And because hee shall be God and Man therefore he shall be called Emanuel This is he of whome the Prophet Esay cap. 9. foretold saying Vnto vs a childe is borne and vnto vs a sonne is giuen and the gouernment is vppon his shoulder and he shall cal his name Wonderfull Counseller the Mighty God the euerlasting Father the Prince of Peace The encrease of his gouernment and peace shall haue no end He is also called The Sonne of the Virgin Emanuel God with vs Es 7. Shiloh the acceptable child Gen. 49. The bright day starre Luke 3 The Seede of the woman Gen. 3 The Phisition to the helplesse The proclaymer of the acceptable yeare of the Lord The starre and Scepter that should dash all the sonnes of Seth Numb 24 The stone cut out of the mountaine without hands that now filleth all the earth with his glory euē he that should punne Nebucadnetzars image to dust Dan. 2 The sprigge of the root of Iessaj Esay 11 The most holy The annointed of the Father That great Prophet The Tabernacle The Temple The Altar The mercie seate The way that leadeth to the heauenly Ierusalem The truth that directeth to eternall happinesse The life that redeemed Adam from death The true Israelite in whome there is no guile The law-giuer of the Gentiles The propitiatory for our sinnes The mediator betwixt God and man The first begotten Sonne of the Father The euerlasting our Righteousnesse The great sheepheard of his sheepe whome Angels worshipped to whom Kings brought sweet odors as to Salomon to whome the sheepheards of the ends of the earth came to worship He is also called Palmony the secret Numberer who weigheth numbreth and diuideth The Messias Dan. 9. The sonne of Dauid The Lion of the tribe of Iuda The sonne of man The spirituall Rocke The true bread that came from heauen The word that created all things The beloued of the Lord The light and life of man The true vine The dwelling of God with men Michael who thought it no robbery to be equall with God He to whome the Crowne and Diademe doth belong The King of the Iewes Alpha and Omega The Lambe that was killed from the beginning of the world The place where he was borne was Bethlehem of Iudah which the Prophet Micheas calleth Little to be among the thousands of Iudah yet saith the prophet out of thee shall he come forth vnto me that shal be the ruler of Israel whose goings forth haue been from the beginning and from euerlasting The prophet calleth it Little because according to the custome of the Iewes who diuided their countrie into thousands for euery thousand a chiefe Captaine Bethleem was not able to make a thousand But S. Mathew Chap. 2. in respecting the greatnes of the Ruler of Israel that was borne there saith And thou Bethlehem art not the least of the cities of Iudah The time of his birth was in the 42. yeare of Augustus Caesar who Luc. 2. gaue a commandement that all the world should be taxed Therfore went euery man to his owne citie and Ioseph went from Galile out of a citie called Nazaret in Iudea vnto the citie of Dauid which is called Bethleem because he was of the house and lineage of Dauid to be taxed with Mary that was giuen him to wife which was with child And there shee brought forth her first begotten sonne and wrapped him in swadling clothes and laid him in a cribbe because there was no roome for them in the Inne And there were in the same countrie sheepheards abiding in the field and keeping watch by night because of their flockes loe the Angel of the Lord came vpon thē and the glory of the Lord shone about them and they were sore afraide Then the Angell said Be not afraid for behold I bring you tidings of great ioy that shall be to al people that is vnto you is borne this day in the citie of Dauid a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord. And strait way there was with the Angell a multitude of heauenly souldiers praysing God and saying Glory be to God in the highest heauens and peace in earth and towards men good will And these sheepheards following the starre it vanished away where fore they came to Ierusalem and asked saying Where is he that is borne King of the Iewes The purpose of God in this was that the Iewes who by the Prophets might and were bound to haue knowen this by the diligence of the heathen might bee vnexcusable in the day of wrath But departing from Herod the Starre which they before had seene appeared vnto them and went before them till it came stood ouer the place where the Babe was and they went into the house and fell downe and worshiped him and opened their treasures and presented vnto him gifts euen gold and incense and mirhe Heere is performed Esay 60. They of Sheba and Seba shall bring forth gold and incense vpon mine Altar meaning Christ And I will magnifie the house of my glory These were the first fruits of the Gentiles And these Gentiles also were of Abraham by Keturah to whome when he died he gaue gifts and sent them away to the East There was Iob found a iust and perfect man when all the world else had forsaken God And the Sheepheards returned glorifying and praysing God for all they had heard and seene And after eight daies they circumcised the child his name was then called Iesus which was named of the Angell before hee was conceaued in the wombe Herod another Pharaoh proceeding of Esau the old enemie to Iacob destroyeth the little children not by water as the first Pharaoh did Exod. 2. but by the sword Math. 2. Rachel weepeth for her children and would not be comforted because they were not that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet Ier. 31.15 Ioseph taketh the Babe and Marie his Mother and goeth into Egypt vntill the death of Herod and then returneth againe that it might bee fulfilled which was written Oseas 11.1 Out of Egipt haue I called my son There is a great doubt of the time of the yeare of Christs birth which because it is very necessary to bee knowne I thinke it not amisse to lay it downe in the treatise following SAint Mathew reckoning the kindred of Christ brings them down but from Abraham to make the number of his generations Fortie two that is six seauens or three fourteenes and bringeth him also from Salomon thereby to prooue him King of the Iewes But in reckoning the Kings to make the number answerable to a sweet proportion of a former storie that is of the two and fortie standings in the wildernesse and the two and fortie flowers bowles knobbes of the candlesticke in the tabernacle which figured Christ leaueth out three Ioas Amasias and Azarias S. Luke reckoning his kindred bringeth thē from Adam and from Dauid by Nathan thereby to prooue him to be the Seede of the woman
