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
exchange for Isaac was caught by the hornes 2 Iebus A name either of the whole or principall part thereof so we read of the Levite that he came over against Iebus which is Ierusalem 3 Ierusalem so called as the Fathers generally affirme as the product of the union of Iebus and Salem B for sounds sake being changed into R which notwithstanding the propriety of the Hebrew tongue will not permit For though chopping of letters be her coÌ„mon practise yet the Iews as they always married within their own Tribe so they exchanged letters of the same Linage same Instrument Labials for Labials Gutturals for Gutturals whereas betwixt Beth Resh in Hebrew no such affinity Besides the turning of a tender melting B. into a surly rigid R. is not to levigate or mollifie but to make the name the harder in pronunciation This drives others to seek out the Etymology thereof as signifying in Hebrew The vision of peace But seeing Abraham called an eminent place whereon it stood Iehovah-Iireh The Lord will be seen perchance from the echo of the name Iireh added to Salem that is peace shall be seen or provided the City might be called Ierusalem where having the essentiall Consonantâ— the most various point-vowels are not so considerable Forget we not that even in Davids time when the name of Ierusalem was in fashion the City was sometimes still called Salem For in Salem is his Tabernacle and his dwelling in Sion Thus it is usuall in England in common discourse to cut off the former part of long-named Cities Wesâ—chester Southhampton Kingstone on Hull whilest the remnant Chester Hampton Hull sufficiently express them to ordinary capacities 4 Hierosolyma which indeed is no new name but the old name in a new language translated into Greek Some Fathers will have it compounded from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Temple and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Solomon that is Solomons Temple as if the mixing of these Languages did promise if not prophesie in after ages a joint interest of Iew and Gentile in the mysteries of Religion But Saint Hierome is zealous against this Fancy impatient that in the name of the principall City of the Iews a Greek word should not onely be mingled with but preferred before the Hebrew It is safer therefore to say that Hierosolyma is nothing else but Ierusalem grecized or made Greek and the conceit of the Temple of Solomon rather a witty allusion thereto then a solid deduction thereof 5 Solyma being onely the half of the former For whereas Hierosolyma being a confluence of six short syllables was unmanagable in ordinary verse Poets served this name as the Ammonites the cloaths of Davids Ambassadours cut it off in the middle An Solymum cinerem Palmetaque capta subibis Wilt thou go under Salems dust forsaken Vnder the palme-trees lately captive taken I conceive the name of Solyma not used by Authors till after our Saviours suffering though Iosephus and probably out of him Tacitus writes that Homer makes mention thereof as indeed we finde it twice in his Poems never for this City in Iudea but for a place and people in Lycia I will not say that the curtling of Ierusalem into Solyma after our Saviours time was a sad prognostick that this spacious City should suddenly in the fire of civill war be boiled away to the half yea afterwards shrink to so unconsiderable a smalness that a monosyllable yea a bare letter were too long a name for it 6 Aelia so named from Aelius Hâ—drianus the Emperour who built some part of it again and made it a Garrison 7 Ierusalem recovering the ancient name again whilest for some hundred of years it was in the possession of the Christians 8 Cuds so called at this day by the Mahometans who are the present owners thereof which signifies Holy in their language Here we omit those many appellations given Ierusalem in Scripture The faithfull City the City of the great King the holy City because these are not proper names but glorious Epithets thereof § 2. Concerning the generall situation of Ierusalem three things herein are remarkable first it was placed as Iosephus reports in the very middle of Iudea But herein criticall exactness is not to be observed the heart it self is not so unpartially in the midst of the body but that if not in position yet in motion it propends to the left side for Ierusalem inclines more to the south of the Countrey As Ierusalem was the navell of Iudea so the Fathers make Iudea the middest of the world whereunto they bring not to say bow those places of Scripture Thou hast wrought salvation in the midst of the earth Indeed seeing the whole world is a round Table and the Gospell the food for mens souls it was fitting that this great dish should be set in the midst of the Board that all the guests round about might equally reach unto it and Ierusalem was the Center whence the lines of salvation went out into all lands Yea Ptolemy dividing the then-known world into seven Climats placed Ierusalem as the Sun in the fourth Climat proportionably to what is said in the Propheâ— I have set it in the midst of the Nations and the Countreys that are round about her § 3. Secondly it had high mountains under it and lower about it which as dutifull servants at distance seemed to attend it Ierusalem had a mountain for her footstool and her floor was higher then the roof of other Cities no doubt the Emblem of the strength stateliness and stability of Gods Church in glory High and hard climbing thither but plain and pleasant dwelling there § 4. Lastly it was distanced from the sea welnigh forty miles having no navigable River near unto it For God intended not Ierusalem for a staple of trade but for a ROYALL EXCHANGE OF RELIGION chiefly holding correspondency with Heaven it self daily receiving blessings thence duly returning praises thither Besides God would not have his virgin people the Iews wooed with much less wedded to outlandish fashions And if Eusebius may be credited for the self same reason Plato in imitation of Ierusalem would have that City wherein the modell of his imaginary Common-wealth should be set up to be seated some miles from the sea lest forein merchandize should by degrees bring in forein manners into it CHAP. II. The particular Situation Circuit Populousness Beauty and strength thereof § 1 IT will be pain-worthy to enquire into the exact situation of Ierusalem in what Tribe it was placed the rather because severall testimonies of Scripture entitle both Iudah and Benjamin unto the possession thereof For IUDAH Josh. 15. 63. And for the Iebusites the inhabitants of Ierusalem the children of Iudah could not drive them out but the Iebusites dwell with the children of Iudah at Ierusalem unto this day Judg. 1. 8. Now the children of Iudah had fought against
should be thus dismembred Was it not enough that Ioseph was separated from his brethren but Manasseh his Son must also be parted from himself How came that wisdome who pronounceth it good and pleasant for brethren to live together in unity to cleave this Tribe asunder But let such know that unity in affection may consist with locall separation Besides divine Providence might seem to have a designe herein that this Tribe of Manasseh having a joint interest on both sides of Iordan might claspe these Countries together and the Manassites being as I may say Amphibii on both sides of the River might by visits amongst their kindred continue a correspondency and civill communion one with another § 3. Manasseh had mount Hermon and Gilead on the east parting it from the Ammonites and Ismaelites Iordan on the west Gad on the south Syria and particularly the kingdomes of Geshur and Maachah on the north In which compass of ground threescore Cities with high walls gates and bars besides unwalled towns were contained Many will be amazed at this number the wonder will seem the greater when they shall reckon but two and twenty Cities in Asher nineteen in Naphtali seventeen in Simeon sixteen in Issachar but twelve in Zebulun unproportionable that half a Tribe should have treble the number of Cities to those that were bigger All we can say herein is this that being a frontier Countrey and being exposed on the north and east to heathen enemies it must have more fenced Cities then the Tribes on the other side Iordan which were better secured by their situation Thus the hem is turned in and sowed double to prevent the ravelling out thereof And if I reck on right there be more Castles in our marches betwixt Scotland and Wales then in all England besides However our eye shall not be evill at Manasseh because Gods was good unto it who are so far from repining at that we rejoyce for the plenty of strong places therein onely grieving that we cannot give the Reader an exact account of their names though we will endevour our best in the following description § 4. Mount Hermon is the north-east bound of this Tribe called by the Sidonians Syrion by the Amorites Shenir by humane writers Hippus and Trachones being a branch of Lebanon bended south-ward A stately strong mountain fixed on firm foundations and yet the voice of the Lord understand the thunder with an earthquake maketh Syrion to skip as an Unicorne and well may mountains dance when God himself shall pipe unto them The dew of Hermon is highly commended by David and brotherly love is compared thereunto because whilest heat of hatred like a drought parcheth all to nothing fraternall kindness dew-like gives refreshment and increase But how this dew of Hermon fell upon the hill of Sion mountains an hundred miles asunder so troubled Saint Augustine that at last leaving the literall sense he is fain to fly to a mysticall meaning Others interpret that the dew of Hermon fell upon the hill of Sion because the fruitfull flocks fatted on that mountain came afterwards to be sacrificed at Ierusalem which is but a harsh construction as if one should say The fruitfulness of Linconcolne-shire which falls on London because the fatted cattel thereof are sold and eaten in the City But whilest sundry Interpreters have severall wit-engines to draw these two mountains together our last translation saves their needless paines rendring it As the dew of Hermon as as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion Indeed it is the same specificall though not individuall dew which lighteth on both mountains flowing from heaven the same fountain though falling on earth in severall channels § 5. Now as Hermon is a chain of continued hills so a principall link thereof is the mountain Amana Christ courting his Spouse inviteth her to look from the top of Amana Some conceive thereby Amanus a mountain in Cilicia is meant but seeing Solomon clean through that Poem maketh use of onely native similitudes whereof a self-sufficiency in his own land it is improbable that herein he did borrow a forein and exotick expression Know also that the region hereabouts