The field of Zoan where many of Moses his miracles were wrought The Princes of Zoan though pretending to much wisedome are twice pronounced fools by the Prophet The other stream of Nile falleth into the sea at Sin where hard-by anciently lived the Sinites one of the eleven nations of the Canaanites called also Raamses being one of the cities which the Israelites built for Pharaoh as Pithom was another afterwards called Pelusium from the muddy situation thereof and Damiata at this day § 29. But we hasten to the land of Goshen as the best ground in all Egypt lying in the east part thereof The bounty of an ancient Pharaoh gave this Countrey to the Israelites for the goodness thereof and the policy of succeeding Pharaohs continued it unto them for the situation thereof being surrounded with Egypt on all sides save the sea on the east so that the Israelites were wedged in fast not to depart without leave Herein they multiplyed miraculously though the Egyptians endevoured their destruction § 30. Shiphrah and Puah are tampered with of Midwives to become Murderers that all the male children of Israel might be still-born The privacy of their place might have performed this with the less suspicion by but lending a Pinch to such tender plants and then putting it on the account of casualty or some sinister accident But they the Ministers of life refused to be the Messengers yea the Procurers of death and God in reward of their kindness to his people made them houses Not materiall houses as little comfortable in a land where they and theirs were not long to live but understand it God made their posterity the Midwives themselves being presumed ancient before entring on that profession to multiply and increase Some will say such houses could not stand firme being built on the foundered foundation of their lying For this act of these Midwives was with child with twins Fides mentis and Fallacia mentientis the faith of their love and falseness of their lying and the former onely was rewarded by God without any approbation of the other § 31. This taking no effect came out that cruel edict that all the males should be drowned whilest the females were kept alive to be drudges In which time Moses was born one of the best of men in the worst of ages He was a beautifull childe not onely in the eyes of his partiall parents every bird counting its own young-ones the fairest but really the marks of extraordinary comliness appeared in his face Yea such was his persevering beauty fair in the Cradle and Saddle too that it lasted unto his old-age His vigorous and sparkling eyes not being dimmed after an hundred any twenty years His parents hid him three moneths and then not daring longer to keep him for fear of the Kings searchers for forbidden goods male-children expose him in a bulrush Ark unto the water § 32. Pharaoâ—s daughter with her feminine train-guard comes down to wash her self spies the Ark and commands one of her maidens to fetch it At the opening thereof to see with what wares it was fraught they finde a child therein and behold the babe wept It is common for children to cry few born without it whilest this infant did not cry out of curstness nor sob out of sullenness but wept out of sorrow as silently sensible of more sadness then he durst express lest he should give his enemies warning thereby to destroy him How early did Moses begin his meekness and learned the lesson of patience betime The Lady beholding him had compassion on him accounted it pity to drown him who had almost drowned himself with his tears She saves him alive sends him to his mother-nurse pays her wages for suckling him takes him home when weaned counts him her son and gives him breeding accordingly they being but half-parents that bestow Nutrition not education on their children § 33. Moses well becomes his breeding and is learned in all the wisdome of the Egyptians Yet we finde not that the Court made that impression on him as on Ioseph never swearing by the life of Pharaoh However when he was come to years he refused to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter Probably in his minority he owned that royall relation When he was a child he did as a child Now come to the full use of his reason he renounced all such false extraction He was so far from writing or styling himself so that he would not be called the son of Pharaohs daughter It is not enough for us not to tell lies but we must not suffer them to be told if it lie in our power to forbid it Moses is not ashamed of Amram and Iochebed his poor but pious parents and will not exchange them to be supposed the son to Pharaohs daughter Though that was not a bare title but had both the pleasures and treasures of Egypt attending it An Israelite in the kilne is better then an Egyptian in the Court. § 34. He chose rather the afflictions of his brethren and goes out to see how it fared with them Finding an Egyptian wronging an Israelite he kils him shewing therein some signes of that Saviour-ship which God intended him for and he hoped his Countreymen would have understood But alass they were capable onely of burning brick whose eyes had pored so long on the earth at last they had almost lost looking up to heaven with any hope of deliverance The Egyptians body is hid in the sand but his killing was publick in the mouths and discourse of all the Israelites § 35. This his first essay succeeding so well Moses would adventure on a second design to at one two Israelites at variance But he found it more facile to subdue a foe then reconcile friends fallen out and easier to be a Conquerour then Peace-maker He that did the wrong demands of him who made him a Judge and whether he intended to kill him as he did the Egyptian I see it is no sufficient proof because the party is Plaintiffe that his cause is the best seeing sometimes they that are most injurious are the most querulous Herein God gave Moses an handsell or taste of the froward nature of the Iews offended with such as advised them for the best that he might know the better how hereafter to demean himself towards such waiward dispositions Hereupon Moses by seasonable flight provides for his own safety § 36. Shall such a man as Moses fly Had he not better have stood to it and avouched his act Sure the Princess royall his Lady-mother could bear him out for innocent at the worst by her Court-interest could procure his pardon But he knew it was ill trusting of doubtfull friends in dangerous cases especially that Ladies affection no doubt abating unto him since his refusall of her son-ship Into the
time vines should offer themselves as most obvious to fasten him unto and those so great Adjectives in other Countreys but Substantives here that he might safely tye his beast to them which with us are tyed to other trees for their support Nor were their grapes less good then great as a Poet the most competent Judg of the matter in hand doth bear witness Vina mihi non sunt Gazetica Chia Falerna Quaeque Sareptano palmite missa bibas I have no Gaza Chios Falern wine Nor any flowing from Sarepta's vine Thus making a quadripartite division of good wine two members thereof that of Gaza and Sarepta the one falls in the tribe of Simeon the other of Asher both in the countrey of Palestine § 8. Flax. Hereof great plenty And pity it was so good a commodity should be prostituted to idolatry which caused God to threaten that he would rescue and recover his flax againe The Jewish women were excellent houswives and hereof made great profit venting it into forein parts § 9. Wood of all sorts so that Palestine was a continued grove of trees covered over with streight Cedars strong Oakes shady Palmes sweet Firres c. If the body of Hercules may be guessed from his foot take the Mustard the little Toe of trees into consideration and thence collect the vast proportion of great woods Some perchance may count it a Rabbinicall vaunt what one writes A certain man of Sichem had bequeathed by his Father three boughs of Mustard one of which was broken off from the rest and it yeelded nine Kabs of seed and the wood thereof was sufficient to cover over the Potters house One may also suspect an Hyperbole in what another saith I had a stemme of mustard in my garden into which I could climbe as into a Figtree However our Saviours words of the extraordinary growth of this plant must needs be true and by the same proportion surely the Iews had not more sawce then meat other trees must be allowed to be of unusuall greatness § 10. Here I omit to speak of the Dates Almonds Nuts at this day called Pistachioes and most cordiall in Physick Figs Pomegranates and other severall fruits whose particular description I passe by on purpose lest our book should light on some hungry man or longing woman to read whose appetites I may unhappily raise but cannot satisfie again And to leave a good sent behind at the close of the chapter we must not forget the great store of Frankincense Myrrh and other Spices which were plentifully afforded in Palestine CHAP. 5. Of the store of beasts for food service and pleasure in Palestine § 1. WE step now a stair higher from vegetable to sensible creatures wherein this countrey was no lesse happy such was the variety it afforded therein Which will appear first if we furnish forth a feast of the flesh fish and fowl in Palestine these particulars being premised First that no exception be taken at our false ranking of dishes The Apostles said it was not their office to serve tables and such mistakes are none at all in Divines Secondly we name onely solid and substantiall meat whereon a cunning Cook besides sawces and sallets may with compounded and forced dishes descant to indefinitenesse Lastly know the Law forbad the Iews the feeding on severall meats so that their life was a Lent to abstain from such food to which Christianity allows us a licence Hogges-flesh Conies Hares Swans Herons Lapwings all fishes in armour fenced with shels recounted amongst the dainties of our diet were prohibited unto them Which very prohibition speakes their plenty in that country otherwise the law had been needless to forbid such things which the land did not afford § 2. Fetching Salt Bread and Wine from the former chapter all of the Quorum to every feast first Veale is brought in food for Angels when Sarah dressed it Beef of the bulls of Basan or if that be too course of the stalled Oxen Lamb Mutton and Kid savoury meat if Rebecca have the cooking thereof Venison both red and fallow for so we find in Solomons bill of fare Harts Bucks and Bugles § 3. Fowl of all sorts follow Hennes and Chickens Capons I dare promise none as uncertain whether mutilating of birds was then in fashion to make them barren that mans luxury might fructifie the more upon them Next plenty of Pigeons the poor mans lambs For such as could not goe to the cost of the one was to provide the other for a sacrifice Quails in abundance for though their plenty in the wildernesse was miraculous when a cloud of them tendred themselves to be taken by the hands of the Israelites yet ordinarily there was store of them in Palestine Let Locusts for their wings sake be ranked amongst the fowl onely to fill up an empty place of the table for otherwise none but the stomach of the mortified Baptist would feed on so course a fare § 4. Fishes come in the next place whose severall sorts in Sea Rivers and lakes were so many that onely Adam whose memory was the Nomenclator of the names of all creatures by him imposed can summon them by their proper denominations Of these all that had Finnes and scales were permitted the Iews to eat Butter the sawce-generall to fish must not be forgotten A staple dish of our Saviours whilest an infant Butter and honey shall he eat Cheese concludes all such as David brought to his brethren such as Barzillai provided for David Let not any dainty dairy women object that Jewish cheese must needs be course where milke of sheep and goats was so much in use For a mixture of such milk is in Parmizan it self so delicious to the palat And now for Grace before and after meat might not Palestine thankfully say with David Thou dost prepare a table before me in the sight of mine adversaries thou dost anoint mine head with oil and my cup runneth over Yea what is said of the earth in generall is most properly applyable to this Country O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisdome hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches § 5. Besides cattell for food there were others for labour Asses Mules Camels Dromedaries whereof in due place Birds also and beasts of prey Eagles Hawkes Lions Beares Boares c. Some will say this was a mischief in Palestine whose inhabitants might be said to dwell daily like Daniel in the Lions den such the store of ravenous beasts freely roaving up and down the countrey But let such know that by these beasts continued of purpose God kept his people in an awfull dependence upon him whilest they feared God these beasts dreaded them and mans piety muzled up the mouth of these ravenous creatures Otherwise when these Iews rebelled against their Master the beasts one of Gods four sore
crown of Iudah § 11. Seventhly if their home-achievements each against other be recounted the truest touch-stone of their severall strengths God often made them alternately hold up one another whilst he whipt them both for their sinnes But although Abijah once got a remarkable conquest of Ieroboam yet generally Israel worsted Iudah overpowering them with multitude of men Thus Baasha cooped up Asa in his own land Ioash overcame Amaziah and took Ierusalem and Pekah almost utterly consumed Ahaz and his kingdome § 12. To conclude if their lasting and continuance be measured herein Iudah clearly carrieth away the preheminence Grant Israel beat Iudah at hand yet Iudah beat Israel at length even out of distance For whilst the Babylonish captivity did onely snuffe Iudah for seventy years blazing the brighter when they returned from banishment the Assyrian conquest utterly extinguished Israel from ever appearing again in a formed Common-wealth in their own Countrey CHAP. 11. Of the partition of the Land into the Provinces of Galilea Samaria and Judea § 1. WHen these two kingdomes had determined the division of the twelve Tribes was out of date Palestine began to be distinguished into three Provinces whose number and posture we find in the Evangelists being traced in order by the feet of our Saviour 1. He left Iudea 2. And departed again into Galilee 3. And he must needs goe through Samaria It being denied to our Saviour himself to travail per saltum à termino ad terminum sine medio so that he could not ordinarily pass from Iudah in the south to Galilee in the north without traversing Samaria which lay in the midst betwixt both § 2. To begin with Iudea or Iury it is not taken here in that large acception wherein it contained the whole Countrey and entire subject of this our book in which sense Herod the great is styled King of Iudea but is taken as elsewhere it is termed the Province of Iudea for a third part of the whole land consisting of the ground formerly belonging to Iudah Benjamin Simeon Dan and Reuben For that this Province reached eastward beyond the River plainly appears in the Evangelists affirming that Christ came from Galilee into the Coasts of Iudea beyond Iordan A spacious Countrey it was and in our Saviours time the proper habitation of the principall Iews Nor is it amiss to observe that a portion of land with the governments of Lidda and Ramah lying in the juncture of Benjamin and Ephraim was in the time of the Maccabees taken from Samaria by King Demetrius and by him assigned to Iudea in reward of the friendship and faithfulness of the Iews in his service which gore or gusset of ground was called Apherema that is a thing taken away because parted from Samaria and pieced to Iudea § 3. Samaria succeeds whereby we understand not the City of that name for a long time Metropolis of the kingdome of Israel but a countrey formerly pertaining to Ephraim and Manasseh and Gad peopled after the Assyrian captivity with colonies brought thither from Babylon and the neighbouring Dominions At first this land did not fadge well with these new inhabitants Lions sent by God disturbing their quiet possession untill a Priest of the Israelites was remanded to teach them the manner of the God of the land But what betwixt an ignorant Master and indocible Scholars nothing was learnt to purpose He taught them no true worship but onely Ieroboams divinity as appears by their appointing out Priests of themselves for their high-places and they jumbled together their own numerous Idols with the service of God In so much as they are said to fear the Lord and in the next verse not to fear the Lord not that there is any contradiction in the text but an open opposition betwixt their pretence and practise seeing such as fear God otherwise then his will in his Word prescribes fear him not in effect § 4. However afterwards the Samaritans quitted their multitude of Idols and patched up a religion amongst themselves wherein 1 They adored one Deity but him so erroneously that Christ flatly told them yee worship that which you know not 2 They acknowledged onely the five books of Moses for Canonicall 3 They had a Temple on mount Gerizim stickling for the honour and holiness thereof to equall yea exceed that at Ierusalem 4 They expected a Saviour beleeving him as able so willing to resolve all important difficulties When Messiah is come he will tell us all things 5 They falsly accounted themselves extracted from the ancient Hebrew Patriarchs Thus the Samaritan woman had it rise in her mouth our Father Iacob though in very deed he was no more her Father then the man she kept company with was her husband being neither lineally descended from the one nor lawfully maried to the other Hear what Iosephus hath to this purpose The Samaritans says he are of this nature that when the Iews are high in fortune and success presently they embrace society with them and deduce the series of their own descent from the Patriarch Ioseph and his sonnes Ephraim and Manasseb But when the Iews are depressed and low in estate then they disclaim all kindred defie all affinity with them professing themselves as indeed they are to be originally Medes and Persians § 5. Generally great was the Antipathy betwixt the Samaritans and Iews The former persecuting every face that did but look towards Ierusalem on which bare account they churlishly denied our Saviour entertainment in their town because his behaviour was as though he would goe to Ierusalem Nor came the Iews behind them in hatred so far from familiar conversing with them that a Iew would rather contentedly endure thirst then to quench it crave drink of a Samaritan lest such hands should defile the water with the very drawing of it Yea when the malice of the Iews meant mortally to wound our Saviours reputation they said he was a Samaritan and had a Devill However the deluge of sin did not so generally drown all the Samaritans but that some dry Islands some good men were found amongst them One eminent for his gratitude to God being the tithe of the lepers cleansed by Christ who alone returned to give him thanks another no less commendable for his charity to man being Physitian Surgeon Host and in a word neighbour to the unknown traveller wounded by theeves in his journey to Iericho § 6. Galilee remaines so called as Melanchthon will have it because in Hebrew signifying a bound or limit lying in the northern marches of the land It was twofold The Upper formerly belonging to the tribes of Asher Nephthali and Manasseh beyond Iordan The Lower formerly belonging to the tribes of Zebulun and Issachar The upper Galilee is also called Galilee of the Gentiles or Galilaea Gojim whereof many reaasons are rendred
to Aben Ezra who allots to the banner of Reuben a man or male child others a mandrake others put mandrakes in his hand relating to Leahs words at his birth calling him Reuben that is See a Son causing her to forget her pain for joy that a man child was borne into the world § 31. The proper place for the standard of this Tribe was to be the first of the three Tribes which pitched on the south of the Tabernacle Thus though Reuben lost the Primacy of power over all he still kept the precedency of place before one quarter of his brethren Whence parents may be taught that though on just ground they disinherit yet not so wholly to dishearten their eldest sons but still suffer some remembrances of a birthright ever to remain unto them FINIS Here the Map of Gad is to be inserted The third Book THE TRIBE OF GAD § 1. GAd eldest Son of Iacob by Zilpah so increased in Egypt that forty five thousand six hundred and fifty males of twenty years old and upward of this Tribe were numbred at Mount Sinai all which falling in the wilderness for their tempting of God with this disobedience a new generation of forty thousand and five hundred entred the Land of Canaan This Tribe affordeth very martiall men For such of them as repaired to David in Ziglag are described Men of war fit for the battell that could handle shield and buckler whose faces were like to the faces of Lyons and were as swift as the Roes upon the mountaines Yet I meet not with any publick Magistrate extracted from Gad though the Genealogists rank Iehu with four of his Posterity successive Kings of Israel amongst the Gadites but on no other ground then because at the first time he is found mentioned in Scripture he was imployed a Commander at the siege of Ramoth Gilead a City in this Tribe It seems that as the English-law makes a charitable provision for children left by their parents that the Parish wherein they are first taken up must maintain them so Genealogists the better to methodize the pedegrees of the Iews in Scripture reduce Persons of unknown Parentage to those respective Tribes in whose grounds they first light on the mention of them But let Iehu pass for a Gadite the rather because so puisant a Prince will prove a credit rather then a charge to that Tribe to which he is related § 2. The land of this Tribe was of a double nature For what lay north of the river Iabbok was anciently the possession of Og King of Basan But what lay south of the river had its property more intricate and incumbred with often exchange of her owners and on the right understanding thereof depends no less then the asserting of the innocence of the Israelites the confuting of the cavill of the Ammonites and the reconciling of a seeming contradiction in Scripture Take it thus briefly 1t. It was the Land of certain Giants called Zamzummims 2ly It was possessed by the Ammonites who destroied those Giants and this Countrey was accounted a moity or one half of their dominion 3ly It was subdued by Sihon King of the Amorites who cast out the Ammonites when also he destroied the Moabites such as were south of Iabbok and dwelt in their stead Lastly after the overthrow of Sihon Moses gave it to the Tribe of Gad for their inheritance Thus God by ringing the Changes of successive Lords in this Land made musick to his own glory Behold we here what the Psalmist saith Thou hast brought a Vine out of Egypt thou preparest room before it the method and manner of which preparation is most remarkable First God in his providence foresaw that the Countrey of the Canaanites was without other addition too narrow to receive the numerous people of Israel Secondly God in his goodness resolved out of love to righteous Lot that his posterity should not totally lose their possession nor would he suffer the Israelites their kinsmen to deprive them of any parcell thereof giving them a flat command to the contrary Lastly God in his justice permitted Sihon King of the Amorites should win part of the Countrey from Moab and Ammon and suddenly sends the Israelites to conquer the conquerour and now lawfully to inherit what the other had wrongfully taken away And thus he prepared room for his Vine § 3. By this time we plainly perceive that in the Ammonites demand to Iephtha there was some truth blinded with more falshood that the countenance of the former might pass the latter unsuspected Israel took away saith the King my Land when they came out of Egypt from Arnon even unto Iabbok and unto Iordan now therefore restore these Lands again peaceably True it was that this Land was once theirs and so it is plainly called Ioshua 13. 25. but most false that ever the Israelites took Inch of ground from them save onely mediately and at the second hand taking it from Sihon who took it from the Ammonites We report the rest to Iephtha's answer who first with a fair ambassie and then with a famous victory confuted the Ammonites antiquated title to this territory pleading that the Israelites had three hundred years peaceably possessed the same Now if upon a strict account some years fall short of that sum the matter is not much because souldiers love to fill their mouths with a round number and too hundred fifty and odde with a good sword may well be counted three hundred years currant though not compleate § 4. The Tribe of Gad had the kingdome of Ammon on the east the half Tribe of Manasseh on the north Reuben on the south and the river Iordan on the west The length thereof from Aroer to Iordan may be computed thirty five miles and the breadth thereof from Mahanaim to Dibon falls out a little less A Tribe inferiour to none for fair rivers fruitfull Pastures shady woods superiour to most for populous Cities and memorable actions atchieved therein As for Balme or Balsame it was a peculiar commodity of this Countrey Thus the Prophet betwixt grief anger and pity demands Is there no balme in Gilead and again Goe up into Gilead and take balm O virgin In describing this Countrey we will follow the streams of Arnon Iabbok and Iordan which with some little help lent us besides will afford us the conveniency to behold all remarkable mounts in this Countrey § 5. In the eastern part of this Tribe the rivers of Arnon and Iabbok though running contrary ways arise not far asunder according to the exact observation of Iosephus who saith that the land of Sihon King of the Amorites lay in nature and fashion like an Island betwixt the three rivers of Iordan Arnon and Iabbok so near are the fountains of the latter together The heads of their springs are found in a mountainous and rocky soil affording great plenty of Iackalls