c. The title ouer Christ on the crosse was written in 3. tongues Hebrew Greeke Latine Although it may not bee vrged that all these Threes haue full relation to the Trinitie seeing they fall not out by chaunce wee are not to despise the pleasant harmonie and comfortable vse of them but to thinke that the wisedome of God hath contriued saluation into such a sweet Art that verie children may learne the same and therefore the Scripture is called verie fitly a shallow water and a deepe fountaine shallow that the Lambe may wade and deepe that the Elephant may swimme Foure Is a square number and vsuall Heber the Fourth after the floud Iuda the Fourth Sonne of Iacob Square signifieth true Religion The Lord came in the 4000. yeare of the world Moses Fourth Son in the 4. age was sacrificer to the tribe of Dan. Times 7 Iubiles the time of Christs death The forme of the heauenly Ierusalem Fiue The Letters of Iehouah The 5 Vowels the sinewes of all tongues Christ feedeth 5000. with 5 Loaues Six The day of Adams creation which number is oftentimes vsed in the scripture to put vs in mind of the Creation Hundreth Thousand fighting men came out of Egipt Hundreth yeares old was Noah at the floud Times 7 standings had the children of Israell in the Wildernesse Yeeres was the Land of Canaan in conquering Cities of refuge for one that killed a man by chaunce and not of malice had the Iewes to flie vnto Times did the children of Israell fall before Dauids time in the time of the Iudges Seuen The number of the Sabbath which number of 7. as it is famous for the creation so God continueth the same proportion throughout the Bible to the redemption For as God the Father made the world in six daies and rested the seuenth so God the Son hauing performed his Fathers will resteth the seuenth day in the graue Is a yeare of Grace Planets in the Firmament which Plato compareth to the number of Seuen Starres in Ap. 1. Yeares was the Land of Canaan plagued for that Ioseph the beloued of the Lord should haue been slaine by his brother Stones in the Temple Gods Seuen-fould wisedome or prouidence in all his actions Seuen eyes to looke vpon the building of euery stone in the Temple of Ierusalem Yeares the Land of Canaan was setled in rest Yeares the Temple was in building Yeares Nebucadnetzer was a beast for destroying it Gates in the Temple before you come to the Holy of holiest Braunches did the Candlesticke in the Temple stand vrpon which had 42. knobbes signifying the six dayes worke and the Seuenth day of rest in the creation Moneths was the Tabernacle in building Iubiles was the Arke in the house of Ioseph Trumpeters is a great number that doe alwaies sound Gods praise Henoch the seuenth from Adam Heber the seuenth from Henoch Isaack the seuenth from Heber Moses the seuenth from Abraham Iosua the seuenth from Ephraim Elias taken vp in the seuenth age from Samuel Ioram the seuenth from Dauid Salomons Temple was consecrated in the seuenth moneth answerable to the birth of the Fathers The ceremonie of the Feast of Tabernacles continued seuen dayes After the comming from Egipt it was seuen times seuen daies before the law was giuen Seuen times seuen daies after Christs resurrection descended the holy Ghost The stories of the Scripture goe by seuens From Moses till Christs death thus Seuen yeares the land of Canaan was in conquering Seuen fifties for the glorie of Iosephs house Seuen seuenties for the house of Iuda Seuen tennes for the captiuity From the captiuitie to the death of Christ seuen seuenties Moses ceremonies for the most part were in the seuenth moneth The Manna that was gathered on the sixt day serued for the seuenth The seuenth yeare the Iewes might not plowe sowe nor reape In the end of seuen seuens was the yeare of Iubilee In the seuenth seuen from Cyrus the walles of Ierusalem were built Seuen times seuen Thousand of the Iewes came from captiuitie Ioakim endeth the seuenth seuentie with affliction Seuen yeeres plenty Seuen yeeres dearth in the land of Egipt figured by seuen eares of corne and seuen kine Noah liued seuen Iubilees after the flood Seuen Thousand in the booke of Kings mentioned that neuer bowed their knees to Baal Kaines house cut off in the seuenth age How often shall I forgiue my brother till seuen times I say vntill seuen times seuenty times alluding vnto Daniels Seuens The number of the persons saued in the Arke The day of circumcision Ten is a full number and the highest of last of simple numbers All Nations after the number of Ten beginne againe for plaine teaching and plainenesse in reckoning Ten is the yeare of iudgement or accompt You haue Ten woordes for the creation of the world and Ten words for the gouernment of the whole world The Tenth is a holy number as in Tythes which is giuen to vs to acknowledge our duties In the Tenth moneth the waters of the floude abated Sem liued to see the Tenth age a great blessing Ten plagues were the Egiptians plagued with for afflicting Sems house Ten spyes in the Wildernes misbelieued Ten