was brought hither for the instant occasion and afterwards returned back unto Shiloh § 51. Dothan lay east of Shechem wherein the Prophet Elisha for some time made his abode Here he was complained of to the King of Syria for being the pick-lock of his Cabinet-councels and therefore an army was ordered to apprehend him But why so many to attach a single person and his servant Indeed no more then needed For Elisha alone was an army in himself being the horsemen of Israel and chariots thereof His servant seeing themselves surrounded cryes out till having his eyes opened he discovereth themselves guarded with a fiery army on the tops of the mountains Thus Angels are good mens Janizaries to protect them and those Natives of heaven grudge not to guard those who are onely free Denizens thereof The Syrians are smitten with blindness and they that came for the destruction are glad to follow the direction of Elisha Indeed to whom should blind men goe but to the Prophet the Seer to guide them He leads them for the present the wrong way to their intents and desires but in fine the right way to Gods glory and their safety in stead of Dothan bringing them to Samaria How easily are those misled who lack the use of eyes And alass whither will implicire faith and blind obedience steer the followers thereof Yet here all came off in a peaceable close so that their lives being saved sight restored bodies feasted and mindes better informed they returned to Damascus If I must be a captive may I be a prisoner to a pious Prophet so shall I be best used and my ransome easiliest procured § 52. This Dothan I take to be the very place where Ioseph found his brethren and there was put into the pit and sold to the Merchants For being sent by his Father to Shechem he was by a man directed to Dothan whither his brethren had removed their flocks and which probably was not far off but some few miles from the former place Wherefore when formerly in the description of Zebulun we placed Dothan in the northern parts of that Tribe threescore miles from Shechem therein we were carried away with the common current of other mens judgements and now have watched our advantage to swim back again and shew our private opinion in the position thereof And besides the aforesaid text setling Dothan near Shechem in this Tribe of Ephraim it is proportionable to divine providence that the place whereon Ioseph was betrayed and pit wherein he was put should in after ages fall to the possession of the sons of Ephraim descended from him § 53. But here a materiall Question will be started how Ioseph could properly say that he was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews when the Hebrews at that time had none inheritance in it no not so much as to set their foot on Say not that Ioseph being a child when taken away might be allowed to speak incongruously for we behold his words as uttered by him when a man And surely he who then could expound dreames could express himself in proper language Some conceive it was termed the Land of the Hebrews 1 From those few Hebrews the family of Iacob living there though not as inhabitants but onely as sojourners therein 2 It was the Land of the Hebrews by promise and in due time should be theirs by possession 3 The Land of the Hebrews though not in linage in language the Canaanites speaking the same tongue with Iacobs family 4 Some conceive this land anciently belonged to Heber as all Asia to the sons of Shem and that the Canaanites had before Abrahams time encroached on that Countrey To strengthen this last conjecture we must remember that Melchisedech King of Salem who generally is conceived to be Shem the ancestour of the Hebrews still retained his kingdome in the land of Canaan And it might be that the other Hebrews were ejected by the Canaanites If so the Israelites afterwards got the land under Ioshua by a double Right of Conquest and Recovery § 54. In this Tribe no doubt was the city Ephraim in a Countrey near to the wilderness where our Saviour that Sun of righteousness clouded himself for a time when the Iews took counsell to kill him Wonder not that we cannot find the exact situation of this place For Christ chose it on purpose for the privacy and obscurity thereof Thus though willing to lay down he was not willing to cast away his life unfit to be a Saviour of mankind if a destroyer of himself And though he knew well that all the weights of mans craft and cruelty could not make the clock of his time strike one minute before his hour was come yet he counted it his duty by Prudentiall means to endevour self-preservation § 55. Two eminent places remain which we have reserv'd for the last because of the uncertainty of their particular situation though both of them certainly in this Tribe One the hill of Phinehas which was given him in mount Ephraim Let no sacrilegious hands hasten hither with their Spades and Mattocks to pare and abate this hill as too large a possession for the high Priest seeing a greater had been too small for his deserts who stood up and executed judgement and so the plague ceased This Hill of Phinehas certainly was with in the circumference of some Leviticall city in this Tribe and we conjecturally have placed it within the circuit of Beth-horon the upper Here religious Eleazar the son of Aaron was buried in this hill belonging to his son Phinehas § 56. The other the Mount of Amaleck in the land of Ephraim But how came the Amalekites to have any thing in the heart of Ephraim whose own countrey lay two hundred miles more south-ward near the Red-sea And yet it is no wonder to finde theeves and robbers such were the Amalekites in any place who like the Devill their father goe to and fro in the earth walking up and down therein But we are confident this mountain was so called from some eminent thing here done or suffered by the Amalekites For we finde them joined with the Midianites in the days of Gedeon to destroy Israel and finde afterwards this Tribe of Ephraim very succesfull in doing execution on the remains of the Midianitish Army when defeated Why then might not this mountain of Amalek be so named from some Amalekites then slain in this place As Danes-end in the west-side of Hartford-shire took its name from a battell thereby wherein the Danes were overthrown In Pirathon a town on mount Amalek Abdon one of the peaceable Judges in Israel was interred § 57. I conceived all memorable places described in this Tribe but on review do discover a guilty town lurking besides Ephraim as if conscious of the treachery committed therein it endevoured to
Leshemites pursie with long peace then to undertake those two warlike nations well breathed daily in military Discipline And sudden surprisals were foretold in this Tribe § 5. But grant the measure in this Tribe but short the ware thereof was very fine the Countrey being passing fruitfull in commodities Herein grew that bunch of Grapes of prodigious greatness in gathering whereof by the hand of the spies sent to search the Land the Israelites took Livery and Seisin of the fruits of the Countrey Besides this Tribe did drive some sea-trade Deborah complains Why did Dan remain in ships though the Iews generally were mean Mariners and Merchants Partly because the fatness of their soile so stuck by their sides it unactived them for forein adventures and natures bounty unto them gave their industry a Writ of ease to sit at home And partly because being divided as an Island from the Continent of the World in Religion from other Countries it cut off their comfortable commerce with other nations though since their wofull Posterity have proved the Capemerchants of the world § 6. First to survey the west side on the sea therein we are accosted with Ioppa a strong City seated on an high rock so that Strabo reports that Ierusalem may thence be discovered which a modern Traveller concludes impossible At the bottome thereof a haven formerly most convenient So ancient a place that some make it first founded and so named from Iapheth before the floud But it is utterly improbable that Noah being himself busied about building an Arke which threatned the worlds destruction would suffer his son to erect a City as promising a fixt habitation Hither all the timber of the Temple cut down and carved in mount Lebanon was brought by the Tyrians in floates and hence by Carts conveyed to Ierusalem Hither Ionah fled and took shipping for Tarshish conceived by some to be the Countrey of Cilicia by others the city Tarsus therein But be it Sea or Land Countrey or City sure it was not Niniveh whither God had sent him Here charitable Dorcas which made coates and garments for the poor widows whilest she was with them the lanthorn of mens good deeds cast the best light when carried before them and done in their life time lived dyed and was revived by Saint Peter Here he lodged in the house of Simon a Tanner by the sea-side water we know is very necessary in that occupation though salt water onely usefull to wash raw hides and therein beheld that vision wherein the Epitome of all creatures were in a sheet represented unto him Of this great City at this day onely two old towers doe survive it being questionable whether the place be more ruinous or the poor Moors more ragged that dwell therein A bad haven much obstructed with sands and exposed to the fury of the north wind The best commendation of this harbour is that Iury had no better scarce another as if God condemned the seacoasts thereof to danger as the Continent to barrenness § 7. Near unto Ioppa is Lydda some six miles North-west where Peter cured Enâ—as truly pious of the palsie which eight years had afflicted him Here Saint George is reported to have been beheaded and his tombe is shewed in this place All I will adde is I hope without offence this ensuing Parallel In Ioppa In Lydda The valour of Perseus is celebrated for freeing Andromeda daughter to King Cepheus tyed with chaines to the rockes from the fury of a sea monster to which she was exposed The puissance of Saint George is remembred for delivering the nameless and onely daughter of a certain King of Libya from a fiery Dragon to whom she was tendered by lot to be devoured It is pity these two stories should be parted asunder which will both in full latitude be believed together Hard to say whether nearer the two places or two reports He that considers the resemblance of their complexions will conclude Fancy the father Credulity the mother of both though we need not presently reject all the story of Saint George for fictitious for some improbable circumstances appendent thereunto Nor have I ought else to observe of Lydda save that in Saint Hieroms time it was called Diospolis § 8. To return to Ioppa the port of Ierusalem And let us a little way accompany the Pilgrims in the road thitherwards Take the character of the Countrey on the credit of a late eye-witness A most pleasant plain yeelding Tyme and Hyssope and other fragrant herbs without tillage or planting growing so high that they came to the knees of our Asses Nor need any wonder at the stature of this ground Hyssope in Iury different from wall-Hyssope or mosse rather the last and lowest step of natures storehouse and Solomons study seeing good Authors have affirmed that haec planta in Iudaeâ arborescit hyssope doth tree it in Iudea And what is called by Matthew and Mark Calamus a reed cane or speare is rendred an Hyssope-stalke by Saint Iohn Because as a learned man concludes Hyssope here sprouted so high that thereof an instrument might be made to lift up the sponge to our Saviours mouth hanging on the Cross. And thus we see that as always one of Iob's messengers escaped to bring the sad tydings of their fellows destruction so even at this day some stragling vallies in Palestine have made hard shift by their own fruitfulness still continuing to informe the world how plentifull this Countrey was before barrenness by Gods appointment seised on the generality thereof § 9. To proceed in the road to Ierusalem as the best guide to direct us in the survey of the north of this Tribe It passeth not far from Shaalâ—im a City of Dan but in the confines of Ephraim Where though the Amorites dwelt in despight of the Danites yet the Tribe of Ephraim made them tributaries A little further this high-way takes its farewell of the Tribe of Dan but with full intent shortly to visite it again For having passed over a corner of Ephraim which baggeth into the south it returns into Dan and goes forward by Modin the City of Mattathias and his sons where the seven sepulchers of the Maccabees each a high Pyramid on a square basis and all mounted on a steep hill are a conspicuous sea-mark to the Mariners many miles distant Charitable monuments which being erected for the honour of the dead are imployed for the safety of the living Few miles hence this high-way finally leaves this Tribe And therefore we leave it onely wishing the passengers therein a prosperous journey to Ierusalem That such as goe thither about business may dispatch the same to their own contentment such as travell out of curiosity may have their expectation so satisfied as to countervaile all their paines and charges and such as goe thither out of superstitious opinion to merit may have their
surrounded on all sides with Iudah whereas in your Map the northern side thereof is all along fairly flanked with the Tribe of Don. Aleth You may remember what we so lately proved that Dan's portion primitively pertained to Iudah and was a canton cut out thereof In which sense according to Scripture Simeons inheritance was within the children of Iudah's and originally encompassed therewith Philol. Why call you this Tribe a jagged remnant being as whole a cloth as the rest and though not so great as entire as the other Tribes I am not sensible by this your Map of any notorious dispersedness of the Simeonites habitations Aleth Undoubtedly Iudah his portion made many incisures and larcinations into the Tribe of Simeon hindering the entireness thereof Particularly Askelon and Gaza first given to once possessed by Iudah though regained by the Philistines were continued and tyed by some narrow labell of land to the main of Iudah at leastwise had a Church-path as I may terme it a passage to the Temple without going through any part of Simeon But wanting certain instructions how to contrive and carry on such indented conveyances and not willing to confine the Reader to our conjecturall fancies we have left him to his liberty presenting Simeon entire wherein he may frame such incursions of Iudah as comply best with his own opinion Philol. You make this Tribe to range some miles south of Beer-sheba whereas that place passeth currant for the utmost border of the Countrey What more common in Scripture then from Dan to Beer-sheba that is from the north to the south of the land of Canaan Aleth It was the utmost eminent City but not absolutely the farthest place in Palestine as neither mentioned amongst the southern boundaries of the land in generall Numb 34. nor with the utmost limits of the Tribe of Iudah Iosh. 15. In ordinary discourse we measure England east and west from Dover to the Mount as the farthest western place of note though Cornwall stretches seven miles beyond it unto the lands end So Beer-sheba was the remotest remarkable City of Canaan where the cloth as I may say ended though the list thereof reached beyond it to the River of Egypt CHAP. XIII Objections against Benjamin answered Philol. VVHy make you Nob a Levite City in Benjamin within the suburbs of Anathoth Seeing Nob is neither named amongst the four Cities bestowed on the Levites in this Tribe Iosh. 21. 17. nor is it any of the eight and forty belonging unto them throughout the whole Countrey of Canaan Aleth That Nob was in this Tribe appears by that caâ—alogue of Cities presented us in Nehemiah which the Benjamites repossessed after their return from Babylon That it was a Levites yea a Priests City appears too plainly by the Massacre therein on them committed We confess it none of the eight and forty originally assigned to the Levites Yet how they in after-ages were capable of supernumerary Cities more then in their first Charter and how the Mortâ—main of the Levites as I may term it was enlarged with new foundations we have lately answered in the objections of Ephraim whither we refer you for further satisfaction Philol. You make the sons of Saul executed on an hill nigh Gibeah of Saul which your judicious friend will have hung up before the Tabernacle in Gibeon observing therein an exemplary piece of divine justice that whereas Saul had ruined the Tabernacle at Nob his sons were hung up before the same in Gibeon Aleth Not to be a Plaintise against him but a Defendant of my self I conceive him mistaken in confounding Gibeah of Saul with Gibeon distinct Cities as may appear by their severall owners and actions therein performed GIBEON GIBEAH An ancient City of the Hivites whose inhabitants deceived the Israelites given to the Levites in the Tribe of Benjamin where the Tabernacle was set up in the time of Solomon A City in Benjamin hard by Iâ—rusalem distinct from the former whose inhabitants were meer Benjamites and by their lust abused the Levites Concubine to death for which their Tribe was almost extirpated it was afterwards called Gibeah of Saul from his birth and frequent residence therein Now the text expresly saith that the Gibeonites did hang them up unto the Lord in Gibeah of Saul that is in Sauls native place and Court where he had issued out his cruell edicts for the slaughter of the Gibeonites Philol. But that expression they hanged them in the hill before the Lord imports the same performed in some religious place probably in the prospect or view of the Tabernacle Aleth Before the Lord implies no more then what in the foregoing verse was termed unto the Lord that is in a sacred manner not out of private revenge but in an holy zeal tendering the parties executed an oblation to divine justice and so is interpreted by the Expositors thereon Philol. In your particular Map of Benjamin Iordan runs almost directly south the whole course of whose channell visibly bendeth eastward in your Map generall of Palestine Aleth That generall Map though first placed was last perfected wherein we have amended three mistakes as escaped in our particular descriptions One that wherein you instance another 〈◊〉 Reâ—â—en formerly forgottâ—n to be confessed making that Tribe a little longer from north to south then it is represented in our particular description thereof My care shall be God willing in the second edition to conforme those particular Maps according to these rectisiâ—ations in the generall description CHAP. XIV Objections against Judah answered Philol. WOuld not it affright one to see a dead man walk And will not he in like manner be amazed to see the Dead-sea moving Why have you made the surface of the waters thereof waving as if like other seas it were acted with any tyâ—e which all Authors avouch and your self confesseth to be a standing stinking lake Thinkâ— not to plead that such waving is the impression of the winde thereupon seeing Tacitus affirmes of this sea Neque vento impellitur it is such a drone it will neither goe of it self nor yet be driven of the winde Aleth I will not score it on the account of the Graver that it is onely lascivia or ludicrum coeli the over-activity of his hand And in such cases the flourishings of the Scrivener are no essentiall part of the Bond but behold Mercators and other Authors Maps and you shall finde more motion therein then is here by us expressed The most melancholy body of moisture especially of so great extent is necessarily subject to such simpering in windy weather as inseparable from the liquidity thereof Philol. Why set you Zeboim most northernly of all the five Cities in the Dead-sea in the place where Sodome is situated in all other descriptions Aleth The placing of them is not much materiall whether longwise all in a File as Mr. More sets them
by learned men These two most considerable either that it was so called because very populous in which consideration it is termed by Iosephus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 affirming that the least 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 village therein had fifteen thousand inhabitants So that Galilea Gojim or of the Gentiles is the same with populous Galilee If any except that Gojim in Scripture is onely taken for Heathen never for the people of the Iews may he be remitted to learned Rivet by instances to the contrary to have his judgment rectified herein or else it was called Galilee of the Gentiles because it bordered on them and lay in the passage through which travellers journied to the Gentiles Thus the gate of Ephraim in Ierusalem got the name thereof not that it stood in but led toward the Tribe of Ephraim § 7. The Galileans were high spirited people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fighters from their infancy impatient of wrong lovers of liberty and prone to revenge Much of their nature may be read in their countrey-man Saint Peter forward not to say furious in hot bloud to draw his sword though at great disadvantage and after at leasure to repent it Apt they were to raise tumults against the Romans but always with ill success Witness especially when they pretended sacrifice to cloak their Rebellion but Pilat was too quick and cunning for them who subduing them mingled their bloud with their sacrifices They were distinguishable by their Dialect from other Iews speaking a broader or as I may say a Dorick Syriack whereof the maid minded Saint Peter Thou art a Galilean and thy speech agreeth thereunto They were accounted courser and less refined Iews as appears by the expression of the Evangelist The Galileans received him having seen all the things that he did at Ierusalem at the feast for they also went up vnto the feast Where those words for they also though they admit the Galileans to the communion of the same Religion with the Iews yet set them at a second table as inferiour to the other Yea the Iews called our Saviour in disgrace at least wise in diminution a Galilean Might I presume to interpose my opinion I should conceive these Galileans were chiefly extracted from the remainder of the ten Tribes left behind in the land after the Assyrian captivity as we have shewed before § 8. If these three Provinces be in severall respects compared together they behave themselves as followeth For Antiquity Galilee the first mentioned in Ioshua Iudea the next Samaria the youngest Extent Iudea the greatest Galilee the next Samaria the smallest Honour Iudea the highest because Ierusalem therein Samaria the next Galilee the meanest Safety Samaria the first best secured in the middle Iudea next Galilee last and most exposed to enemies Fruitfulness Galilee the first Samaria second Iudea mountainous and less fruitfull by the testimony of Saint Hierom. This distinction of these three Provinces lasted till the destruction of the second Temple but abated in the solemnity thereof by the ensuing partition into Tetrarchies CHAP. 12. Of the division of this land into four Tetrarchies and some other small territories § 1. MUch about the time of our Saviours birth this land was divided into four Tetrarchies A Tetrarchy is conceived by some to be a dominion wherein are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. four squadrons and sixty four men Others with Pliny take it to be a countrey with four Cities therein But learned Salmasius to whom we refer the reader confutes these for erroneous where he proveth a Tetrarchy to be a fourth part of a kingdome be the men or Cities therein more or less These Tetrarchies in Iudea took their originall from the Testament of Herod the great who leaving severall Sons bequeathed unto them parcells of his Kingdome § 2. Afterwards with some alteration of their limits these Tetrarchies in Iudea were continued by the Romans as also elsewhere in the Countrey of Galatia on very politick considerations 1. Hereby they had the advantage four to one to gratifie and ingage more friends with Princely honour seeing one kingdome thus thriftily managed afforded four Tetrarchies as he may be charitable to moe who changeth his pence into farthings 2 As they gratified moe so they trusted less it being no wisdome to venture too much power in one and the same person 3 The restless nature of the Iews required many overseers and a small territory amongst them would yeeld the Governour thereof plentifull employment In Saint Luke we find the number and order of these Tetrarchies namely when Iohn Baptist began to preach Pilate was Governour of Iudea Herod was Tetrarch of Galilee Philip was Tetrarch of Iturea and Trachâ—nitis Lysanias was Tetrarch of Abilenâ— Pilate is styled Governour having precedency of the rest as residing in Ierusalem the principall City and perchance had a superintendency over the other Tetrarchs by vertue whereof he suppressed the rebelâ—lious Galileans which were otherwise of Herods dominion Howsoever they observed their distinct jurisdictions for Pilat hearing that Christ was of Galilee sent him to Herod to be tried before him either out of civility because he would not incroach on anothers jurisdiction or out of policy to decline so distastfull and dangerous employment at leastwise to divide the Odium betwixt them that Herod should have his share if not his half thereof § 3. Concerning the bounds of Iudea and Galilee Samaria being so swallowed up betwixt them that the southern part thereof belonged to Iudea the northern to Galilee largely in the last Chapter Of Iturea hereafter more fully in the Description of Nephthali As for Abilene we are less solicitous in assigning the accurate bounds thereof because it lay wholly out of the land of Canaan the proper subject of our discourse Abilene called by Ptolemy Abilene Lysaniae being a fair City in Coelosyria where the dominions thereof ranged far on the north of Libanus If any demand why the Tetrarchy of Abilene is mentioned by Saint Luke seeing it was an exotick and forain territory out of the pale of Palestine let them know it was done out of the over aboundant exactness of the Evangelist for these reasons 1 The more exquisitely to notifie the particular time of his history not onely by the date of the Governours of Iudea but also of contemporary neighbouring Princes And the harmony in chronology is the sweeter the more are brought into the consort 2 Because many dispersed Iews equally concerned in Christ and the benefit of the Gospell lived scattered in Abilene 3 Because having formerly mentioned three Tetrarchs the number had not been perfect and entire without adding the fourth Thus some English coines being quarter-pieces cannot be put away in payment without loss except four of them be joined together 4 Because though Abilene was not within the compass of
mungrell creatures of equivocall extraction deriving cruelty from the Wolves their sires and craft from the Foxes their dams These Iackalls are meant by our translatours Psalm 63. 10. Let them fall by the edge of the sword that they may be a portion for Foxes not for ordinary Foxes which indeed are so dainty mouthed that they will not feed on any carkasse but what they kill themselves but for these Iackalls which may pass for Foxes because so by the surer side so ravenous that they will not onely feed on carion above ground but even dig holes into the earth fetch forth and feed on dead bodies of men if not deeply interred § 6. The river Arnon running full south passeth by Aroer a fair City whereof frequent mention in Scripture but in no other notion but onely as the eastern boundary of Canaan Here Arnon entertaineth a river from the west called the river of Gad because rising running and falling within the compass of this Tribe § 7. This river of Gad had formerly received into it another stream called the waters of Nimrim threatned by the Prophets to be dried up on the banks whereof Bethnimrah a City was seated At the conflux of these two the Sea of Iazer is found being no other then a Lake about our Whittlesey Meer in Hungtingtonshire for greatness as the Iews call the meetings of all waters whether fresh or salt Seas Nor let their language herein be challenged for impropriety having a warrant from God himself who at the creation called the dry land Earth and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas Conformable hereunto is the expression of the modern Dutch for in Helvetia a Province of Germany yea in Argow as I may say a County of Helvetia I have told above sixteen Seas Zugersee Thuner-see Ober-see Rot-see c. though the biggest of them but lakes in effect Yea the Iews did so far extend or rather so straitly contract the word Sea that that capable vessell of brass used as a Lavatory for the sacrifices in the Temple was tearmed the Molten Sea Iazer which gave name to this Sea was a City of the Levites hard by whereat some sad accident had happened though the particulars thereof are not discovered in Scripture for the weeping of Iazer passeth in the Prophet as the expression of great lamentation § 8. Hence the river of Gad passeth by Civitas interammis or the City in the midst of the river wherewith on all sides it is environed never mentioned in Scripture but with the company of Aroer a clear evidence both of their distinction and vicinity Hereabouts Ioab pitched his tent when sent to number the people Wonder not that having the convenience of three Cities so near to receive him he preferred rather to reside in a tent during that imployment For besides that such movable habitations comply best with military men it was fittest for the work in hand where the people to be reckoned might have full and free accesse in open aire both wholsomer for the persons and speedyer in dispatch then when pent within the streets and walls of a City Nothing else memorable remains in the southeast corner of this Tribe save Dibon a City sometimes assigned to Reuben and sometimes to Gad. To reconcile this some make them different and distant Cities which in my apprehension is rather to set up two marks then to hit the right one For seeing these two Tribes confine together and both lay claim to Dibon like the two mothers challenging the living childe we have onely in stead of a sword made use of pricks setting it equally in the bounds of both Here we advise the Reader not out of distrust of his skill but desire of his good to beware neither to confound this Dibon in Gad with Dibon-Gad the thirty ninth station of the Israelites as they came out of Egypt nor with another Dibon which seems to be in Iudah wherein the Iews dwelt after their captivity § 9. The river of Iabbok arising out of the aforesaid stony countrey first runs directly northward and strengthened with an acceâ—â—ion of waters from the Kingdome of Ammon turns his stream full west In which course ere long he cometh to the ford which Iacob with his family passed over and where we crave the Readers leave for a while to discontinue our discourse of this river and to attend that worthy Patriarch in his travels through this Tribe which in form of a Belt crossed Gad athwart from northeast to southwest Iacob first entring into this Tribe came to Nahanaim that is the two campes because there the Angels digested into two armies probably behind and before him appeared to Iacob Now as Adams naming the Creatures argued his dominion over them so the Patriarchs naming of places in Canaan was an Earnest that their posterity should possesse them Who no doubt as curious to enquire so were carefull to continue those names which their Ancestors had given them Mahanaim was afterwards a City of the Levites and in the reign of Ishbosheth the son of Saul it was made the chief City of his kingdome But with his life within three years expired the Metropolisship of Mahanaim which afterwards afforded refuge and residence to David when flying from Ierusalem for fear of Absolom Hither the news of Absoloms death was brought to King David joyfull to the King but dolefull to David which caused his patheticall lamentation over the gate till the heat of Ioabs anger dryed up Davids teares perswading him with cheerfull looks to countenance the conquerours § 10. From Mahanaim let us goe fairly and softly on with an easie pace in the company of Iacob not overdriving his children and cattell to the above named fords of Iabbok and thence to Peniâ—l where Iacob the youngest warriour fighting before he was born and the strongest Conquerour prevailed with God appearing like an Angell Who in admonition to Iacob that he overcame not with his own striving but his opposites yeelding gave him a gentle touch being pleased where he could have broken the bone onely to shrink the sinew whereupon Iacob carried an upright heart and lame leg to his grave Indeed learned Rivet is of opinion that God presently healed his halting chiefly grounding it because Esau at his meeting took no notice of his lameness but doth not the negative follow with more probability because the Scripture takes no notice of his curing Besides had the cure come so quick the hurt had never left so deep and long lasting impression in the practise of the Israelites abstaining for that cause from eating the sinew in the thigh Yea modern Iews oh that they were as observant of the substantiall as ceremoniall parts of the old Testament not certain which sinew it was so many meeting in the thigh refrain from feeding on all Nerves in the hinder parts of