is called Trachonitis or Sharpâ—land in English from the steepness of many pointed hills in shape not unlike the Rocks called Needles near the Isle of Wight wherewith this countrey abounded and it was a moity of the Tetrarch-ship of Philip the brother of Herod § 6. South of Hermon lay mount Gilead famous for the interview of Laban and Iacob the former keen with anger save that God in a vision took off his edge overtaking Iacob charged him with a double action of felony for stealing himself and his Gods away without his privity The first Iacob confessed yet pleaded not guilty to the second but traversed his innocency Hue and Cry is made in vain after the thief and felons goods or Gods if you please for she whose conscience would permit her to carry away cunning did perswade her to conceal them Iacob thus cleared as it were by Proclamation of Defendant turns Plaintiffe accusing the Accuser for his false accusation At last all winds off in a good agreement and an Instrument is drawn up betwixt them not in paper but in stone interchangeably sealed with solemn oaths The Condition whereof was to this effect That if either of them should passe that place to doe any act of hostility to other he should forfeit his fidelity and be liable to divine justice for his perjury § 7. This Pillar and heap of stones had a threefold name imposed on it called 1 By Laban Iegar Sahadutha that is in the Aramite tongue A heap of witnesse 2 By Iacob Galeed the same in effect in Hebrew 3 By both Mizpah that is a Watch-tower Iacob giving the name and Laban the occasion thereof by that his expression The Lord watch betwixt thee and me Here was abundant caution three names and two languages and yet nothing too much For Iacob having formerly been sensible of Labans notorious shuffling with him knew the best way to finde sure was to binde sure and Laban being guilty and therefore jealous thought no security sufficient And therefore in their mutuall suspicions a Triplicate was used in naming the places that a threefold cable might not be broken § 8. Gilead was at first onely appropriated to that heap and pillar whence the name may seem to be translated to the adjacent mountains and thence transmitted to the valley in the east of those mountains and thence imparted to some eminent persons born in that valley For as Gilead Son of Machir grand-child of Manasseh being born in Egypt so called by a Propheticall Prolepsis foretelling that his posterity should possess the Countrey of Gilead so Gilead the Father of Iephthah Gilead of Gilead seems to take his denomination from the Countrey possessed Thus as the Psalmist observes
shoulders Remember we the blessing Moses bequeathed to this Tribe The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him and the Lord shall cover him all the day long and he shall dwell between his shoulders particularly pointing at his habitation in Ierusalem built in the borders of Benjamin § 5. Now though Benjamins mess when he sate at Iosephs table was five times as much as any of his brethren yet here it happened his portion was less then all the rest except any will say that onely Benjamins dish was less and meat more because though small the compass of ground allotted to him yet fair and fruitfull the soile many and memorable the cities contained therein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The lot of this Tribe was straightned saith fosephus because of the virtue of the soile thereof Yet as little as the land of Benjamin was it was big enough to be divided betwixt two kingdomes the south-west part thereof belonging to the kingdome of Iudah the north-east to Israel with the cities of Gilgal Iericho and Bethel as shall be made plain in the respective description of those places § 6. Iordan is the eastern boundary of this Tribe David returning victoriously from Mahanaim having ferried over this water partly brought thither partly met here a miscellaneous multitude Barzillai and Shimei Mephibosheth and Ziba that is loyalty and treachery faith and falshood mingled together in the same Countrey Here once railing now begging Shimei obtained pardon from him because bringing along with him the best argument in his excuse a thousand men of Benjamin Some will say David shewed Shimei too much mercy and did Mephibosheth too litle justice not righting him against the false accusations of Ziba who better deserved a whole halter then half of the lands of Mephibosheth Such doe not seriously consider the present condition of David who had his hand struck with the sword of justice before his feet in his renewed kingdome were firmely fastned on the throne of authority it had been the ready way to have overturned him and his posterity Here Sheba a Benjamite taking the advantage of the unseasonable contest betwixt Iudah and Israel which should have most interest in David with his trumpet blew rebellion into the eares and hearts of the people had not the dangerous consequence thereof been seasonably prevented by the vigilancy and valour of David and his servants § 7. More south on the banks of the river the children of the Prophets straightned for dwellings went about to enlarge their habitations but meanly provided for that purpose if we consider the 1 Architect a son of the Prophets little skild no doubt in such employment 2 Timber green wood and growing on the banks of Iordan 3 Tools a borrowed hatchet the iron whereof fell into the river Alass how comes it to pass that when houses of the Prophets are to be built the iron forsakes the handle which sticks too stedfastly thereunto when they break them down with axes and hammers But Elisha made all things whole the hatchet came unto the helve swimming above the water § The alter Ed succeeds next more south-ward on the river Formerly we have placed it in the Tribe of Reuben on the east of Iordan but others 〈◊〉 it west of that river in this Tribe Hear the arguments for both For Benjamin 1 It was set up in the borders of Iordan which are in the land of Canaan which land strictly and properly taken was on the west of Iordan 2 It was erected to shew the contesseration of their religions And therefore most probable and proper on the west side of Iordan in the main continent of the land to claim right or rather continue a title of those separatist-Tribes Reuben Gad and Manasseh in point of Gods worship with other Tribes 3 Saint Hiâ—rome and since him learned Tostatus to whose arguments in this controversie we refer the reader with many other Commentators are very positive in placing this Altar west of Iordan in the Tribe of Benjamin For Reuben 1 It was set up over against the land of Canaan Which in proper construction imports it to be on the other side opposite thereunto 2 It had been a meer trespass for the two Tribes and an halfe in aliena Republica to build an altar on the ground of other Tribes and therefore no doubt they did it on their own ground east of Iordan 3 Iosephus saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore the Tribe of Reuben and Gad going over the river c. 4 Another Ioseph though a modern yet a learned writer beleeveth that in those elder times that Countrey or territory was counted unhallowed or unclean which had not a place set apart for Gods worship and proveth from the words of Phinebas that the altar was set up on their side lest otherwise having no place consecrated they might be concluded to live in an unhallowed habitation Thus as this altar caused a difference betwixt brethren about the cause why it was erected so hath occsioned a dissension amongst learned men concerning the place where the same was set up The best is the controversie is not of such moment as to concern salvation Let us take heed we be not of that Generation which set not their hearts aright and then the danger is not great though we set this altar on the wrong side of the river However as the devout Iews in the primitive times when the Sabbath was newly changed into the Lords-day kept both Saturday and Sunday holy observing both ex nimia cautela to be sure to keep the right day of Divine worship so for more certainty we have erected two altars one one each side of the river leaving it to the discretion of the judicious Reader to accept or refuse which of them he pleaseth § 9. Come we in the next place to the twelve great stones set up by Ioshua in memoriall that there they passed over the river Iordan on foot Tremellius conceives probably that these were the quarries in Gilgal mentioned Iudg. 3. 19. whence Ehud returned back when he went to kill Eglon King of Moab Others likewise conceive that Iohn baptizing hereabouts did particularly point at these stones in that his expression to the Pharisees God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham They were set up in the Countrey Gilgal the city so called lying some five miles west of the river § 10. Gilgal rolling in Hebrew was so called by Ioshua because the reproach of Egypt was there rolled away from the Israelites and circumcision suspended during their travell being here administred and the Passeover solemnly observed here also Manna ceased the Countrey affording plentifull provisions Miracles and meanes never shine together in the same Horizon but the former setteth when the later ariseth It will perchance be demanded why Manna rained so long seeing
