Joseph was sold and some after the story of the thirty ninth Chapter that Judah requital for his sale for he had the chief hand in it might be shewed assoon as his selling of him is related Judah was married before Joseph was sold and Er and Onan were also born before as was observed erewhile therefore the first words of the Chapter At that time are not to be referred to the next words going before in the preceding Chapter concerning Josephs sale to Potiphar but are of a more large extent as that Phrase and the Phrase In those days are oft in Scripture It linketh Josephs selling and Judahs miscarriages very well together that it might be shewed how he was punished in his children that had been so unnatural to a brother and Josephs not sinning with his Mistress and Judahs sinning with his daughter-in-law do help to set off one another towards such an observation The four eldest sons of Jacob fell under foul guilt and so repentance and mercy are taught and shewed in their conversion CHAP. XL. World 2287 Isaac 179 Iacob Ioseph 28 JOSEPH expoundeth his two fellow prisoners dreams and like the two theeves with Christ the one is saved and the other condemned One of these when Joseph said to him Remember me when it shall be well with thee forgat him but one of those when he said to Christ Remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom was not forgotten Thus as the telling of two dreams had brought Joseph into misery so this expounding of two dreams will prove in time a forwarder of his delivery as yet the Butler fills and drinks wine in bowles but is not grieved for the affliction of Joseph as Am. 6. 6. World 2288 Isaac 180 Iacob 120 Ioseph 29 ISAAC dieth and Jacob and Esau are friends and bury him read Chap. 35. ver 28 29. and ruminate upon how Esau is changed from what he said Chap. 27. 41. CHAP. XLI Iacob 121 Ioseph 30 JOSEPH expoundeth Pharaohs dream compare Dan. 2. Seven Iacob 122 Ioseph 31 Iacob 123 Ioseph 32 years famine begin Joseph treasureth up corn hath Manasseh Iacob 124 Ioseph 33 and Ephraim born to him within these years of an Egyptian Lady Iacob 125 Ioseph 34 Iacob 126 Ioseph 35 How looks his wretched Mistress upon him now if she be alive Towards Iacob 127 Ioseph 36 the latter end of the seven years famine or thereabout Pharez Iacob 128 Ioseph 37 hath HEZRON born to him CHAP. XLII World 2289 Iacob 129 Ioseph 38 THE first year of famine Josephs brethren bow to him for corn as their sheaves of corn had done to him in his dream CHAP. XLIII XLIV XLV XLVI XLVII to Vers. 13. World 2290 Iacob 130 Ioseph 39 THE second year of famine Benjamin is brought by his brethren World 2291 into Egypt he is now the father of ten children The feasting of Josephs brethren was the better to pretend the stealing of a silver bowle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chap. 44. 5. for which Joseph would make a very narrow search 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for such a man as he that was in so high a place could make a very strict inquiry ver 15. Jacob goeth down into Egypt with seventy souls himself and Joseph and his two sons being counted in the number The Septuagint have added five more viz. Machir Gilead Shutelah Tahan Eden from 1 Chron. 7. 14 20. c. Followed by Saint Luke Acts 7. 14. Jacob and Joseph after thirteen years distance met Jacob presented before Pharaoh and the King asks no other question then about his age It was news in Egypt to see so old a man Jacob is now 130 years old and now just the half of the 430 between the Promise and delivery out of Egypt are passed see Exod. 12. 40. Gal. 3. 17. They had been taken up in these parcels five and twenty years after Abrahams coming into the land before the birth of Isaac sixty years of Isaacs age until the birth of Jacob and now Jacob is an hundred and thirty the sum of all 215. And now to the coming out of Egypt we must count 215 more and that count must lead us on thither CHAP. XLVII from ver 13. to the end and CHAP. XLVIII World 2299 Iacob 131 Ioseph 40 Years of the Promise 216 THE third year of famine Iacob 132 Ioseph 41 Years of the Promise 217 The fourth year of famine Iacob 133 Ioseph 42 Years of the Promise 218 The fifth year of famine Iacob 134 Ioseph 43 Years of the Promise 219 The sixth year of famine Iacob 135 Ioseph 44 Years of the Promise 220 The seventh year of famine Joseph buyeth all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh He feedeth Ioseph 67 Years of the Promise 243 his father and family seventeen years before Iacob 136 Ioseph 45 Years of the Promise 221 his fathers death Iacob 137 Ioseph 46 Years of the Promise 222 as his father had nourished him seventeen years before his sale The Iacob 138 Ioseph 47 Years of the Promise 223 children of Israel grow numerous and into multitudes even before Iacob 139 Ioseph 48 Years of the Promise 224 Jacobs death he adopted Josephs two sons for tribes he bestoweth Iacob 140 Ioseph 49 Years of the Promise 225 the portion of land upon Joseph that he had first bought of the Shechemites Iacob 141 Ioseph 50 Years of the Promise 226 Chap. 33. and was after put to recover it out of the hand Iacob 142 Ioseph 51 Years of the Promise 227 of the Amorite with his sword and bow who had usurped it and Iacob 143 Ioseph 52 Years of the Promise 228 seized upon it in his absence after his departure thence to Bethel and Iacob 144 Ioseph 53 Years of the Promise 229 Hebron He sweareth Joseph to bury him in the land of Canaan Iacob 145 Ioseph 54 Years of the Promise 230 with his fathers Abraham and Isaac Thus is the birth-right clearly Iacob 146 Ioseph 55 Years of the Promise 231 passed upon Joseph when his two sons are taken by Jacob as Simeon and Levi and when the land is bestowed on him for inheritance CHAP. XLIX L. World 2315 Iacob 147 Ioseph 56 Years of the Promise 232 JACOB dieth having first blessed all his sons even every one Ioseph 57 Years of the Promise 233 of them A blessing is to be found in his passages to Reuben Ioseph 58 Years of the Promise 234 Simeon and Levi of whom he speaketh the bitterest things His Ioseph 59 Years of the Promise 235 words throughout concern the future events and occurrences of the Ioseph 60 Years of the Promise 236 tribes most especially for he professeth to tell them what shall befall Ioseph 61 Years of the Promise 237 them in the last days Ioseph 62 Years of the Promise 238 That Reuben should have Jether seeth vejether gnaz a remnant of Ioseph 63 Years of the Promise 239 dignity and a remnant of strength for he was to lead the field in the wars of Ioseph 64 Years of the
was both the expectation of the Jews and the fear of Herod that he would come with a conquering and victorious temporal Sword and restore them to a pompous Earthly State and expel him out of his Kingdom Now for the Evangelist to have directed in this quotation to look for Christ among the thousands of Juda had backed these Opinions for the term soundeth of War and it had been a direction where likelier to find an earthly Warrier then the Prince of Peace among the thousands or among the Militia And therefore he qualifieth the term to the best satisfaction of Herod and the People Among the Princes There is that saith it might be construed In Princes and not among them and the meaning to be this Thou Bethlehem art not the least in the Princes of Juda that is in breeding or bringing them forth but this relisheth more of wit then solidity and agreeth better with the Latin then with the Greek Original §. For out of thee shall come a Governor The Chaldee readeth it in the Prophet Out of thee shall come Messias and so is it expounded by Rabbi Solomon and David Kimchi And therefore that is most true which is inferred by Lyranus that those Catholicks that interpret it of Ezekiah do more judaize then the Jews themselves Some Jews indeed saith Theophylact do apply this to Zorobabel but as he answereth it is like that Zorobabel was born in Babel and not in Bethlehem And St. Matthew hath plainly taught both Jews and Gentiles to understand it in another sense But here again doth he differ from the Letter of the Prophet but cometh so near the sense that the difference is as no difference at all Vers. 7. Herod privily called the Wisemen Privily For had the Jews heard of his pretences they had so long been acquainted with his policy tyranny and ambition they could readily have descried his mischievousness and spoiled his bloody contrival by better information given to the wisemen §. Enquired diligently of them the time when the Star appeared Had they taken their journy instantly upon the Stars appearing Herod could easily have computed the time by the length of their journy but by this his enquiry it is apparent that they had told him of its appearance at some good space before which in ver 16. is plainly resolved to be two years by the Wisemens own acknowledgment and resolution Vers. 11. Gold and Frankincense and Myrrhe The mysterious application of these presents as Myrrham homini uncto aurum c. be left to them that delight and content themselves in such things the plain and easie interpretation of the matter is that they tendred to Christ the chiefest and choicest commodities that their Country could afford which they carried in their treasures as the Text calleth it that is in and among those commodities that the men of those Nations used to carry with them when they travailed especially when they meant to present any one to whom they went as Gen. 24. 53. 1 King 10. 2. Vers. 15. Out of Egypt have I called my Son The two allegations produced here out of the Old Testament this and that out of Jeremy in Rama was a voice heard are of that fulness that they speak of two things a piece and may very fitly be applied unto them both and shew that the one did resemble or prefigure the other as this Text of Hosea aimeth both at the bringing of the Church of Israel in old time and of the head of that Church at this time out of Egypt Then a Joseph nourished his father now a Joseph doth so to his redeemer then was Egypt deadly to every male child that was born now is it a place of refuge and preservation to this child Ver. 18. In Ramah was there a voice heard c. Ramah stood not far from Bethlehem though they were in two Tribes and the cry that the poor Parents and children made in Bethlehem when this matchless butchery was in hand reach't to Ramah and was plainly heard thither Now observe the fulness of this Scripture as it is uttered by the Prophet and as it is applied by the Evangelist It was fulfilled in one kind in the time of Jeremy himself and then was the lamentation and weeping in Ramah it self for hither did Nebuzaradan bring his Prisoners after he had destroyed Jerusalem and there did he dispose of them to the Sword or to Captivity as seemed good unto himself Jer. 40. 1. And imagine what lamentation and crying was then in that City when so many were doomed there either to be slain in that place or to go to Babel never to see their own Land again Then was the cry in Ramah and it was heard no doubt to Bethlehem But now the Prophesie is fulfilled in another kind when Herod destroyeth so many Children in Bethlehem and in the Suburbs and Borders belonging to it And now the cry is in Bethlehem and it is heard to Ramah §. Rachel weeping for her children c. Rachels grave was betwixt Bethlehem and Ramah or at least not far distant from either of them Gen. 35. 16 20. 1 Sam. 10. 2. The Holy Ghost therefore doth elegantly set forth this lamentation by personating Rachel who died in the birth of her Ben-Oni the Son of her sorrow sorrowing for her Sons and Children that were thus massacred And this sheweth that the Text in the Prophet aimeth in the first place and intention at the matter of Nebuzaradan for in Bethlehem Rachel properly had no children at all that City being inhabited by the children of Judah which descended of Leah but in Ramah dwelt Rachels children that being a Town of Ephramites descended from Joseph Howsoever Rachel may be said to weep for the Babes of Bethlehem as her own children though they were not strictly and properly her seed in regard of the interest that she had in all the tribes of Israel as being wife unto their Father as Joseph is often called the Father of Christ being only husband to his mother And see such another phrase Gen. 37. 10. Shall I and thy mother come to bow down before thee Whereas Josephs mother was dead already Vers. 19. But when Herod was dead c. The end of Herod was not long after the massacre of these infants and his bloodiness which he had used all his life long and topped up in the murder of these innocents and in desire to have done as much to the Lord of life the Lord doth now bring upon his own head This matter with the children of Bethlehem we conceive to have been some three months more or less before his end in which space this was his behaviour as may be collected out of Josephus He had slain long before this his two sons Alexander and Aristobulus and now was he about to do as much by his Son Antipater a child too like the Father and one whom he left by will the Successor in his Kingdom Him suspected by him for
Promise 240 Canaan and was to be victorious against the Hagarens see Ioseph 65 Years of the Promise 241 Jos. 4. 12. and 1 Chron. 5. 10. He was unstable as water in affecting the Ioseph 66 Years of the Promise 242 Priest-hood and refusing the land Numb 16. 1 2. and 32. 1. but his father adviseth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Al tother let not unstability remain Ioseph 68 Years of the Promise 244 in him Ioseph 69 Years of the Promise 245 That the scattering of Simeon and Levi among the rest of the Ioseph 70 Years of the Promise 246 tribes should be for the benefit of themselves and of others Ioseph 71 Years of the Promise 247 That Judah should be Prince and should be victorious that Shiloh Ioseph 72 Years of the Promise 248 should descend of him and that either the Scepter or Law-giver Ioseph 73 Years of the Promise 249 should continue in that tribe till his coming That Judahs habitation Ioseph 74 Years of the Promise 250 should be a country of vines so as to tie asses or colts to them and Ioseph 75 Years of the Promise 251 not to be nice of spoiling them they should be so abundant that Ioseph 76 Years of the Promise 252 he should sowse his garments in wine with treading the wine-presses Ioseph 77 Years of the Promise 253 c. Ioseph 78 Years of the Promise 254 That Zebulon should trade at Sea on both hands in the Ocean and Ioseph 79 Years of the Promise 255 the Sea of Galilee Ioseph 80 Years of the Promise 256 That Issachar should be burdned with two Kingdoms of Phenicia Ioseph 81 Years of the Promise 257 and Samaria on either hand him yet love of ease should make Ioseph 82 Years of the Promise 258 him bear and become tributary Ioseph 83 Years of the Promise 259 Ioseph 84 Years of the Promise 260 That Dan in Samson shall bite the heels of the Philistims house Ioseph 85 Years of the Promise 261 and overthrow so many thousand riders and that makes Jacob to Ioseph 86 Years of the Promise 262 look at the delivery by Christ in the like manner who should destroy Ioseph 87 Years of the Promise 263 Ioseph 88 Years of the Promise 264 Samson-like by dying Ioseph 89 Years of the Promise 265 That Gad should be hard set with the Hagarites but he and his Ioseph 90 Years of the Promise 266 friends should overcom them at last Ioseph 91 Years of the Promise 267 Ioseph 92 Years of the Promise 268 That Ashur should abound in corn and provision and Naphtali in Ioseph 93 Years of the Promise 269 venison and in him should begin the Gospel Ioseph 94 Years of the Promise 270 Ioseph 95 Years of the Promise 271 That Josephs sons should grow by Jacobs well unto a Kingdom Ioseph 96 Years of the Promise 272 and that his daughters should go 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even to the enemy to repair Ioseph 97 Years of the Promise 273 Ioseph 98 Years of the Promise 274 the hostile tribe of Benjamin which otherwise had decayed for Ioseph 99 Years of the Promise 275 want of wives as Judg. 21. Ioseph 100 Years of the Promise 276 Ioseph 101 Years of the Promise 277 That Benjamin should be ravenous and devour the prey to themselves Ioseph 102 Years of the Promise 278 in the morning of their estate in the great slaughter of Gibeah and in stealing them wives but should divide the spoil for the good of the other tribes in the evening of their first estate by Mordecai and in the evening of their second estate by Paul Ioseph 103 Years of the Promise 279 The Apostle in Heb. 11. 21. mentioneth only Jacobs blessing the two Ioseph 104 Years of the Promise 280 Ioseph 105 Years of the Promise 281 sons of Joseph because born out of his family in a forain land yet Ioseph 106 Years of the Promise 282 Ioseph 107 Years of the Promise 283 by faith adopted by Jacob for his own children the Apostle there Ioseph 108 Years of the Promise 284 follows the LXX that in their unprickt Bibles read Matteh a rod for Ioseph 109 Years of the Promise 285 Mittah a bed World 2369 Ioseph 110 Years of the Promise 286 JOSEPH dieth 110 years old having lived to see Ephrams children Years of the Promise 287 to the third generation that is to the third generation from Ephraim or fourth from Joseph and to this the great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chap. 50. ver 23. seemeth to point to teach us to construe this to the greatest extent namely to the third from Ephraim as the like is expressed of Manasseh 1 CHRON. VII ver 21 22 23. Years of the Promise 288 EPHRAIM at Josephs death could not be less then threescore and Years of the Promise 289 fiteen years old and therefore that passage concerning his sons being Years of the Promise 290 slain by the men of Gath seemeth to have been not very long after Years of the Promise 291 Josephs death if not before unless we will conceive Ephraim to Years of the Promise 292 have begotten children after that at a very great age Zabad his son Years of the Promise 293 and Shutelah and Ezer and Elead his grandchildren probably enough Years of the Promise 294 that third generation of Ephraim meant Gen. 50. 25. were the men so Years of the Promise 295 unhappily slain by the men of Gath that were born in the land that is Years of the Promise 296 men born in Egypt but now resident in Gath and who came down to Years of the Promise 297 take away these Ephraimites cattel and slew them as they stood in defence Years of the Promise 298 and retention of them for so should I rather translate the verse Years of the Promise 299 Years of the Promise 300 and men of Gath who were born in the land slew them for they came down Years of the Promise 301 to take away their cattel so as to make the men of Gath the plunderers Years of the Promise 302 Years of the Promise 303 rather then the sons of Ephraim Ephraim their father upon the sad occurrence Years of the Promise 304 Years of the Promise 305 mourneth many days but afterward goeth in to his wife and Years of the Promise 306 giveth him that name because it went ill at that time with his house Years of the Promise 307 Israel by this time is grown to a vast multitude in Egypt The Book of EXODUS CHAP. I. World 2391 Years of the Promise 308 ABout this time Levi dieth having lived 137 years Exod. 6. 16. Years of the Promise 309 Years of the Promise 310 It is like that he lived longest of all the tribes and that because Years of the Promise 311 only his age and the age of Joseph are mentioned of all Years of the Promise 312 the rest it seemeth that the one died the soonest and the Years of the Promise 313 Years of the Promise
clearly and therefore it was neither when Uzziah was made leprous nor in the year when he died as the Jews conjecture but it was before After this came a Plague of more misery but of lesser terrour and that was of fearful and horrid Locusts Caterpillars and Cankerworms whose like the oldest men alive had never seen Joel 1 2 3 c. These came towards harvest time in the beginning of the growth after mowing Amos 7. 1. And then were the fields and trees laden with corn and fruit but these laid the vines waste and barked the fig-trees Joel 1. 7. And causeth the harvest of the field to perish and the trees to wither so that there was not corn and wine sufficient for a meet Offering and drink Offering in the House of the Lord ver 10 11 12. then did the Cattel groan ver 18. and the beast of the field did languish Hos. 4. 3. This heavy Plague of Locusts was at last removed by prayer but the sins of the people called for another Therefore the Lord called to contend by fire Amos 7. 4. namely by an extreme drought with which were mingled fearful flashes of fire which fell from Heaven as in Egypt Eccl. 9. 23. and devoured all the pastures of the wilderness and the flame burnt up all the trees of the field Joel 1. 19. and some Cities were consumed by fire from Heaven as was Sodome Amos 4. 11. Esay 1. 9. And the rivers of water were dryed up Joel 1. 2. yea even the great deep was devoured by the heat and part of it eaten up Amos 7. 4. and the fishes destroyed Hos. 4. 3. After all these judgments when they prevailed not but the people were still the same God set a line upon his people and decreed that the high places of Isaac should be desolate and the Sanctuaries of Israel should be laid waste Amos 7. 9. yet did not the Lord leave himself without witness but against and in these times of Judgment and successively and continually did the Lord raise up a race of Prophets among them both in Israel and Judah that gave them warning threatning instruction and exhortation from time to time and did not this only by word of mouth but also committed the same to writing and to posterity that all generations to come might see the abomination and ingratitude of that people written as it were with a pen of Iron and a point of a Diamond and might read and fear and not do the like The Prophesie of HOSEA CHAP. I II III IV. THE first Prophet of this race was Hosea and so he testifieth of himself chap. 1. vers 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord spake first by Hosea And thus as under an Hosea Israel did enter into the Land of Canaan Numb 13. 16. and under an Hosea were captived out 2 King 17. So did the Lord raise up an Hosea the first of these Prophets to tax their unthankfulness for the one and to foretel the fearfulness of the other His Prophesie is common both to Israel and Judah even as was his adulterous wife a mate as unfit for so holy a Prophet as her actions were fit to resemble such a wicked people The date of his Prophesie tells us that he began in the days of Uzziah and continued till the days of Ezekiah and so was a Preacher at the least seventy years and so saw the truth of his Prophesie fulfilled upon captived Israel Of all the Sermons that he made and threatnings and admonitions that he gave in so long a time only this small parcel is reserved which is contained in his little Book the Lord reserving only what his divine Wisdom saw to be most pertinent for those present times and most profitable for the time to come That being to be accounted canonical Scripture not what every Prophet delivered in his whole time but what the Lord saw good to commit to writing for posterity To fit every Prophesie of this Book whether Chapter or part of Chapter to its proper year when it was delivered is so far impossible as that it is not possible to fit them certainly to the Kings reign and therefore the Reader can but conceive of their time in gross as they were delivered by him in the time of his Preaching which was exceeding long only these two or three considerations and conjectures may not be unprofitable towards the casting up of some of the times and towards the better understanding of his Prophesie in some particular 1. He began to Prophesie in the days of Uzziah and began first of any that were Prophets in his reign as were Joel Amos and Esaiah Jonah was a Prophet in these times but there is no Prophesie of his left against Israel or Judah the second Verse of the first Chapter cited even now cannot be understood so properly in any sence as this that God now raising up in the days of Uzziah a generation of Prophets that should continue in a succession till the captivity and that should leave their Prophesies behind them in writing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord spake first of all these by Hosea Therefore whereas it is apparent that Amos by the date of his Prophesie ver 1. lived in those days of Uzziah which were contemporary with the days of Jeroboam so also is it apparent by this passage of Hosea that he himself began in some time of those concurrent years of Uzziah and Jeroboam which were fifteen and somewhat before the beginning of Amos. 2. His two first Chapters seem to be uttered by him in the very beginning of his Preaching of the first there can be no doubt nor controversie and the other two may be well conceived to be of the same date as appeareth by the matter In the first Chapter under the parable of his marrying an adulterous wife which he names Gomer the daughter of Diblaim either for that there was some notorious whorish wife in those times of that name or for the significansie of the words for they import corruption of figs as Jer. 24. 3. as our Saviour in a parable nameth a begger Lazarus either because there was some noted poor needy wretch of that name in those times or for the significansie of the word Lazarus signifying God help me as proper a name for a begger as could be given under this Parable I say of his marrying an adulterous wife and begetting children of her he foretels first the ruine of the house of Jehu this typified by a Son she bears called Jezrael then the ruine of the ten Tribes this typified by a daughter she bears which he calls Lo-ruchamah or unpitied for in these times of Jeroboam when Hosea began to Prophesie the Lord had pittied Israel exceedingly and eased them much of their trouble and oppressions 2 King 24 26 27. but now he would do so no more but Judah he would yet pitty and save them not by bow and sword but by an Angel in the days of Ezekiah
