in the Hebrew tongue will easily know if there be a sentence or a word put in nay if there be but a letter added so that they are very vnwise that perswade others or beleeue themselues that the bookes of Iudith and Tobie are Canonicall scriptures for they are not Hebrew neither were they receiued at any time by the auncient Hebrewes who where so perfect and ready in the text of the old Testament that they could tell how many times the letter Aleph was vsed in the Byble so that to beleeue these bookes to bee Scriptures is to crosse the testimony of the Iewes for their owne story and if they knew our opinions herein they would condemne vs for missing of Religion This Heber was a varie happie man and his happinesse made manifest in that none that liued after him came to his daies for he being a Prophet knew how heauy the curse of God would be vpon the sonnes of men for building the tower of Babel therefore hee nameth his sonne Peleg Diuided The Hebrew name is halfe the abridgment of the story as it falleth out for the most part He had also great cause of sorrow and heauinesse in that thirteene families of Ioctaines sonnes to whom Heber was Graundfather went quite away and were farre from Ierusalem and being out of the fauour of God were bereaued of saluation so that Chams house might seeme to haue greater blessinges for they dwelt neere to Ierusalem and Iacobs sonnes in Egypt married with Chams daughters Iacobs sonnes called themselues Hebrewes because the storie of Heber is the most famous of all the Fathers Peleg borne Heber being 34. yeares old HIs name signifieth Diuision In his dayes the tongues of those that built the Tower of Babel were confounded In the consideration of which storie Time Place Persons are to be vnderstood Time at or a litle before Pelegs birth Place a Plaine in the land of Shinear Persons 70. of Sem. 27. Iaphet 14. Cham. 29. These 70. spake one language the tongue of Heber and going from the East they found a plaine in the land of Shinear where they abode and made bricke in stead of stone and slime in stead of morter and ioyning with Nimrod sayd Let vs make vs a Sem that is a name euen in despight of the blessing of Noah bestowed vpon Sem. But God scattered them from that place into the vpper face of all the earth and they left off to build the Citie therefore the name of it is called Ba-bell that is Come confusion because there the Lord confounded the language of all the earth Babell is Babling both in Hebrew and in English 1 This halfe sheweth that as the dayes of men at the 2 Flood were cut off halfe in halfe so likewise at the confusion of Tongues for none after Peleg commeth to halfe Hebers yeares As at the confusion of tongues there was great falling out about words because one could not vnderstand another so hitherto all the world is at variance for the vnderstanding of words And as the builders of Babell fell to Babling so the despisers of diuinity shall fall to Babling Therefore it were to be wished that euery man in the world vnderstood the Hebrew tongue All nations in the earth are compelled to take notice of this
concludeth the Fathers vnder the number of Two and twentie Iacob is called The beloued of the Lord before hee was borne in which he is answerable to Dauid whose name signifieth Beloued and to our Sauiour Christ of whom it was said This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased ISaacke is blinde Sem Heber and Abraham being dead onely Esau and Iacob aliue to enioy the Blessing after Isaacks death Now if we examine the sequell we shall see that if Isaacke had not been blinde hee would for his part haue brought destruction vpon the whole eart for hee would haue blessed Esau who vpon any occasion would haue sould it and besides being verie wicked in despising it would haue brought the heauy wrath of God vpon his posteritie for disobedience Therefore his blindnesse was a great blessing euen as Saint Paul speaketh Eueriething turneth to the best to the children of God Isaacke willeth Esau to goe and kill him some Venision that his soule may blesse him before he die So the Prophets vse to desire meate before they prophecie that being refreshed they may be the fuller of spirite and cheerefulnesse The Hebrewes dispute from this place whether Isaacke was growne into pouertie Some thinke hee was by reason of the famine which fell in Canaan and because the Philistines kept not couenant with him for which cause Sampson afterwards taketh occasion to plague them and that iustly Aben Ezra is of this opinion Rebecca she heareth this Commandement of Isaacke knowing that speedinesse in despatching is oftentimes a great cause of aduantage willeth Iacob to goe and fetch a Kid that therof she might make pleasant meate for Isaacke Iacob is affraid she comforteth him for she had her warrant from God that the elder should serue the younger and therefore