threefold difficulty appeareth in the relation of the story 1 Whilest other Gospells mention but one Saint Matthew makes two men possest with a Devill 2 The same tearmeth them Gergasens whom other Gospells name Gadarens 3 Seeing Swine till killed return their owners no profit and then their flesh was forbidden to the Iews to eate how came the Gadarens being undoubtedly Iews otherwise Christ would not have conversed with them to keep such a company of useless cattell But these difficulties accept of their severall solutions 1 Though two were possest one of them being Paramount in torture and unruliness eclipsed the mention of the other the second not being named in the presence of the principall 2 Gadara and Gerazen though distinct were neighbouring Cities and so might have joint commonage of cattell betwixt them 3 They kept Swine to truck and barter with other nations Though their flesh was unclean in the mouths yet their money was clean in the purses of the Iews But if any conceive they kept Swine not onely ad usum but ad esum such must acknowledge the drowning of them to be the owners just punishment for their breaking Gods commandements But when those Hogs were sunk in the sea a greater herd of them remained in the City swinish people who preferred to wallow on the dunghill of their own wealth rather then to possess the pearl of Christs presence whom they requested to depart out of their coasts So much of the Gadarens and their neighbours the Gergasens onely let me adde that from the affinity of sound some have collected the Girgashites anciently to have inhabited this countrey as we have formerly observed and therefore in the title of every leafe we have divided this Tribe betwixt them and the Amorites as the old possessors thereof § 18. Strabo reports how there is a little Lake near to the City of Gadara infected with such malignant and pestiferous qualities that it scaldeth off the skin of whatsoever is cast into it This may seem an effect of the Devills in the hogs Satan when he departs useth to leave such perfumes behind him and semblably the possessed man stripped himself of all his clothes and went naked But seeing the Scriptures say expresly that the hogs ran into the Sea and not into this petty Lake I dare not assign this as the cause of those mischievous waters § 19. Iordan having got out of the aforesaid Sea of Galilee is presently crossed over with a stately Bridge I conceive it of no great antiquity no stone thereof appearing in the Scripture but Mercators Maps take notice thereof And a moderate Iesuite tells us observe it Reader against the time thou travellest into those parts that the way over this bridge though somewhat further about and less frequented is an easier and safer rode from Damascus to Ierusalem then what is commonly gone over Iacobs bridge in the Tribe of Naphtali whereof God willing hereafter § 20. And now Iordan being enriched with the tributary waters of Iabbok gâ—ows fair and large yet not so deep but that it is fordable especially at that place so fatall to the Ephraimites where fourty two thousand of them were by Iephthah put to the sword Four-sold was the offence of these Ephraimites 1 They neglected on seasonable summons to assist Iephthah against the Ammonites 2 They falsly retorted the fault on Iephthah and being wilfully deaf at his call accused him for dumbe not calling them 3 They gave the Gileadites reproachfull language calling them Runnagates 4 They menaced to burn Iephthah and his house with fire Hereupon Iephthah defended himself and defeated them in a memorable overthrow The Ephraimites being routed fled to these fords of Iordan so hoping to recover their own countrey on the other side But all in vain Iordan indeed might here be waded over but no passage over the swelling Surges of their enemies anger How willingly would those who called others Runnagates have been now Runnaways themselves but could not be permitted The Gileadites pursued yea prevented them and arraigned them all for their lives Shiboleth is their neck-word and as ratling in the throat is generally to sick men so lisping of their tongues was a certain Symptome of their death § 21. Some will accuse Iepâ—thah of cruelty that not contented with the honour of the Conquest he followed the Chace so furiously as to suffer his sword not onely to drink to mirth but to swill to drunkenness in the bloud of his brethren But haply this execution without order from him might be done by the Gileadites in heat of anger Souldiers in the Precipice of their passion being sensible of no other stop but the bottome If done by Iepthah's command surely his own security enforced this severity as a dolefull but needfull a sad but safe way to prevent the growth of another war the seeds whereof Iephthah foresaw in the revengefull disposition of the Ephraimites However some actions in the old Testament as they may not be imitated so they must not be condemned whose Actors might have immediate commission of divine inspiration § 22. From hence Iordan casteth a glancing eye at the fair City of Iabesh-Gilead sweetly seated at the bottome of Balm-bearing mountains The Inhabitants hereof ingaged not with the rest of Israel against the Benjamites for which offence they were all slain save four hundred young Virgins which were given to the Benjamites to wife Thus the Benjamites being Gileadites by the mother side it was not onely protection to his subjects but also love to his kindred which invited Saul to succour this City when Naash the Ammonite besieged it Painfull and shamefull were the conditions of Peace which Naash offered them namely if he might thrust out their right eyes which was to render their Souldiers stark blind in effect For whereas the Iews were wont to wear in war broad shields on their left arme which as it sheltered their body so it hindred their sight on that side when their right eye was put out by their enemies sword and the left blinded by their own shield they were during the fight deprived of the best fence of their body But Saul saved all this harm by a speedy march suddenly surprizing the Ammonites and delivering the City of Iabesh-Gilead § 23. Gratitude to Saul for so great a benefit probably did afterwards put the people of this City on that honourable but dangerous designe to rescue Saul and his sons bodies from the wall of Bethshan where the Philistines had hanged them up It was no pleasant prospect to these men of Iabesh Bethshan being opposite on the other side of Iordan over against them some eight miles off Loialty hath a quick sight and a tender heart at a distance to behold and bemoan affronts to her Soveraign Did Saul preserve their right eyes to this end contentedly to behold his body abused Out march all the valiant men in the City in the night over Iordan
Sauls and his sons corps they took down from Bethshan bring them home burn the flesh and bury the bones thereof under a tree neare the City The Iews generally interring their dead under some Oak pleased perchance with the parallel that as those plants seemingly dead in winter have every spring an annuall resurrection so mens dry bones shall have new sap put into them at the day of Judgment David afterwards removed the bones of Saul and Ionathan buried them in the sepulchre of Kish their father in Zelab in the Countrey of Benjamin § 24. From the fords of Ephraim Iordan taketh his course by the Cities of Ataroth and Debir of which we can say neither more nor less but that they are called Ataroth and Debir For these places let Ataroth-shophan Beth-haran c. march in the same rank are so short-lived in Scripture that they live onely to be named and presently vanish away without any more mention of them Not long after Iordan leaving this Tribe runneth into Reuben § 25. More inland in Gad lay the large and fruitfull Countrey of Gilead whereof more fitly and fully in the next Tribe For though this Tribe of Gad had South-Gilead in her borders yet under favour I conceive that North-Gilead which belonged to Manasseh was the firstand best Countrey of that name Now whereas we read in Scripture that Gad had all the Cities of Gilead and few verses after that Manasseh had half Gilead know that Gilead is taken restrictively in the former and generally in the latter acception § 26. Ramoth-Gilead called also Ramoâ—h-mizpeh was metropolis of Gad-Gilead It belonged to the Levites and was also a City of refuge afterwards won by the King of Aram. Then alas that city which so often had saved others from the pursuit of their enemies could not preserve it self from the sword of the Syrians Here it was verified Quod non capit Christus rapit fiscus For upon Ieroboams introducing of Idolatry the pious Levites were outed of their possessions and now the pagan Syrians revenging their quarrell ejected Israel out of this City wrongfully wrested from the Levites § 27. However not long after Ahab and Iehoshaphat with joint forces besieged it when the army of the Syrians bad them both battell Iehoshaphat at Ahabs perswasion pretending his honour but intending therein his own safety appeared in his Princely equipage whilest the other disguised himself in the army Now the Syrians having received speciall orders to fight neither against small nor great save onely with the King of Israel mistake Iehoshaphat for the King of Israel directed in their conjectures unto him by the lustre of his royall Robes Bravery betrays men to danger and not onely sets up a fair mark but giveth malice the right ground to throw at it And was it not just with God that Iehoshaphat who in complement had profest to Ahab I am as thou art should in realty be taken to be the same indeed But upon his crying out the Syrians apprehend their errour and desist from further pursuing him § 28. But divine Justice continues the chace of Ahab Guilt cannot hide it self in a croud and there is no way for a notorious sinner to disguise himself from Gods eye but by his sincere repentance A man draws a bow at adventures and all-seeing providence guiding blind chance to the joints of Ahabs armour mortally wounds him It seems not onely the Corselet but also the putting on thereof must be of proof to fence death out which otherwise will creep in at a small cranny Yet Ahab was staid up in his chariot til even then the Sun his life set together Some years after King Iehoram Ahabs son at the same place received wounds of more honour and less danger when forcibly he recovered this Ramoth-Gilead from the Kings of Syria But of all Iehorams hurts here received none went so near his heart as that in this City a son of the Prophets sent by Elisha did anoint Iehu a Captain of the Hoste to be his successour and King of Israel § 29. We had wholly forgotten no shame to confess and amend our faults the small Countrey of Sharon in the north-east part of this tribe It seems it was parcell of the demeans of the Crown in the days of King David where his heards were fed under the care and charge of Shetrai the Sharonite David we see was not onely a good man and good King but also a good husband stocking this his land to his best profit knowing full well soon would the State of his Court-hall be abated if the thrift in his countrey Kitchin were not preserved Nor was Sharon a place less pleasant then profitable where plenty of fragrant roses grew to which Christ the Churches spouse is pleased to resemble himself not for any fading condition but fair sight sweet smell and cordiall vertues wherein he excelled § 30. Here some will inquire In what capacity did David hold his land in Sharon and elsewhere where his cattell was grased seeing being Iesse's youngest Son little land was left him from his Father and none at all in the Tribe of Gad. The difficulty is increased because in so pent and populous a countrey scarce a foot thereof but related to some owner not having power to alienate it from his heires to whom at the farthest it was to revert at the year of Iubilee when all dead possessions had a resurrection to their proper owners We conceive David held this land by one of the following Titles 1 By the fundamentall establishment of the Crown For sure when that Kings were made publick provision was made for their Princely support who as Lords of Manors have commonage sance number amongst their Tenants might feed their cattell any where in their own dominions 2 By improvement of wast grounds which fell to the King as Lord of the Soile Yea seeing God made provisionary Laws for the Kings behaviour four hundred years before any King was in Israel why might not a reserve of land be also left at the partition of the countrey by lot for their Kings future maintenance 3 By mutuall compact some subjects on valuable consideration as perchance the relaxing the tribute due from every person to his Prince might part not with the propriety but present profit of their land for the Kings conveniency 4 By attainder of Traitours whose lands it seems were at least for some term of time at the Kings disposall witness Davids granting all Mephibosheth had unto Ziba 5 By conquest as most probable it is this Sharon was won from the Ammonites when Rabba was taken from them However we may prefume that Davids title though unknown to us was undoubted in it self free from the least suspicion of injustice according to his own counsell Trust not in oppression become not vain in robbery
Otherwise his tender conscience would as wel have smote him for cutting off a lap of his subjects ground as of his Soveraigns garment § 31. We have finished the description of this Tribe and all places therein mentioned in Cononicall Scripture onely there remains behind some Cities which we finde in the Apocrypha in one chapter whereof we may spring a whole Covey of Cities namely these following 1 Dathema a fortress 2 Bosora 3 Bosor 4 Alema 5 Chasphor 6 Mached 7 Carnaim 8 Ephron The generall character given of these places consisteth principally in these particulars 1 All these were Cities strong and great 2 Situated al in the Land of Gilead yea in this Tribe of Gad Carnaim onely excepted whereof more properly in our next description 3 Inhabited by Iews and threatned by the pagan Hoste under Timotheus that they would take and destroy them all in one day From which last clause we collect that these Cities must be placed somewhat near together otherwise how could an army probably propound to dispatch them all in one day And though the Pagans might mingle much pride with their malice in projecting things high and hard to effect yet surely they mixed some policy with their pride not to propound to themselves meer impossibilities But the seasonable coming of Iudas Maccabeus with his host frustrated all the Pagans designes § 32. But the City of Ephron deserves serious consideration for the singular situation thereof For in Maccabeus his return from Carnaim this strong City stood so in his way that he could not turn from it either to the right hand or to the left but must needs pass through the midst of it A place in so tyrannicall a position may seem an affront to mans naturall liberty Yet such was the situation thereof near the confluence of Iabbok and Iordan where perchance the way railed with Morasses on either side and being a pass of importance Maccabeus was onely free to go this or no way The Ephronites senâ—ible of their advantage undiscreetly deny him passage Surely if a flying enemy deserve a bridge of gold to be given him a potent foe seriously proffering peaceably to depart may merit a bridg of silver to be lent him But Maccabeus being denyed forced his way through the city over them that were slain § 33. In the partition of the Land of Canaan into severall moneths for Solomons provisions the Tribe of Gad fell under three Purveyer-ships 1 Of Gebar the son of Uri who ranged over most of that land once the kingdome of Sihon 2 Of the Son of Geber to whose jurisdiction Ramoth-Gilead did belong 3 Of Abinadab the Son of Iddo to whom Mahanaim did pertain By Mahanaim here I understand not onely the Levites City so named poor purveying for victualls within the walls of that alone but a large Territory of the same name round about it And although to us it is unknown how far the bounds thereof extended yet they must be concluded either very large or extraordinary fruitfull acquitting it self as a twelfth part of the Kingdome and affording Court fare for one moneth of the year In the passage to this Mahanaim on the south to retreive a place which otherwise had escaped us lay Bithron a petty Countrey it seems through which Abner passed when by night he fled from Ioab § 34. It will here be demanded that seeing the land was by Gods own appointment formerly divided into twelve parts the twelve Tribes adequate to the twelve moneths of the year why did not Solomon rather make use of this partition which was jure divino then make a new modell out of his own fancy It is answered this later division of the land was found most convenient for house-keeping and so more subservient to this particular end for which it was ordained If that any urge me to give a reason why in this division into Purveyer-ships Ramoth-Gilead distanced some miles off was added to the jurisdiction of the Son of Geber who was overseer in Manasseh thereby mangling and mutilating the intireness of the Countrey let such first satisfie me why so many shreds and parcells of land especially in Worcester Hereford shires are cut off from those Countreys in situation yea are surrounded with other shires yet belong unto them in jurisdiction as accounted members thereof In all these Querees an ordinary eye might at the first institution discover an apparent reason of such fractions though now because long since time out of minde the quickest sight cannot perceive the cause thereof § 35. The Armes usually assigned to Gad are Gules on a Banner erected argent a Lion rampant sable grounding their fancy I can afford it no better term on Moses his blessing Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad he dwelleth as a Lion c. Buâ— how to accommodate the prophecy of Iacob to this Tribe of Gad a troop shall overcome him but he shall overcome at last much imployeth the industry of Divines Most apply it to the situation of this Tribe much exposed to the incursion of the Ammonites their vexatious neighbours till at last under Iephthah Saul and chiefly David freed from forein foes they possessed their countrey in peace Others in a mysticall meaning make Gad the embleme of Gods children who after many intermediate frights fights and failings come off with the conquest at last I say at last a word which fully recompenseth its long delays in coming when come with eternity of continuance Here followes the Map of the half Tribe of Manasseh beyond Jordaâ— MANASSEH beyond IORDAN CHAP. 3. § 1. MAnasseh eldest Son of Ioseph by Asernath daughter of Potipherah Prince-priest of On was by his propheticall grandfather Iacob placed behind Ephraim his younger brother Not that Reuben-like he was disinherited for any misdemeanour but onely so it pleased al-disposing Providence to transpose him However though inferiour to Ephraim in power he grew so great that thirty two thousand two hundred of his body from twenty years old upward as able men to goe forth to war came forth of Egypt all which digging their graves in the wildernes by their own infidelity fifty two thousand seven hundred entred the land of Canaan Many Worthies were extracted from this Tribe for this Countrey was conferred upon them in Intuition to their valour as Gideon and Iephthah the warlike Iair the younger the peaceable Judge of Israel Eliah the Prophet nor must the five daughters and coheires of Zelophehad be forgotten who argued their case so strongly about their inheritance Bashfulness it self will be bold rather then lose a rightfull possession and a good cause when plainly told is learnedly pleaded especially if a meek Moses or just Ioshua be the judge thereof § 2. We are now onely to describe that part of Manasseh which was east of Iordan Some will say was it not pity the possessions of this Tribe
some called their lands after their own names and some it seems were called after the name of their lands § 9. A fruitfull Countrey Gilead was till the people thereof were infected with Idolatry growen so frequent therein that the Prophet complains Their Altars were as heaps in the furrows of the field Thus falling into Gods displeasure they quickly fell under their enemies disposall The Syrians of Damascus threshing them with instruments of Iron and the Ammonites ripping up their women with child that they might enlarge their border This latter cruelty seems done in revenge of Davids usage of the Ammonites in taking of Rabbah putting them under saws and harrows c. And although some hundreds of years were betwixt that action of David and this of the Ammonites yet we know malice hath a strong memory long to retain and at last to return injuries offered unto it § 10. Under the hills of Gilead famous for flocks of goats to which for thickness and whiteness the hair of the Spouse is compared lay Rogelim a Manor of Barzillai the Gileadite This was he who so bountifully victualled David at Mahanaim so civilly waited on him to Iordan so equally requested and so easily obtained a Writ of ease from Court attendance being now fourscore years of age having first bequeathed his Court-pleasures to Chimham his Son neither covetous to keep them himself nor envious that another should enjoy them because such excusable vanities might become his green youth which would be burdensome to the withered winter of his Father Pella seems to be hereabouts whither many Christians warned by many prodigies fled for shelter from Ierusalem before the Romans besieged it As we congratulate their thus preventing persecution according to Christs precept so we cannot but condole that the same persons were afterwards poisoned with hereticall opinions contrary to the express word of God and became Apostate Nazarites Somewhat more north is Lodebar the possession of Machir a bountifull benefactor to David during his distress and Guardian to Mephibosheth in his minority and Thisbe the birth-place of Eliah the Prophet the Iohn Baptist of the old Testament Great was the resemblance betwixt their persons and preaching all similitudes run like Pharaoh's Charets in the red-sea wanting some wheeles especially because both were born in bad times when the world was generally infected with wickedness both contented with plain clothes and course fare undaunted in reproving the faults of Princes and implacably persecuted for the same § 11. But the principall City in Gilead was Mizpah the place of Iephthah's habitation This is he whom his brethren banished for a Bastard but the elders of Gilead oppressed by the Ammonites brought back for their Generall When they felt their own woe they began to see Iephthah's worth formerly exiled for his Fathers fault but now restored for his own abilities Vertue once in an age will work her own advancement and when such as hate it shall chance to need it they will be forced to prefer it To Mizpah Iephthah returned though a conquerour yet a captive and a prisoner to his own rash vow to sacrifice whatsoever came first forth of the doors of his house it so happening that his onely daughter met him with a virgin-quire and musick which was sad in the close Here Divines both for number and learning are almost equally divided some avouching her really sacrificed according to the letter of the text whereof some footsteps in the Fable of Agamemnon sacrificing Iphigenia haply corrupted for Iephthagenia or Iephtha's daughter others maintaining that she was onely sequestred to perpetuall virginity If any demand my judgment in this difference I seasonably remember how one being asked in the Massacre of Paris whether he was a Catholick or an Hugonite answered he was a Physician My return must be in this work I am onely a Chorographer and the controversie in hand concerns matter of fact not of place proper onely to us for this present § 12. East of Mizpah lay the plain of Mizpah Ioshua having conquered the Kings of Canaan at the waters of Merom in the next Tribe pursued them hither on the east and to Mizrepothâ—maim near Sidon westward A chace with a vengeance all the latitude of the land the Canaanites flying as far as sea or mountains would give them leave so that their flight may pass for a Scale of miles for the breadth of this Countrey so smitten untill they left them none remaining understand it not in a considerable body to make any resistance § 13. So much of Gilead We come now to Bashan for these two provinces did the Tribe of Manasseh contain though it is impossible accurately to distinguish their bounds Bashan was a grazing countrey as indeed all Canaan east of Iordan was fitter for Abel then Cain for pasturage then tillage antiently called the Land of Giants which though now extirpated Og being the last of that race yet retained some footsteps thereof in the strength and greatness of her 1 Oakes whereof oares were made for the gallies of Tyre 2 Rams of the breed of Bashan being the fattest and fairest of their kinde 3 Bulls so often mentioned in Scripture But by Davids metaphoricall bulls of Bashan strong sturdy curst cruell men are understood This Province was subdivided into severall petty lands as first the Laâ—d of Argob on the north next Syria Secondly Bashan-avoth-Iair where taking the first word for the Genus and the two latter for the Difference we have the exact definition of the Countrey § 14. Iair was a fortunate name in the family of Manasseh and we must be carefull not to confound two eminent men of that name 1 Iair the elder contemporary with Moses who when the field-forces of Og were utterly destroied smote the small towns thereof being threescore in number as Ioshua counted them and called them Bashan-Avoth-Iair that is the Cities of Iair in Bashan 2 Iair the younger a peaceable Judge in Israel immediately before Iephthah who as he came many years in age short of the former so the number of his Cities were but half so many viz. thirty which he left to his thirty sons calling them also Avoth-Iair It is further recorded of his thirty sons that they rode on thirty Asse-colts i. e. they were itinerant Judges say some in their respective places it being improper that they in their severall circuits should 1 Goe on foot Authority would be contemned if not somewhat heightned above the comon people 2 Or ride on prancing steeds Marshall law may be so mounted where the heels of the horses are as terrible to poor people as the face of the rider 3 Or ride on swift Coursers seeing no such hast to execute suspected innocence 4 Or be housed in covered chariots which is a kinde of engrossing of justice shutting that up to which all ought to have