Greek word to translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Family of Ram. Job 32. 2. See a third sense of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Jam. 1. 23. 3. 6. of the generation of Iesus Christ the son of David the Son of Abraham 2. Abraham begat Isaac and Isaac begat Iacob and Iacob begat c c c c c c Judas for Jeâ—udah in Hebrew For the Greek cannot utter h before a vowel in the middle of a word nor after one in the end therefore in the middle it leaveth out as in Josaphat Joram and this word Juda and in the end it changeth it in s as in this and may other words in this Chapter Iudas and his brethren 3. And Iudas begat Phares and Zara of Tamar and Phares begat Esrom and Esrom begat Aram. 4. And d d d d d d Or Ram. 1 Chron. 2. 8. Ruth 4. 19. Aram begat Aminadab and Aminadab begat Naasson and Naasson begat e e e e e e Called Salma Ruth 4. 20. Salmon 5. And Salmon begat f f f f f f He is held by the Jews to be Ipsan Judg. 12. 8. Boos of Racab and Boos begat Obed of Ruth and Obed begat Iesse 6. And Iesse begat g g g g g g David in the Arabick signifieth a worm to which he may seem to allude Psal. 22. 6. David the King and David the King begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias 7. And Solomon begat Roboam and Roboam begat h h h h h h Rehoboam in naming this his Son Abi-jah which signifieth God is my father seemeth to have had his eye upon the promise to David I will be his Father 2 Sam. 7. 14. which because he imbraced not by a lively Faith but challenged only by a presumptuous usurpation for he walked not in the ways of David therefore doth the text elsewhere conceal the name of God in the name of his Son and calleth him Abijam My father is a Sea For so unconstant in good was Rehoboam as Jam. 1. 6. being a child at forty years old 2 Chron. 13. 17. Abia and Abia begat i i i i i i The Arabick readeth it Asaph Asa. 8. And Asa begat Iosaphat and Iosaphat begat Ioram and Ioram begat Ozias 9. And Ozias begat Ioatham and Ioatham begat Achas and Achas begat Ezechias 10. And Ezechias begat Manasses and Manasses begat Amon and Amon begat Iosias 11. And Iosias begat k k k k k k Called Conias Jer. 22. 24. For God by taking away the first syllable of his name sheweth that he will not establish the throne or race of Solomon any more upon it as his Father Jehojaâ—im bel ke in so naming him had presumed The Jews delighted to joyn the name Jehovah to their own names but somewhat shortned For in the beginning of the name it was but Jeho as Jeho-shaphat Jehoram c. And in the end it was Jahu as Mica-jahu Eli-jahu And sometime in the very same name it was set before or after indifferently as Jebo-achaz 2 Chron. 21. 17. is Ahaz-jahu 2 Chron. 22. 1. So Jehojachin 2 King 24. 8. is Jechou-jahu 1 Chron. 3. 16. Iechonias and his brethren about the time they were carried away into Babylon 12. And after they were brought to Babylon Iechonias begat Salathiel and Salathiel begat Zorobabel 13. And Zorobabel begat Abiud and Abiud begat Eliakim and Eliakim begat Azor. 14. And Azor begat Sadoc and Sadoc begat Achim and Achim begat Eliud 15. And Eliud begat Eleazar and Eleazar begat Matthan and Matthan began Iacob 16. And Iacob begat Ioseph the Husband of Mary of whom was born Iesus who is called Christ. 17. So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations and from David until the l l l l l l The Captivity of the Jews into Babel was but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a flitting of their Families As Aristeas saith of Ptol. Lagus his captiving them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for they returned ere long to their own home again But the ten Tribes captivated by Sbalmanezar are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the LXX 2 Kings 18. 11. in a perpetual departure from their own houses And they and all the rest of the Nation are at this day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a dispersion without any home of their own at all John 7. 35. Jam. 1. 1. 1 Pet. 1. 1. carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations 18. Now the birth of Iesus Christ was on this wise when as his Mother Mary was espoused to Ioseph before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Ghost 19. Then Ioseph her Husband being a just man and not willing m m m m m m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It hath been thought saith Gellius that there ought to be three causes in punishing of offences The first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is when punishmenâ— is used for castigation or amendment of him that hath offended The second called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is when punishment is used that the dignity and honour of him that hath been wronged may be maintained The third which is called II 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is when punishment is inflicted for examples sake that others by the fear of the known punishment may be deterred from the like offences Noct. Att. lib. 6. cap. 14. to make her a publike example was minded to put her away privily 20. But while he thought on these things the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying Ioseph thou Son of David fear not to take unto thee Mary thy Wife for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost 21. And she shall bring forth a Son and thou shalt call his name Iesus for he shall save his people from their sinnes 22. Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet saying 23. Behold a Virgin shall be with Child and shall bring forth a Son and shall call his Name Emanuel which being interpreted is God with us 24. Then Ioseph being raised from sleep did as the Angel of the Lord had bidden him and took unto him his wife 25. And knew her not until she had brought forth her first born Son and he called his name Jesus Reason of the Order AFter Mary hath been three months absent from Joseph as in the last verse of the Section preceding upon her return he perceiveth her to be with child for which he intendeth secretly to put her away as Tamar after three months is descried to be in the same case and Judah resolveth publikely to put her to death Gen. 38. 24. This being considered it is plain to see how properly the eighteenth verse of this chapter followeth in order of time after the last verse
it through the want of them which would be very improper or would cause a repetition of them there which would not be very proper Harmony and Explanation Vers. 18. And many other things he Preached c. WHosoever shall read the latter part of the former Section and this verse together as a continued Narration he will see how fitly and closely they joyn together and he is to take this as an Epiphonema to the whole story of Johns Ministery that besides those particular speeches of his mentioned by the Evangelists he preached many other things and used divers exhortations to the people whilest he was abroad and at liberty which he was not very long after that occurrence mentioned in the former Section Vers. 19. But Herod the Tetrarch being reproved for Herodias c. Because we are fallen upon a strange and most unlawful match in Herod the greats family will the reader have the patience before he come to look on this particular act of Herod the Tetrarch his marrying his brothers wife to take a view a little of old Herods whole family and divers strange marriages in it as they may be picked up in several places in Josephus and to acquaint himself in brief with the pedegree of that stock which may be some light for the understanding both of this and of some other places in the New Testament which relate to the story of that house We will begin with Antipater Herods Father the first of the Family that came to honour This Antipater being an Edomite had by his wife Cyprus an Arabian these four sons Phasaelus Herod Joseph Pheroras and one daughter named Salome Joseph Antiq. lib. 14. cap. 12. Herod the second son of Antipater commonly called Herod the Great the King of the Jews Luke 1. 5. the murderer of the Sanhedrin at Jerusalem Joseph Antiq. l. 14. cap. 17. Juchasin fol. 19. and murderer of the children at Bethlehem Matth. 2. and of his own children as we shall see anon had nine wives and by seven of them he had children Joseph de bell lib. 1. cap. 18. 1. He married Doris a woman of Jerusalem before he was King and by her he had a son called Antipater but this wife he put away after he came to the Kingdom that he might marry another Ibid. cap. 17. and this his first born son Antipater he caused to be slain but five days before his own death Id. Antiq. lib. 17. cap. 10. 2. His second wife was Mariam or Mary the beautiful the daughter of Alexander the son of Aristobulus and of Alexandra the daughter of Hyrcanus Antiq. 15. cap. 2. by her he had three sons Alexander and Aristobulus Antiq. 16. cap. 8. and Herod de bell 1. 18. which Herod died young at Rome whither he was set forth for his education And he had also by her two daughters Salampsio and Cyprus Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 7. His wife Mariam he slew upon the accusation of his sister Salome and some suspition and discontent Antiq. 15. cap. 11. Her two sons that lived he married thus Aristobulus to Bernice the daughter of Salome his own Sister by whom he had three sons Herod Agrippa he that is called Herod Act. 12. and Aristobulus and two daughters Herodias and Mariam this Herodias is she that we have here in hand Alexander he married to Glaphyra the daughter of Archelaus a forain King and by her he had two sons Tigranes and Alexander De bell 1. cap. 18. These two sons of Mariam Aristobulus and Alexander their Father caused to be slain as well as he had slain their Mother Antiq. 16. cap. 17. But his two daughters he married to their near kinsman Salampsio to Phasaelus her nephew and Cyprus to Antipater her cousen german the son of Salome Herods sister Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 7. 3. A third wife he had which was called Malthace a Samaritan and by her he had two sons Antipas and Archelaus and one daughter called Olympias De Bell. lib. 1. cap. 18. Archelaus is he of whom there is mention Matth. 2. Antipas is that Herod that we have in hand Archelaus married Glaphyra his brother Alexanders widow Ant. lib. 17. c. 15. Olympias was married to her Fathers own Nephew Joseph De bell lib. 1. cap. 18. 4. His fourth wife Cleopatra of Jerusalem bare him Herod and Philip. Ibid. Antiq. 17. cap. 1. this Philip was Herodias her husband till Herod his brother took her from him not this Herod born of the same mother but Antipas the son of Malthace who was also called Herod as was said before 5. He had another wife called Pallas by whom he had a son called Phasaelus Ibid. and this Phasaelus had a son of his own name to whom Salampsio was married mentioned before 6. A sixth wife Phaedra bare him a daughter called Roxana Ibid. 7. And a seventh called Helpis bare him a daughter named Salome Ibid. And two wives besides these he had which bare him no children whose names Josephus hath not mentioned but hath left this mark upon the matches that the one of those wives was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both his neeces or his very near kindred Ibid. And to look a little further into the stock Salampsio his daughter had by Phasaelus his Grandchild three sons and two daughters Antipater Herod Alexander Alexandra and Cyprus Alexandra married to a Cypriot but died childless Cyprus was married to Agrippa the son of Aristobulus the son of Mariam this was that Herod in Act. 12. by whom she had two sons Agrippa and Drusus and three daughters Bernice Mariam and Drusilla Act. 18. cap. 7. Such marriages as these were in old Herods family the father of this Herod that we have in discourse And now let us look upon the marriage that we have before us between Herod and Herodias 1. Herodias was neece both to Philip and Herod both to her former husband and her latter for she was daughter to their brother Aristobulus whom their father had slain as was said before Josephus must here be corrected by the Evangelist for he saith Herodias was the wife of Herod Herod the Tetrarchs brother but not by the same mother Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 7. There was indeed a Herod which was Philips brother of the same mother Cleopatra but this Herod the Tetrarch called also Antipas was the son of Malthace 2. He might not have married his brothers wife though he had been dead he having had seed by her for so is it very generally held that Herodias daughter that daunced off John Baptists head was the daughter of Philip. If brethren dwell together as heirs to one possession and one of them die and have no child then her husbands brother shall go in unto her c. Deut. 25. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But if her husband leave either son or daughter or sons son or sons daughter or daughters daughter behind him as R. Sol. explains it then might not he marry
taking on him to be Esau when he was Jacob He serveth in hardship in his marriage week and bringeth festivity to others but labour to himself Joseph Zebulun and Asher were in their mothers wombs at the same time but Joseph born last Dinah was not born in these seven years unless she were a twin with Zebulun Reuben about â—ive years old following the reapers findeth Mandrakes and bringeth the Apples thereof to his mother for which poor rate Jacob is in manner sold for a time by Rahel CHAP. XXXI Rahel stealeth Labans Teraphim for a civil use to preserve the memory of some of her ancestors whereof they were the pictures and which Laban had impiously Idolized CHAP. XXXII Jacob for distrust in the Promise so far upon Esaus approach that he sendeth him above a thousand cattel of all sorts of which he had vowed the Tithes to the Lord and before he paid them is met by the way by the Lord and in danger to be killed by him but by prayer and supplication he prevaileth with the Lord and escapeth only with a lame leg This lameness of Jacob was not reputed to him for a maim but like the honourable scars of a valiant Captain for a special dignity For at Bethel he exerciseth the part and office of a Priest which if his halting had been reputed for a maiâ— he had been disabled to do and his posterity in all succeeding ages reserve the honorable memory of this his lameness in not eating the sinew that shrank That was the first Ceremony that distinguished Israel for a peculiar people because with this his lameness Jacob is first dignified with the name of Israel Circumcision differenced them not from the other seed of Abraham by Hagar and Keturah but this curiosity in meats first beginneth Judaism They refrained not to eat the joint where the sinew was as a leg of Mutton or of Beef for the legs of the Passover were to be eaten Exod. 1â— 10. but they spared the sinew And that not in abomination or abhorring of it but in honour and special respect because it bare the memorial of their first naming Israel The portion of meat that Elkanah gave to his beloved Hannah Manah Ahhath Appaiina the portion of representation may not unfitly be understood of this joint and the same piece of the meat did Samuel reserve for Saul in honour The Cook took up the leg 1 Sam. 9. 24. CHAP. 33 34. Shechem an Hivite by original chap. 34. 2. is an Amorite by habitation chap. 48. 22. So Anah the Hivite by descent chap. 36. 2. Beeri the Hittite by habitation in one place chap. 26. 36. and an Horite by habitation in another chap. 36. 30 24. Judah was not at the murder at Shechem but at Chezib upon the borders of the Philistims married and resident there many miles distant CHAP. XXXV The Proselytes of Shechem admitted to Jacobs family by Baptism for circumcision to the Shechemites was become deadly Benjamin born by the strength of the promise vers 11. for Jacob was now past the natural vigour of generating and therefore he justly calleth his name Benjamin the son of the right hand CHAP. 36. Strange alteration of names in this Chapter from what they are in others Judith Chap. 26. 34. called Aholibamah because of her Idolatry Anah her father Chap. 36. 2. an Hivite by original is Beeri an Hittite Chap. 26. 34. because he dwelt among them about Beer-la-hai-roi Bashemath Chap. 26. 34. is Adah here to shew Gods dislike against Esaus matches Mahalath is Pashemath to shew the Canaanitish qualities of a daughter of Ismael Compare this genealogy in this Chapter with the same in 1 Chron. 1. and Timna which is here a woman and a mans concubine is there made that mans son for the Scripture useth to speak short in known stories CHAP. 37. When the Text hath dispatched with Esau the hater of his brother that lost his birth-right by his own fault it falleth upon Joseph the hated of his brethren that obtained the birth-right by the fault of another He feeding the flocks with his brethren joyneth in company with the sons of the handmaids for Leahs children cared little either for them or him Among them where he thought to have respect he found hardship for they made him as their slave or servant Vehu nagnar and he was a servant with the sons of Bilhah and Zilphah vers 2. This evil report of his brethrens usage of him he told his father whereupon he made him a coat of divers colours as a badge of the birth-right which his father intended to confer upon him that his brethren for this should respect him the more But this procureth their greater hatred Reuben only excepted who sought his good though he had gotten his birth-right which sheweth that the incestuous man was now become a penitent and holy CHAP. 38. Judah punished in his children and his own shame for the sale of his righteous brother He was married about eight years before Joseph was sold being then not above twelve years of age if he were so much Therefore the words in the beginning of the Chapter At that time have not so much any reference to the exact time of Judahs marriage as to the miscarriage of Er and Onan which befel not long after Joseph was sold and so teach of his requital in his children for the sale of his righteous brother CHAP. XXXIX XL XLI Joseph made a slave his Blackmoor mistress lusteth after his beauty and whiteness By the interpretation of other mens dreams he is promoted as by the relating of his own he was sold into misery Pharaoh giveth him a new name after their Oracular God Baal Zephon Zophnath Paanea CHAP. XLII Josephs words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 15 16. not an oath by the Creature but an apprecation and prayer for Pharaohs life So let Pharaoh live as ye are spies as Lev. 25. 36. helpeth to explain the verb. CHAP. XLVII Pharaoh having never seen so old a man as Jacob nor so grave a head nor so gray a beard in all his life in admiration asketh him no other question but concerning his age CHAP. XLVIII The birth-right which Jacob intended for Joseph before his sale is conferred and confirmed upon him when Ephraim and Manasseh are taken by him for his sons as Reuben and Simeon and hence came Ephraim to be first born among the Tribes and therefore Moses chooseth Joshua one of that Tribe for their conductor into Canaan CHAP. XLIX Jacob blesseth every one of the Tribes vers 28. therefore in his words to Reuben Simeon and Levi which are the most bitter we must find a blessing or we lose his sence His words also concern the future events of the Tribes as much or more than the twelve Patriarks that stood before him vers 1. These ground-works being then thus laid for the understanding of these his last words as necessarily they must let it be tolerated to touch upon some of
of Evang. at Luke 3. 36. Vers. 16. And were carried over into Sichem c. The shortness of the Language in this verse hath bred some difficulty and as Stephens speaking more than Moses in the Verse foregoing was the cause of some obscurity there so is it a cause of more in this verse for that he hath not spoken so much Moses hath told that Jacob was buried in Hebron Stephen here speaks as if he had been buried in Sichem Moses maketh Jacob the buyer of the land of Emor the father of Sichem Steven seemeth to make Abraham the buyer of it And in conclusion to make Jacob and his twelve sons to lie in one Sepulcher and Abrahams and Jacobs purchase to be but one and the same Now Stephen and Moses speak but the same thing and intend the same meaning only Stephen useth shortness of speech in relating a story which was so well known that a word was enough for a sentence and he spake in a language which had its proprieties and Idioms which those that heard him easily understood And were carried over into Sichem The Syriack and Arabick apply this only to Jacob for they read it in the singular number He was translated directly cross and contrary to Moses who telleth plainly that Jacobs burial was in Hebron Gen. 50. 13. And in Hebron Josephus would have all the sons of Jacob buried likewise Antiq. lib. 2. cap. 4. and by his report they were buried there before Joseph for that they were brought thither as they died but Josephs burial was put over till all the Nation came out of Egypt Now it is not to be imagined that Stephen a man so full of the Holy Ghost would ever have spoken a thing in which every ordinary man woman or child that heard him could so easily have confuted him as they might have done if the twelve Patriarks had been buried in Hebron much less when he spake to the Councel and to men of learning and understanding that would readily have tript him if he had faltered in so plain and common a story therefore it is past all doubting that Sichem was knownly and generally reputed the place of the Patriarks burial For as although there be mention only of Moses bringing up the bones of Joseph Exod. 13. 19. yet R. Solomon well observeth that we may learn from that very place that the bones of all the Patriarks were brought up with him so though there be mention of the burial of Joseph only in Sichem Josh. 24. 32. and no record of the burial of the rest of the twelve there yet might it very well be supposed had not Stephen asserted in that they were also buried there with him For we may prove the bringing of their bones out of Egypt yea though Stephen had not told it For 1. The same cause that moved Joseph to desire burial in the land of Canaan could not but move the other of the twelve to desire the like were it in faith in the promise or because of the interest in the Land or in hope of the resurrection all the rest had the very same principles to move them to it that Joseph had 2. The rest of the Tribes bare the same honour to their Patriarks that the Tribe of Joseph did to him and therefore if they in honour to Joseph would preserve his bones that at their removal they might be taken out of Egypt the children of therest of the Tribes would do so by their Patriarks also 3. To which might be added the kind of necessity which there was that the twelve Fathers of the Church of Israel and heirs of the Land of Canaan should have their interment in that Land and not be left in the land of bondage So likewise may there be arguments sufficient to prove that they were buried with his bones in Sichem As 1. There was no reason they should be severed in the burial who had been united in their removal 2. Josephs bones were most regardable and the same Sepulcher that served him would have best befit them 3. The convocation of all Israel by Joshua was to Sichem and there upon their possessing of the land he makes a covenant betwixt them and God and it is incomparably more probable that they should bury the bones of all the Patriarks there than in Hebron where we do not read that Joshua ever came but to destroy the City Now the reason why Stephen speaking of the burials of Jacob and his sons which were in distant and different places doth yet couch their story so close together as if they were all laid together in the same place is 1. Because treating of two numbers so unequal as twelve and one he first followeth the story of the greater number 2. He useth the singular number for the plural Sepulcher for Sepulchers which is a thing so common as that nothing is more common in the Scripture Language 3. He useth an Ellipsis or cutting off of the conjunction Va◠or And which also is exceeding common in the same Language as 1 Sam. 6. 19. Psalm 133. 3. 2 Kings 23. 8. and divers other places So that though he spake so very curt and short as he did yet to them that were well enough acquainted both with the story it self and with such Hebraisms his shortness would breed no obscurity but would they readily take him in this sense And Jacob and our Fathers died and were removed to Sichem and were laid in Sepulchers in that which Abraham bought for mony and in that that was bought from the sons of Emmor the Father of Sichem Vers. 20. And was exceeding fair Gr. Fair to God He was a goodly child supernaturally born when his mother was past the natural course of childbearing Vers. 22. And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians This Steven speaketh by necessary consequence from his Princely education Vers. 23. And when he was full forty years old There are that say that Moses was forty years in Pharaohs Palace forty years in Midian and forty years in the wilderness Tauchuna in Exod. 2. Vers. 43. Ye took up the Tabernacle of Moloch c. I. In Amos the words lie thus Chap. 5. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Rabbins Kimchi and Jarchi construe in the future Tense and take it for a threatning of their punishment as much as an upbraiding of their sin as if he should have said unto them ye would not take up the Commandments of the Lords to bear them but you shall bear your Idols into captivity with you and your enemies shall lay them upon your shoulders And this might have been a very plausible and fair sense but that Steven hath taught us to construe the Verb in the time past and not in the time to come and to read it thus ye have born or taken up c. II. Now the fixing of this time when Israel took up this Idolatry is somewhat difficult It is some facilitating of the
