of men after the flood both in comparison with those before the flood and those after that their storie might not be flouted of the Egyptians adde of purpose 1500. yeares to the Fathers after the flood For seeing Terah begot Abraham at 120. And because Sem begot Arphacsad at 100. yeares old to euery one where wanteth an hundred they put an hundred As Arphacsad liued 3â— yeres and begot Selah they translate Arphacsad liued 135. and begot Selah and so in the rest By which reckoning Sem is dead before the time he should meet with Abraham Saint Ieâ—om accquainted with the Hebrewes dealings knew that their consent was that Sem was Melchisedech and so he affirmeth Besides it is not likely that any of Chams house should be like to the Son of God being a cursed generation Againe if it be obiected that Moses doth not call Melâ—hisedech Sem and therefore it is likely hee was not Sem This obiection is thus answered Moses penneth his storie short because he knew all the Iewes were well acquainted therwith And as for the Author to the Hebrewes setting him downe to bee without father without mother we must consider in what sense and meaning he speaketh for seeing it is added by Moses in Melchisedechs storie that he was king of Salem and it is not possible for a king to be borne without Father without Mother and it was neuer the meaning of the holy Ghost to crosse the course of the creation therefore we must looke for some other exposition than that which the bare litterall sense will afford vpon the first sight This therefore is the Author to the Hebrew meaning He was now to call to the Iewes minde one who in their storie was a figure of the Messias Now seeing Christ the Sauiour of the world as he was God had no mother and as he was man no father therefore to make this plaine that is to make Melchisedech a figure answerable to this truth he so speaketh of him as if hee were without Father or Mother because he resembled the Sonne of God Now the Author to the Hebrewes might verie safely vse this kind of speaking For Sem being borne before the floode and in Abrahams time being a Grandfather of eight degrees must needes be thought to Abrahams Souldiers to bee without father without mother who had neither beginning of dayes nor end of life So that a Souldier of Abrahams campe might aske of one of Canaan Goodman of Canaan who is this goodlie old man with a hoarie beard Hee would answere thus Hee is called the iust King and his towne is named the quiet Towne For when all the other Kings his neighbours are at variance he onely liueth in peace And when Elam ouercame fiue Kings no man offered him any violence We haue in euery village a seuerall God but he sacrificeth to the God as he saith that made vs and them And marke what I shall tell you When he offereth an Oxe or a Ramme to his God which he saith made the heauens and the earth fire commeth from heauen to consume it and he seemeth to be so strong that none of vs shall liue to see his dayes In this respect therefore the Author to the Hebrewes affirmeth that he was without father without mother who hath neither beginning of dayes nor end of life For in proper sence it cannot be true 2094. Ismael borne THe sonne of Hagar an Egyptian whom Sara gaue to Abraham because her selfe was barren When Ismael was thirteene yeeres old as Gen. 17. Abraham tooke Ismael and euery man child among the men of his house and circumcised the fore-skin of their flesh the same day as God had commaunded Which Ceremonie of circumcision continued vnto Christ but since his death it is abrogated with the rest of the ceremonies of the law and is of no force vnto saluation As Gal. 5. I Paul testifie that if ye be circumcised Christ shall profite you nothing at all for whosoeuer is circumcisied is bound to keepe the whole lawe And as many as are iustified by the lawe are fallen from grace For in Iesus Christ neither is circumcision any thing worth nor vncircumcision But faith which worketh by loue as Abak 2. The iust shall liue by his faith The day of Circumcision was the Eight day The seale was answerable to Baptisme Wee haue no speciall storie of Eight to be compared with this but the eight that were saued in the Arke The ceremony of the day is answerable to the number of the persons and the seale it selfe answerable to the waters of the floode to the which answereth Babtisme which now saueth vs. Ismael had twelue sonnes and one daughter Iacob had twelue sonnes and one daughter Ismael was answerable in outward blessings to Isaack and Iacob but not in spirituall for hee was borne after the flesh And although he were the sonne of Abraham hee was not the sonne of Abraham as it is written They are not all children because they are the seede of Abraham but In Isaack shall thy Seede bee called that is they which are the children of the flesh are not the children of God but the children of the Promise are counted for the Seede In the Bible there are two Ismaels the one an Egyptian by the mother the other by the Father The one of Abraham by the mother the other of Abraham by the Father Both these were enemies to the True seede of Abraham This Ismael flowted the Promise in Isaack the other Ismael killeth Godoliah Hee being left a Gouernour of the seede of Isaack Ismael was vpon euery mans head and euery man vpon