threefold difficulty appeareth in the relation of the story 1 Whilest other Gospells mention but one Saint Matthew makes two men possest with a Devill 2 The same tearmeth them Gergasens whom other Gospells name Gadarens 3 Seeing Swine till killed return their owners no profit and then their flesh was forbidden to the Iews to eate how came the Gadarens being undoubtedly Iews otherwise Christ would not have conversed with them to keep such a company of useless cattell But these difficulties accept of their severall solutions 1 Though two were possest one of them being Paramount in torture and unruliness eclipsed the mention of the other the second not being named in the presence of the principall 2 Gadara and Gerazen though distinct were neighbouring Cities and so might have joint commonage of cattell betwixt them 3 They kept Swine to truck and barter with other nations Though their flesh was unclean in the mouths yet their money was clean in the purses of the Iews But if any conceive they kept Swine not onely ad usum but ad esum such must acknowledge the drowning of them to be the owners just punishment for their breaking Gods commandements But when those Hogs were sunk in the sea a greater herd of them remained in the City swinish people who preferred to wallow on the dunghill of their own wealth rather then to possess the pearl of Christs presence whom they requested to depart out of their coasts So much of the Gadarens and their neighbours the Gergasens onely let me adde that from the affinity of sound some have collected the Girgashites anciently to have inhabited this countrey as we have formerly observed and therefore in the title of every leafe we have divided this Tribe betwixt them and the Amorites as the old possessors thereof § 18. Strabo reports how there is a little Lake near to the City of Gadara infected with such malignant and pestiferous qualities that it scaldeth off the skin of whatsoever is cast into it This may seem an effect of the Devills in the hogs Satan when he departs useth to leave such perfumes behind him and semblably the possessed man stripped himself of all his clothes and went naked But seeing the Scriptures say expresly that the hogs ran into the Sea and not into this petty Lake I dare not assign this as the cause of those mischievous waters § 19. Iordan having got out of the aforesaid Sea of Galilee is presently crossed over with a stately Bridge I conceive it of no great antiquity no stone thereof appearing in the Scripture but Mercators Maps take notice thereof And a moderate Iesuite tells us observe it Reader against the time thou travellest into those parts that the way over this bridge though somewhat further about and less frequented is an easier and safer rode from Damascus to Ierusalem then what is commonly gone over Iacobs bridge in the Tribe of Naphtali whereof God willing hereafter § 20. And now Iordan being enriched with the tributary waters of Iabbok gâ—ows fair and large yet not so deep but that it is fordable especially at that place so fatall to the Ephraimites where fourty two thousand of them were by Iephthah put to the sword Four-sold was the offence of these Ephraimites 1 They neglected on seasonable summons to assist Iephthah against the Ammonites 2 They falsly retorted the fault on Iephthah and being wilfully deaf at his call accused him for dumbe not calling them 3 They gave the Gileadites reproachfull language calling them Runnagates 4 They menaced to burn Iephthah and his house with fire Hereupon Iephthah defended himself and defeated them in a memorable overthrow The Ephraimites being routed fled to these fords of Iordan so hoping to recover their own countrey on the other side But all in vain Iordan indeed might here be waded over but no passage over the swelling Surges of their enemies anger How willingly would those who called others Runnagates have been now Runnaways themselves but could not be permitted The Gileadites pursued yea prevented them and arraigned them all for their lives Shiboleth is their neck-word and as ratling in the throat is generally to sick men so lisping of their tongues was a certain Symptome of their death § 21. Some will accuse Iepâ—thah of cruelty that not contented with the honour of the Conquest he followed the Chace so furiously as to suffer his sword not onely to drink to mirth but to swill to drunkenness in the bloud of his brethren But haply this execution without order from him might be done by the Gileadites in heat of anger Souldiers in the Precipice of their passion being sensible of no other stop but the bottome If done by Iepthah's command surely his own security enforced this severity as a dolefull but needfull a sad but safe way to prevent the growth of another war the seeds whereof Iephthah foresaw in the revengefull disposition of the Ephraimites However some actions in the old Testament as they may not be imitated so they must not be condemned whose Actors might have immediate commission of divine inspiration § 22. From hence Iordan casteth a glancing eye at the fair City of Iabesh-Gilead sweetly seated at the bottome of Balm-bearing mountains The Inhabitants hereof ingaged not with the rest of Israel against the Benjamites for which offence they were all slain save four hundred young Virgins which were given to the Benjamites to wife Thus the Benjamites being Gileadites by the mother side it was not onely protection to his subjects but also love to his kindred which invited Saul to succour this City when Naash the Ammonite besieged it Painfull and shamefull were the conditions of Peace which Naash offered them namely if he might thrust out their right eyes which was to render their Souldiers stark blind in effect For whereas the Iews were wont to wear in war broad shields on their left arme which as it sheltered their body so it hindred their sight on that side when their right eye was put out by their enemies sword and the left blinded by their own shield they were during the fight deprived of the best fence of their body But Saul saved all this harm by a speedy march suddenly surprizing the Ammonites and delivering the City of Iabesh-Gilead § 23. Gratitude to Saul for so great a benefit probably did afterwards put the people of this City on that honourable but dangerous designe to rescue Saul and his sons bodies from the wall of Bethshan where the Philistines had hanged them up It was no pleasant prospect to these men of Iabesh Bethshan being opposite on the other side of Iordan over against them some eight miles off Loialty hath a quick sight and a tender heart at a distance to behold and bemoan affronts to her Soveraign Did Saul preserve their right eyes to this end contentedly to behold his body abused Out march all the valiant men in the City in the night over Iordan
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
some called their lands after their own names and some it seems were called after the name of their lands § 9. A fruitfull Countrey Gilead was till the people thereof were infected with Idolatry growen so frequent therein that the Prophet complains Their Altars were as heaps in the furrows of the field Thus falling into Gods displeasure they quickly fell under their enemies disposall The Syrians of Damascus threshing them with instruments of Iron and the Ammonites ripping up their women with child that they might enlarge their border This latter cruelty seems done in revenge of Davids usage of the Ammonites in taking of Rabbah putting them under saws and harrows c. And although some hundreds of years were betwixt that action of David and this of the Ammonites yet we know malice hath a strong memory long to retain and at last to return injuries offered unto it § 10. Under the hills of Gilead famous for flocks of goats to which for thickness and whiteness the hair of the Spouse is compared lay Rogelim a Manor of Barzillai the Gileadite This was he who so bountifully victualled David at Mahanaim so civilly waited on him to Iordan so equally requested and so easily obtained a Writ of ease from Court attendance being now fourscore years of age having first bequeathed his Court-pleasures to Chimham his Son neither covetous to keep them himself nor envious that another should enjoy them because such excusable vanities might become his green youth which would be burdensome to the withered winter of his Father Pella seems to be hereabouts whither many Christians warned by many prodigies fled for shelter from Ierusalem before the Romans besieged it As we congratulate their thus preventing persecution according to Christs precept so we cannot but condole that the same persons were afterwards poisoned with hereticall opinions contrary to the express word of God and became Apostate Nazarites Somewhat more north is Lodebar the possession of Machir a bountifull benefactor to David during his distress and Guardian to Mephibosheth in his minority and Thisbe the birth-place of Eliah the Prophet the Iohn Baptist of the old Testament Great was the resemblance betwixt their persons and preaching all similitudes run like Pharaoh's Charets in the red-sea wanting some wheeles especially because both were born in bad times when the world was generally infected with wickedness both contented with plain clothes and course fare undaunted in reproving the faults of Princes and implacably persecuted for the same § 11. But the principall City in Gilead was Mizpah the place of Iephthah's habitation This is he whom his brethren banished for a Bastard but the elders of Gilead oppressed by the Ammonites brought back for their Generall When they felt their own woe they began to see Iephthah's worth formerly exiled for his Fathers fault but now restored for his own abilities Vertue once in an age will work her own advancement and when such as hate it shall chance to need it they will be forced to prefer it To Mizpah Iephthah returned though a conquerour yet a captive and a prisoner to his own rash vow to sacrifice whatsoever came first forth of the doors of his house it so happening that his onely daughter met him with a virgin-quire and musick which was sad in the close Here Divines both for number and learning are almost equally divided some avouching her really sacrificed according to the letter of the text whereof some footsteps in the Fable of Agamemnon sacrificing Iphigenia haply corrupted for Iephthagenia or Iephtha's daughter others maintaining that she was onely sequestred to perpetuall virginity If any demand my judgment in this difference I seasonably remember how one being asked in the Massacre of Paris whether he was a Catholick or an Hugonite answered he was a Physician My return must be in this work I am onely a Chorographer and the controversie in hand concerns matter of fact not of place proper onely to us for this present § 12. East of Mizpah lay the plain of Mizpah Ioshua having conquered the Kings of Canaan at the waters of Merom in the next Tribe pursued them hither on the east and to Mizrepothâ—maim near Sidon westward A chace with a vengeance all the latitude of the land the Canaanites flying as far as sea or mountains would give them leave so that their flight may pass for a Scale of miles for the breadth of this Countrey so smitten untill they left them none remaining understand it not in a considerable body to make any resistance § 13. So much of Gilead We come now to Bashan for these two provinces did the Tribe of Manasseh contain though it is impossible accurately to distinguish their bounds Bashan was a grazing countrey as indeed all Canaan east of Iordan was fitter for Abel then Cain for pasturage then tillage antiently called the Land of Giants which though now extirpated Og being the last of that race yet retained some footsteps thereof in the strength and greatness of her 1 Oakes whereof oares were made for the gallies of Tyre 2 Rams of the breed of Bashan being the fattest and fairest of their kinde 3 Bulls so often mentioned in Scripture But by Davids metaphoricall bulls of Bashan strong sturdy curst cruell men are understood This Province was subdivided into severall petty lands as first the Laâ—d of Argob on the north next Syria Secondly Bashan-avoth-Iair where taking the first word for the Genus and the two latter for the Difference we have the exact definition of the Countrey § 14. Iair was a fortunate name in the family of Manasseh and we must be carefull not to confound two eminent men of that name 1 Iair the elder contemporary with Moses who when the field-forces of Og were utterly destroied smote the small towns thereof being threescore in number as Ioshua counted them and called them Bashan-Avoth-Iair that is the Cities of Iair in Bashan 2 Iair the younger a peaceable Judge in Israel immediately before Iephthah who as he came many years in age short of the former so the number of his Cities were but half so many viz. thirty which he left to his thirty sons calling them also Avoth-Iair It is further recorded of his thirty sons that they rode on thirty Asse-colts i. e. they were itinerant Judges say some in their respective places it being improper that they in their severall circuits should 1 Goe on foot Authority would be contemned if not somewhat heightned above the comon people 2 Or ride on prancing steeds Marshall law may be so mounted where the heels of the horses are as terrible to poor people as the face of the rider 3 Or ride on swift Coursers seeing no such hast to execute suspected innocence 4 Or be housed in covered chariots which is a kinde of engrossing of justice shutting that up to which all ought to have
on the south-side and to Asher on the west-side and to Iudah upon Iordan toward the Sun-rising True this must needs be for Truth hath said it the last words present us with a seeming impossibility For how long an arme must Naphtali make to reach to Iudah over the Tribes of Zebulun Issachar Manasses Ephraim and Benjamin interposed Naphtali being distanced about an hundred miles from Iudah Here some Commentators being not able to quell never raise this objection a commendable discretion in them if unconcerned to meddle therewith but seeing they professe their calling to be a satisfaction of difficulties it is in them an unexcusable lazinesse But let us hear what the learned resolve in this case 1 Some fancy a small Lace of land or rather a thread for the narrowness thereof whereby though invisible in Maps Naphtali is tyed unto Iudah 2 Others that Naphtali reacheth to Iudah upon Iordan not immediately in confines but mediately by commerce because the river Iordan runneth thence unto Iudah and so they had the conveniency of Traffique into that Tribe 3 Others more likely that Naphtali reached to Iudah on Iordan because Iudah as a Tribe in chief had the Royalty of the river Iordan as fishing fowling and perchance the impost on all vessells sailing from the fountain to the fall thereof 4 Let me cast my Mite into this Treasury What if this Iudah was but the name of a town or village and therefore that addition Iudah upon Iordan given for distinction sake However Masius no less learned then modest pleaseth me with this resolution In rebus tantâ vetustate obliteratis quae exploratè percipi nullâ jam ratione possunt satius est non multa dicere quà m incertissima pro veris absque ullâ dubitatione afferre Such difficulties were not casually scattered but purposely placed to improve our industry and teach us humility For the best answer mans wit can produce is no salve to the Text which of it self is whole and entire but a plaister onely to our own craized understandings § 3. For the fruitfulnesse of this countrey hear what Moses prophecyeth O Naphtali satisfied with favour and full with the blessing of the Lord. See also what was performed For the land about Laish which was in the confines of this Tribe is thus charactered A place where there is no want of any thing that is in the Earth Iosephus being almost this Country-man saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One may call this Countrey the Ambition of nature Strabo a Pagan giveth it the Epithets of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A well natured land and bearing all commodities But the best fruit it bare was our Saviour himself by his corporall presence much conversant here this Tribe being the Theatre whereon his most remarkeable Miracles were acted § 4. From the foot of Libanus to the sea of Galilee may be allowed thirty five miles Equall whereunto by the favour of Iordan running crooked though northernly more narrow is the breadth thereof from east to west In the time of our Saviour this Tribe was parcell of two Tetrarchies The north-east part thereof belonged to Iturea The Poet takes notice of the plenty of Yew in this Province Itureos taxi torquentur in arcus Yew which in Iturea growes Is neately bended into Bowes Hence their inhabitants became excellent Archers and pity it was rhat their arrows were so often shot at a wrong mark to kill and rob passengers in their journey Strabo calls the Itureans generally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and their Countrey in some sort may seem accessary to their felonies the Receiver is bad as a thief which as the foresaid Author observes in her caves woods and inaccessible mountains protected those Robbers from justice proceeding against them Insomuch that the Romans were fain to keep Souldiers in Garison against them but who kept any against the souldiers So that betwixt both Iturea at that time may be conceived sufficiently miserable § 5. The south-west of Naphtali was accounted part of Galilee the upper otherwise called Galilee of the Gentiles because as some conceive the people therein were commixed with heathens and being far from Ierusalem were more drossie Iews then the rest Which is a most erroneous opinion For how improbable is it that our Saviour who sending his Disciples to preach gave them instructions Goe not into the way of the Gentiles and into any city of the Samaritans enter yee not and himself never stayed in Samaria save as he took it in his necessary passage in or from Iudea should choose Galilee if so debased with the mixture of Gentiles for the place of his principall and constant residence Far more true is it that it was called Galilaea Gentium that is Galilee the populous because of the multitudes of people especially near the sea wherein was Decapolis a member of Galilee And there one city for want of room may seem to tread on another § 6. Before we come to the particular description of this Tribe we will first dispatch out of the way nine limitary Towns which accordingly are figured in the Map and this will much facilitate our proceeding in the rest 1 Heleph in the northern bounds of this Tribe from which the eastern coasts thereof southwardly are described 2 Allon that is in English oake as Oakeham in Rutland so named from plenty of those trees growing therein 3 Zaanaim Note that Tremellius maketh these two latter but one entire place reading it the Oake-wood of Zaanaim 4 Adami Which as Ruthland in Flint-shire probably was so named from the redness of the earth 5 Nekeb this is a ditch where we may conceive Iordan was let out for the more convenient watering of other ground And have we not more then twenty Dittons or Ditch-tons on the same occasion in England 6 Iabneel different from one of the same name in the Tribe of Dan. 7 Lakum 8 Aznoth-Tabor 9 Hukkok We are not bound to beleeve all these nine to have been Cities of considerable strength or greatness as not so note-worthy in themselves as in their situation Because though perchance otherwise poor villages they stood in the borders of this Tribe Thus low shrubs growing on high hills or crooked thorn-trees set by the high-way side are more conspicuous in the eye and frequent in the mouths of travellers then streighter and fairer trees which are obscure in the midst of the wood § 7. To come to the particular description thereof Amongst the mountains of Libanus we meet with one of eminent note not onely having a name peculiar to it self but which from it hath also denominated the adjacent Countrey This is mount Paneas wherein there is a deep hole or cave And though places of this kind commonly have more horrour then pleasure in them this besides its naturall beauty was adorned with artificiall structures in and about it Herein also was an unsoundable spring of water conceived by
