it is said in the book of the warrs of the Lord. As he did in the red sea so shall he do in the brooks of Arnon But that Book of the Wars of the Lord could not be cited by Moses in which there could be mention made of those things which were done at Arnon in the very place where Moses perform'd this exploit Truly I believe that Moses made a Diarie of all those wonderfull things which God did for the people of Israel under the conduct of Moses From which collections the books of the wars of the Lord might afterwards be taken Which for that cause was neither the Original nor the Original of the Original but indeed a Copy from a Copy That which we read in the third Chapter of Dentronomy does manifest that they are written long after Moses Jair the son of Manasses possessed all the Country of Argob and it is call'd after his name Basan Hanoch Jair to this day Moses could never have said to this day For Jair scarcely had possession of his own Villages at that time when Moses is brought in so speaking And hence it manifestly appears that the author intended to shew whence according to the most antient and first original that City was call'd Jair deriving the cause from Moses to his own time and therfore as was fit call'd it Jair from that antient Jair unto this day The like we read in the same Deuteronomy in the same Chapter Only Og King of Basan was remaining of the race of the Giants His iron bed is shown which is at Rabbath of the children of Ammon For what needed Moses to have said to the Jews that his bed was shown at Rabbath of the children of Ammon that they might learn the bignesse of the Giant Why I say needed he to send the Jews to another place to see the bed of the Giant who had seen him in his own Land and overcome him and measur'd him as he lay along in the fields of Basan It is a great deal more likely to think that this Writer to gain credit to what he wrote concerning the King and Giant Ogâ— of whom he made mention spake of his iron bed as a testimony of the wonderfull spoils of that terrible Giant which were not at that time to be seen at Basan where Og lay but in Rabbath of the children of Ammon the succession of ages having changed the place We read also in the 2. of Deuteronomy The Horraeans first dwelt in Seir whom the children of Esau driving out dwelt there as Israel did in the Land of his possession which the Lord gave him In these words it is said That the Idumeans who are the Sons of Esau inhabited Mount Seir driving out the Inhabitants of those Mountains And that the Jews again inhabited this Mount Seir and gain'd Mount Seir as a possession driving out and destroying those Idumaeans Yet it is most certain that the Idumaeans according to Moses himself were not thrown out in his time as it is in Deutronomy in the same Chapter And the Lord said to me saith Moses You shall pass through the confines of your brethren the sons of Esau who dwell in Seir and they shall be afraid of you Therefore take heed you move not against them for I will not give you of their Land one foot for I have given Mount Seir in possession to Esau Therefore Idumaea was not given to the Jews in the dayes of Moses but long time after as David Prophesies Psalm 108. Over Edom will I cast out my shooe that is I will extend my possession over Idumaea For possession is taken by setting down of the foot and the shoe in this place is the foot the thing containing for that which is contained And David made also good his prophecie 1 Chro. chap. 18. where we read that David consecrated silver and gold Which he had taken from 〈◊〉 Nations Edom Moab and Ammon And befides in the same place Abishai the son of Zervia smtoe Edom in the valley of salt eighteen thousand and put a Garrison in Edom that Edom might serve David Therefore in the time of Davâ—d and not of Moses Edom became a land of possession to Israel as God had promis'd as being a lot and part of the Holy Land And hence it is gather'd that these essayes of Deutronomie were written long after Davids time a great while after Moses I need not trouble the Reader much further to prove a thing in it self sufficiently evident that the five first books of the Bible were not written by Moses as is thought Nor need any one wonder after this when he reads many things confus'd and out of order obscure deficient many things omitted and misplaced when they shall consider with themselves that they are a heap of Copie confusedly taken Those things which we read concerning Lamech Gen. 4. are defective Because I have slain a man to my hurt and a young man to my grief For there is no mention made of that young man whom Lamech slew That History which is related in the fourth book of Moses concerning the circumcision of the son of Moses is desicient and is conjectur'd to be deficient because we see clearly what it should be The The 20 Chapter of