inimicis suis crediderunt qui persequebantur Aust. Ser. de Temp. 109. To omit the Jews fancy that the Israelitish women bare six at a birth and to omit questioning whether faetifer Nilus the drinking of the water of Nilus which as some say is good for generation did conduce to the increasing of Israel I can only look at God and his work which did thus multiply and sustain them in the furnace of affliction Si Deus nobiscum quis contra nos God had promised this increase to Jacob as he fled to Haran Gen. 28. in a dream from the top of Jacobs ladder And here he proves faithful who had promised CHAP. LIII Israels Camp according to the Chaldee Paraphrast his description Numb 2. THE Chaldee is precise about pitching Israels Camp I have not thought much to translate a whole Chapter out of him that the Reader may see at the least his Will if not his Truth Numb 11. 1. And the Lord spake to Moses and to Aaron saying 2. Every one of the children of Israel shall pitch by his Standard by the Ensigns whereto they are appointed by the Standards of their fathers shall they pitch over against the Tabernacle of the Congregation * * * Chald. Round Round round about 3. The Camp of Israel was twelve miles long and twelve miles broad and they that pitched Eastward toward the Sun-rising the Standard of the Camp of Judah four miles square and his Ensign was of three party colours like the three Pearls that were in the brestplate or rational the Rubies Topaz and Carbuncle and in it was deciphered and expressed the names of three Tribes Judah Issachar Zebulon and in the middle was written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arise O Lord and let thine enemies be scattered and let them that hate thee flee before thee And in it was drawn the picture of a Lions whelp for the Prince of the children of Judah Nahshon the son of Aminadab 4. And his hoast and the number of them seventy four thousand and six hundred 5. And they that pitched next him the Tribe of Issachar and the Prince that was over the Army of the Tribe of the sons of Issachar Nethaneel the son of Tsuar 6. And his Army and the number of his Tribes fifty four thousand and four hundred 7. The Tribe of Zebulon and the Prince that was set over the Army of the Tribe of the sons of Zebulon Eliah the son of Hhelon 8. And the Army and their number of his Tribe fifty seven thousand and four hundred 9. All the number of the hoast of Judah were * * * The Chaâ—â— numbers 〈…〉 wise but it 〈…〉 misprinting therefore I take the Hebrew one hundred eighty six thousand and four hundred by their Armies they went first 10. The Standard of the hoast of Reuben shall pitch Southward by their Armies four miles square and his Ensign was of three party colours like the three stones in the brest-plate the Emeraud Saphire and Diamond and in it was deciphered and expressed the names of three Tribes Reuben Simeon Gad and in the middle was written thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord. And in it was drawn the picture of a young Hart but there should have been drawn in it a Bullock but Moses the Prophet changed it because he would not put them in mind of their sin about the Calf And the Prince that was set over the hoast of the Tribe of Reuben was Elitzur the son of Shedeur 12. And his hoast and the number of his Tribe fifty nine thousand and three hundred The Chaldee misseth the 11. 12. verses 13. And the Tribe of Gad and the Prince that was set over the hoast of the Tribe of Gad Eliasaph the son of Devel 15. And his hoast and the number of his Tribe * * * The Chaldee cometh so short of the right number forty five thousand and six hundred 16. All the number of the hoast of Reuben one hundred fifty one thousand four hundred and fifty by their Armies they went second 17. Then went the Tabernacle of the Congregation and the hoast of the Levites in the Camps and their Camp was four mile square they went in the middle as they pitched so they went every one in his rank according to his Standard 18. The Standard of the Camp of Ephraim by their hoasts pitched Westward and their Camp was four mile square and his Ensign was of three party colours like the three stones in the brestplate a Turky an Achat and an Hamatite and in it was deciphered and expressed the names of three Tribes Ephraim Manasseh and Benjamin and in the middle was written c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the cloud of the Lord was upon them by day when they went out of the Camp and in it was drawn the picture of a Child And the Prince that was set over the Army of the Children of Ephraim was Elishama the son of Ammihud 19. And his hoast and the number of his Tribe forty thousand and five hundred 20. And next him the Tribe of Manasses and the Prince which was set over the hoast of the Tribe of the Children of Manasses Gamliel the son of Pedah tzur 21. And his hoast and their number of his Tribe thirty two thousand and two hundred 22. And the Tribe of Benjamin and the Prince that was set over the hoast of the Tribe of the Children of Benjamin Abidan the son of Gideoni 23. And his hoast and their number of his Tribe thirty five thousand and four hundred 24. All the number of the Camp of Ephraim one hundred eighty thousand and one hundred by their Armies and they went in the third place 25. The Standard of the Camp of Dan Northward and their Camp four miles square and his Ensign was of three party colours according to the three stones in the brestplate a Chrysolite Onyx and Jasper and in it were deciphered and expressed the names of three Tribes Dan Naphtali Asher and in the middest was written and expressed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And when it rested he said return O Lord to the ten thousand of Israel and in it was drawn the figure of a Serpent or Arrow-snake and the Prince that was set over the hoast of the Children of Dan Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai From thence to the end of the Chapter he goes on just with the Hebrew Text so that I will spare further labour about Translating only I must tell the Reader thus much that the Pearls he speaks of I have not punctually followed the Chaldee in rendring their names but have followed the Geneva Bible which was at that instant the only English Bible about me As also for perfect and future tense I find the Chaldee confused and for this I have been the less curious CHAP. LIV. Of Iob. ABOUT Israels being in Egypt Job lives in Arabia a heathen
Gloss renders it If he be deprived of his father and his mother brings him to be made a Proselyte they baptize him because none becomes a Proselyte without Circumcision and Baptism according to the judgment or rite of the Sanhedrin that is that three men be present at the Baptism who are now instead of a father to him And the Gemara a little after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If with a Proselyte his sons and his daughters are made Proselytes also that which is done by their father redounds to their good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 R. Joseph saith When they grow into years they may retract Where the Gloss writes thus This is to be understood of little children who are made Proselytes together with their father n n n n n n Ievam. fol. 78 1. An Heathen woman if she is made a Proselytess when she is now big with child the child needs not baptism 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Baptism of his mother serves him for baptism Otherwise he were to be baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 o o o o o o Maimon in Avadim cap. 8 If an Israelite take a Gentile child 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or find a Gentile infant and baptizeth him in the name of a Proselyte behold he is a Proselyte We cannot also pass over that which indeed is worthy to be remembred p p p p p p Hieros Ievamoth fol. 8. 4. Any ones servant is to be circumcised though he be unwilling but any ones son is not to be circumcised if he be unwilling R. Johanan enquired Behold a little son do you circumcise him by force Yea although he be as the son of Urâ—an R. Hezekiah saith Behold a man finds an infant cast out and he baptizeth him in the name of a servant in the name of a freeman do you also circumcise him in the name of a freeman We have therefore alledged these things the more largely not only that you may receive satisfaction concerning the thing propounded namely how it came to pass that the people flocked in so universal a concours to Johns Baptism because Baptism was no strange thing to the Jews but that some other things may be observed hence which afford some light to certain places of Scripture and will help to clear some knotty questions about Baptism First You see baptism inseparably joyned to the Circumcision of Proselytes There was indeed some little distance of time For q q q q q q Ievam. fol. 45. 2. they were not baptized till the pain of circumcision was healed because water might be injurious to the wound But certainly baptism ever followed We acknowledge indeed that Circumcision was plainly of divine Institution but by whom Baptism that was inseparable from it was instituted is doubtful And yet it is worthy of observation our Saviour rejected Circumcision and retained the Appendix to it and when all the Gentiles were now to be introduced into the true Religion he preferred this proselytical Introductory pardon the expression unto the Sacrament of Entrance into the Gospel One might observe the same almost in the Eucharist The Lamb in the Passover was of divine Institution and so indeed was the Bread But whence was the Wine But yet rejecting the Lamb Christ instituted the Sacrament in the Bread and Wine Secondly Observing from these things which have been spoken how very known and frequent the use of Baptism was among the Jews the reason appears very easie why the Sanhedrin by their messengers enquired not of John concerning the reason of Baptism but concerning the authority of the Baptizer not what Baptism meant but whence he had a licence so to baptize Joh. I. 25. Thirdly Hence also the reason appears why the New Testament doth not prescribe by some more accurate rule who the persons are to be baptized The Anabaptists object It is not commanded to baptize Infants therefore they are not to be baptized To whom I answer It is not forbidden to baptize Infants therefore they are to be baptized And the reason is plain For when Pedobaptism in the Jewish Church was so known usual and frequent in the admission of Proselytes that nothing almost was more known usual and frequent 1. There was no need to strengthen it with any precept when Baptism was now passed into an Evangelical Sacrament For Christ took baptism into his hands and into Evangelical use as he found it this only added that he might promote it to a worthier end and a larger use The whole Nation knew well enough that little children used to be baptized There was no need of a precept for that which had ever by common use prevailed If a Royal Proclamation should now issue forth in these words Let every one resort on the Lords day to the publick assembly in the Church certainly he would be mad who in times to come should argue hence that Prayers Sermons Singing of Psalms were not to be celebrated on the Lords day in the publick assemblies because there is no mention of them in the Proclamation For the Proclamation provided for the celebration of the Lords day in the publick Assemblies in general but there was no need to make mention of the particular kinds of the Divine Worship to be celebrated there when they were always and every where well known and in daily use before the publishing of the Proclamation and when it was published The case is the very same in Baptism Christ instituted it for an Evangelical Sacrament whereby all should be admitted into the profession of the Gospel as heretofore it was used for admission into Proselytism to the Jewish religion The particulars belonging to it as the manner of baptizing the age the sex to be baptized c. had no need of a rule and definition because these were by the common use of them sufficiently known even to Mechanics and the most ignorant men 2. On the other hand therefore there was need of a plain and open prohibition that infants and little children should not be baptized if our Saviour would not have had them baptized For since it was most common in all ages foregoing that little children should be baptized if Christ had been minded to have that custom abolished he would have openly forbidden it Therefore his silence and the silence of the Scripture in this matter confirms Pedobaptism and continueth it unto all ages Fourthly It is clear enough by what hath been already said in what sense that is to be taken in the New Testament which we sometimes meet with namely that the Master of the family was baptized with his whole family Act. XVI 15 33. c. Nor is it of any strength which the Antipedobaptists contend for that it cannot be proved there were infants in those families for the inquiry is not so proper whether there were infants in those families as it is concluded truly and deservedly If there were they had all been to be baptized Nor do I
Mary whom he had espoused had owned Jesus for his Son from his first birth he had redeemed him as his first-born he had cherisht him in his childhood educated him in his youth and therefore no wonder if Joseph be called his Father and he was supposed to be his Son II. Let us consider what might have been the judgment of the Sanhedrin in this case only from this story s s s s s s Kiddushin fol. 80. 1. There came a certain Woman to Jerusalem with a child brought thither upon shoulders She brought this child up and he afterward had the carnal knowledge of her They are brought before the Sanhedrin and the Sanhedrin judged them to be stoned to death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not because he was undoubtedly her Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but because he had wholly adhered to her Now suppose we that the blessed Jesus had come to the Sanhedrin upon the decease of Joseph requiring his Stock and Goods as his heir Had he not in all equity obtained them as his Son Not that he was beyond all doubt and question his Son but that he had adhered to him wholly from his cradle was brought up by him as his Son and always so acknowledged III. The Doctors speak of one Joseph a Carpenter t t t t t t Sect. 13. of the same Treatise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 u u u u u u Shemoth rabba fol. 128. 4. Abnimus Gardieus askt the Rabbins of blessed memory whence the earth was first created they answer him there is no one skilled in these matters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but go thou to Joseph the Architect He went and found him standing upon the rafters It is equally obscure who this Joseph the Carpenter and who this Abnimus was although as to this last he is very frequently mentioned in those Authors They say w w w w w w Beresh rabba fol. 73. 4. That Abnimus and Balaam were two the greatest Philosophers in the whole world Only this we read of him x x x x x x Midr. Ruth fol. 43. 2. That there was a very great familiarity betwixt him and R. Meir 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which was the Son of Heli. I. There is neither need nor reason nor indeed any foundation at all for us to frame I know not what marriages and the taking of Brothers Wives to remove a scruple in this place wherein there is really no scruple in the least 1. Joseph is not here called the Son of Heli but Jesus is so for the word Jesus viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be understood and must be always added in the Reader 's mind to every race in this Genealogy after this manner Jesus as was supposed the Son of Joseph and so the Son of Heli and of Matthat yea and at length the Son of Adam and the Son of God For it was very little the business of the Evangelist either to draw Joseph's Pedigree from Adam or indeed to shew that Adam was the Son of God which not only sounds something harshly but in this place very enormously I may almost add blasphemously too For when St Luke Vers. 22. had made a voice from Heaven declaring that Jesus was the Son of God do we think the same Evangelist would in the same breath pronounce Adam the Son of God too So that this very thing teacheth us what the Evangelist propounded to himself in the framing of this Genealogy which was to shew that this Jesus who had newly received that great testimony from Heaven this is my Son was the very same that had been promised to Adam by the seed of the Woman And for this reason hath he drawn his Pedigree on the Mother's side who was the Daughter of Heli and this too as high as Adam to whom this Jesus was promised In the close of the Genealogy he teacheth in what sense the former part of it should be taken viz. that Jesus not Joseph should be called the Son of Heli and consequently that the same Jesus not Adam should be called the Son of God indeed in every link of this chain this still should be understood Jesus the Son of Matthat Jesus the Son of Levi Jesus the Son of Melchi and so of the rest And thus the Genealogical stile agrees with that of Moses Genes XXXVI 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which words if you should render Aholibamah the Daughter of Anah the Daughter of Zibeon you emasculate Anah and make a Woman of him who was a Man and the Father of Aholibamah Vers. 24 25. 2. Suppose it could be granted that Joseph might be called the Son of Heli which yet ought not to be yet would not this be any great solecisme that his Son-in-law should become the Husband of Mary his own Daughter He was but his Son by Law by the Marriage of Joseph's Mother not by Nature and Generation y y y y y y Hieros Chagigah fol 77. 4. There is a discourse of a certain person who in his sleep saw the punishment of the damned Amongst the rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I would render thus but shall willingly stand corrected if under a mistake He saw Mary the Daughter of Heli amongst the shades R. Lazar ben Josah saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That she hung by the glâ—ndles of her breasts R. Josah bar Haninah saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the great bar of Hell's gate hung at her ear If this be the true rendring of the words which I have reason to believe it is then thus far at least it agrees with our Evangelist that Mary was the Daughter of Heli and questionless all the rest is added in reproach of the blessed Virgin the Mother of our Lord whom they often vilifie elsewhere under the name of Sardah VERS XXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The son of Rhesa the son of Zorobabel the son of Salathiel the son of Neri I. THAT Pedaiah the Father of Zorobabel 1 Chron. III. 19. is omitted here is agreeable with Ezra V. 2. Hagg. I. 1 c. but why it should be omitted either here or there is not so easie to guess II. As to the variation of the names both here and 1 Chron. III. this is not unworthy our observation That Zorobabel and his Sons were carried out of Babylon into Judea and possibly they might change their names when they changed the place of their dwelling It was not very safe for him to be known commonly by the name of Zorobabel in Babylon when the import of that name was the winnowing of Babel so that he was there more generally called Sheshbazzar But he might securely resume the name in Judea when Cyrus and Darius had now fanned and sifted Babylon So his two Sons Meshullam and Hananiah could not properly be called one of them Abiud the glory of my Father and the other Rhesa a Prince while they were
them Their dwellings are clean So that he might enter thereinto eat or lodge there Their roads are clean So that the dust of them did not defile a Jew's feet The method of the Story in this place by compairing it with other Evangelist may be thus put together Herod had imprisoned John Baptist under pretence of his growing too popular and that the multitude of his followers encreasing tended to innovate c c c c c c Jos. Antiqu. lib. 18. cap. 7. Our Saviour understanding this and withal that the Sanhedrin had heard something of the increase of his Disciples too withdrew from Judea into Galile that he might be more remote from that kind of thunder-bolt that St. John had been strook with VERS V. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Near to the parcel of ground that Iacob gave to his Son Ioseph GEN. XLVIII 22. Jacob had bought a piece of Land of the Children of Hamor for an hundred Lambs Gen. XXXIII 19. But after the Daughter of the Sechemites he with his Family being forced to retire to places more remote viz. to Bethel Bethlehem and Hebron the Amorites thrust themselves into possession and he â—ain to regain it with his Sword and Bow VERS VI. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now Iacob's well was there OF this Well doth Jacob seem to speak in those last words of his about Joseph Gen. XLIX 22. Joseph is a fruitful bough even a fruitful bough by a Well For Joseph's Off-spring inceased to a Kingdom in Jeroboam and that in Sichem hard by Jacob's Well He adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where if you will render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Enemy as it is Psal. XCII 11. and perhaps Psal. XVIII 29. for it is from the Chaldee only that it signifies a wall as Buxtorf tell us then the words might be interpreted as a Prophecy concerning those Daughters of Joseph at Shiloh who passing over to the Enemy restored the hostile Tribe of Benjamin that otherwise were likely to have perished for want of issue Judg. XXI 19 c. I would render the words the Daughters go over to the Enemy and so in the verse are foretold two very signal events that should make the off-spring of Joseph more peculiarly illustrious partly that hard by that Well it should encrease into a Kingdom and that the daughters of that Tribe should restore and rebuild a Tribe that had almost perisht in its hostility against them The Greek Interpreters and Samaritan both Text and Version instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my youngest Son whether on purpose or through carelesness I know not so the Greeks instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read as it should seem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Turn thou unto me VERS VI. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He sat thus HE sat thus as one weary'd The Evangelist would let uâ—know that Christ did not seemingly or for fashion sake beg water of the Samaritan woman but in good earnest being urg'd to it by thirst and weariness So 1 King II. 7. Shew kindness to the Sons of Barzillai 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for so that is in a great deal of kindness they came to me Act. VII 8. He gave him the Covenant of Circumcision 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so being circumcised he begat Isaac VERS VIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To buy meat IF the Disciples were gone into the City to buy food how agrees this with v. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans and with that rule of the Jews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let no Israelite eat one mouthful of any thing that is a Samaritans for if he eat but a little mouthful he is as if he eat swines flesh A mouthful that is of nothing over which a blessing must be pronounc'd d d d d d d Tanchum fol. 17. 4. Ezra Zorobabel and Joshua gather'd together the whole Congregation into the Temple of the Lord and with three hundred Priests three hundred Books of the Law and three hundred Children anathematiz'd shammatiz'd excommunicated the Samaritans in the name of Jehovah by a writing indented upon Tables and an Anathema both of the upper and the lower house Let no Israelite eat one morsel of any thing that is a Samaritans Let no Samaritan become a proselyte to Israel nor let them have a part in the resurrection of the dead And they sent this curse to all Israel that were in Babylon who also themselves added their Anathema to this c. But Hierosol Avodah Zara tells us e e e e e e Fol. 44. 4. R. Jacob bar Acha in the name of R. Lazar saith That the victuals of the Cuthites are allow'd if nothing of their wine or vinegar be mingled amongst them Nay further we meet with this passage in Bab. Kiddustin f f f f f f Fol. 76. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The unleavened bread of the Cuthites is allow'd and by that a man may rightly enough keep the Passover If the unleaven'd bread for the Passover may be had of the Samaritans much more common bread And grant that the Samaritans were to the Jews as Heathens yet was it lawful for the Jew to partake of the Edibles of the Gentiles if there was no suspicion that they had been any way polluted nor been offer'd to Idols as may be largely made out from Maimon in his Treatise about forbidden meats Which suspicion was altogether needless as to the Samaritans because they and the Jews in a manner agreed upon the same things as clean or unclean and they were very near as free from Idolatry VERS IX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the Iews have no dealings with the Samaritans I. THAT translation The Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans which the French and English follow seems to stretch the sense of the word beyond what it will well bear For 1. granting the Samaritans were meer Heathens which some of the Rabbins have affirm'd yet did not this forbid the Jews having any kind of dealings with them for they did not refuse Merchandising with any of the Gentile Nations whatever See Nehem. XIII 16 c. 2. But if the Samaritans were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 true proselytes as R. Akibah asserts or as the Israelites in all things as Rabban Simeon ben Gamaliel saith of them g g g g g g Hieros Shekalim fol. 64. 2. then much more might the Jews have dealing with them II. That Version non utuntur Judaei Samaritis as Beza or non contuntur as the Vulgar hardly reacheth the sense of the word or comes fully up to the truth of the thing h h h h h h Gloss. In Kiddush fol. â—6 1. It is lawful to eat the unleaven'd bread of the Samaritans nor is there any suspicion as to their leaven'd bread neither This is to be understood if the Samaritan should knead it in the house of an Israelite