to sing as an harlot Siren songs to allure Merchants to be her lovers as before counting trade and profit t◠be her richest pleasure And so she did flourish againe as much or more then ever during the Persian Monarchy about two hundred six years till Alexander the great made her change her tune alter her notes and turn her merry love songs into mournfull Elegies on her selfe For being denied by the Tyrians in their City to sacrifice to Hercules the Tutelar God of that place Alexander not so superstitious as ambitious with vast pains and expence as one whom no perill could affright nor labour weary sacked the City putting such to the sword as resisted and causing two thousand moe to be hung up in rank on the sea shore At which time he built a Castle of his own name now corruptly called Sandalium two miles south of the City § 19. Yet Tyre afterwards recovered it self to considerable greatness like a cunning Broaker though often proving quite bankrupt she set up again though having nothing to give her credit but the conveniency of her situation as indeed an harlot needs no other wares then her self to set up her trading Insomuch that the Poets fiction of the Phoenix springing again out of his own ashes being disclaimed by naturall History for a falshood may mythologically finde a truth in and probably fetch its ground from this Phoenix or Phoenician City of Tyre always arising fresh and fair out of his own ruines In our Saviours time it was a stately place and yet though with Dives it was clothed in purple Tyre could not with him fare deliciously every day unless beholding to Herods land of Galilee to afford it constant provision because its countrey was nourished by the Kings Countrey Sensible hereof when Herod was highly displeased with these of Tyre and Sidon they politickly compounded the breach knowing that to fight with him who fed them was the ready way to be famished and opening the breast of Blastus the Kings Chamberlain with a golden key through that passage they made their access to pacifie King Herod § 20. Tyre at this day is reduced almost to nothing Here it is seasonably remembred that Ethbaal Father of Iezebel was the King as Tyre was the chief City of the Sidonians and I finde a great conformity betwixt the fortunes of his daughter and this place In their 1 Outward happiness She a crowned Queen and Tyre a Crowning City whose Merchants were Princes 2 Inward wickedness both of them styled Harlots in Scripture 3 Finall wofulness she eaten up by the dogs to the short reversion of her skull feet and palmes and Tyre so consumed by all-devouring time that now no other then an heap of Ruines yet have they a reverent respect and doe instruct the pensive beholders with their exemplary frailty Enough of Tyre if not too much fearing that long since the Reader hath sadly sympathized with the sufferings of Nebuchadnezzar and Alexander guessing their pains to be great in the long siege of this place by the proportion of their own patience in reading our tedious description thereof All I will adde is this that though Tyre was a sink of sin yet is this recorded in excuse of her profaneness and mitigation of her punishment that if the miracles done in Chorazin and Bethsaida had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have long since repented in sackcloth and ashes § 21. Two bowes shoot from the east gate of Tyre the place is showen where the woman made that spirituall-carnall exclamation Blessed is the wombe that bare thee and the paps that gave thee suck when Christ not disproving her words diverted his Auditours from this and directed them to a more necessary trut◠Yea rather blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it A little mile south of old Tyre are four fair pits the least twenty five cubits square commonly called Solomons Cisterns Surely the water of them is more clear then is the place alledged out of the Canticles to prove Solomon the Authour thereof where but obscure and oblite mention is made of those water-works More probable some King of Tyre made these and the neighbouring Aqueducts for the use of the City § 22. Seventeen miles north of Tyre lay the City of Sidon so named from the eldest son of Canaan A city of great antiquity seeing Tyre is termed by the Prophet the daughter of Sidon Sure here the Hebrew proverb held true As is the mother so is the daughter both of these Cities being of great wealth and wickedness Insomuch that to live carelesse quiet and secure is in Scripture phrase to live after the manner of the Zidonians § 23. It was also a place of very great extent therefore termed in holy writ Zidon Rabbah or great Zidon Not that there was ever a lesser Zidon though there be one grand Cairo it followeth not there is also a pety Cairo but it is emphatically so named in comparison of other Cities Yea Diodorus Siculus and Pomponius Mela make Sidon the greatest city of all Phenicia understand then anciently whilest as yet she suckled Tyre her little infant which afterwards outgrew her mother in greatness This haply is the reason why Homer so often making honorable mention of Sidon is so silent of Tyre because reputing this latter a parcell of the former § 24. Many and great were the fortifications of Sidon but in vain was the arme of flesh with it when God himself saith Behold I am against thee O Zidon whereupon in generall it felt the same destruction with Tyre which here we forbear to repeate Onely we will adde that as bad a place as Sidon was after Christs resurection a Church was quickly converted therein and Saint Paul sailing to Rome touched here and was courteously refreshed by his friends § 25. Near the east-gate of Sidon they shew the place where the Syrophenician woman begged so importunately for the cure of her daughter not disheartned though likened to a dog by our Saviour In deed she shewed one of the best qualities of a dog in keeping her hold where once she had well fastened not giving over or letting goe untill she had gotten what she desired § 26. So much for the City of Sidon The Countrey of Sidon was larger adequate almost to Phenicia and full of many fair harbours Amongst these Zarephah or Zarepta styled both in the old and new Testament a City of Sidon The land round about it was fruitfull of the best Wine as we have formerly observed During the three years drought in Israel here dwelt that widow whose thrift had so evenly ordered her bread and oile that a little of both were left till she got a spring in her cruse by entertaining the Prophet Elijah As for her son restored to life by Elijah that he was Ionah that eminent
he with the twelfth What in severall teames or all in the same to draw one plough The latter is most likely whilest our English husbandmen will not wonder at such an herd of oxen twenty four haling at one plough when they shall read that the Vale of Iordan wherein lay Abel-meholah is noted for clay ground and therefore such stiffe land especially at the first tilth thereof must needs require a great strength thereunto But had his oxen been as many more Elisha would willingly have left them when Eliah his manâ—le was once cast upon him Moâ—â—le which could stop rivers in the full speed of their course and therefore might stay a man in the height of his calling Hereby we perceive that the words of our Saviour No â—an having put his hand to the plough and looking back is fit for the kingdome of God are not literally but spirituâ—lly to be expounded of such as having well begun apostate from their religious Resolutions § 17. In the aforesaid vale of Iordan lay Zarthan betwixt which and Sâ—ccoth on the other side of Iordan in the Tribe of Gad the two brazen pillars Iachin and Boaz with all the vessels of the Temple were made by Hiram of bright brass in the clay ground which probable served him for moldes to run the melted metall therein And somewhat more towards the north lay Aenon near to Salim where Iohn was baptizing because there was much water there Here his Disciples complained to Iohn concerning Jesus eclipsing him with his lustre Iohn truly stated the controversie and modestly determined it against himself how he must decrease whilest Christ must increase § 18. As these places lay on the east of this Tribe in the vale of Iordan so in the western part thereof in the vale of Iezreel lay Gath-Rimmon in Chronicles called Bileam the sole City which the Levites had in this entire part of the Tribe of Manasseh seeing Taanach called Anar in Chronicles lay as is aforesaid in that part of Manasseh which was surrounded with Issachar The land of Tappuah belonged also to this half Tribe though Tappuah the City pertained to Ephraim Thus the town and late Castle of Belvoir stands in Lincolne-shire though the vale thence denominated lies in three shires round about it § 19. Amongst the mountains in Manasseh we take especiall notice of Gilead so called from Gilead the grand son of Manasseh whence Gideon's cowards departed the hill Moreh nigh which the Midtanitish Army was incamped and above all the mountain of Obadiah so called because therein in two caves he hid an hundred Prophets so close that neither foes nor friends knew thereof neither Iezebel nor Elijah getting intelligence of their being there the latter erroneously conceiving himself alone left of all the Prophets in the land Their bill of fare was bread and water pretious liquour when it had not rained in Israel for three years and an half hereto our Saviour reflected that none should lose his reward that gave his little ones a cup of cold water yea that such who received a Prophet should receive a Prophets reward as here it came to pass For the sparkes of his guests spirit catched hold on Obadiah their host so far inflaming his breast with inspiration that the short prophecy bearing his name is by learned men referred to him as the Author thereof Saint Hierome tells us that the Lady Paula as weak as she was climbed up this mountain to behold those monimental caves therein § 20. In this land we also meet with the woody hils of the Perizzites and of the Rephaims or Giants mingled amongst them much affrightâ—ng the Manassites with their Iron chariots Not as if all made of massie iron such would have been slugs in fight and so heavy that they needed horses of steel for strength to draw them but that they were plated and armed with iron hooks mischievous instruments of execution especially in the pursuit of a broken army men being as grass whereof whole swathes were mowed down with these crooked sithes in chasing a routed enemy Enough almost to make one suspect our ancient Britones akin to these Canaanites seeing such chariots were so fashionable in their fights were it not that we finde the like 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 frequently used in all eastern Countries However Ioshua gave the Manassites both a promise and prophecy that notwithstanding those Ironmoving forts of the Canaanites they should in process of time certainly overcome them § 21. We must not forget Bethsâ—n belonging to Mâ—nasseh but seated and invironed with Issachâ—r whence for a long time they could not expell the Canaanites therefore called it Bethsan that is the house of an Enemy Here the bodies of Saul and Ionathan were hung up by the Philistines Bethsan was afterwards called Nysa by humane writers and at last Scythopolis from Nysa Bacchus his nurse whom he is said there solemnly to have buried A jolly dame no doubt as appears by the well battling of the plump boy her nursery But seeing wine was Bacchus his milk when a child meat when a man food when well physick when sick we may justly conceive the history mythologically true the burying of Bacchus his nurse in this place plainly importing plenty of the best wines in the Countrey hereabouts § 22. As for Bezek I name it last of all because ambiguously placed in the confines of Manasseh and Ephraim different from a City of the same name nearer Ierusalem where the Tyrant Adonibezek lived In this Bezek saul numbred the Israelites being three hundred and thirty thousand and thence marched to the relieving of Lâ—besh-Gilead from the Ammonites The Armes of Manasseh have been formerly blazoned and expounded in our Description of the half Tribe beyond Iordan and in the Solomons Purveyourships this land with some of Zebulun fell under the care of Baanah the Son of Ahilud Here the Map of the Land of Ephraim is to be inserted THE TRIBE OF EPHRAIM CHAP. 9. § 1. EPhraim the younger Son of Iosâ—ph was blest by his grandfather Iacob laying his right hand on his head the print of whose fingers remained visible in the happiness of Ephraims posterity that behinde Manasseh in age he should prove before him in honour which came to pass accordingly Such was his increase in Egypt that they amounted to forty thousand five hundred men all whose carkasses fell in the wilderness and a new generation of thirty two thousand five hundred entred the land of Promise § 2. A Princely and puissant Tribe Ephraim saith David is the strength of my head and is often put by a honorable Synecdoche for all the ten Tribes or whole Kingdome of Israel The people thereof were active valiant ambitious of honour but withall hasty humorous hard to be pleased forward enough to fight with their foes and too forward
Tabernacle where the Benjamites as yet unprovided for wives lying in ambush in the vineyards violently seised some of those maides for their brides happy man be his dole making strange matches if each interest concerned therein be seriously considered § 15. First for the Fathers of these virgins Did this equivocating expedient satisfie their consciences who had formerly sworn not to give their daughters to the Benjamites to wife and yet now by laying the design themselves did in effect give these women in marriage to these men § 16. Secondly for the young men What assurance had they they could love not choosing the fittest whom they liked of but catching the first they lighted on Or that they could be beloved storming their wives with violence in stead of taking their affections by mutual composition § 17. As for these Brides of fortune may we not presume that many of them which danced this day wept on the morrow Yet one thing might comfort them they were all richly married to mighty matches of landed men seeing the fair and fruitfull Tribe of Benjamin with all the Cities therein was to be shared amongst their six hundred husbands alone as the sole survivers and absolute heires of the whole Countrey § 18. In Shiloh Eli lived Priest and Judge of Israel whither Elkanah and Hannah Samuels parents repaired to Gods publick worship This Hannah though silent when twiâ—ted by Peninnah for barrenness found her tongue when here taxed by Eli of drunkenness because a meer sufferer in the former but in the latter a sinner had the accusation been true Samuel here prayed for afterward here served God in a linen Ephod and though generally there was a dearth of visions in this age here he had many revealed unto him But Eli's dim eies connived here at his sons impieties Whose servant with his Trident an Innovation no doubt and none of the utensils made by Moses according to the pattern of the mount would have raw flesh for his Master so that what between the raw flesh here sacrilegiously stolne and the strange flesh wherewith those Priests abused themselves at the door of the Tabernacle of the congregation any pious eares would now tingle to hear their faults as hereafter at their punishment § 19. For soon after happned the destruction of Hophni and Phinehas slain in battell the Arkes captivity Eli's heart-breaking with the news neck-breaking with his fall the death of Phinehas his wife newly delivered whose son got the sad name not of Benoni a name calculated for private pangs but of Ichabod from this sorrowfull accident because born in this grand eclipse when the glory was departed from Israel § 20. Yea the very city of Shiloh it self may seem in some sort to expire on the same occasion which as it owed its life and lustre to the Tabernacles residence therein so sinks down in silence at the captivity thereof For we finde no after mention of any eminent act therein onely that Ahijah the Prophet long after lived there He was the Jewish Tiresias though blinde a Seer who discerning Ieroboams wife through her disguise foretold the death of her sick son Abijah So much of Shiloh proceed we now to the more northern and mountainous part of this Tribe § 21. Amongst the remarkable places in mount Ephraim we find Timnath Serah or Timnath Here 's by inversion of the letters on the northside of the hill Gaash where when they had made an end of dividing the land the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Ioshua See here his publick spirit not improving his power though ComaÌ„nder in chief to pickout the fattest pastures fairest meadows fertilest fields for himselfe but as if he counted it possession enough for him to have gained possessions for others when the meanest man was first served he was contented to stand to the peoples courtesie what they would bestow upon him If it sound to the praise of a Generalls valour to come last out of the field when it is won no less is the commendation of his temperance to come last into it when it is divided In Timnath Serah asked and built by him Ioshua afterwards was buried and as Saint Hierome reports that in his time the Sun was depicted on his monument This I dare boldly say that whereas modern Heralds blazon armes by the specious titles of Planets their fancy is with most truth appliable to Ioshua's shield bearing Sol and Luna indeed having made both Sun and Moon stand still by his prâ—yers Also Eleazar the High priest was buried in mount Ephraim in an hill which pertained to Phinehas his son § 22. Tirzah was another city near mount Ephâ—aim whose King was conquered by Ioshua In the days of Solomon it was a place of great repute Thou art beautifull ô my Love as Tirzah comely as Ierusalem terrible as an army with banners Ieroboam chose it to be his Royall-seat perchance because near Zereda his native place where he and his successours lived for welnigh sixty years Indeed Baasha had a project to make Ramah the place of his residence as nearer to Ierusalem and therefore more convenient to mark the motions of the Kings of Iudah but frustrated of his designe he was fain to return to Tirzah reigned and was buried here Elah Baasha's son was here drinking in the house of Azzah his steward when a dear reckoning was brought in and no less then his life extorted from him by Zimri his successour Afterwards when Tirzah was taken Zimri either out of envy that the royall Palace should survive him or desire to prevent a more shamefull death burnt himself and the Kings house together We read of King Asa that after his death his subjects made a very great burning for him but Zimri exceeded making a bone-fire for and of himself when alive herein standing alone except seconded by Sardanapalus who in like manner destroyed himself on the same occasion Thus dyed Zimri a King onely for a week whose Reign like a winters day was short and dirty yet long enough to leave this taunt for Iezebels mouth and Proverb to posterity Had Zimri peace that slew his Master Hard by is Tiphsaph where King Menahem barbarously ripped up the women with child because the city opened not to receive him § 23. Besides cities many private dwellings were sprinkled on mount Ephraim as the house of that Levite whose concubine the men of Gibeah abused to death the house of Micah well stored with Idols where first the five spies then the sixe hundred men of Dan took up their lodgings when marching to Laish Ungratefull guests who in stead of discharging their quarters plundered their Land-lord taking his Images and priest away with them Thirdly the house of Deborah under a Palme-tree betwixt Ramah and Bethel where she judged
Israel A tree then the Westminster Hall of the whole Land made the seat of justice in an open place partly that all people might have free access with their Petitions thereunto without doors or porters to exclude any partly that so publick a place might minde Judges parties and witnesses of fair and clear proceeding without secret or sinister reservations having heaven Gods Throne in view and before their eyes This Palme was preferred for this purpose before other trees because far and fair spreading it afforded much people a shady conveniency under the branches thereof not to insist on a text rather for fancy to descant then judgement to comment on the resemblances betwixt the growth of Palmes and judiciall proceedings Which as that plant improves it self by pressures ought in fine to flourish in defiance of all opposition § 24. But the most observable place in the north of this Tribe is the City of Samaria built by Omri because the royall Palace was burnt at Tirzah as is aforesaid on an hill bought by him for two talents of silver and called by him Samaria from Shemer the former owner of that place Strange it should take the denomination rather from him that sold it then him that bought it except this was part of the bargain which appears not in Scripture Sure we are though the name of Omri was not preserved in the place the Statutes of Omri were observed by the people according to the Prophets complaint and his impious injunctions obliged men to the practise thereof Samaria proved afterwards a beautifull City was the principal place of the residence burial of the Kings of Israel § 25. Stately was the Kings Palace therein Hence King Ahaziah Ahabs son had a mortall fall through a lattice in his upper chamber possible this mischance had been prevented had the house or chamber been built according to Gods direction with batlements that men might not fall from thence But likely it is the Fabrick thereof was fashioned according to the Mode of the Sidonian architecture Hard by Ahab built an Ivory-house Conceive it chequered inlaid and adorned therewith otherwise all the Elephants in India and Affrick would not afford materialls for such a structure not to say the crookedness and smalness of their teeth made them useless for beames in that building A frequent Synecdoche to denominate the house from the principall materialls therein like Leaden-hall in London not because wholly built but onely covered with that metall But alass what good would an Ivory-house do Ahab whilest he had an Ebony soul in the midst thereof blacked over with impieties Baals temple built by Ahab and turned by Iehu into a Iakes was a structure of great State into which Baals Priests were trained by a device and slain The greatest place of receipt in Samaria which might serve them for a market-stead or rather for a seat of Justice was that voide place at the entring of the gate of such a latitude that it was able to receive at once the Kings of Israel and Iudah with their royall retinue § 26. But amongst all the structures in Samaria none more eminent then the streets built therein by the King of Syria A thing scarce to be paralleled that a forein King should be permitted to erect streets in the Metropolitan City of another Kingdome If any alledge that Peter Earl of Savoy built his palace in the Strand known by the name of Savoy at this day and that there is a street betwixt Aldersgate and Smithfield called Britons street from the ancient lodgings of the Duke of Britain therein neither of the instances amount to the matter in hand The former palace being erected as I take it for the Earles abode here when in banishment And as for the latter it appears not that the Dukes of Britain were at any cost in building it whereas the Kings of Syria founded the Fabrickes of those streets in the city of Samaria and never inhabited therein It seems when Omri began the new building of Samaria either he requested the assistance of the King of Syria as a neighbouring Prince in amity with him to help him in the work no shame to beg the first clouts of friends for an infant-city or else the Syrian Kings civilly tendered their service to give it as good handsell to so good a work or as a Royall Largess amongst the inferiour builders thereof For mine own part I conceive that the Kings of Damascus got some conquest of Samaria not mentioned in Scripture and then built these streets as a monument of their victory and bridle to over-awe the city The rather because Benhadad being afterwards overcome by Ahab profered the like favour and freedome unto him if it pleased him to accept thereof And thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus as my Father made in Samaria § 27. We meet in Scripture with three famous sieges of Samaria Once when Benhadad not content with Ahabs submission profering to hold all he had by homage from him would have all the wealth of the city in specie surrendered unto him vainly vaunting that the dust of Samaria could not suffice for handfulls for all the people that followed him Surely the Scavengers were very diligent in sweeping so populous a place or else it was a most hyperbolicall expression But grant Samaria could not yeeld dust enough to fill the hands the mountains near unto it could afford dirt enough to stop the mouths of most of his army who few days after were thereon miraculously defeated § 28. A second siege was in the reign of King Ioram when the famine was so great that an Asses head and a cab of dung was sold at unconscionable rates the former for food the latter most probably for fewell and surely not to drain peter to make powder thence an invention unknown in that age Nor was the sudden plenty occasioned by the Syrians flight less admirable all provision being brought down in an instant to a very unexpected low price So that he that here knew beforehand what would be cheap or dear needed but a few minutes to make him a rich Merchant But this showre of plenty caused a floud of people to flock to the gates of Samaria where that infidell Prince who despaired of Gods power and Elisha's prophecy was overwhelmed in the multitude living so long to have his eyes confute his tongue but not to have his taste confirme his eyes beholding but not partaking of the plenty § 29. The third and last siege when the city was taken and destroyed by Salmaneser King of Assyria in the reign of Hosea King of Israel a King who was the best or rather the least bad of all that sate on that throne Of whom it is said he was evill in the sight of the Lord but not as the Kings of Israel that were before him It may therefore seem wonderfull that
turned it for a time into the temple of Iupiter that keepeth hospitality Sure I am the Samaritans practised small hospitality in the countrey hereabouts denying to give our Saviour entertainment in their towns because he was going to Ierusalem The truth is this temple was destroyed somewhat before the time of our Saviour by Iohn Hyrcanus after it had flourished above two hundred years but when the temple was taken away the mountain remained in which the Samaritans continued their adoration We conclude all with the words of the son of Sirach There be two manner of nations which my heart abhorreth and the third is no nation They that sit upon the mountains of Samaria and they that dwell amongst the Philistines and that foolish people that dwell in Sichem Meaning by the first the Idolatrous by the last the hereticall Samaritans who indeed were no distinct nation as Leopards and mules are properly no creatures but a mixture of Iews and heathen blended together § 41. Expect not here from me as alien from our work in hand any arguments against their presumption who have dared to compare yea prefer the Samaritan Pentateuch for authenticalness before the Hebrew Originall For three things saith Solomon the earth is disquieted and the fourth it can not bear namely an handmaid that is heire to her mistress How much more intolerable then is it when a translation which is or ought to be the dutifull servant to the originall shall presume her mistress being extant and in presence to take the place and precedency of her As here apographum doth of the autographum when the Samaritan transcript is by some advanced above the canonicall copy in the Hebrew All I will adde is this that to the Iews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were committed the oracles of God and to give them their due they were carefull preservers thereof being never reproved by our Saviour though often for false-glosses thereon of any forgery in corrupting depraving or altering the Letter of the text whereas no such trust appears delivered to the charge of the Samaâ—itans In a word such as defend that the Pentateuch coming from the hereticall not to say apostate Samaritans is purer then that in Hebrew transmitted to us from the Iews in that age the onely true Church of God in the world may with as much truth maintain that breath proceeding from putrefied and corrupted lungs is more healthfull and wholesome then what cometh from vitals sound and entire § 42. Shechem which we lately mentioned lay betwixt the aforesaid mountains a place stained with many treacherous practises which were acted therein Here Dinah went out to see the daughters of the land so to please her fancy with gazing on forein fashions O where was the tent wherein her great-grand-mother Sarah lived that now she had left it Where was the vaile wherewith her grand-mother Rebekah covered her face that now she had lost it Her own mother Lâ—ahs eyes which were weak and tender those worse were better then Dinahs which were wanton and wandring She sees and is seen and is lik'd â—nd lusted after and whether by force or fraud defiled and still passionately affected contrary to what commonly happens that the snuffe of lust goes out in the stink of loathing Yea Shechem was so honest in his dishonesty that he desired to make Dinah the best amends he could give or she receive and on any rate went about to purchase the vine to himself so to colour a title to those unripe grapes which he had snatched from it The agreement is made on condition all the Shechemites should be circumcised which done on the third day when commonly wounds are more painfull then when first given Simeon and Levi kill all the males of the city and the rest of their brethren fall on the spoile thereof § 42. Long after Abimelech the base-born and bloody-minded son of good Gedeon was by the Shechemites his towns-men by his mothers side here at the stone in the plain made King of Iâ—rael whilest Iotham which of his seventy brethren had onely escap'd his cruelty from the top of mount Gerizim uttered his parable of the Bramble kinging it over the trees of the wood Bramble which he applied so home to the men of Shechem that for the present he left the pricks thereof in the ears of his auditours the pain whereof they found and felt afterwards in their hearts when God put a spirit of discord betwixt them and Abimelech § 43. We finde not the particular cause but the effects of the discord betwixt them Insomuch that Abimelech sacked the city of Shechem and sowed it with salt A formality usuall in that age in execration of peoples perfidiousness but whence fetching its originall it is hard to decide I dare not say in imitation of God himself who when he destroyed the wicked cities of Sodome and Gomorrah turned the fruitfull vales wherein they stood into the salt-sea in token of their perpetuall desolation Sure I am the custome hath been imitated in these western parts For Frederick Barbarossa for some affronts offered to his Empress by those of Millan razed the city and sowed it with salt § 44. The Shechemites retreated into the house of Baal-berith their God hoping in vain to make it good for their defence For Abimelech fetching fuell from the neighbouring mountain of Zalmon whence the Psalmist fetched his expression of spotless purity white as snow in Zalmon which commonly candied the top of this mountain being the Jewish Albion and firing the tower of the Temple slew therein a thousand men and women Then no doubt the house of Millo was destroyed which I take not for any building in the city of Shechem though there was a fair street of that name in Ierusalem but for a potent and puissant family therein as the house of the Fuggers in Auspurge who first advanced Abimelech and sought when too late to suppress But the weaker sexe revenged on Abimelech his cruelty to them when besieging the tower of Thebez which we conceive hard by Shechem having no other indication but this single mention for the posture thereof a woman broke his brain-pan with a piece of a milstone § 45. Though not the salt which was sown yet the city of Shechem grew up again to its former greatness Hither repaired Rehoboam for the people to make him King One may haply sent Ieroboams policy his hand in appointing the place in his own Tribe of Ephraim where his party was most puissant who intending to run a race with Rehoboam for a Crown chose out the ground most advantageous for himself Here the people presented Rehoboam with a Petition for the mitigation of the intolerable burdens whether personall or pecuniary which Solomon imposed upon them How came he to be behind hand who was the most wealthy Prince in