inhabitants thereof being trained by a dissembled flight of their foes into their own destruction Now although such ambushes are now adays unambushed by the generall suspicion all have of them yet in the infancy of the world when battells were meerly managed by main might and downright blowes men bringing all their forces above board such lying in wait was an unusuall stratagem and perchance may justly be referred to Ioshua as the first inventor thereof § 36. West of Ai betwixt Bethel and Ai was the mountain where Abraham and Lot long lived lovingly together until the contest betwixt their heardsmen when the land was grown too little for their substance Poverty preserveth amity when riches oft-times make rents among friends Hard by was the City and wilderness of Beth-aven which signifies the house of vanity Strange that any should impose on a place except in derision so ill and unlucky a name Yet hath not Solomon in effect set the same on the whole world Vanity of vanities all is vanity But Beth-aven seems emphatically so called for some eminent Idolatry committed therein Neer this place was the wood wherein when it rained honey from heaven the Israelites being in pursuit of the Philistines wanted hands to receive it having them bound up by Sauls adjuration not to eat before night I see neither piety nor policy but humour and headiness in Sauls resolution the way to encrease their stomach and not their valour Might not a cursory meal been allowed them in a running march a snatch and away Here Ionathans eyes were opened with tasting a little honey and presently his eyes were opened again in a sadder sense seeing himself liable to death for breaking his Fathers command Nor was it his own innocence and invincible ignorance of the law but the peoples interposing which preserved him alive Yet will not this one good act of popular violence make amends for those many mischiefs which their impetuous exorbitances in other cases have produced § 37. Still westward of Beth-aven stood Gibeon termed a royall City in Scripture that is a fair and princely place otherwise in all the transactions betwixt this City and the Israelites we meet with no King thereof which may almost perswade us to believe it a popular State The inhabitants thereof with clouted old shooes mouldy bread and a lie farther fetched then their journey pretending their dwellings at great distance deceived the congregation of Israel then camped at Gilgal For the smoke of those ovens wherein their bread was baked might almost be perceived from Gibeon to Gilgal which space Ioshua marched over with his foot-army in one night However hereby they saved their lives onely for their cheat were condemned to be Nethinims or Deodands that is people given to God to hew wood draw water and doe the drudgery of the Tabâ—rnacle and Temple a condition which they gladly accepted of so sweet is life in it self though sawced with servitude § 38. Afterwards Ioshua with a miraculous victory here conquered the five Kings of Canaan which assembled themselves to besiege Gibeon in revenge of their defection to the Israelites Never had battell more of God therein for he himself brought up or rather let down the train of Artillery killing the Canaanites with hail-stones from heaven as they fled in the going down to Bethoron unto Azekah Here Ioshua by his faithfull prayer stopt a Giant in his full career as he was running his race staying the Sun in Gibeon to attend his execution on his enemies This was as I may say the Barnady day of the whole world the very longest which that climate ever did or shal behold when time was delivered of twins two days joined together without any night interposed How the heavens this extraordinary accident notwithstanding were afterwards reconciled to their regular motions and how the expence of so much delay was repaired by future thrift I mean this staying of the Sun made up in the years account by his swifter moving afterwards I leave to be audited and cast up even by Astronomers Mean time the foresaid five Kings were first hid then stopt in the cave of Makkâ—dah till Ioshua commanded them to be brought forth and his souldiers to set their feet on their necks and David in his expression many years after reflecteth hereon Thou hast given me the necks of mine enemies c. Then were those five Kings hanged by Makkedah a regall City of the Canaanites which at that time was taken and the King thereof destroyed by Ioshua § 39. To return to Gibeon it was afterwards one of the four Cities in this Tribe which were allotted to the Levites and yet we finde it the Theater chiefly of martial atchievements for by the great pool in Gibeon in Helkath-hazzurim or thâ— field of strong men was Abner with the host of Israel worsted by Ioab Generall for David when Asahel like a wild Roe wild for his rashness Roe for his swiftness would not be perswaded from pursuing of Abner untill nigh the hill Amnah which lieth before Giah he taught Asahel the great difference between a nimble leg a and vigorous arme smiting him with his spear under the fifth rib § 40. Under the same rib at the great stone which is in Gibeon Ioab jealous of Amasa his cousin-german Ambition owns no alliance and is onely of kin to it self basâ—ly murdered him in this manner Ioab had a sword hanging on his loines and as he went it used to fall out as if it sought for another sheath bâ—sides what it had already Surely he had put his sword in this careless posture thus to play at in and out to cover his intended murder under some pretence of casualty as if in his embraces his weapon had hurt Amasa by unhappy accident Vain excuse for certainly his sword could not of its own accord have gone so quickly and so deeply to Amasa's fifth rib had not Ioab's steddy aime both dispatched it on that errand and directed it to that place Amasa thus slain all the people passing by make an halt at his corps and every one that came by him stood still untill his body was removed Where amongst so many gazing on his corps it is hard if the active thoughts of some did not light on this observation of divine justice that he now was treacherously slain who so lately had been the Generall to a Traitor § 41. In the beginning of the reign of King Solomon Gibeon was a publick place of divine worship where part of the Tabernacle resided Here two things are carefully to be observed 1 The Arke it self This being taken out of the Tabernacle at Shiloh by Hophni and Phinehas never returned thither again But from the land of the Philistines was brought back first to Bethshemesh thence to Kiriath-jearim thence to the house of Obed-Edom and at last fixed and setled
c. Statesmen Caleb Ahitophel and Prophets Natâ—an Amos Micah that in dignity as in strength and number it surmounted all the rest Yea Napthali's fearfull Hinde durst not bellow nor Issachars patient Ass bray nor Ephraims strong Oxe low nor Benjamins cruell Wolfe howle nor Dans cunning Serpent hiss if Iudah's Princely Lion was pleased to roare as Commander of all the beasts of the field and forest § 3. However I dare not with some interpret Iacobs solemn prophecy the Scepter shall not depart from Iudah nor the Law-giver from between his feet untill Shiloh come of a constant Soveraignty immoveably fixed in this Tribe till the birth of our Saviour a Tenet unteinable with truth seeing of the many Judges in Israel but two of this Tribe Saul the first King of Benjamin and the Maccabees of the Tribe of Levi who after the captivity attained to Kingly honour amongst the Iews Rather we understand Iacobs words of the whole nation whom he in the Spirit foresaw should in process of time be called Iews as the land Iudea from Iudah and expound them to be a prediction that the Iews should never totally and finally lose the visible being of a kingdome or common-wealth with a form of government amongst themselves though often changed and altered in the manner obscured and eclipsed in the lustre confined and emparied in the power thereof untill Messiah should be manifested in the flesh Which came to pass accordingly when the Iews at our Saviours birth and more completely at and after his death had lost all shadows of a free State totally inslaved to the Romane Emperour To whom alone bâ—longed 1 The Militia with the Castle giving martial-law to the Temple it self 2 Coine stamped with the image and superscription of Cesar. 3 Customes collected yea extorted by his Publicanes 4 Power in causes capitall by the Priests own confession It is not lawfull for us to put any man to death And the prophecy of Iacob thus expounded is both clear in it self and according to the interpretatioâ— of the Ancients § 4. This Tribe had Dan and Simeon on the west Benjamin on the north the wilderness of Paran oâ— the south and the Dead-sea on the east Extending east and west welnigh fourty miles but from Cadesh-Barnea to Ierusalem was about sixty six Where in this countrey was conteined a mountainous land but fruitfull with all commodities for pleasure and profit We begin with the Dead-sea Iudah's eastern boundary and so shall proceed to â—â—rround it in our description § 5. This was once a fruitâ—ull countrey called the vale of Siddim even as the garden of the Lord Paradi se it self Too like indeed thereto both for the pleasure thereof and Seâ—pent therein the spreading wickedness of the vicious Sodomites Lot chose to live here not because the people were well nurtured but the place well â—vatered though better watered no doubt during his living there with his teares from a soul vexed with their filthy conversation He lost by his dwelling among them for whose sins he was carried captive by Chedorlaomer They gained by their dwelling so near him for whose sake they were rescued by his uncle Abraham Yea afterwards Abraham endevoured to save the whole city of Sodome beating down the price of Gods justice as low as possibly it might consist with his honour to ten righteous men and yet that too high a rate for the piety of Sodome to reach so general was the wickedness therein Hereupon Sodome with three neighbouring Cities Gomorrah Admah and Zeboim was destroyed with fire and brimstone from heaven and thereby the whole Countrey turned into a standing stinking lake § 6. Some will say it was strange that fire should beget water a combustion produce an inundation More proper it had been that such an inflammation should have left and Aetna Hecla or Vesuvius behinde it fuming if not burning always The rather because next morning this place presented it self to the eyes of Abraham as the smoke of a furnace But such must know that when the fire was once out 1 The Countrey by nature was low and levell being a depressed plain and so more subject to drowning 2 Iordan running through this vale and there sinking into the ground had a quality in the first moneth to overflow his banks and so prone to occasion a deluge 3 Probably the river was formerly bridled with artificiall banks which either were then broken down with that tempest or afterwards decayed by degrees when the people were destroyed 4 Iordan in the vacancy of the inhabitants having got violent possession fenced and fortified himself in the slime-pits as in so many castles whereof great plenty in that place and could not afterwards be ejected Thus his title to this plain though at first an unjust usurpation and incroachment is made lawfull by the prescription of three thousand years possession § 7. This sea is known by severall names 1. The Dead-sea either because the Charnel-house of so many dead carcasses then destroyed therein or because it kills all creatures coming into it or lastly because dull and dead not enlivened with a tide or quickned with any visible motion one main cause of the offensive savour thereof laziness disposing men to lewdness and waters to putrefaction 2. The Salt-sea salt indeed from the sulphurous combustions first occasioning it 3. By Greek writers it is termed the Asphaltite-lake from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Bitumen growing plentifully thereabouts This Bitumen we are fain to retain the Latine word our land neither affording the thing nor our language the name to signifie it is a clammy glutinous substance usefull in Physick to astringe in Surgery to consolidate Used by the rich as morter to build as in the tower of Babel by the poor as oile to burn therfore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in hebrew quickly kindled hardly quenched flaming far and long as partaking much of pitch and more of brimstone in the nature thereof And such as could not goe to the cost of richer spices used it for imbalming their dead being a great drier and so preserver from corruption § 8. This Salt-sea was sullen and churlish differing from all other in the conditions thereof David speaking of other seas saith there goe the ships and there is that Leviathan which thou hast made to play therein so instancing in the double use of the sea for ships to saile and fishes to swim in But this is serviceable for neither of these intents no vessels sailing thereon the clammy water being a reall Remora to obstruct their passage and the most sportfull fishes dare not jest with the edged-tools of this Dead-sea which if unwillingly hurried thereinto by the force of the stream of Iordan they presently expire Yea it would kill that Apocrypha-Dragon which Daniel is said to have choaked with lumps of pitch fat and hair if he should be so