enough VERS III. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Get thee out of thy Country and from thy kindred I Would not confound this passage with that in Gen. XII 1. For Stephen and indeed the thing it self assures us that this was spoken to Abraham in Chaldea but that in Charran Here is no mention of his going from his Fathers house as there is there Nor did he indeed depart from his Fathers house when he removed from Ur of the Chaldeans for he took his father and whole family along with him But he departed when he removed from Charran leaving his father buried behind him and Nahor his brother with his family VERS IV. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. When his Father was dead c. HERE ariseth a difficulty and upon that a controversie which we may take in in the words of R. Salomon upon Gen. XI And Terah died in Charran that is more than threescore years after Abraham had left Charran and had setled in the Land of Canaan For it is written Abraham was seventy five years of age when he went out of Charran and Terah was seventy years old when Abraham was born Behold Terah was one hundred and forty five years of age when Abraham left Charran and he had a great many years yet behind There remained indeed according to this calculation sixty years I. In that whole Chapter there is no mention of the death of any person there named before or beside that of Terah Where by the way we may take notice of the boldness of the Greek Interpreters who to every one of those persons have annext 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he died directly against the purpose of Moses and the mind of the Apostle Heb. VII 3. Now therefore why when Moses had past over the death of all the rest that had been reckoned up before in that Catalogue should it be put in concerning Terah only that he died in Charran were it not to shew that Abraham did not remove from thence till after his Fathers decease there This R. Solomon even while he is defending the contrary seems something apprehensive of For thus he expresseth himself Why doth the Scripture tell of the death of Terah before it mentions Abrahams removal viz. lest the matter should be made public and men should say Abraham did not give that honour to his Father that he ought to have done relinquishing him now in his old age and going away from him the Scripture therefore speaks of him as now dead because the wicked even while they are alive are accounted for dead How is this Rabbin mistaken For Terah now is no wicked man nor an Idolater but converted and therefore Moses makes him chief in that removal out of Chaldea that his conversion might be known although the command concerning the departure from that Country came first to Abraham And if it was not lawful for Abraham to have forsaken his Father being yet an Idolater much less was it so when he was now become a worshipper of the true God II. It is indeed said that Terah lived seventy years and begat Abraham Nahor and Haran but as it is against reason to suppose they were all begot in one year so there is no necessity to think they were begot in the order they are placed in in the story Here that common maxim of the Rabbins takes place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is no first and last in the Holy Scripture i. e. the order of the story does not necessarily determine the time of it And the Gemarists themselves however they suppose that Abraham might be older than Nahor one year and Nahor than Haran one year yet do they at length conclude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perhaps Abraham was the youngest of his Brethren m m m m m m Sanhâ—dr fol. 69. 2. which they also confirm out of the order observed in numbring the sons of Noah where Sem is first in the Catalogue though he was younger than Japhet It is commonly received amongst the Jews that Sarah Abrahams wife was the daughter of his brother Haran and that not without reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jecah say they is the same with Sarah and Josephus speaks it out as a thing of antient tradition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Haran leaving one Son Lot and Sarah and Milcha two daughters dyed in Chaldea n n n n n n Aâ—… lib. 1. cap. â— If therefore Sarah who was but ten years younger than Abraham was Harans daughter which seems to be in some measure confirmed Gen. XX. 12. we can by no means suppose Abraham to have been the first born amongst the sons of Terah but Haran rather unless we will trifle with some of the Rabbins and say that Haran begat Milcha when he was but six or eight years old But they conclude at length a little more rationally if I understand what they mean 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they reckon them up according to their wisdom Conceive Abraham therefore born not in the seventieth but in the hundred and thirthieth year of Terah and that these words here recited by Stephen were spoken to him in Ur of the Chaldeans but those mentioned Gen. XII 1. spoken in Charran and thus joyn the story Terah dyed in Charran Then said God unto Abraham c. VERS XIV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Threescore and fifteen Souls THE Hebrew Copies have it every where but threescore and ten So also Josephus o o o o o o Antiqu. lib. 2. cap. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He came to Egypt with his Sons and all their Sons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were in all threescore and ten Again elswhere p p p p p p Ibid. cap. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. wherewith threescore and ten all that were with him going down into Egypt c. So Ezekiel Tragad in Euseb. de praepar Evangel * * * * * * Lib. 9. ca. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From the time that Jacob having left the Land of Canaan came down into Egypt having seven times ten Souls with him So the very Greek Version it self in Deut. X. 22. ' Ev 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Thy Fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons which is strange when they have it in another place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 threescore and fifteen †Vid. Gen. 46. 27. Exod. 1. 9 We may easily discern that Saint Luke here follows that Version that adds five Grand-children to Joseph Gen. XLVI 20. Machir and Gilead because of those words Gen. L. 22. The Sons of Machir the Son of Manasseh brought up upon Josephs knees And Sutelah and Tahan and Eden because it is said Joseph saw Ephraims Children unto the third generaâ—â—on Where by the way I cannot but think it strange why the Greek Interpreters should select these their additional persons out of the Sons of Joseph rather than any
other of the Patriarchs and further take notice how though they reckon up nine Children of Joseph 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Now the Sons of Joseph which were born to him in the Land of Egypt were nine Souls ver 27. yet they name but seven Josephus the Historian speaking of those threescore and ten persons that went down into Egypt I will reckon them up saith he that I may satisfie those who would pretend we took not our original from Mesopotamia but from Egypt It is strange therefore that the Interpreters would add those that were actually born in Egypt But it seems that when they would confound the true number they chose those upon the account of those words in Gen. L. which we mentioned As to these Children of Ephraim and others whose story is mentioned 1 Chron. VII 20. the Masters of Traditions tell some ridiculous tales of them viz. that having not counted right as to the years of their bondage in Egypt they went to invade the Land of Palestine before the appointed time and fell by the sword of the Gittites q q q q q q Targ. in Cant. 2. 7. But that they came to life again with those whom Ezekiel raised from the dead Chap. XXXVII r r r r r r Sanbedr fol. 92. 2. I have in my notes upon Luke III. offered my conjecture why the Interpreter should confound the number and put threescore and fifteen instead of threescore and ten as also why the Evangelist should follow that Version and that number and am of the same mind still In the mean time wondring at their retaining the true number Deut. X. 22. Where Nobilius in his Scholia tells us Josephus lib. 2. Antiquitatum c. Josephus in his second book of Antiquities writing of Jacob hath set the number I have quoted the passage already And St. Jerom in his questions upon Genesis witnesseth that the Septuagint so writ it Alii codices c. Other Copies have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 threescore and fifteen Souls If the Septuagint wrote so in this place when elsewhere they have threescore and fifteen I know no other reason can be rendred of it but that Moses is here introduced speaking to the people of Israel who very well knew the certain and true number but elsewhere where it is rendred by them threescore and fifteen he is writing an History for the whole world to whom the precise number was not so well known But one may suspect the same pen did not translate the Book of Deuteronomy that had translated the Books of Genesis and Exodus So Gaphterim in Gen. X. 14. by the Interpreter of that Book is rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gaphthoriim or as it is in M. S. Alex. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Caphthoriin but in the Book of Deuteronomy Chap. II. 23. it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cappadocians VERS XVI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Were carry'd over into Sychem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ever let a man teach his disciple concisely s s s s s s Gloss in Zevachin fol. 2. 1. or briefly So that a short way of speaking especially in a thing plain was not strange amongst the Jews which rule if Steven follow'd in this place he might do it more safely and unblameably in a story so well known I. It was very commonly and without any kind of doubt receiv'd amongst them that the bones of the Twelve Patriarchs as well as those of Jacob were carry'd out of Egypt into Canaan t t t t t t Hierosol Sotah fol. 17. 3. It is written I will go down with thee into Egypt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and even in going up I will make thee to go up Gen. XLVI 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What are we taught by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even in going up He saith I will make thee to go up and I will make all the other Tribes to go up too teaching thereby 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that every Tribe should carry up the bones of the Patriarch of his Tribe with it Take notice by the way that the Seventy render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto the end u u u u u u Gloss in Bava kama fol. 92. 1. The bones of all the Patriarchs were carry'd out of Egypt and buried in the land of Canaan as it is written And ye shall carry up my bones with you Gen. L. 25. w w w w w w See also Beresh rabba fol. 115. 3. Gloss in Maccoth 11. 2. R. Sol. in Exod. 13. 19. II. Thus far therefore Stephen speaks with the consent of that Nation viz. that the bones of the Patriarchs were conveighed out of Egypt into Canaan But what can we say as to their being bury'd in Sychem Doubtless he spake according to the common received opinion amongst them in this thing also though I cannot but say that aâ—â— Jewish writers as far as I have met with are wholly silent in it Nay Josephus himself will have them buried in Hebron and that before the Israelites came out of Egypt x x x x x x Antiq. lib. 2. cap. 4. The Talmudists speak very much of Joseph's being bury'd in Sychem and amongst other things say this That they stole him from Sychem and restor'd him to sychem again y y y y y y Sotah fol. 13. 2. But as to the burying of the other Patriarchs there they have not one word Benjamin also in his Itinerary speaking of Sychem mentions the Sepulcher of Joseph and none but that And so do the Cippi Hebraiâ—i as the Learned Hottinger translates them From Sechem at the distance of a Sabbath-days journey lyes a village call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Belata where Joseph the just of blessed memory lyes buried I conceive the reason why the Jews are so silent in this matter may be because they fear it would be a reproach to themselves and too great an honour for the Samaritans that the Patriarchs bones should lye amongst them As to Joseph's being buried there there could be no denial of that because the Scripture speaks it in express terms that he was buried in Sichem but it is very grievous for them to acknowledg that all the other heads of the Nation and Tribes should lye there where the apostacy of the Ten Tribes first began and after their expulsion the odious Nation of the Samaritans were seated and for this very reason one might argue that Stephen would never have mention'd such a thing if it could have been contradicted by them The Masters of the Traditions indeed do tacitly yield that the eleven Patriarchs were not buried in Hebron when they admit but four couples there viz. Adam and Eve Abraham and Sarah Isaac and Rebecca Jacob and Leah a a a a a a Sotah fol. 13. 1. And if so where were they buried If we do but consider how the great charge and care of publick affairs was committed to
killed by a Lion V. That this poor man should suffer so severely for violating but one command of God Eat not and Jeroboam should escape so secure that had violated the greatest command in the two Tables Thou shalt have none other Gods but me and Thou shalt not make unto thy self any graven Image This poor man is induced to sin by another and that by ignorance and he speeds so sore and Jeroboam induceth all Israel to sin and that wilfully and yet he is Jovial and feels and fears no dangers VI. It is something obscure what this old Prophet of Bethel was a true Prophet or a false a good or a bad If a true Prophet why did he lie to him If a false how could he foretel him of his end He was a true Prophet and this poor good man knew that he was a true Prophet and the lie that he told was not with intention of any hurt to him but an officious lie to perswade him to go home with him He desired to have the company of this good man and to give him some entertainment at his house He sees no arguments will perswade him therefore he minteth that lie that an Angel had spoken to him and commanded him to bring him back and so is the poor man deceived and undone In this story of his fatal end we may first consider a little upon the instrument of his death a Lion and then concerning his death and fate it self I. A Lion met him and slew him How much praise have you in Scripture of the Land I. of Canaan that it was the pleasant Land the glory of all Lands Ezek. XX. 15. The Land flowing with milk and honey in multiudes of places A Land upon which the eye of the Lord was from one end of the year to the other A Land of Vineyards and Olive-yards c. And yet how sadly and dangerously was that Land infested with ravenous cruel wild beasts Where almost might a man be safe Samson walking by the vineyard of Timnah a Lion sets upon him and had served him as this Lion served this poor man if he had not met with his match and Samson had been too hard for him And a Lion and a Bear ravin upon Davids flock and had rob'd him of a Lamb and Kid had not he also been too strong for them But every one was not so As Jacob doubted concerning Joseph Certainly an evil beast hath devoured him undoubtedly my son Joseph is so dead What a sad havock was it when about this very place Bethel where the Lion destroys this Peophet two she-Bears at one clap tear in pieces two and forty Children And that passage is very remarkable in the story concerning the battel betwixt Davids men and Absaloms in the wood of Ephraim 2 Sam. XVIII 8. The battel was scattered over the face of all the Country and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured The wood devoured How Why the Lions and Bears and ravenous beasts that were in the wood they pickt the men up as they were scattered up and down and made a greater slaughter than the sword It is something obscure that which is said Deut. VII 22. The Lord thy God will put out these Nations before thee by little and little thou mayst not consume them at once lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee And among other things that might be inquired upon it this might be one why God did not drive out the wild beasts out of the Land as well as he drove the Canaanites out And the answer might be various I. That he might shew that there is no absolute quiet and happiness and security to be expected here Canaan the choice Country upon Earth the only paradise on this side Heaven and yet even Canaan is not without its inconvenience and molestation There were Gardens and Orchards and Vine-yards and Olive-yards but it may be a Lion or Bear lurking in them there was all pleasure and plenty but there were wild and ravenous beasts ranging abroad that one could never say I will walk without danger So would God teach them that it was not their earthly Canaan that they were to look after but they must look higher if they would look for rest and quiet and secure habitation A man sat under his Vine or under his Fig-tree it may be on a suddain a wild beast rusheth upon him and he scapes narrowly if he scape devouring A man is binding sheaves in the field or a woman gleaning and suddainly a Lion or Bear is at their back that there is but a span betwixt them and death if there proved so much This was a very evincing lesson that absolute quiet and safety was not to be had there for all the bravery of the Land but that they must look for another Land of promise if they would be perfectly safe quiet and free from danger II. These wild and ravenous beasts in the Land were as it were a rod or scourge ready in the hand of God to whip transgressors withal as he saw cause as he did this poor transgressor in the Text. And he reckons them among the Plagues and punishments that he used to avenge himself by upon the rebellious Ezek. XIV 15. If I cause noisom beasts to pass through the Land and they spoil it so that it be desolate that no man may pass through because of the noisom beasts And vers 21. How much more when I send my four sore iudgments upon Jerusalem the sword and the famine and the noisom beast and the pestilence You have some emblem of a man persecuted with noisom beasts Amos V. 19. A man flees from a Lion and a Bear meets him and he gets home and leans his head upon the wall and a Serpent bites him And you have a real example of it 2 King XVII 25. They feared not the Lord therefore the Lord sent Lions among them which slew some of them And God doth give this as a promise of a singular blessing Levit. XXVI 6. I will give peace in the land and ye shall lie down and none shall make you afraid and I will rid evil beasts out of the land And how can we choose but remember the mercy of God to this our Land in this particular That no such ravenous dangerous beasts do range in our Nation if men themselves would not be Wolves and Bears and Lions one to another A man may take his journey and never fear being set upon by any wild beast No father sending out his son needs to fear any evil beast devouring him and no mother hath cause to weep with the women of Bethel for their children torn in pieces by he or she-Bears God hath so blessed our Land that such dangers are least feared of us We see no Lions or bears unless it be under grates and bars It is to be bemoaned with tears that we are such Lions and Bears and brute beasts one to another
them to be humbled some for their fathers guilt some for their own and some for both and to acknowledge that their being alive till now and their liberty to enter into the Land was a free and a great mercy for their own and their fathers faults might justly have caused it to have been otherwise with them 2. They had imitated their fathers rebellion to the utmost in their murmuring at Kadesh at their last coming up thither and in the matter of Baal Peor and therefore he might very well personate them by their fathers when their fathers faults were so legible and easie to be seen in them 4. He reckoneth not their second journy to Kadesh by name but slips by it Chap. 2. 1 4. Nor mentions their long wanderings for seven and thirty years together between Kadesh and Kadesh but only under this expression We compassed mount Seir many days Chap. 2. 1. because in that rehearsal he mainly insisteth but upon these two heads Gods decree against them that had first murmured at Kadesh and how that was made good upon them and Gods promise of bringing their children into the land and how that was made good upon them therefore when he hath largely related both the decree and the promise he hastens to shew the accomplishment of both 5. In rehearsing the Ten Commandments he proposeth a reason of the Sabbaths ordaining differing from that in Exodus there it was because God rested on the seventh day here it is because of their delivery out of Egypt and so here it respecteth the Jewish Sabbath more properly there the Sabbath in its pure morality and perpetuity And here is a figure of what is now come to pass in our Sabbath celebrated in memorial of Redemption as well as of Creation In the fifth Commandment in this his rehearsal there is an addition or two more then there is in it in Exod. 20. and the letter Teth is brought in twice which in the twentieth of Exodus was only wanting of all the letters 6. In Chap. 10. ver 6. 7 8. there is a strange and remarkable transposition and a matter that affordeth a double scruple 1. In that after the mention of the golden Calf in Chap. 9. and of the renewing of the Tables Chap. 10. which occurred in the first year after their coming out of Egypt he bringeth in their departing from Beeroth to Mosera where Aaron died which was in the fortieth year after now the reason of this is because he would shew Gods reconciliation to Aaron and his reconciliation to the people to Aaron in that though he had deserved death suddenly with the rest of the people that died for the sin of the golden Calf yet the Lord had mercy on him and spared him and he died not till forty years after and to the people because that for all that transgression yet the Lord brought them through that wilderness to a land of rivers of waters But 2. there is yet a greater doubt lies in these words then this for in Numb 33. the peoples march is set down to be from Moseroth to Bene Jahaan ver 31. and here it is said to be from Beeroth of Bene Jaahan to Moseroth there it is said Aaron died at mount Hor but here it is said He died at Moseroth now there were World 2553 Moses 120 Redemption from Egypt 40 seven several incampings between Moseroth and mount Hor Numb 33. 31 32 c. Now the answer to this must arise from this consideration that in those stations mentioned Numb 33. From Moseroth to Bene Jaahan to Horhagidgad c. they were marching towards Kadesh before their fortieth year and so they went from Moseroth to Bene Jaahan But in these stations Deut. 10. 6. they are marching from Kadish in their fortieth year by some of that way that they came thither and so they must now go from Bene Jaahan to Moseroth And 2. how Moseroth and mount Hor Gudgodah and Horhagidgad were but the * * * As Horeb and Sinai were though they be counted two several incampings of Israel Exod. 17. 1 6. and 19. 1. compared same place and Country and how though Israel were now going back from Kadish yet hit in the very same journies that they went in when they were coming thither as to Gudgodah or Horhagidgad to Jotbathah or Jotbath requires a discourse Geographical by it self which is the next thing that was promised in the Preface to the first part of the Harmony of the Evangelists and with some part of that work by Gods permission and his good hand upon the Work-man shall come forth 7. It cannot pass the Eye of him that readeth the Text in the Original but he must observe it how in Chap. 29. ver 29. the Holy Ghost hath pointed one clause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To us and to our Children belong the revealed things after an extraordinary and unparalleld manner to give warning against curiosity in prying into Gods secrets and that we should content our selves with his revealed will 8. Moses in blessing of the Tribes Chap. 33. nameth them not according to their seniority but in another order Reuben is set first though he had lost the birth-right to shew his repentance and that he died not * * * So the Chaldee renders ver 6. Let Reuben live and not die the second death the second death Simeon is omitted because of his cruelty to Sichem and Joseph and therefore he the fittest to be left out when there were twelve Tribes beside Judah is placed before Levi for the Kingdoms dignity above the Priest-hood Christ being promised a King of that Tribe Benjamin is set before Joseph for the dignity of Jerusalem above Samaria c. 9. The last Chapter of the Book was written by some other then Moses for it relateth his death and how he was buried by the Lord that is by Michael Jude 9. or Christ who was to bury Moses Ceremonies The Book of JOSHUA THIS Book containeth a history of the seventeen years of the rule of Joshua which though they be not expresly named by this sum in clear words yet are they to be collected to be so many from that gross sum of four hundred and eighty years from the delivery out of Egypt to the laying of the foundation of solomons Temple mentioned 1 Kings 6. 1. for the Scripture hath parcelled out that sum into these particulars forty years of the people in the wilderness two hundred ninety and nine years of the Judges forty years of Eli forty of Samuel and Saul forty of David and four of Solomon to the Temples founding in all four hundred sixty three and therefore the seventeen years that must make up the sum four hundred and eighty must needs be concluded to have been the time of the rule of Joshua CHAP. I. World 2554 Ioshua 1 JOSHUA of Joseph succeedeth Moses the seventh from Ephraim 1 Chron. 7. 25. and in him first appeared Josephs birth-right 1 Chron. 5. 1. and