the world Surely not the building of Gods but his Idols temples impaired his treasure and women impoverished both his wealth and his wisdome Seven hundred Queens and not unlikely so many Courts and three hundred Concubines which though lesser then the former in honour might be greater in expence as the Thiefe in the Candle wasteth more then the burning of the wiek were able to bankrupt the land of Ophir with Tarshish given in to boot Rehoboam requires three days respite for his answer the onely act almost wherein he shewed himself wise Solomons son seeing in matters of such consequence extemporary returns give men leasure afterwards to meditate their Repentance § 46. The old men advise Rehoboam for remission and mitigation of taxes What harm was it if He being now to be married to a Crown should waite on his Bride the wedding-day that she might obey him all her life after Especially they counselled him to speake good words to the people though his good deeds might follow at a distance And truely fair speeches cost the giver nothing and doe ease though not cure the discontented receiver But Rehoboam followed the advice of the young men hot heads enough to set a kingdome on fire not to satisfie but suppress the peoples desires threatning to make his little finger heavier then his Fathers loines more happy if he had made his head but half as wise so that the people deserting the house of David clave to Ieroboam for their King § 47. During this distemper Rehoboam sent Adoram who was over the Tribute unto the people No doubt in hope that they would reverence his gray-haires not abating much of an hundred years in age having enjoyed that office above threescore years from the midst of the reign of King David or else to give them some orall satisfaction how all sums had formerly been expended for the publick good But his sight was offensive to the people whose very looks seemed to demand a taxe and his eyes to exact tribute of them insomuch that the people stoned him to death To lesson all money-officers from publick appearance in popular tumults being persons most obnoxious to the spight and spleen of the Vulgar Thus in Iack Stâ—awes Rebellion their fury fell first and fiercest on Sir Robert Hales Lord of Saint Iohns and then Lord Treasurer whom they drew out of the Chappell in the Tower and without any reverence of his estate or degree with fell noise and huge cryes struck off his head on Tower-hill Nor did Sir â—ames Fines Lord Saie and Treasurer of England fare better in â—he Rebellion of Iack Cade whom without any judiciall proceedings before his confession was ended they executed at the standard in Cheapside And now it was high time for Rehoboam to call for his Chariot and hast to Ierusalem § 48. Near to Shechem was the parcell of ground which Iacob bought of the children of Hamor for an hundred pieces of money whereon he spread his tent and erected an Altar called God the God of Israel Afterwards Iacob gave it as a portion to his son Ioseph whose bones brought out of Egypt were buried therein But how Iacob when he bequeathed this land to Ioseph could properly call it A portion which he took out of the hands of the Amorites with his sword and by his bow is a difficulty much perplexing Divines in the solution thereof meeting onely with Iacobs staffe though Esau had a bow in the Tenour of Scripture We will present the Reader with their best answers leaving him to chuse which he conceives most probable Some conceive 1 That Iacob being a peaceable and plain dealing man in reproof of such as delight in force and violence called his money his sword and his bow And indeed in all ages money is the sharpest sword and bow that best hits the mark yea answereth all things 2 That thereby he meant his prayers the Armes of the Patriarchs and Primitive Christians whereby he obtained of God that his posterity being now in his loins in due time should by their martiall atchievments conquer the countrey and speakes of the conquest as already made because of the undoubted assurance of it upon Gods promise 3 That his sword and his bow import no more then his industry and endevours Thus the Latine phrase Fecit proprio marte carrieth a warlike sound but a peaceable sense when one acquires a thing though in a legall way with his own might without the assistance of others as Iacob purchased the foresaid heritage 4 That his sword related not to his purchase but to the city of Shechem which Simeon and Levi won by their sword and the sons conquest is reputed to their Father Now let none be troubled because Iacob is said to purchase this land of the Amorites Hamor of whom he bought it being an Hivite Amorite being there taken in a genericall sense as all the inhabitants of the eight united Provinces are comonly called Hollanders § 49. Near to this parcell of ground which Iacob gave to Ioseph stood the city of Sychar wherein was the well at which that excellent discourse passed betwixt our Saviour and the Samaritan woman who came thither to draw water Some also place hereabouts the city Shalem founding it on the words of the text And Iacob came to Shalem a city of Shechem Which the Chaldee and other translations read and Iacob came safe or sound and entire to a city of Shechem Not that here he was healed of his halting as some will have it but rather that hitherto no notorious or eminent dysaster befell his family which afterwards fell thick and threefold upon it As the defiling of Dinah Simeon and Levi slaughtering the Shechemites Reubens incest Rachels death Er and Onan slain by God Iudah's incest with Tamar Ioseph sold by his brethren § 50. And now to take our farewell of the countrey about Shechem anciently called the plain of Moreh two eminent oakes grew therein One under which Iacob buried his heathen Gods with the superstitious ear-rings of his family wherein no doubt Idols were ingraven Another under which was a great stone solemnly set up by Ioshua with the words of the Law written thereon to be a witness against the Israelites in case afterwards they should deny that God whom then they generally resolved to serve But the question will be how this latter oake was termed to be by the Sanctuary of the Lord seeing the Tabernacle and the Sanctuary Lieger therein resided at Shiloh in those days If any say that every place where men seriously set their souls to serve God is his Sanctuary they speake rather an Evangelicall truth then a proper answer to the present question This inclines me to conceive either that by Sanctuary is meant that place of the Altar which Iacob long before thereabouts erected or that the Tabernacle not far off
out bad humours are nimble to supply the place seised on this City To recover the same Nadab the son of Ieroboam besieged it but was so far from taking the City that before it he lost his own life by the trechery of Baasha conspiring against him This siege continued more then twenty years no doubt with intervalls of cessation for here Omâ—i a great Commander was in service when by the souldiery voted King of Israel After which election he had not so much minde to take the City as a Crown vigorously to prosecute his new title and to suppress Tibâ—â— his Corrivall So much of the siege but nothing of the taking of Gibbethon so that it was still violently possessed by the Philistines § 17. The south-east part of this Tribe is still to survey Where the brook Zorek creeps faintly out of the Tribe of Iudah Not far from whose banks we light on Zorah and Eshtaol two twin-cities the one seldome mentioned in Scripture without the other Except one will call them man and wife because Machaneh-Dan betwixt Zorah and Eshtaol was joint issue of them both For when six hundred men out of these two cities marched towards the taking of Leshem here they met probably by mutuall agreement the most convenient place betwixt them behind that is west of Kiriath-jearim These did call this the first place of their station Machaneh-Dan and the last Dan both from Dan their Ancestour without naming any intermediate places As in all undertaking the first motion which founds and the last which finisheth it are most memorable It seems that afterwards a town was built in that place where their tents were pitched as a fortunate ground handselled with good success where Samson seems to have had his education § 18. But his birth at Zorah Where he was the son of a long barren mother a regiment in Scripture of such eminent Persons Isaac Iacob Samuel Samson Iohn Baptist c. as if besides higher causes nature had long thriftily reserved her utmost strength to expend it at last with more credit Here an Angel appearing to Manoahs wife both told her that she should be a mother and taught her how she should be a nurse with the ceremonious breeding of her son No Wine must come in no rasor on him Hercules the Pagan-Samson in some sort may seem by the luxury of Poets wits to ape this Iewish Hercules Neither of them otherwise mounted then on their legs otherwise defensively armed then with their skin and clothes A â—aw-bone a sword to the one a Club to the other Both of them very like for their valour and too like for their wantonness women being the destruction of them both § 19. But as Samsons lustre did rise so it did set in this Tribe Hereabouts born and buried in the grave of his Father Manoah betwixt Zorah and Eshtaol Reader let me invite thee with me solemnly to behold his sepulchre that therein both of us may bury all our vain thoughts of eternity here He that hereafter shall presume on his own might as immortall hath not strongeâ— brains but a weakâ—â— back then Samson § 20. To goe back to 〈◊〉 which now grows confident and bold with the accession of the brook 〈◊〉 so named as the vine in Hampshire from bunches of grapes there growing whereof one was the load for two men Surely Bacâ—husâ—id â—id not so drown Ceres in this Countrey nor did God the wise master of the feast entertain the Iews his daily guests with sucâ— liquid diet but that we may justly presume the land afforded bread and meat in a plentifull proportion to their wine But when the spies brought this home to the camp of the Israelites at Kadesh-barnea they likeâ— the wine but not the reckoning which was to be paid for it not so pleased with the bigness of the grapes as frighted at the bulkes of the Giants § 21. Nor is there any other considerable City remaining in this Tribe save Timâ—ah where Iudah sheared his sheep and at Pethah-enaim or the opening of the ways committed incest with Thamar his unknown daughter-in-law whom after wards he commanded to be brought forth and burnt Thus easier iâ—â—s for one to cause another to be consumed to ashes then to quench the least spark of lust in our own soul. Afterwards Samson going with his Parents to wooe his wife killed a young Lion in the vineyards of Timnah and the text saith he told not his Father or â—other what he had done Herein his silence no less commendable then his valour But indeed true prowess pleaseth it self more in doing then reporting its own atchievements Not long after the Bees made a hive of the Lions body And did not this land flow with honey when it was powred into a carkass for want of other vessells to receive it Honey which in fine proved gall to the Philistines For though they read his riddle by plowing with his heifer he payed his forfeit by killing their Countrey men Hence afterwards Samson to revenge the injuries offered unto him sent forth his Foxes which proved incendiaries of the corn and grain of the Philistines § 22. So much for the places of this Tribe of whose situation we have any certainty from Gods word or good Authors On the rest we hang out our conjecturall Flag Which whilest some censure for the Ensignes of our ignorance others I hope will approve as the colours of our modesty Especially having done our best endevour in ranking them and in default of demonstrations the most probability hath ever been accounted the next heir apparent to Truth The best is such places are onely of name not of note but once mentioned in Ioshua without any memorable actions done in them and so any mistake in the false posture will prove less dangerous Mountains of eminency this Tribe affords none save mount Seir puny hills far different from those in Edom and mount Baalah Both parcels of the south-west bounds of Iudah as originally they were assigned But seeing those limits were afterward discomposed by a new division and re-assignment of them to this Tribe the out-list of Iudah fell into the midst of Dans whole cloth those antiquated borders are 〈◊〉 the less remarkable And as for other mountains although this whole was mountainous yet there was a parity in her hills none exceeding high oneâ—â— such advantages of ground swelling above the plain seemed to be the full breasts and fair nipples of that land which flowed with milke and honey § 23. A fair reserve of land in not of the Tribe is still behind long expecting our company to come and describe it namely Philistia or a part of the land of the Philistines These were a warlike people none of the seven nations of the Canaanites which God drave out before Israel but descended from Miâ—zraim the son of Cham. In the race of military atchievements they started with the first
ran with the swiftest and held out with the longest Having aâ— King in the days of Abraham and continuing themselves in a considerable condition till after the captivity Returning almost as many forcible impressions as they received from the Israelites What though Shâ—â—gar smote Samson 〈◊〉 and Samuel humbled them yet they grew so great in the reigne of Saul that they left all the Israelites swordlesâ— though afterwards there was one sword too many in Saulâ— hand wherewith he slew himself when overcome by the Philistines Indeed David brought them and Solomon kept them under But in the days of Ioram they so recovered themselves that they plundered Iudah rifled the Kings palace killed and carried captive the seed royall Uzziah after ordered them into obedience but under Ahaz they regnined their lost cities and wan more unto them In a word of the heathen people left for thornes in the sides of the Iewes none had sharper prickles or pierced nearer to their hearts then the Philistines Yea such their puissance that from them the Greeks and Latinos called all this land Palestinaâ— because the Philistines lived on the sea-coast most obvious to the notice of foreiners As in deed a small Port makes a greater report in the eares of strangers far off then a land-locked place though far greater in proportion § 24. The bounds of Philistia are not precisely to be set down For whilest tame cattell are kept in pastures beasts of prey such this warlike people are onely bounded by their own ravenous appetite The best way to measure the borders of the Philistines is to behold the sins of the Israelites For when they were encreased then the Countrey of the Philistines was accordingly enlarged Thus in the days of King Saul they roved and ranged as far as Dor and Bethshean in the half Tribe of Manasseh and had Garisons in the heart of most Tribes of Israel But their constant habitation their den as I may terme it was atract of ground from Gath in the north to Gaza in the south Some fifty miles in length and about halfe as broad in the lands allotted to Iudah Dan and Simeon Their government was a mixture of Monarchy and Aristocracy For as their chiefe Cities had Kings over them which seem absolute in their own dominions so these kingdomes were but Cantons in relation to the whole as members making up one entire Common-wealth § 25. There need no other evidence be produced to prove the fruitfulness of their Countrey then the vastness of their bodies whereof the rankness of their ground must be allowed a partiall cause Our English Proverb saith shew me not the meate but shew me the man The well batling of the Giants bred in Philistia chiefly in Gath their Seminary being Heteroclites redundants from the rules of nature sufficiently attests the fertility of their soil Some of these Giants had their hands branching out into six fingers though they who had one fewer had enough to kill them Let Naturalists curiously inquire whether or no this stock of Giants be wholly spent in our age And if so what the true causes thereof Whether intemperance of diet or over early marriage seeing every one that is raw to work count themselves ripe to wed Let them consult whether nature hath not some other way recompensed in our age that want of strength by giving them quicker wits wheras in voluminous men commonly there is much empty margent However mens lesser strength and stature amounts not to a proof of an universall decay in nature as a most learned pen hath unanswerably demonstrated § 26. One thing more we must observe of the Philistines that they are also called Cherethims or Cherethites in Scripture Know also that the Cherethites were a kind of lifegard to King David Now because it is improbable that so wise a Prince would intrust his Person in the protection of the Philistines his conquered enemies therefore learned Tremellius by Cherethites understands such Israelites as afterwards possessed the Countrey of the Philistines expulsed by David Which seems to some but a forced interpretation For what unlikelyhood was it that David might entertain Proselyte Philistines converts to the Iewish religion if there were such to be attendants about his body Not to instance in the French Kings double gard of Scots and Switzars as improper to this purpose because though forein yet free and friendly nations David out of policy might retain such to wait upon him both for their present encouragement and future engagements of the fidelity of the Philistines Whose service might not onely be free from danger but full of advantage especially when they were under the conduct of so wise and valiant an Israelite as Benajah the son of Iehojada placed governour over them To render this still more probable Consider how Ittai the Gittite with six hundred men of Gath was no native of Israel as appears by Davids words thou art a stranger and an exile and yet was intrusted with the Command of a Terce of the army in the battell against Absolom Wherein he excellently acquitted himself according to his loyall resolution to attend the Kings fortunes whether in life or death § 27. Come we now to describe the Countrey Philistia where in the north part thereof we finde Gath a regall City before Achish the son of Maoch the King whereof David to save his life counterfeited himself mad But whether guilty or no in so doing Divines have not yet determined It would incline me to the more charitable side that he had good warrant for what he did because at the same time understand it immediately before or after he composed two Psalmes Which shew his soul not out of tune solemnly to serve God But David went to Achish a second time with sixe hundred men it seems upon better assurance before-hand then formerly and was with great kindness entertained by him dwelt with him in Gath and after obtained Ziklag from him and by Achish his minde should have been the keeper of his head Achish the son of Maachah tributary no doubt to Solomon was King of Gath. For Shimei confined to Hierusalem by Solomons command and his own consent did fetch from him his fugitive servants Time was when Shimei's tongue ran too fast in railing on David his Master and now his feet moved too far in running after his servants so that breaking the Tedder of his Commission of the pieces thereof a Halter was justly made for his execution This City of Gath was afterwards fortified by Rehoboam and many years after taken by Hazael King of Syria and in the next age had the wall thereof broken down by Uzziah King of Israel § 28. Betwixt Gath and Ekron lying thence south west we are as certain there were Cities as ignorant how to call them For the present let them pass by the name of Samuels Cities
ingenuity or remorse been legible in their countenances no doubt he would have suspended his sentence 6 He cursed in the name of the Lord not out of spight but with Gods Spirit and the judgement followed accordingly Probably some of them escaped to the City and there might instruct their mothers and nurses never more to fright children with fond tales of Bug-bears but seriously to informe them of the truth of this sorrowfull accident § 23. In this City Beth-el there was also a nursery of the Sons of the Prophets Alas what heart had they to live here Could the Stall of the golden calfe be a convenient place for them to study in The frequent and abominable impieties here committed they could neither behold with silence nor reprove with safety However it seems they were especially desirous of and delighted in this place where God had immediately manifested his gracious presence to Iacob and we may charitably beleeve by the privateness of their lives secured themselves both from pollution and persecution But for the main Beth-el was changed into Beth-aven Scala coeli into Gradus inferni the Devills then dancing for joy where once Angels those holy Agitators went up and down betwixt heaven and earth Yea in after-ages it was penal for any pious Prophet to approach this place such the strictness of the prohibition herein Prophecy no more at Beth-el for it is the Kings Chappell and it is the Kings Court. As if it were against the Law of the Verge for one to draw a sword though of Gods word within the bounds and precincts of the Palace of the idolatrous Kings of Israel § 24. The last memorable mention that we finde of Beth-el was when Iosiah burnt the bones of the idolatrous people on the Altar there Some will say he shewed little wisdome and less valour therein to encounter dead corps Yea the living found more offence by the stinking then the dead felt pain by the burning of these bones Nor was the alteration thereby produced of so great moment seeing otherwise it would have been dust to dust and now was ashes to ashes But we must know that Iosiah herein was not acted with principles of cruelty but moved in obedience to Gods command to fulfill that prophecy some hundred years before foretold of him Whilest here they were ransacking the sepulchers behold one solemn grave the house of the dead with a stone thereupon the door of that house with an Epitaph on that stone the Porter of that door wherein on enquiry appeared that Prophet lay interred who long since forespake these passages now come to pass His corps were spared by special command and with him quietly rested the old Prophet so good is it as we have elsewhere observed to keep good company both in life and after death So much of Beth-el whence the border of Benjamin descended from Ataroth-Adar near the hill which lyeth on the south side of the nether Bethoron § 25. In assigning the west border of this Tribe we meet with a churlish difficulty in the text drawing the bounds thereof so as to compass the corner of the sea southward Here the Quere ariseth how any part of Benjamin could approach the sea the Tribe of Dan being interposed betwixt it and the Mediterranean Rabbi Solomon seeking to salve it by Sea understands some great water in the west of this Tribe and what he affirmeth is proportionable enough to the Hebrew language terming all watry confluences a Sea as we have formerly observed And indeed what is our English word Mere used in the samesense more or less then Mare or a Sea I should be inclined to the opinion that the pool of Gibeon so eminent in Scripture and styled by Ieremiah the great waters which are in Gibeon should be the Sea herein intended Or if the words of the Text calling it the sea without any other addition must be understood of the best and biggest in that kinde and then can be no other then the Mediterranean sea then I shall embrace the judgement of learned Macius interpreting â— jam not the Sea but the west onely which the propriety of the tongue will well endure § 26. From this western compass alià s Sea in other translations the limits of Benjamin range to Kiriath-jearim in the confines of this Tribe where the Arke was Leiger for twenty years and whence David in a new cart intended to convey it to Ierusalem This kinde of carriage was but Philistine divinity and a Pagan precedent not so ordered by Moses in the mount When the Arke was removed from Shilo it was set on the Levites shoulders and I see no reason why they now should be too good to beare it Uzzah and Ahio drive the cart The former with his hand held it from shaking such his store of good intention and shaked it with his holding such his want of due qualification God striketh him with death and David is startled thereat Is this the Arke placed so near the Mercy-seat Oh how terrible then is the throne of divine Justice For a time therefore the Arke is set to sojourne in the house of Obed-Edom where the Land-lord was blessed for go good a guest Diuine ordinances according as their subject receiveth them are either cordials or poysons and the Arke brought â—ither a curse or a blessing whithersoever it came § 27. The place where the former dysastâ—r happened was called by David Perez-Uzzah nigh Nachons threshing-floor We meet with many such places in the Bible distant from Cities where husbandmen housed and beat out their grain with severall inventions namely 1 With the feet of Oxen treading out the corn 2 By the wheel running over them Make them O Lord like c. 3 With flailes which having wooden handles had their ends armed with iron But amongst all their devices the lazy â—rick of the wild Irish never entred into their braines who to save pains burn the straw so to part the grain from it § 28. So much for the borders of Benjamin Come we now into the middle thereof and first we finde the waters of Iericho arising in the confines of Ephraim The naughtiness of this water was mâ—raculously healed by Elisha putting salt into the fountain thereof I say miraculously otherwise that ingredient would rather have made it more brackish then less bitter Hence those waters run south-ward to the City of Iericho whose name as Munster interprets signifies having a good savour Indeed so delicious the situation thereof after the cure aforesaid wrought by Elisha that had Profit and Pleasure been disposed to solace themselves together no fitter place could be found for that purpose Fragrant the flowers sweet the herbs hereabout especially the garden of Balsame which in the days of the Romans occasioned a quarrell betwixt them and the Iews who manfully defended it Happy had the