plough as elsewhere God threatens the disobedient Iews the earth that is under thee shall be iron but that this land should afford plenty of those metalls according to the testimony of Eumaeus in Homer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Sidon I â—oast to be born where's brasse in aboundance Besides the great commodities of the sea with the convenient havens thereof Debora complains that when Zebulun and Naphtali most concerned as nearest danger ingaged themselves against Sisera Asher continued on the Seashore and abode in his breaches And no wonder if being Merchants they preferred profit before perill especially being in a safe place where the iron chariots of Iabin King of Canaan could not approach them § 3. The worst mischief in this Tribe was that after the death of Ioshua the Canaanites quartered so hard on the men of Asher that they detained no fewer then seven great cities from them Yea perchance something may be pickt out of the expression of the holy Spirit for whereas the Canaanites are said to dwell amongst those of Zebulun the Asherites the phrase being altered in the following verse are said to dwell among the Canaanites as if those pagans were the principall Land-lords ingrossing all memorable places in this Tribe to themselves whilest the Asherites lived amongst them as Tenants at will by the others leave Nor was this fully remedied untill the victorious reigns of David and Solomon § 4. In the north-west part of this Tribe neer the sea side we first meet with Misrepothmaim that is the boyling of waters though uncertain whether done artificially by fire or naturally by the Sun Here great plenty of salt was made in brine-pits a necessary and gainfull commoditie However Tremellius rendreth Misrepothmaim fornaces vitrarias Glass-furnaces and we know store of the best sort of that brickle ware was made hereabouts Ioshua having foiled the Kings of Canaan at the waters of Merom pursued them thus far to the shore of the Mediterranean where his foes had the free choise whether they would be killed with the sword or drowned in the sea Hard by is Mearah which signifieth a cave and so some translations render it though others retain the Hebrew word being the northern boundary of the land of Canaan and an impregnable underground fortification of the Zidonians Yea many hundred years after in the Holy War when the Christians possessed Palestine they manfully defended it untill the garison therein corrupted with money basely betrayed it unto the Saracens § 5. Observe by the way that the hills in Palestine generally had in their sides plenty of caves and those of such laxity and receit that ours in England are but conny-boroughs if compared to the palaces which those hollow places afforded Neither wonder that the cave of Makkedah could contain five Kings together or that Obadiah could hide an hundred Prophets by fifty fifty in a cave or that about four hundred men abode with David in the cave of Adullam or that six hundred Benjamites lurk't for four moneths in the rock of Rimmon when Strabo hath reported that towards Iturea which beginneth not far off there be sharp mountains having deep deâ—s in them whereof one is able to receive four thousand Men. These caves being only a cellar by nature were by Art contrived into severall rooms and by industry fortified even unto admiration So well man'd they could not be stormed well victualled they could not be starved and not having any combustible matter about them fire-free they could not be burned so thick they could not be battered so high they could not be scaled and so low they could not be undermined But these Inns gave entertainment to any guests and as sometimes they gave shelter to pious people in persecution so often they afforded harbour to theeves and vagabonds The Psalmist glanceth on such places in that his expression Thou art of more honour and might then the hills of the robbers and our Saviour directly pointeth at them when he complaineth that they had turned the house of God into a den of theeves § 6. To proceed hereabouts we can quickly discover an ancient City wrongfully placed by the presumption of Authors namely Enoch built by Cain in the land of Nod which one tells us was at the foot of mount Libanus and that vast foundations thereof are at this day to be seen Surely Cains wandring humour bloudy hands are always attended with roving feet seems to have possessed these Authors brains stragling in the position of this place so far from the truth and the text which describeth it east of Eden But we may seek the City Enoch with more probability to finde it amongst the Henochii a people seated by Pliny neer the Bactrians in the east country § 7. But before we goe farther we will alter our former method hoping such variety will prove the more pleasant and because most memorable Places in Asher are mentioned in Ioshua where the Possessions of this Tribe were first allotted him we will briefly comment on those verses wherein the Bounds of his Inheritance are described Ioshua 19. 24. And the fifth lot came out for the Tribe of the Children of Asher according to their Families To prevent all Quarrels the Land on this side Iordan was divided by lot betwixt the nine Tribes and an half much of providence being couched under the seeming casualty thereof for although their Portions fell not to them in such seniority as they sate down at Pharaoh's Table the first-born according to his Birth-right and the youngest according to his youth yet an excellent method was observed therein For The first Lot fell to Iudah the Tribe Royall of whom the Chief Rulers and Christ himself was to descend The second to the sons of Ioseph Ephraim and Manasses to whom on Reubens forfeiting thereof the Birth-right belonged The third to Benjamin Iacobs youngest but next best beloved son by Rachel his dearest wife The fourth fifth and sixth for Simeon Zebulun and Issachar his sons by Leah so that all Iacobs children by his wives were provided for first before those he had by his Concubines received any Possessions The seventh for Asher Iacobs son by Zilpah handmaid to Leah his first wife and therefore her child in seniority preferred Gad his elder brother being already provided for on the other side Iordan The eight and ninth for Naphtali and Dan born of Bilhah handmaid to Rachel the younger sister and Iacobs second wife We know who said in another case I sleep but my heart awaketh So see here though drowzie Chance in the Lot is commonly challenged to have slept out her eyes and to become stark blind yet is there a concealed vigilancy therein ordered by divine Providence Verse 25. And their border was Helkah and Hali and Beten and Achshaph In expounding these words for the maine we
more moisture of the sea through which they are brought The men also of Dan and Iavan of whom hereafter furnished Tyre with Cassia and Calamus drugges of high worth and value 3 Merchant-Drapers Such as brought precious clothes for or with chariots being the men of Dedan which is an eminent countrey in Idumea 4 Merchant-Fishmongers Many of these must be presumed in Tyre where fish was a staple commodity which they transported into other countreys and vented for their own gain without any other respect of time or place This caused Nehemiah's complaint that in Ierusalem there dwelt men of Tyre which brought fish and all manner of ware and sold them on the Sabbath 5 Merchant-Gold-smiths Such as occupied in her Fairs with all precious stones out of the Countrey of Sheba and Raamah aforesaid Besides Emeralds Corals and Agate brought out of Syria Silver from Tarshish i. e. Spaine as our Authour irrefragably proves plenty of that metall therein and gold from Arabia Yea as some observe that though the body of the Sun ariseth in the East yet his shining by reflexion is first discovered in the west so granting gold originally to grow in lands east from Tyre yet in this City most gorgeous and glittering was the lustre thereof beaten and drawn out in most artificiall embroideries and embosments 6 Merchant-Skinners Although no mention of their trade in this City where the heat of the climate made furs not onely useless but burdensome yet we may be confident there wanted not those therein which traded in such skins which were in valuation in these parts 7 Merchant-Taylours Such as dealt in all sorts of things in blew clothes and broidered work and in Chests of rich apparell bound with cords and made of Cedar Those that traffiqued in these commodities were of Haran and Canneh and Eden and Sheba Ashur and Chilmad all near one another as appeares by their bundling up together about the confluence of Tygris and Euphrates 8 Merchant-Haberdashers Great their number who by wholeâ—sale sold â—he fine manufactures wrought here of Gold Silver Ivory and Ebony brought from Dedan different from the former countrey of the same name in Idumea at this day called Daden situate on the Persian gulf But oh the infinite varieties of precious toyes made thereof Well did Homer give the Sidonians the Epithet of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or very much ingenious Their fingers might seem all of bone so strong and hardy to endure any labour and yet all of flesh so flexible and limber to any imployment Those mysteries in manufactures which English men in our age gaze on as rare discoveries the Phenicians of Tyre would but smile at as rude recoveries of what by them was most perfectly performed 9 Merchant-Salters Store of these may be concluded therein not onely because salt is so needfull a commodity but also because at Misrepothmaim or the boyling of waters hard by Sidon great store of salt was made 10 Merchant-Iron-mongers Such as bartered in Iron Tin or Lead Brought from Spaine or Tarshish as also in vessels of brass from Iavan Tuball and Mesech that is Ionia Pontus and Moscovia as our Authour will have it though we are not at leasure severally to examine his judgment therein 11 Merchant-Vintners Such as traded in Wine of Helbon no doubt most delicious to the Palate brought hither by the Merchants of Damascus Helbon we conceive the same with Calybon a City in Syria whereof mention in Ptolemy and from which the Countrey about it is denominated Calybonidis 12 Merchant-Clothworkers Such as from the Whitewooll brought from Damascus transmitted the same from the Spinsters wheel to the Weavers loom to the Fullers sheares to the Dyers vat and so to be worn by the greatest Princes in the world who were beholding to Tyre the center of rich clothing for all their holy-day apparell Thus was their City fraught with commodities of all kinds to say nothing of their Smithfield full of horses horsemen and mules from Togarma or Cappadocia their East-cheap full of the flesh of Rams Lambs Goats c. from Arabia their Leaden-hall where a market was kept with the wheat of Minnith and Pannag out of Iudea so that all things save piety humility and thankfulness to God were to be had in this City § 16. Thus sate Tyre on her throne in a Princely posture no less envious then proud witness her rejoycing at the destruction of Ierusalem the breaking of one Merchant is the making of another when she said to her self Ierusalem is turned unto me I shall be replenished now she is made waste meaning that all trading divided before should now be engrossed to her self alone But God marred her markets threatning by Isaiah to stain the pride of her glory alluding to Tyres master-piece which was to fixe faire and fresh colours which God would soil and blur notwithstanding all her curiosity in that kinde Ezekiel useth two maritime expressions as most proper for a Port first that her enemies should come up against her as the Sea causeth his waves to come up and then that an east winde should break her meaning Nebuchadnezzar living north-east from this place who afterwards besieged and sacked the City § 17. It seems the taking thereof called elswhere the strong City Tyre did not quit cost for the taking thereof the profit received by it not countervailing the pains expended upon it God himself confesseth that Nebuchadnezzar served a great service against Tyre and yet had no wages One tells us that the Tyrians after thirteen years siege despoiled of all hope of relief abandoned their City and in their ships transported their wives children and portable wealth to Carthage Cyprus and other Colonies leaving Nebuchadnezzar their empty nest when all the birds worth pluming were flown away However God afterwards gave him the spoile of the land of Egypt for wages for his army Thus not onely those who doe Gods will in a direct line but also such who collaterally not to say casually work his pleasure shall finde a reward seeing in sacking of Tyre Nebuchadnezzar went in the path and pace of his own pride and covetousness though haply in his own way he met with Gods will not onely besides his intention but without the knowledge thereof § 18. As the ruines so the restauration of Tyre was foretold by the Prophet not the same numericall Tyre in place and position for Paletyrus or old Tyre ever after remained desolate according to the prediction thou shalt be built no more but the same in name countrey convenience of site wealth and wickedness Yea she exchanged and improved her place for commodity and strength removing from the entrance to the midst of the Sea from the continent to almost an Island Here to use the Prophets expression after seventy years the end of the Babylonish kingdome Tyre began
them from a small spark to a fire to a flame but sunlike arising in perfect lustre gaines the greatest reputation amongst people Because in some respect he is like Melchisedek without Father without Mother without descent whilst the admiring vulgar transported with his preaching and ignorant of his extraction on earth will charitably presume his Pedegree from heaven and his breeding as calling to be divine § 16. The cruell Nazarites brought Christ to the brow of the hill with full intent to cast him down headlong All in vaine For Christs death was to come a clean contrary way not by throwing him down but by lifting him up And he passing thorow the midst of them went his way Not that as the Rhemists interpret it to make way for their transubstantiation he penetrated contrary to the nature of a body thorow the very breasts of the people but that either he smote them with blindness that they did not see or else struck them with fear that they dared not to stay him the power of his Person wedge-like cleaving its way and forcing a lane for his passage in the midst of the people § 17. Expect not here â—hat I should write any thing of the opinions of the hereticall Nazarenes taking their name from this City of Nazareth and are commonly but corruptly called Nostranes at this day Much less will I trouble my self and the reader with the severall stages of the Chappel of the Angelical-salutation A Chappell which well may pity the pains and perils of such pilgrims as repair thereunto having it self had an experimentall knowledge how tedious travail is in its own often removealls flitting first from Nazareth to Flumen a City in Illyrium thence for the unworthiness of the inhabitants translated to a wood in the Picene field and thence again because the wood was infected with theeves carried by Angels into the ground of two brethren who falling out about parting the profit thereof was the fourth and last time conveyed into the high way where ever since not because weary but welcome it is pleased to make its abode But I remember the precept of the Apostle nor give heed to fables and therefore proceed to more profitable matter § 18. To returne to Nazareth the nameless rivolet arising near thereunto runneth north betwixt Dothan on the east and Sephoris on the west At the former Ioseph was conspired against by his brethren The cause of their hating of him besides his Fathers loving him was the reporting what he saw in his sleep dreames of his future preferment and what he saw waking no dreames of his brethrens present debauchedness who resolved to murther him O how they saw the anguish of his soul made visible in his bended knees held up hands weeping eyes wailing words and all to no purpose Into the pit he is put whilst his brethren fall a feasting oh with what heart could they say grace either before or after meat whilst it was so sad with Ioseph Stars they say are seen the clearest even in day time by those that are in deep pits Surely divine providence appeared brightest to Ioseph in that condition Indeed Reuben endevoured his restitution to his Father Iudah his preservation from death but neither being privy to others designe unwittingly countermined one another had not God wrought all for the best Ishmaelitish Merchants and Midianites in their company pass by bearing Spices and Balm and myrrh to carry down into Egypt To them Ioseph is sold of whom we take our leave for the present not doubting in due time and place to meet him again Mean time may those merchants be carefull to carry him safe for among all the spices they were laden with none more fragrant and precious then the perfume of this captives innocence So much for Dothan onely I will adde that I have placed it here out of a peaceable compliance with the judgements of learned men otherwise I shall not spare to manifest my private opinion on just occasion § 19. On the west of this rivolet was Sephoris afterwards called Dio-caesarea not to be omitted though not mentioned in Scripture because accounted by Iosephus the greatest City in Galilee where the Jewish Sanhedrin for some time had its residence Let the same Authour inform you how this City was burned by Varus how molested by the seditious how basely it deserted Iosephus was bravely recovered by him plundred by his souldiers and the spoile thereof restored again with severall passages of high concernment in the Jewish history A little more northward this brook falls into Iordan the less which afterwards payes its tribute to the sea of Galilee § 20. Which sea runneth Southward by Gittah-hepher or Gath-hepher as most place it the birth-place of Ionah the Prophet His name in Hebrew a Dove to which he answered rather in his speedy flight from Gods service then in any want of Gall whereof he manifested too much in his anger without cause or measure Ionaâ— therefore being born here in the heart of neather Galilee no less untrue then uncharitable was that assertion of the high Priests and Pharisees Search and look for out of Galilee cometh no Prophet Except their words herein referred to the future not to what was passed and that also onely in relation to the Prophet Paramount the Messiah of Israel More south the sea ran by Magdala a turreted town as the name thereof imports and common tradition is all the argument we have that Mary surnamed Magdalen that eminent penitent was so called from this place because living others say richly landed therein Into the coasts of Magdala Christ came from sea when the Pharisees tempted him to shew them a signe from heaven In the parallel place in the Gospell of Saint Mark the same Countrey is called Dalmanutha different names it seems for the same territory § 21. Going forward on the sea side still southward we meet with the influx of a riyolet thereunto fetching his fountain from the heart of the Countrey near the City of Bethulia nigh unto which was acted the atchievments of Iudith against Holofernes § 22. Form Bethulia the rivolet running full east is swallowed up in the Galilean Sea beholding the high seated City of Iotopata some two miles distant from the inlet thereof The stout defending of this place against the Romans with no less wisdome then valour was the master-piece of Flavius Iosephus in the behalfe of his Countrey-men And now having made necessary mention of his name pardon a digression in giving a free Character of his writings whereof next holy writ we have made most use in this book § 23. It must be confessed that he was guilty of some unexcusable faults namely of Boasting immoderately of his own birth valour learning piety Levity inserting frivolous fables of the root Boras c. And yet we will not confine natures
Ahazâ—ah had a martiall interview with Iehu and were both worsted by him Here Iehu with a shot out of a bow archery fatall both to Ahab and his Son wounded Iehoram to the heart and by speciall order to Bidkarâ— Captain commanded that his corps should be cast into the field of Naboth the Iezrâ—â—lite Oh the exact Topography observed in divine justice so accurate is God not onely in the time but place of his punishment § 9. Greater is the difficulty about the death of King Ahaziah slain about the same time For whereas it is appointed for all men once he seemed twice to die and that in far distant places 2 Kings 9. 27. But when Ahaziah the King of Iudah saw this he fled by the way of the Garden-house and Iehu followed after him and said Smite him also in the charet and they did so at the going up to Gur which is by Ibleam and he fled to Megiddo and died there 2 Chron. 22. 9. And Iehu sought Ahaziah and they caught him for hee was hid in Samaria and brought him to Iehu and when they had slain him they buried him because said they he is the Sonne of Iehosaphat who sought the Lord with all his heart But all is reconciled if we take Samaria not for the city so named but for the whole kingdome of Israel in which notion Ahab is styled King of Samaria that is the ten Tribes whereof Samaria was the Metropolis In this acception Megiddo and all the passage thereunto was in Samaria where Ahaziah hoped in vaine by his flight to hide and conceale himself § 10. All thus agreed concerning the deaâ—h I hope no difference will arise about the buriall of Ahaziah Though in one texâ— his owâ— servants in another Iehu his men are said to buâ—y him The one might doe it by the leave and licence of the other and Iehu his souldiers did deliver Ahaziah's deâ—d corps to his own servants to interre it in Ierusalem § 11. Iezebel survived not long after As Iehu was entering Iezreel she newly painted entertains him with a taunt out of the window to try whether her tongue or his sword were the sharper We meet but with three principall speeches of her in Scripture the first an Idolatrous oath and curse The Gods doe so to me and more also the next a mortall threat and lowd lye If I make not Elijah's like one of their lives by to morrow this time the last an impudent and unseasonable jeer Had Zimri peace that slew his Master Presently she is thrown down headlong and the dogs eat her up to the â—eversion of her skull palmes of her hands and feet What hâ—d the poison of her painting 〈◊〉 deeply pierced into these the naked parts of her body that the dogs were afraid to feed oâ— them However it came to pass Iezebels skull may be worn as a deaths-head in the memories of all wicked persons abusing their power to minde them of their certain ruin without serious repentance The heads also of Ahabs children kill'd in Samaria were laid in two heapes at the entrance of the gates of Iezreel § 12. It may seem strange that seeing Iehu was warranted by commission from heaven in the execution of Ahabs family and friends that God should afterwards threaten by his Prophet I will avenge the bloud of Iezreel upon the house of Iehu But it seems though herein Iehu his chariot went in the path of Gods command yet he did drive it on furiously the pace of his own cruelty vainglory and ambition Thus that officer is a murderer though acting the sentence of the Judge if withall he pleaseth his private malice in executing persons condemned to die The matter of Iehu his act was rewarded the manner revenged by God § 13. The river Kishon runneth through the midst of this Tribe which entring in at Naboths vineyard taketh his course north-ward with a winding channell not far from Shamir in mount Ephraim wherein Tola the Iudge or rather the Iustice of peace in Israel nothing of war being achieved in his government both dwelt and was buried Hence on his western bank Kishon beholds the place where Barak fought that famous battell against Sisera It is recorded to the commendation of such Israelites as assisted him that they took no gain of money Indeed they of Zebulun were by their calling such as handled the pen though now turned sword-men in case of necessity And when men of peaceable professions are on a pinch of extremity for a short time forced to fight they ought not like souldiers of fortune to make a tradeto enrich themselves thereby seeing defence of religion life and liberty are the onely wages they seek for in their service § 14. In this most eminent battell the Stars in their courses fought against Sisera What are the numerous people of Israel meant thereby whom God promised to multiply as the Stars in heaven or are onely the principall officers in their Army intended therein Sure it is safest to embrace the literall sense that those celestiall lights frowning with their malignant aspects caused frights and fears in the hearts of the Canaanites Such as utterly deny all influences of Stars on mens mindes shew therein that the moon hath made too much impression on their crazy judgements and lunatick opinions § 15. But the river of Kishon was not onely a spectatour of this fight but also an actour of a principall part therein For when the Canaanites routed in the battell essayed to wade this river so to recover their countrey on the other side the streame thereof probably lately made more deep and rapid with extraordinary raine the largess of some waâ—ry Planet which fought for Israel swept them away So that what fragments of these Canaanites were left by the Israelites swords glutted with slaughter Kishon was the voider to take them clean away § 16. Hence Kishon runneth on by Kishion the vicinity of the name is argument enough to place it on the banks of this river elsewhere called Kedesh being one of the four cities in this Tribe belonging to the Levites Gershonites More east whereof lay another of the same nature Engannim called Ienine at this day being now a very pleasant place having fine gardens orchards and waters about it as it hath its Hebrew name from a fountain And that we may know that the countrey hereabouts still retaineth more then the ruines of its former fertility a judicious modern traveller tells us that in his whole journey from Damascus to Ierusalem he saw not more fruitfull ground and so much together then he did in two and twenty miles riding betwixt mount Tabor and Engannim § 17. Hence Kishon continuing his course northward leaveth the city Shunem at some distance from his western bank the birth-place of Abishag wife-nurse to King David