tribes fell away at Roboams time Daniels beast hath Ten hornes which doe represent Ten cruell Kings The beast in the Reuelation hath Ten hornes The Pope had Ten stately kingdomes to assist him Noah is the Tenth from Adam Abraham the Tenth from Noah Twelue signes in the Zodiacke Twelue monthes in the yeare Twelue Fathers from the floude to Iacob Twelue Sonnes of Iacob Twelue Fountaines in the Wildernesse Twelue stones in Iordan Twelue stones in Aarons breast Salomon had Twelue Stewards and Dauid Twelue valiant Captaines Salomon at Twelue yeares of age discided the controuersie betweene the women for the dead Childe Christ at Twelue yeares of age is founde disputing among the Doctors He likewise ordayneth Twelue Apostles and Twelue times did he appeare after his resurection and in the reuelation of euery Tribe is sealed Twelue thousand The heauēly Ierusalem is described to haue Twelue foundations of Twelue precious stones Twelue gates and Twelue Angels and the names written of the Twelue Apostles and through the Citie there runneth a pure riuer and on either side of the riuer the Tree of Life which beareth Twelue manner of fruites and beareth fruite euery moneth in the yeare and the leaues of the Tree doe serue to heale the Nations with NOw the reason why God in the beginning layd downe in close signification and such easy proportions the whole scope of his gouernment to the worlds end is to shew that his wisedome is infinite and that nothing in the Scriptures doe fall out by chaunce but by his fore-purpose according to the secret counsell of his own will to make vs still looke backe vnto the Creation 130. Seth borne ge 5. when Adam is 130. yeares old ADam was made in the Image of God but Seth is begotten in the
adopted therefore to keepe the number of Twelue hee must leaue out some Simeon was the fittest seeing hee was without repentance Leui must be reckoned seeing his was a spirituall inheritance and the Lord promised to be his inheritance therefore Dan must be omitted And this may be the reason when the Children of Israel came into the Land of Canaan the Tribe of Dan causeth the first Idolatrie and therfore that Tribe was iustly plagued And in this Tribe Idolatrie continued vntill the remoouing of the Arke from Siloh But yet this wee must vnderstand that though Dan is not named yet in respect his tribe are Iacobs Sonnes the Tribe is comprehended in the generall blessing And Moses concludeth that seeing the eternall God is the refuge Israel the Fountaine of water shall dwell in safetie Isachar Was content to liue vnder tribute like to an Asse couching downe betweene two burthens rather than to seeke glorie by leading bands of men Reuben He looseth his prerogatiue because he went vp to his Fathers bed therefore hee is light as water hee shall not excell Reuben hath one of Dauids Captaines of his Tribe but it is presently added therewith Nine and Twentie better than he Reuben sheweth some compassion to Ioseph and would not haue him killed but cast him into some pit Iudah thought that might be too long ere he would be dispatched and therefore selleth him Simeon and Leui. Their wrath was fierce yet because Leui afterwardes repented and shewed tender affection to Ioseph and was zealous in destroying Idolatrers therefore he had a blessing in Moses will Simeon neuer shewed any tender affection to Ioseph and therefore when his brethren come into Egypt and Ioseph accuseth them for Spies he keepeth Simeon in prison till they come downe againe as a kinde of punishment for his former malice His sinne against the Sichemites was exceeding great and seeing he neuer shewed any signe of repentance hee was iustly cut off from the hope of a blessing By this wee may learne to reiect the authoritie of the booke of Iudith First because she sayd to be of the Tribe of Simeon If wee marke this well wee shall see how this booke cannot be scripture For wee must note that it is no small glorie to haue the spirite of God penne a booke of ones actions If there be but a sentence spoken in the commendation of any in the scripture it is a great weight of glorie Now if wee looke to Iacobs will and see that he hath a curse and not a blessing and in the course of Scripture afterward no mention of any repentance that Simeon and his Tribe shewed nor any zeale of religion expressed how can this stand with Iacobs prophecie nay it cleane crosseth it and maketh it frustrate For seeing Iacob as a Prophet telleth all his Sonnes what should befall them in the last dayes to euerie one and his tribe so long as the Kingdome of the Iewes and their policie stood and in his will maketh no mention of the booke of Iudith We must by admitting this booke accuse the spirite of God of ignorance Besides it is a Storie and yet the time thereof doth not fall out within the compasse of any time neither before the captiuitie neither after and therefore to be despised And for my opinion I make as much account of Ouids Metamorphosis as of Iudith for Plato sayth that in fables there is a truth reuealed secretly Thus we are to thinke likewise of the booke of Tobie Leui he repented when Amram of the tribe of Leui saued Moses Zabulon Was a Marchant and delighted in Shippes In Greeke Canaan is called Phenicia and the men of Canaan Phenices Aristotle a Thousand yeares after Moses makes mention of a Riuer Tartesus he meant the Sea Tharsis and the Phenices brought gold had such plenty that their anchors were thereof No doubt he had heard of Salomons time wherin gold and siluer was no more esteemed than stone This trauelling of Iacobs Sonnes into farre Countreys must needs make the heathen haue a tast of Religion And Moses he willed the heathen to resort to the Mountain where the Temple was built Aser Was a Farmer to prouide pleasures for a King You haue in the old Testament little