blessing brought the possession of the upper and nether springs along with it Know also in after ages the south part of Iudah was called Caleb probably from the large inheritance Caleb obtained in these parts and puissance of his posterity therein Thus the Egyptian giving an account of the passages of the army of the Amalekites confesseth they had been roving upon the coast that belonged to Iudah and upon the south of Caleb § 29. Libnah is the third in honour of the nine royall Cities in the days of Ioshua assigned afterwards for the Priests habitation Long it continued loyall to the Crown of Iudah untill in the days of Iehoram that ungodly unmercifull unsuccesfull unbeloved unlamented King Edom revolted from under the hand of Iudah unto this day then Libnah revolted at the same time Was it casualty or confederacy by mutuall intelligence that both thir defections bare the same date Surely breach of faith is a catching disease yea infectious from one to another But how could the inhabitants of Libnah being Priests whose best livelyhood depended on their personall officiating in the Temple at Ierusalem subsist being cut off from their service and the salary thereof Yea did they not thereby necessarily apostate from their religion to God desert his Temple and their own profession Except any will say easier spoken then proved that at this present not the Priests but some other persons were possessours of Libnah We finde not this City afterwards reduced to the Kings of Iudah whereupon some conceive that henceforward it stood on its own bottome as an absolute Common-wealth § 30. If any object it impossible that Libnah so small a City should subsist here as a free State against all the powers of the Kings of Iudah let such look on little Lucca in Italy and less Geneva in France defended by their foes from their foes environed with enemies on all sides yet so that rather then any one shall subdue them all the rest will assist them Such probably was the position and politick State-poizing of Libnah seated in the vicinity of the Kings of Iudah Israel and the Philistines not to say Egypt though far off might come in as a protectour thereof that it might make a Cordiall of a self-subsistance from the Antidotes of its enemies Afterwards we finde Sennacherib fighting against Libnah whence he sent a railing message to Hezekiah but read nothing of the taking thereof yea probably here the Angel by night did that memorable excution slaying an hundred fourscore and five thousand of his numerous army § 31. Lachish must not be forgotten whose King was destroyed by Ioshua King Amaziah conspired against by his subjects in Ierusalem fled hither in vain for They sent after him to Lachish and slew him there It was a leading City in Idolatry infected from Israel and infecting of Iudah Micah prophesied in particular against this City warning it to prepare for speedy captivity from its enemies O thou inhabitant of Lachish binde the charet to the swift beast she is the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee And although we finde not Lachish taken by Sennacherib who warred against it yet it escaped not the fury of Nebuchadnezzar though one of the last Cities by him subdued § 32. But Adâ—llam another regall City in Iudah was more ancient where Hirah Iudah's fast friend dwelt though employed by him but as a pandar post factum to carry Tamar the hire of her whoredome In a cave hereabouts repaired to David every one that was in distress and every one that was in debt and every one that was discontented and he became a Captain over them Was this well done of him to be Protector Generall of Out-laws thereby defying justice defrauding creditours defeating Gods command which provided that the debâ—er if not solveable should be sold for satisfaction Alas his need is all that can be alleadged in his excuse Sure I am David promised when in power to make his own choice that his houshold or Court should consist of persons better qualified However these men freely resorting to him were better then those hired by Abimelech vain and light persons and as far to be preferred before them as want is more excusable then wickedness Yea we may charitably believe Davids consorts impoverisht not by their own carelesness but their creditors cruelty § 33. As for Gedar it hath formerly been described in Simeon onely we will adde that Baal-hanan the Gederite was of this place Davids Overseer over the Olive trees and Sycamore trees in the low plain This name of Baal-hanan inverted is the same with Hannibal that great Generall of the Carthaginians See here the affinity of the Hebrew with the Phoenician or Carthaginian tongue Wonder not that Baal-hanan or Hannibal was a fashionable name for potent persons in these parts we finde also a King of Edom so called seeing it signifieth a Lord in grace or favour and our Saviour hath told us such as exercise authority over others are called Gracious Lords As for Iâ—rmuth Eglon and Arad we read nothing of them remarkable since their severall Kings were destroied by Ioshua Of Hepher we shall speak more properly in the close of this Description § And now what a fall must our Description have from the Cities of Kings to the Manor of a clown the fruitfull Carmell not far from the Dead-sea Here folly and wisdome dwelt under the same roof sate at the same table slept in the same bed Nabal and Abigail Are matches made in heaven and was Abigail so ill beloved there to be condemned to such a choice Surely God saw it most for his own glory and her good for the emprovement of her patience This Nabal proved himself a perfect Miser both by his niggardliness to David and prodigality of the King-like dinner he made to his shepheards But both he and his family had been utterly destroyed by David had not the discreet mediation of Abigail been seasonably interposed § 35. After his gluttonous supper Abigail next morning serves Nabal with a thrifty breakfast telling him of the great danger he so narrowly had escaped Hereupon his heart dyed within him Thus some drunkards have been said to have swooned when sober at the serious review of such perils they so neerly escaped in the fits of their distemper Probably feare encreased his sadness suspecting to fall into a relapse of Davids disfavour and that his anger might revert to give him another visite hereafter Thus the wrath of a King though but in reversion is as the roaring of a Lion Yea Nabal became as a stone and no wonder being little better then a stock before such his senseless stupidity But though he was a churl in his miserable living he was bountifull in his seasonable dying freeing Abigail from
the future Michal's daughter should never mock her husband on the like occasion punishing her with perpetuall barrenness § 29. Look on the prospect of this map especially the eastern parts thereof and behold it overspread with trees of all sorts Olive Pine Mulberry Firre c. Of the last saith the Psalmist and the fir-trees are a refuge for the Storkes breeding here in the greater abundance because forbidden by the Leviticall law to be fed upon A speckled bird therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 niger 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 albus black and white and is remarkable for their love to their parents feeding them in their old age Hence called Chesida in Hebrew that is the mercifull bird and in Dutch Oudevaer that is the carrier of the old one because every Stork is an Aeneas bearing his Anchises on his back carrying his Parent when for age it cannot fly of it self Some have confidently reported that Storks will not live save in a Republick who may with as much truth affirm that an Eagle the Soveraign of birds will not breed in a Common-wealth Not to say that Storks were named in the Monarchy of Adam preserved in the Arke in the Monarchy of Noah Ieremy who lived in the kingdome of Iudah upbraided the ignorance of the people therein Yea the Stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times Which birds had they known their times and the Iews not known the birds as frequent and familiar with them both the Prophets illustration had beed obscure and exprobration improper for his present purpose Finis Libri secundi To the Right Honourable JOHN LORD ROSSE Son to the Right Honourable JOHN EARL OF RVTLAND MY LORD IT hath been charged by Foreiners on our English Gentry that many of them very knowing beyond the seas have been strangers in their native Countrey as able to give a better account of the Spaw then our own Bath the diving of the Spanish Anas under ground then of our own Rivers Diverill in Wiltshire and Mole in Surrey wherein the same wonders of Nature are set forth in a lesser Edition How just this accusation is for the present I have no leasure to enquire but am afraid that too many of our nation are guilty of a greater Ignorance That being quic◠sighted in other kingdomes and Countreys they are altogether blinde as touching Judea and the land of Palestine the Home for their meditations who are conversant in all the historicall passages of Scripture Yet I would not have any wilfully to expose themselves as Saint Paul was against his will to perils of waters perils of Robbers perils by the Heathen c. personally to pace and trace the land of Canaan who rather conceive that precept to Abraham Arise walk through the land in the breadth thereof and in the length thereof may be performed by us even whilest we also follow the counsell of Joash to Amaziah Abide now at home This may be done by daily and diligent perusing of the Scriptures and comparing the same with it self Diamonds onely cut Diamonds as also by consulting with such as have written the description of that Countrey Amongst whom give me leave though the unworthiest of thousands to tender these my endevours to your Honours serious perusall and patronage hoping my pains herein may conduce to the better understanding of the History of the Bible I confess the doctrinall part of the Scripture is in it self most instructive to salvation