that is north-east 2 Another turned the way to Bethoron that is full west 3 The third to the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim that is south-east Thus dividing themselves they compass their ends and destroyed that necessary profession in all the land For the musick of the harp may better be spared in a common-wealth then the noise of an hammer Indeed I have heard that therâ— is an house on London-bridge built entirely of wood without any mixture of iron-nailes therein therefore commonly called None-such for the rarity of the structure thereof but if any could shew a civilized State extant on earth without the use of smiths therein it deserveth the name of Nâ—neâ—such indeed Yea the very Philistines themselves though they suppressed the military use of smiths for matter of Armes permitted by way of lone their use to sharpen instruments of husbandry This not their bounty but policy suffered as being confident when the Israelites had ploughed harrowed sown their ground reaped housed and threshed their grain then they at pleasure could come up to take bake and eate it themselves § 53. So much for the cities in Benjamin of whose situation we have any certainty A second sort succeeds known by their conjecturall flags to be of doubtfull position Amongst these Nob justly claimeth the precedency made by us within the compass of Anathoth a city of the Priests where Ahimelech victualled David and his men with shew-bread and armed him with the sword of Goliah there kept for a monument Let others enquire why Davids sling was not rather preserved for that purpose seeing it overcame the other A false brother was present by name Doeg nation an Edomite office master of the Kings heardsmen who told al and more then all to Saul adding of his own head that Ahimelech enquired counsell of the Lord for him Sure I am Doeg enquired not of the Lord when he told so damnable an untruth Hereupon Saul condemned the Priest to death and others declining so savage a service Doeg undertook it killing fourscore and five persons which wore a linen Ephod besides women children sucklings and cattel so voracious was the appetite of his sword and so active his cruelty when in commission and armed with authority § 54. The Readers eye may easily discover such places of uncertain position as remain and amongst them Zemaraim so named in Hebrew for plenty of wooll thereabouts as Woollwich in Kent and Woollton in Dorset-shire are so called upon the same occasion We set Zemaraim next Bethel because named next unto it where some place the Zemarites ancient inhabitants of Canaan as we have formerly observed Nigh this city was an hil of the same name whereon King Abijah stood made his excellent oration wanting nothing but a better man to utter it immediately before his miraculous victory over the Army of Ieroboam The Valley of Craftsmen which though it sounds like a Countrey yet because going in equipage with other cities may be concluded a city it self And what are Valladolit or Vallis Olitana in Spaine and Vale-royall in Cheshire but the former a fair city the latter lately an Abby now a village I am almost of opinion that this Valley of craftsmen took its denomination from Solomons work-men of whom we read that in the plain of Iordan in the clay ground they cast all the brasen vessels of the Temple did not the position of that place whereof before lie a little more north-ward We conclude with Zeboim not the same with that city first burnt then drowned in the Daed-sea but another probably built not far thence near the influx of Iordan into the dead-sea § 55. Sâ—imei the son of Elah was Solomons Purveyor in Benjamin The Armes of Benjamin were Gules a Wolfe salient argent in allusion to Iacobs words He shall ravin as a Wolfe in the morning he shall devoure the prey and at night he shall divide the spoil Surely the conformity hereof was not found in the person of Benjamin who appears rather lamb-like then wolvish in that little left of him in Scripture Some conceive they have found the resemblance in the two Sauls of this Tribe the one persecuting David the other the Son of David Christ in his members with raging cruelty But to wave the various Rabbinicall conceits hereof certainly this as al other similitudes of this nature is not to be sought in the disgraceful but commendable qualities of a Wolf Thus when God saith of himself Behold I come as a thief it is not meant injuriously fraudulently mischievously but secretly suddenly irresistibly This premised though wolves and foxes generally hear ill in Scripture yet the former excell in sight descrying things at great distance in sleight of excessive agility of body in might very strong in proportion to the bulk thereof All which properties discover themselves in the Benjamites quick sighted steady handed witness their good mark-men and stout-hearted in a word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that both their valour and success are foretold in this blessing bestowed upon them Here the Map of Judah is to be inserted THE TRIBE OF IVDAH CHAP. 13. § 1. IUDAH foâ—rth son of Iacob by Leab his wife was generally a well-natured man endevouring preservation of his brother Ioseph and an excelleâ—t speaker being the mouth for the rest of his brethren in his eloquent oration to Iosâ—â—h Not that these his good qualities which otherwhiles were allayed with lust and cruelty were the causes buâ— rather the effects of Gods preferring him above the rest of his brethren Of this Tribe threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred canne out of Egypt all which deservedly dying in the wilderness for their disobedience the next generation descended from them being threescore and sixteen thousand and five hundred possessed the land of Canaan § 2. Iudah saith the Scripture prevailed above his brethren and of him came the chiefe rulers so that he may be traced all along by the footsteps of his soveraignty Whilest they were in thâ— wilderness God ordered that the standard of Iudah should pitch first oâ— the east side of the Tabernacle towards the rising of the Sun Perchance to denote that the Sun of righteousness arising with healing in his wings should be extracted from that Tribe When Ioshua was dead and the childreâ— of Israel asked of the Lord Who shall goe up first for us to fight against the Candanites It was answered Iudah shall goe up Othniel the first Judge was hence descended and David in whose royall line the Crown lasted for above four hundred years and after the return from captiviâ—y Zorobabel of the Tribe of Iudah is honoured with the style of Governour which office for some time continued in his family In a word besides Princes so puissant was the Tribe in Generalls Ioab Abishdi Amasa
the salt-sea to Beth-hoglah 2 Thence by the north of Beth-araba 3 Thence it went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben 4 Thence towards Debir from the valley of Achor 5 So northwards looking to Gilgal before the going up to Adummin on the south side of the river 6 Thence towards the water of Enshemesh 7 Thence to Enrogel Thence by the vally of Benhinnom unto the south of IerusaleÌ„ 8 Thence to the top of the mountain at the end of the vally of Rephaim 9 Thence to the fountain of Nephtoah 10 Thence to the cities of mount Ephron 11 Thence to Kiriath-jearim 1 From Kiriath-jearim westward it compasseth unto mount Seir. 2 Thence it passeth along to the side of mount Iearim or Chesalon 3 Thence went down to Bethshemesh 4 Thence passed on to Timnah 5 Thence unto the side of Ekron northward 6 Thence was drawn to Shichron 7 Thence passed along to mount Baalah 8 Thence went out unto Iabneel 9 Thence the west border ended at the Great Sea These west bounds of Iudah were afterwards altered falling into the middest of the Tribe of Dan. Now as in the body of a man if an inspection might be made into it whilest he is alive every nerve and artery therein then flushed up with the spirits is easily to be discerned which after death shrink almost invisible past discovering so each small angle and turning of Iudah's bounds in Ioshua's time was then plainly to be perceived which now adays the land long since being in a manner dead and desolate are not at all conspicuous nor fall they under any accurate observation § 15. Amongst all these limitary places Kadesh-Barnea is onely of eminency whither the children of Israel came and where they stayed some time after their coming out of Egypt in the very edge and entrance of the land of Canaan Thus that land was like a rich robe whose utmost hem the Iews were permitted to touch onely that their fingers might feel the fineness thereof but were denied to wear it and remanded to wander another way many years for the punishment of their infidelity And thus many come to the Kadesh-Barnea of common illumination who never attain to the true Canaan of holiness here or happiness hereafter § 16. In describing this spacious Tribe we will begin with the eleven royall Cities therein whose Kings were destroyed by Ioshua These according to their dignities may thus be reckoned up 1 Ierusalem whereof largely hereafter 2 Hebron 3 Debir 4 Libnah 5 Lachish 6 Adullam 7 Geder 8 Iarmuth 9 Eglon. 10 Arad 11 Hepher These royall Cities though scattered here and there in this Tribe need no other Herauld in our map to proclaime them to the Readers notice being quickly found out by their coronets graven upon them From these we shall proceed to other towns of eminency reserving the rivolets and wildernesses to close this our description § 17. Hebron was the principall royall city belonging to Iudah seven years senior in its building to Zoan a City in Egypt more anciently it was called Kiriath-Arba that is say some the City of four men because of four Patriarchs as they reckon them up Adam Abraham Isaac and Iacob buried therein But I wonder any should delight in their own wild conjectures when the text tendereth us a certainty herein assuring us that this Arba from whom Kiriath-Arba or Hebron was named was a great man among the Anakims This City stood in the vale of Mamre so called from Mamre a person of quality in this place who with Aner and Eshcol were Abrahams loving associates and valiant assistants in conquering Cheder-laomer and rescuing the captive Sodomites Abraham Isaac and Iacob lived here successively and from the vale of Hebron Ioseph was sent on a loving visit to his brethren when for his good will they sold him to the Ishmaelites § 18. Hereabouts was that great entertainment made wherein the covert of a tree was the dining-room the ground probably the board Abraham the Caterer Sarah the Cook veal and welcome their cheer Angels in the shape of men Christ in the notion of an Angel the guests and the last promise of Isaac the free-offering they gave for their entertainment Yea in Hebron Isaac was born suckled weaned persecuted by Ishmael till at last he mocked both himself and his mother Haâ—gar quite out of his Fathers family § 19. Near Hebron was the cave of Machpelah purchased by Abraham of Ephron the Hittite with the field about it and all the trees therein at the price of four hundred shekells of silver for the burying of Sarah himself and his family For here Isaac Ishmael though formerly the one perscuted the other lovingly agreed to bury Abraham their Father Iacob Esau though formerly the one designed the others death lovingly agreed to bury Isaac their Father Ioseph and his brethren though formerly they envied and sold him lovingly agreed to bury Iacob their Father And thus though branglings and brawlings may happen betwixt brethren when young all animosities ought to be buried in the grave of their Fathers § 20. In the time of Ioshua Hebron had a King whom he conquered and subdued and afterwards this place was made a City of Refuge and assigned with twelve moe in this Tribe and Benjamin unto the Priests the sons of Aaron who were above common Levites as employed in ordinary attendance about the Tabernacle Herein God provided not onely for their conveniency accommodating them with habitations near Ierusalem as the place hereafter intended for his publick service but chiefly for their conscience placing them in these two Tribes whom he foresaw would alone persevere in when the others would apostate from the true Religion Yea the Priests had the best and biggest places in Iudah as Hebron Debir Libnah formerly Royall afterwards Sacerdotall Cities God allowing his Ministers large maintenance and indeed a beggerly Clergy is the forerunner of a bankrupt Religion § 21. But although the City of Hebron pertained to the Priests the suburbs thereof by Gods appointment belonged to Caleb and his posterity This Caleb was that young-old man whose strength contradicted his years so able and active at fourscore and five either for advice or execution But here he eate not the bread of idleness being first to clear and conquer Hebron before he could possess it from the Giant-Amorite-Anakims dwelling therein These Amorites though as the Prophet describes them high as the Cedars and strong as the Oakes had notwithstanding to follow this Metaphor much wastfull sap in their mighty big bodies whilst Caleb all heart as his name imports though less and lower by Gods assistance easily overcame them If any demand How came Anakims hither seeing Hebron so lately was smitten by Ioshua A learned author answers that it is probable whilest Ioshua afterwards was employed in the north in conquering the
Canaanites some remnant of the Anakims which escaped his hand did in his absence return possess Hebron and put Caleb to a new task of a second subduing them § 22. David afterwards made Hebron the Metropolis of this kingdome as being the most eminent City of his own Tribe of Iudah and reigned almost seven years therein In the third year of his reign Abner repaired hither with full intent to reduce all Israel to his obedience had not Ioabs sudden murdering him frustrated his design Probably some mixture of jealousie might put Ioab on this foul action fearing to be outed of his office that if Abner made David King David would make Abner Generall over all Israel Certainly revenge of his brother Asahels bloud prompted him thereunto Ioab sending messengers to fetch Abner back from the well of Siriah slew him treacherously as he was entering the gates of Hebron § 23. Forget we not that Hebron in the gate whereof Ioab so basely and barbarously murdered him was a City of Refuge appointed by God for the saving of such as had killed one unawares Did not Ioab therefore in such a place acting wilfull murder in an high hand relie on his own greatness to beare him out in so bloudy a deed as if he neither feared the justice of man nor needed the mercy of God No wonder then if many years after he flying to the horns of the Altar was denyed the protection of that place who formerly so cruelly despightfully and presumptuously had defiled the City of Refuge with innocent bloud § 24. Thus died Abner very loyall to Saul whilest Saul was living and too loving to his concubine when he was dead Never man was killed more cowardly or buried more honourably David himself following the bâ—ere weeping as chiefe mourner at his funerall In the same sepulcher the head of Ishbosheth was afterwards interred Though some jars were betwixt them whilest living their dust well agreed in the same grave Nor durst the ashes of Ishbosheth cross the others who when alive though checked and chidden by him could not answer Abner a word again because he feared him As for the bodies of Baanah and Rechab the murderers of Ishbosheth they had by order from David their hands and feet cut off and they hanged up over the pool in Hebron § 25. After the death of Ishbosheth all Israel repaired to Hebron to make David their King whose severall numbers deserve our observation 1 Out of Iudah six thousand and eight hundred 2 Simeon seven thousand one hundred 3 Levi eight thousand three hundred twenty two 4 Benjamin three thousand 5 Ephraim twenty thousand and eight hundred 6 Half Tribe of Manasseh on this side Iordan eighteen thousand 7 Issachar two hundred officers and all their brethren at ther coÌ„mandment 8 Zebulun fifty thousand 9 Naphtali thirty seven â—housand besides a thousand Captains 10 Dan twenty eight thousand and six hundred 11 〈◊〉 fourty thousand 12 Reuben Gâ—d and Manassâ—h beyond Iordan an hundred and twenty thousand Behold here those Tribes which lived farthest from Hebron appearing in the highest equipage as if they endevouring to be revenged on the distance of their habitation purposely advanced with the greatest number Here it will be enquired why Iudah largest in dominion next in position nearest in relation as Davids native Tribe made here the slenderest appearance of all the rest Benjamin alone excepted the thinness of whose numbers are excused in the text because hitherto the greatest part of them kept the ward of the house of Saul What! doth it fare with Princes as with Prophets that they are not without honour save in their own Countrey and in their own house that David found fewest attendants from his own Tribe Oh no he was abundantly loved and honoured therein But Tostatus answers 1 Davids daily attendance both civill in his Court and military in his camp and garrison hitherto chiefly consisted of the Tribe of Iudah 2 The rest of Iudah remained at home to make provision and give entertainment to this confluence of people from all parts Adde hereunto 1 Six thousand eight hundred were a sufficient representation of Iudah and moe not onely needless but burdensome for the present to pester Hebron too populous already The rest keeping home and living hard by were ready no doubt on competent warning to come quickly if need required or David commanded their attendance 2 Iudahs main work was done two years before when David was solemnly made their King And they now rather spectators then actors at his second Coronation over all Israel Now no less politick then thrifty were the other Tribes in bringing their victualls along with them lest otherwise they should be held as occasioners of scarcity in Iudah and enhauncers of the prices of provisions § 26. Afterwards Absalom when he intended a rebellion against his Father chose Hebron as the fittest City from whence he meant to mount into the Throne Hither he came under pretence to doe sacrifice with his chariots and horses and fifty men running before him but which was most to be pitied he brought with him from Ierusalem two hundred men which were as one may say Loyall traitors coming in the simplicity of their hearts and meerly drawn-in to treasonable practises But Hebron proved not a place so succesfull to Absalom the son as formerly fortunate to David his father This Traitours soveraignty soon expired when forsaken of God Man and Beast his own Mule going away from him he was slain of Ioab as formerly related § 27. Some ten miles south of Hebron lay Debir anciently called Kiriah-Sepher the City of a book conceived a Canaanitish University And although the Giant Anakims dwelling hereabouts may be presumed but little bookish yet civilized Countreys in all ages have allowed such places for the education of youth who are better unborn then unbred Caleb proffered Acsah his daughter in marriage to any one that should conquer this City which was accordingly performed by Othniel his younger brothers son and first Judge of Israel What were not the glory of God and good of his Countrey enough to set an edge on his valour but the promise of a wife needed also to whet his resolution No doubt the scales of his resolution went down formerly on the right side before this match was cast in as overweight It is no unlawfull Bigamy of the soul when wedded to Gods glory in the first place to embrace also therewith the recompense of reward and grand is the difference betwixt an hireling whose minde is meerly mercenary and him that works for his hire with Othniel taking it not as the main motive much less as the end but onely as a welcome encouragement of his undertakings § 28. Thus all parties were pleased Israel recovered Debir Othniel got Acsah to wife she gained a blessing from her Father that
though Davids fancy was above his judgement in desiring his conscience was above his fancy in refusing to drink of that water but powred it out unto the Lord. § 16. But that that gave the greatest lustre to Bethlehm was that Iesus Christ the Prince of peace was born herein of the blessed virgin Mary in a time of peace to procure and establish a peace betwixt God and Man Man and Angels Man and Man Man and his own Conscience Man and other Creatures Publick the place of his birth an Inne every mans house for his money and poor the manner thereof so defeating the Iews towring fancies of a â—emporall King who long looking to see their Messiah sitting on a throne would rather stumble at him then stoop to behold him lying in a manger The first tydings of the Lambe of God by intelligence of Angels is told to poor shepheards watching their flocks by night whilest the Priests the pretended shepheards of Israel were snorting on their beds of security The place of this apparition not being far from the tower of Eder or the tower of â—locks where Iacob sometime pitched his tent and kept cattell and where Reuben defiled his Fathers Concubine § 17. And now the wise men of the East make speed to their Saviour directed unto him by a star in its progressive motion probably pointing at Iudea as if it had been but the bare reflexion of a brighter star which was there to be seen These wise men well read in the volume of heaven perceiving this to be no hypocrite star or blazing Comet usually portending not the Cradle but Coffin of some Prince yea no light constantly Leiger in the skies conclude it an extraordinary Embassadour sent upon some peculiar service and advantaged with the Prophecy of Baalam current among the children of the East haste to Ierusalem and put it to the question where the King of the Iews was to be born Here Gentile and Iew confer their notes and compare their intelligence together concerning Christs birth the former collecting the time from the star the latter concluding Bethlehem the place from the Scripture How much knowledge might men attain if mutually they would lend their light one to another To Bethlehem Herod sends the wise men to seek this new King promising to come himself and worship him but secretly similing at their diligent devotion whilest God in heaven laughed at his dissimulation § 18. To Bethlehem they come to make enquiry after Christ whom none never sincerely sought but they found him The star by moving probably in the low region of the aire shews them their way by standing still the end of their journey coming into the house they finde the royall Babe and present him with gifts Then warned by God in a dream they return into their own Countrey another way Say not that they were more wise then honest in not making good their promise to goe back to Herod seeing 1 No such promise made by them appears in Scripture who being certainly foreiners and probably free Princes owed no obedience to Herods injunction 2 Had such promise been made by them yet being done in consideration of another from Herod to come and and worship Christ they were now remitted to their former liberty his fraudulent intent being revealed unto them by divine information 3 Suppose their promise to return bound with an oath yet herein the breach thereof made no forfeiture because their Recognisance was taken in Gods name who freely delivered up the band unto them again Homewards they goe whilest Herod wonders at their long delay yet comforts himself that the slowness of their searching will at last be recompensed with their sureness of finding what he desired § 19. Weary at last he is with waiting seeing no King of the Iews was found and they lost which were sent to seek him But this old Fox had two holes fraud failing him he betakes himself to force and sends executioners to kill all the children of two years old and under in Bethlehem and all the coasts thereof Herods cruelty being of greater compass then the City of Bethlehem took in that circuit which the walls there of left out so cunning he was to overdoe rather then leave any thing undone Here no pen can express the mothers sorrows for their children whilest one stood amazed as if she had lost her son and senses together another bleeds out sorrow in her eyes to prevent festering in her heart a third vents her passions in exclamations and it gives her some ease though she could not recall her dead child to call him Tyrant that murdered it All their mourning going severall ways meet in one common misery whilest the soules of these children are charitably conceived by the Primitive Church all marched to heaven as the Infantry of the noble Army of Martyrs Herod the while huggs himself that he had fitted their new King with a short reign being confident that burning the Hive he had killed the Master-Bee though Christ was all the while safe in Egypt where his Policy could not finde whence his power could not fetch him § 20. Bethlehem is on all sides compassed with places of eminent note On the North stood Ramah nigh which was the execution of those infants In Ramah was a voice heard lamentation and weeping and great mourning Rachel weeping for her children c. Some will say Leah had more cause of sorrow to make her eyes watry by nature worse with her tears Bethlehem belonging to the Tribe of Iudah But let such know that the cruelty of Herod extended to all the coasts of Bethlehem and so also reached to Benjamin in whose confines Bethlehem was situated Besides it is the opinion of some learned men that the land about Bethlehem was called Rachel from her sepulcher so eminent in these parts Zelzah is hard by in Hebrew a place shadowed and therefore we have presumed to cover it with trees where Saul according to Samuels prediction first heard tydings that his Father had found his Asses and feared the loss of his Son who had found a kingdome § 21. South-ward we finde Asahels sepulcher buried in the grave of his Father and south-west-ward in the way to Hebron Geruth-Chimham the Manor or Mansion of Chimham son of Baâ—â—illaâ— no doubt bestowed on him by David according to his Princely promise to give him whatsoever he should choose or require Many years after Iohanan the Son of Kareah with the remnant of the poor Iews which had escaped the Babyâ—lonish captivity dwelt at Geruth-Chimham untill contrary to Gods express command hence they departed into Egypt Almost full west lay Bezek whose King Adonibezek was punished according to his own cruelty who having cut off the Thumbs and Toes of threescore and ten Kings caused them to gather their meat under his table Now if Isaac's question to Iacob concerning his
sorts in sundry places serving for different employments Gates 1 In the out-wall giving ingâ—ess and egress to passengers the sole subject of our present discourse 2 In the in-walls like Temple-bar opening out of Fleet-street into the Strand being partitions within Ierusalem Such the Iron-gate through which Saint Peter went out of prison to the house of Mary the mother of Iohn Mark. 3 Leading to the Courts of the Temple as Saint Austins-gate into Saint Pauls Church-yard such the beautifull gate c. 4 Of the Kings palace like Bulwark gate and Iron-gate leading to London tower as the gate whereby the horses came into the Kings house Now such as promiscuously make all these to be out-gates of Ierusalem ingage themselves in difficulties and deceivâ— others thereby For prevention whereof we will onely insist on the gates of the first qualification § 2. Begin we with the Sheep-gate on the east of Ierusalem in Nehemiahs time owing the reparation thereof to Eliâ—shib the high Priest and his brethren Through this gate the sheep were driven in and all other cattell designed for sacrifice as the nearest way to the Temple § 3. Next followeth the Golden-gate not mentioned in Scripture but meeâ—ly depending on humane authority so called because gilt all over vulgar beholders who carry no touchstones in their eyes accounting all massie gold which is richly gilded Popish authours adde that when our Saviour in an humble but solemn equipage rode on an Asse colt to the Temple this gate opened unto him of its own accord a prety proportionable fiction For if the Iron-gate opened to Peter a Disciple no less then a Golden-gate could offer entrance to Christ his Master Onely here 's the difference we receive the one as recorded in Scripture and reâ—uâ—e the other as not reported therein especially our Saviour having â—o fair an occasion to make mention thereof For when the Pharisees questioned him for not silencing the Childrens Hosaâ—aâ—s and when he returned thâ—t if they should hold their peace the stones would immediately â—ry out how easie had it been for him to adde that the very walls of the City had already opened their mouthes their gates to receivâ— him § 4. Thirdly the Horse-gate by the Kings palace through which the grooms brought the Kings horâ—â—s to water them in the brook of Kidron yet some erroneously make this the same with the Water-gate The Prophet points at the exact position thereof towards the east and we finde the mention but not the reedifying of this gate in Nehemiah a Presumpâ—ion that it was not so ruinous as the rest and not needing much reparation As for 〈◊〉 who cryed Treason Treason the fox the finder when she was the greatest Traitour herself on the Comparing of Scripture it will appear that the Horse-gate whereat she was killed was not this City gate but another so named leading from the Temple to the the Kings Palace § 5. Fourthly the Water-gate In a fall or declivity of ground full east So called because thereat all the â—ewers channels and water-courses of the City flowed out and ran into the brook Cedron No mention in Nehemiah of the repairing hereof for the reason aforesaid Indeed if in his time the Iews had de no vo from the very ground begun the building of the walls and gates thereof it had been impossible they could have finished that work in two and fifty days Whereby it appears they onely mended those places which were most in dilapidation This was the East-gate emphatically so called by the Prophet and opened into the valley of the children of Hinnom § 6. Thus far the gates on the east of Ierusalem On the south thereof where Sion or the City of David lay we meet with no gates at all the precipice of the rock affording no passable ascent on that side so that men must goe first through Ierusalem and then into Sion I dare not say that herein Ierusalem was a type of the Militant as Sion more mounted of the Triumphant Church although there be no access for those which are without into the happiness of the latter but by taking the holiness of the former in their passage thereunto § 7. Come we now to the west in the southermost part whereof we light on the Fountain-gate near the pool of Shiloah whence it took its name nigh to which on the inside were those stately staires whereby men went up to the City of David This gate was in Nehemiahs time repaired by Shallum the Son of Col-hozeh § 8. Next to this the Dung-gate A gate in greatness though but a postern for the private use thereof through which the offall and excrements of the City were conveyed Appliable to this place is that which the Apostle speaketh of some parts of the body Nay much more thosâ— members of the body which seem to be feeble are necessary This gate though of small honour was of great use and all Ierusalem had been a Dung-City but for the Dung-gate Yea the noisomer soile carried out hereat and conveyed hence into the gardens thereabouts was by natures Chymistry converted into wholesome herbs and fragrant flowers growing there The Dung-gate in the days of Nehemiah was set up with the doors locks and bars thereof by Malchiah the son of Rechab § 9. Next follows the Valley-gate commonly but wrongfully placed on the east side of the City chiefly on this account because the valley of Kidron lyeth on that side thereof As if this valley alone was near Ierusaâ—lem which by the Psalmist is described with the mountains round about it and so by necessary consequence must be surrounded with vallies interposed betwixt it and those mountains This gate stood in the north-west opening into the valley of Carcases lying betwixt it and Mount Calvary Here Nehemiah began and ended his surveying the ruins of the walls going by night because loth to be seen and loth to see so sad a sight This valley-gate was in his time repaired by Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah § 10. Having thus surveyed the east south and west come we now to the northern part of the City Where first we finde the Corner-gate whose angular position speaks it to participate of two points being seated in the very flexure of the wall from the east to the north It was distanced from the gate of Ephraim just four hundred cubits all which space of the wall was broken down by Ioash King of Israel when he conquered Amaziah that his Army might march in triumphantly with the greater state Pride we see hath not onely an high neck but also a broad breast especially when setting her armes by her side so large a passage must be cleared for her entrance Afterwards King Uzziah rebuided this gate and adorned it with towers yea fortified all the turning of the wall