spoken of him but because his tribe should not thinke themselues excluded the fauour of God you haue in the newe Testament Anna that is Grace a verie rare woman for godlynesse the daughter of Phanuel that is See God of the happie Tribe of Aser for Aser signifieth Happie Gad He shall lead an Host of men This was performed when Reuben Gad and halfe Manasses gaue a great ouerthrowe to the Hagarims about the time that Saul was annointed King Thus wee may see that whatsouer is requisite in policie for the maintenance of a common weale you shall finde expressed in the liues and behauiours of the Sonnes of Israel 2369. Ioseph died Gen. 50. being One hundred and ten yeares old By Faith Ioseph when hee died hee made mention of the departing of the Children of Israel out of Egypt and gaue commaundement of his bones Heb. 11. Now because many excellent things are to bee said of Ioseph before his death when hee was in Egypt and in the Sinay sight no yeares layd downe I will here handle them together God prospered him in Egypt in all his actions And euen as God blessed Laban for Iacobs sake so hee blessed Iosephs Master for Iosephs sake Ioseph was a goodly person and a well fauored which commendation in the same words is bestowed vpon Dauid 1. King 16. the same of Daniel and the same of Christ Ioseph would not bee defiled with the fornication of Egypt Daniel would not bee defiled with the vncleane diet of Babell Ioseph expoundeth Pharaohs dreame Daniel expoundeth Nebuchadnetzars dreame Ioseph was made Ruler ouer Egypt Daniel was made Ruler ouer Babell Ioseph being in prison found fauour with the Master of the prison Daniel found fauour with the Kings Chamberlaine Iosephs name was changed by Pharaoh Daniels name was changed by Nebuchadnetzer Ioseph was falsely accused Christ was falsely accused Ioseph was Thirtie yeares old when hee stood before Pharaoh Iesus is baptised beginning to be Thirtie yeares old Ioseph was in prison betweene two theeues the one of them was saued the other condemned Christ was crucified betweene Two theeues the one of them was saued the other condemned Yet notwithstanding all these blessings of God vpon Ioseph to shew that euen the best haue their infirmities his vertues were darkened verie much in that hee marrieth an Egyptian woman Gen. 41. which was altogether vnlawfull For Esau before doing the like is blamed and Rebecca hauing an especiall care ouer Iacob least he should commit the like wickednesse sendeth him to Laban to choose a wife of his owne kindred Abraham had the like care for Isaack and Moses afterwars forbids it by a law thereby confirming the vnlawfulnesse thereof Seuen hundred yeres after is this sinne punished in Israel
for Ieroboam receiueth the Religion of Egypt and maketh two Calues whereby all Israel became Idolatrers Here beginneth Iobs Storie Satan compasseth all the earth c. BEfore wee come to examine Iobs causeâ— there may bee by the way a question discussed concerning succession that is to say Whether succession of Bishops be a necessarie marke of the Church And we shall if we mark the Stories of the Scripture find that is none for in Iobs time where there was a visible Sacrificer to continue the Religion of God in outward policie Satan hauing ouerranne the whole earth telleth God that hee could finde none iust or that feared God So that thereby wee may gather that there were verie fewe whome the world by eye-sight acknowledged godly And to make this more plaine wee are to obserue that the question is not Whether the godly in their owne hearts doe knowe who serue God but Whether there bee continually such an apparance thereof that it may appeare to eye-sight Since Christ wee haue not the like time to this wherein Satan can bragge he ouer-runneth the whole earth For in Iobs time Iacob is dead the Religion which Iobs friends hold is condemned by God Elihu is verie young and Iob himselfe condemned of his friends therefore wee may verie well conclude That it is no sound Diuinitie to affirme that it is no true Church except the policie thereof be so visible as it may be knowne by eye-sight In the Reuleation foure Angels stand on the foure Corners of the earth holding the foure Windes of the Earth that they should not blowe neither on the earth neither on the Sea neither on any greene Tree By this likewise wee may gather that the godly were verie fewe and scarce knowne For the office of these foure Angels was to stay the graces of Gods Spirite from blowing vppon and refreshing the soules of those which dwelt on the earth Wee shall see this cleerer if wee obserue the particular fallings through the Scriptures In Enosh his time Religion decayed in the house of God for the which the flood came and drowned the world After the flood for their wickednesse which they manifested in building the Tower of Babell they haue their tongues confounded and all their families scattered In Iobs time none of the children of Israel forsook the Idols of Egypt In the time of the Iudges you shall finde a great many of fallings away and therefore God gaue them into the hands of diuers and sundry oppressors In Roboams time the ten Tribes fell away In Antiochus time Religion was so corrupted that the Leuites would be Kings and thereby became Saduces maintaining an opinion That after this life the bodie was no more and concerning the soule it was no more to be esteemed than the soule of a beast or any other creature In Christs time all the Iewes were back-sliders except some few perhaps about seuen Thousand which might hold religion sincerely answerable to Elias time After Christ in Vrbanus time all the Christians fell away and then came vp the power and authoritie of Antichrist for whom he made lawes So that if wee consider these things well we shall finde that the godly haue alwaies been so fewe and