of Ahilud to whom belongeth Taanach Megiddo and all Bethshâ—an and partly to Aminadaâ— husband to Taphath Solomons daughter purveyour alone in the land of Dor. An argument of the great fertility of that little land because the land of Dor alone was a signe for a whole moneth in the Zodiack of Solomons yearly provisions An Asse formerly observed argent in a field vert was Issachar's Arms couâ—hing between two burdens Some by these understand Zebulun and Manasseh which bounded Issachar on both sides But why was their neighbourhood more burdensome then any other Tribes Such perchance are nearer the truth who expound the two burdens Tribute and Tillage betwixt which Issachar quietly cocuhed never medling with wars but when forced thereunto in his own defence Here the Map of Manasseh on this side Jordan is to be inserted THE DESCRIPTION OF MANASSEH on this side IORDAN CHAP. 8. § 1. MAnasseh his numbers and worthies have formerly been described on the east of Iordan as also such Cities as being environed with Issachar yet belonged to this Tribe It remaineth that we survey that portion of Manasseh west of Iordan lying entire in it self and having Issachar on the north Ephraim on the south the Mediterranean Sea on the west and Iordan on the east thereof a fruitfull Countrey divided betwixt six male-families of the Manassites and the five daughters of Zelophehad § 2. These were those Virgins who pleading before Moses got a right to before Ioshua got possession of their inheritance Silence was injoined their Sex in the Church not Court where they handled their own cause so well it is pity any Counsell should be retained for them Nor was it the worst part of their Rhetorick the good Character they gave their dead Father which might serve for an Epitaph to be inscribed on his monument Here lieth the man who was not in the company of them who gathered themselves together against the Lord in the COMPANY OF KORAH but died in his OWN SIN Meaning he died a naturall death for his personall offences and was no sharer in the guilt of Rebellion against God in Moses This instance of Zelophehad his coheirs let Lawyers judge how justly it is alledged of some against their practise who by entailes on the Heire male dam up inheritances from running in that generall channell into which God and nature hath derived them § 3. In the west of this Tribe on the sea we meet with Cesarea Stratonis built and beautified with a fair haven called Drusus by Herod the great in the honour of Augustus Cesar. Amongst other edifices therein Herods judgement hall by him built was a most remarkable structure Indeed all Cesarea might be termed Gods judgement hall from an exemplary piece of justice here executed on Herod Antipas Who coming hither from Ierusalem clad with gorgeous raiment and the guilt of Saint Iames his bloud made an eloquent oration more gaudy then his apparell unto the people who cryed out in approbation thereof The voice of a God and not of a man here Herod in stead of rejoining The voice of lying flatterers and not of sober men in stead of reclaiming what they exclaimed imbraced and hug'd their praises as proper to himself and thereupon an Angell and worms the best and basest of creatures met in his punishment the one smiting the other eating him up and no wonder if Worms quickly devoured him whom those flesh-flies had blown up before If any aske seeing the people were equally guilty in that their sacrilegious expression yea they were the theeves Herod but the receiver why fell not the punâ—shment also on the whole multitude It is answered First because they were the whole multitude and God in such cases mercifully singles out some singall offenders for punishment to save but fright the rest Secondly more discretion was expected from a Prince then from a rabble of people Lastly what in them was but a blasphemous complement was by Herods acceptance thereof made in him a reality usurped by him as due to his deserts § 4. But leaving profane Herod many pious people lived in Cesarea as Cornelius the Centurion the first fruits of the Gentiles Agabus the Prophet foretelling Saint Pauls bonds and Martyrdome and Philip the Evangelist famous for his four daughters Virgins-prophetesses This I firmely beleeve whilest my faith demurres at what I read of Brechin a Lord in Wales who had four and twenty daughters all Saints begotten of his own body § 5. Here Saint Paul eloquently defended his innocence against the salable tongue of Tertullus and afterwards reasoned of righteousness temperance and judgement before Felix the corrupt vicious and debauched Deputy of Iudea till Felix his foundred feet feeling the Pincers began to winch and to prefer Saint Pauls room before his company In the same place the Apostle pleaded for himself before Festus Agrippa and Bernice his incestuous wife-sister entering into the place of hearing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with much fancifulness or great pompe Perchance this Bernice ware then about her that eminent Gem whereof the Heathen Poet took especiall notice deinde adamas notissimus Berenices In digito factus preciosior hunc dedit olim Barbarus incestae dedit hunc Agrippa sorori And the fam'd diamond the richer show'd On Berenices fingers this bestow'd The barbarous Agrippa he to his Incestuous sister once presented this But be Bernice never so brave the bonds of Saint Paul worn by him then in Cesarea were in the Judgement of God and all good men the most glorious ornament § 6. South of Cesarea stood Antipatris named in the honour of Antipater father to Herod the great Hiâ—her Saint Paul came guarded in state by night with more then five hundred souldiers and hence the footmen were sent back to Ierusalem whilest the seventy horse advanced forward with him to Cesarea South of Antipatris the river Kanah which divideth this Tribe from Ephraim runneth into the sea so called from reeds KANAH in Hebrew whence our English Canes or walking-staves fetch in both the name and thing from the east Countreys growing plentifully thereabouts and many Maps present us with a valley of Reeds in this place Say not this debaseth the land that so course a commodity should take up a whole valley therein for besides as London water-men will tell you an acre of reeds on the bank side is as beneficiall as one of wheat these Canes were to make arrowes and staves yea some to make Sugars thereof an eye-witness affirming that plenty of sugar-canes grow in Palestine at this day Surely formerly growing there though little known to and less used by the ancients seeing that Countrey hath gained no new plants but rather lost much fertility it had before § 7. Sugar pardon a digression was anciently less used either because their masculine palats were not
so liquorish as ours now adays or because they preferred honey plenty whereof was extracted and refined to their hand Yea our modern Sugar as it is boiled and baked is not above two hundred years old and the art of refining it was found out long since by a Venetian getting above an hundred thousand crowns thereby leaving them to his son afterward made a Knight who wasted all to nothing § 8. In the north of this Tribe lies the vale of Iesreel and Well of Herod where Gedeon conquered the Midianitesâ—ncamping â—ncamping by the hill of Moreh Indeed the achievements of Gedeon take up almost this whole half-tribe and therefore we will attend on him from his call to be a Judge unto his summons to his Grave § 9. Sad in his time was the condition of the Israelites oppressed by the Midianites who swarmed like Grass-hoppers for number and noisomeness over the land of Canaan Grass-hoppers were formerly a Plague for Egypt but now for Israel these Midianites devouring all which the other had sowen Time was when the Israelites reaped the fields they did not sow whereas now they sowed what they did not reap See what wofull inversions sin can make In this dolefull estate the Angell found Israel when he sat under an oake in Ophrah in the east of this Tribe neare Iordan and saluted Gedeon threshing by the wine-press The Lord is with thee thou valiant man Much concealed valour may lurk under a plain painful outside whcih a just occasion may produce into publick view Yet let none turn their flailes aker-staves sheep-hooks shuttles needles into swords till first with Gedeon they have a warrant from God for the same Gedeon having thus a cal from God and confirmed with many miracles first by night cast down the Altar erecting one to God in the same place and cut down the grove of Baal then gathered an army of thirty two thousand therewithall to fight the Midianites § 10. But his army must be garbled as too great for God to give victory thereby all the fearfull return home by Proclamation leaving the Perons not the Men in the army fewer for their departure The good liquor was no less for the loss of such froath though two and twenty thousand then went away Yea the body of his men remaining was still too big and must pass another decoction Their valour hardiness and industry must be tried by a Purgatory of water and those onely were admitted to march on proving but three hundred who bowed not down on their knees in a lazy posture as if they meant to make a set mealâ— in drinking but loath to lose so much time doglike lapped water out of their hands their dishes as their tongues were their spoons manifesting thereby quick at meat quick at work the activity of their spirits taking all refreshing only in passage to their farther imployment § 11. With these three hundred Gedeon advanceth against the Midianites and as formerly by the deeds of his friends is now confirmed afresh with the dreams of his foes and their own interpretation thereof Strange that God should condescend so much and so often for Gedeons satisfaction working miracles backward and forward for his sake fleece only wet and ground dry fleece onely dry and ground wet Heavens reall miracles will endure turning being lining and facing inside and outside both alike Yea after these and other confirmations God the night before the battell gave Gedeon a new sign out of his enemies own mouth He that spurneth at the presumptuous how low will he stoop to take up a weake but true faith Thus the wise mother beateth the sound and froward but bemoaneth and cherisheth her sick and froward child § 12. The Midianites lay secure in their tents when the word was given The sword of God and Gedeon Excellent mixture both joined together admirable method God put in the first place Where divine blessing leads up the Van and mans valour brings up the battell must not victory needs follow in the rear Gedeons men by order from him brake their lamp-lined pitchers whereby night is turned into light silence becomes a loud sound in an instant We have this treasure in earthen vessels and what miracles may the light of Gods word in the pitchers of poor preachers bring to pass § 13. The sodain shining and sounding fills the eyes and eares of the Midianites with amazement Whence came these spirits walking in the dark dropt from heaven or raised from the earth The text was terrible but oh what disâ—all descants did their affrighted fancies make thereon Every mans fear single in it selfe was doubled by reflexion from his next neighbour For hearing so many Trumpets together if so many Trumpeters then how many souldiers in proportion unto them Hereupon the host ran and cryed and fled to Bethshittah in Zererah and to the borders of Abel-meholah unto Tabbath Thus great Armies once struck with amazement are like wounded whales give them but line enough and the fishes will be the fishermen to catch themselves and beat themselves â—ame by their own violence § 14. Hereafter let none term Gideon as Ulysses is disgracefully called Nocturne miles the night Knight because he conversed with the Angel cast down Baals Altar conquered the Midianites all by night seeing now in open light he pursued his conquest chasing Zebah and Zalmunna with the rest of their Army home to their own Countrey where he overtook and destroied them Mean time the Ephraimites were active in stopping the passages on Iordan and slew Oreb and Zeeb the one at a rock the other at a wine-press first coloured with their bloud then called after their names to all posterity § 15. What remains of Gideon I would willingly conceal that his Sun might not set in a cloud But man must not smother what God will have seen especially because tending to his honour our instruction though Gideons disgrace Who refusing a Crown accepted the ear-rings of the people and thereof made an Ephod surely onely as a civill memoriall of his valour and their thankfulness But what had Gideon a Manassite to doe with an Ephod a Leviticall vestment Such a monument was neither of divine institution or benediction and therefore through mans corruption easily subject to be abused to superstition If Gideon walks but on the brink the next generation will fall to the bottome of Idolatry as here it came to pass Posterity went a whoring after this Ephod which caused the massacre in and destruction of the fâ—mily of Gideon whom we leave buried in Ophrah in the grave of his father Ioash and so proceed § 16. And now his history finished we shall soon dispatch the remainder of this half Tribe First we resume Abel-meholah lately mentioned which was the habitation in after ages of Elisha Here he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him and
Leshemites pursie with long peace then to undertake those two warlike nations well breathed daily in military Discipline And sudden surprisals were foretold in this Tribe § 5. But grant the measure in this Tribe but short the ware thereof was very fine the Countrey being passing fruitfull in commodities Herein grew that bunch of Grapes of prodigious greatness in gathering whereof by the hand of the spies sent to search the Land the Israelites took Livery and Seisin of the fruits of the Countrey Besides this Tribe did drive some sea-trade Deborah complains Why did Dan remain in ships though the Iews generally were mean Mariners and Merchants Partly because the fatness of their soile so stuck by their sides it unactived them for forein adventures and natures bounty unto them gave their industry a Writ of ease to sit at home And partly because being divided as an Island from the Continent of the World in Religion from other Countries it cut off their comfortable commerce with other nations though since their wofull Posterity have proved the Capemerchants of the world § 6. First to survey the west side on the sea therein we are accosted with Ioppa a strong City seated on an high rock so that Strabo reports that Ierusalem may thence be discovered which a modern Traveller concludes impossible At the bottome thereof a haven formerly most convenient So ancient a place that some make it first founded and so named from Iapheth before the floud But it is utterly improbable that Noah being himself busied about building an Arke which threatned the worlds destruction would suffer his son to erect a City as promising a fixt habitation Hither all the timber of the Temple cut down and carved in mount Lebanon was brought by the Tyrians in floates and hence by Carts conveyed to Ierusalem Hither Ionah fled and took shipping for Tarshish conceived by some to be the Countrey of Cilicia by others the city Tarsus therein But be it Sea or Land Countrey or City sure it was not Niniveh whither God had sent him Here charitable Dorcas which made coates and garments for the poor widows whilest she was with them the lanthorn of mens good deeds cast the best light when carried before them and done in their life time lived dyed and was revived by Saint Peter Here he lodged in the house of Simon a Tanner by the sea-side water we know is very necessary in that occupation though salt water onely usefull to wash raw hides and therein beheld that vision wherein the Epitome of all creatures were in a sheet represented unto him Of this great City at this day onely two old towers doe survive it being questionable whether the place be more ruinous or the poor Moors more ragged that dwell therein A bad haven much obstructed with sands and exposed to the fury of the north wind The best commendation of this harbour is that Iury had no better scarce another as if God condemned the seacoasts thereof to danger as the Continent to barrenness § 7. Near unto Ioppa is Lydda some six miles North-west where Peter cured Enâ—as truly pious of the palsie which eight years had afflicted him Here Saint George is reported to have been beheaded and his tombe is shewed in this place All I will adde is I hope without offence this ensuing Parallel In Ioppa In Lydda The valour of Perseus is celebrated for freeing Andromeda daughter to King Cepheus tyed with chaines to the rockes from the fury of a sea monster to which she was exposed The puissance of Saint George is remembred for delivering the nameless and onely daughter of a certain King of Libya from a fiery Dragon to whom she was tendered by lot to be devoured It is pity these two stories should be parted asunder which will both in full latitude be believed together Hard to say whether nearer the two places or two reports He that considers the resemblance of their complexions will conclude Fancy the father Credulity the mother of both though we need not presently reject all the story of Saint George for fictitious for some improbable circumstances appendent thereunto Nor have I ought else to observe of Lydda save that in Saint Hieroms time it was called Diospolis § 8. To return to Ioppa the port of Ierusalem And let us a little way accompany the Pilgrims in the road thitherwards Take the character of the Countrey on the credit of a late eye-witness A most pleasant plain yeelding Tyme and Hyssope and other fragrant herbs without tillage or planting growing so high that they came to the knees of our Asses Nor need any wonder at the stature of this ground Hyssope in Iury different from wall-Hyssope or mosse rather the last and lowest step of natures storehouse and Solomons study seeing good Authors have affirmed that haec planta in Iudaeâ arborescit hyssope doth tree it in Iudea And what is called by Matthew and Mark Calamus a reed cane or speare is rendred an Hyssope-stalke by Saint Iohn Because as a learned man concludes Hyssope here sprouted so high that thereof an instrument might be made to lift up the sponge to our Saviours mouth hanging on the Cross. And thus we see that as always one of Iob's messengers escaped to bring the sad tydings of their fellows destruction so even at this day some stragling vallies in Palestine have made hard shift by their own fruitfulness still continuing to informe the world how plentifull this Countrey was before barrenness by Gods appointment seised on the generality thereof § 9. To proceed in the road to Ierusalem as the best guide to direct us in the survey of the north of this Tribe It passeth not far from Shaalâ—im a City of Dan but in the confines of Ephraim Where though the Amorites dwelt in despight of the Danites yet the Tribe of Ephraim made them tributaries A little further this high-way takes its farewell of the Tribe of Dan but with full intent shortly to visite it again For having passed over a corner of Ephraim which baggeth into the south it returns into Dan and goes forward by Modin the City of Mattathias and his sons where the seven sepulchers of the Maccabees each a high Pyramid on a square basis and all mounted on a steep hill are a conspicuous sea-mark to the Mariners many miles distant Charitable monuments which being erected for the honour of the dead are imployed for the safety of the living Few miles hence this high-way finally leaves this Tribe And therefore we leave it onely wishing the passengers therein a prosperous journey to Ierusalem That such as goe thither about business may dispatch the same to their own contentment such as travell out of curiosity may have their expectation so satisfied as to countervaile all their paines and charges and such as goe thither out of superstitious opinion to merit may have their
erroneous judgements better rectified and informed § 10. Nor doth ought else observable offer it self in this corner of the Tribe save Aijalon where Ioshua's prayer arrested the Moon to stand still assigned by God to the Levites But the Amorites took the boldness to keep possession thereof Hear the words of the Scripture And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountaines for they would not suffer them to come down into the valley but the Amorites would dwell in mount Herez in Aijalon and in Shaalbim The genuine sense is that though the Amorites generally pent the Danites up in the mountains yet in these three places though mountainous in their situation they crossed their common custome not out of necessity but designe as sensible of their own profit that these transcended the vallies in fertility and therefore placed themselves therein Let others dispute how it came to pass that the Priests whom God intended men of peace by their profession had a controversiall City appointed them incumbred with enemies so that they must win it before they could wear it As also how the Levites could live when the Land allotted them was sequestred in the hand of a forein foe It will be for enough us to observe that in all ages the Church being imbarked in the same bottome with the State ran an equall hazard therein according to her proportion And when the whole Tribe of Dan like the Parish in generall was straitned in its processions well might the Priests maintenance be abated accordingly § 11. We goe back now to Ioppa where standing on the rocks an indifferent fight may easily discern those ships into which the heathen people of Ioppa with much courtesie but more craft invited the Iews with their wives and their children to goe aboard for they made them pay their lives the fraight for their voyage wilfully drowning two hundred of them Whose bloud Maccabeus revenged with a contrary but as cruell an Element burning all their ships in their harbour with such as were found therein Hard by is Iamnia a little haven which may be rendred Seaton in English whose mischievous intention against the Iews Maccabeus punished by burning their towne by night Which bone-fire was beheld two hundred and fourty furlongs off as far as Ierusalem A thing not incredible that fire it self should be seen so far by the light whereof other things in darkness are discovered especially when mounted high on its throne with the advantage of pitch cordage and other navall and combustible matter Some doe conceive that this Iamnia is the same with Iabneh the wall whereof was broken down by Uzziah the puissant King of Iudah § 12. Hence the sea running southward provides it self to entertain a nameless brook which Mercator cals Naphtoah and others making signes as unable to speak the true name thereof the brook of the land of the Philistines because otherwhiles the northern boundary of their dominion We had rather give it no name then a nick-name And because the course thereof affords us conveniency to visite the middle parts of this Tribe we will accept of his courtesie and follow the guidance thereof § 13. This brook hath its birth and infancy in the Tribe of Iudah whence flowing into Dan he runneth through the desert of Modin which is full of rocks and those of holes and those once of men flying out of the neighbouring Cities from the persecution of the Pagans Herein a thousand of them were slain by the fury of their enemies or rather by the fondness of their own superstition refusing to make resistance on the Sabbath day A sad accident But the parent of a good event because putting the surviving Iews in a posture of defence and teaching them more wise and valiant resolutions Yea not long after hereabouts they obtained a victory over the numerous army of Cendebaeus Nor will any slight this brook as inconsiderable when they read how it ran in the midst betwixt the armies of the Iews and Pagans and was so deep that the hardiest of the former durst not adventure to wade it before first incouraged by the example of their Generall Except any will say they did not so much fear the depth of the river as the height of the banks of the other side to wit the puissant army of their enemies § 14. Going further on the river we come into the Countrey of Makats that is as learned Tremelius well observeth the border or boundary if you please the Marches betwixt this Tribe and their professed enemies the Philistines It is impossible to define the limits thereof seeing the Countrey was the constant Cock-pit of war and the ground thereof sometimes marched forward sometimes retreated backward according to the variety of martiall success Great is the difference betwixt the same sea at high and low water mark and so this Countrey must needs be much disproportioned to it self when extended in a full tyde and when contracted in a low ebbe of success § 15. In this Countrey of Makats Bethshemesh was a principall City belonging to the Levites and reputed part of Iudah but except some Labell of land tacked to Iudah surrounded about with the Tribe of Dan. A case obvious in the dividing of Countreys Who knows not how Worcester-shire hath speckled all the adjacent Counties with snips and shreds belonging unto it though environed with other shires and that at considerable distance Hither the kine drawing the Cart and lowing as they went to their Calves at home nature in them was not rooted out but overruled brought the Arke and rested it near a great stone in the field of Ioshua a Bethshemite At what time the Bethshemites were reaping their harvest in the valley Instantly at so good news their Sicles lost their edges and could cut no more corn that day The Arke-home is to be preferred before Harvest-home But oh how hard is it to keep hungry eyes from feeding on forbidden objects All the Bethshemites were Levites but not Priests much less high-Priests to whom alone and that onely anniversary the survey of those mysteries did belong Besides at this time Bethshemesh from a City was enlarged to be a Countrey such the confluence of Israelites from all places Otherwise no back of one City might seem broad enough for so great a rode whereby fifty thousand and threescore and ten men were destroyed by the Plague for their Curiosity in prying into the Arke § 16. Gibbethon is another prime place in Makats allotted by God to the Levites of Kohath and no doubt by them peaceably possessed for many years seeing nothing to the contrary doth appear But after the days of Ieroboam it is said to belong to the Philistines Probably when the Levites loyall both to God and their King upon the idolatrous defection of Israel willingly deserted their own Cities the Philistines taking advantage thereof when much good bloud is let