Genesis of Abrahams sojourning with Abimelech King of Gerar is misplaced For it is not likely that the King would lust after Sarah who was an old woman and with whom it left off to be according to the manner of women and who was not capable of pleasure As also Genesis 26. the same is to be thought of Rebecca Nor must we think that the King was then in love with Rebecca Jacob and Esau being thâ—n of age That which we read in the 10 of Deuteronomy is misplac'd The Children of Israel remov'd their camp from Beeroth of the sons of Jacan where Aaron dyed And in the same place He separated the tribe of Levi to carry the Ark of the Covenant Though long before the death of Aaron the Levites were seperated to look to the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant according to Gods command often iterated both in Leviticus and Numbers Yea whilst Aaron himself was alive yea still after that the Tabernacle was perfected the Levites carried the Ark as often as the Children of Israel remoâ—ed their Camp And if the Reader will take pains let him but run over this tenth Chapter of Deut. and he shall find the death of Aaron preposterously inserted in that Narration having nothing there to do and nothing beâ—onging to the buâ—nesse Yea he shall find it contrary to the computation of time whilst they were talking of the delivery of the Law of Sinai long before Aarons death You shall likewise find that passage in the 18 of Exodus misplaced And Jethro came the Father-in-law of Moses and his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped by Joâ—dan For how could Jethro come to Moses hiâ— son-in-law after the going
Therefore the Election of the Jews must be brought back to Adam the first Father and the first head of the Jews And although the Jews are properly said to be the posterity of Judah Jacob's fourth Son yet taking the denomination largely we shall call those Jews likewise who were begotten even from Adam unto Judah Therefore God elected the Jews the Posterity of Adam and Abraham because he was joynd to their Fathers Adam and Abraham that is because he formed the Jews in Adam and blessed them in Abraham The promises of this mystical Election are found from Adam unto Moses both before and after the Flood repeated often and many wayes to the Fathers of the Jews but confirmed more peculiarly to the Jews in Moses by a Covenant as Deut. 7. Where Moses speaking to the people of the Jews sayes The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people to himself of all the Nations that are upon Earth God himself called that Nation his First-born Exod. 4. Israel my first-born as also the first fruits of the Harvest of the Lord Jeremiah Chap. 2. Both upon the same account by which all the first-born and first fruits belong to God by property of Election as also because the Jews first of all received the mystery grace of election In which sense I say is to be understood Ch. 49. The Lord from the wombe hath called me as also the Kingly Prophet Psalm 22. Thou art he that took me from the wombe thou art my hope from my mothers brests Vpon thee was I cast from my mothers wombe From the wombe of my mother thou art my God God called and chose Israel from the wombe of mystical Election that is to say the Jews were his first-born natural Children by mystical Election nor did he think that they were to be esteemed as the Gentiles who were not called from the wombe nor chosen nor esteemed as his natural Children but adopted into this mystical Election by a second Election and only esteemed the Sons of adoption Hence it is that the Apostle Romans 2. ascribes first Salvation honour and glory which is Election to the Jews first then to the Greeks who are the Gentiles for the Greek in that place is the finer Gentile That the Jews had the first Election not of their own desert but of the meer grace and mercy of God from hence is apparent because that mystical Election proceeded from that eternal Election by which the Jews were chosen from eternity that is by which they were chosen before they were born when they had done neither good nor harm Not for their works as Paul says but of the meer bounty of God who call'd and chose them This eternal Election Isaiah meant Chapt. 