the outward policie of true Religion so darkened that it could hardly bee discerned This question being thus discussed wee are to consider the time when Iob was afflicted And if we examine things duly we shall find this time to be before Moses There bee slouthfull fellowes that say the time cannot bee prooued when Iobs Storie fell out As though if any one should write Epistles or Orations a good Scholler could not easily from the matter find out the time wherein hee should liue In the Three and Twentie Orations made by Iob and his friends there is mention made of the Creation of the Flood of Babell and the Seuentie Families of Lot of Sodom and his destruction but nothing of the comming from Egypt which being so famous a deliuerance they would not haue omitted For the Prophets continually rehearse it and doe as it were make large Commentaries thereon Further it must bee at such a time wherein Satan had the conquest ouer the whole world for so Satan sayth he had run ouer the whole world and found none that feared God and departed from euil which affirmation cannot bee true but onely when Israel was in Egypt for then all the world but they worshipped strange Gods and of them Ezechiel sayth None of the Children of Israel forsooke their Idols of Egypt Therefore this must needes bee a maruailous Victorie which Satan had gotten Besides Iob himselfe sayth O that God would answere and trie mee This had beene a foolish speech if it had beene after Moses for then his integritie should haue beene determined by Moses lawes When the tongues are diuided you haue Abraham called and made a rare man So when in Egypt all Religion was corrupted you haue Moses borne thereby to shew that when Satan thinketh hee beareth most sway the Lord in mercie will raise vp one to ouerthrowe his Kingdome The temptations of Iob must needes bee about the birth of Moses when the lawe was made of killing the young Children Satan possessing the hearts of the wicked that all their care and studie was bent to the ouerthrowe of the Church and when Aaron was borne but three yeares afore there was peace for wee doe not read that they were faine to hide him Thus much for the time THe place where hee dwelt was Eastward The Sabeans on the one side the Caldeans on the other and Canaan on the other and he as it were in the middest This Country is called Huts God hath in his prouidence dealt so surely that the verie heathen if they bee marked will make plaine the euent of Gods promises Nimrod hee goeth about to ouerthrow Sems blessing and builds him a Tower but God giueth it an ouerthrow Afterwards Nachors Twelue Sonnes ouerrunne the land of Chush Ismaels Twelue Sonnes they doe the like Esau hath eleuen Dukes and Eight Kinges and eleuen Dukes againe and that afore there was any King in Israel as Moses speaketh and they conquer Chush and his Land In Egypt Chush his posteritie imagine by the multitude and strength of their Chariots and Horsemen to reuenge themselues of the Children of Israel but the Lord ouer-whelmed them in the red Sea When the Children of Israel are in the wildernesse they of Canaan and their borders deale despightfully with them and will graunt them no passage thinking therby to starue them in the wildernesse But the Lord by Iesus their Captaine destroyeth them all euen to Canaan the youngest according to the curse of Noah And let Canaan bee his seruant When the Iewes are carried away captiue to Babylon there Chush his posteritie haue a great stroke and seeme to ouerthrow Sems blessing But God raysed vp Cyrus of Sem and Darius of Iaphet to ouerthrow the Babylonians and therby comforteth the Iewes
his Creator Philo a Iew saith that Dina Iacobs daughter was Iobs wife he neuer meant so but it is their manner in teaching their children that where there be women mentioned vnmarried they say they were married to such whose wiues the Scripture mentioneth not that so their children might the better remember them Zophar Bildads Orations were the same with Eliphaz and they condemned Iob in the same manner And heere we must obserue in the discourse of ciuile actions laid downe by Iob that either he liued so or that men should liue so And Moses lawes afterward for policie are but an expressing of these Iobs speech is ended Now follow two Repliers Elihu and God ELihus beginning is modest zealous and true For saith he I am yong and ye are ancient therefore I was afraid to shew my opinion For I said The dayes shall speake and the multitude of yeeres shall teach wisedome and yet aged doe not alwaies vnderstand iudgement yet I must confesse there is a spirit in man but the inspiration of the Almightie giueth vnderstanding You haue condemned Iob because God hath cast him downe I will not iustifie him Yet I will not reprooue him after your manner I will therefore thus reprooue him You said Iob in the 13. chapter Oh that a man might dispute with God Behold I am vnto thee in Gods stead and am formed of clay and behold my terror shall not feare thee You haue said I am cleane without sinne he hath found occasions against me hath put my feete in the stocks But I will tell you O Iob striue not against him for he is greater than man he speaketh once or twice as THE SEEDE OF THE WOMAN SHALL BRVSE THE HEAD OF THE SERPENT and blessed be the God of Sem openeth their eares euen by corrections If then there be a messenger or an interpreter one of a thousand to shew man that his righteousnesse consisteth onelie in the fauour of God that he may say I haue sinned I haue peruerted righteousnesse I haue suckt vp folly like water and where I know not teach thou me O Lord then shall he haue a reconciliation and then shall his righteousnes be restored vnto him Then God replieth out of the whirlewind and asketh Where is hee that obscureth knowledge with many words For Iob should haue