grandchilds actions were like Manasses his actions the King of Judah CHAP. XIX Othniel 27 ISrael tolerateth this Idolatry and never stirreth either against Micah or the Danites which toleration breedeth all iniquity so that Gibeah a City of Israel becometh as abominable as Sodom A whorish woman is kill'd with whoredom CHAP. XX. ALL Israel goeth against Gibeah and that by Gods express commission and command and yet 40000 of them are slain by that wicked and wretched Town and by the Tribe that took part with it Thus did God avenge his own cause against Israel because Israel would not avenge Gods cause against Idolatry they were so sensible of an injury done to a whore in Gibeah but were not at all sensible of an injury done to God by Dan's Idolatry when God hath thus used Benjamin to execute his justice against Israel for not punishing Idolatry he then useth Israel to punish Benjamin for not delivering Gibeah up to justice Othniel it is like was chief commander in this service and Phineas was zealous in this case as he had been in one of a not much different nature Numb 25. Benjamin is now Benoni a son of sorrow and Rachel hath cause to weep for her children CHAP. XXI HAdad Rimmon Zech. 12. 11. or the sad shout of Rimmon the Prophet alludeth to the two great and general Lamentations of Israel the one about the rock Rimmon where a whole Tribe was now come to 400 men and whereupon even the very conquerors become mourners The other in the valley of Megiddo for the death of Josiah The one in the beginning of their estate the other in the latter end Jabesh Gilead is destroyed for affection to Benjamin they were both of Joseph and both had pitched under one standard Benjamin raveneth like a wolf for wives Josephs daughters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 49. 22. go to the enemy and repair the decaied Tribe when the daughters of Shiloh in Ephraim and of Jabesh in Manasseh supply Benjamin an hostile Tribe with wives or else it had perished and thus is the story of these Chapters knit to it self Now that the beginning of the Book of Judges is the proper time and place of these stories may be concluded upon these reasons 1. The Danites were unsetled when the stories of the seventeenth and eighteenth Chapters came to pass and therefore this could not be long after Joshua's death 2. Phinehas was alive at the battle at Gibeah Chap. 20. 28. 3. The wickedness of Gibeah is reckoned for their first villany Hos. 10 9. 4. Deborah speaketh of the 40000 of Israel that perished by Benjamin as if neither sword nor spear had been among them Chap. 5. 8. 5. Mahaneh Dan which was so named upon the march of the Danites when they set up their Idolatry Chap. 18. 12. is mentioned in the story of Samson though that story be set before the story of their march Chap. 15. 25. 6. Dan is omitted among the sealed of the Lord Rev. 7. because idolatry first began in his Tribe as is said before 7. Ehud may very well be supposed to have been one of the left-handed Benjamites and one of them that escaped at the rock Rimmon Chap. 20. 16. 21. Now the reason why the Holy Ghost hath laid these stories which came to pass so soon in so late a place may be supposed to be this 1. That the Reader observing how their state-policy failed in the death of Samson which was a Danite might presently be shewed Gods justice in it because their Religion had first failed among the Danites 2. That when he observes that eleven hundred pieces of silver were given by every Philistim Prince for the ruin of Samson Chap. 16. 5. he might presently observe the eleven hundred pieces of silver that were given by Micahs mother for the making of an Idol which ruined Religion in Samsons Tribe 3. That the story of Micah of the hill Country of Ephraim the first destroyer of Religion and the story of Saemuel of the hill Country of Ephraim the first reformer of Religion might be laid together somewhat near CHAP. II. Ver. 11. to the end And CHAP. III. to Ver. 11. Othniel 28 WHEN these stories are read the story returns to Chap. 2. 11. and relateth Othniel 29 the spreading of Idolatry over all the Tribes as it had done over Othniel 30 that of Dan and how mixt marriages with cursed Canaanites undo Israel their Othniel 31 first afflicter is Cushan Rishathaim a Mesopotamian he oppressed them eight Othniel 32 years it is like he broke in upon the Tribes that lay on the other side Jordan Othniel 33 as those that lay nearest to his own Country and there got possession for so Othniel 34 many years together and incroached upon them within Jordan by degrees as Othniel 35 he found strength and opportunity but Othniel of Judah maketh good the Othniel 36 Prophecy of Judahs being a Lions whelp c. and so the tents of Cushan come into Othniel 37 affliction c. Hab. 3. 7. The consideration and observing that the first forain Othniel 38 oppressor of all others that troubled Israel in their own land was a man of Othniel 39 Aram Naharaim or a Mesopotamian it cannot but call to mind the dealing of Laban with Jacob in that place and it is a matter of question and some strangeness how and why a man of that Country of all others should thus oppress theirs CHAP. III. Vers. 11. World 2610 Othniel 40 OThniel dieth CHAP. III. Verse 12. to the end World 2611 Ehud 1 Ehud 2 Ehud 3 EHuds eighty years begin not that he ruled so long without intermission Ehud 4 Ehud 5 or so long in any sense at all for eighty years was even a mans Ehud 6 Ehud 7 whole life but that there were fourscore years from the death of Othniel Ehud 8 and that after Ehud delivered them from Eglon he was Judge and a Ruler Ehud 9 Ehud 10 over them whilest he lived not as a Monarch for the Sanhedrin bare the Ehud 11 sway but as a chief commander and one ready to undertake for them if Ehud 12 Ehud 13 any enemies should arise and one ready to teach and lead them in the ways Ehud 14 of God as was said before of Othniel It is said of Othniels time that the Ehud 15 Ehud 16 land had rest Ehud 17 forty years and Othniel died by which it is apparent that the forty years are reckoned till Othniels death so in Chap. 22. Ibsan judged Ehud 18 Ehud 19 seven years and died Elon judged ten years and died Abdon judged eight Ehud 20 years and died c. Samson judged twenty years and these twenty years Ehud 21 ended in his death and so are we to conceive of these fourscore of Ehud Ehud 22 Ehud 23 that they ended with his death also and therefore it is improper to conceive Ehud 24 that the eight years of Cushans afflicting were the last eight years of Ehud 25 Ehud 26 Othniels
One once staid long and they were about to go in after him Some say it was Simeon the Just. They said to him Why didst thou stay so long He answered I was praying for the Sanctuary of your God that it should not be destroyed They say to him Though thou didest so yet shouldest not thou have stayed so long If this Relation carry any truth with it it might be looked upon as the expiring of Vision as Prophesie had also ceased not long before that time for Simeon the Just is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the remnant of the men of Ezra ' s great Synagogue Aboth R. Nathan cap. 4. and upon the death of Zachary and Malachy who were of that Synagogue the spirit of Prophesie departed And here Vision and Prophesie is dawning again Zacharias for not believing the words of the Angel is struck 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deaf and Dumb and doth fore-signifie the silencing of the Levitical Priesthood e're long to be In the Jews Canons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is one of the five sorts of Persons that they commonly exclude from all imployments and matters of honour trust or import and it means 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that can neither hear nor speak Jerus in chagigah fol. 75. col 4. His Wife Elizabeth conceiving with child retires as a recluse for five months space that she might keep her self from all desilement she carrying as choice a Nazarite in her Womb as she did ver 1. 5. Five months were not the whole time of her retiring for that that urged her to keep close so long had the same tie upon her all the time she went with child but five months are only named by way of introduction to the story and occurrence in the sixth month mentioned instantly after In the sixth month the same Angel appeareth to the Virgin Mary and telleth her of the Birth of the Messios to be of her which she believing though by the course of Nature so impossible she presently goeth to her Cousin Elizabeth into the Hill-countrey of Judea to Hebron see Josh. 21. 11. not only to visit her and to rejoyce with her nor only to see the proof of those things that the Angel had told of her but very probably acted by the Holy Ghost that she might conceive the Messias in Hebron where so many choice and eminent Types of him and references to him had been in ancient time These Tidings come to the Virgin at the very latter end of the year that we are upon or the beginning of the next and her Journey to Hebron is in the middle of Winter SECTION IV. MATTHEW Chap. I. All the Chapter CHRIST'S Genealogy by the Line of Solomon and by his supposed Father Joseph His Mother in danger to be divorced upon false suspition of Adultery WHether it were that Mary conceived with child at the instant of the Angels telling her of her Conception as hath been held most generally or at the instant that she came to her Cousin Elizabeth in Hebron by the time that she had stayed with her three months she might easily be discovered to be with child as Tamar was after the same space of time Gen. 38. 24. Whose case and danger of death in that story compare with the Virgins case and danger of divorce in this The Talmudick Decretals do allot three months for such a discovery Every woman say they that is divorced or become a widow behold she may not be married nor espoused till she have stayed 90 days that it may be known whether she be with child or no and that there may be distinguishing betwixt the Seed of the first Husband and the Seed of the second Likewise a stranger and his Wife which are Proselytes they keep them asunder 90 days that there may be a discerning between the Seed sown in holiness that is when they are come into the true Religion out of Heathenism Compare 1 Cor. 7. 14. and the Seed not sown in holiness Talm. in Jebamoth cap. 4. in Chetuboth cap. 5. Maym. in Gerushin cap. 11. This space of time considered in the present story it sheweth how fitly the last Verse of the preceding Section viz. Luke 1. 56. and the 18th Verse of this do joyn together The Genealogy interposed doth not interrupt but illustrate the story intended And it is not only properly but even necessarily set in the Front of the Evangelical History that satisfaction might be given by it in that main Point concerning Christ which the Scriptures do so often inculcate and which the Jews would first of all look after namely to prove Jesus of Nazareth how ever so meanly born yet to be The Son of David There were two remarkable Maxims among the Jewish Nation 1. That there was to be no King of Israel but of the House of David and Line of Solomon Talm. in Sanhedr cap. 10. And consequently they looked for King Messias from that Line 2. That the Family of the Mother is not called a Family Juchasin fol 55. Hereupon hath Matthew most pertinently brought this Pedigree through the House of Solomon and ended it in Joseph a Male whom the Jews looked upon as the Father of Jesus The last Verse of this Chapter as it referreth to the demeanour of Joseph and Mary in their mutual society till the Birth of Christ lyeth properly in the Harmonizing of the Evangelists in the place where it doth But as it referreth to the Birth of Christ it is coincident with Luke 2. 7. The Reader in his thoughts will place it as he seeth cause in these several Relations SECTION V. LUKE Chap. I. from Ver. 57. to the end John Baptist born WHen Maries three months stay with her Cousin Elizabeth was expired it is easily guessed that if Elizabeth by that time were not delivered of her child yet she was very near it and that consideration doth clear the subsequence of this Section to the preceding John Baptist born in Hebron the place of the residence of Abraham and of the first Royalty of David Here Circumcision was first ordained and here is he born that was to bring in Baptism instead of Circumcision The Priests at the Temple as they looked for break of day used oft to say The face of all the Skie is bright even unto Hebron Talm. in Joma cap. 3. in Tamid cap. 3. Compare the dawning of the Gospel now rising there in the Birth of the Baptist and compare the words of Zacharias a Priest ver 78. The time of the Baptists Birth will be found by setting that Clock from our Saviours to have been in the Spring much about the time of the Passeover about which time of the year Isaac was born SECTION VI. LUKE Chap. II. from Ver. 1. to Ver. 40. World 3928 Rome 754 Augustus 31 Herod 35 CHRIST Born LUKE maketh the coherence clear when he interposeth nothing betwixt the Birth of the Baptist and the Birth of Christ and indeed there is nothing
execution was without the City 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Talmudists do determine in Talm. Bab. Sanhedr fol. 42. 2. See how the Apostle applies this to his suffering for the Gentiles Heb. 13. 12. By the time he was come out of the City gates they observe that he is overburdened with his Cross and thereupon they force Simon a Cyrenian some noted Disciple belike to bear the end of it after him They come to the place of Execution commonly called Golgatha not the place of graves but the place of sculs where though indeed there were some burial of the executed yet was it in such a manner that the place deserved this name rather then the other for they buried not an executed person in the grave of his Fathers but there were two places of burial for such one for them that were slain with the sword and strangled and the other for them that were burnt and stoned and when the flesh was wasted the bones were gathered and buried in the graves of their Fathers Talm. ubi sup fol. 46. 1. The proper writing and pronunciation of the word had been Golgolta but use had now brought it to be uttered Golgotha which very pronunciation the Samaritan Version useth in Num. 1. They first strip him and then offer him intoxicating wine which when he tasted he refused to drink 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When any person was brought forth to be put to death they gave him to drink some frankincence in a Cup of Wine that it might stupifie him as it is said Give strong drink to him that is ready to perish and wine to those that be of heavy hearts And there is a tradition that the Gentlewomen of Jerusalem afforded this of their good will c. Tal. Bab. ibid. fol. 43. 1. And let it not be impertinent to add that which immediately follows in the same page A crier went before him that was to be executed which proclaimed N. the Son of N. is going to execution because he hath committed such a fact and N. and N. are witnesses against him if there be any that can clear him let them speak And instantly after There is a tradition that they hanged Jesus on the eve of the Passover and a Crier went before him fourty days Such a one goes to be put to death because he hath bewitched deceived and perverted Israel if any one can say any thing for his clearing let him come and speak but they found no clearing of him therefore they hanged him upon the eve of the Passover c. He is nailed to his Cross hands and feet and so the Jews themselves confess Abel his figure to have been wounded by Cain Tanch fol. 3. col 4 and Isaac to have been bound on the Altar Idem fol. 12. col 2. And with him are crucified two malefactors compare Joseph betwixt two offenders Gen. 40. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Josephus his construction will help us to understand the sense of the word here Four souldiers part his garments and cast lots for his coat and sit down to watch him Over his head was his cause written in the expression of which the variety of the Evangelists shews their stile and how where one speaks short another inlargeth and what need of taking all together to make up the full story Mark hath it The King of the Jews Luke This is the King of the Jews Matthew This is Jesus the King of the Jews John Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews Where the main thing regarded is that he was condemned for taking on him to be King of the Jews as they pretended which was also pretended to be Treason against Cesar and to this point all the Evangelists speak alike and their variety is only in wording this for the readers understanding and he that spake shortest spake enough to express the matter of his accusation and the rest that speak larger are but a comment upon the same thing The three tongues in which this was written Hebrew Greek and Latine are thus spoken of in Midras Tillin fol. 25. col 4. R. Jochanan saith There are three tongues The Latine tongue for war The Greek tongue for speech and the Hebrew for prayer All sorts of people had followed him to the execution Some openly wept for him and bewailed him which was not a thing usual in such cases In the Talmudick Tract last cited fol. 46. 2. there is this strange doctrine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They bewailed not him that went to be executed but only mourned inwardly for him And what think you was the reason The Gloss tells you thus They bewailed him not because his disgrace might be his expiation meaning that whereas they accounted that the more shame and punishment a condemned person suffered the more these tended to his expiation they therefore would not openly bewail him for that would have been some honour to him and so would have abated of his expiation but none lamenting for him it was the greater disgrace and the greater the disgrace the better was his sin as they thought expiated and atoned for This strange custom and opinion doth set forth this publick bewailing of Christ the more remarkably Others when he was now raised upon his Cross reviled him among whom were the chief Priests Scribes and Elders who had so little to do or rather their malice so much as to attend the execution They were at first in some hesitancy whether he would not deliver himself by miracle but when they saw he did not then they triumph and insult at no measure Nay the theeves that were crucified with him spared him not for so Matthew and Mark tell us but at last one of them becomes a convert and receives assurance of being that day with him in Paradise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a phrase very usual with them Compare the case of Josephs fellow prisoners Gen. 40. the one desiring him to remember him and escaping and the other not It may be the darkness now begun in an extraordinary and dreadful manner was some means of working upon this thief for his conviction that Jesus was the Messias For instantly upon his raising upon his Cross it was now the sixth hour or high Noon compleat and the darkness began and continued till three a clock afternoon the very space of time of the day that Adam lay in darkness without the promise from the time of his fall till God came and revealed Christ to him By the Cross stood the Mother of Jesus now a Widdow and as it seemeth destitute of maintenance therefore he commendeth her to the care and charge of his beloved Disciple John 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A widdow was to be maintained out of the estate of her husbands heirs untill she received her dowry Maym. in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per. 18. But the poverty of Joseph and Mary afforded neither heritage nor dower nor had they any Children but Jesus who was now dying If those that
stile of the continuance of the house of Omri into which Family his Father had married and was become so prophane as to worship their Idols The Son of the two and forty years was Ahaziah when he began to reign That is of the last of the two and forty of the house of Omri in which it fell and Ahaziah with it Ver. 11. Josias begat Jechonias So readeth the Syrian Arabrick and the most and best Greek Copies And so the Evangelist himself requireth that it be read to make fourteen generations from David to the Captivity into Babel And so readeth D. Kimchi on 1 Chron. 3. 15. Josias indeed begat Joachim and Joachim begat Jechonias but he that was neither fit to be lamented nor to be buried like one of the Kings of Judah Jerem. 22. 18 19. was much more unfit to come into the Line of the Kings of Judah that leadeth to Christ. Ver. 12. Jechonias begat Salathiel Jechonias was Father to Salathiel as Baasha was to Ahab 1 King 20. 34. not by generation but by predecession For Jechonias in very deed was childless Jer. 22. 30. and the natural Father of Salathiel was Neri Luke 3. 27. yet he is said to beget him because he declared and owned him for his next heir and Successor As God is said to beget Christ on the day of his Resurrection Psal. 2. 7. Act. 13. 33. that is declared him thereby to be his Son Rom. 1. 4. The Scripture affecteth to speak short in relating of Stories that are well known before as to spare more you may find an example far harsher than this in 1 Chron. 1. 36. where Timna the Concubine of Eliphaz is named as Eliphaz his Son And in 1 Chron. 3. 16. Zedechia the Uncle of Jechoniah is called his Son because he succeeded him in the Roialty The Jews in their Talmud give this rule for a fundamental point That there is no King to be for Irael but of the house of David and of the seed of Solomon only And he that separateth against this Family denyeth the Name of the blessed God and the words of his Prophets that are spoken in truth Sanhedr Perek 10. R. Samuel in Ner. Mitsvah fol. 153. With which opinion although Matthew seem to comply at the first appearance in that he deriveth our Saviour from Solomon because of the Hebrews for whom he wrote which looked for him from thence yet the carnal sense of it which aimeth only at the earthly Kingdom of the Messias and at the exact descent from Solomon he closely confuteth to the eyes of the intelligent Reader by these two things First in that he bringeth the Line along to Jechonias in whom the seed of Solomon and the regal dignity also with it failed Secondly in that he deriveth the interest of Christ in that dignity if it were any only by Joseph which according to the flesh had no relation at all to him save the marriage of his Mother The Jews to disgrace the Gospel of S. Luke do hold that Jechonias was the natural Father of Salathiel and that upon his repentance in Babel God gave him Children as Assir and Salathiel D. Kimchi on 1 Chron. 3. But God had sworn Jer. 22. 28. and he will not repent Psal. 110. 4. that he should die childless to the Throne and his repentance could no more repeal this Oath of God then the prayer of Moses did the decree of his not entring into the Land And Salathiel begat Zerobabel Salathiel begat Pedaiah and Pedaiah begat Zorobabel 1 Chron. 3. 18. 19. But because when the masculine Line of Solomons house failed in Jechonias the dignity turning over to the Line of Nathan first setled upon Salathiel but first shewed it self eminent in Zorobabel therefore constantly when mention is made of Zorobabel he is not called the Son of Pedaiah a man of no action but obscure but the Son of Salathiel in whom the honour of that Family began For Jechonias was a signet plucked off Jer. 22. 24. and Zorobabel was set on again in his stead Hag. 2. 23. Ver. 13. And Zorobabel begat Abiud Among the children of Zorobabel mentioneth 1 Chron. 3. 19 20. there is no memorial either of Abiud his Son named here or of Rhesa his Son named by St. Luke But as in Scripture it is ordinary for one man to have several names so is it to be understood of these The eldest Son then of Zorobabel to whom the honour lately faln upon that house was to descend was called Mesullam Either in memorial of Solomon the glory of whose house was transferred to him and so he also calleth a daughter of his Shelomith the name by which the wife of Solomon is called Cant. 6. 13. as being but the feminine of Shelomoh Or from the significancy of the word which importeth requited For whereas Jeconias was also called Shallum that is finished because the race and line of Solomon did end in him when a recompence of the failing of that is made by the succession of Salathiel in its stead well might Zorobabel in whom it first shewed call his Son Meshullam or requited Or from their peaceable building and inhabiting Jerusalem after their return from Babel The Son Meshullam was called also Abiud in remembrance of his Fathers glory And his second brother Hannaniah was also called Rhesa that is The chief or principal because of Christs descending from him These things we have now but by conjecture but that we may take the bolder because the Text in the place alledged in the Chronicles hath set these two Sons of Zorobabel apart and distinct from the rest of their brethren as if for some special thing more remarkable then they But there is no doubt but the Evangelists in naming them by these names had warranty from known and common Records to justifie them in it Ver. 17. Fourteen generations In every one of these several fourteens they were under a several and distinct manner of Government and the end of each fourteen produced some alteration in their state In the first they were under Prophets in the second under Kings and in the third under Hasmonean Priests The first fourteen brought their state to glory in the Kingdom of David The second to misery in the Captivity of Babylon and the third to glory again in the Kingdom of Christ. The first begins with Abraham that recived the promise and ends in David that received it again with greater clearness The second begins with the building of the Temple and ends in the destruction of it The third begins with their peeping out of misery in Babel and ends in the accomplished delivery by Christ. The second that terminateth in the peoples captiving into Babel fixeth not no Jehoiakim in whom the captivity began nor in Zedekiah in whom it was consummate but in Jechonias who was in the middle space between And from the same date doth Ezekiel count and reckon the captivity through all his book as Chap. 8. 1. 20. 1.