63. Thou sayes he Lord art our Father Abraham knew us not and Israel had no knowledge of us The Prophet means That God was the Father of the Jews when their Fathers were not born at which time Abraham knew not the Jews and Israel had no knowledge of them The Lord did chuse thee because he lov'd thee Abraham and Israel are here indifferently taken Deut. 7. Not for their righteousness he chose them To which adde that place of 9 Deut. He sav'd me because he lov'd me Psal 18. He hath made us and not we our selves sung David King of the Jews Psalm 100. If you look upon the matter whereof the Jews were created you will find nothing that shall make them appear worthy of the Election For they were made up of the same flesh and bloud as the Gentiles and were temper'd with the same clay of which other men were fram'd As is the clay in the hand of the Potter so art thou O house of Israel in the hand of the Lord. The Prophet alluded to that very clay of which Adam the first Father of the Jews was made That same common and impure clay which is observable This we are taught Gen. 3. In which God is said to have cast Adam out of the Paradise of pleasure which was most choice Land that he might till the ground of which he was made Ground not choice but common unclean of which Adam and all other men were made for common and not elect and unclean are the same Act. 10. and many other places of both Testaments And for the same cause for which Adam was made of common and impure clay God is said to have found Israel in a place of horror and wast wilderness Deuteronom 32. Ezekiel likewise bears witnesse that the Jews were born unclean as other men were born unclean Chapter 16. Where God speaks to the People of Israel his Spouse and the Jews in these words Thy root and thy linage was from the land of Canaan thy Father was an Amorrhite and thy Mother a Hittite And when thou wast born thy navel was not cut and thou wast not wash'd with water to salvation nor salted with salt nor wrapp'd up in clouts No eye spar'd thee to do any of these things for thee but thou wast thrown out upon the face of the earth in the affliction of thy soul in that day wherein thou wast born Passing by thee I saw thee trampled in thy bloud And a little after I spread my garment upon thee and cover'd thy shame And I swore to thee and enter'd into a Covenant with thee saith the Lord and thou wert made mine and I wash'd thee with water and clens'd thee from thy bloud and anointed thee with oyl By which famous Text it appears that the Jews sprung from the same root and were made of the same common earth as all the Gentiles were made of For the Amorrhites and the Hittites here are taken for any manner of Gentiles as likewise the Land of Canaan for a Land not yet chosen an earth common and unclean I say God meant that the Jews being born of a Father and Mother sprung from an unelected earth were likewise themselves born unelected that they were born unclean and defil'd with the bloud of their first creation naked and cast out but by the bounty of God passing by them and pitying them they were wash'd cloath'd and receiv'd into the Covenant of mystical Election By no better signification could the love of God to the Jews have been expressed or rather that holy love by which God in his mystical election was joyn'd to the Jews than by that mystical Marriage in which God is said to have spred his garment over his Spouse the people of Israel Nor is there any other more holy or near knot than that by which two Lovers in the cement of Matrimony make such a mixture of their souls that two become one Hence these sweet Dialogues of Lovers as it were equally match'd with which Solomon has besprinkled his book of Loves where God the Bridegroom lover-like speaks to his Bride the people of Israel And where Israel his Spouse likewise enflam'd with love speaks to God her Husband with reverence and love Hence
those mystical ornaments and gifts with which God decks his Israelitish Bride that he might advance her from the clay of her creation to the splendour of divine glory Ezechiel Chap. 16 I cloth'd thee saith the Lord with partie-coloured garments and shod thee with shoes of violet colour and girded thee with silk and put a fine garment upon thee and deck'd thee with an ornament and put bracelets upon thine arms and a chain about thy neck And put a jewel upon thy face and rings into thine ears and a crown of comliness upon thy head and thou wast adorn'd with gold and silver and thou wast cloth'd with silk and embroydery of divers colours Thou didst eat wheat and honey and thou becamest excellently fair and rose up into a kingdom Again God restified his paternal love to the Jews when he chose them to be his Sons and did become their Father nay he grac'd his Election of them when he call'd them his honourable Sons Ephraim is my honourable son Jerem. 