shewed the purpose of God in destroying the vpright and wicked together and not spoken doubtfully of it And God sheweth him from the story of the Creation and the excellencie of the Creatures his vnspeakable wisedome Then Iob answereth I am vild I will lay my hand vpon my mouth I know thou canst doe all things and I haue spoken things I vnderstand not therefore I abhorre my selfe and will repent in dust and ashes Then the Lord accepteth Iobs faith and repentance And as high Sacrificer he sacrificeth for his three friends And God blesseth him more now than at the first Where it is translated that Iobs wife should say Curse God and die it cannot be so But the meaning is Blesse God and die flowting him as if she should say See to what your purenesse and precisenesse is come to euen to blesse God and die Had it not beene better for you to haue liued and enioyed prosperity as others This patience of Iobs is repeated in the Epistle of Saint Iames chap. 5. In the Epistle to the Romanes Saint Paul prooueth that the Gentiles were cut off that the Iew might come in and now the Iewes that the Gentiles and concludeth out of Iob who gaue to God first that he might be recompensed And Aristaeus a heathen writer making a description of the storie of Iob saith hee was tempted aswell by the diuell as by his neighbours Thus much for Iobs Storie 2433. Moses borne HEe is the seuenth from Abraham a new Henoch another resembler of the Sabbath Henoch walked with God so did Moses Henoch was a preacher of righteousnesse so was Moses Henoch was a Prophet so was Moses At his birth hee was hidde in an Arke and thereby saued from the waters The Hebrew word is the same with it whereby Noahs Arke is signified Concerning his kinred he was an Hebrew of the Tribe of Leui. Philo-Iudeus calleth him a Chaldean hauing relation to Abraham who was called out of Vr of the Chaldeans to Canaan Diodorus Siculus calleth him an Egyptian for he regarded the soile wherein he was borne and not his familie His name Moses signifieth Drawe out as one drawne out of a poole of water In the eighteene Psalme this word Moses is vsed of Christ in these words My soule is drawne out of many waters In the Hebrew there is a liuelie reference one to another which cannot bee expressed in the English The Grecians call him Mousche which is to take out of the waters penning both to one purpose the notation common to both names If the question be demanded Whether Moses or Mousches be his name in right it is certaine in the text it is Moses but an expounder is free to vse whether he will for explanation Pharaoh maketh a bloodie law to kill all the yong children Wherevpon Moses is cast into the flags whom Pharaohs daughter commandeth to be kept Exod. 2. Wherein we may see the louing kindnesse of Leui recompensed with a rare blessing from God seeing Moses is of his Tribe Amram saued him not fearing the Kings displeasure this is confirmed in the Epistle to the Hebrewes By faith Moses when he was borne was hid of his Parents three moneths because they saw he was a proper child neither feared they the Kings commandement Exod. 1. Heb. 11.3 This speciall preseruation may shew that it is of grace and not of nature that we haue a deliuerer from Egypt Moses mother is Iochebed Leuies daughter Aunt to Moses father sister to his Grandfather At his birth she is 100. yeeres old so we see a new comparison with the birth of Isaack which was a child likewise of promise This being strange not vsuall will no doubt stirre vp the people to enquire and search what the end of him should be whose birth is so famous Iochebal signifieth the glory of God Amram High THe Prouidence of God so disposeth the tongues of the Parents that the names of the children expresse the glorie of God to bee performed afterwards by their actions The Hebrewes commend Iacobs sonnes for not giuing names after the manner of the Egyptians while they were in Egypt The reason of this may be rendred Because that in Egypt they were ill vsed and therefore hated the Egyptians In Babylon they were well vsed vnder the Persians and therefore they haue many Persian names and there did learne so the tongue of Babel that they began to forget their owne The vse of this is very great against the Turke for to prooue from whence he first came and thereby to perswade him to embrace the religion of his first Parents The hatred towards Chams house appeareth in Shesan
and made Baal Berith their God and they remembred not the Lord their God which had deliuered them out of the hands of all their enemies on euery side neither shewed they mercie on the house of Ierubbaal or Gedeon according vnto all the goodnes which he had shewed vnto Israell Then Abimelech went vnto his fathers house and slue his brethren the sonnes of Ierubbaal or Gedeon about seauentie persons vpon one stone so Abimelech raigned three yeares ouer Israel But God sent an euill spirit betweene Abimelech and the men of Sechem and they brake their promise to him that the cruelty toward the seauentie persons and their bloud might come and be laid vpon Abimelech their brother And a certaine woman cast a peece of a mil-stone vpon Abimelechs head brake his braine panne And when the men of Israel saw he was dead they departed euery one vnto his owne place Thus God rendred the wickednesse of Abimelech which he did vnto his father in slaying his seauentie brethren To shew that God by vntimely and miserable death taketh vengeance on tyrants euen in this life Iud. 9. After Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Thola of the tribe of Isachar and he iudged Israel twentie three yeares and died and was buried in Shamir And after him arose Iair of the tribe of Manasses and iudged Israel two and twentie yeares and he had thirtie sonnes that rode on Asse-coltes signifying they were men of