his head seeing he persecuted Isaack 2096. Arphachsad died being 438. yeere old Gen. 11. Â 2100. Isaack borne Gen. 21. When Abraham is 100. yeeres olde and Sara 90. yeeres old according to Gen. 17. HIs name signifieth Laughter When Isaack is promised Sara Laughed so did Abraham So did Ismael laugh at Isaack These three laughters in Hebrew are expressed by one word but there is great difference Sara Laughed as at a thing vnlooked for For she said I am now 90. yeeres olde and my Lord 100. shall I now giue my selfe vnto lust seeing it ceaseth to bee withe mee as with other women And the Lord said is any thing vnpossible with God Abraham laughed as reioycing thereat for it is said Abraham beleeued in God and it was reckoned to him for righteousnesse Ismael laughed as flowting at Isaack as though he were such a goodly fellow in whom the Promise should be established You haue this storie renewed againe in the New Testament For the Angel Gabriel saith vnto Mary For with God nothing is impossible Elizabeth commeth to salute Mary and she saith Blessed is she that beleeueth for those things shal be performed which are told thee from the Lord. It is sayd of Abraham that hee laughed when the Angel promised he should haue a sonne thereby signifying his reioycing Isaacks life was answerable to this ioy for
yeeres olde and three quarters answerable to the death of Christ at his death seeing his death was a figure of the death of Christ There is nothing precisely determined by the Scriptures and therefore it is left for vs to follow which we will This Isaack in respect of the commaundement of God that he should be offered vp and the obedience of Abraham in offering him was dead and was restored to Abraham as if he had beene risen from the dead He was offered on mount Moriah a part of the mountaine of Sion called afterwards Ierusalem Of this Christ speaketh O Ierusalem Ierusalem that thou sawest those things that concerne the peace but now they are hid from thine eyes therefore thou art Iebus that is troden downe God altereth the name of Moriah to Ierusalem because he would haue kept in memorie Abrahams obedience Sems religion and therefore giueth it a name comprehending both for in respect of Abraham he calleth it Iire Abraham giuing it the name Iehouah Iire that is in the mount will the Lord be seene In respect of Sem he keepeth the name of Salem still and so it is called Iire Salem the Sight of peace From this storie the Iewes might haue knowne the death of Christ seeing Christ compareth them together and yet by putting Christ to death haue saued the world though not heaped condemnation on their owne heads For as it was prophecied that one man must die for all the people so they might haue thus reasoned We know this is the Messias and that he must die for the sinnes of the people Isaack beeing a figure and this time wherein hee nowe is on the earth agreeing with Daniels seuens Therefore as Abraham offered vp Isaack so let the high sacrificer according to the lawe put him to death But then as Saint Peter speaketh if they had knowne this they would not haue crucified the Lord of glorie But as the windowes of Salomons Temple bee narrow without and wide within so Christ speaketh of parables that they are therefore spoken that in hearing they should not heare and in seeing they should not see least they should repent and bee saued The Authour to the Hebrewes sayth By faith Abraham offered vppe Isaack and hee that receiued the promise offered his onelie begotten sonne to whome it was saide In Isaack shall thy Seede bee called for thee considered that God was able to raise him vppe euen from the dead from whence hee receiued him also after a sorte Christ in the Gospell affirmeth That Abraham sawe my dayes that is in Isaack and reioyced God speaketh from heauen to Abraham in this sorte By my selfe haue I sworne because thou hast done this thing and haste not spared thine onely sonne therefore will I surely blesse thee In Rom. 8. Saint Paul speaketh thus What shall we say then to these things If God be on our side who can be against vs who spared not his owne sonne but gaue him to death for vs how shall he not with him giue vs all things also Compare Isaack with Christ Was not Abraham our father iustified by workes when he offered his son Isaack vpon the Altar Iam. 2. Isaack was bound Isaack after 3. daies was offred vp to death and after a sort reuiued to life God spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all to death Christ was bound Hauing suffred death riseth vp againe the third day to life 2145. Sara died Being 127. yeeres old She was buried in Canaan in the field of Machpelah which Abraham bought of the Hittites This place they would haue giuen Abraham freely for they confessed that hee was a prince of God amongst them but he would buy it because they should not say that they had made Abraham rich wherefore we must know if we will be godlie that all our life is but a pilgrimage and that wee are but straungers and that all our inheritance is nothing else but a place for buriall The Hebrewes expound Sarahs death a mortification and dying vnto sinne Rebecca is married to Isaack Gen. 25. When he is 40. yeeres old She is the daughter of Bethuel the sonne of Nachor the sonne of Terah and brother of Abraham her