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
Canaanites some remnant of the Anakims which escaped his hand did in his absence return possess Hebron and put Caleb to a new task of a second subduing them § 22. David afterwards made Hebron the Metropolis of this kingdome as being the most eminent City of his own Tribe of Iudah and reigned almost seven years therein In the third year of his reign Abner repaired hither with full intent to reduce all Israel to his obedience had not Ioabs sudden murdering him frustrated his design Probably some mixture of jealousie might put Ioab on this foul action fearing to be outed of his office that if Abner made David King David would make Abner Generall over all Israel Certainly revenge of his brother Asahels bloud prompted him thereunto Ioab sending messengers to fetch Abner back from the well of Siriah slew him treacherously as he was entering the gates of Hebron § 23. Forget we not that Hebron in the gate whereof Ioab so basely and barbarously murdered him was a City of Refuge appointed by God for the saving of such as had killed one unawares Did not Ioab therefore in such a place acting wilfull murder in an high hand relie on his own greatness to beare him out in so bloudy a deed as if he neither feared the justice of man nor needed the mercy of God No wonder then if many years after he flying to the horns of the Altar was denyed the protection of that place who formerly so cruelly despightfully and presumptuously had defiled the City of Refuge with innocent bloud § 24. Thus died Abner very loyall to Saul whilest Saul was living and too loving to his concubine when he was dead Never man was killed more cowardly or buried more honourably David himself following the bâ—ere weeping as chiefe mourner at his funerall In the same sepulcher the head of Ishbosheth was afterwards interred Though some jars were betwixt them whilest living their dust well agreed in the same grave Nor durst the ashes of Ishbosheth cross the others who when alive though checked and chidden by him could not answer Abner a word again because he feared him As for the bodies of Baanah and Rechab the murderers of Ishbosheth they had by order from David their hands and feet cut off and they hanged up over the pool in Hebron § 25. After the death of Ishbosheth all Israel repaired to Hebron to make David their King whose severall numbers deserve our observation 1 Out of Iudah six thousand and eight hundred 2 Simeon seven thousand one hundred 3 Levi eight thousand three hundred twenty two 4 Benjamin three thousand 5 Ephraim twenty thousand and eight hundred 6 Half Tribe of Manasseh on this side Iordan eighteen thousand 7 Issachar two hundred officers and all their brethren at ther coÌ„mandment 8 Zebulun fifty thousand 9 Naphtali thirty seven â—housand besides a thousand Captains 10 Dan twenty eight thousand and six hundred 11 〈◊〉 fourty thousand 12 Reuben Gâ—d and Manassâ—h beyond Iordan an hundred and twenty thousand Behold here those Tribes which lived farthest from Hebron appearing in the highest equipage as if they endevouring to be revenged on the distance of their habitation purposely advanced with the greatest number Here it will be enquired why Iudah largest in dominion next in position nearest in relation as Davids native Tribe made here the slenderest appearance of all the rest Benjamin alone excepted the thinness of whose numbers are excused in the text because hitherto the greatest part of them kept the ward of the house of Saul What! doth it fare with Princes as with Prophets that they are not without honour save in their own Countrey and in their own house that David found fewest attendants from his own Tribe Oh no he was abundantly loved and honoured therein But Tostatus answers 1 Davids daily attendance both civill in his Court and military in his camp and garrison hitherto chiefly consisted of the Tribe of Iudah 2 The rest of Iudah remained at home to make provision and give entertainment to this confluence of people from all parts Adde hereunto 1 Six thousand eight hundred were a sufficient representation of Iudah and moe not onely needless but burdensome for the present to pester Hebron too populous already The rest keeping home and living hard by were ready no doubt on competent warning to come quickly if need required or David commanded their attendance 2 Iudahs main work was done two years before when David was solemnly made their King And they now rather spectators then actors at his second Coronation over all Israel Now no less politick then thrifty were the other Tribes in bringing their victualls along with them lest otherwise they should be held as occasioners of scarcity in Iudah and enhauncers of the prices of provisions § 26. Afterwards Absalom when he intended a rebellion against his Father chose Hebron as the fittest City from whence he meant to mount into the Throne Hither he came under pretence to doe sacrifice with his chariots and horses and fifty men running before him but which was most to be pitied he brought with him from Ierusalem two hundred men which were as one may say Loyall traitors coming in the simplicity of their hearts and meerly drawn-in to treasonable practises But Hebron proved not a place so succesfull to Absalom the son as formerly fortunate to David his father This Traitours soveraignty soon expired when forsaken of God Man and Beast his own Mule going away from him he was slain of Ioab as formerly related § 27. Some ten miles south of Hebron lay Debir anciently called Kiriah-Sepher the City of a book conceived a Canaanitish University And although the Giant Anakims dwelling hereabouts may be presumed but little bookish yet civilized Countreys in all ages have allowed such places for the education of youth who are better unborn then unbred Caleb proffered Acsah his daughter in marriage to any one that should conquer this City which was accordingly performed by Othniel his younger brothers son and first Judge of Israel What were not the glory of God and good of his Countrey enough to set an edge on his valour but the promise of a wife needed also to whet his resolution No doubt the scales of his resolution went down formerly on the right side before this match was cast in as overweight It is no unlawfull Bigamy of the soul when wedded to Gods glory in the first place to embrace also therewith the recompense of reward and grand is the difference betwixt an hireling whose minde is meerly mercenary and him that works for his hire with Othniel taking it not as the main motive much less as the end but onely as a welcome encouragement of his undertakings § 28. Thus all parties were pleased Israel recovered Debir Othniel got Acsah to wife she gained a blessing from her Father that
hundred and fourteen So that the Tribe of Iudah alone had more Cities then all the Island of Crete which had but just an hundred and therefore called Hecatompolis But many of these Cities were small and a good share of them was given to the Tribes of Dan and Simeon as formerly hath been observed But amongst such as remained to Iudah let not Maresha be forgotten in the north-west part of this Tribe both because thereby in the valley of Zephathah Asa conquered Zerah the Ethiopian whose army consisted of more then a million of men and because the Prophet Micah was born therein § 52. In Saint Hieromes time somewhere in Iudah flourished a fair City called Eleutheropolis from which that Father measureth the distance of most southern places in Palestine as he computeth the northern from Legion a City in Galilee But the more the pity that Father hath not acquainted us with the exact location of either of these two places Whilest Adrichomius and others condemn Saint Hieromes carelesness herein it better befits us to condole our own unhappiness who cannot read the accurate distance of places in his book of that subject because though he have lent us his Characters he hath not left us the true Key thereof § 53. The Tribe of Iudah had no great river therein saving a little piece of gasping Iordan now ready to expire in the dead-sea but with rivolets it was sufficiently stored lending the brooks of Sorek and Bezâ—r to Dan and Simeon borrowing Kedron from Benjamin whence it fetcheth its fountain and keeping the brook before the wilderness of Ieruel wholly for its own use as rising running and falling entirely in this Tribe Nor must that brook be forgotten which I may call the brook of David because being to encounter Goliah he took thence five smooth stones store is no sore especially not being sure but his first might faile and furnished his scrip therewith § 54. This was that Goliah whose strength was equall to his stature his armes sutable to his strength but his Pride above all Betwixt him and David first passed a tongue-combate The one discharging ostentation and presumption which the other as quickly returned with faith and confidence in Gods promises Come they then to encounter see the lower man had the longer arme who with his sling could reach death at distance to his adversary The beaver of Goliahs helmet was open not that he thought his brazen brow sufficiently armed with its own impudence but either that he might see breath and boast the more freely or because he disdained to buckle himself against so unequall a match The stone from Davids sling flies directly to his forehead whereby the Giant is mortally wounded and notwithstanding his speare was as great as a weavers beame his life was swifter then a weavers shuttle so soon passed it away and he was gone David cutting off his head with his own sword § 55. Many were the wildernesses in this Tribe as those of Zin Ziph Maon Engedi Ieruel Tekoa and Iudah lying south of Arad Now as once it was the question of the Disciples to our Saviour From whence can a man satisfie these men with bread here in the wilderness So here it may materially be demanded Where did the men of Iudah finde food to sustain themselves whose countrey seems a heap of wildernesses cast together Here we must know that the whole land of Palestine was drest and kept like a garden plot and inclosed into Olive-yards Vine-yards and arable fields save some extravagant places which lay common where wild beasts did harbour in the woods commonly called Wildernesses Such notwithstanding were full of fruitfull pastures and had fair towns though more thinly inhabited then other parts of the Countrey so that this Tribe was more frighted then hurt with the multitude of Wildernesses therein § 56. Paramount over them all was The wilderness having six Cities therein and was part of the wilderness of Iudea extending also into Benjamin wherein Iohn the Baptist preached feeding here on Locusts flying insects whereof four kindes were clean and permitted the Iews to eate and wilde honey Either such as fell down in dews from heaven or was made by wild Bees not civilized in hives but nesting on the ground or in hollow trees In a word he was content with such course fare as the Countrey afforded his rough clothes being suited to his homely diet and both to his hard doctrine of Repentance Hereupon scandalous tongues condemned him for having a Devill as afterwards they belyed our Saviour using a more liberal diet to be a Winebibber so impossible it is to please affected frowardness either full or fasting § 57. Some make Iohn Baptist the first founder of Eremites But how little his precedent befriendeth their practise who not out of any impulsion but meer election delight to dwell in deserts will appear by the ensuing Parallel Hee 1 By immediate command from God to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 2 Went into a wilderness a place more thinly peopled then the rest of the land 3 Where he daily busied himself with preaching to multitudes of people repairing unto him 4 And at last did end his life in a place of greater concourse even the Court of King Herod himself They 1 By dictates of their own fancy following the principles of will-worship 2 Goe into a wilderness indeed conversing with solitariness and shunning all society 3 Where they bury themselves alive in laziness with the talents God hath bestowed on them 4 And binde themselves with a vow to live and dye in that solitary condition Behold here the large difference betwixt him and monking Eremites Who if men of parts ought to help others with their society if of no parts need to be helped by the society of others Yea whatsoever their endowments were this running into the wilderness was but a Bank-rupt trick to defraud the Church and Common-wealth their Creditours to both which they stood bound by specialty of Gods command to discharge all Civill and Christian relations to the utmost proportions of their abilities In a word though we stedfastly beleeve that Iabal was the father of all such as dwell in tents because the Scripture affirmeth the same yet for the reasons aforesaid we utterly deny Iohn Baptist the founder and Author of all those which live wilfully in hills and holes an eremiticall life § 58. The Son of Heseâ— was Solomons Purveyor in Aruboth to him belonged Sochoth and all the land of Hepher A land which lay as we gather by other proportions in the north-west part of this Tribe And indeed we finde a King of Hepher amongst those which Ioshua destroyed but dare not confidently averre him to have been of the Tribe of Iudah However it appears that for the main the whole body of the
of others waxed cold could warm himself with his own well gotten goods But afterwards Barnabas that Son of consolation comforting the bowels of the Saints as well by his works as words deeds as doctrine sold his possessions and tendered the price thereof at the feet of the Apostles Such practises were sincerely performed in the primitivetimes superstitiously imitated with opinion of merit in after ages and scornfully derided by too many in our days so far from parting with the propriety that they will not appropriate a part of their goods to good uses We finde Saint Paul preaching in two cities in Cyprus Salamis where there was a Synagogue of the Iews and Paphos where Venus was worshipped thence surnamed Paphia and where Elymas the sorcerer was struck blind for opposing Saint Paul We cannot recover Paphos proportionably into this Map behold it therefore peeping in but excommuned the lines thereof § 34. But to return to the Continent where we fall on Syrophoenicia whose mixt name speakes its middle situation betwixt Syria and Phenice so that if those two countrys should fall out no fitter umpire to arbitrate their difference then Syrophoeniâ—ia participating of and therefore presumed impartiall to both Of this Countrey was that bold begger who would have no saying nay but importunate in the behalf of her daughter no whit discouraged with the disadvantage of her person disaffection of the disciples miserable mediatours interceding for her repulse deep silence and afterwards disdainful denial of Christ himself would not desist as if her zeal was heated with the Antiperistasis of the cold comfort she received till the violence of her faith had wrested a grant from our Saviour The bounds of Syrophoenicia are variously assigned the principall cities whereof are Laodicea different from that to which Saint Iohn wrote and whose lukewarm temper made health it self sick thereof § 35. Next we finde on the sea the city of Gebalâ— in Ptolemy and Strabo Gabala and the Inhabitants therein and thereabouts termed Giblites in Scripture These led the Van in the grand conspiracy against Israel Gebal and Ammon and Amalek the Philistims with the inhabitants of Tyre Asher also c. But Solomon taught their hands another lesson not to fight against Gods people but to help to finish his Temple At the Coronation of Tyre the Queen-Mart of the world so largely described by Ezekiel where all neighbouring Cities as in Grand-Sergeantry held their places by some speciall attendance about her the Ancients of Gebal and the wisemen thereof were her calkers to stop the leakes and chinks in her ships so cunning were the Giblites in that imployment Yet all their curiosity in this kind could not keep out the deluge of divine anger from entring their own City which at this day hath drowned Gebal in utter destruction § 36. More south the river Eleutherus arising out of Libanus shaped his course to the sea so being the northern boundary of Phoenicia In this river saith reverend Beza was the Eunuch baptized by Philip therein making an unexcusable mistake For except the Eunuch in his travell went like the Sun on Abaz his dial backwards it was impossible for him going to Gaza and so into Aethiopia his own countrey once to come near this river lying far north quite the contrary way Had Beza in stead of the Eunuch baptized placed the Emperour Barbarossa drowned here it had born better proportion to truth However from this learned mans mistake I collect comfortable confidence of pardon for my faults committed in this our description For seeing so strong legs are prone to stumble surely the falls of my feeble feet will be freely forgiven me by the charitable Reader § 37. Near the running of Eleutherus into the midland sea stood Antaradus so called because opposite to Aradus Arvad in Scripture a city of remarkable antiquity situation and subsistence Well doth Strabo call this an ancient place seeing it retained its name more then two thousand years from Arvad the ninth son of Canaan even till after the time of our Saviour The city is seated in an Island seven furlongs in compass and twenty distant from the Continent being all a main rock industry and ingenuity will make wealth grow on a bare stone watered in peace from the main land in war with an engine consult with our Author for the forme thereof which limbeck-like extracted sweet water out of the brackish Ocean The citizens of this place served Tyre in a double office by land as souldiers The men of Arvad with thine army were upon the walls round about by water as failers The inhabitants of Arvad were thy mariners which sufficiently speaks their dexterity in either Element § 38. Next the men of Arvad the Prophet mentioneth the Gammadims the joint naming them probably insinuates the vicinity of their habitation which were in the Tower of Tyre as a garison to defend them By Gammadims some understand Pygmies of a Cubit-high equall to the standard of Ehuds dagger because Gamad signifies a cubit in the Hebrew tongue But how ill doth this measure agree with martiall men except any will say that as the Iebusites in a proud confidence of the naturall strength of mount Sion placed the lame and blind to man the same so the Tyrians presumed that dwarfes were tall enough to make good their giant fortifications More likely is the conjecture of Tremellius that the Gammadims were a people in Phoenicia inhabiting a part thereof which ran out bowed and bended into the sea And we know that Ancona in Italy and Elbow-lane in London receive names from the same fashion And seeing Cornish-men are so called from the forme of their Countrey dwelling in a land which by degrees is contracted or narrowed into the likeness of an horn why not Gammadims Cubit-men from the similitude of their countrey in the situation thereof Here to fortifie his conjecture Tremellius produceth a place in Pliny of Gamala a city in Phoenicia since swallowed up where he conceiveth the L. to be changed into the D. that the Gammadims were inhabitants thereof However for quietness sake may the Reader be contented to suffer them to remain there in our Map if not as dwellers onely as sojourners untill such time as learned men shall provide a more proper place for them § 39. And now on a suddain we are fallen unawares against our propounded order on Phoenicia of the name and nature of which countrey formerly in the Tribe of Asher The chief havens therein were Tripolis so called say some because it hath been thrice build by others because three Cities Tyre Sidon and Aradus concurred to the building thereof Next is the promontory called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Gods face which no whit afrighted the Pirates and sea-robbers who had a Castle hard by called Castellum praedonum from their mischievous cruelty Botrus succeeds whose name