b b b b b Hebron was inhablted by Aaronites but the fields and villages about with children of Juda Josh. 21. 11. These two are Elizabeths neighbours and cousins her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had c c c c c c Greek Had magnified mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in Psal. 18. 50. the Hebr. and LXX and Psal. 126. 2. shewed great mercy upon her and they rejoyced with her 59. And it came to pass on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child and they called him Zacharias after the name of his Father 60. And his Mother answered and said Not so but he shall be called John 61. And they said unto her There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name 62. And they made signs to his Father how he would have him called 63. And he asked for d d d d d d Vulg. Pugillarem of which see Plin. lib. 13. cap. 11. ' Ev 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Batrachom a writing table and wrote saying His name is John and they marvailed all 64. And his mouth was e e e e e e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hebrew signifieth both to open and to unloose and so the loosing of his tongue which is not expressed in the Greek totidem verbis is implied in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by an Hebraisme opened immediately and his tongue loosed and he spake and praised God 65. And fear came on all that dwelt round about them and all these sayings were noised abroad through out all the hill Country of Iudea 66. And all they that had heard them f f f f f f See Gen. 37. 11. Prov. 2. 1. 3. 1. 7. 1. laid them up in their hearts saying What manner of child shall this be g g g g g g Vulg. For the hand of the Lord was with him contrary to the Orig. Arab. and Syr. and the hand of the Lord was with him 67. And his Father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost and prophecied saying 68. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people 69. And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David 70. As he spake by the h h h h h h By the mouth that is by the mouths one number for another as tree for trees Gen. 3. 1. frog for frogs Exod. 9. 2. c. yet is the observation of Albertus magnus ingenuous and true All the Prophets spake of Christ uno ore things so agreable as if they had all spoken with one mouth mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the World began 71. i i i i i i In the orig it is only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Salvation or deliverance and so in the Arab. and Vulg. Lat. now it may be read either in apposition to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in vers 69. He hath raised up an horn of salvation namely salvation from our enemies or in subsequence to the verb he spake vers 70. He spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets of Salvation and this is the more genuine and proper Beza That we should be delivered from our enemies and from the hands of k k k k k k Two Phrases used to heighten the sense 2 Sam. 22. 18. 41. Psal. 44. 10. 68. 1. 89. 23. 106. 16. them that hate us 72. l l l l l l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Josh. 2. 12. 2 Sam. 9. 1. c. The Syr. reads conjunctively And he hath shewed mercy and so doth the Arab. the other clause And he hath remembred To perform the mercy promised to our fore-fathers and to remember his holy Covenant 73. m m m m m m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Accusative case either in apposition to Cornu Salutis vers 69. as Tollet or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 understood as Calvin or following the Verb Tâ— performe in vers 72. As the Syr. and an old English or that the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 governeth two cases 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham 74. n n n n n n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This clause standeth in the Orig. and in all translations in the end of the vers preceding See Syr. Arab. Valg France Spain Dutch Deodate Vâ—tab Erasm. Beza c. That he would grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve hiw without fear 75. In holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life 76. And thou child shalt be called the Prophet of the most Highest for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways 77. To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins 78. Through ††††††Greek The Bowels of mercy the tender mercy of our God whereby the day spring from an high hath visited us 79. To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death to guide our feet into the way of peace 80. And the child grew and waxed strong in Spirit and was in the desert till the day of his shewing unto Israel Reason of the Order THE order of this Section may be briefly contrived and illustrated thus Elizabeth when Mary cometh to her was about six months gone with child Luke 1. 26. 36. and about nine months when she departed from her vers 56. She coming to her own house is suspected by Joseph to have played the harlot and is in danger of a secret divorce while these things are thus passing betwixt them two at Nazaret the time of Elizabeths delivery is fully come Harmony and Eplanation Verse 59. They came to circumcise the Child IN Hebron and about the time of Easter was circumcision first ordained Gen. 17. And in the same place and at the same time of the year was John Baptist born and circumcised who was to bring in Baptism in stead of Circumcision as may be apparent by observing the time of the Angel Gabriels appearing and message to his father Zacharias in the preceding Kalendar and it shall be to the full explained and proved hereafter when we come to treat of the time of our Saviours birth § And they called his name Zacharias A thing hardly to be parallel'd again in all the Scripture that a child should be named by the name of his father an extraordinary action in an extraordinary case Because Abraham and Sarah had their new names given them at the giving of circumcision therefore did after-times reserve this custom to name their Children at their circumcising The name was sometime given to the child by the mother but that was ever at the birth and it was upon some weighty and special reason as Gen. 29. 32 33 34 35. and 30. 6
coming unto her in visible appearance as Chapter 18. 14. At the time appointed I will return c. Or it may be taken in connexion to the sense of the Verses preceding That after the defect of Prophecy the dawning of that gift and after the darkness of the Doctrine of Salvation as it was in the Law the day-spring of it from an high came now to visit us in the brightness of the Gospel Vers. 80. And was in the deserts Of Ziph and Maon 1 Sam. 23. 14. 25. which were places not far from Hebron where John was born Josh. 15. 54 55. His education was not in the Schools at Jerusalem but in these plain Country Towns and Villages in the Wilderness Till the day of his shewing unto Israel That is when at thirty years of age he was to be brought to the Sanctuary service Numb 4. 3. to which he did not apply himself as the custom was but betook himself to another course SECTION VI. S. LUKE CHAP. II. CHRIST born published to the Shepherds rejoyced in by Angels circumcised presented in the Temple confessed by Simeon and Anna. AND it came to pass in those days that there went out a a a a a a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek in Dan. 6. 8 12. a decree from b b b b b b Câ—sar the common name of the Roman Emperors as Abimelech of the Philistims Kings Ols. 34. in tit and Pharaoh of the Egyptians from Julius the first Emperor who was of this name but the name Caesar was long before him see Plin. l. 7. cap. 9. Caesar Augustus that c c c c c c As Ezr. 1. 2. all the World should be taxed 2. And that taxing was first made when d d d d d d In the Roman Historians he is called Quirinus Cyrenius was Governor of Syria 3. And all went to be taxed every one into his own City 4. And Joseph also e e e e e e Taking a journy in Scripture be it whither soever it will is called indifferently a going up or going down as Numb 16. 12 14 Jer. 21. 2. Judg. 16. 18. Gen. 42. 3. Judg. 15. 8. 1 Sam. 26. 10. went up from Galilee out of the City of Nazareth into Judea unto the City of David which is called Bethlehem because he was of the stock and linage of David 5. To be f f f f f f This word here and in vers 1. 3. hath various translations That they might be enrolled Syr. Arab. Rhem. That they might profess Vulg. Eras. That they might be taxed Erasm. again and our English All these laid together make up a compleat description of the manner of their taxing First They were taken notice of who were in every Town and City and were Inrolled upon their inrolling they professed subjection to the Roman State and upon this profession they payed some money at which they were assessed taxed with Mary his espoused wife being great with Child 6. And so it was that while they were there the days were accomplished that she should be delivered 7. And she brought forth her first-born Son and g g g g g g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See the Gr. in Job 38. 6. and Ezek. 16. 4. some deriving the word from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To reâ—d conceive that is meant that his swaddles were poor and ragged and that this is expressed as a particular of his abasement wrapped him in swadling cloaths and laid him in a manger because there was no room for him in the Inn. 8. And there were in the same Country Shepherds abiding in the field keeping watch over their flock h h h h h h Christ born by night for if he were born by day why should the revealing of it be forborn till night by night 9. And lo the Angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them and they were sore afraid 10. And the Angel said i i i i i i This message of the Angel as it was full of comforts so also was it of plainness according to the condition of the men to whom he spake Fear not for behold I bring you good tydings of great joy which shall be to all people 11. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. 12. And this shall be a sign unto you ye shall find the babe wrapped in swadling cloaths lying in a manger 13. And suddenly there was with the Angel k k k k k k Or the multitude a multitude of the Heavenly host praising God and saying 14. l l l l l l Or the good will of God towards men is glory to God in the Highest and peace on the earth Glory to God in the Highest and on earth peace good will towards men 15. And it came to pass as the Angels were gone away from them into Heaven the m m m m m m It hath been held that these Shepherds were about the Tower of Edar Gen. 35. 21. and that this was about a mile from Bethlehem Shepherds said one to another Let us now go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to pass which the Lord hath made known unto us 16. And they came with hast and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in the manger 17. And when they had seen it they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child 18. And all they that heard it wondred at those things which were told them by the Shepherds 19. But Mary kept all these things and pondred them in her heart 20. And the Shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told unto them 21. And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child his name was called Iesus which was so named of the Angel before he was conceived in the womb 22. And when the days of her purification n n n n n n Levit. 12. according to the Law of Moses were accomplished they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. 23. As it is written in the Law of the Lord o o o o o o Exod. 13. 1. every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord. 24. And to offer a Sacrifice according to that which is said in the Law of the Lord p p p p p p Maries poverty in that her hand could not reach to a Lamb which was the proper offering that the Law required Levit. a pair of Turtle Doves and two young Pigeons 25. And behold there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon and the same Man was just and devout waiting for the consolation of Israel and q q q q q q The spirit of Prophesie It had been long a stranger among
the Nation even ever since the death of Zachary and Malachy but is now begun to be restored to speak of the great Prophet near at hand the Holy Ghost was upon him 26. And g g g g g g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word is used again in this sense Mat. 2. 12 22. Act. 10. 22. Heb. 11. 7. and by the LXX 1 King 18. 27. and in another sense Act. 11. 26. it was revealed to him by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord Christ. 27. And he came by the Spirit into the Temple and when the Parents brought in the Child Iesus to do for him after the custom of the Law 28. Then took he him up in his arms and blessed God and said 29. Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word 30. For mine eyes have seen * thy salvation 31. Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people 32. A light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel 33. And Joseph and his Mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him 34. And Simeon blessed them and said unto Mary his Mother Behold this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel and for a sign which shall be spoken against 35. Yea a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed 36. And there was one h h h h h h Compare 1 Sam. 1. 2. Anna a Prophetess the daughter of i i i i i i In Hebrew it would be written Penuel as Gen. 32. Phanuel of the Tribe of Aser she was of a great age and had lived with an husband seven years from her Virginity 37. And she was a Widow of about fourscore and four years which departed not from the Temple but served God with fasting and prayer night and day 38. And she coming in at that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Ierusalem 39. And when they had performed all things according to the Law of the Lord they returned into Galilee to their own City Nazareth Reason of the Order THE dependence of the beginning of this Section upon the end of that that went before doth even prove and confirm it self For after the story of the birth of Christs forerunner and the relation of what happened and befel at that time what could be expected to come next in order but the birth of Christ himself Especially since none of the Evangelists mention any thing that came between Harmony and Explanation Ships shall come from the coasts of Chittim and shall afflict Ashur and shall afflict Heber Numb 24. 24. THAT by Chittim is meant Italy or the Romans it is not only the general opinion of the Jews as may be seen in their Targums and in other writers but of the most Christians also yea of the Romanists themselves whom the latter part of the verse doth so nearly pinch As see their vulgar Latine and Lyranus upon the place This Prophesie was fulfilled when the power of Rome first set her foot upon the neck of the Hebrews by the conquest of Pompey but especially when she tyrannized over Christ the chief child of Eber even before and at his birth as in this story but chiefly in condemning him to death as in the story of his passion As Jacob had before told that the Jews at Messias his coming should be under the Subjection of a Forain Nation so doth Balaam in this Prophesie shew who that Nation should be And this the more ancient and more honest Jews took notice of and resolved that Christ should come in the time of the Roman Empire and near to the destruction of the Temple by it So in the Talmud they question What is the name of Messias Some answer Hhevara Leprous and he sitteth among the poor in the gates of Rome carrying their sicknesses Sanhedrin The Chaldee Paraphrast likewise on Esa. 11. 4. readeth thus With the speech of his lips shall Messias slay Romulus the wicked one or the wicked Roman shewing at once his opinion of Christs coming in the time of the Romans and also of the Romans being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wicked one after a singular manner Augustus was the second Emperor of the Romans or rather the first that was intire Monarch for Julius Caesar his Uncle and Predecessor had hardly injoyed any Monarchical government at all nor did Augustus of many years neither till he had outed Lepidus and overcome Anthony which were copartners with him in the dominion His name Augustus was given to him for his worthy administration of the Common-wealth For before-time he was called a a a a a a Dion Caepias and b b b b b b Sueton. Thurinus and Octavianus and had like to have been named Romulus as a second founder of the City but by the advice of Munacius Plancus he was named Augustus which importeth Sacredness and reverence § That all the world should be Taxed To so vast an extent was the Roman Empire now grown from Parthia to England and they two also included that it was a world rather then one dominion And so did their Virgil Ovid Florus own Authors boast it in those times as Caesar Regit omnia terris Divisum imperium cum Jove Totum circumspicit orbem Terrarum orbis imperium and such like speeches usual among them both in Poesie and Prose This huge and unweldy body of so large and spacious a dominion Augustus had now reduced to the healthful temper of peace and quietness which is the more remarkable by how much the more wars had been more frequent and more bloody but a little before For never had that Empire felt so great distemper within it self as it had done of latter times in the civil wars betwixt Sylla and Marius betwixt Julius and Pompey betwixt Augustus and Antony not to mention the continual wars that it had abroad It had not been very long before this time that the Evangelist speaketh of when both Rome it self and the rest of the world was at that pitiful plight that Polybius speaketh of That the Romans were forced to send to Ptolomy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap. 2. King of Egypt for a supply of corn because there was a great scarcity and dearth among them For in Italy all their corn was destroyed even to the gates of Rome by the Souldiers and abroad there was no help nor supply to be had there being wars in all parts of the world But now is there an universal Peace not only in the Roman Empire so that the Temple of Janus was shut up which it never used to be when any wars at all were stirring but if we will believe Crantzius even in those parts and Countries where the Roman power had not yet set her foot as Denmark Norway
maintained upon the foundation or because she was a Prophetess and so lodged in some of the buildings or chambers belonging to the Temple For so might women do as 2 Chron. 22. 11 12. SECTION VII S. MATTHEW CHAP. II. Christ at two years old is visited and honoured by the Wisemen The Children of Bethlehem murthered Herod dyeth soon after Christ returneth out of Egypt NOw when Iesus was born in Bethlehem of a a a a a a Vulg. of Juda and this is conceived by Jerom to be the better reading because it is so written ver 6. But in this verse the Evangelist telleth it was in Bethlehem of Judea to distinguish it from Bethlehem in Galilee Joh. 19. 15. and in ver 6. he saith it was in the land of Judah to distinguish it from the lot of Benjamin Judea in the days of Herod the King behold there came b b b b b b Wisemen Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word is reserved by the Syr. Arab. Ital. and generally by all Latines the French readeth it Sages in the sense of our English Wisemen from the East to Jerusalem 2. Saying where is he that is born King of the Jews For we have seen his Star in the East and are come to worship him 3. When Herod the King had heard these things he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him 4. And when he had gathered all the chief Priests and c c c c c c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the LXX Exod. 5. 6. Joh. 1. 10. 2 Sam. 8. 17. Jer. 36. 10. Ezr. 4. 8. and 7. 12. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. 1. 15. Scribes of the people together he demanded of them where Christ should be born 5. They said unto him in Bethlehem of Judea For thus it is written by the Prophet 6. And thou Bethlehem d d d d d d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as John 1. 4. the Preposition is understood in the Land of Juda art not the e e e e e e the LXX in Mic. 5. use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaking of smalness of number but Matthew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaking of smalness of bulk or dignity least among the Princes of Juda for out of thee shall come a Governour that shall rule my people Israel 7. Then Herod when he had privily called the Wisemen enquired diligently of them what time the Star appeared 8. And he sent them to f f f f f f Bethlehem distant from Jerusalem 35 furlongs Just. Matt. Apol. 2. Four miles and almost an half Bethlehem and said Go and search diligently for the young child and when ye have found him bring me word again that I may come and worship him also 9. When they had heard the King they departed and lo the Star which they saw in the East went before them till it came and stood over where the young child was 10. When they saw the Star they rejoyced with g g g g g g As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isa. 61. 10. exceeding great joy 11. And when they were come into the house they saw the young child with Mary his Mother and fell down and worshipped him and when they had opened their treasures they presented unto him gifts h h h h h h Gold and Frankincense they shall bring in Merchandize and also for a present to the King Messias and for the house of the Lord D. Kim◠on Esa. 60. 6. Gold and Frankincense and Myrrhe 12. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod they departed into their own Country another away 13. And when they were departed behold the Angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream saying Arise and take the young child and his Mother and flee into Egypt and be thou there until I bring thee word for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy him 14. When he arose he took the young child and his mother by night and departed into Egypt 15. And was there until the death of Herod that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet saying Out of Egypt have I called my Son 16. Then Herod when he saw that he was mocked of the Wisemen was exceeding wroth and sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem and in all the Coasts thereof from two years old and under according to the time he had diligently inquired of the Wisemen 17. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremie the Prophet saying 18. In i i i i i i Rama was the birth place of Samuel 1 Sam. 1. 19. c. Rama was there a voice heard lamentation and weeping and great mourning Rachel mourning for her children and would not be comforted because they are not 19. But when Herod was dead behold an Angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20. Saying Arise and take the young child and his mother and go into the Land of Israel for k k k k k k Compare Exod. 4. 19. they are dead which sought the young childs life 21. And he arose and took the young child and his mother and came into the Land of Israel 22. But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea in the room of his Father Herod he was afraid to go thither notwithstanding being warned of God in a dream he turned aside into the parts of Galilee 23. And he came and dwelt in a City calleth Nazareth that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophets He shall be called a Nazarite Reason of the Order TO confirm and prove the Order of this Section and Story requireth some labour because of an opinion ancient and current among men that crosseth the laying of it in this place It hath been generally held and believed almost of every one that the Wisemen came to Christ when he was but thirteen days old and it is written in red Letters in the Kalendar as if it were a golden truth by the title of Epiphany at the sixth of January An opinion which if it were as true as it is common it were readily known where to place this Story of the Wisemens coming namely between the Circumcision of our Saviour and his Presentation in the Temple betwixt Ver. 21 and 22 of Luke 2. But upon serious and impartial examination of this opinion these rubs and unliklehoods lie in the way and make it as incredible for the improbability as it seemeth venerable for its antiquity First to omit the length of their journey from their own Country to Bethlehem their preparation for so long a journy before they set out and their stay at Jerusalem by the way for I cannot think that all that passed there while they were there was done in an instant Secondly how utterly improbable it is that after all this hubbub at Jerusalem upon the Wisemens