Grandfather Nachor was an idolatrer but her grandmother Milka is thought to bee of a good Religion in that two of her sonnes Bethuel and Kemuel haue El. the mightie God in their names Isaack goeth to Mesopotamia for a wife of his owne kinred for in Canaan there were none of his kinred and of the women of the lande he might not marrie Iacob his sonne likewise goeth to Mesopotamia to Laban the Brother of Rebecca and there taketh him wiues of the same kindred 2158. Sem died Gen. 11. This Sem was a great King and liued Sixe Hundred yeares as Noah before the flood He is called Melchisedech the King of peace Hee dwelt at Salem where his name continued Sixtie and fiue ages halfe One hundreth and thirtie answerable to Seth till that the Apostles receiued the holy Ghost after the ascention of Christ Hee is resembled to the Sonne of God Sems house beleeued that Christ should come till hee came and when he came they denyed him and were cut off 2160 Esau and Iacob borne Gen. 25. The first matter in this storie to bee considered is how the two twinnes in Rebeckahs wombe are called two nations Malachi speaking in the person of God saith I haue loued Iacob and hated Esau So Saint Paul saith to the Romanes Cap. 9. Ere they were borne it was sayd The elder shall serue the younger as it is written Esau haue I hated and Iacob haue I loued ESaus description is thus layd downe in the Scriptures First that he was hayrie that hee was of great courage and at his birth Iacob holdeth him by the heele God thereby shewing at their birth what should be the course of their liues afterwards Homer maketh mention that Vlisses ouerthrew Aiax by striking him on the leg The Greeke translators handle it so and call him Thermistes that is to say a Heeler Esau was a Hunter liuing like the Ruffians and Roysters of our time He selleth his birth-right for a messe of pottage for Iacob would not giue it vnto him except Esau would first sweare to sell him his birth right Saith Esau I am contented for it will bee so long ere it will be enioyed that I and my sonnes Sonne shal be dead first So with an oath he sold Iacob his birth-right therefore hee was called Edom Redde pottage No doubt Isaacks men knew this to bee a rare blessing and seeing he had despised it they must needs whensoeuer they called him Edom keepe his wickednesse in memorie for by this sale he despised Noah Sem Heber and Abraham and all his victories in the faith of which blessing Abraham ouercame so gloriously This is the first combate by the which Iacob a Heeler supplanteth Esau The whole posteritie of Esau bare the name of this infidelitie hee thought it a
that thereby we may be made more fit for his iudgements C ham was saued in the Arke to be a scourge for all the rest And if you marke through the Bible you shall find that God dealeth in the like seueritie For euery good familie hath one of Chams impietie to persecute him Adam had The Serpent to tempt them Abell had Kaine to kill him Isaack had Ismael to flout him Iacob had Esau to pursue him Ioseph had His owne brethren to sell him Iob had His wife and friends to reproue him The Israelites had Pharaoh to afflict them Dauid had Saule and Absalom to persecute him The Iewes had the Babylonians Medes and Persians Grecians Sirogrecians to subdue them Christ had the Iewes and Romanes to crucifie him ⧠The time of the continuance of the Flood is thus described IN the dayes of the Flood Moses teacheth two things the dayes of the moneth and the dayes of the whole yeare For hee writeth that the Flood began the Seuenteenth day of the Second moneth and that the waters preuailed One Hundred and Fiftie dayes and that the next day after One Hundred and Fiftie was the Seuenteenth day of the Seuenth moneth Six and Fortie dayes had passed before the Floud for the Seuen and Fortie day I meane the Seuenteenth day of the Second moneth the Floud began Ioyne One Hundred and Fiftie with Six and Fortie they make plainely One hundred Nintie and Sixe dayes which diuided by Thirtie leaue Sixe exact moneths and the Seuenteene dayes of the Seuenth Moneth in which Moses writeth that the Arke rested Hereby it is most euident that in ancient time they had Thirtie dayes to a Moneth Moreouer a moderate expounder of Moses shall finde Three hundred sixtie and fiue dayes in the yeare of the floud Thus The first day of the Tenth Moneth Two hundred Seuentie and One dayes from the beginning of the yeare the tops of the Mountaines were discouered Noah taried yet Fortie dayes when Three hundred and Eleuen dayes were past then he sent forth a Rauen which houered a long time hee nameth not the time but as Seuen vpon Seuen in the Doue is expressed so Fortie vppon Fortie is here to be vnderstood So then there are Three hundred fiftie and one dayes to which adde the fourteene last in which the Doue was twise sent forth then you haue Three hundred sixtie and foure dayes after the Fourteene dayes in which the Doue returned not Moses reckoneth the first day of the Moneth in these words In the Six hundred and One of the age of Noah the first day of the first Moneth the waters were dried vp Concerning the fiue dayes euerie sixe yeares they make a leap Moneth and the odde quarter of a day in One hundred and Twentie yeares make a leape Moneth Thus much for the vse of the Fathers before