But as the rare relation of the woman of Samaria first drew her neighbours to the sight of our Saviour which afterwards believed on him not for her words but his own worth so the delightfull stories in the Bible have allured many youth especially to the reading thereof the light the historicall part first inviting their eyes whose hearts were afterwards inflamed with the heat the holy fire in the doctrine of Gods word Give me leave therefore my Lord humbly to commend to your Honour the constant reading of that which eminently is termed The Scripture and the Bible or Book all other being but scribling and Pamphlets in comparison thereof They contain what will make you wise unto salvation and the study thereof will render your Lordship more truely honourable then your outward extraction Great indeed was the priviledge of Ruth for whom purposely some handfuls were let fall for her to gather up But greater the honour done to your Ancestors by our English Kings above an hundred years since who scattered some flowers and other ornaments out of their own Armes therewith to deck and adorn those of your family Yet know my Lord that the Bereans are pronounced more noble then those of Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness of minde searching the Scriptures daily whether those things were so And by the same proportion your exact skill industriously attained in Gods word shall make your soul increase with the increase of God far more honourable then that Augmentation in Heraldry which was conferred on your Ancestours Remember I pray what David writes I have seen an end of all perfection but thy commandement is exceeding broad Oh imperfect perfection which hath an end And indeed David lived in an Age wherein he saw Goliah the strongest overcome Asahel the swiftest overtaken Achitophel the wisest befooled and Absalom the fairest deformed with a violent death Yet still the immortall word out-lived all casualties and triumphed in defiance of opposition Wherefore as the Jews were to provide a chest by the side of the Ark wherein the Law was to be placed and kept so I wish your Honour a large heart to be a repository for this Broad commandement of God that therein you may carefully lay up and treasure the same which when all earthly perfections prove false and fading will furnish your soul with holiness here and happiness hereafter which is the daily prayer of Your Honours most humble servant THO. FULLER Here followeth the description of Jerusalem THE DESCRIPTION OF THE CITY OF IERVSALEM The third Book CHAP. I. Of the severall names and generall situation of Jerusalem § 1 WHen a woman often altereth her surname it is a signe she hath been many times married denominating of his wife from him being parcell of the maritall priviledge But when a City in diverse Ages hath different names this speaks her successive subjection to severall Lords new owners imposing on her new appellations as in our present subject plainly appears For the City which we are to describe was called 1 Salem in the days of Abraham when Melchisedec was King and probably first founder thereof Then it was but a small place the greatest Giant had once the cradle of his infancy when mount Moriah afterwards in the midst of the City and a forest of houses was as yet but a thicket of thornes wherein the Ram the
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
opened his eyes that they could stop his mouth from the acknowledging thereof His constancy herein cost him an excommunication and a casting out of the Synagogue The best was the power of the Keys when abused doth not shut the door of Heaven but in such cases onely shoot the bolt besides the lock not debarring the innocent person entrance thereat § 15. The supernaturall pool of Bethesda by the Sheep-market remains whose waters when at a certain season moved by an Angel were medicinall to cure the first commer thereinto whatsoâ—ver disease he had A learned man conceiveth that when Eliashib the high Priest after their return from Babylon with his brethren first began hereabouts to build the sheep-gate and sanctifie it to divine service as leading to the Temple God then and there in approbation of his Act indued the Pool hard by with this soveraign sanative quality but this we leave with the Author § 16. By this Pool an Infirmary was built for maimed folk to lodge in and attend the troubling of the waters How well was Gods bounty and mans charity here met together Commendable it was that rich men did not engross this Spaw to themselves but permitted poor people not able to use Physick and Surgery the benefit thereof This Hospitall for building consisted of five Porches not that the defective in the five senses lame blinde deaf c. were here severally disposed of by themselves but no doubt all promiscuously put together In this Colledge of Cripples he for his seniority might have been the Master thereof who had been longer lame then most men live and now past the fift climactericall of his disease where with he had been afflicted full thirty eight years Indeed so impossible was the conditions of his recovery that being lame He must run before he could goe for seeing the first commer was only served he must hast with speed into the pool after the moving thereof whilst he alas wanted strength to help himself wanted money to hire others and others wanted mercy freely to give him their assistance But because he could not goe to health Health was graciously pleased to come to him and he was cured miraculously by our Saviour § 17. And thus much of the Walls Gates Towers and Waters about Ierusalem come we now into the City it self which anciently consisted of two principall parts therefore dual in the Hebrew Sion on the southwest and Ierusalem properly so called on the north thereof which we proceed in order to describe with the places of principall note therein contained CHAP. VII Of Davids Palace the High-priests houses the Coenaculum and other memorable places in mount Sion § 1. WE begin with mount Sion making that first which God most favoured who loved the Gates of Sion more then all the tabernacles of Iacob Here first our eyes are entertained with the stately Palace of David Hiram King of Tyre sending him timber and workmen for the building thereof Flat was the roof of this palace whereon David sate and from whence he beheld Bathsheba hard by is her house bathing her self I cannot excuse her action herein If policy be jealous that hedges may have eares modesty may suspect lest the motes in the aire have eyes But see here divine justice As this roof was the place whereon Davids lust did burn first so thereon Absaloms incest did blaze farthest lying here with his Fathers Concubines This he easily did at the perswasion of Achitophel those spurres needing no rowels which are to prick forward graceless youth into wantonness But that hellish Politician did this to set such a distance betwixt Sire and Son that the affection of the one might never meet with the submission of the other the breach hereafter being made so deep and wide that no bridge of reconciliation might be built betwixt them § 2. Under the Romans this Palace was turned into a Castle where a Garrison was kept to over-awe the City Once the honour now the terrour once the beauty now the bridle of Ierusalem Upon the fair stairs leading thereto stood Saint Paul when he made his speech to the people hearing him with great silence because he spake in the Hebrew tongue untill he came to that passage of preaching to the Gentiles which though spoken in Hebrew was no good Hebrew to his auditours but false construction breach of Jewish priviledg when they turned their attentive eares into railing tongues away with such a fellow from off the earth § 3. And now to shew the frailty of humane happiness pass we from the palace of these Kings to their burying place seeing Sion in a double respect may be called the Westminster of Ierusalem because the Kings thereof resided there while living and rested when dead The reader shall pay nothing but his pains in following me whilest I shew him these royall remains We may observe four gradations of honour in these interments 1 Wicked Amon was buried in his own house not under the roof but within the verge of the wall thereof and so was Manasseh whose true but late repentance was effectuall to save his soul but not his kingdome from destruction 2 Cruell Ioram who had no compassion whilest living therefore no bowels wheÌ„ dying was buried by himself in the city of David neither fire nor water neither burning nor mourning made for him 3 Godly but leprous Uzziah being ceremoniously unclean was interred in the field of the buriall which belonged to the Kings understand it within the suburbs but without the walls of their solemn sepultures 4 All the rest were intombed in a stately place set apart for that purpose namely David the holy the man after Gods own heart Solomon the wise when old befooled by his wives Rehoboam the simple whose rigour rent ten Tribes from his kingdome Abiah the wicked but valiant and fortunate in fight Asa the upright whose heart was perfect all his days Iehosaphat the just whose heart was lift up in the ways of the Lord Ahaziah the Idolater whose onely coÌ„mendation was that he raigned but one year Ioash the backslider the lease of whose goodness determined with his uncles life Amaziah the rash worsted in a needless war against the King of Israel Iotham the peaceable who built the highest gate to the house of the Lord Ahaz the profane who in the time of his distress yet trespassed more against the Lord Hezekiah the pious who destroied the high places Iosiah the tender-hearted who melted at Gods threatnings denounced against the people of the Iews § 4. Amongst these still I miss Iehojakim and long seeking for his tombe light at last on the Prophets threatning he shall be buried with the buriall of an Asse drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Ierusalem § 5. Now as it were in exchange of Iehojakim excluded we finde Ieâ—ojada admitted among