31. Whom he likewise nam'd Gods according to his own name O Israel I have call'd thee by my name Isai 43. According to that solemn custom by which children are called after the name of their Father Of which see the 82 Psalm I have said ye are Gods and all of you sons of the most High Which Christ himself interprets concerning the Jews in the tenth Chapter of the Gospel according to St. John The Jews were there stoning Christ because he call'd himself a God Christ reproving the Jews in that place argues with them in these words Is it not written in your Law I said you are Gods If God said that they were Gods to whom the word of God came the Scripture cannot be false He whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world you say that he blasphemes because I say I am the son of God Which you may more more easily and roundly polish thus If the Scripture O Jews call'd you Gods to whom the word of the Lord came Why should not I be call'd the Son of God who am the Word of God To this that which is written in the beginning of the same Psalm God stood in the Congregation of Gods and standing in the midst of the Gods he gives Judgement which are to be understood of the Jews For that assembly in the midst of which God is said here to stand was the Temple of God That place of the Throne of God and the place of his fooostool where he dwelt in the midst of the sons of Israel Ezechiel 43. In which Temple the Assembly and Church of the Jews was kept The Jews then were Gods and the Assembly of Gods was the Synagogue of the Jews Moreover God threatned in this Psalm those Gods and those Jews that they should die like men that is to say like the Gentiles But you shall die like men that is like the Gentiles as afterwards shall appear David tells us the reason in the beginning of this Psalm why the Jews must needs dye as well as the Gentiles because the Jews says he would judge unrighteousness and accept the face of a sinner that is to say because the Jews forgetting the Law of God would imitate the iniquity of the Gentiles because they would turn themselves to the faces of the Gentiles and transform themselves from holy Jews to be sinfull Gentiles for the Gentiles were sinners as after shall appear The Jews are called gods here inasmuch as they are the Sons of God and because Sons are said not only to bear the names of their Parents but likewise to represent their persons I say you are gods and all of you the sons of the most high The Jews were Gods most dear and best beloved Children whom God is said to carry as a man is said to carry his child Deut. 1. As also to instruct them as a man instructs his son Deut. 8. To have carried them about and to have preserv'd them as the apple of his eye Deut. 32. Which in Latin is translated to have carried them about in his eys Nor did God only love them as a Father loves his children but open'd likewise the bowels of his mercy to the Jews like tender Mothers who hugg their children close to their brests Whom he is likewise said to have carried in his womb And if the Mother would be unmindfull of her Children yet God would not be unmindful of the Jews Isay 49. What shall I say more of that frienship wherein God was pleased to joyn himself to the Jews God was joyn'd to the Jews and lov'd them Deut. 10. The seed of Abraham my friend Isay 4. As also God calls Israel his darling his child of his houshold his tender child Jeremy 3. Which that I may more nakedly and truly expound God was tyed to Israel in that bond of friendship by which the soul of Jonathan was tied to the soul of David 1 Sam. ch 18. and by such a one as God himself lov'd his belov'd Disciple Therefore was Israel call'd the chiefest lover of the Lord Deuteronom 32. God is also call'd the Shepherd of Israel and the Jews are call'd the Sheep of his Pasture We are the people of the Lords pasture and the sheep of his hands Psalm 95. Which was certainly a great sign of their Election For a good shepherd knows the number of his sheep and calls them by their names So God knows the elect and reckons their number so God led the Jews with his rod and his staff and put them in a place of pasture brought them out by the waters of comfort Psalm 23. Lastly there is no example of love paternal affection motherly dearnesse friendship and care by which he chose lov'd fed cared for and kept the Jews CHAP. II. God King of the Jews Jews the people of God God the Lord of the Jews Jews the servants of God The Jews call'd holy Call'd just The Jews elected for an eternal people Set apart from all the peoplâ— of the earth for the lot and inheritance of the Lord. THat love with which a good King is mov'd towards his people comprehends the affections of all other men For a good King is Father Pastor and Friend to his people yea head of his people as the man is the head of the woman And in that regard Ierusalem by which the people of the Jews is signified and which is call'd the City of the great King is Queen and Princesse and Bride to that King in holy Authors Therefore God is King of the Jewish people and the people of the Jews are the people of their own King And not only King but God is the God of the Jews in so far as as the Jews were Elected and themselves anointed to be Kings and insomuch as God is above all Kings as Kings are above their Subjects But God became the God of the Jews not only by Election and mind but also by Covenant and paction often confirm'd and iterated of