question where is the King of the Jews And after Herods curious scrutiny and inquiry where the child should be and after his implacable indignation upon the Wisemens deluding or mocking of him as he did conceive that the child that he had thus eagerly hunted after should after all this stirring and searching come to Jerusalem as it were into his very mouth and there be publikely proclaimed by Simeon and Anna in the Temple to be the very same that the Wisemen and Herod though with different intentions looked after For first it is to be observed that it was seven and twenty days from the time that this opinion bringeth the Wisemen to Bethlehem to the time that Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the Temple now it is not imaginable but that in all this time Joseph that was but at so few miles distance should hear what was done at Jerusalem upon the Wisemens coming thither if so be they told him not themselves and how Herod took the matter when he missed of their unexpected return Secondly for ought that can be found in the text to the contrary it may be well supposed that they had their divine warning not to return again to Herod while they were at Bethlehem and Joseph might well be acquainted by them with it Thirdly it is not to be doubted but they had dispatched what they did at Bethlehem in far less time then seven and twenty days and surely of all men they will not deny this that will bring them out either of Arabia or Persia to Bethlehem in half the time And as little to be doubted that Herod in the compass of so much time saw the disappointment of his expectation of the Wisemens return and breaketh out into choler against the poor Infants of Bethlehem Fourthly now all these things being laid together how senseless a thing will it be to make Joseph to bring the child for whom all this business was under the Tyrants nose Fifthly or if Joseph did not know of all these things which is almost impossible yet how is it imaginable that Christ should have escaped the Tyrant being at Jerusalem and so publikely acknowledged and spoken of It is true indeed that he might have been sheltered by the divine power but we see by his flight into Egypt that it was not the will of God to use that miraculous means of his preservation as yet but another Thirdly and which is the reason that hath moved me to lay this Story after our Saviours presentation in the Temple yea and to suppose him to be two years old or thereabout when the Wisemen came because the text saith in plain terms That Herod sent and slew the children from two years old and under according to the time that he had diligently inquired of the Wisemen Now his inquiry was of the time of the Stars appearing ver 7. and he slew from two years old and under according to the time that he had inquired and therefore how can it be thought otherwise then that it was two years or thereabout since the star appeared and consequently so long since Christ was born But that this may appear past all exception and that the opinions that bring the Wisemen to Christ before his presentationin the Temple for there are two several ones to that purpose that of the thirteenth day mentioned before and another of some that hold they came not so soon as on that day but yet within the forty days of Maries lying in or before her Purification let it not be too tedious to the Reader to take a view of all the Arguments that are or can be used for ought I yet understand either for the confirmation of the two opinions which we refuse viz. of the Wisemens coming before Christ was forty days old or for the overthrow of this which we imbrace that he was two years old or thereabout Object 1. The very word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Verse 1. doth import that his birth was but newly past being of that nature as to signifie a thing but very lately done or even in doing Anws This Grammatical observation is not constantly and currently true For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 1. 18. a word of the very same tense and form yet signifieth it a thing done above a quarter of a year before and the word it self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in our daily Creed and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. speak of things past sixteen hundred years ago Object 2. The Star appeared two years before our Saviours birth but the Wisemen came not to him till thirtheen days after Answ. This Argument is used by some but those but a few not considering how imposible it was that the Wisemen should know the exact time or his birth but by the time of the Stars appearing And it is not only the general opinion even of all but also dictated by reason it self that the Star was not the Harbinger of his birth much less so long before but the concomitant and attendant upon it Object 3. The Wisemen came while Mary lay in at Bethlehem but Herod either in policy or for some other occasion deferred the murder of the children till two years after Answ. This both the Text and common sense contradicteth For first in Reason what policy could there be in deferring when the longer he forbear the harder it would be for him to find him for whom he sought Secondly the Text telleth that as soon as he saw himself mocked by the Wisemen he fell to the murdering of the children and he might see whether he were mocked by them or not within a short space after their departure from him at Jerusalem Object 4. In that speech of the Evangelist Herod slew all the male children from two years old and under according to the time that he had inquired of the Wisemen the latter words according to the time that he had inquired have relation to the words and under and to the words from two years old For this seemeth to be added by the Evangelist to this purpose that he might signifie that all under two years old were not slain but only those that were thereabout and which were born before the Stars appearing and not after For he thought not that this royal child was born after it appeared But all that were about two years old he slew lest if happily Christ had been born before it appeared or miraculously grown above the quality of such an age he might have escaped out of his hands And therefore as he dilated his murther for place comprehending the coasts of Bethlehem under the cruelty as well as the Town it self so also did he it for a time slaying those that were born before the Stars appearing as well as at it Ans. This as Baronius confesseth is a new found gloss upon that Text and he took himself for the inventor of it till he met with it in Jansenius who like a great wit had jumped with him Both
some machination against himself he had now shut up in prison and intended him presently for the execution but that his sickness whereof he died seizing on him gave some more space to the imprisoned and some hopes and possibilities of escaping His disease was all these mixed together an inward burning and exulceration an insatiable greediness and devouring the Chollick the Gout and Dropsie his loins and secrets crawling with lice and a stink about him not to be indured These wringings and tortures of his body meeting with the peevishness of old age for he was now seventy and with the natural cruelty which always had been in him made him murderously minded above all measure insomuch that he put to death divers that had taken down a golden Eagle which he had set up about the Temple And when he grew near to his end and saw himself ready to die he slew his Son Antipater and caused great multitudes of the Nobility and People to be closed up in a sure place giving command to slay them as soon as he was dead for by that means he said he should have the Jews truly and really to sorrow at his death Vid. Joseph Antiq. lib. 17. cap. 8 9 10. and de Bel. lib. 1. cap. 21. Vers. 20. For they are dead that sought the young childs life The like saying is to Moses Exod. 4. 19. where the word they may be understood of Pharaoh and his servants which jointly sought his life for the Egyptians sake whom he had slain and were now all dead and worn out in the fourty years of his being in Midian But here it is true indeed that the seeking of the childs life may well be applied to Herods Servants as well as himself but that all they died with him or about the time of his death who in flattery or favour or obedience to him had promoted the slaughter at Bethlehem and had sought the childs life I know not upon what ground it should be conceived I should therefore by the they in this place understand Herod and his Son Antipater jointly together For if it be well considered how mischievous this Antipater was against his own Brethren and how he wrought their ruine and misery for fear they should get betwixt him and the throne yea how he sought the destruction of his own Father because he thought he kept him out of the Throne too long it may very well be believed that he would bloodily stir against this new King of the Jews that the wisemen spake of for fear of interception of the Crown as well as his Father He died but five days before his fathers death as it was touched before out of Josephus and thus God brought this bloodliness of the Father and the Son and the rest of their cruelties to an end and upon their own heads at once and in a manner together and thus may the words of the Angel be very fairly understood Take the child and return to the Land of Israel for Herod and Antipater are dead that sought his life Ver. 22. Archelaus did reign in Iudea in the room of his Father Herod Herod had first named Antipater for his Successor in the Throne of Judea but upon detection of his conspiracy against him he altered his mind and his will and nominated Antipas and changing his mind yet again he named Archelaus and he succeeded him a man not likely to prosper in a Throne that was so bebloodied His conclusion was that in the tenth year of his reign he was accused by the Nobles of Judea and Samaria to Augustus banished to Vienna and his estate confiscate Jos. Ant. lib. 17. cap. 15. Ver. 23. He shall be called a Nazarene From Isa. 11. 1. where the Messias is called by the title Nezer which indifferently signifieth A branch and the City Nazaret one and the same word denoting Christ and the place where he should be born SECTION VIII S. LUKE CHAP. II. Christ sheweth his wisdom at twelve years old Ver. 40. AND a a a a a a Compare Exod. 2. 10. 1 Sam. 2. 26. Jud. 16. 24. the Child grew and waxed strong in spirit filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him 41. Now his Parents went to Ierusalem b b b b b b Exod. 23. 15. 17. every year at the Feast of the Passover 42. And when he was twelve years old they went up to Ierusalem after the custom of the Feast 43. And when they had fulfilled the days as they returned the Child Iesus tarried behind in Ierusalem and Ioseph and his mother knew not of it 44. But they supposing him to have been in the company went a days journey and they sought him among their kinsfolks and acquaintance 45. And when they found him not they turned back again to Ierusalem seeking him 46. And it came to pass that after three days they found him in the Temple sitting in the middest of the Doctors both hearing them and asking them questions 47. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers 48. And when they saw him they were amazed and his mother said unto him Son why hast thou thus dealt with us Behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing 49. And he said unto them How is it that ye sought me Wist ye not that I must * * * * * * Or In my Fathers house be about my Fathers business 50. And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them 51. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject unto them but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart 52. And Iesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favour with God and men Reason of the Order THE Order of this Section dependeth so clearly upon the proper Order of that preceding that that being made good to lie where it doth as in the proper place the subsequence of this to it can nothing at all be doubted of For whereas all the Evangelists have unanimously passed over in silence all those years of Christs minority which intervened or passed between his return out of Egypt and this passage of his at twelve years old there is nothing possible to be found in the Gospels that can come between to interpose this order and connexion The carriage and demeanour of our Saviour in the time between is only briefly comprised in the first verse of this portion And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him Harmony and Explanation Ver. 40. And the child grew c. TWO years Old he was when he went into Egypt and there he aboad in his Exile a very small time it may be some two or three months about such a space as Moses had been hid in Egypt in his Fathers house from the fury of Pharaoh When he returned to Nazareth his Mothers City being now about two years and a quarter old he
which was so much space in the thickness of the Temple Wall The outer Door is called commonly by the Jews the great Door of the Temple not but that the inner Door was as big but because of the great front that this Gate had which the other had not And of this outer Door there are these memorials or remarkable things recorded among them First That the Morning Sacrifice was never killed till this Door was opened And so it is recorded in the Treatise Tamid or concerning the dayly Sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 d d d Tamid per. 3. Maym. in Tamid per. 6 That he that was to slay the Sacrifice killed him not till he heard the noise of the great Gate opening And there they relate the noise of this Gate might be heard to Jericho and so the noise of divers other things there mentioned in which they do Hyperbolize for the glorifying of the matters of the Temple And a second thing for which this door is renowned among them is For that it had two Wickets in it in either leaf one one in the North leaf and another in the South And that through that in the South no Man passed but that that was it of which Ezekiel saith e e e Ezek. XLIV 2. This Gate shall be shut it shall not be opened and no Man shall enter in by it c. Now for the opening of these Doors every morning the way was thus One took a Key and opened the Wicket in the North leaf of the Door and went in into the five cubit space between the two Doors and there he went in at a Door into the very Wall where there was a hollow passage into the Holy place coming forth in the place where one of the Leaves of the inner Door fell to the Wall Being come in he opened that inner Door and then he came and opened the outer Door at the noise of the opening of which the killer of the Morning Sacrifice went about that work f f f Sotah per. 2. In this five cubits space between the two Doors even behind the leaf of the Door on the right hand there was a Marble Flag of a cubit square lay loose in the floor with a ring fastned in it to pull it up and when the Priests tryed and suspected Wife they came hither and pulled up this stone and took dust from under it to put into the water to make her drink as was injoined Numb V. 17 c. SECT II The Veil BEtween these two Doors also in this five cubit space there hung a Veil answerable to the Veil at the Door of the Tabernacle Exod. XXVI 36. And so it is testified by Josephus a a a Ioseph de Bell. l. 5. c. 14. who speaks of two Veils one at the entring into the Holy place and another to distinguish betwixt the Holy and Most Holy And he describes the Veil to have been of the measures that he had newly spoken of before namely five and fifty cubits deep and sixteen cubits broad yet the Gate where it hung was but ten and that it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Josh. VII 21. Babylonian Tapistry-work of blue purple scarlet and fine twined Linnen which he resembles to the four Elements Other Jews likewise give us intimation of such a Veil hanging at the entrance into the Holy place For the Talmudick Treatise b b b Tamid per. 7. Tamid mentioned but a little before speaking of the High Priest going into the Holy place to worship saith there were three that held him one by his right hand and another by his left hand and a third by the precious Stones in the Brest-plate And when the president heareth the sound of the High Priests feet coming out he lifteth up the Veil for him and then himself goeth in and worshippeth and after him his Brethren the Priests go in and worship c c c Maym. in Kele Mikdash per. 7. There were thirteen Veils in all about the Temple namely seven for the seven Gates of the Court one at the Gate of the Porch one at the Gate of the Temple and two betwixt the Holy and the Most Holy place and two just over them in the room above d d d Shekalim per. 5. And there was an Overseer of the Veils that took care for the supply and the right ordering of them and if they were defiled by any common uncleanness they were taken down and washed and hung up in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chel to dry And when new Veils were made they were hung up on the Gallery in the Court of the Women that they might be viewed by all the people to see that they were right SECT III. The Holy place it self THIS place was forty cubits long and twenty broad and in Solomons Temple it a 1 King VI. 2 17. was thirty cubits high having no floor at all on this side the roof b b b Ioseph ubi supr but in Herods Temple it was sixty For the the Children of the captivity building their Temple sixty cubits high they floored it not over but left it open to the roof in the Holy place as Solomons Temple had been and according to the same height was the floor laid when it was floored over in the time of Herod And here two things are to be remembred 1. That whereas the lower leads of the building which were over the side Chambers were but fifty cubits high as hath been described and there was a passage off those leads into the upper Chamber over the Holy place and it was by steps of ten cubits high partly without the Wall and partly within the thickness of the Wall it self 2. That there was an inequality of the height of the floors in the three parts of the House the Porch the Holy place and the Most Holy The first floor of the Porch was ninety cubits high the Holy place sixty and the most Holy but twenty And therefore whereas there was a floor over the most Holy place even with the floor over the Holy place viz. at sixty cubits height that was not the first floor over it but there was another floor forty cubits beneath that The beauty and richness of this place was exceeding great The floor of it upon which they trod was planked with Firr boards and they gilt with gold and the Walls were also cieled or wainscoted with Cedar and that gilt likewise This gilding was from the ground floor even to the floor over head all the sixty cubits high up the Walls and this is meant when the Text saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He built the Walls of the House within with boards of Cedar from the floor of the House to the Walls of the covering that is up to the very Walls of the floor over head as it is well expounded by the Rabbins upon that place For fifty cubits height of the Walls was
that were burnt and the other for those that were slain with the sword and that were strangled it appeareth that some devout Christians took down the body of Stephen and made a solemn burial for him in some other place Although the Sanhedrin did sit in the Temple yet were the Executions without the City as Levit. XXIV 14. Deut. XVII 5. Heb. XIII 12. Act. VII 58. whipping and stocking was executed often in the Temple as Deut. XXV 2. Jer. XX. 2. and for this purpose they had their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sarjeants for Officers ready attending them continually for the execution of such a penalty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 t t t Maym. ubi supr per. 1. The Shoterim saith Maymony were such as carried Rods and Whips and they stood before the Judges they went about the streets and Inns to look to measures and weights and to beat every offender and all their doings were by the appointment of the Judges and whomsoever they saw offending they brought him to the Judges and they judged him according to his offence This u u u Id. in Mamrim per. 1. great Sanhedrin in Gazith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was the foundation of the traditional Law and pillar of instruction compare the phrase 1 Tim. III. 15. and from them decrees and judgments went out for all Israel And whosoever believed Moses and his Law was bound to rest upon them for matters of the Law Thus Maymony in the place cited in the Margin Therefore in all doubts about Judicial matters the ultimate recourse was hither as to a determiner not to be doubted of or varied from The manner was thus w w w Talm. in Sanhedr per. 11. Had a Man occasion to inquire about any such matter he went first to the Judicatory that was in his own City if they could resolve it well and good if they could not one of them went to the next Sanhedrin if that could not resolve it he went to the Sanhedrin of the three and twenty in the Gate of the Mountain of the House if that could not he went to the other Sanhedrin of three and twenty in the Gate of Nicanor and if that could not he went to this in the Room Gazith and there he received a positive determination which for him being a Judge to transgress against it brought him under the notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A rebellious Elder and in danger of trying for his life SECT I. The Presidents of the Sanhedrin from the Captivity to its dissolution HAving digressed thus far in viewing the Judicatory that sate in the Room Gazith let it be excusable yet a little further to interrupt our further survey so far as to take a Catalogue and notice also particularly of all the heads or Presidents of this Court in the generations from the return out of the Babylonian Captivity till City Temple and Sanhedrin came to nothing as their names and order are recorded in the Jewish Writers as in the Talmudick Treatise Avoth in Avoth Rabbi Nathan in the Preface of Maymony to Jadh in the Author of Juchasin and in dispersed passages in the Talmuds 1. The first was Ezra of whom there is so renowed mention in the Scripture The Sanhedrin of his time is ordinarily called by the Jews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great Synagogue and those eminent persons are reckoned of it which are named Ezr. II. 2. Zerubbabel Joshua Nehemiah Seraiah Reelaiah Mordecai c. He is said to have come up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of Darius Ezr. VII 8. which was four and twenty years after the peoples return out of Babylon and how the Sanhedrin was disposed of before that time is hard to determine His Sanhedrin or great Synagogue is ordinarily reckoned of an hundred and twenty Men compare Act. I. 15. but whether all at once or successively it is not much important to dispute here He lived by the computation of some Chroniclers of his own Nation till that very year that Alexander the Great came to Jerusalem and then died on the tenth day of the month Tebeth and so by their account he wore out both the Babylonian and Persian Monarchies they hold also that Haggai and Zachary and Malachi died the same year with him and then Prophecy departed Compare Act. XIX 2. 2. Simeon the just Some Hebrew Writers that doubt not that he was head of the Sanhedrin do yet question whether he were High Priest or an ordinary Priest but Josephus who wrote in Greek asserteth him for High Priest And some again that hold him to have been High Priest can find in their hearts to think that he was the very same with Jaddua but Josephus doth clearly distinguish them placing Simeon after Jaddua and Oniâ—s between The times of his Government may be discovered by observing that Eleazer his Brother who succeeded him in the High Priesthood was he to whom Ptolomy Philadelphus sent for the Septuagint to translate the Bible There are exceeding high things spoken of this Simeon by his Countrymen some of which we have mentioned elsewhere to which I shall only add this record of him That in his time the scarlet list on the Scape-Gotes head turned white that the lot for the Scape-Goat ever came up in his right hand that the western Lamp never went out and the fire on the Altar ever burnt pleasantly but when he died its force abated This Adagie is ascribed to him The world standeth upon three things upon the Law upon Religion and upon shewing Mercy He was surnamed the Just 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Both because of his piety towards God and his good will towards his Nation Josph Ant. lib. 12. eap 2. 3. Antigonus of Soco He was the Master of Sadoc and Baithus who mistaking and misconstruing his good Doctrine vented the Heresie against the Resurrection his Doctrine was this Be not as Servants that serve their Master because of receiving a reward but be as Servants that serve their Master not because of receiving a reward but let the fear of Heaven be upon you which his crooked Disciples construed into this impious sense that there was no reward at all to be had for the service of God and so they denied the world to come But his Scholars Joseph ben Joezer and Joseph ben Jochanan held orthodox 4. Josi or Joseph ben Joezer of Zeredah Jeroboams Town 1 King XI 26. he had Josi or Joseph ben Jochanan of Jerusalem for his Vice-President Here the Talmudick Records begin to reckon them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by couples That is the President and Vice-President both not but that there were Vice-Presidents before but they be not named and so were there after the times of Hillel also though they be not named then neither This Joseph ben Joezer had Children so untoward that he would not leave them his Land but bequeathed it to pious uses 5. Joshua the Son of Perehiah President Nittai the Arbelite Vice-President This Joshua
Egypt Then he lifts up the bitter herbs in his hand and saith we therefore eat these bitter herbs because the Egyptians made the lives of our Fathers bitter in Egypt He takes up the unleavened bread in his hand and saith We eat this unleavened bread because our Fathers had not time to sprinkle their meal to be leavened before God revealed himself and redeemed them We ought therefore to praise celebrate honour magnifie c. him who wrought all these wonderful things for our Fathers and for us and brought us out of bondage into liberty out of sorrow into joy out of darkness into great light let us therefore say Hallelujah Praise the Lord. Praise him O ye servants of the Lord c. to And the flint stone into fountains of waters that is from the beginning of the CXIII to the end of the CXIV Psalm And he concludes Blessed be thou O Lord God our King Eternal redeeming us and redeeming our Fathers out of Egypt and bringing us to this night that we may eat unleavened bread and bitter herbs and then he drinks off the second cup. VII Then washing his hands and taking two loaves he breaks one and lays the broken upon the whole one and blesseth it Blessed be he who causeth bread to grow out of the earth and putting some bread and bitter herbs together he dips them in the sauce Charoseth and blessing Blessed be thou O Lord God our Eternal King he who hath sanctified us by his precepts and hath commanded us to eat he eats the unleavened bread and bitter herbs together but if he eats the unleavened bread and bitter herbs by themselves he gives thanks severally for each And afterwards giving thanks after the same manner over the flesh of the Chagiga of the fourteenth day he eats also of it and in like manner giving thanks over the Lamb he eats of it VIII From thence forward he lengthens out the Supper eating this or that as he hath a mind and last of all he eats of the flesh of the Passover at least as much as an olive but after this he tasts not at all of any food Thus far Maimonides in the place quoted as also the Talmudists in several places in the last Chapter of the Tract Pasachin And now was the time when Christ taking bread instituted the Eucharist but whether was it after the eating of those farewell morsels as I may call them of the Lamb or instead of them It seems to be in their stead because it is said by our Evangelist and Mark 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. As they were eating Jesus took Bread Now without doubt they speak according to the known and common custom of that Supper that they might be understood by their own people But all Jews know well enough that after the eating of those morsels of the Lamb it cannot be said As they were eating for the eating was ended with those morsels It seems therefore more likely that Christ when they were now ready to take those morsels changed the custom and gave about morsels of bread in their stead and instituted the Sacrament Some are of opinion that it was the custom to tast the unleavened bread last of all and to close up the Supper with it of which opinion I confess I also sometimes was And it is so much the more easie to fall into this opinion because there is such a thing mentioned in some of the Rubricks about the Passover and with good reason because they took up this custom after the destruction of the Temple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blessed and brake it First he blessed then he brake it Thus it always used to be done except in the Paschal bread One of the two loaves was first divided into two parts or perhaps into more before it was blessed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One of them is divided They are the words of Maimonides who also adds But why doth he not bless both the loaves after the same manner as in other feasts Because this is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The bread of poverty Now poor people deal in morsels and here likewise are morsels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a a a a a a Bab. Berac fol. 47. 1. Let not him that is to break the bread break it before Amen be pronounced from the mouths of the Answerers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is my Body These words being applied to the Passover now newly eaten will be more clear This now is my body in that sense in which the Paschal Lamb hath been my body hitherto And in the twenty eighth verse This is my blood of the New Testament in the same sense as the blood of Bulls and Goats hath been my Blood under the Old Exod. XXIV Heb. IX VERS XXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The cup. BREAD was to be here at this Supper by Divine Institution but how came the Wine to be here And how much And of what sort I. A Tradition b b b b b b Jerus Pesachin fol 37. 2. It is necessary that a man should chear up his wife and his children for the feast But how doth he chear them up With Wine The same things are cited in the Babylonian Talmud * * * * * * Pesach fol. 109. 1. The Rabbins deliver say they That a man is obliged to chear up his Wife and his Domesticks in the feast as it is said And thou shalt rejoyce in thy feast Deut. XVI 14. But how are they cheared up With wine R. Judah saith Men are cheared up with something agreeable to them Women with that which is agreeable to them That which is agreeable to Men to rejoyce them is Wine But what is that which is agreeable to Women to chear them Rabh Joseph saith Died garments in Babylon and linnin garments in the land of Israel II. Four cups of Wine were to be drunk up by every one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All are obliged to four cups men women and children R. Judah saith But what have children to do with Wine But they give them wheat and nuts c. The Jerusalem Talmudists give the reason of the number in the place before quoted at full Some according to the number of the four words made use of in the history of the Redemption of Israel out of Egypt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And I will bring forth and I will deliver and I will redeem and I will take Some according to the number of the repetition of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cup in Gen. XL. 11. 13. which is four times Some according to the number of the four Monarchies Some according to the number of the four cups of vengeance which God shall give to the Nations to drink Jer. XXV 15. LI. 7. Psal. XI 6. LXXV 8. And according to the number of the four cups which God shall give Israel to drink Psal. XXIII 5. XVI 5. CXVI 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