eyes Of these buildings in Libanus that tower which looks towards Damascus was the principal to which the Nose of the Spouse in the Canticles is compared for the whiteness uniformity and proportionable largeness thereof whereby the generousness and animosity of the Church is intimated The Philosopher telleth us that a tower-fashioned Nose round and blunt at the top is a signe of magnanimity § 12. From this tower we may take the Prospect of all the adjacent countrey wherein we take no notice of the division of Syria according to humane writers but confine our selves to Scripture expressions 1 Rehob 2 Aram or Maachah 3 Syria of Damascus 4 Zobah 5 The land of Hamah 6 Syrophoenicia 7 Coelosyria 8 Phoenicia Aram Rehob or Beth-Rehoh so called from a principall City therein lay south east of mount Libanus Herein was Dan the place where Abraham overtook the four Kings who after many victories had took Lot and his wife captives By Dan we understand not the city of Dan formerly Laish which some hundreds of years after was so named though Levi is said vertually to pay tithes in the loines of Abraham Dan cannot be conceived formally to name cities being as yet in the body of his great Grandfather but the eastermost fountain of Iordan anciently called Dan. And surely springs the issue of nature are seniours to all cities the result of Art Here Abraham overtook them and with three hnndred and odde men conqueredand pursued them being numerous and flushed with former victorys to Hobah which is on the left side of Damascus Thus that army which is but a handfull of men managed by Gods hand will work wonders Hereby Lot recovered his liberty the King of Sodome his subjects they their goods the Auxiliaries of Aner Eshcol and Mamre received their pay out of the spoile Melchisedec had the tithes Abraham the honour and God the glory of the victory § 13. Aram-Maachah lay southeast of Aram-beth-Rehoh the King thereof appeared very active though bringing into the field but a thousand men in the battell against King David It seems Ioab the politick Generall reputed these Syrians valiant who took the choicest men of Israel under his own conduct to oppose them consigning the refuse under Abishai against the Ammnoites presuming they would fly of course if the other were worsted as indeed it came to pass Appendants to this Aram-Maachah were 1 Geshur hereof Talmai the King and Maachah his daughter was maried to David and mother to Absalom No wonder then if the child proved a cross to his Father begotten on a heathen woman contrary to Gods command And here Absalom changing his climate not conditions staid three years clouded with his Fathers displeasure for murdering his brother Amnon 2 Ishtoh which contributed twelve thousand men in the generall engagement of the Syrians against King David 3 The land of Tob that is the good-land or Goth-land if you please so called from the goodness thereof Though all the good we know of it is this that it afforded a safe refuge to Iephthah when persecuted by his brethren who hence was solemnely fetched to be Judge of Israel Adrichomius and other Authours here make the Land of Uz where Iob dwelt I cannot blame any place to be desirous of so pious a man to be an inhabitant therein But both Iobs friends and foes forbid the situation of the land of Uz here abouts His foes the Sabeans his friends Eliphaz the Temanite c. who are known to live far south of this place of whom properly in the description of Edom. 14. Aram of Damascus succeeds lying northeast of Aram-Maachah watered with the rivers of Abanah and Pharphar This Abanah in humane writers is called Chrysoroas or golden-streame from the yellowness of his banks and water Otherwise as little gold is to be found in his chanell as at the golden grove in Caermarthen-shire or at the golden-vale in Herefordshire However Abanah and Pharphar were highly beholden to Naaman who preferred them before all the waters of Israel as possibly they might equall yea exceed them in some outward respects But what if the water in the Cistern chance to be clearer then that in the Font Know it is divine institution which puts the difference betwixt them leaving the one a plain Element and making the other a soveraigne Sacrament This river Chrysoroas running northward is afterwards swallowed up in the sandy ground and there is the visible end thereof So that Solomons rule All rivers run into the Sea must admit of an exception or exposition namely either openly or secretly as no doubt this river hath an underground recourse to the Ocean § 15. Coming near to Damascus we finde the place where Saint Paul was cast down to the ground as he went with a Commission from the high Priest to persecute the Saints of Damascus Now seeing Damascus was not in Iudea if any demand why Paul should straggle so far from his own Countrey hear his own answer Being exceedingly mad against them I persecuted them even unto strange cities and it is reason enough for the actions of blind zeale that they are the actions of blind zeale Besides it seems the high Priests at Ierusalem had a kind of Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction over the Iews in all places Some seeming contradiction but on serious thoughts easily reconciled appears in the history of Saint Pauls travells Acts 9.7 The men also which journeyed with him stood amazed hearing a voice but seeing no man Acts 22.9 Moreover they that were with me saw indeed a light and were afraid but heard not the voice of him that spakâ— unto me For two things considerable in this viâ—ion 1 The generals thereof communicated to his fellow-travellers that they might attest the truth of this miraculous accident No seeming fancy but really acted Hereupon they heard confusedly that there was a sound but heard not distinctly what that sound was and were admitted to see a light but did not discover the person of Iesus appearing 2 The particulars thereof imparted to Paul alone as calculated onely for his conversion whose eares and eyes plainly heard and saw the voice and apparition Hence Saint Paul was conducted to the city of Damascus whither we follow after him § 16. Damascus is by some conceived to have been founded by Eliezer Abrahams Steward onely because he is styled Eliezer of Damascus But if so then signall was the piety of Eliezer who preferred rather to live a servant in Abrahams good family then to rule as a Lord in a great city of his own building Various was the success and fortune of Damascus under severall Lords and we will onely instance in such as are mentioned in Scripture 1 It was inhabited by the Syrians and accounted the Metropolis of the Countrey 2 It was probably conquered by David when he put garisons into Aram of Damascus 3 In the days
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
which had known man What time also they did execution on five Kings of Midian and Balaam the false Prophet their chaplain who fell by the sword of man though he had escaped that of the Angell Some may think strange that the Israelites having conquered this countrey possessed not themselves and their heirs thereof Let such know first that this sandy land was barren it self whose best fruitfulness consisted onely in the largeness thereof Secondly God intended an entire territory to his own people whereas this stragling Countrey was hardly kept though easily conquered Thirdly the Midianites were of the halfe bloud with the Israelites descended from Abraham and therefore God would not have them disinherit their kinsmen of their possessions §6 If we goe out of their cities to take free aire in their countrey see how thick their tents are spread over the face of the earth Whereof though their coverings might seem course their courtains mentioned by the Prophet being both the side walls and roof of their inward rooms were most costly and curious As the Midianites were called the children of the east so none more orient in their apparell and gorgeous accoutrements For if their Camels wore Collers of gold about their necks how rich may their riders be presumed to be in pearles and precious stone § 7. Another great part of their wealth consisted in their cattell amongst which we must take speciall notice of their Dromedaries seeing the most or best of this kind were bredhereabouts A Dromedary is a dwarfcamell nature recompensing his smalness in his swiftness so that he will travellan hundred miles a day and continue at that rate with sparing diet a week together He hath but one bunch on his back the Camell having more the naturall saddle for his Rider to mount upon generally more used for travell then bearing of burdens and of as much more refined service above Camells as Hacknies are above Packhorses In a word as in one respect this beast is the commendable character of perseverance not fleet by fits at the first but holding out a constant and equall tenour in travelling so in another regard it may pass for the emblem of hypocrisie pretending to both symptomes of a clean beast really chewing the cud and seemingly cleaving the hoof but onely on the out side whereas within it is wholly fleshly and entirely round like a platter § 8. Yet all their speed could not save their Masters from the pursuit of Gideon when such a fatall blow was given to the Midianites that the Text saith They lift up their heads no more Yea which is memorable scarce any part of their body appears afterwards in Scripture or any mention of Midianites save with relation to the former defeate which leads us to this conjecture that the remains of that nation which escaped that dismall overthrow shrowded themselves under the names of some neighbouring people probably of the Ishmaelites of whom but a word or two and so to Moab § 9. Nor need the Reader be afraid to adventure amongst them suspecting the Ishmaelites like Ishmael their Father to be wild men Whose hands were against every man and every mans hand against them seeing their fierceness and fury had been well tamed by the Reubenites Gadites and half Tribe of Manasseh in that memorable victory wherein no fewer then an hundred thousand of them were taken captives and those Tribes dwelt in their tents even unto the river Euphrates Conceive it in a cursory condition onely grazing their cattell during the season which amounted not to a constant and settled habitation § 10. The Ishmaelites were descended from Ishmael otherwhiles called Hagarens wherein the difference not great their former name being fetched from their Father the latter but one degree further from Hagar their grandmother Of this Ishmael it was foretold first that he should dwell as also he did die in the presence of all his brethren that is he should not hide his head in holes or creep into corners as afraid of the force of his neighbours but should justifie and avouch his Right in open habitations daring and defying all pretenders to his possessions Secondly it is said he should be Onager homo or a wild-ass-man in which similitude the holy Spirit not using casuall but choice comparisons surely very much is folded up of the Physiognomy both of him and his posterity Wild asses are said to carry a bow in their heels and to finde arrows in the sandy ground where they goe wherein if hunted they doe bestirre themselves with flinging the gravell behind them that therewith they pierce the breasts yea sometimes split the heads of such as pursue them as the Ishmaelites excellent archers laid about them with their arrows to kill and slay such as opposed them § 11. Large were the bounds alotted to Ishmael and divine providence which staked them down within certain limits allowed them a very long teddar They dwelt from Havilah unto Shur that is from before Egypt till as thou goest towards Assyria a spong of ground somewhat nigh a thousand miles perchance not so entire but interrupted with other nations and not bearing a proportionable breadth consisting generally of the Sandy and stony Arabia so that a span of Isaacs was worth a stride of Ishmaels possession However in relation to Ishmaels posterity that Prophecy he shall dwell in the presence of his brethren admits also of this interpretation that the land alotted him ranged out so far that the bounds and borders thereof abutted on all his kindred Edomites and Israelites his nephews or brothers sons Moabites and Ammonites his cousins once removed Midianites descended of his half brother by Keturah and Egyptians his near kinsmen both by his wife and mother § 12. In this large countrey did dwell the twelve sons of Ishmael which I may call the twelve tribes of the Ishmaelites 1 Nebaioth 2 Kedar 3 Adbeel 4 Mibsam 5 Mishma 6 Duma 7 Massa. 