authority They had thirtie Cities which are called Hauoth Iair vnto this day and are in the land of Gilead And Iair died and was buried in Chamon And the children of Israel wrought wickednes againe in the sight of the Lord and serued Baalim and Ashtarath and the Gods of Aram and the Gods of Sidon and the Gods of Moab and the Gods of the children of Ammon and the Gods of the Philistines and forsooke the Lord and serued him not And in processe of time the children of Ammon made warre with Israel and they said vnto Iephte of the tribe of Ephraim Come be our Captaine and the spirit of the Lord came vpon Iephte he went to the children of Ammon to fight against them and the Lord deliuered them into his hands Whereupon he according to a foolish vow being ouercome with blinde zeale not considering whether the vow were lawfull or no offred vp his onely daughter in sacrifice and Iephte iudged Israel six yeares Iud. 11. and 12. Chap. Iessai borne ALthough he was but an obscure man in respect of worldly glory yet no doubt he was a very godly man and taught his sonnes the religion of God in that the holy Ghost doth so often repeate his name in the Scripture In the Reuelation chap. 5. Christ is calâ—ed the Lion of the tribe of Iuda and the roote of Iessay And Esay chap. 11. prophecying of the graces of Christ saith There shal come a rodde sorth of the stock of Iessay and a branch shall growe out of his rootes and the spirit of the Lord shall rest vpon him the spirit of wisdome and vnderstanding the spirit of counsell and strength the spirit of knowledge and of the feare of God c. To shew that as Dauid who in diuers respects figured Christ came out of Iessay a man without dignity so Christ shoulde come of a poore Carpenters house as out of a dead stocke as Esay 53.2 He shall growe vp before him as a branch and as a roote out of a dry ground he hath neither forme nor beautie when we shall see him there shal be no forme that we should desire him Againe with the very same skorne that the Iewes despised Christ vpbrayding him by the basenesse of his kindred Is not this the Carpenters sonne doe the Israelites obiect against the house of Iuda when the ten Tribes ioyned with Ieroboam 1. King 12. saying What haue wee to doe with Iessay what haue we to doe with the house of Dauid As if they should say why Iessay was but an husbandman and Dauid was but a sheepheard we will not be subiect to so base kindred nor suffer such a foole as Roboam of their bloud to raigne ouer vs for we be noble and vnfitte to be gouerned by such a poore stocke but we will worship Ieroboam of the house of Ioseph for he is a noble man and diuers valiant and worthy men came of his kindred in the time of the Iudges And so they indeede vtterly forsooke the house of Iuda the stocke of Iessay and walked in the waies of Ieroboam choosing rather for outward dignity to goe to destruction than embracing vertue depend vpon the promises of God to obtaine eternall life Therefore our Sauiour Christ saith in the Gospell Whosoeuer denyeth me before men I will denie him before my Father which is in heauen Luke 9. AFter Iephte Abesan of Bethleem of the tribe of Iuda iudged Israel seauen yeares He had Thirtie sonnes and thirtie daughters He died and was buried at Bethleem And after him iudged Israel Elon of the tribe of Zabulon and hee iudged Israel ten yeares Tthen he died and after him Abdon of the tribe of Ephâ—aim iudged Israel eight yeares and he had 40. sons and thirtie Nephewes that rode on seauentie asse-coltes and he died Iud. 12. But the Children of Israel continued to commit wickednesse in the sight of the Lord and the Lord deliuered them into the handes of the Philistines Fortie yeares Then the spirite of the Lord came vpon Sampson of the Tribe of Dan and with the iawe-bone of an Asse hee slue a Thousand of the Philistines and he iudged Israel Twentie yeares The Philistines in reuenge of this put out both his eyes but the Lord strengthned Sampson against them and hee slue at the time of his death three Thousand more of them Here is perfourmed Iacobs Will in Gen. 49. Where hee saith Dan shall be a Serpent by the way and an Adder by the path byting the Horse heeles so that his Rider shall fall backeward And in Iudg. 16. Hee ouerthroweth the house where the Princes of the Philistines were so that he slue more at his death than in all his life and notwithstanding he died with them yet hee looked for saluation in Christ of whom he himselfe was a figure Now compare him with Christ Sampson Christ was a Nazarite vnto God to the time of his death and saued Israel from the handes of the Philistines was brought before the Princes and mocked at his death ouercame more than in his life was a Nazarite vnto the time of his death and deliuered vs from the spiritual Philistins Sathan and his Angels was brought before the Magistrates and was mocked at his death ouercommeth him that had the power of death The Ceremonie of the Nazarites is prescribed in Numb 6. They were such as vowed themselues to God and from the vaine desires of the world 2870. Heli of the Tribe of Leui iudged Israel Fortie yeares THis Heli