from some other tower or because a just Century of towers was at it begun or finished It was built after the captivity by Eliashib and his brethren the Priests § 2. The Tower of furnaces standing in the West north of the Valley gate jointly repaired by Malchiah and Hashub So called thinks Adrichomius from fire kept there as a signall to seafaring men But oh woefull those Mariners who in a dark night had no better direction then what they received thence above forty miles from the sea and many mountains interposed rather it might serve for some Beacon or land-mark or might take its name from some fire in the corpse du gard constantly preserved therein § 3. The tower of Hananeel in the east part So called no doubt from the first builder thereof It was in Nehemiahs time repaired by Eliashib the high Priest and his brethren § 4. The Tower that lyeth out from the Kings high house nigh unto which Palal the son of Uzai repaired in Nehemiahs time Not that the prominency of this extravagant Tower hindred the uniformity of the walls but the fencing of the City required such situation thereof § 5. The Great tower that lyeth out different from the former else the builders of the wall in Nehemiahs time made no progress in the work in the east of the City over against which the Tekoites did repair § 6. The Tower of David furnished with an armory at the southwest turning of the wall over against which Ezer the son of Ioshua repaired Christ compareth the neck of his spouse to this Tower for the whiteness and proportionable length thereof § 7. But among all these most remarkable was the Tower of Siloe near unto the water of Siloe whence it fetcht its name on the west side of the City which killed eighteen men with the fall thereof Yet the stones of this tower fell not more heavy on their bodies then the censure of uncharitable Iews did on their memories condemning them for the greatest sinners in all Ierusalem as whose offences were mounted so high that nothing less or lower then the fall of a tower could depress their Persons and impieties to the pit of perdition False position to maintain that those have wrought the most sin who are brought to most shame and confuted by our Saviour assuring the Iews if they did not repent they should likewise perish likewise certitudine non similitudine poenae Yea in a mysticall meaning those incredulous Iews who rejected our Saviour did not onely fall on a stone and so were broken but also the stone fell on them by reason of their infidelity and ground them to powder § 8. We will conclude with the Tower of Ophel so named from darkness as some would have it because always cloudy and misty at the high top thereof But though the Etymology of Ophel be obscure the situation and use thereof is clear in Scripture over against the Water-gate where the Nethinims had their habitation Understand not all of them at once but so many of their society as for the time being were in ordinary attendance about the Temple whilest the rest lived in other Cities assigned unto them § 9. These Nethinims were descended from those Gibeonites who for their fallacy put on Ioshua and the people of Israel were condemned to the drudgery of Gods service Thus the fathers lying tongues cost their children many aking armes and weary backs with hewing of wood and drawing of water Saul was a great persecutour David a grand preserver of them who first made them a Corporation He and his Princes appointing them for the service of the Levites when first we finde them called Nethinims to bury the odious name of Gibeonites that is persons given to to pious uses These for many generations approving their industry in Gods service washed out the staines of their Fathers falshood with the sweat of their fidelity and in proces of time though Hivites by extraction attained to some honour above the natives of Israel For whereas the sons of Barzillai were put by their places in the Priesthood because they could not clear their pedegree the Nethinims continued in their place whose genealogies were exactly derived Yea whereas other Israelites were subject to heavy taxes after their captivity the Nethinims were exempted from all tribute pity their purses and persons should both bear burdens by the bounty of the Kings of Persia. Whose liberality though a Pagan to Gods worship like the precious ointment on Aâ—rons head which ran down to his beard even to the skirts of his garment flowed from the Priests and Levites by the singers and porters to the Netâ—inims the very verge and utmost hem of Temple officers by his especiall grace taking order that it should not be lawfull to impose toll tribute or custome upon them § 10. Many moe towers not mentioned in Scripture were about Ierusalem as the Tower of women remarkablâ— in Iosephus But why iâ— was so called what have women to doe with war I will give him a satisfactory answer who first resolves me why the Roman Fortification of twelve acres of ground neer Dorchester is called Maidens-castle But we refer all the towers of Iosephus his reporting not appearing in Scripture to our particular Map of Ierusalem as by him described Come we now to make some observations on such as were the builders of the City walls in the days of Nehemiah because it was built on the same Area or floor with that in Solomons time and we meet with many remarkables in the history thereof CHAP. V. Observations on the repairers of the walls of Jerusalem in the days of Nehemiah § 1. MInisters ought to leade the Van and be the first and forwardest in all pious projects Behold here Eliashib the high Priest with the Priests his brethren begin the work and built the Sheep-gate A gate ministeriall unto the Temple through which the sheep were brought intended for sacrifices and therefore as it was fit it should have the preheminence to be first repaired so the Priests were the most proper persons to be imployed therein Of this gate it is solely and singularly said that they sanctified it which dedication speaks it set apart to holy service as introductory of the offerings into the house of God § 2. Great is the influence of the Pastours example on the peoples practise Many hands make light work behold a troop of builders cometh of all Professions private persons publick officers whole families of all jointly Levites Merchants Gold-smiths Apothecaries c. of all Places from Iericho Tekoa Gibeon Mizpah Zanoah c. Sexes both men and women Next repaired Shallion the son of Halloesh the ruler of the half of Ierusalem he and his daughters What had their tender hands any skill to carve stones or weak shoulders any
strength to carry morter Or was it sutable with the modesty of their sex to clime ladders clamber scaffolds seeing there is no acting for any builders but upon such stages Surely they refused no pains proportionable with decency to their power and what was wanting in their persons supplied with their purse expending it perchancâ— out of their own portions And if orphans money put into the Chamber of London be accounted so sure God no doubt did repay what they laid out on the walls of Ierusalem § 3. Now whereas Shallum their Father is styled ruler of the half part of Ierusalem rather subtile then solid is the note of Tremellius thereupon For saith he Ierusalem being in two Tribes Iudah and Benjamin had therefore two rulers thereof Not considering how in the same Chapter other smaller Cities and those undoubtedly whole and entire in one Tribe had notwithstanding two governours over them and those benefactours to the building of Ierusalem As Malchiah the son of Rechab the ruler of part of Beth-haccarem Shallum the son of Col-hozeh the ruler of part of Mizpah Nehemiah the son of Azbuk the ruler of the half part of Beth-zur Hashabiah the ruler of the half part of Keilah Banai the son of Henadad the ruler of the half part of Keilah Now the dividing of the command of the City betwixt two Governours so usuall at this very time and noâ— notably extant in Scripture before or after the days of Nehâ—miah leads us to this probable opinion that immediately upon the Iews return from Babylon the Persian Emperour from whom all Commissions were derived would not entrust any Iew with the sole rule of a strong City but for the better security parted it betwixt two who had joint but distinct dominion therein That whilst they with mutuall jealousie observed the actions each of other both might preserve the interest of their Master § 4. In building the Old gate two co-founders were joined together namely 1 Iehoiada the son of Paseah 2 Meshullam the son of Besodaiah I will not say that as York Minster was built by Percy and Vavasour the one giving stone the other timber to that structure so the building of this gate was in like manner advanced betwixt them but hence observe that it is no shame for one to admit a partner in that weighty work which he caunot weild by himself Blame worthy their pride or peevishness who will not have that good design done at all which can not all be done by themselves § 5. Whereas Malchiah the son of Rechah is recorded builder of the Dung-gate no needless port in that City seeing in populous places Perfumers may be spared with less loss to the publick then Scavangers some conceive this Malchiah to have been a Rechabite by descent and a ceremonious observer of their Ancestours instructions not to drink wine nor build house but to live in tents with other Canonicall obediences Nor was this building of the wall of Ierusalem any breach of their vow partly because a publick no private edifice and partly because those their ceremonious observances probably terminated at the Babylonish captivity This Malchiah they make heir of the family of the Rechâ—bites according to the Propheticall promise that one of that house should not fail to stand before God for ever But whether herein Interpreters doe not take more then the text tenders unto them be it reported to others § 6. It is signally observed that Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph repaired a piece of the wall But where were his five elder brethren Were they dead or absent or idle or impotent The Scripture giveth no account of them onely the sixth son is recorded for his forwardness herein In matters of piety there is no standing on useless yea on dangerous modesty No breach of good manners to goe before our betters in goodness or for the younger brother in nature to gain the birth-right in grace § 7. It is said of Baruch the son of Zabbai verse 20. and of him alone it is said that he earnestly repaired the other piece What did the others work but in jest because this Accent earnestly is onely put over the piece he repaired Is not this mark of honour on him a brand of infamy on the rest No surely though probably his zeal was paramount in the employment and what if the word earnestly set there almost in the very midst amongst all the builders be to be taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 relating to all the rest before and behind it § 8. It is observed that many men repaired onely against their own houses This though at the first sight it may seem the fruit but of a narrow soul and private spirit yet effectually advanced the work Yea it is particularly recorded of Meshullam the son of Berechiah who likely was but a lodger and no house-keeper that he repaired over against his Chamber Oh if order were observed for every one to mend his own heart or house how would personall amendment by degrees quickly produce family-city-countrey-kingdome-reformation How soon are those streets made clean where every one sweeps against his own door § 9. Some doubled their files as Merimoth the son of Urijah the son of Coz who having formerly been a repairer verse 4. comes again the second time to build verse 21. out of doubt the same person as having the same name father and grand-father Let him have double praise for his double pains who not being weary of well doing dealt with the wall of Ierusalem as the Philippians with Saint Paul once and again relieving the necessity thereof § 10. The nobles of Tekoah are taxed for not putting their necks to the work of their Lord. Strange that now they should discover such unseasonable pride Had they not lately returned from Babylon Could not seventy years banishment from their own and captivity in a forein land humble them to purpose Me thinks so long suffering should have broken though not their hearts their stomacks But oh the difference betwixt being low and being lowly No affictions except seasoned and sanctified are sufficient to bring down mens naturall corruption This negligence of the Tekoite nobility in Gods cause was so much the more conspicuous because of the double diligence of the Tekoite commoners therein for they had two shares in this adventure building Nehem. 3. v. 5. and again they had verse 27. another bout in the same service Except any will say that by the Tekoites in the second mention of them their nobility are intended who sensible of their own dishonour for their former backwardness played an after-game to repair their credit which is affirmed without any proof and with little probability § 11. Some here will demand What did Nehemiah himselfe all the while did he onely look on work with his eyes and command others to labour Or was
Davids days the Militia was much altered and managed by horse by the way Absalom was the first Israelite whom we finde riding in a chariot and how he was blest is not unknown Afterwards Solomon brought many horses out of Egypt and an Egyptian wife on the back of them who certainly hindred more then the other helped him and generally the Israelites were more prosperous before their use of horses then ever after Their success was mounted when they fought on foot but scarce went on foot when their armies were mounted on horseback § 24. But to return to Aram-Zobath Two prime cities thereof with four names are mentioned in Scripture Beta and Berothat elsewhere called Tibhah and Chun Here not to say that Beta and Tibhah by Metathesis are the same it is no newes for cities standing in the confines of severall kingdomes and the juncture of severall languages to have double names What the English-man calls Glocester and Worcester the Welsh-men tearm Caer Loyw and Caer-Frangon And probably one of the names of these cities was Hebrew and the other Aramite Both of them afforded much brass to King David Gods receiver generall for that purpose for the building of the Temple But Zobah which gave the name to this Countrey is generally conceived at this day to be called Aleppo though some Iews inhabiting therein count it anciently the city of Sepharvaim from Alep which signifies milke in the Turkish language whereof such plenty here that if via lactea be to be found on earth it is in this place It is so seated on a navigable stream which runs into Euphrates that here the commodities of the East and West doe meet The former from Babylon by water the latter by Land-caravans from Scanderoon and this city is the golden clasp to couple both sides of the world together and we remit the Reader to modern Merchants for further information thereof § 25. And here standing on the utmost verge of our map we could wish it of such extent as might represent to the Reader Aram-Naharam or Mesopotamia otherwise Padan-Aram where Bethuel and Laban dwelt Charran whither Abraham first removed Caldea and Ur a city where he formerly dwelt Babylon and Nineveh the two Emperesses of the world with the rivers which watered and bounded Paradise it self But alass as Prodigalls who have spent their possessions take little delight to see a survey of the lands they have sold the sad remembrancer of their former riot and present wretchedness so small comfort can accrew unto us by the curious enquiry into the ancient place of Paradise having long since in our first Parents forfeited all our right and title thereunto But the main matter forbidding our Pens progress any further is because as Shimei confined by Solomon to Ierusalem suffered justly as an offender for gadding to Gath so Palestine with the neighbouring countreys being the proper subject of our discourse we shall be taken trespassers if found wandering beyond the bounds thereof However I hope without offence my hand may point further then my feet may follow and tell the Reader that the fore-named places lie northeast of the city of Aleppo § 26. The land of Hamah lay west of Aram-Zobah anciently inhabited by the Hamathites descended from the eleventh and youngest Son of Canaan the Son of Cham of whom largely before In the days of David Toi was King of this Countrey who being at war with Hadadezar and hearing how the Israelites had defeated him sent Ioram his Son to King David with presents in his hand and complements in his mouth to congratulate his victory Long after Salmaneser subdued this countrey and extinguished the royall race witness that brag Where is the King of Hamath and of Arpad Though that proud question admits of an answer namely they were even there where their sins set them seeing it was not so much the Assyrian valour as the Syrian wickedness which cast these Kings out of their countrey Riblah was a prime city in this land where Nebuchadnezzar caused the eyes of Zedekiah to be bored out Some conceive this done in the land of Nephtali others with more likelihood in this place and we see Reader our carefulness to please all if possible in this captious age mention it in both Yet because this Riblah was many miles nearer to Babylon and further from Ierusalem it is more probable to be the place as more for Nebuchadnezzars ease and Zedekiahs anguish it adding to the conquerours state to fetch the captive furthest from his own countrey § 27. Hamah the city which gave the name to this countrey was afterwards called Antiochia Seven and twenty cities are said to be of the same name For severall Antiochuses being successively Kings of Syria stocked their dominions with many cities after their names as being either built beautified strengthened or enlarged by them or their Favorites But it matters not how many younger brethren there be of the same family as long as our Antioch is the heire and though not in age in honour to be preferred before all the rest Here the professor of the Gospell formerly termed Beleevers for their faith sometimes Brethren for their love Saints for their holinesse Disciples for their knowledg were for all these first called Christians Probably when many of all nations beleeved the name Christian was given them to bury the difference betwixt Iews and Gentiles thus England and Scotland happily joined in great Britain which two names though remaining afterwards were used as terms of civill difference not odious distinction Had this happened at Rome how would the Tide of Tiber have swoln above all his bounds and banks at the conceit that in her city Religion it self was christened But this Antioch hath still more to brag of The Chair of Saint Peter wherein he sate Patriarch many years before his removeall to Rome and therefore no wonder if Antioch grudge to give Rome the superiority Why should not that place be the prime which was the first Besides Saint Peter was honoured at Antioch murdered at Rome And why should that City receive most credit by him which used most cruelty unto him But let Ecclesiasticall Heralds deduce the pedegree and martiall the precedency of these Churches we will onely adde that this Pharisaicall taking of the upper-hand hath in all ages hindered the giving of the right hand of Christian fellowship § 28. Now surely no malignant quality in this place but a principle of perversness in mens hearts was the cause that so many famous contentions happened in this city of Antioch Here it was that some comming down from Iudea maintained the necessity of circumcision and the legall ceremonies endevouring to set up a religion like those monsters in Africa begotten betwixt severall kindes partaking of both perfect in neither but defective in their very redundancy a â—edley mongrel betwixt Judaisme and Christianity This occasioned the calling of the first great
of others waxed cold could warm himself with his own well gotten goods But afterwards Barnabas that Son of consolation comforting the bowels of the Saints as well by his works as words deeds as doctrine sold his possessions and tendered the price thereof at the feet of the Apostles Such practises were sincerely performed in the primitivetimes superstitiously imitated with opinion of merit in after ages and scornfully derided by too many in our days so far from parting with the propriety that they will not appropriate a part of their goods to good uses We finde Saint Paul preaching in two cities in Cyprus Salamis where there was a Synagogue of the Iews and Paphos where Venus was worshipped thence surnamed Paphia and where Elymas the sorcerer was struck blind for opposing Saint Paul We cannot recover Paphos proportionably into this Map behold it therefore peeping in but excommuned the lines thereof § 34. But to return to the Continent where we fall on Syrophoenicia whose mixt name speakes its middle situation betwixt Syria and Phenice so that if those two countrys should fall out no fitter umpire to arbitrate their difference then Syrophoeniâ—ia participating of and therefore presumed impartiall to both Of this Countrey was that bold begger who would have no saying nay but importunate in the behalf of her daughter no whit discouraged with the disadvantage of her person disaffection of the disciples miserable mediatours interceding for her repulse deep silence and afterwards disdainful denial of Christ himself would not desist as if her zeal was heated with the Antiperistasis of the cold comfort she received till the violence of her faith had wrested a grant from our Saviour The bounds of Syrophoenicia are variously assigned the principall cities whereof are Laodicea different from that to which Saint Iohn wrote and whose lukewarm temper made health it self sick thereof § 35. Next we finde on the sea the city of Gebalâ— in Ptolemy and Strabo Gabala and the Inhabitants therein and thereabouts termed Giblites in Scripture These led the Van in the grand conspiracy against Israel Gebal and Ammon and Amalek the Philistims with the inhabitants of Tyre Asher also c. But Solomon taught their hands another lesson not to fight against Gods people but to help to finish his Temple At the Coronation of Tyre the Queen-Mart of the world so largely described by Ezekiel where all neighbouring Cities as in Grand-Sergeantry held their places by some speciall attendance about her the Ancients of Gebal and the wisemen thereof were her calkers to stop the leakes and chinks in her ships so cunning were the Giblites in that imployment Yet all their curiosity in this kind could not keep out the deluge of divine anger from entring their own City which at this day hath drowned Gebal in utter destruction § 36. More south the river Eleutherus arising out of Libanus shaped his course to the sea so being the northern boundary of Phoenicia In this river saith reverend Beza was the Eunuch baptized by Philip therein making an unexcusable mistake For except the Eunuch in his travell went like the Sun on Abaz his dial backwards it was impossible for him going to Gaza and so into Aethiopia his own countrey once to come near this river lying far north quite the contrary way Had Beza in stead of the Eunuch baptized placed the Emperour Barbarossa drowned here it had born better proportion to truth However from this learned mans mistake I collect comfortable confidence of pardon for my faults committed in this our description For seeing so strong legs are prone to stumble surely the falls of my feeble feet will be freely forgiven me by the charitable Reader § 37. Near the running of Eleutherus into the midland sea stood Antaradus so called because opposite to Aradus Arvad in Scripture a city of remarkable antiquity situation and subsistence Well doth Strabo call this an ancient place seeing it retained its name more then two thousand years from Arvad the ninth son of Canaan even till after the time of our Saviour The city is seated in an Island seven furlongs in compass and twenty distant from the Continent being all a main rock industry and ingenuity will make wealth grow on a bare stone watered in peace from the main land in war with an engine consult with our Author for the forme thereof which limbeck-like extracted sweet water out of the brackish Ocean The citizens of this place served Tyre in a double office by land as souldiers The men of Arvad with thine army were upon the walls round about by water as failers The inhabitants of Arvad were thy mariners which sufficiently speaks their dexterity in either Element § 38. Next the men of Arvad the Prophet mentioneth the Gammadims the joint naming them probably insinuates the vicinity of their habitation which were in the Tower of Tyre as a garison to defend them By Gammadims some understand Pygmies of a Cubit-high equall to the standard of Ehuds dagger because Gamad signifies a cubit in the Hebrew tongue But how ill doth this measure agree with martiall men except any will say that as the Iebusites in a proud confidence of the naturall strength of mount Sion placed the lame and blind to man the same so the Tyrians presumed that dwarfes were tall enough to make good their giant fortifications More likely is the conjecture of Tremellius that the Gammadims were a people in Phoenicia inhabiting a part thereof which ran out bowed and bended into the sea And we know that Ancona in Italy and Elbow-lane in London receive names from the same fashion And seeing Cornish-men are so called from the forme of their Countrey dwelling in a land which by degrees is contracted or narrowed into the likeness of an horn why not Gammadims Cubit-men from the similitude of their countrey in the situation thereof Here to fortifie his conjecture Tremellius produceth a place in Pliny of Gamala a city in Phoenicia since swallowed up where he conceiveth the L. to be changed into the D. that the Gammadims were inhabitants thereof However for quietness sake may the Reader be contented to suffer them to remain there in our Map if not as dwellers onely as sojourners untill such time as learned men shall provide a more proper place for them § 39. And now on a suddain we are fallen unawares against our propounded order on Phoenicia of the name and nature of which countrey formerly in the Tribe of Asher The chief havens therein were Tripolis so called say some because it hath been thrice build by others because three Cities Tyre Sidon and Aradus concurred to the building thereof Next is the promontory called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Gods face which no whit afrighted the Pirates and sea-robbers who had a Castle hard by called Castellum praedonum from their mischievous cruelty Botrus succeeds whose name