8 Hadar 9 Temah 10 Ietur 11 Naphish 12 Kedemah A learned man from the allusion of letters and similtude of sounds hath found out in stony desert and happy Arabia some places symbolizing with these names and I commend his industry not daring altogether to concur with his judgment conceiving the subject in hand to want a bottome for any to build with certainty thereupon Sooner shall Chymists fixe quick-silver then Geographers place these people in a setled habitation Indeed mention is made of some Townes and Castles no cities they had perchance some strength to retire to but generally Saint Hierome tells us they had neither doors nor bolts but lived in tents in desert places Wherefore as foreiners for matter of clothes paint an Englishman with a pair of sheares in his hand taxing therein his levity in following fashions continuing constant to no kind of apparell so we may present the Ishmaelites besides a bow at
of the smart thereof Yea this father of confusion observed a methodicall gradation in doing mischief that still the hindmost was the heaviest affliction 1 The Sabeans a people of Arabia the happy took away his Oxen when plowing and Asses when feeding besides them 2 Fire of hell falling from heaven of Satans sending and Gods suffering consumed his sheep and servants 3 The Chaldeans coming in three bands fell on his Camels and carried them away If any object that Chaldea was many miles hence it is answered that roving crafty theeves have long strides and commonly fox-like prey farthest from their den Besides probably the Chaldeans driving a land-trade from Arabia to Babylon with Spices being Merchant-pirates did light on this prize in their passage 4 A winde smote the four corners of the house wherein his seven sons were feasting with their three sisters Nor will any wonder at this wild Hericano blowing at once from all points of the Compass when he remembers that Satan is styled the Prince of the power of the aire 5 His body became an Hospitall of diseases equally painfull shamefull loathsome How quickly is Dives turned into Lazarus as if his heards of cattell were turned into boiles and flocks of sheep into so many Scabs on his body 6 His wife persecuted him with her bad counsell When the physick which should help traiterously sides with the disease Oh the dolefull condition of the Patient 7 Lastly his friends proved his greatest enemies Others onely despoiled him of his goods they sought to deprive him of his goodness And whereas Iob was onely passive in his other losses plundered of all his wealth against his will they endevoured to perswade him voluntarily to resigne and surrender his innocence and integrity and to confess himself an hypocrite For to this purpose tended their large discourses containing true Doctrines but false Uses as applied in relation to Iob. All these crosses Iob bare with invincible patience Insomuch that some Moderns accounting such patience impossible have turned it all into a Parable denying the historicall and onely making an Allegoricall truth of all his sufferings dealing worse with Iob then the devilidid whose commission extended not to take away his life whereas these men utterly destroy his beeing denying such an one ever to have been in Rerum natura See the baseness of our degenerate days being so far from following the worthy example of former Heroes that mens laziness takes a more compendious way in stead of imitating their virtues practise to abolish their persons And yet what clearer demonstration can there be of the historicall truth of Iob then that his own name the name of the place of his dwelling are set down with the names of his foes friends and daughters and the whole History as largely recorded in the old as briefly repeated in the new Testament On the other side we listen as little to those who lessen Iobs sufferings because he lost nothing with in doors his Coin Jewels Plate and houshold-stuffe presumed in a considerable equipage to the rest of his substance remained entire for any thing we finde to the contrary But the wealth of that age chiefly consisted in their stock so that one may call their cattell their coin Grammarians derive Pecunia à pecudibus bargains in those days not being driven with money in specie but by bartering of commodities § 40. But Comicall was the end of Iob and all things restored double to him so that it had been better for him to have lost more for then he should have had twice as much restored onely the same number of children were given him seven sons and three daughters because his former children non amissi sed praemissi were not foregone but gone before Parents may account on their pious children departed and reckon not that once they had but still have them though not here in heaven Yea in some sort Iobs children were doubled also because he lived to see his sons sons to the fourth generation As for the friends of Iob Eliphaz the Temanite of whom formerly lived in Edom Bildad the Shubite dwelt hereabouts as descended from Shuah one of Abrahams sons by Keturah Zophar the Naamathite from Naamah a City after allotted to Iudah on the south of Iudea bordering in Edom § 41. Here I omit the Countrey of Temah with some other petty territories all parcels of Arabia deserta Yea the Reader may stand on the edge of this Map and there smell the fragrancies of Arabia the happy so called on good reason Misers measure Paradise by their profit Epicures by their pleasure both met here And it is hard to say whether the spices or the gold of the countrey are more renowned But if heaven should commence an action against Arabia the happy for usurping his priviledge Arabia would non-sute it self and confess her unhappiness in the midst of all her felicity For in default of other fuell they are fain to burn and dress their meat with Aromaticall wood which so stupefieth the senses of the people that they are forced with Bitumen and the sent of Goates where perfumes are too frequent a stink is a perfume to qualifie their suffocating sweetness Thus no heaven out of heaven and no earthly felicity will fall out even measure to content us but either too much or too little § 42. It remaineth now that we observe the severall stations of the children of Israel coming out of Egypt which cross this map in fashion of a Belt We begin at mount Hor their thirty fourth stage in the edge of the land of Edom. Hence Moses sent messengers to request a peaceable passage through the kingdome of Edom but could not obtain it No doubt they were jealous of Israels greatness and being carnally suspicious of them because Power generally performeth promises no further then it complies with its profit conceived it easier to keep then cast them out of their countrey If Iacob was frighted with Esau's coming to meet him with four hundred men Esau was now no less afraid of Iacob accosting him with six hundred thousand men § 43. However God commanded his people not to force this but finde another passage It was well more ways then one led to Canaan else Israel had been at a losse But wicked men may for a time retard not finally obstruct our access to happiness It is but fetching a compass making two steps for one a little more pains and patience will doe the deed Israel surrounds the land of Edom and next sets down at Zalmona § 44. Here they want water and fall a muttering and God sends them more fire in lieu thereof Fiery Serpents to destroy them Humble praying is the onely means to remove peevish muttering the ready way to double our distress Yet afterwards by the setting up of the brazen Serpent their malady was remedied Suddain wound to be hurt with a touch and as quick
count them in specie but for more safety or expedition computed the people by their Paschall Lambes proportioning such a number of men to a Lambe Others read it He numbred them as Lambes that is now grown meek and quiet whereas at the first there were some animosities of the people against him Shall Saul reign over us contentedly submitting themselves to his command But I take Telaim for a true City and the same with Telem Iosh. 15. 24. which you may finde in our description CHAP. XV. Objections against the Land of Moriah answered Philol. I Perceive the imperfection of your description by the omitting of a memorable valley therein namely the vale of Baca mentioned by the Psalmist pronouncing him blessed who passing through the vale of Baca maketh it a Well You in stead of passing through pass by this vale unmentioned Aleth I reserved my observations on this vale for this place Some render it appellatively The vale of weeping meaning thereby the militant condition of a Christian in this life incumbred with constant afflictions If so this vale of Baca is too big to come under my description all the mountains in the world being but part of this valley the extent whereof is adequate to the whole earth But if you be pleased to take this vale for a proper place I embrace the opinion of learned Ainsworth on the text that this vale of Baca or Mulberry trees for so also it signifieth was near to Ierusalem out of the tops of which trees God sounded the Alarum to David when he conquered the Philistines CHAP. XVI Objections against the City of Jerusalem answered Philol. VVHat is charged unjustly on Saint Paul and his companions that they had turned the world upside down may truly be laid to your charge you have in your description of Ierusalem tumbled all things topsie turvy in the position of the gates thereof yea the foundations of the City as presented by you are out of course and contrary to the rules of other writers Aleth Let God be true and every man a liar In this particular I profess my self a pure Leveller desiring that all humane conceits though built on most specious bottomes may be laid flat and prostrated if opposing the written Word In conformity whereunto we are bound to dissent from such Authors otherwise honouring them for their severall deserts to accommodate the Description of the Gates and Towers of Ierusalem according to a threefold eminent Directory which we finde in Nehemiah Philol. Give us I pray you an account of them in order Aleth The first main Scripture direction we are to observe is the night survey which Nehemiah took of the walls or rather ruines of Ierusalem described in this manner NEHEM 2. 