signifieth a bunch of grapes either from plenty of wine growing there or because the houses in this compacted city were built in a cluster though now become so thin scarce any two of them stand together Byblus the birth-place of Philo commonly surnamed Byblius Barutis anciently a good haven now decayed Adonius so called from the minion of Venus worshipped hereabouts and Licus are the chief rivers in this countrey having many other smaller brooks and Climax the mountain of most note whose figure like that figure in Rhetorick ascends like a staire-case by degrees §40 Coelosyria is onely behind or hollow Syria so called because lying in a concavity betwixt the mountains of Libanus and Antilibanus Though Ptolemy and others stretch the name thereof in a large acception even as far as Arabia Full it was of fair cities but none we meet with named in Scripture and therefore forbear the further prosecution thereof Onely to cover the nakedness of our map we mention four modern villages under the command of the Turkes where and where alone the Syriack tongue is spoken at this day namely Hatcheeth Sharri Blouza and Eden The last the seat of a Bishop of the Maronites who have a poor Patriarch residing at Tripoli and the people here against all sense conceive this Eden to be the place of Paradise Worse errours they maintain in point of doctrine concurring with the Greek Church but in discipline late reconciled to Rome where the Pope on his own cost gives some of their children education Honest harmeless people these Maronites are happy in the ignorance of luxury and so hospitable that in stead of receiving they return thanks to any western Christians which will accept of their entertainment § 41 There remains nothing more in the Map for me to acquaint the Reader with save onely that we have set the modern stages or Innes we must have all wares in our pack not knowing what kind of chapmen we shall light on betwixt Aleppo and Damascus and so forwards to Ierusalem Amongst these Canes or Turkish Innes Marra and Cotefey are most beautifull the latter little inferiour to the old Exchange in London built by a Bashaw ô let not Christians confound whilest Turkes found places for publick use for the benefit of travellers being both a Castell for their protection and a Colledge for their provision Where on the founders cost sufficient food is afforded both them and their cattell As for some Christian travellers who scorned to feed thereon it seems that either they were not soundly hungry or were not of the solid judgment of Eliah who surely would have taken meate from the hands of Turkes who refused not flesh from the beakes of Ravens Here the Map of Midian Moab Ammon Edom is to be inserted THE DESCRIPTION OF MIDIAN MOAB AMMON EDOM CHAP. 2. § 1. BEfore we come to the particular description of the Countreys something for satisfaction why Midian first and why Midian and Moab together In giving Midian the Precedency we observe seniority he being extracted from Abraham the uncle by Keturah his wife whilest Moab came from Lot the nephew by his own daughter As for putting them together we are loath to confess our poverty that lack of larger instructions to furnish forth severall Maps was any cause of our conjoining them together The main motive is not onely the vicinity of their habitation but also correspondency of severall atchievements betwixt them which makes them often coupled together in Scripture Thus Hadad King of Edom smote Midian in the field of Moab The Elders of Moab and the Elders of Midian were jointly imployed to fetch Balaam The daughters of Moab and the daughters of Midian enticed the Israelites to whoredome and Idolatry § 2. Midian consisted of two families one seated southward near the Red-sea serving the true God not so purely but with the mixture of superstitions where Iethro Moses his father-inâ—law lived of whom God willing hereafter The other Idolaters planted more eastward the subject of our present discourse This distance of place and difference of Religions gave probability to their opinions who fancy them two distinct nations which is seemingly confirmed because the former is called Madian in the new Testament But though in some cases we confess that the difference of a letter may make more then a literall difference yet here it is not enough to make a reall distinction seeing Hebrew words made Greek often suffer greatermutations then of a vowell Midian into Madian Others are startled because the Midianites are sometimes termed Ishmaelites whereas the latter come from Hagar the former from Keturah But it is probable surely such as reject our conjecture will substitute a better in the room thereof that because Ishmael was the eldest son of Abraham chief of the house all those eastern people descended from Abraham were denominated by the genericall name of Ishmaelites § 3. It is as difficult precisely to define the bounds as impossible compleatly to describe the Countrey of Midian For besides the mixture and conjunction not to say confusion of these eastern people interfering amongst themselves in their habitations the Midianites especially led erraticall lives and therefore had uncertain limits They dwelt most in tents which we may call moving towns and extempore cities set up in a few houres and in fewer taken down and dissolved Next morning oft times found them many miles off from the place where last night left them And if we wonder at the wildness of their wandring and rudeness of their roving abroad they will admire as much at the stilness of our station and dulness of our constant dwelling in one place And no doubt they observed a method in their removalls as there is a regularity as well in the motion of the Planets as of the fixed Stars § 4. For the generall we dare avouch they had Reuben and Gad on the west Moab on the south Ammon on the north the Ishmaelites or Hagarens on the east Some place them more south hard by the Dead-sea but therein surely mistake For when Gideon had the Midianites in chace out of the land of Canaan they betook not themselves southward and surely such Foxes when hunted would hast home to their own kennels but ran through the Tribe of Gad full east to their proper habitations But now what a slender account shall we make of the towns and places in Midian But I conceive it better to present the Reader with a map without cities or those cities without names then those names without truth or at least wise that truth without certainty and a fair blank is to be preferred before a full paper blurred over with falshoods § 5. But first we doe behold those castles and cities of Midian all on a bright fire burnt by Eleazer and the twelve thousand Israelites whereof no one man slain in the action wherein they killed all the males of that countrey and females
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
of lustration expiation consecration and Mock-baptisme by fire their Chemerim or Priests led the unwilling children and passed them through the fire on both sides where their painfull scorching was rewarded with the peoples acclamation and their parents opinion of merit therein Anamalech § 17. As some deduce it from the Arabian word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ani Rich in effect a rich King or if you will Prince Mammon If so he hath many adorers this day by covetousness which is Idolatry Others deriving it from an Hebrew root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an answering God which shows him more civill friendly and familiar then others of his rank taking more state upon them in their sullen silene No doubt the Devils answers here were no plainer then his riddling Oracles elsewhere which like changeable Taffata wherein the woofe and warpe are of different colours seems of severall hues as the looker on takes his station so his doubling answers appeared such to every ones apprehension as they stood affected in their desires Anamalech had the same superstitious worship with the former and was worshipped by the Sephervaite Samaritans Apis or Serapis § 18. Was a true living black bull with a white list or streak along the back a white mark in fashion of an half Moon on his right shoulder onely two hairs growing on his tail why just so many and no moe the Devill knows with a fair square blaze in his forehead and a great bunch called Cantharus under his tongue What art their Priests did use to keep up the breed and preserve succession of cattell with such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or privy marks I list not to enquire It was adored by the Egyptians though not mentioned by name in Scripture and hence it was that they fed by themselves counting it an abomination to eate with the Hebrews For oh how would their hunger have been turned into fury if tasting of an Israelitish dish they should chance to meet therein with parcell of that God whom they worshipped This also was the cause why Moses requested three days journy into the wilderness to sacrifice refusing to doe it in the land of Egypt alledging fear to be stoned if before their eyes they should offer the abomination of the Egyptians namely if he should offer a bull or cow how mad would the other have been at such an indignity and affront to their Deity § 19. Beâ—ides this naturall and living Bull kept in one place they also worshipped 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a golden or gilded oxe the Image or portraiture of the former Some conceive this Apis to have been the symbol and emblem of Ioseph the Patriarch so called from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ab a father seeing he is said to be made by God a Father to Pharaoh that is preserver of him and his Countrey And therefore the Egyptians in after ages gratified his memory with statues of an Oxe a creature so usefull in plowing sowing bringing home and treading out of corn to perpetuate that gift of grain he had conferred upon them They strengthen their conjecture because Serapis which one will have to be nothing else but Apis with addition of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sar that is a Prince whence perchance our English Sir was pictured with a bushell over his head and Ioseph we know was corn-meater generall in Egypt Though others on good ground conceive Oxe-worship in Egypt of far greater antiquity § 20. However hence Aaron and hence afterwards Ieroboam who flying from Solomon lived some years with Shishak King of Egypt had the pattern of their Calves which they made for the children of Israel to worship If any object the Egyptians Idols were Bulls or Oxen the Israelites but Calves the difference is not considerable For besides the objectour never lookt into the mouths of the latter to know their age gradus non variat speciem a less character is not another letter Yea Herodotus calls Apis himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Calfe and Vitulus is of as large acception among the Latines Such an old calfe the Poet describes Ego hanc vitulam ne fortè recuses Bis venit ad mulctram binos alit ubere foetus Depno My Calfe I lay left you mislike't both tides She comes to th'pale and suckles twain besides But to put all out of doubt what in Exodus is termed a Calfe the Psalmist calleth an Oxe Some will have Aaron to have branded on his Calfe the privy tokens of Apis because it is said after he had made it a molten calfe that he fashioned it with a graving toole this is say some imprinted it with the foresaid characters in the face back and shoulder thereof but this we leave as uncertain Ashima § 21. All that we know of him is that he was the God of the men of Hamath which were brought into Samaria The Rabbins say he was presented as an Hee-goate Like enough Satan much delighted in that shape where his staring frizeled shaggy hair was fit to affright folk Indeed both Devils and Goats are said to goe out in a stinke and so fare they well Ashtoreth in the Septuagint Astarte § 22. Her Hebrew name signifieth flocks either because worshipped in the form of a Sheep as the Iews will have it or because as Scaliger whole flocks were sacrificed to her What if because supposed protector and preserver of flocks in those eastern Countreys as in the west Pan curat oves oviúmque magistros Pan he doth keep both Shepheard and Sheep Ashtaroth saith the Scripture was the Goddess of the Sidonians Tully saith the same Venus Syria Tyróque concepta quae Astarte vocatur But though the Sidonians did originally invent they did not totally ingross her to themselves the Philistines having a share in her service who hung up Sauls Armor in the House of Ashtaroth as acknowledging their victory atchieved by her assistance In the vacancy of the Judges the worshipping of Ashtaroth was first brought into Israel which afterwards by the advise of Samuel was solemnly banished out of the land untilll Solomon in his old age befooled by his wives introduced it again Her image was the statute of a woman having on her own head the Head of a Bull where the hornes erected resembled the Crescent Moon and his curled hair falling down on her forehead betokened forsooth the fiery beams therof This Goddess was very tender of her self and carefull not to catch cold for besides the Grove over her image she had also Curtains over her Grove which the women weaved for that purpose till Iosiah took order to destroy them Baal § 23. That is a Lord being the name generall for most Idols Hereat haply the Apostle reflected when acknowledging according to common language there be Gods many and Lords many But we take this wherof we treat to be Chiefe of the Baals the most ancient and
as the father and mother of the River Iordan a fancy I fear rather pretty them solid bearing too much affinity with the derivation of the River Dourdan in France from the confluence of the two streams Dour and Dan whilest such a composition hath more of Latine then Hebrew therein Not to say that Iosephus is wholly silent hereof I suspect it for a modern conceit unavouchable by ancient Authors and prefer his opinion as most probable who deduceth Iordan from the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iarad to descend because it comes down with a powder and at set times overflowes all his bankes Aleth The negative argument from Iosephus is of small validity but to attest the antiquity of Iordans descent according to our description grudge not to read the following testimony of Philostorgius both because he is an ancient Author living in the fifth Century after Christ and his book at this day not extant save that some parcells of his are recited by Ioannes Antiochenus out of whose Manuscript not yet printed the following words are transcribed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In this Countrey of Paneas one of the fountains of Iordan is begotten there being two of them Dan so called even to this day from the ancient name thereof As for the other which is named for a certain hill of the same mountain sendeth it forth distant from the former about an hundred and sixty furlongs from either of which flows a rivolet the one termed Ioâ—ates the other Danites which flowing by the mountains to the foot of the plain thence forthwith compleate one great River Iordan in the same mingling both their names and streams See here an excellent evidence of the extraction of Iordan which cannot be condemned for a modern invention However if any will deduce Iordans name from a third fountain that Hebrew word aforesaid let him herein contentedly embrace his own opinion Philol. If you stick so stedfastly to the authority of Philostoâ—gius why dissent you from him in the distance between those two fountains which â—e makes an hundred and sixty furlongs that is twenty miles if eight furlongs make a mile and the interstitium in your Map amounts not fully to half so much Aleth Some mistake may justly be suspected in Philostorgius his number because for exceeding the proportion in other Authours I formerly acquainted you with that arbitrating power I have assumed I hope not unjustly to reconcile such differences in Authors by pitching on a middle number betwixt their extremities and here have made use of the same power accordingly Philol. What mean you by these eight nameless buildings surrounding the City of Cesarea Philippi Aleth They are set there to signifie the townes of Cesarea Philippi mentioned by the Evangelist whereabouts Saint Peter gave that eminent testimony of the Deity of our Saviour Philol. At Dan in this Tribe alià s Leshem and Cesarea Philippi you erect one of Ieroboam his Calves whereas Brocard who exactly surveyed Palestine in his Iournall gives us to understand that half a league from Bethel where one of the Calves were set up stood a mountain called Dan opposite thereunto where the other Calfe was erected Aleth His authority cannot countervaile Saint Hieromes Benjamin in Itinerario and others yea Truth it self which are on our side and against his opinion For Ieroboam was too good an husband to lavish both his Calves in one place which he rather would scatter in distant Cities the better to spread Idolatry in his kingdome Besides consider the end pretended at their erection namely to spare the peoples pains It is too much for you to goe up to Ierusalem that these Calves should be as it were Chappels of ease to save his subjects a tedious journey Now if both his Calves were penn'd up in a stall near Bethel as Brocard would have it little ease thereby was given to the northern Tribes and their journey not considerably shortned Therefore the other Calfe was set up at Dan in Naphtali as we have described it Philol. All that you have said doth not satisfie me that this Dan was the place where the Calfe was worshipped For soon after Ieroboams death in the reign of Baasha this Dan you speak of was smitten by Benhadad King of Syria This probably would have extinguished Calfe-worship if set up in that place which notwithstanding continued many hundred years after in the kingdome of Israel Aleth You might argue on the same grounds that the other Calfe was not erected in Bethel seeing even in the life of Ieroboam Abijah King of Iudah took from him Bethel with the towns thereof Observable herein is divine Justice punishing both those idolatrous places by the sword of their enemies so soon after the Calves were set up in them But we may be confident the Kings of Israel recovered both Dan and Bethel again and restored them to their former impious uses Philol. In the Worthies of Naphtali you account on Hiram Solomons Architect in building the Temple as a Naphtalite by the mothers side And yet in the description of Dan you make him a Danite by his female extraction Now what saith Nicodemus Can a man enter the second time into his mothers wombe Yea can he be born as you would have it twice though not of the same of severall women Aleth This your objection is not brought against my description but against the very letter of the Scripture that affirmeth the same 1 KING 7. 14. He was a widows son of the Tribe of Naphtali and his Father was a man of Tyre 2 CHRON. 2. 14. The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan and his father was a man of Tyre Now although I am not ingaged to meddle with the solution of this difficulty yet under favour I conceive the same properly to depend on an observation in Chorography May you be pleased to remember that Dan had a parcell of his portion acquired by conquest near the fountains of Iordan where Leshem Laish or Dan was placed which small territory lay above an hundred miles from the main body of that Tribe surrounded about with the Tribe of Naphtali as appeareth in our description thereof Now I suppose Hiram whose paternall extraction from Tyre is confessed on all hands was descended a Danite by his mother and called a Naphtalite also by his mothers side because of her habitation though in Dans small Countrey aforesaid lying in the land allotted to Naphtali Philol. You term it a most erroneous opinion in such who conceive the Galileans more drossie Iews then the rest herein contradicting your self having formerly affirmed that they were courser and less refined Iews Aleth Give me leave to distinguish between Iews courser in Religion and courser in Extraction The former we confess that the Galileans were less pure in Gods service as probably descended from the remnant of the ten Tribes Yet were they most truly the lost
sheep of Israel not debased by mixture of Gentilisme in their bloud like the Samaritans whom Christ declined whilest he constantly conversed with these Galileans Philol. You say that the City Naasson depends meerly upon the credit of the vulgar translation Tobit 1. Whereas looking on the Hebrew Map graven at Amsterdam by Abraham Goos but designed and made by another Abraham a great Rabbin skilled in the land and language of his own nation this Naasson appears there in Hebrew characters the Author no doubt having good assurance for the same Whose Map I can tell you is much valued by many Antiquaries as appears by their difficult procuring dear purchasing and carefull preserving thereof And you may finde it solemnly set up at the upper end of Sion Colledge Library Aleth It ill becomes me to detract from the pains of any being also my self a man under authority of the pens and tongues of others and Candidate for the Readers good will in this my description Yet give me leave plainly to profess that the Map by you alleadged answereth not the great price and generall praise thereof being nothing else but Adrichomius his Map translated into Hebrew What once Sir Iohn Old Castle Lord Cobham spoke jeastingly that the Priests made Christ to be boots and spurs and all in the Sacrament may I serously say that Adrichomius with his faults and failings dross dirt and all together without any correction is cast into this Abrahams overvalued description so that the Map you alledge is not gold but mean metall gilded over containing surreptitious names out of the Vulgar Latine therein Hebraized and presenting many spurious places utterly disclaimed in the Originall CHAP. VI. Objections against Asher answered Philol. I Admire you have altogether omitted the River Eleutherus in this Tribe much mentioned in Maccabees and which Adrichomius makes to fall into the Mediterranean in the mid-way betwixt Zidon and Tyre Yea M. George Sandys in his travels going from Sarepta to Tyre crossed a little valley divided by the River Eleutherus called Casmire at this day by the inhabitants thereabouts Aleth By what name or title soever the water he there went over is known at this day sure I am it cannot be the ancient Eleutherus which by Ptolemy Strabo and generall consent of all Authors falls above sixty miles more northward into the Mediterranean And therefore the error of Adrichomius and others herein is briefly taxed by judicious Sir Walter Ralegh Philol. You make Asher to border on Zidon contrary to the description of Wolsegangus Wiseburgius and learned Tostatus who set Zebulun in the same place as the most north-west of all the Tribes and alleadge Iacobs words to avouch the same prophecying that Zebuluns borders shall be unto Zidon Aleth Gods Word the coast of the Countrey and all good authors justifie our description those two onely excepted which you alleadge being both deceived by taking Zidon restrictively in Iacobs prophecy for the City so called whereas the whole Countrey thereby is intended as Sarepta is called a City of Zidon and the name of Zidonians adequate to Phenicians in which sense Zebulun confined on the Countrey though Asher onely on the City of Zidon Philol. You peremptorily place the defeat of Benâ—adad and fall of Apheks wall on his flying Army in this Tribe not remembring the while that there is another Aphek in Issachar nearer to Samaria which puts in with more probability to be the theater whereon that tragical accident was acted Aleth I confess Aphek a place in Issachar but finde it not charactered to be a City such an one as our Aphek in Asher is described and whose walls are therefore more probable to doe the foresaid execution However be it known unto you whensoever two places are with equall likelihood corrivals for actions therein atchieved we adjudge it to that place that falls first under our description Thus the start of half an hour bestows on the elder twin the whole inheritance To avoid confusion and prevent repetition first come first serv'd the place first occurring carries away all history in our describing thereof CHAP. VII Objections against Zebulun answered Philol. YOu very confidently make Iordan continue his unâ—ixit stream clean through the Galilean-sea a course somewhat irregular in nature without alleadging any authority for the proof of so improbable a passage Aleth Excellent Authors avouch the same Tacitus amongst others tells us of this River Unum atque alterum lacum integer perfluit tertio â—etinetur One and another lake viz. the waters of Merom and Galilean-sea it runneth through entire but is stopped in the third namely in Asphaltite-lake or Dead-sea More full is the testimony of Philostorgius and deserveth our serious perusall thereof Who speaking of this River 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which saith he passeth through the lake of Tiberias cutting it in the middle and flowing clean through it in its own proper channell Which cutting of the lake implies the entire continuance of Iordans water otherwise that knife doth not cut the loaf but is cut by the loaf which is broken in the dividing thereof Philol. I wonder you pass over Shimron-Meron in such silence which appears a place of great note yea a Royall City in the days of Ioshua as the Coronet thereupon doth inform us Aleth I confess it signed with a Coronet and with something more a flag of uncertainty having nothing sure of the location thereof the chiefest cause that I willingly declined the mention of it However we will scrue our selves into as much certainty of this place as may be extracted out of Scripture and observe the four first wreaths of my scrue are undoubtedly the fifth and last more then probably true as followeth 1 Shimron-Meron was one of the Royall Cities whose King Ioshua destroyed 2 The same City is elsewhere called plainly Shimron without any addition 3 It lay on the northern part of the land because the King thereof associated in the northern and second combination of the Canaanites against Ioshua 4 A City named Shimron was alloted to the Tribe of Zebulun 5 Most probably this is the same Shimron whose King was destroyed by Ioshua This is all which my best industry could collect out of Scripture or good Authors concerning the situation of this place Philol. What mean you by that third smooty circle which as the Meteor Halo about the Sun surroundeth the Levites City of Iockneam Aleth It signifieth nothing being a meer aberration of the Graver which now but obscure will in process of Printing wholly disappear And I could hartily wish no other faults in our Maps would be of longer continuance Philol. You make the Galilean-sea all along the east boundary of this Tribe Whereas I am altogether of the minde of Masius that no part of Zebulun touched on that sea with him principally grounding my opinion on the Scriptures silence which mentioneth not any conterminating of this Tribe