of the Jews is born saith the Jew to him what is his name Menahem saith the other And what the name of his Father Hezekiah But where dwell they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Birath Arba in Bethlehem Judah He shall deserve many thanks that will but tell us what this Birath Arba is The Gloss tells us no other than that this Birath Arba was a place in Bethlehem which any one knows from the words themselves But what or what kind of place was it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Birah indeed is a Palace or Castle but what should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arba be A man had better hold his tongue than conjecture vainly and to no purpose otherwise I might quote that in Sotah b b b b b b Fol. 37. 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which speaks concerning a promise or a surety for the performance of the Law But I forbear VERS VIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And there were Shepherds keeping watch over their stock c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These are the sheep of the wilderness viz. those which go out to pasture a Schabb. fol. 45. 2. â—eâ—ah â—â—l 4â— 1. about the time of the Passover and are sed in the fields 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and return home upon the first rain b b b b b b Nedarim fol. 63. 1. Taanih fol. 6. 1. Which is the first rain It begins on the third of the month Marheshvan The middle rain is on the seventh The lâ—st is the seventeenth So R. Meir But R. Judah saith on the seventh seventeenth and one and twentieth The Spring coming on they drove their Beasts into Wildernesses or champagne grounds where they fed them the whole Summer keeping watch over them night and day that they might not be empaired either by Thieves or ravenous Beasts They had for this purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Tower to watch in or else 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 certain small Cottages erected for this very end as we have observed elsewhere Now in the month Marheshvan which is part of our October and part of November the Winter coming on they betook themselves home again with the Flocks and the Herds VERS XIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A multitude of the heavenly host praising God THE Targumist upon Ezek. I. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An host of Angels from above So in 1 Kings XIX 11 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An host of the Angels of the wind An host of the Angels of commotion An host of the Angels of fire And after the host of the Angels of fire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the voice of the silent Singers VERS XIV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Glory to God in the highest WE may very well understand this Angelick Hymn if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good will toward men be taken for the subject and the rest of the words for the predicate The good will of God toward men is glory to God in the highest and peace on Earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And is put between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glory and Peace not between them and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good will But now this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or good will of God toward men being so wonderfully made known in the birth of the Messiah how highly it conduced to the glory of God would be needless to shew and how it introduced peace on the Earth the Apostle himself shews from the effect Ephes. II. 14. Coloss. I. 20. and several other places VERS XXI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And when eight days were accomplished for the Circumcision of the Child THE disciples of R. Simeon ben Jochai asked him why the Law ordained Circumcision a Pesikta fol. 16. 3. on the eighth day To wit lest while all others were rejoyeing the Parents of the Infant should be sad The Circumcision therefore is deferred till the Woman in Child bed hath got over her uncleanness For as it is exprest a little before The Woman that brings forth a man-child is prohibited her Husband the space of seven days but on the seventh day at the coming in of the evening which begins the eighth day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 she washeth her self and is allowed to go in unto her Husband If she came nigh him within the seven days she made him unclean On the eighth day therefore Joseph addresseth himself to make provision for his Wife and to take care about the Circumcision of the Child VERS XXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. When the days of her purification was accomplished c. R. Asai saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Child whose Mother is unclean by Child-bearing a Schabb. fol. 135. 1. is Circumcised the eighth day but he whose Mother is not unclean by Child-bearing is not circumcised the eighth day You will ask probably what Mother that is that is not unclean by Child-bearing Let the Gloss upon this place make the Answer She whose Child is cut out of her womb As also a Gentile Woman who is brought to bed to day and the next day becomes a Proselyte her Child is not deferred till the eighth day but is Circumcised streight-way And the Rabbins a little after One takes an handmaid big with child and while she is with him brings forth her Child is Circumcised the eighth day But if he takes a serving-maid and with her a child newly born that Child is Circumcised the first day They did not account an Heathen Woman unclean by Child-bearing because she was not yet under the Law that concerned uncleanness Hence on the other side Mary was unclean at her bearing a Child because she was under the Law So Christ was Circumcised because born under the Law II. After seven days the Woman must continue for three and thirty days 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the blood of her purifying Levit. XII 4. where the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in her unclean blood far enough from the mind of Moses And the Alexandrian M. S. much wider still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 She shall sit thirty and ten days in an unclean garment Pesikta as before Col. 4. It is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the blood of her purifying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Though she issue blood like a floud yet is she clean Nor doth she defile any thing by touching it but what is Holy For seven days immediately after she is brought to bed she lies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the blood of her uncleanness but the three and thirty days following 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the blood of her purifying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To present him to the Lord. I. This was done to the first-born but not to the Children that were born afterward nor was this done to the first-born unless 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first-born were fit for the Priest For in Becoroth a a a a
in Babylon but in Judea they were names sit and suitable enough III. Of the variation of names here and in Matth. I. I have already spoken in that place To wit that Neri was indeed the Father of Salathiel though St. Matthew saith Jechoniah who died childless Jerem. XXII 30. begat him not that he was his Son by nature but was his heir in succession VERS XXXVI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The son of Cainan I Will not launch widely out into a controversie that hath been sufficiently bandied already I shall dispatch as briefly as I may what may seem most satisfacton in this matter I. There is no doubt and indeed there are none but will grant that the Evangelist hath herein followed the Greek Version This in Genes XI 12 13. relates it in this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Arphaxad lived an hundred and five and thirty years and begat Cainan and Cainan lived an hundred and thirty years and begat Salah And Cainan lived after he had begot Salah three hundred and thirty years Consulting z z z z z z Theophil ad Autolych lib. 3. about this matter I cannot but observe of this Author that he partly follows the Greek Version in adding to Arphaxad an hundred years and partly not when he omits Cainan for so he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arphaxad when he was an hundred and thirty five years of age begot Salah Nor can I but wonder at him that translates him that he should of his own head insert Arphaxad was an hundred and thirty five years old and begat a son named Cainan Cainan was an hundred and thirty years old and begat Salah When there is not one syllable of Cainan in Theophilus A very faithful Interpreter indeed 1. I cannot be perswaded by any arguments that this passage concerning Cainan was in Moses his Text or indeed in any Hebrew Copies which the Seventy used but that it was certainly added by the Interpreters themselves partly because no reason can be given how it should ever come to be left out of the Hebrew Text and partly because there may be a probable reason given why it should be added in the Greek especially when nothing was more usual with them than to add of their own according to their own will and pleasure Huic uni forsan poteram succumbere culpae I might perhaps acknowledge this one slip and be apt to believe that Cainan had once a place in the original but by I know not what fate or misfortune left now out but that I find an hundred such kind of additions in the Greek Version which the Hebrew Text will by no means own nor any probable reason given to bear with it Let us take our instances only from proper names because our business at present is with a proper name Gen. X. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elisa is added among the sons of Japhet And Vers. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 another Cainan among the sons of Shem. Gen. XLVI 20. Five Grand-children added to the sons of Joseph Malach. IV. 5. The Tishbite Exod. I. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the City On is added to Pithon and Raamses 2 Sam. XX. 18. the City Dan is added to Abel Not to mention several other names of places in the Book of Josua Now should I believe that these names ever were in the Hebrew Copy when as some of them are put there without any reason some of them against all reason particularly Dan being joyned with Abel and the Grand-children of Joseph and all of them with no foundation at all II. I question not but the Interpreters whoever they were engaged themselves in this undertaking with something of a partial mind and as they made no great Conscience of imposing upon the Gentiles so they made it their Religion to favour their own side And according to this ill temperament and disposition of mind so did they manage their Version either adding or curtailing at pleasure blindly lazily and audaciously enough sometimes giving a very foreign sense sometimes a contrary oftentimes none And this frequently to patronize their own Traditions or to avoid some offence they think might be in the Original or for the credit and safety of their own Nation The tokens of all which it would not be difficult to instance in very great numbers would I apply my self to it but it is the last only that is my business at this time III. It is a known story of the thirteen places which the Talmudists tell us were altered by the Seventy two Elders when they writ out the Law I would suppose in Hebrew for Ptolomey They are reckoned up a a a a a a Hierosol Megill fol. 71. 4. Bab. Migillah fol. 9. 1. Massech Sopherim cap. 1. and we have the mention of them sprinkled up and down b b b b b b In Beresh rab fol. 10. 3. and fol. 12. 4. and fol. 41. 4. and fol. 110. 1. as also c c c c c c Shemoth rab fol. 123. 1. where it is intimated as if eighten places had been altered Now if we will consult the Glosses upon those places they will tell us that these alterations were made some of them lest the sacred Text should be cavill'd at others that the honour and peace of the Nation might be secured It is easie therefore to imagine that the same things were done by those that turned the whole Bible The thing it self speaks it Let us add for example's sake those five souls which they add to the Family of Jacob numbering up five Grand-children of Joseph who as yet were not in being nay seven according to their account Genes XLVI 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Children that were born to Joseph in the Land of Egypt even nine souls Now which copy do we think it is most reasonable to believe the Greek or the Hebrew and as to the question whether these five added in the Greek were antiently in Moses his Text but either since lost by the carelessness of the Transcribers or rased out by the bold hand of the Jews let reason and the nature of the thing judge For if Machir Gilead Sutelah Tahan and Eden were with Joseph when Jacob with his Family went down into Egypt and if they were not why are they numbred amongst those that went down then must Manasseh at the age of nine years or ten at most be a Grand-father Ephraim at eight or nine Can I believe that Moses would relate such things as these I rather wonder with what kind of Forehead the Interpreters could impose such incredible stories upon the Gentiles as if it were possible they should be believed IV. It is plain enough to any one that diligently considers the Greek Version throughout that it was composed by different hands who greatly varied from one another both in stile and wit So that this Book was more learnedly rendred than that the Greek reading more elegant in this Book than in
buried And in Hell he lift up his Eyes being in torment c. Both suddainly disposed of the one to Heaven the other to Hell So we may take example from the two Thieves on the Cross the good Thief went presently to Paradise and the bad to his place and both these to Hades the word in the Creed Christ commends his Soul into his Fathers hands and it went into the hands of God What to do For God to dispose of it And how think you God would dispose of the Soul of Christ The Schools question whether Christ merited Salvation pro se for himself because the reason of the question is whether he set himself to merit pro se Did he or did he not the Soul of Christ after so holy a life and death could not but go to Salvation For what had the Soul of Christ now to do more towards mans Salvation and what could be done more towards its own Now having done all this what had the Soul of Christ to do more but to go to its rest till it be put again into its Body for the raising of that As the Scripture tells us holy Souls go to rest till at the last day they must meet their Bodies and then both shall rest together This passage of our Saviours Soul to Heaven upon his death is called his going to Hades the World of Souls and the place of holy Souls a place invisible to mortal Eyes which though it seems harshly expressed He descended into Hell yet must be interpreted from the Greek expression in this sense And the Phrase in the Greek teacheth that the Soul sleepeth not with the Body stayeth not here on Earth where the Body doth but hath a life when the Body is dead and goeth into another World to have a living or dying life Christs Soul to be separate but thirty six hours and yet it doth not stay and sleep with the Body but takes wing and flies into another World The Sadducee that thought the Soul died with the Body little considered what the nature of the Soul was Christian dost thou consider it Dost thou know what it is No I cannot see it But I may say as it is Rom. I. 20. The invisible things of God are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made So the invisible things of the Soul i. e. its spiritualness and immortality may be seen by the things it acts Prov. XX. 27. The Spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord. It s the Lords candle like that in the Tabernacle that never went out but was drest Morning and Evening and kept burning continually It is the Lords candle Searching all the inward parts of the Belly that is able to acquaint man with himself with his conscience his thoughts affections A candle that searcheth the things of nature looketh into the things of God Compare this Spirit with the Spirit of a Beast a Swine an Ox the acting of the Soul of Man in Wisdom Learning Contrivance with the acting of a Brute and then guess what is the nature of the Soul And if it be so active in the Body when fettred in flesh what think you it will be when loosed out And that it will be one day and go into another World not to be at its own liberty there but it goes to God to dispose of it and so he doth to Heaven or Hell Go away then with this meditation in thy bosom and keep it there My Soul must certainly one day go into the hands of God to receive her due reward FINIS A Chorographical Table OF THE Several Places contained and described in the Two Volumes of Dr. LIGHTFOOTS Works By Iohn Williams THe Jewish Writers divide the World into the Land of Israel and without the Land Vol. II. Pag. 1. The Land of Israel first called the Land of the Hebrews then Canaan and Palestine c. may be considered as to its length and breadth v. II. p. 327. The length of it is said in Scripture to be from Dan to Beersheba and from the entring in of Hamath North to the Sea of the Plain or Dead Sea South v. I. p. 90. v. II. p. 44 The Jews do reckon it from the Mountains of Amana or the upper Tarnegola which is at the neck of Anti-Libanus to the River of Egypt v. II. p. 3 62 517 Others do measure it by the Coast and if Phaenicia be included then from Sidon to Rhinocorura or the River of Egypt is 232 miles according to Antoninus But if Phaenicia be excluded then from the South bounds of that to Rhinocorura are 189 miles according to Pliny v. II. p. 10 322 The breadth of the Land within Jordan is not always the same since the Seas bounding on all sides here the Mediterranean there those of Sodom Genesaret and Samochonitis with the River Jordan cannot but make the space very unequal by their various Windings But if we take the measure of it from the Bay of Gaza to the Shoar of the Dead Sea it is upward of 50 miles and if we extend it also beyond Jordan then from Gaza to Pâ—tra the Metropolis of Moab is 110 miles as may be computed from Ptolomy and Pliny v. II. p. 320 321 The Jews do say That the Land of Israel contained a Square of Four hundred Parsae a Parsa is four miles which make 1600 miles v. II. p. 318 And they have a Tradition and not amiss that the utmost Bounds of the Land of Israel including the Land beyond Jordan was within three days Journey of Jerusalem v. II. p. 319. Sometimes the Land of Israel is bounded with Euphrates East as indeed the Holy Scriptures do and contiguous with Mesopotamia the River only between v. II. p. 365 The several Divisions of the Land It was anciently divided according to the People and Nations that inhabited it viz. the Canaanites Perizzites c. Vol. II. p. 202 328 When first possess'd by the Children of Israel it was parted among the twelve Tribes and upon the Division of the ten Tribes they were known by the two Names of Judab and Israel But after their return from Babylon it was divided by the Jews into Judea Galilee and the Land beyond Jordan or Peraea excluding Samaria To which if we add Idumea then was Palestine divided into five Countries viz. Idumea Judea Samaria Galilee and the Country beyond Jordan Vol. I. Pag. 282 â—64 Vol. II. Pag. 4 61. There was also an Imperial Division of it viz. 1. Into Palestine more especially so called the Head of which was Caesarea 2. Palestine the second the Head of which was Jerusalem And 3. Palestine called Salutaris or the Healthful which its likely was the same with Idumea the less the Head of which may be supposed to be Gaza Asâ—alon or Elâ—utheropolis v. II. p. 293. A. ABel Abila are one and the same the Hebrew Abel being according to the Greek Termination Abila or Abella There were many places of that name Vol. II.
314 other lived longest of all the twelve The children of Israel after the Years of the Promise 315 Years of the Promise 316 death of the twelve Patriarchs do by degrees fall into all manner of Years of the Promise 317 abomination They commit Idolatry Josh. 24. 14. Ezek. 20. 8. They forget Years of the Promise 318 and forgo Circumcision the Covenant of their God and this was Years of the Promise 319 Years of the Promise 320 the reproach of Egypt Josh. 5. 9. c. They joyned in marriage with the Years of the Promise 321 Egyptians Lev. 24. 10. Exod. 12. 38. and walked according to such Years of the Promise 322 wretched principles as these therefore the Lord casteth them into a furnace Years of the Promise 323 Years of the Promise 324 of affliction and now as in Abrahams vision Gen. 15. 12. when Years of the Promise 325 the Sun of Religion is gone down among them an horrid darkness of Years of the Promise 326 Years of the Promise 327 impiety and misery comes upon them Yet doth the strength of the Years of the Promise 328 Promise shew it self wonderful in both the sexes in the men that they Years of the Promise 329 Years of the Promise 330 are strong to beget children though overpressed with intolerable labour Years of the Promise 331 and in the women that they bare their children with less pain and tediousness Years of the Promise 332 Years of the Promise 333 of travel then other women did being lively and quick in their Years of the Promise 334 delivery and were delivered before the midwives came at them Pharaoh Years of the Promise 335 when over-labouring of the men will not prevent their increasing Years of the Promise 336 in children giveth charge to the midwives for the destroying of the children when they should be born but Shiphrah and Puah two of the midwives observing Gods wonderful hand in the womens delivery disobeyed the Kings command and by a glorious confession of Gods hand which they saw will rather venture the Kings displeasure then fight against God for Years of the Promise 337 Years of the Promise 338 which their piety God marrieth them to Israelites for they were Egyptian Years of the Promise 339 women and builded up Israelitish families by them ver 25. Because the Years of the Promise 340 midwives feared God he made them houses PSAL. LXXXVIII LXXIX IN these times of bitterness and misery lived the two sons of Zerah or the Ezrahites Heman and Ethan 1 Chron. 2. 6. who had the spirit of the Lord upon them in the midst of all this affliction and they penned the eighty eight and eighty ninth Psalms the former sadly mourning for the present distress and the latter cheerfully singing the mercies of God in the midst of this distress and prophecying of deliverance And here is the proper place and order of these Psalms The Book of JOB IN these times when it went thus sadly with Israel in Egypt there shone forth the glorious piety and patience of Job in the land of Uz and here in order of time doth his book and story come in It is not possible to fix the time of his great trial and affliction to its proper date but there are two or three considerations which do argue that it was about these bitter times of Israels sinfulness and misery As 1. to consider how suitable it is to the providence of God and agreeable to his dispensation at other times as in the matter of Elias and the widow of Sarepta for one instance that when Religion was utterly lost and gone in the Church of Israel where it should have been to find it in the family of Job in a place where it might have been little supposed to have been found 2. How Job is preferred for his piety before any man alive and that before his patience had given it such a lustre 3. If Eliphaz be called a Temanite as being the immediate son of Teman it helpeth to scantling the time exceeding much for then was he the fourth from Esau as Amram was from Jacob and so their times might very well be coincident The Book of Job seemeth to have been penned by Elihu one of the speakers in it as may appear by these two things 1. Because in Chap. 2. when Jobs friends that came to lament with him and to comfort him are reckoned and mentioned by name Elihu is not named in the number arguing as it may well be conceived these two things 1. That he came not to Job from a place far distant as the other three did but neighboured upon him And 2. that he himself was the Historian and Pen-man that made the relation and therefore he named not himself when he named others 2. Because in Chap. 32. he speaketh of himself as of the Historian ver 15 16 17. They were amazed they answer no more they left off speaking When I had waited for they spake not but stood still and answered no more I said I will answer also I also will shew my opinion Job was a son of Nahor Abrahams brother descended from him by his son Uz Gen. 22. 21. and so Elihu and he came to live so near together the one being of Uz the eldest son of Nahor and the other of Bus the second The order of the Book is facile and direct the Penman in the two first Chapters sheweth how Job fell into his misery who before was one of the richest and most prosperous men in those parts On a Sabbath day when the sons of God presented themselves before the Lord that is when the professors of the true Religion were met together in the publike assembly Satan was invisibly there among them but the Lord seeth him and upon some conference about Job the Lord letteth Satan loose upon him in reference to his estate and another Sabbath upon the like occasion and conference he letteth him loose upon him in reference to his body so Satan destroyeth all that he hath and all his children Read ver 5. of Chap. 1. not when the days of their feasting were gone about but as the days of their feasting went about â— and smiteth him with an intolerable itch that his nails will not serve his turn to scratch but he is glad to get a potsheard to scrub himself Then come his three friends to him from a far distance and Elihu his cousen that lived near to him and these in several speeches to him do but aggravate his misery and prove miserable comforters The dialogues or disputation between him and his three friends do hold this course that he answereth and they reply upon him in the course of their age and seniority Their greatest drift is to prove him extraordinary sinful because he was extraordinarily punished which incharitable errour when he cannot convince them of because of their prejudice he stoppeth all their mouths by a confident imprecation or execration upon himself if he be so faulty