their backs with a staffe in their hands to intimate their ambulatory and ever-moving condition Here we may remember how Hagar being with child with Ishmael was found by the Angell wandering in the wilderness and as if the pregnant mothers condition had made an impression on her child and his posterity we find their home to be in a constant roving and wandering in a desert Countrey Leave we these Ishmaelites and come to men of a milder temper and more fixed habitations I mean the Moabites § 13. MOab Son and Gran-child of Lot was incestuously begotten on his edest daughter in his drunkenness after which act no more mention of Lot or what befel him in the history of the Bible drunkenness makes men to forget and to be forgotten drowning their memories in neglect and obscurity onely after this the new Testament epithets him Righteous Lot That Spirit of meekness naming good men not from the obliquity of some acts but habituall integrity of their hearts Yea for love to Lot God granted many great favours to the Moabites assisting them to conquer the Giants Emims and peaceably possessing them of their Countrey with speciall command to the Israelites not to disturb or molest them in this enjoiment thereof § 14. Yet the Moabites ill requited Israels kindness unto them That falling out which was first begun betwixt the servants and heardsmen was afterwards continued and increased betwixt the Sons and posterity of Lot and Abraham Yea upon all occasions the Moabites were backfriends to Israel witness Balak who barked at and Eglon who bit them whom Israel served eighteen years Note by the way that under the Judges all the heathen which bordered on Israel Edom almost onely excepted the cause whereof hereafter Aramites Ammonites Midianites Philistines c. did all successively â—yrannize over Israel No shrub growing about on the banks of Canaan was so little but it was big enough for God thence to gather a Rod to whip his wanton children Now if it be any ease to the sickâ—man to have his bed not disease often altered Israel had the favour of exchange of tyrants and variety of oppressors amongst whom I dare say the Moabites were none of the mildest More might be said of their malice to the Iews but I spare them for good Ruth their Countreywomans sake who when all her sister Orpha's complementall Religion came off with a kiss persevered to wait on Marah her mother-in-law for so she desired to be called into the land of Canaan § 15. But because the Moabites could not be perswaded to love David was the first who forced them to fear the Kings of Israel Moab is my washpot that is one condemned to servile imployments yea such was Davids absolute command over this countrey that he measured the Moabites with a line casting them down to the ground even with two lines measured he to put to death and with one full line to keep alive At the first sight he may seem to have killed two and saved one A merciless proportion But on better consideration it may possibly be that the preservative might equal both the destructivelines though not in number in measure as one overflowing cup may contain as much as two sparingly filled What caused this severity in David against the Moabites the Scripture is silent and I had rather be so too then affirm with the presumptuous Rabbins without warrant that it was because the King of Moab had slain Davids Father and Mother whom he had left there for protection whilst Saul persecuted him § 16. If any object this Act of David was a breach of Gods command Distresse not the Moabites neither contend with them in battell it is answered 1 This prohibition was temporary to Moses conducting the Israelites that they should not molest Moab in their passage by his countrey out of Egypt 2 Israel might not begin with offensive war to provoke them but being stricken might strike again and follow their blow as David did 3 Moab might be distressed to subjection not to ejection might be brought into obedience not dispossessed of their countrey After the defection of the ten Tribes from the house of David Moab remained tributary to the Kings of Israel till the death of wicked but valiant Ahab After which time Moab rebelled and though attempted was never reduced into obedience by the Kings of Israel § 17. Moab had the river Arnon on the north the Dead-sea on the west Edom on the south and Arabia on the east It contained about a square of an hundred miles fit for grazing and the peoples industry following Natures guidance to their own profit principally imployed it to that use Yea Mesha their King is tearmed a sheep-master Husbandry doth no more eclipse the resplendent beams of Majesty then the oile in the Lamp hindreth the bright shining thereof Guess the greatness of the Grist by the Toll the multitude of Moabs flocks from the Tribute he rendered to the Kings of Israel a hundred thousand Lambs and a hundred thousand Rams with the wooll § 18. To come now to the particulardescription of Moab let it not be censured for a needless Tautology in this Map that therein all the cities of Reuben are again represented being done deliberately on a double consideration 1 Formerly that land belonged to Moab before Sihon King of the Amorites had forcibly wrested it away from them 2 After the Reubenites were carried away captive by Tiglath-Pileser the Moabites reassumed their ancient possessions as appears by the Prophets As for the particular description of those cities we remit the Reader to what formerly hath been written in the Tribe of Reuben § 19. In the north-east bound of Moab towards Midian in the border of Arnon which is in the utmost coasts stood a nameless city where Balak met Balaam standing as it were on his tiptoes on the very last labell of his land to reach forth welcome to that false Prophet who hither rode in state with his two men to attend him whilst many Ministers of the Truth are forced to be slaves to others and servants to themselves But that these two men of Balaam were Iannes and Iambres the â—gyptian enchanters the Chaldee Paraphrase shall never perswade me whilst the distance of time and place protest against the possibility thereof Not to say that it is likely that the sorcerers so frequent in the presence of Pharaoh had long before waited on their Master through the red sea to another world Hence Balak conducted Balaam to Kiriath-huzoth or the city of streets which at that time seems to be the Metropolis of Moab § 20. Mizpah of Moab followeth where the Father and Mother of David reposed themselves whilst their Son was persecuted by Saul Ar of Moab and Rabbah of Moab were also places of great note in this land and besides these many other cities of inferiour note But
as many mean men living obscurely so that the world takes no notice of them if surprized by some unusuall and strange mortality become remarkable for their deaths who were never memorable for their lives so some cities of Moab whereof no mention in Scripture for any action done in or by them are onely famous in holy writ for their strange ruine and destruction by the Prophet sadly foretold and therefore certainly accomplished Such are Misgab Horonaim Luhith Baith Eglaim Ber-elim Holon Kirioth Kirherez and Madmen The last as I conceive is note-worthy not for its own merit but others mistake For in the Bibles and those numerous printed Anno Dom. 1625. the verse in Ieremy is thus rendered O Maiden the sword shall pursue thee where the Corrector of the Press conceiving it incongruous to join Thee a singular pronoune with Madmen which he mistook for an appellative no proper name ran himself upon that dangerous errour § 21. But Kirharasheth seems the Metropolis of Moab Near to this three Kings Iehoram of Iudah Iehosaphat of Israel and the nameless Kingdeputy of Edom marched on a designe to chastise Mesha the rebellious King of Moab into subjection But wandring in the wilderness of Edom they encountred a worse enemy Thirst it self wherewith all of them were ready to saint But happily it happened that Elisha who powred water on the hands of Eliah by the same Element seasonably refreshed the hearts of the distressed armies respecting Iehosaphat for his own goodness the other two Kings for his company How many generall benefits doe the very Tares enjoy because inseparably mingled with the Wheat in the field of this world Yea Elisha was an instrument to give them not onely water but victory heavens favours goe commonly by couples after this miraculous manner § 22. The Moabites beholding water miraculously brought in that place where never any was seen or known before and the same at distance appearing red unto them guilded with the beames of the Sun concluded it to be bloud and that that Paroyall of Armies had smitten one another Wonder not that their conjecture was so wide and wild for well might the Comment be out of the way of Truth when the Text was out of the Rode of nature and the Moabites on the suddain not capable to suspect a miracle Hereupon the word is given Moab to the spoâ—le which in some sense was true that is not to take but become the spoile of others For the tents they assaulted being lined with armed men quickly overcame them And it is worth our observing that this victory was bestowed on Iehosaphat my eyes are onely on him on whom alone the looks of Elisha reflected just in the morning when the Meat-offering was offered as procured by the Propitiatory virtue thereof all favours being conferred in and for the merits of Christ the truth of all sacrifices § 23. God gave man used this conquest Improving their success they beat down the cities and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone and filled it and stopped all the wells of water and felled all the good trees This was contrary to Gods express command but none could better dispense with the Law then the lawgiver who in detestation of the rebellion of Moab against Israel enjoined this severity Onely the City of Kirharasheth was left and that they besieged untill the King of Moab therein took and sacrificed his eldest Son who was to succeed him either out of a bad imitation of Iephthah and their Idols we know were adored with sacrifices of men or to give assurance to the besiegers that they were men resolved to endure all extremities so that they might presume he that would sacrifice his Son would not spare to spend his souldiers on any desperate adventure Hereupon the foresaid three Kings surceased their siege either out of policy perceiving the same desperate and unlikely to prevaile or out of a royall sympathy that it was revenge enough to distress though not destroy a King or which is most probable out of a religious horrour the trembling whereat made their swords fall out of their hands as unwilling to provoke the besieged any further to such impious and unhumane performances lest heaven should arraign them as accessary thereunto by giving the occasion thereof whatsoever was the cause home they returned content with the spoiling without the finall conquering of the Countrey § 24. Many are the invectives of the Prophets against Moab for their sins The people thereof are charged to have been at ease from their youth and setled on their less because not emptied from vessell to vessell neither carried into captivity whilest poor Israel was posted from Canaan to Egypt from Egypt to Canaan from Canaan to Babylon from Babylon to Canaan backward and forward God therefore threatneth because they had not been emptied from their vessell to break them in their vessell and foretelleth that Moab should be made drunk haply alluding to his geniture seeing he was begotten in a fit of drunkenness and wallow in his vomit and come to utter destruction Thus never to be acquainted with any affliction in youth is a certain prognostick of finall confusion in old age So much for Moab leaving it to learned men to dispute what is intended by the restauration of Moab foretold in the latter days as also let them enquire whether that passage in Daniel that after a generall overthrow Edom Moab c. should escape must not mystically be meant of the enemies of the Church in which sense we may be sure the devill will have a Moab as long as God hath any Israel in the world § 25. AMmon another base Son of Lot had Midian on the east Moab on the south Gad on the west and Syria on the north a circular countrey extending about sixty miles every way The ancient inhabitants hereof were the Giants Zamzâ—mmims These were conquered and cast out by the Ammonites who afterwards dwelt in their countrey being a fruitfull land and too good for these Ammonites that bare an inveterate malice to the people of Israel manifested in many particulars 1 In their oppressing them eighteen years till Iephthah gave them deliverance 2 In their cruell conditions such Ravens and birds of prey first peck out the eyes tendered to the men of Iabesh-Gilead 3 In their barbarous abusing Davids ambassadours 4 In ripping up the bellies of the women with child in Gilead 5 In their Clapping their hands stamping with their feet and rejoycing in their heart at the sacking of Ierusalem by the King of Babylon 6 In their contriving the destruction of Gedaliah and the poor remnant of the Iews left behind in the land by the Babylonians 7 In retarding the building of the Temple after the Iews return from captivity And although David and some other Kings amongst whom Uzziah most remarkeable forced the
Ammonites to give them gifts yet we may justly beleeve the same were presented rather with their hands then their hearts bearing a cordiall grudge against Israel § 26. Rabbah was the Metropolis of Ammon called in Scripture the tity of waters because low and plashy in its situation conducing much to the strength thereof rendering all undermining of it uneffectuall But perchance it is so termed from the extraordinary populousness thereof Waters being often used for People in Scripture phrase both being at all times unstable and unconstant and when they get a head implacable neither speaking nor hearing reason both usefull servants but intolerable Masters Here the Iron-bed of Og was preserved for a Relick being nine cubits high and four broad Now though Alexanders souldiers are said to have left shields in India far greater then those which they did or could weare in war onely to possess posterity with a false opinion that his men were mightier then they were yet we may presume this bed of Og was not unproportionably greater then he necessarily used for his ordinary repose No doubt Og confident of his own strength certainly concluded that as he did often lie in health upon that bed so he should quietly die on the same whereas contrary to his expectation he was slain in the field and now his bed served him for a Cenotaph or empty monument § 27. This Rabbah was besieged by Ioab to revenge Hanun King of the Ammonites his despitefull usage of Davids Ambassadours Here Uriah engaged in battell was killed though not conquered by the treacherous retreat of his own countreymen What a deal of doe was here to bring one innocent man to his grave Davids wicked designe Ioabs unworthy compliance Ammons open force Israels secret fraud and yet all too little had not Uriah's own credulous simplicity unspotted loyalty undaunted courage rather to die then to fly concurred to hasten his own destruction Afterwards Ioab having brought the city to terms of yeelding politickly sends for David solemnly to take his place to decline all envy from himself and invest all honour on his Soveraign Here the glorious Crown of this kingdome was taken and set on Davids head and I dare boldly say it became David better then him from whom◠it was taken But oh what a Bridewell or house of correction was provided for the people of this place They were put under saws and under harrows of Iron and under axes of Iron and made to passe through the brick kilne See here Davids patience provoked into fury And was it not just that they who would not civilly like men use Davids Ambassadours should by Davids men be barbarously used like beasts in slavish imployments § 28. The most populous part of the Kingdome of Ammon lay betwixt Aroer and Minnith containing no fewer then twenty Cities so many represented in our Map and had I found their names in Scripture I had imparted them to the Reader All these cities were smote by Iephthah that most valiant Judge of Israel For he passed over to the enemy to fight with them other Judges onely expelling them out of Israel and pursuing them to their own countrey An action of very much prowess in Iephthah to rowze those wild beasts in their own den and no less policy preventing the spoiling of his native soil and translating the Seat of the war into the land of a forein so Here if any demand how the wheat of Minnith comes to be reckoned by the Prophet amongst the staple commodities of the land of Iudah wherewith she bartered with Tyre when Minnith was undoubtedly a city of the Ammonites it is answered 1 This fine wheat might first be denominated from Minnith as originally growing there though afterwards as good and more of that kind grew generally in Iudea Thus some flowers and fruits Province-Roses Burgamo peares c. are as full and fair in other countreys as in that place whence they take their name 2 By Minnith-wheat may be meant wheat winnowed cleansed and dressed after the fine and curious fashion of Minnith Thus they are called Hungar-dollars which are refined to the standard of Hungarian gold in what place or by what Prince soever in Germany they be coined § 29. We must not forget that after the Tribe of Gad was carried away captive by Tiglath-pileser the Ammonites seised on and dwelt in the cities of that Tribe For which reason so many of them are set down in this our Map This caused the complaint of the Prophet Hath Israel no sons Hath he no heire Why then doth their King inherit Gad and his people dwell in his cities Sure I am that Ammon double barred with bastardy and incest though somewhat allied could never legally succeed to the possessions of Israel But in such cases the keenest sword is next to the kin Not to say that Ammon had a title to that kingdome before that Sihon King of the Amorites took that land away from them whereof largely before in the description of Gad. If any aske me what became of the Ammonites in after ages I answer with David he passed away and loe he was not yea I sought him but he could not be found Yea the less there appears of Ammon the more there appears of Gods justice and divine truth foretold by the mouth of Ezekiel I will cut thee off from the people and will cause thee to perish out of the countreys § 30. Esau eldest Son of Isaac was red and hairy at his birth the one shewing his irefull nature the other his hardy constitution He was highly beloved of his Father whilest Iacob was Gods and his Mothers darling chiefly for providing him Venison a consideration beneath so good a man and for which Isaac smarted afterwards sawcing each morsell of his Sons venison in his own teares caused by Esaus unhappy matches and undutifull demeanour This Esau is as generally known in Scripture by the name of Edom given him on this occasion Coming one day hungry from hunting he sold his birthright to his brother Iacob for red pottage red being Edom in Hebrew I confess many flaws may be found in this bargain and sale as namely 1 It was no faire but fraudulent dealing for Iacob to surprize his brother taking advantage of his hunger 2 The contract was not made on a valuable compensation not to say it was Simoniacall to sell or buy such heavenly priviledges 3 The heires of Esau as yet in his loines concerned therein but not consenting thereto might justly question their Fathers grant in passing away what by nature was intailed upon them Wherefore it is safest to turn all our excusing of Iacob into our admiring of Gods wisdome who makes mens crooked actions to tend in a streight line to his own glory And yet we must not forget that even after Esau had satisfied himself with food the text saith Thus Esau despised his birthright It
seems thereby that what his hast and hunger had conveyed his profaneness did deliberately confirme and by that his neglect and contempt he acknowledged a Fine cutting off his heires from any recovery thereof Indeed afterwards Esau made it a main matter of quarrell with his brother but never a matter of conscience in himself But enough hereof onely I will adde the crossing of the common rule Caveat venditor let here the seller beware for God took Esau at his word and accordingly deprived him of his birthright § 31. But Esau set a greater valuation on his Blessing wherein being prevented by Iacob he sought it with teares though they were not a kindely showre of repentance but onely some heate drops of anger and indignation not so much grieved that he had lost as vexed that Iacob had gotten the Blessing At last his importunity got from his Father a Blessing though not the blessing the severall clauses whereof we are seriously to consider because thereon dependeth the right understanding of the conditions of the people and countrey of Edom which we are now to describe Behold thy dwelling shall be the fatnesse of the earth and of the dew of heaven from above Earth is by Isaac first mentioned because by Esau most minded But oh the difference betwixt the dew of heaven in Iacobs and Esau's blessing In the former it signified Gods favour with an undoubted right unto and sanctified use of divine promises service and Sacraments whereas in this blessing of Esau heavenly dew was in effect but earthly dew temporall terrestriall fertility allowed to this mountainous land of Edom whose lean hils were larded with many fruitfull vallies interposed Heathen Authors confesse no less Dulce nemus florentis Idumes The fair grove of flourishing Idumea Quicquid nobile Ponticis nucetis Foecundis cadit aut jugis Idumes What ever noble worth destils On Pontus nut-trees or what fils The fruitfull Idumean Hils However divine providence seems to have suited the Countreys to the conditions of Isaacs children giving plain-dealing Iacob a more low and levell Land and fitting the haughty minde of aspiring Esau with high-swelling and ambitious mountains though he who was nearest to heaven was farthest from God And by thy sword shalt thou live and shalt be thy Brothers Servant It is observable that though God in the time of the Judges made use of almost all other heathen nations bordering on the Iewes successively to oppress that his own people Midianites Ammonites Moabites Philistines c. Yet he never permitted the Edomites at any time to Lord it over Israel because according to Isaacs Blessing subjection to Iacob not soveraignty over him belonged to Esau and his posterity This prophecy of Esau's serving Iacob was fully accomplished in the days of David when he put a Garison in Edom throughout all Edom put he souldiers and all they of Edom became Davids servants and so remained tributaries to the Kings of Iudah and governed by their deputies for one hundred and fifty years and upwards But it shall come to passe when thou shalt get the mastery that thou shalt breake his yoke from thy neck This was fulfilled when the Edomites rebelling against King Iehoram finally recovered their liberty whilest he more cruell to kill his brethren at home then valiant to conquer his enemies abroad could never after reduce them into subjection nor his successors after him § 32. The Horims first inhabited this Countrey of Mount Seir whose Dukes are reckoned up by Moses of whom Duke Anah is most remarkable for his first finding out of Mules as he fed his Father Zibions Asses A creature or rather a living beast which may be called a reall fallacy in nature whose extraction is a conclusion unduely inferred from the premises of an Hee-asse and a Mare joined together Yet this is commendable in Mules they imitate rather the virtues then vices of their Sire and Dam having in them the dulness of the Asse quickened with the metall of the Mare and the Mares stubbornness corrected with the Asses patience Barren they are as to whom God never granted the Charter of increase and yet Pliny reports but it is Pliny who reports it that in Rome Mules are often recorded to beare young ones but then always accounted ominous Let others dispute whether Anah was the Inventour or onely the Repertour of Mules the industrious Founder or the casuall Finder of them Let them also discuss whether such copulations be lawfull for men of set purpose to joine together severall kinds which God hath parted asunder yea they may seem to amount to a tacite upbraiding of Gods want of wisdome or goodness in not providing sufficient Creatures for mans service without such monstrous additionals in nature If they be concluded unlawfull let them argue whether the constant use of Mules be not continuing in a known sin and yet some good men in Scripture rather then they would goe on foot used to ride on them though our Saviour himself accepted of a plaine Asse for his own Saddle § 33. These Horims were at last conquered and exâ—irpated by the Edomites who succeeded them and dwelt in their stead The civill government of the land of Edom was sometimes Ducall sometimes Regall Moses reckoning up eleven Edomite Dukes leaveth it doubtfull whether they were successively one after another or went all a brest as living at the same time which is most probable and so the land divided into Eleven Dukedomes This is most certain that eight severall Kings reigned in Edom one after another and all before there reigned any King over the children of Israel Thus the wicked as they have their portion in this world so they quickly come to full age to possess the same whilest Gods children are long children long kept in nonage and brought up in the School of affliction Now it is recorded in Scripture that every Edomite King had successively a severall city of his royall residence namely Kings Parentage royall-Royall-city Bela The son of â—eor Dimhabah Iobab The son of Zerah Bozrah Husham of the land of Temani Teman Hadad The son of Bedad Avith Samlaâ— Â Masrâ—kah Shaut  Râ—hoboth by the river Baal-banan The son of Achbor  Hadaâ— Â Pan. It is plain those Kings were not by succession and probably they were not by election but onely by strength and power as they could make their parties according to Isaacs prediction By thy sword shalt thou live Now this their frequent removall of their royal City was politickly done 1 To declare the fulnes and freedome of their power and pleasure that they were not confined to follow the footsteps of their predecessours 2 To disperse and communicate civility and courtship into all the parts of their kingdome 3 To honour and adorne the place of their birth for probably their native was their royall city 4 To cut off from one place the occasion of
No that was situate among the rivers that had the waters round about it whose rampart was the sea and her wall was from the sea Ethiopia and Egypt was her strength and it was Infinite Put and Lubim were thy helpers Yet was she carried away she went into captivity her young men also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets and they cast lots for honorable men and all her great men were bound in chains It will hardly appear elsewhere in Scripture that Infiniteness is attributed to any created greatness and here we see what became of it so that the ruines of No may have this Epitaph written upon them Hîc jacet finis infiniti § 24. The estern stream of Nilus from the east receiveth the river Trajanus on the south side whereof stood the City On Onii in Ptolemaeus whereof Potipherah was Prince or Priest whose daughter Asenath Ioseph took to wife Aven is hard by a City against which Ezekiel prophesied and by some is made the same with Heliopolis This Heliopolis or Bethshemesh is generally conceived the place though not named in Scripture where our Saviour before he could go forced to fly from the fury of Herod being a babe abode with his parents What he did here besides sucking of his mothers breast is not recorded in the Gospell though one presumes to tell us how the Egyptian Idols at his entring into the land felt a shaking ague and fell down in homage to him as once Dagon to the Ark. Another relates how this infant sate under a great tree which out of dutifulness bowed down to him because his short armes could not reach the branches thereof A third reports of a fountain betwixt Heliopolis and Babylon purified to a medicinall virtue from the foulness of the Babes clothes washed by his mother therein All which Non credimus quia non legimus Thus Authors conceiving it not to stand with the state of Christ to live obscurely in Egypt furnish him with faigned miracles to make him more illustrious and therein mark not the main intent of Divine Providence For in this clandestine flight of his Son God intended not to present him in a glorious appearance but to lessen humble empty him so that his poverty in it self considered was a rich miracle especially seeing we are stayed by his flight and brought home by his banishment Besides the Scripture expresly termeth his turning of water into wine at Cana in Galilee the beginning of his miracles § 25. The precise time of Christs residence in Egypt is not set down but surely his stay here was not so long as to tanne the Virgin Mary and dye her complexion into a Black-more as she is presented in her Chapell of Lauretta I deny not but the purest beauties are soonest subject to sunburning but such a face better became Christs Spouse then his mother I am black but comely ô yee daughters of Ierusalem Nor should I much wonder at the colour in her face if onely the fancy of a libertine Painter had not so many learned men made her picture the object of their adoration Yet the darkness of her face here is as avouchable as the brightness of her clothes elsewhere glistering with gold and rich stuffe some pretended reliques whereof at Paris the finer they are the falser they are better beseeming her ancient royall extraction then her husbands present poor and painfull condition Yet such gorgeous apparell was not so much above her means as such garish attire wherewith some Painters doe dress her was against the modesty of that ever blessed Virgin But pardon our digression and we return to oâ—r matter § 26. Just at the confluence of Trajanus and Nilus stood the once famous City of Babylon though in antiquity greatness and strength far inferiour to a City of the same name in Chaldea It is not yet decided which of these two Saint Peter intended when writing The Church which is at Babylon elected together with you saluteth you and so doth Marcus my Son Protestant Divines generally interpret this of the great Chaldean Babylon where moe Iews dwelt then in any one place which was without the land of Palestine and therefore probable that Saint Peter being the Apostle of the Circumcision might sometimes reside there yet seeing Marcus is mentioned in the same verse who is notoriously known to have lived in this land and once to have been Patriarch of Alexandria why might not this our Egyptian Babylon be here meant by the Apostle But Popish writers are so fond to have Saint Peter at Rome that here they will have Rome mystically to be termed Babylon Good luck have she with her honour always provided that if Rome will be Babylon in this Epistle to gain Peters presence she shall be Babylon in the Revelation on whom those plagues and punishments are denounced But such as plead her heir-apparent to the former endevour to cut off the entail that the latter may not descend upon her § 27. To return to the eastern stream of Nilus which runneth through the land of Pathros Into which the remnant of the Israâ—lites left by the King of Babylon returned under the conduct of Iohanan the son of Kareah contrary to Gods flat command by the mouth of Ieremiah They took also him and Baruch the scribe pity to part them but that the mouth and â—and should go together no doubt against their consents and brought them down hither into the land of Egypt partly out of policy though they would cast away their counsell to weare their forced company to countenance their design and part out of despight that if according to their prediction any evill betided them they also might be joint-sufferers therein Both of them nothing appearing to the contrary dyed here not finding their corpes like Iosephs carried back in a Coffin into their own countrey It matters not though our bodies be bestowed in the earthly Egypt so our souls be translated to the heavenly Canaan § 28. Many were the prophecies of Ieremy during his abode in this land Amongst others that when he solemnly denounced the ruine of Egypt For he was commanded to take stones and hide them in the clay in the brick-kill which is at the entry of Pharaohs â—ouse in Tahpanhes understand it some competent distance thence otherwise such a shop of smoak was but a bad Preface to a Kings Palace and did foretell that Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon should in process of time set his throne and spread his royall pavillion on those very stones when he should conquer Egypt which no doubt came to pass accordingly A little more northernly this western stream of Nile parts it self into two chanels One falling into the Mediterranean at Zoan a City built seven years after Hebron in the land of Canaan Anciently a chief City in Egypt the whole land by Synecdoche being termed