into the Syrian or Mediteâ—ranean-sea Aleth His error therein is confuted both by ancient and modern writers Strabo speaking thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which Chrysorrhoâ—s beginning from the City and Countrey of Damascus in a manner is wholly spent in drains thence derived for it watereth much ground and that very deep Some thing more may be collected from Ptolemies expression not terming the fall of Chrysorrhoas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his ordinary word the Out-lets or Ejections thereof into the sea but onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the End or determination thereof Where by the degrees by him assigned Beâ—tius in his Maps presenteth this River swallowed up wholly in the sands and the same is confessed by Bellonius an eye-witness thereof and other modern Geographers that it never cometh unto any sea Philol. You have omitted the Vale of Salt in your Map near Aramâ— Zobaâ— neither mentioning in your description that most memorable defeat which David gave the Syrians therein Your modern Merchants of Aleppo will inform you thereof who have been on the very place where the battell was fought as tradition reporteth Aleth I have heard so much from the mouths of my judicious friends which have lived in those parts and have formerly read the same in effect How within halfe a days-journey of Aleppo there is a very great plain without grass growing on it the sand whereof is naturally good salt and after rain being dried again with the Sun the people gather it However I cannot be perswaded that this Salt Vale was the place whereon David gave his enemies that notable overthrow as on the perusall of the following Scriptures will appear 2 Sam. 8. 13 And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting the Syrians in the valley of Salt being eighteen thousand men And he put garrisons in Edom throughout all Edom put he garrisons 1 Chr. 18. 12. Moreover Abishai the sonne of Zerviah slew of the Edomites in the valley of Salt eighteen thousand Inscription of Psal. 60. To the chief Musician upon Sushan-Eduth Michtam of David to teach When he strove with Aram Maharaim and with Aram Zobah when Ioab returned and smote of Edom in the valley of Salt twelve thousand Here under favour I conceive these severall Scriptures intend one and the same victory because fought in the same place the Valley of Salt whilest the seeming contradictions in the names of the Conquerors different numbers and nations of the persons conquered are easiely reconciled 1. Ioab as Generall might give the Command and Abishai Lieutenant Generall do the execution whilest David as Soveraign received the honour of the Action 2. Twelve thousand might be slain on the place and six more kild in the pursuit so making up eighteen thousand in the totall number 3. This slaughter fell on the Edomites who are called Syrians not by their Countrey though Syria taken in a large sense is comprehensive of many nations but cause and confederacy as ingaging themselves to their cost auxiliaries in the same quarrell of the Syrians against King David This battell thus stated with most probability in my opinion it seems fought rather in the land of Edom where there is another Valley of Salt eminent in Scripture and not near Aleppo or Aram Zobah However because Tradition is a Tyrant on the contrary I dare resolve nothing positively but suspend my own and attend the judgments of others herein Philol. You make Marra the next modern stage south of Aleppo whereas there be many moe miles and intermediate lodging-places namely Cane-Toman and Saracoop betwixt them Aleth I confess no less but am sorry your memory is so short that I must so often incultate the same rule unto you That places situate on the Um-stroke such the location of Aleppo in our Map are not in their exact position whilest we onely make a long arme to reach them confusedly into our description though otherwise they be at greater distance then the scale of miles will admit Philol. I wonder you make the Mediterranean from Tripoli to Antioch to run with such a crooked flexure in form of an Hook which certainly will not catch the beleefe of any judicious beholder thereof The rather because no Geographers take cognizance of it and such a bending is disavowed by all modern Maps Aleth Consult Ptolemies Maps as drawn by learned Bertius and they present the fashion thereof accordingly though such an Elbow appears not in the late Cardes of this Countrey No news now adays for Sea to gain Land to lose or reciprocally both to alter their ancient and accept new forms seeing our Cornish-men will tell us that a good piece of their horn is blunted and broken off by the sea whose land formerly stretched out more westward and was called as they say Lioness before the waters devoured both the paws and whole body thereof CHAP. XXI Objections answered against the eastern confines of Palestine Philol. YOu have left the eastern part of this Map altogether empty which you ought to have furnished with moe towns and Cities therein Aleth Whose image and superscription doth this Map bear Is it not of Arabia the desert a wild barren Countrey To make a desert full is as absurd as to paint a Black-more faire Besides whence should the Geographer fetch the names of these Cities except from his own groundless fancy And then as King Edgar is said to have founded in England as many Monasteries as there be weeks in the year a Map-maker might build moe Cities then there be hours therein whilest the Reader must have as much simplicity as the Author dishonesty that gives credit thereunto Philol. You have false pointed to use your own expression the Iewish peregrinations seeing those four intermediate stages Comma's as you term them be Ar Mattanah Nahaliel and Bamoth being named after the stream of Arnon seem on the other side of the River and therefore rather to be placed in the Tribe of Reuben Aleth I have consulted the text and best Comments upon it and cannot yet be convinced but that the same is rightly situate Arnon I conceive divided into many streams therefore plurally termed the brooks of Arnon probably tributary brooks running into that main River and though the places aforesaid lay north of these rivolets they were south of the main Arnon and in the land of Moab However because of their so ambiguous posture being more willing to learn then to teach I am ready to alter them on any better information Philol. You make Iobs sons tent in your Map blown down on his children therein whereas Scripture calleth it expresly an house and otherwise it is unlikely they should be slain with such slight curtains falling upon them Aleth I will not plead that a tent is also termed an house in Scripture phrase that tent-dwelling was most fashionable in the eastern Countries especially in that ancient age that statory or long standing tents were
of more then seven hundred years peaceable possession thereof But this threefold cable was broken with the weight of their sins and so was Israel carried away from their own land to Assyria unto this day Even Lands as well as Goods are moveables though not from their Center from their Owners at leastwise the owners are moveable from their lands § 3. Yet God did not all at once begin and end the captivity of the ten Tribes but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at sundry times and in diverse manners For 1 Pâ—l King of Assyria in the reign of Menahem carried the Reubenites Gadites and half Tribe of Manasseh away to the Cities of the Medes 2 Tiglath-Piâ—â—eser in the days of Pekah transported besides Gilead and the remains of the aforesaid Tribes Galilee namely so much thereof as was in the land of Naphtali unto Assyria 3 Shalmaneser cleared all the rest in the ninth year of Hoshea carrying them away to Halath and Habor by the River Gozan in the Cities of the Medes Probably the second or middle captivity of the Naphtalites afterwards removed themselves into Tartary where Ortelius findes their very name and a City called Tabor Asnoth-Tabor we know was a place in the border of Naphtali imposed no doubt to perpetuate the memory of their native Countrey § 4. Scripture gives us no account what afterwards became of these ten Tribes Onely in Esdras â— book accounted by some as the Apâ—â—rypha of the Apocrypha because never owned for Canonicall either by the Iews Romish Church in generall or Protestant writers we finde them travelling over Euphrates miraculously dried up in their passage towards Arsareth or Tartary a great way namely a journey of a year and an half A long stride indeed and yet might be but little if mending their pace no more then their ancestors did in their passage between Egypt and Canaan But waving Esdras his single testimony these ten Tribes appeare not since in any authenticall relation strange that the posterity of the two Tribes Iudah and Benjamin should be found almost every where whilest the off-spring of the ten Tribes are found no where Thuâ— God hath on them 〈◊〉 that curse which he formerly threatned To scatter them into corners and make the remembrance of them to cease Not that he hath utterly extinguished the being an opinion as unreasonable as uncharitable but hath hitherto concealed the known bâ—ing of so numerous a nation whom we may call the lost-loâ—t sheep of Israel both in respect of their spirituall condition and corporall habitation § 5. Some conceive the modern Amâ—ricans of the Jewish race collecting the same from some resemblances in rites community of customes conformity of clothes fragments of letters foot-steps of knowledge ruines of language though by a casuall coincidence some straggling words of the Athenians may meet in the mouths of the veriest Barbarians and many other Iudaismes amongst the Indians And lately a Jewish Rabbin of Amsterdam tels us that beyond the Cordiller hills and river Maragnon a fair people are found with long beards and rich in clothes living by themselves different in religion from the rest of the Indians whom he will have to be the ten Tribes there remaining in a body together His arguments so prevaile on some formerly contrarily minded as to turn the tyde of their judgment to concur with his with others they make it dead water not to oppose his opinion whilest a third sort listen to his relation as onely priviledged from confutation by the remoteness thereof § 6. For mine own part I behold his report as the Twilight but whether it will prove the morning twilight which will improve it self into full light or that of the evening darkening by degrees into silence and utter obscurity time will discover When the eleven Tribes so virtually may I term them brought news that one lost Tribe Ioseph was found Iacobs heart fainted for he beleeved them not till afterwards he was convinced on clearer evidence How much more then may I be permitted to suspend my judgment when one man brings tydings of ten lost Tribes all found in an instant untill farther proof be made thereof Surely we who now secretly smile at some probable insinuations in his report shall on better assurance have our mouthes filled with laughter not Sarahs laughter of distrust but Abrahams of desire delight and beliefe when his relation shall be confirmed to us from other hands And indeed the messenger deserves to be well paid for his pains who brings clear proof thereof the discovery of the posterity of these ten Tribes being an happy Forerunner and Furtherer of their future conversion CHAP. III. Of the Jews their repossessing their native Countrey § 1. IT is a conceit of the modern Iews that one day they shall return under the conduct of their Messias to the Countrey of Canaan and City of Ierusalem and be re-estated in the full possession thereof If any object that their land now base and barren is not worth the regaining They answer when they shall recover their Countrey the Countrey shall recover its former fruitfulness as if God would effect miracles as fast as man can fancy them With them concur some Protestant Divines maintaining that the Iews shall be restored to a flourishing Common-wealth with the affluence of all outward pomp and pleasure so that they shall fight and conquer Gog and Magog the Turke with many other miraculous achievements One Author so enlargeth the future amplitude of the Jewish State that thereby he occasioned a confining to himself His expressions indiscreetly uttered or uncharitably construed importing that all Christian Princes should surrender their power as homagers to the temporall supreme Empire of the Jewish nation § 2. For the proof of this their position never did the servants of Benhadad more diligently observe or more hastily catch any thing of comfort coming from the mouth of Ahab then the Iews search out and snatch at every gracious promise made to them in the old Testament Such principally as Deut. 30. 3. Then on their repentance the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity and have compassion upon thee and will return and gather thee from all nations whiter the Lord thy God hath scattered thee Isaiah 11. 12. And he shall set up an Ensigne for the nations and shall assemble the out-casts of Israel and gather together the dispersed of Iudah from the four corners of the earth Levit. 26. 44. And yet for all that when they be in the land of their enemies I will not cast them away neither will I abhor them to destroy them utterly and to break my covenant with them for I am the Lord their God § 3. This last place the Iews highly price and such of them as live in Germany call it Simiam auream or the Golden Ape And why so Because forsooth in the
Hebrew it begineth with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ve Ape And yet A frivolous conceit on the similitude of sound of two words of different sense in the Hebrew and Dutch tongues Indeed all the loud threatnings in Scripture may more fitly be termed Lions all the meek promises therein Lambes amongst which this cited out of Leviticus is of especiall note whilest it is to be feared such Iews as found hence their temporall kingdome will prove themselves Apish in their ridiculous comment thereupon § 4. But most learned Divines are of a contrary opinion because totall and finall desolation is in Scripture so frequently denounced against their Countrey and Cities therein The Virgin of Israel is fallen she shall NO MORE rise I will NO MORE pity the inhabitants of the land and out of their enemies hand I will NOT deliver them I will love them NO MORE The land shall fall and NOT rise again I will break this people and this City as a Potters vessell which can NOT be made whole again § 5. As for the Scriptures alleadged by the Iews for their temporall restauration to an illustrious condition in their own countrey they have found their full accomplishment in the return of that nation to their own land from the Captivity in Babylon and therefore farther performance of such promises is not to be expected and accordingly it is resolved in their own best Authors Possessionem primam secundam habituri erant possessio autem tertia non erit illis And if any more fulfilling of those promises remaineth behinde it must be made up in the sprirituall conversion of the Iews in Gods due time to the knowledge of Christ and embracing of the Gospell Some of their own writers affirming that all things which relate to the office of their Messiah whom they expect are heavenly and not corporall § 6. The farther prosecution hereof we leave to those Authors who have written large discourses of this subject Onely we will observe a remarkable difference betwixt a place of Scriputre written in the Old alleadged and applyed in the New Testament Amos 9. 11 12. In that day will I raise up the Tabernacle of David that is fallen and close up the breaches thereof and I will raise up his ruines and I will build it as in the days of old That they may possess the remnant of Edom and of all the heathen which are called by my name saith the Lord that doth this Act. 15. 16 17. After this I will return and I will build again the Tabernacle of David which is fallen down and I will build again the ruines thereof and I will set it up That the residue of men might seek after the Lord and all the Gentiles upon whom my name is called saith the Lord who doth all these things Here the Apostle Iames more following the sense then the words of the Prophet as an Expositor rather then Translatour renders the possessing of the remnant of Edom to be by seeking after the Lord by which Analogy we collect that those Topicall promises to the Iews of their conquering and possessing such and such places in and near their own Countrey import onely a spirituall propriety and shall mystically not carnally be accomplished in their sincere conversion to Christ. § 7. More probable therefore it is that the Iews shall not come back to their land but their land shall come back to them I mean those severall places in Europe Asia and Africa wherein they reside shall on their conversion become as comfortable unto them as ever the Land of Canaan was to their Ancestors Forti quaevis terra patria and a contented minde in them shall make any mountain their Olivet river their Iordan field their Carmel forest their Libanus fort their Zion and city their Ierusalem But as for their temporall regaining of their old Countrey in all outward pompe and magnificence even such as are no foes to the Iews welfare but so faâ— friends to their own judgments as not to believe even what they desire till convinced with Scripture or reason account this fancy of the Iews one of the dreams proceeding from the Spirit of slumber wherewith the Apostle affirmeth them to be possessed CHAP. IIII. Of the generall calling of the Jews § 1. BY Iews we understand some left of every Tribe as formerly hath been proved being banished their own Countrey since the death of our Saviour not extending it also as some doe with small probability to the ten Tribes carried captive by Shalmaneâ—er and never since certainly known where existent By calling we intend their reall converting by the word to the knowledge and love of God in Christ. By generall we mean not every individuall Iew whereof some refractary Recusants will ever remain were it but to be foiles to Gods favour in saving the rest but a considerable yea conspicuous number of them And it is a charitable opinion ancient and conformable to Scriptures that in this sense the Iews in Gods due time shall be generally called § 2. Come we now to the places of Scripture alleadged for the proof of this opinion Now as Mesha King of Moab when his Countrey was invaded stood not the choosing of select souldiers for fight but gathered all that were able to put on armour and upwards so authors muster up all places of Scripture which put on any probability to this purpose and can carry any countenance thereunto amongst many others these ensuing Num. 24. 17. Isa. 33. 17. Ezek. 16. 61. Mat. 23. 38. Deut. 32. 43. Isa 41. 15. Ezek. 20. 34. Mat. 24. 23. Psal. 68. 22. Isa. 43. 1. c. Ioel 2. 28. Luk. 21. 24. Psal. 69. 32. 33. Isa. 49. 16 17. Amos 9. 8. Rom. 11. 25. Psal. 110. 2 3. Isa. 51. 1 2. Obad. ver 15. 2 Cor. 3. 16. Cant. 8. 10. Ier. 3. 12. Micah 7. 7. 2 Thes. 2. 8. Isa. 14. 2. Ier. 30. 3. Zeph. 3. 8. Revel 16. 12. Isa. 30. 21 22. Ier. 33. 6. Zech. 2. 9. c. Revel 19. 5. Should these quotations be severally examined many would be found rather to perswade then prove rather to intimate then perswade the matter in hand and that onely to such free and forward apprehensions as are prepossessed with the truth thereof But amongst these and many more numerous Scriptures cited that one place Rom. 11. 25. principally deserveth our serious perusall thereof § 3. The words of the Apostle run thus For I would not brethren that yee should be ignorant of this mystery leâ—t yee should be wise in your own conceits that blindness in part is hapned to Israel untill the fulness of the Gentiles be come in and so all Israel shall be saved c. This is conceived the strongest and clearest Charter for the Iews generall conversion § 4. It will be objected that by all Israel the believing Gentiles are meant for Gods Church