13 14 15. And I went out by night by the gate of the valley even before the Dragon Well to the Dung port and viewed the walls of Ierusalem which were broken down and the gates thereof were consumed with fire Then went I out to the gate of the fountain and to the Kings pool but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass Then went I up in the night by the brook and viewed the wall and turned back and entred by the gate of the valley and so returned The second is the severall reparations where the same were required done on the Gates and walls of the City by severall persons in a circular form from the Sheep-gate surrounding the whole City till they returned to the same place where they began Whose names we have carefully inscribed on those portions of buildings upon which their cost and pains were expended The third but most materiall because most declaratory of the method of the Gates is the solemn Processions which the people divided into two Quires made round about the walls each of them measuring a Semi-circle both of them incompassing the whole circumference of Ierusalem and at last joining together in the best meeting place the Temple of God First Quire Nehem. 12. 31. One great company went on the right hand upon the wall towards the Dung-gate consisting of half the Princes of Iudah and Ezra the Scribe before them And at the fountain-gate which is over against them they went up by the staires of the City of David at the going up of the wall above the house of David even unto the water-gate eastward Second Quire Nehem. 12. 38 39. And the other company of them that gave thanks went over against them and I after them and the half of the people upon the wall from beyond the Tower of the furnaces even unto the broad wall And from above the gate of Ephraim and above the old-gate and above the fish-gate and the tower of Hananeel and the tower of Meah even unto the sheep-gate and they stood still in the prison-gate So stood the two companies of them that gave thanks in the house of God Now I request the Reader with his eye to examine whether the walls of Ierusalem as designed in our draught agree not with these directions of Scripture To purchase the favour whereof I pass not for the frowns of any Authors Omne excelsum cadet down with whatever dare oppose our embracing of the Text. This we hope for the main will satisfie any indifferent Reader otherwise if being as impossible for me in this short discourse to meet with the severall exceptions of private fancies as for a Geographer in the Map-generall of a Countrey to set down the house of every particular person Philol. You set Sion south of Ierusalem clean contrary to the description of the Psalmist Beautifull for situation the joy of the whole earth is mount Sion on the Sides of the North the City of the great King Aleth The place by you alleadged is difficult much canvassed by Comments who fasten upon it two principall interpretations 1 Sense Some make this verse a description of Sion alone the latter clause by Apposition so referring unto it that Sion it self is solely charactered to be the City on the side of the North. 2 Sense Others make this verse the full description of all Ierusalem consisting of two principall parts by the figure of Asyndeton coupled together 1. Sion Beautiful for situation the â—oy of the whole earth is Mount Sion 2. Properly Jerusalem On the sides of the North the City of the great King That the latter is the truer interpretation we send the Reader to the voluminous labours of Villalpandus proving the same out of Scripture Iosephus and other Authors Besides though time and casualty hath made many alterations on Ierusalem yet what Peter in his time said of Davids sepulcher even in our age true of mount Sion it is with us unto this day standing still full south of Ierusalem as Travellers doe affirme no doubt in the ancient place and posture thereof For although Ioseph could remove the Egyptians from one end of the borders of the land
unto the other end thereof yet mountains are too firmly fastned to be transplanted from their naturall location Philol. You doe commit what you condemn in Adrichomius taxing him for fashioning the streets of Ierusalem after his own fancy assuming the same liberty to your self in conjecturall ranging them without warrant from Gods word Aleth Reason dictates what we have done herein For Gates being made for entrance probably the streets from them stretched forth-right as we have deâ—igned them Those Insulae or Quadrants of buildings are nothing else but the necessary product of the decussation and thwarting of such direct streets where they cross one another It is impossible that in describing Ierusalem we should doe what Saul in another case desired of the Ziphites See therefore and take notice of all the lurking places and come yee again with the certainty onely such generalls in likelyhood may be presumed and the rest is left to every mans free conception Philol. You have forgotten the Porta fictilis or Potters-gate which Villalpandus solemnly sets up on the east of the City building on a place alleadged out of the Prophet Ieremy Aleth His Porta fictilis is rather fictitia and so brittle a gate that it is broken with perusing the text by him cited for the proof thereof Thus saith the Lord goe and get a potters earthen bottle and take of the ancients of the people and of the ancients of the Priests and goe forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom which is by the entry of the east gate and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee See here whatever may be in the vulgar Latine no sherd of a Potters-gate though we confess a Potters field nigh the City but thence it cannot be collected that there was also a gate of that name no more then if followes because of Smithfield there must be Smith-gate in London Philol. You affirm that we meet with no gate at all in Sion flatly contrary to the words of David The Lord loveth the gates of Sion more then all the dwellings of Icoab Aleth I say again that because of the precipice of the place Sion had no out-gates but had those which led into Ierusalem which might be meant by the Psalmist But to speake plainly Gates of Sion are not there to be taken literally being put for the assemblies of the people at Gods publick worship especially whilest the Ark was in Davids time fixed in Zion CHAP. XVIII Objections against the Courts of Solomons Temple answered Philol. IN your description of the Courts of Solomons Temple I finde onely four gates to the cardinall windes but neither Parbar nor Asuppim Gate though both of them eminently mentioned in the Bible Aleth I must confess my self utterly unsatisfied in the position of these places whether or no they were in the first two Courts as built by Solomon or added in after ages when the new or third Court was added to Solomons foundation which latter I am most inclined to beleeve For perusing the date of the first book of Chronicles I finde it written long after the Iews return from the captivity of Babylon as appears by reckoning up the grand-children of Zorobabel and therefore I suspend the describing of them till further information Philol. At the entrance of the House of the Lord you make horses but omit the Chariots of the Sun both equally mentioned in Scripture and destroyed by Iosiah Besides you make them artificiall statues which no doubt were naturall horses sent out with riders every morning in a superstitious frolick to give a welcome or visit to the dawning-day and to salute the Sun in the first arising thereof Aleth Chariots must be supposed there though not expressed for lack of room Sure they were no reall horses which the idolatrous Kings of Israel had given to the Sun For except thereby be meant a successive breed or race such horses must be extremely old at this reformation after the eighteenth year of Iosiaâ— probably set up by Ahaz sixty years since Besides it is improbable that living horses were kept so close to the Temple and that noisome stables should be so near Gods house generally set at some distance from mens dwellings However I had rather subscribe then ingage in a controversie not worth the contending for Philol. You mention onely one Table of shew-bread whereas David made preparation for the Tables thereof And lest so plain a place of Scripture should be avoided by the frequent figure of Enallage Solomon is expresly said to have made ten Tables and placed them in the Temple and it is added not long after whereon the shew-bread was set Aleth I am confident there was but one principall Table for the presentation of shew-bread whereon by Gods appointment the twelve Cakes were set in two rowes according to the number of the twelve Tribes of Israel Now if there were ten Tables provided for that purpose the twelve Cakes could not be equally set upon them without a fraction I conceive therefore the other nine onely as side-cupboards or Livery tables ministeriall to that principall one as whereupon the shew-bread elect was set before the consecration thereof and whereon the old shew-bread removed for some time might be placed when new was substituted in the room thereof Philol. To proceed to the Altar I approve your answer taken from the Celestiall fire thereupon as satisfactory in relation to the Tabernacle and Solomons Temple that so many sacrifices were so suddenly consumed without any noisomeness But the difficulty still remains as touching the second Temple where by generall confession in default of heavenly the Priests were fain to make use of common and ordinary fire Aleth Although I beleeve not in full latitude what the Iewish Rabbins doe affirme That the Pillar of smoak which ascended from the sacrifice curled onely upwards in direct wreaths to heaven without any scattering or shedding if self abroad yet for the main we may be confident it was no whit offensive to the Priests or people thereabouts This we impute to the providence of God passing an Act of indemnity that none should be impaired either in health or wealth by the performance of any service according to his appointment And as the land of the Iews was secured from forein invasion during the appearing of all the males thrice a year at Ierusalem so the same goodness of God ordered that his people should sustain no damage or detriment either in their purses or persons whilest busied in his worship the main reason that no infection did arise no smoak nor ill savor sented from the fat offall and excrements of so many sacrifices offered in so short a time and small a compass Philol. You say something for the avoiding of noisomeness but nothing in answer that that common fire should so quickly devour so many sacrifices though I confess the offerings