shee boldly aduentureth Hee commeth to Isaacke who supposeth him to bee Iacob by his voyce but feeling the roughnesse of his handes and necke is perswaded that it is Esau and blesseth him When he was blessed in commeth Esau with his venison and prayeth his Father to blesse him Isaacke was now astonied to thinke of this subtiltie His spirite must needs be full of feare to thinke how hee whom he would haue blessed the Lord would not choose Isaacke therefore seeing the euent acknowledgeth the election of God in Iacob and concludeth that he shall be blessed Now heere is a question to be handled when Iacob sayth I am thy sonne Esau and Isaacke answereth It is Iacobs voyce Whether Iacob doth lie or noe This answere of Iacobs if we expound in the best sence is no lie for then it is no more but a kind of speach called Ironia So God speaketh in Gen. 3.22 Behold the man is become as one of vs to know good and euill So Christ in the Gospell commeth to his Disciples and finding them asleepe sayth Sleepe hencefoorth Wee may answere it further thus Iacob in respect of the purpose of God which chose him for the blessed might very well be called the onely Sonne Besides in regard of ciuil right now he was his eldest Sonne seeing he had bought the Birth-right of Esau Whether it were a lye or no we will leaue it to God and we can not altogeather condemne this answere seeing God approoueth it by giuing Iacob the blessing Plato sayth When men are dead we cannot aske them what they meant Therefore wee must expounde their speaches and their actions to the best meaning And further wordes are not alwayes to be taken in proper kind of speaking for Abram defendeth himselfe that Sara was his Sister to wit the Daughter of his Father but not the Daughter of his Mother Joseph sweareth By the life of Pharaoh if you take the words as they lie in proper sence he sinned greatly and was euen for his oath the worst of all Iacobs Sonnes But Salamo-Iirkie expoundeth him thus By the life of Pharaoh you are Spies that is Pharaohs life is a Wormes life which in account is no life euen so are ye no Spies in truth though you may seeme so to be So likewise Hushas answereth Absalom for when Absalom saw Hushai Dauids Counseller he asketh him Is this thy kindnesse to thy friend Why wentest thou not with thy friend meaning Dauid Hushai answereth Nay but whom the Lord and his people and all the men of Israel chose his will I bee and with him will I dwell This sentence hath a double meaning either that he meant to serue Absalom or King Dauid Therefore when things are spoken doubtfully we must marke how men may in wit expound them Abraham died Gen. 25.78 being 175. yeares old Hee was buried in Hebron Heber died Gen. 11.16.17 being 464. yeares old Hee was the longest liuer of any that was borne after the Flood Ismael died being 137. yeares old THe Prophet Esay cap. 60.7 prophecying of the calling of the Gentiles nameth the two eldest Sonnes of Ismael Nebaioth and Kedar saying The Rammes of Nebaioth shall serue thee and the Sheepe of Kedar shall be gathered vnto thee Againe he nameth two of Abraham by Ketura Sheba and Seba which two names doe also containe the Gentiles by Cham and the Gentiles of Sem by Iocktan So that vnder the names of the most worthy Gentiles which are the Gentiles by Abraham hee sheweth the calling of all the Gentiles in the World Whereby we are taught that Israels posteritie was not wholly rooted out of the fauour of God as Ameleckes was Iacob goeth to Laban Gen. 28.5 HEe goeth into the Countrie of Mesopotamia to Laban there he serueth twentie yeares This Laban was the sonne of Bethuel and brother to Rebecca and of the house of Nachor the brother of Abraham and Haran who remayned in the land of the Caldies after Abrahams departure so that Laban though of Mesopotamia yet is neere kinsman to Iacob Iacob in this Iourney goeth ouer Iordan with his Staffe and Scrippe as closely and secretly as he could that thereby Esau might not know of his departure for Esau was mighty and as it appeareth afterwardes had a band of foure hundred men Iacob going to Haran stayeth by the way all night because the Sunne was downe and layde of the Stones of the place vnder his head and slept There hee seeth the vision of the Ladder and when he awaketh he sayth Surely the Lord was in this place and I was not ware of it Then he rose and tooke vp the Stones and made a Piller and called it Bethel for he sayd this is no other but the House of Iehouah and the Gate of Heauen Hee seeth a Ladder c. THis Ladder representeth Christ the foote on the Earth his Humanitie and the toppe reaching to Heau enhis Deitie the Angels of God ascending and descending the Mediations betwixt God and vs and the Lord standing aboue vpon it the readinesse of the Father to receiue our Prayers This is expounded Iohn 1.51 Yee shall see the Heauens open and the Angels of God