by Nebuchadnetzar BEfore I handle the Kings particularly this must bee vnderstood that now the Kingdome of Iuda was distinguished from Israel For Ieroboam of Iosephs house withdrew the hearts of ten Tribes from vnder the Scepter of Roboam of Iuda and caused all Israell to worship strange Gods and therefore they had two Kingdomes one of Iuda the other of Israel And first I will speake of the Kings of Iuda Roboam Seuenteene yeares HIs name signifieth Sauouring with the people When Salomon was dead his Son Roboam succeeded him in the Kingdome his wise men came and counselled him to serue the people one day and they would serue him all the dayes of his life but hee following the counsell of his young men sayd vnto them My little finger shall be bigger than my Fathers thigh Therevpon the ten Tribes fell away and rebelled against the kingdome of Iuda crying Home Israel to your Tents and they made Ieroboam of the house of Ioseph King ouer them They forgot the Temple of Iuda the promise made to Dauid and the Messias to come of his loynes saying What is Iessai hee was but a yeoman of the house of Iuda Is the house of Iuda better than the house of Ioseph who was King ouer vs in Egypt but Beniamin and the Leuites kept within Iuda And in the Fift yere of Roboam â—kisacke King of Egipt came vp spoyled the Temple the treasures of the kings house For seeing they had lost the gold of their Religion God suffered them to lose the gold of their Temple And this is to be obserued in the state of the kings of Iuda that in it all coÌ„mon wealths in the world are figured For some of them began well and ended ill some begunne ill and ended well some were wise some foolish some verie godly some extreame wicked and finally what condition soeuer the state of a common wealth might be of was expressed in the manners of the kings of Iuda Abiam Three yeares HE succeeded Roboam his Father He wrought wickednesse in the sight of the Lord yet for Dauids sake God set him vp in IerusaleÌ„ he had continuall warre with Ieroboam but alwayes became victor because hee knew that the kingdome belonged to Iuda and therefore waxed mighty so that Ieroboam all his daies could recouer no strength He dyeth Asa succeedeth him and raigneth One and Fortie yeares HE was a godly King for he maketh a lawe 2. Chron. 15. That whosoeuer will not seeke the Lord God of Israel shall be slaine whether he be small or great It is said that in the Thirtie and sixe yeare of his raigne came Baasa King of Israel vp against Iuda That is meant the Thirtie and six yere since the diuision of the kingdome in Ieroboams time His fault was that he put Hanani the Prophet in prison because he reprooued him for making couenant with Benadad King of Aram. 3889. Iosaphat Twentie and fiue yeares HE succeedeth his Father Asa His fault was in ioyning with Ahab of the house of Omri In his dayes Elias was taken vp He repenteth him of his sinne by seeing the king of Israell plagued and himselfe in danger He hath victorie ouer the Moabites and the Ammonites because he set his hart to seek the Lord and so he had rest on euerie side Yet in the end he ioyned with Ahasiah King of Israel who was giuen to doe euill and so he died 1. King 22. 3110. Ioram Eight yeares HE walked in the waies of the Kings of Israel as the house of Ahab had done and wrought euill in the eyes of the Lord. Howbeit the Lord would not destroy the house of Dauid because hee had promised to giue a light to him and to his Sonnes for euer In his dayes Edom rebelled from vnder the hand of Iuda Now is performed the saying of Isaacke when he blessed Esau Gen. 27. But the day shall come that thou shalt loosen the yoake from off thee He slew all his brethren and the Princes of Iuda and made high places in the Mountaines and caused the Inhabitants of Ierusalem to commit Idolatrie So there came a writing to him from Elijah the Prophet Because thou hast done these things behold with a great plague will the Lord smite thy people and thy childreÌ„ thy wiues al thy substance and thou shalt be in great diseases in the disease of thy bowels vntill thy bowels fall out day by day So the lord stirred vp against Ioram the spirit of the Philistins the Arabians that were besides the Ethiopians Because there were other ArabiaÌ„s in Africa southward toward Egipt I distinguish theÌ„ And they came vp to Iuda and carried away all the substance that was in the Kings house and his Sonnes also and his wiues so that there was not a Sonne left him aliue saue Iehaahaz the youngest of his Sonnes to shew that wherein a man offendeth therein hee shall be punished And after all this the Lord smote him in his bowels with an incurable disease and within two yeares his guttes fell out with his disease and he died of sore diseases yet hee was buried in the Citie of Dauid but not amonge the Sepulchers of the Kings 2. Chron 21. So that we may see by Gods Iudgments vpon him that wee cannot both ioyne with the wicked and serue God neither are Gods promises tied to men longer than they continue in his feare keeping his coÌ„mandements as it is written 1. King 2.4 If thy Sonnes take heede to their way that they walk before me in truth that is without hypocrisie with all their hearts and all their soules thou shalt not sayd he want one of thy posteritie to sit vpon the throne of Israel 3117. Ochosias One yeare HE was two and Fortie yeares old when hee began to raigne The meaning is this He is the child of the two and Fortieth yeare for it is two and Fortie yeares since the house of Omri came vp Here is repeated the like storie of two and Fortie yeares in the wildernesse He was the Sonne of Athalia the Daughter of Ahab of the house of Omri hee walked also in the way of Ahab King of Israel for his mother counselled him to doe wickedly wherefore hee did euill in the sight of the Lord like the house of Achab. For they were his Counsellors after the death of his Father to his destruction Which sheweth that such as the rulers be such are their Counsellors and that there can neuer bee a godly Kingdome where wicked Counsellors are suffered to beare stroke And the destruction of Ochosias came in that hee went to Ioram the Sonne of Achab King of Israel to fight against Hazael King of Aram at Ramoth Gilead and against Iehu the Sonne of Nimshi whome the Lord had annointed to destroy the house of Achab. Therefore when Iehu executed iudgement vppon the house of Ahab and found the Princes of Iuda and the Sonnes of the brethren of Ochosias that wayted on Ochosias he slue them