or in two Rankes two and two as they are ordered by Mercator Skuls in a charnel-house never justle for the upper place and as sensless is the contention betwixt these dead Cities which shall stand first whose foundations long since were doubly destroyed with fire and water But the sole motive of my placing Zeboim most northern of these four Cities is because I finde the valley of Zeboim in the Tribe of Benjamin which probably lay near the influx of Iordan into the Dead-sea denominated from the vicinity of Zeboim thereabouts Philol. The Hebrew Orthography confutes your conceit For Zeboim by you last alledged is spelled with different letters from the City which was burnt with fire from heaven Aleth I confess a threefold variation in the writing of this name though all the same in effect 1 Gen. 14. 2. and so also Deut. 29. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 1 Sam. 13. 18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 Hoseah 11. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I shall set thee at Zeboim c. Here to mollifie the word the Gutturall is either altered or wholly omitted neither amounting to make it a new word How variously are the names of the same English towns spoken and spelled as Lester Leicester Legeocester Legecester yet the same word dressed in severall spellings and pronunciations Philol. Why make you Hebâ—on being a noted City of the Priests and City of Refuge different from all the rest onely with a single circle about it Aleth Because the fields and villages thereof were none of the Priests but were given to Caleb the son of Iephunneh for his possession Philol. If so then Hebron ought not to have had any circle at all about it being a bare City of the Priests without any suburbs belonging thereunto Aleth The Priests in Hebron had and had not suburbs pertaining thereunto according to the severall acception of suburbs If by them you onely understand aedificia suburbana buildings though without the City walls contiguous thereunto these no doubt belonged to the Priests who had Hebron with her suburbs otherwise if you extend them to ager suburbanus the fields surrounding the City these related to Caleb as the proper owner thereof Philol. You might well have afforded conjecturall flags to most of the Cities in Iudah going generally by guess in your placing of them and differing from all other authors therein Aleth The Learned in Anatomy have informed me that veins are alike in their trunks but not in their branches so that although the great Channels of bloud run alike in all bodies yet the smaller veines as is most visible in their divaâ—ication on the back of the hand disperse themselves diversly in divers persons The like is confessed in all Maps of Iudah wherein the grand Cities Hebron Debir Bethlehem c. have their certain position agreed on by most Authors whilest their inferiour places and no Tribe afforded more obscure Cities but once named in Scripture are subject to much variety according to the fancies of Authors Wherein we hope we have observed as much as might be these short and small directions we finde in Scripture Philol. But you are not constant to your self in the location of those lesser places as appears by some diversity of their distances both amongst themselves and from Ierusalem in the particular description of Iudah and in the generall Map of Palestine Aleth I confess the same who having discovered some errors in the particular Map reformed the same in the Map-generall Which may be beheld in this point as a new Edition of the former corrected and amended Request I therefore the Reader in such small differences to rely rather on the credit of the Map-generall Philol. You once placed Hepher a royall City in Manasseh on this side Iordan which since you have removed into Iudah without giving any account of the alteration Aleth Some probability perswaded us to our former opinion Cheifly because Hepher is mentioned in Ioshua's list next to Tapuah which is known to be in Manasseh But since finding also a Tapuah in Iudah and a land of Hepher near Sochoh a place also in Iudah it hath staggered our judgment and caused us to remove Hepher into Iudah with a flag of uncertaintie thereon all Authors finding an Ignoramus for the exact position thereof Philol. The land of Goshen is sufficiently known to be in Egypt And how stragleth of Countrey of Goshen into this Tribe Aleth You know that besides this England wherein we live there is an Anglia in Denmark whence our Ancestors are said to have come and there is England beyond Wales whither some of our nation removed Some such occasion to us unknown might give the name of Goshen to a petty tract of ground in Iudah Or else it might be so called from some assimilation in the fruitfulness thereof Wonder not at a Goshen in Egypt and another in Iudah when we finde two Ziphs two Zenoahs two Socohs c. As two Kirbies market-townes in Westmorland within the compass of this Tribe Philol. Conceive you that any wildernesses wherewith Iudah abounded were places of any pleasant habitation Aleth I am confident thereof For instance Engedi though a Wilderness was so delicious a place that the Spouse is compared to a cluster of Camphire in the Vineyards of Engedi Besides it had the conveniency of Palmtrees therefore in Scripture called Hazazon-Tamar which is Engedi Tamar being in Hebrew a Palme Nor can I omit the testimony of Pliny as the best comment herein in Gods word who speaking of people living on the west of the Dead-sea amongst these saith he is the town ENGADDA Second to Ierusalem in fruitfulness and WOODS OF PALME-TREES but now become another heap of Ashes Philol. I finde indeed a City and wilderness of Maon in this Tribe but were the dwellers therein those same Maonites which are said Iudg. 10. 12. with the Zidonians and Amalekites to have oppressed Israel Aleth O no. I take these tyrant Maonites to have been a fierce and forein Nation Saint Hierom de locis Hebraicis conceives Maon to be the Countrey of Moab The vulgar Latine translates it Canaanites because Maonites signifieth inhabitants and the Canaanites we know were the ancient and originall dwellers in the land whose Relicks left in the land contrary to Gods command were constant thornes in the sides of the Israelites But I conceive rather with learned Cajetan on this place these Maonites were a distinct neighbouring nation whose certain habitation is to us unknown Philol. Saul when marching against the Amalekites is said to have numbred the people being two hundred and ten thousand in Telaim which by the coast of the Countrey seems south in or near Iudah Yet no such place appears in your Map thereof Aleth The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is variously interpreted the Rabbins render it appellatively in Lambes affirming the Saul did not
Ribera in altari Lateranensi infra quod dicitur esse Arca In the Lateran Altar say they in Rome beneath within which IT IS SAID the Ark is but both of them speak so uncertainly and put it on publick fame that they teach us to deny the Truth thereof Philol. You are very briefe in the destruction of the City and Temple by the Romans whereas so memorable a subject deserved a fuller description Aleth It is largely related by Iosephus to whom the Reader is referred onely I will adde a word of the remarkable time thereof God graciously promised his people Neither shall any man desire thy land when thou shalt goe up to appear before the Lord thy God thrice a year Obedience is better then an Army to secure ones estate As the Meniall-servants of great Persons are protected in some cases from Arrests whilest they waite on their Masters in publick imployment so Gods people were priviledged from damage during their attendance on him thrice a year in his Temple no invasion being found to befall them on that occasion clean through the Scripture But at last in token that they by their wickedness had out-lawed themselves of his protection and he withdrawn his defending of them the Romans besieged them in Ierusalem coming up thither on the solemn feast of the Passeover and soon after both Temple and City was destroyed by Vespasian and Titus his son seventy two years after our Saviours birth Not one stone of the Temple left upon another though three towers of the City Maâ—iamne Phaselus and Hippicus were left standing not out of pity but pride their devouring sword leaving this mannerly bit on purpose that posterity might tast how strong the place was to the greater credit of the conquerours Philol. To adde to the solemnity of the State Titus with his Father Vespasian made a solemn Triumph in Rome wherein the golden Table and Candlestick with other sacred Utensils of the Temple formerly reverenced now derided made once for Gods service now served to adorn the Trophees of Pagans We read what befell Belshazzar when he quaffed in the vessels of the Temple Some perchance might here expect that God to punish the profanaâ—ion of these holy instrumentâ— should then have shewed some signall judgment on the profaners But the case was altered because the date of Ceremonies was then expired the use of Types ended Christ the Truth being come and the Moon may set obscurely without any mans taking notice of her when the Sun is risen Aleth The last and greatest Trophee then carried in triumph was the LAW OF THE IEWS probably that very numericall book the Authentiâ—k or Originall of the Law which by Gods command was constantly to be kept in the Temple And this perchance was permitted by divine providence not without a peculiar mystery therein to shew that the Law which formerly bound men over to damnation was now bound it self in captivity outed of its former dominion deposed from its condemning power having now the Gospell of Grace succeeding in the place thereof Lastly orders were issued out to the Governour of Syria to set the whole land of Iudea to sale which was done accordingly Time was when by the Leviticall Law Iewish land though â—old yet at the year of Iubile was to revert to the ancient owners but now the King of heaven granted such a license of Alienation that it was fully and finally passed away from its ancient possessors Philol. To perpetuate thâ— memory of this Roman conquest besides many other monuments Coins were stamped both in gold and silver with the Image of Vespasian and Titus on the one side and on the reverse a woman placed in a pensive posture under a Palme-tree which tree was the Hieroglyphick of Iudea onely differing herein that the Palme-tree the more depressed the more it flourisheth whereas Iudea sunke under the weight of her woes and never again outgrew her miseries And lest men should miss the fancy of the Impress they are guided thereunto by the Motto subscribed Iudaea capta Iudea taken Aleth What â—an on sight hereof would not call to minde the complaint of the Prophet How doth the City sit solitary that was full of people how is she become as a widow she that was great among the nations and Princess among the Provinces how is she become tributary Great no doubt was the grief of the Iews hereat But few drops seasonably showred would preserve the green blade from withering when much rain cannot revive the roots once withered Eyes dry for their sins are vainly wet after their sufferings and a drought in the Spring is not to be repaired by a deluge in the Autumn CHAP. XX. Objections concerning the Description of Mount Libanus answered Philol. YOu make Libanus to be the north-ridge of these hills and Anti-Libanus to be the south part thereof clean contrary unto learned Munster in his description of it Aleth Munster is singular therein unseconded by any other Authors However the controversie is not important as touching Scripture wherein this distinction appears not at all both the north and south chains of those mountains being promiscuously called Libanus in Holy Writ Some humane Authors lay this distinction in point of east and west so great is the difference among them If I may freely profess my opinion herein I conceive that the inhabitants of this mountain termed the place of their own habitation wheresoever they dwelt Libanus and named the mountains of their overthwart neighâ—bours Anti-Libanus as commonly men account their own Religion onely to be Christianity and all such opinions as are opposite to their own Antichristian Philâ—l In your Map generall of old Canaan the Island of Arvad or Aradus is not above forty miles from Zidon which in this Map of mount Libanus are fourscore miles asunder Indeed I have read of a floating Isle in Scotland moving from place to place with the winde and waves But is this Isle of Aradus fixed to no firmer foundations so that it hath swom forty miles more northward in this then in your former draught thereof Aleth May you be pleased to remember that in our instructions premised to the Reader we gave notice that places standing on the Um-stroke or utmost line of any Map denote not their accurate position but situation thereabouts to clear the continuation of the Countrey Such the location of Arvad in our former Map which in this of mount Libanus is placed according to the true distance thereof Philol. You make the River Abanâ— in heathen Authors Chrysorrhoâ—s to sink into the ground without communicating it self to the sea This is out of the common road of nature that this River should be free from paying tribute to the Ocean to which all smaller waters are indebted Yea and Adrichomius no doubt on good authority maketh it when passing from Damâ—scus to run through a plain called Arch abod and so
18. 28 Libanus   4 6 12 Bethsaida C. House of fishing or hunting Mat. 11. 21 Naphtali 69. 30 33. 30    Bethshâ—n C. House of enemy 1 Sam. 31. 10 Manas. cis Jor. 69. 30 32. 40 2 177 21 Bethsâ—â—mesh C. House of the sun â—osh 15. 10 Judah 69. 00 31. â—0 2 213 15 Iudg. 1. 33 Naphtali 69. 20 33. 40 2 115 31 Ier. 43. 13 Egypt 62. 30. 4 88 24 Bethshittah T. House of wandring â—udg 7. 22 Manas. cis Jor. 69. 20 32. 30    Beth-Tappuah C. House of an Apple Iosh. 15. 53 Judah      Bethul C Marriageable Maid Iosh. 19. 4 Simeon 69. 10 31. 10    Bethzur C. House of a Rock Iosh. 15. 58 Judah      Betonim C. Bellyes Iosh. 13. 26 Gad      Bezek C. Lightning or shining Iudg. 1. 4 Judah   2 301 21 Bezer C. A fortification or muniment Deut. 4. 43 Reuben   2 58 8 Bileam  1. Chr. 6. 20       Bithron L. Partition 2 Sam. 2. 29 Gad      Bizjothjah C. In the olive of the Lord Ioshua 15. 28 Judah      Bochim T. Weeping Iudg. 2. 1 Benjamin      Bozer Ro.  1 Sam. 14. 4 Benjamin      Bozkath C.  Iosh. 15. 39 Judah      Bozrah C. A muniment or fortification Gen. 36. 33 Edom   4 34 36 Bozrah C. The same with Beshterah Iosh. 21. 27 Manas. tr Jor.      C CAbbon C. Quenching Iosh. 15. 40 Judah      Cabul L. Durty or barren Iosh. 19. 27 Libanus 69. 20 33. 40 4 4 9 Cain C. A possession Iosh. 15. 57 Judah      Caleb L. All-heart 1 Sam. 30. 14 Judah      Caleb-Ephrata C.  1 Chr. 2. 24 Judah      Comon C.  Iudg. 10. 5 Manas. tr Jor. 70. 10 33. 30    Cana. C.  Ioh. 2. 1 Zebulun 69. 10 34. 00    Capernaum C. Village of consolation Mat. 4. 13 Naphtali 69. 50 33. 30 2 109 14 Carmel Val. A full green tender eare Iosh. 12. 22 Zebulun      Iosh. 15. 55 Judah 69. 40 31. 10    Casiphia  Ezra 8. 17       Cesarea C. Philippi Mat. 16. 13 Naphtali 69. 40 34. 0 2 107 11 Stratonis Acts 8. 40 Mana. cis Jor. 68. 50 32. 40 2 172 3 Charasim V. Craftsmen 1 Chr. 4. 14 Judah      Chephar-Haammonai C.  Iosh. 18. 24 Benjamin 69. 20 31. 50    Chephirah C.  Iosh. 9. 17 Benjamin      Cherith Ri.  1 King 17. 3 Manas. tr Jor.   2 97 17 Chesalon M.  Iosh. 15. 10 Dan      Chesil C.  Iosh. 15. 30 Judah      Chinnereth Sea An Harpe Num. 34. 11 Zebulun   2 141 4 Chisloth-Tabor T. Rashnesses of choice Iosh. 19. 12 Zebulun 69. 20 33. 10    Chorazin C.  Mat. 11. 21 Manas. tr Jor. 69. 50 33. 30 2 97 16 Chozeba T.  1 Chr. 4. 22 Judah      Chun C.  1 Chr. 18. 8 Libanus   4 11 24 Cinnereth C. See Chinnereth Iosh. 19. 35 Naphtali 69. 40 33. 30    Chorashan C. A furnace of smoake 1 Sam. 30. 30 Simeon      Cyprus Isle  Acts 4. 36 Libanus   4 14 32 D DAbareh C. Word or work Iosh. 21. 28 Issachar 69. 30 33. 10 2 162 21 Dabbasheth C. Flowing with hony Iosh. 19. 11 Zebulun 68. 50 33. 00    Dalmanutha L. The poors inheritance Mark 8. 10 Zebulun   2 147 20 Damascus or Damasek C. A sack of bloud Gen. 14. 15 Libanus   4 8 16 Dan Fountain  Gen. 14. 14 Libanus 69. 40 34. 10 4 6 12 Dan-Iaan  2 Sam. 24. 6       Dannab C. Judgment Iosh. 15. 49 Judâ—h 69. 10 31. 20    Debir An Oratory Iosh. 10. 48 Judah 69. 40 32. 40 2 277 27 Decapolis L. Ten Cities Mat. 4. 25 Naphtali   1 39 6 Diblath T. A cluster of Figs. Ezek. 6. 14 Moab      Dibon C. An abounding Son Num. 21. 30 Gad 70. 10 32. 40 2 76 8   Neh. 11. 20. Judah      Dibon-Gad St. The abundance of an happy Son Num. 33. 45 Moab      Dibzahab St. Sufficiency of gold Deut. 1. 1 Paran   4   Dileam C. Poor mans answer Iosh. 15. 38 Judah      Dimnah C. A Dunghill Iosh. 21. 35. Judah      Dimon Ri. Bloudy Isa. 15. 9 Moab      Dinhabah C.  Gen. 36. 32 Eâ—om   4 32 33 Dizahab St. By the gold mines Deut. 1. 1 Paran   5 c. 22  Dophkah St. Compulsion Num. 33. 12 Paran      Dor. C. A generation Iosh. 11. 2 Manas. cis Jor. 68. 40 32. 50 2 165 26 Dothan C. Statute or Decree Gen. 37. 17 Ephraim 69. 20 32. 20 2 199 51 Dumah C. Likeness of silence Iosh. 15. 52 Judah 69. 30 31. 10    L.  Isa. 21. 11 Edom   4 99 30 E EBal Mount Heap of Aâ—tiquity Deut. 27. 4 Ephraim 69. 20 32. 10 2 191 33 Eben-ezer S. The stone of help 1. Sam. 4. 1 Benjamin   2 260 49 Ebronah St. Passing by Num. 33. 34 Paran      Ed. Altar A witness Iosh. 22. 34 Reuben   2 60 13 Edar C. Hocks Gen. 35. 21 Moriah    244 8 Eder Iosh. 15. 21 Judah      Edrei C. Heape of strength Num. 21. 33 Manas. tr Jor. 69. 50 33. 40 2 97 15 Eglaim T. Calves or Heifers Isa. 15. 8 Moab      Eglon. C. A Calf Iosh. 10. 34 Judah      Ekron C. Rooting up or barrenness Iosh. 13. 3 Dan. 68. 50 31. 40 2 218 29 Elâ—h V.  1 Sam. 17. 2 Judah      Elath St. An Oake Deut. 2. 8 Paran   5 184  Elealah C. The ascent of God Num. 32. 3 Reuben      Eleph C.  Iosh. 18. 28 Benjamin 69. 40 31. 50    Elim St. Rams or Harts Exod. 15. 27 Paran   4 47 13 Elon C.  Iosh. 19. 43 Dan 68. 50 31. 40  Â
The populousness and puissâ—nce of Zebulun a Num. 1. 31. b Num. 26. 27. c Iudg. 5. 14. d Psal. 68. 27. e 1 Chr. 12. 33. f Iudg. 12. 12. The situation and sea conveniences thereof g Gen. 49. 13. h Deut. 33. 18 19. Zebulun how bordering on Sidon i Gen. 49. 13. k Bochar Geog. Sacr. par pri pag. 342. The severall measures and names of the Galilean Sea l Ios. l. 3. de bel Iud. ca. 18. m Lib. 5. c. 15. Nat. hist. n De Ter. saâ—c o Trav. of Patriarchs p. 446. p Trav. p. 104. q Iosh. 13. 27. Iosh. 19. 35. r Luke 5. 1. s Iohn 6. 1. t Mat. 15. 29. u Luke 5. 2. w Maâ—ke 3. 9. x Luke 8. 23. y Mark 6. 48. z Acts 27. 37. Why our Saviour traversed sea as well as land Christs first voyage a Luke 5. 7. The second voyage saves Peter b Mâ—t. 14. 24. c Psal. 77. 19. d Iohn 6. 21. The third voyage when Christ was fast a sleep e Mat. 8. 24. f Mark 4. 3. 7. g Mar. 4. 39 40. Why Christ never sailed after his resurâ—ection h Mar. 8. 14. i Iohn 21 4. The method of the future description k Vid. Tabulam Ter. Sanc. l Luke 4. 29. The situation and denomination of Nazareth m Tom. 1. epi. 17. ad Marcellam n Cant. 2. 1. * Mar. 6. 3. A Vulgar error o Luke 4. 34. p Iohn 1. 46. q Iohn 19. 19. r Act. 24. 5. Christ no ceremonious Nazarite s Numb 6. 2. t Mat. 11. 19. u Luke 8. 54. x Mat. 2. 23. * Isay 11. 1. The first fruits of Christs preaching in Nazareth y Luke 4. 20. z 2 Sam 17. 7. * John 7. 15. Why Prophets without honour in their own countrey a Heb. 7. 3. The murdering intents of the Nazarites defeated b Iohn 3. 14. * See them on the place The travels of the chappell of Lauretto * See Tâ—reâ—llinus his historia Laâ—rettana c 1 Tim. 1. 4. Ioseph sold by his brethren d Gen. 37. 2. e Gen. 42. 21. f Gen. 37. 25. * verse 22. * verse 26. g Gen. 37. 25. h See description of Ephraims Tribe Sephoris the greatest city in Galilee i De bel Iud. lib. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 k Josh. 19. 13. l The birth placâ— of Ionah 2 King 14. 25. m Ionah 1. 3. n Ionah 4. 9. o Iohn 7. 52. p Mat. 15. 39. q Mar. 8. 10. Bethulia the stage of the tragedy of Holofernes The high seated city Iotâ—pata The character of Flavius Iosephus Iew and Priest son of Maâ—tathias u Though in his Proeme he promiseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without adding or diminishing any thing w In Apparatu numero 84. Christs Sermon on this sea x Mat. 13. 2. y Exod. 14. 19 20. Tiberias nigh to which Christ multiplied the loaves z Iohn 21. 1. a Ioh. 6. 22 23. b M Biddulph in his Trav. p. 104. M. Biddulphs eye-comment on our Saviours sea-voiage * Mâ—â— 6. 33. The ancient river of Kâ—shon c Judg. 5. 21. d Gen. 1. 9. e Vid. eum in locum f Ad quem utrique excâ—â—citus concurâ—entes manu conseruer unt Trâ—m ibid. The 2 streams of Kishon running into severall seas g Bâ—â—eiden bachius in ter Sacr. h Mat. 17. 1. Mark 9. 2. Luke 9. 30. i In his deâ—cription of Palestin which is neither divided into lâ—aves pâ—ges columns nor chapters k Mâ—t. 7. 7. l Iam. 4. 3. m Luke 9. 33. n Biddulphs Trav. p. 101. The city Naim Judge Elons sepulcher o Luke 7. 11. p Judg. 12. 12. The place where Baals prâ—estâ— were slain by Eliah q 1 King 18. 28. r 1 King 17. 7. The God Carmelus * In Vâ—spâ—siano cap. 5. The pleasure of Carmel a Amos 9. 3. b 2 King 19 32. c Ibid in the marginall note * Vâ—de â—abulas Adrichomii Cain Caiaphas 〈◊〉 c. d Gen. 4. 8. e Joh. 11. 49. f Heb. 12. 2. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 g De bel Iâ—d liâ— 2 cap. 32. h Iohn 2. 1. * Iosh. 19. 11. i Iosh. 12. 22. k Iosh. 21. 34. A châ—rlish difficulty Rather waved then sâ—tisfied l Tostatus Tremâ—llius in locum Chroniâ—oâ—um who maketh Dimnah the same with Rimmon Taboâ— with Nahalol The armes of Zâ—bulun m 1 King 4. 12. Issachars numbers and emâ—nent persons a Gen. 30. 17. b Numb 1. 29. c Num. 26. 25. * 1 King 15. 27 d 1 King 1. 4. e Deut. 33. 18 19. f Josh. 19. â—2 His bounds fruitfulnesse g Psal. 106. 24. h Gen. 49. 15. i Gen. 49. 14. Not defective in valour k Judg. 5. 15. Excelling in Chronology l 1 Chr. 12. 32. m Rivâ—t Exerâ— in 49. Genâ—sios n Josh. 19. 18. Iezreel a regall City o Josh. 17. 10. p 2 King 9. 27. q â— King 21. 3. Naboths refusall defended Iezebels murdering of Naboth r 1 King 21. 10 s 2 King 9. 26. t Deut. 24. 16. Divine justâ—ce u 1 King 22. 34. w 2 King 9. 24 Abaziahs double death reconciled x Heb. 9. 27. y 1 King 21. 1. And his doublâ—â—â—riall z 2 King 9. 28. a 2 Chr. 22. 9 The manner of lezebels death b 1 King 19. 2 c Ibidem d 2 King 9. 31. e Ibid. vers 35. f Feet in thosâ— parts naked iâ—â—andalâ— g 2 King 10. 8. The bloud of Iezebel why requâ—red of Iehu h Hose 1. 4. The brave battell against 〈◊〉 i Iudg. 10. 1 2. k Iudg. 5. 19. l Iudg. 5. 14. Sâ—ars waâ—â—curs m Gen. 15. 5. 22. 17. Kishon Gods besome n Iudg. 5. 21. Kishon and Engaâ—â—im o 1 Chron. 6. p Josh. 21 28. q Biddulphs â—ravells p. 113. r Idem ibidem Shâ—nem Abishags birthplach s Iosh. 19. 18. t 1 King 1. 3. u Psal. 103. 5. w 1 King 2. 23. Elisha his honourable landâ—lady x 2 King 4. 17. y 2 King 4. 20. Restored to her lost possessionâ— z 2 Kin. 8. 1. c. a 2 King 4. 13. b 2 King 4. 10. Tabor a city c Iosh. 19. 22. d Iudg. 8. 18. e Ier. 46. 18. f Hos. 5. 1. g Brocardus in Descrip. Terrae Sanc. Itin. ab Acone versuâ— Eurum h Psal. 89. 12. Daâ—arah and Tarichea i Iosh. 19. 12. k Iosh. 21. 28. l 1 Sâ—m 28. 4. m 1 Sam. 29. 1. n 1 Sam. 29. 11. o 1 Sam. 31. 9 10. p 2 Sam. 1. 10. q Speed in the life of Richard the third towards the end Rain on mount Gilboa r 2 Sam. 1. 21. s Descrip. Tâ—r. Sanc. ab Acone versus Notum t Mat. 17. 20. u Act. 1. 20. w Psal. 109. 7. * 1 King 5. Manassâ—h in Issachar x Iosh. 17. 11. y Ephes. 1. 11. And how in Asher z Viz. 1 Chr. 8. 38. 1 Chr. 9. 44. a Opus est quadringâ—ntis camelis onustis Commentariis rationem reddere Mar. Sutra cited by Buxdors in Thesauro sol 202. b 2 King 9. 27. c Iosh.
erroneous judgements better rectified and informed § 10. Nor doth ought else observable offer it self in this corner of the Tribe save Aijalon where Ioshua's prayer arrested the Moon to stand still assigned by God to the Levites But the Amorites took the boldness to keep possession thereof Hear the words of the Scripture And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountaines for they would not suffer them to come down into the valley but the Amorites would dwell in mount Herez in Aijalon and in Shaalbim The genuine sense is that though the Amorites generally pent the Danites up in the mountains yet in these three places though mountainous in their situation they crossed their common custome not out of necessity but designe as sensible of their own profit that these transcended the vallies in fertility and therefore placed themselves therein Let others dispute how it came to pass that the Priests whom God intended men of peace by their profession had a controversiall City appointed them incumbred with enemies so that they must win it before they could wear it As also how the Levites could live when the Land allotted them was sequestred in the hand of a forein foe It will be for enough us to observe that in all ages the Church being imbarked in the same bottome with the State ran an equall hazard therein according to her proportion And when the whole Tribe of Dan like the Parish in generall was straitned in its processions well might the Priests maintenance be abated accordingly § 11. We goe back now to Ioppa where standing on the rocks an indifferent fight may easily discern those ships into which the heathen people of Ioppa with much courtesie but more craft invited the Iews with their wives and their children to goe aboard for they made them pay their lives the fraight for their voyage wilfully drowning two hundred of them Whose bloud Maccabeus revenged with a contrary but as cruell an Element burning all their ships in their harbour with such as were found therein Hard by is Iamnia a little haven which may be rendred Seaton in English whose mischievous intention against the Iews Maccabeus punished by burning their towne by night Which bone-fire was beheld two hundred and fourty furlongs off as far as Ierusalem A thing not incredible that fire it self should be seen so far by the light whereof other things in darkness are discovered especially when mounted high on its throne with the advantage of pitch cordage and other navall and combustible matter Some doe conceive that this Iamnia is the same with Iabneh the wall whereof was broken down by Uzziah the puissant King of Iudah § 12. Hence the sea running southward provides it self to entertain a nameless brook which Mercator cals Naphtoah and others making signes as unable to speak the true name thereof the brook of the land of the Philistines because otherwhiles the northern boundary of their dominion We had rather give it no name then a nick-name And because the course thereof affords us conveniency to visite the middle parts of this Tribe we will accept of his courtesie and follow the guidance thereof § 13. This brook hath its birth and infancy in the Tribe of Iudah whence flowing into Dan he runneth through the desert of Modin which is full of rocks and those of holes and those once of men flying out of the neighbouring Cities from the persecution of the Pagans Herein a thousand of them were slain by the fury of their enemies or rather by the fondness of their own superstition refusing to make resistance on the Sabbath day A sad accident But the parent of a good event because putting the surviving Iews in a posture of defence and teaching them more wise and valiant resolutions Yea not long after hereabouts they obtained a victory over the numerous army of Cendebaeus Nor will any slight this brook as inconsiderable when they read how it ran in the midst betwixt the armies of the Iews and Pagans and was so deep that the hardiest of the former durst not adventure to wade it before first incouraged by the example of their Generall Except any will say they did not so much fear the depth of the river as the height of the banks of the other side to wit the puissant army of their enemies § 14. Going further on the river we come into the Countrey of Makats that is as learned Tremelius well observeth the border or boundary if you please the Marches betwixt this Tribe and their professed enemies the Philistines It is impossible to define the limits thereof seeing the Countrey was the constant Cock-pit of war and the ground thereof sometimes marched forward sometimes retreated backward according to the variety of martiall success Great is the difference betwixt the same sea at high and low water mark and so this Countrey must needs be much disproportioned to it self when extended in a full tyde and when contracted in a low ebbe of success § 15. In this Countrey of Makats Bethshemesh was a principall City belonging to the Levites and reputed part of Iudah but except some Labell of land tacked to Iudah surrounded about with the Tribe of Dan. A case obvious in the dividing of Countreys Who knows not how Worcester-shire hath speckled all the adjacent Counties with snips and shreds belonging unto it though environed with other shires and that at considerable distance Hither the kine drawing the Cart and lowing as they went to their Calves at home nature in them was not rooted out but overruled brought the Arke and rested it near a great stone in the field of Ioshua a Bethshemite At what time the Bethshemites were reaping their harvest in the valley Instantly at so good news their Sicles lost their edges and could cut no more corn that day The Arke-home is to be preferred before Harvest-home But oh how hard is it to keep hungry eyes from feeding on forbidden objects All the Bethshemites were Levites but not Priests much less high-Priests to whom alone and that onely anniversary the survey of those mysteries did belong Besides at this time Bethshemesh from a City was enlarged to be a Countrey such the confluence of Israelites from all places Otherwise no back of one City might seem broad enough for so great a rode whereby fifty thousand and threescore and ten men were destroyed by the Plague for their Curiosity in prying into the Arke § 16. Gibbethon is another prime place in Makats allotted by God to the Levites of Kohath and no doubt by them peaceably possessed for many years seeing nothing to the contrary doth appear But after the days of Ieroboam it is said to belong to the Philistines Probably when the Levites loyall both to God and their King upon the idolatrous defection of Israel willingly deserted their own Cities the Philistines taking advantage thereof when much good bloud is let