being a collective body of some Iews and moe Gentiles which in Scripture are styled the children of Abraham the Israel of God Iews inwardly with circumcision of the heart in the spirit not the letter Yea in the same verse Saint Paul a Iew called the Romans being Gentiles brethren the kindred coming in by their regeneration and in the same sense all converted Gentiles may be called Israel whose praise is of God and not of man § 5. It is answered allowing elsewhere in Scripture believing Gentiles to pass under the name of Israelites here literally the naturall Iews by extraction must be intended 1 Because clean through the Chapter the Apostle opposeth the Gentiles and Israel as contradistinct termes 2 He acquainteth the Romans with a mystery which was none in effect but stale news and generally known if onely the saving of the Gentiles were therein intended 3 It was his design to comfort the Iews and curbe the Gentiles from over-insulting on their sad condition And lest any should say slightingly to this opinion as David once civilly to Ittai Thou camest but yesterday know it descendeth unto us recommended from the Primitive times § 6. Origen was the first that mentioned it and hâ— otherwise the Allegorizer Generall interprets the Apostle literally in his exposition thereof Say not that being the first of the Fathers who wrote a Comment no wonder if he wandred in his Glosses he who first went from place to place never found out the nearest way seeing better judgments afterwards built on the same bottome Hierom Ambrose Chrysostome and Saint Augustine In the School-men the opinion of the Iews their conversion is not dead but sleepeth Parables and Prophesies are no dishes for their diet Their heavy studies delighted not to tread the water at best the marishes of future contingencies but on the terra firma of certainties where arguments might be grounded Yet the most peaceable amongst them more medling with Comments then Controversies such is Dionysius Carthusianus concur in their judgments therein But the silence of the Schools is recompensed with the loudness of the Pulpits in our later age of Romanists Lutherans and Calvinists generally maintaining the certain expectation of the Iews conversion § 7. Adde hereunto that the Iews ever since their exile from their own land when the Romans sold their Countrey and a learned man observes they set no land to sale save Iudea alone have continued many hundred years a distinct nation As if had learned from their River of Iordan running through the Galilean Sea and not mingling therewith daily to pass through an Ocean of other nations and remain an unmixt and un-confounded people by themselves A comfortable presumption when in company with other arguments that they once Gods peculiar are still preserved a peculiar people for some token for good in due time to be shewed upon them and that these materials are thus carefully kept entire by themselves because intended by Divine Providence for some beautifull building to be made of them hereafter § 8. Let it also be seriously considered that in all ages God hath dropt some considerable convert Iews into the treasury of the Christian Church as good-handsell and earnest of a greater payment to ensue Amongst whom we meet with a Mess of most eminent men Nicolaus Lyra that grand Commentator on the Bible Hieronymus de Sancta Fide turned Chistian about Anno 1412. Physitian as I take it to Benedick the thirteenth Pope who wrote a book unto his Countrey-men the Iews wherewith five thousand of them were converted Ludovicus Carettus living in Paris Anno 1553. and the never sufficiently to be praised Emmanuel Tremellius And besides the visible converts falling uner the notice of man we may charitably presume many concealed ones especially on their death-beds known to God alone Yea I conceive that learned Rabbin more then Agrippa almost a Christian who hath this amongst other pious expressions I dread and fear O Lord that that Iesus whom the Christians worship may be that righteous sold for silver according to the Prophet Amos. § 9. As for the time of the Iews conversion let us content our selves for the generall it shall be after the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in But for the particular year by some so peremptorily and positively assigned I cannot but admire at the confidence of men therein Especially seeing some which pretend such familiarity to future events are not the best acquainted with passages in former ages and those which seem to know all which is to come know but little of what is past as if they were the better Prophets for being the worse Historians § 10. But well it were if their confidence were confined to themselves alone being onely content to abound in their own sense without imposing it on others But besides their confidence such is their cruelty to exact yea extort the uttermost farthing of our beliefe to be paid in even at the first sight to their conceits or else we must into the Prison yea deepest dungeon and be condemned for being weak or wilfull ignorant or obstinate Whereas in such peremptory particularizing of the very year such as pretend to plough with the heifers of Gods Spirit may be suspected to be drawn away with the wild buls of their own imaginations § 11. The rather because so great the difference betwixt the severall Dates assigned by them Some making it 1652 others 1660 Some sooner and before some later and after the destruction of the Romish Antichrist It is therefore the most safe and sober way in so much variety to leave a blanke in our judgments for God to write the true time therein when we or after-ages shall behold the same brought to pass One day teacheth another and to-day yesterdays school-master is scholar to to-morrow at whose feet as Paul at Gamaliels it will at night â—it dutifully down for farther informaton Yea by an inverted method the daughter doth instruct the mother and the day which in time cometh after goeth before in knowledge CHAP. V. Of the present obstructions of the calling of the Jews § 1. MAny are the obstacles both externall and internall which for the present obstruct the conversion of the Iews First our want of civill society with their nation There must be first conversing with them before there can be converting of them The Gospell doth not work as the weapon-salve at distance but requires some competent familiarity with the persons of Probationer-converts Whereas the Iews being banished out of England France and Spaine are out of the call of the Gospell and ken of the Sacraments in those Countreys § 2. Secondly the cruel ussage of them in the Papall and Imperiall dominions where they swarm most and where publick authority doth not endevour to drop and distill piety into them but to squeese and press profit out
follow learned Masius though loth to erre with any willing to venture sooner on his then any other Authors judgement herein May the Reader find out Helkah in our Mappe in the South-east part thereof not farre from the Sea thence let his eies start and with good successe following the names in the Text and the pricks in our Mappe for his direction surround the Borders of this Tribe Helkah was afterwards given to the Levites Gershonites to be one of their foure Cities in this Tribe had Achshaph and formerly been a Royall City of the Canaanites whose King had been conquered by Ioshua Verse 26. And Alamelech and Amad and Mishael and reacheth to Carmel Westward and Shihor Libnah Mishael or Mashal was another City of the Levites By this the Border of Asher ran Southwestward to Carmell understand thereby not the mountain so called lying more South in Zebulun but the Plain lying under the same more towards the North. Shihor Libnah that is the white River Now for streames to take their names from their colours is no news to them that have heard of Albis in Germany Melas in Thracia and two Rivers called Blackwater the one in the South the other in the North of Ireland But whether this River in Asher took the whitenesse from the foaming water therein or Chalk-banks like our Albion on both sides or from the materials of glasse or crystall growing there let others dispute whilst we onely observe that Album Promontorium or the white Promontory is by Pliny placed hereabouts Verse 27. And turneth toward the Sun rising to Beth Dagon and reacheth to Zebulun and to the Valley of Iiphthabel toward the Northside of Bethemek and Neiel and goeth out to Cabul on the left hand The Map will make all these flexures plain Beth Dagon that is the Temple of Dagon but how came this Idol of the Philistims to travell thus farre almost to Phoenicia Surely it never came hither on its own legges as the Psalmist observes Feet have they but they walk not but was brought by the Superstition of the Canaanites which borrowed this Idol from their neighbours Concerning Cabul quaere whether it were the name of a particular place or the same with the Land of Cabul which I conceive lay more Northward which Solomon afterward bestowed on Hiram King of Tyre Verse 28. And Hebron and Rehob and Hammon and Kanah even unto great Zidon Hebron differing from a greater City of the same name in the Tribe of Iudah Rehob that is large or spacious this name speaking it a City of great receipt Unto this place came the twelve Spies sent to discover the Land and this City was afterwards bestowed upon the Levites This Kanah the great is conceived by some the birth place of Simon the Canaanite the disciple of Christ. Great Zidon was given to never gained by this Tribe whose Borders reached to Zidon exclusively so that Ashers lips might touch the cup but not taste the liquor of so sweet a City Verse 29. And then the Coast turneth to Ramah and to the strong City Tyre aud the Coast turneth to Hosah and the outgoings thereof are at the Sea from the coast to Achzib Turneth namely towards the South Ramaâ— that is an high place as the name importeth therefore seated by us on a Mountain Such Maps as place Ramah in a valley are guilty of as great a Solecisme in Geography as he in gesture who speaking O Heavens pointed to the Earth Wonder not that in Palestine we meet with so many Ramahs Towns seated on a rising or advantage of ground seeing it was so mountainous a Countrey Equivalent whereunto we have the frequent name of Upton in England whereof I have told Smile good Reader but doe not jeer at my curiosity herein no fewer then three and thirty in the Alphabeticall names of Speeds descriptions Tyre like Zidon was never possest by the Asherites neither was Achzib neer to Helkah where we first began our preambulation about this Tribe and now redit labor actus in orbem we have walked the Round and encompassed the Bounds thereof Verse 30. Ummah also and Aphek and Rehob twenty and two Cities with their Villages This is the inheritance of the Tribe of the children of Asher according to their families these Cities with their Villages All the former were limitary places in the Tribe of Asher these three last were more Inland Cities in the heart of the Countrey To avoid tautology â—ehob here must be allowed a distinct City from that mentioned before § 8. But of all these Cities Aphek was most remarkable whose King was killed by Ioshua and neer whereunto Benhadad lately beaten by Ahab on the Mountains of Samaria with his new model'd Army in a new place hoped for new successe For in stead of the thirty two Kings of more pomp then puissance to his Army he placed so many Captaines seeing it is not the shining of the hilt but the sharpnesse of the edge of the sword must do the the deed And resolved to fight in the Plain conceiving the Gods of the Israelites though by Benhadads swelling words lofty language one might rather have collected the Syrian Gods to have been the Gods of the MouÌ„tains Then appeared he with a mighty Host against whom the Israelites marched forth like two little flocks of Kids Behold here a wonder the Kids kill the Wolves and a hundred thousand Syrian footmen were kill'd in one day From the field they flie into the City of Aphek What was it to try whether the God of Israel concluded now God of the Countrey be it hilly or plain were God of the City also They found it so by sad experience when the wall of the City fell on twenty and seven thousand of them that were left which wall if cruell to kill was charitable to bury them § 9. Yet Ahab afterwards lost the advantage of this victory when contrary to Gods flat command on Benhadads feigned submission he indulged life unto him which caused his own death and destruction not long after Thus foolish pity in stead of breaking whets the knife for it's own throat and they who onely take out the teeth and sting of such serpents which they should kill outright shall finde the very stumps and tail remaining enough to bite and sting them to death § 10. Baanah the sonne of Hushai was Solomons purveyor in Asher and in Aloth What this Aloth should be a deep silence is in all Comments I conceive it a hilly Countrey appendent to Asher ascending with mountains according to the notation of the Hebrew word Herein our guesse is seconded by plenty of Gradati montes Staired mountains which goe up by degrees found in these parts and one most eminent whereof Iosephus takes especiall notice being an hundred furlongs north of Ptolemais called scala Tyriorum or the Tyrians Ladder How neer our conjecture is bowled to the
mark I know not but hope the Reader before he knocks this away will lay a better in the room thereof So much of Asher whose countrey was much straitned by the Phoenicians their mortall enemies lying within his bounds though never subdued which we now come to describe § 11. Phoenicia is often mentioned in Scripture and is so called as some will have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from plenty of palm trees growing therein as others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the many slaughters formerly made in that warlike Nation To omit other antiquated deductions thereof prettiest because newest is that of a modern Author from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bhene-Anak Pheanak Phoenik the sons of Anak as the fathers and founders of the people of this Country A long slender Country it is having the bounds thereof by severall Authors variously assigned but generally extended from the Sea to Mount Libanus in breadth and in length from Carmel to the River Canis in the north a tract of an hundred miles and upwards § 12. The inhabitants hereof were transcendently ingenious whose wits like the gold wire they so much dealt with were ductile and pliable to all inventions From a pin to a pillar nothing was so small but their skill could work nothing so great but their industry could atchieve Whatsoever was pretty for children to play with or neat for women to weare or necessary for man to use in any one of these the Phoenicians were so expert nature might seem to design them for that alone and so dextrous in all of them it were hard to say wherein they excelled They could weave clothes with the smallest thred dresse them with the finest work dye them with the freshest colours embroider them with the richest cost and then either sell them to others to their great profit or weare them with as much pride themselves They were excellent Architects Solomon himself who well knew the most cunning workmen in every craft confessing to Hiram There is not amongst us any that can skill to he◠timber like the Sidonians They are also conceived the first founders of Letters Arithmetick Astronomy with the working in glasse and severall other rare devices § 13. Tyre was the chiefest city in Phoenicia situate at the entrance of the Sea Elegantly the Prophet termeth the harvest of the river her revenue an harvest lasting all the yeare long every day sowing at the setting forth and reaping at the return of her Ships Tyre said of her self I am of perfect beauty which coming out of her own mouth was rather proudly then falsly spoken If it be accounted one of the stateliest sights in the world to see a stout Ship under saile how beautifull was it to behold the Tyrian Gallies with all their accoutrements Planks of the Fir-trees of Senir Masts of the Cedars of Lebanon Oares of the Oaks of Bashan Hatches of the ivory of Chittim Sailes with broidered work oh vanity top and top gallant out of Egypt blue and purple Carpets for covering from the Iles of Elisha with Giblites for Calkers Arvadites for Mariners Persians c. for Souldiers and Tyrians her own Townsmen for Pilots so keeping the honour and haply seeking to preserve the mysteries of their harbour to themselves § 14. Passe we from their Ships to their Shops which we finde fraught with commodities of all kindes Whose Merchants are Princes saith the Prophet and it seems that Tyramus a good word for a good King till customary using thereof in the worst sense infected it had its originall from the Pride and Magnificence of the Tyrian Merchants This city is termed a Mart of Nations both because all Nations were there to sell and there to be sold they traded the persons of men and not onely armes but armies were here to be bought and horsemen as well as horses were chaffered in their markets § 15. Now as Tyre was dispersed all over the world in the severall Colonies planted by her in forein parts so the World was contracted into Tyre whither Merchants from all countries did repair Compare Ezek. 27. with Gen. 10. and it will appear that most of those nations which departed from Babel in a confusion met in Tyre in such a method as now inabled through industry observation and entercourse they could understand the languages and traffique one with another We intend a little to insist both upon the commodities and countries of such as hither resorted For though I dare not goe out of the bounds of Canaan to give these Nations a visit at their own homes yet finding them here within my Precincts it were incivility in me not to take some acquaintance of them In setting down of their severall places I have wholly followed let my candle goe out in a stink when I refuse to confess from whom I have lighted it Bochartus in his holy Geography Their severall trades we rank according to the twelve great Companies in London Let not the comparison as ominous offend any Tyre since being reduced to a ruinous heap seeing the Parallel is onely intended to shew the like latitude of commerce betwixt them However it is neither unseasonable on this occasion nor improper for my profession every Minister in this respect being the Cities Remembrancer to minde London not to trust in uncertain riches seeing pride and unthankfulness may quickly levell the highest bank of wealth yea strongest mountain of outward greatness 1 Merchant-Mercers Such as traded in Silkes Byssus in latine though rendred fine-linnen in our translation blue and purple being Egyptians Syrians and from the Isles of Elisha By Elisha understand Peloponnesus wherein an ancient ample countrey called Elis and part thereof termed Alisium by Homer where the adjacent Islands Co Carpathus Cythera Rhodes Gyarus c. are eminent for plenty of purple Here some wil object it was a real tautology to bring purples to Tyre seeing by generall confession the best of the world were made in that place In answer whereunto know that these Elishian purples being of a different die and dress from those of Tyre were a distinct commodity It is so far from being needless pains that it may bring considerable Profit to carry Char-coals to New-castle And these courser purples though not for the Tyrians own wearing might be for their barter with other Nations Not to say but that the peevish principle might possess the people of Tyre to slight homebred and prize forein wares so that the Tyrians Ladies might prefer those purples best for their own use which were fetched the farthest off 2 Merchant-Grocers Such as traffiqued with the chief of all spices being those of Sheba and Raamah both being places in Arabia the happy Great no doubt was the fragrancy of these spices brought over land to Tyre whereas such as are conveyed into England by ship from India have the less vigour of that land where they grow and the
Ribera in altari Lateranensi infra quod dicitur esse Arca In the Lateran Altar say they in Rome beneath within which IT IS SAID the Ark is but both of them speak so uncertainly and put it on publick fame that they teach us to deny the Truth thereof Philol. You are very briefe in the destruction of the City and Temple by the Romans whereas so memorable a subject deserved a fuller description Aleth It is largely related by Iosephus to whom the Reader is referred onely I will adde a word of the remarkable time thereof God graciously promised his people Neither shall any man desire thy land when thou shalt goe up to appear before the Lord thy God thrice a year Obedience is better then an Army to secure ones estate As the Meniall-servants of great Persons are protected in some cases from Arrests whilest they waite on their Masters in publick imployment so Gods people were priviledged from damage during their attendance on him thrice a year in his Temple no invasion being found to befall them on that occasion clean through the Scripture But at last in token that they by their wickedness had out-lawed themselves of his protection and he withdrawn his defending of them the Romans besieged them in Ierusalem coming up thither on the solemn feast of the Passeover and soon after both Temple and City was destroyed by Vespasian and Titus his son seventy two years after our Saviours birth Not one stone of the Temple left upon another though three towers of the City Maâ—iamne Phaselus and Hippicus were left standing not out of pity but pride their devouring sword leaving this mannerly bit on purpose that posterity might tast how strong the place was to the greater credit of the conquerours Philol. To adde to the solemnity of the State Titus with his Father Vespasian made a solemn Triumph in Rome wherein the golden Table and Candlestick with other sacred Utensils of the Temple formerly reverenced now derided made once for Gods service now served to adorn the Trophees of Pagans We read what befell Belshazzar when he quaffed in the vessels of the Temple Some perchance might here expect that God to punish the profanaâ—ion of these holy instrumentâ— should then have shewed some signall judgment on the profaners But the case was altered because the date of Ceremonies was then expired the use of Types ended Christ the Truth being come and the Moon may set obscurely without any mans taking notice of her when the Sun is risen Aleth The last and greatest Trophee then carried in triumph was the LAW OF THE IEWS probably that very numericall book the Authentiâ—k or Originall of the Law which by Gods command was constantly to be kept in the Temple And this perchance was permitted by divine providence not without a peculiar mystery therein to shew that the Law which formerly bound men over to damnation was now bound it self in captivity outed of its former dominion deposed from its condemning power having now the Gospell of Grace succeeding in the place thereof Lastly orders were issued out to the Governour of Syria to set the whole land of Iudea to sale which was done accordingly Time was when by the Leviticall Law Iewish land though â—old yet at the year of Iubile was to revert to the ancient owners but now the King of heaven granted such a license of Alienation that it was fully and finally passed away from its ancient possessors Philol. To perpetuate thâ— memory of this Roman conquest besides many other monuments Coins were stamped both in gold and silver with the Image of Vespasian and Titus on the one side and on the reverse a woman placed in a pensive posture under a Palme-tree which tree was the Hieroglyphick of Iudea onely differing herein that the Palme-tree the more depressed the more it flourisheth whereas Iudea sunke under the weight of her woes and never again outgrew her miseries And lest men should miss the fancy of the Impress they are guided thereunto by the Motto subscribed Iudaea capta Iudea taken Aleth What â—an on sight hereof would not call to minde the complaint of the Prophet How doth the City sit solitary that was full of people how is she become as a widow she that was great among the nations and Princess among the Provinces how is she become tributary Great no doubt was the grief of the Iews hereat But few drops seasonably showred would preserve the green blade from withering when much rain cannot revive the roots once withered Eyes dry for their sins are vainly wet after their sufferings and a drought in the Spring is not to be repaired by a deluge in the Autumn CHAP. XX. Objections concerning the Description of Mount Libanus answered Philol. YOu make Libanus to be the north-ridge of these hills and Anti-Libanus to be the south part thereof clean contrary unto learned Munster in his description of it Aleth Munster is singular therein unseconded by any other Authors However the controversie is not important as touching Scripture wherein this distinction appears not at all both the north and south chains of those mountains being promiscuously called Libanus in Holy Writ Some humane Authors lay this distinction in point of east and west so great is the difference among them If I may freely profess my opinion herein I conceive that the inhabitants of this mountain termed the place of their own habitation wheresoever they dwelt Libanus and named the mountains of their overthwart neighâ—bours Anti-Libanus as commonly men account their own Religion onely to be Christianity and all such opinions as are opposite to their own Antichristian Philâ—l In your Map generall of old Canaan the Island of Arvad or Aradus is not above forty miles from Zidon which in this Map of mount Libanus are fourscore miles asunder Indeed I have read of a floating Isle in Scotland moving from place to place with the winde and waves But is this Isle of Aradus fixed to no firmer foundations so that it hath swom forty miles more northward in this then in your former draught thereof Aleth May you be pleased to remember that in our instructions premised to the Reader we gave notice that places standing on the Um-stroke or utmost line of any Map denote not their accurate position but situation thereabouts to clear the continuation of the Countrey Such the location of Arvad in our former Map which in this of mount Libanus is placed according to the true distance thereof Philol. You make the River Abanâ— in heathen Authors Chrysorrhoâ—s to sink into the ground without communicating it self to the sea This is out of the common road of nature that this River should be free from paying tribute to the Ocean to which all smaller waters are indebted Yea and Adrichomius no doubt on good authority maketh it when passing from Damâ—scus to run through a plain called Arch abod and so