the Flood ⧠NOW FOLLOWETH THE Fathers after the Flood whose Storie containeth vnto the promise giuen vnto Abraham 427 yeeres ⧠Some thinge will I speake of the generall vse of them both WE haue two stayes the Fathers before the flood and the Fathers after the flood The summe of all is nothing else but to know God and him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ For surely the spirit of God hath in such plainesse penned downe the Storie of the Scriptures that all the world must wonder at the wisdome of God layd downe so shortly and plainely Before the flood hee taught nothing but the Gospell adding to the doctrine thereof Kaines Murther and Lamechs Adulterie And after the flood we haue not Ten notable Fathers as before for Terah the Father of Abraham fell away and worshipped strange Gods And surely as the Sunne Moone and Starres are glorious and excellent for the distinguishing of times so are the numbers of the ages of the fathers and through the Scripture for the clearenesse of the word Times are generall or particular generall from Adam to the flood and from thence to Abrahams promise from thence to the comming out of Egipt then to the building of Salomons Temple then to the burning thereof by the Babilonians and then to the end of the captiuity and from thence to the death of Christ These are the summe of all the times the proofe of these is scattered through the Scriptures Thus much for the two tables in generall After the flood NOah and Sem be here handled againe because their story continued through and after the floode Compare Noah with Adam and you shall see that Noah is another Adam Adam Noah was an husbandman Became into transgression by eating vnlawfully And Euah after their transgression seeing their nakednes sowed figge tree leaues to couer them and the very same words that God spake to Adam in Paradise for ruling and encreasing the very same he reneweth to Noah Had the tree of life in Paradise for a seale of conseruation Had twoo younger Sonnes good and the elder wicked Was an husbandman Became into transgression by drinking vnlawfully After his transgression hauing his nakednes vncouered is couered by Sem Iaphet Had the rainbowe as a couenant of preseruation Had twoo eldest Sons good and the younger wicked Kaine the eldest Son of Adam was cursed C ham the yongest Son of Noah euen to Canaan his youngest Sonne was cursed The one against nature killed his brother The other against humanitie vncouered his fathers nakednes Adam before the flood might eate no flesh Noah after the floode might eat flesh the blood onely excepted because in the blood of euerie thing is the life and the life of euerie thing will God require at euerie creatures hand from the seueritie of which a commandement against murther was giuen to Noah The reason why they might eat flesh after the flood and not before may be because the dayes of man being shortened at the flood halfe in halfe the bodies of men were afterwards of a more weake constitution and then you read first of planting of Vines for wine which was added to be a helpe in digestion to the strengthning of the bodie and quickning of the vitall spirits as in Psal 104. Wine doth make the heart glad and oyle doth cause a cheerefull countenance Noah was drunke and vncouered in the midst of his tent and awaking from his wine hee knew what his youngest Sonne had done and sayd Cursed be Canaan a slaue of slaues shall he be now Noah would not curse Cham because God blessed him but hee cursed Canaan his Nephew the Sonne of Cham who as some suppose derided also his Grandfather Blessed be the God of Sem and God will perswade Iaphet to dwell in the Tents of Sem. Vpon these three sentences doe the chiefe Stories of the Bible depend For whatsoeuer plagues doth befall the Egyptians the Cananites Ethiopians Blackemores Babylonians and such like is contained within Chams curse Whatsoeuer blessing is promised or performed to the Iews is comprehended within Sems blessing Whatsoeuer promises of mercie and sauing health was prophecied of to
of the tower of Confusion 70 of Sems posteritie 600. yeeres after were forced to goe into the land of Cham and there compelled to be bricke-makers vnder Pharaoh King of Egypt because they despised the blessing of Sem and remembred not the story of the 70. Families that built the tower of Babell To shew that when in prosperitie men forget God turning his graces into wantonnesse and his blessings to foolish pleasures that hee will take his blessings of bread and wine and oyle from vs driue vs into forraine Nations amongst Egyptian dogges to seeke reliefe whose succour shal be yokes of heauy bondage to punish vs in the same pleasure wherein we offended All the Seuentie Families doe afflict Sem for this before he hath his full renowne and in scattering of Iocktanes Sons they are placed furthest off Ierusalem of any Peleg diuided Christ is Palmoni the secret Numberer that weigheth numbreth and diuideth Vnto the building of the Tower of Babel we haue Sem Name Arphachsad Heaâ—ing Sale Spoyling Heber Pilgrime Peleg Diuâ—ded Put these together and you haue a short sentence A good name like precious Oyle shall heale the spoyling of poore strangers for God will dâ—uâ—de to euerie one accordâ—ng to his workes 1787. Regu borne Euill 1819. Sarug borne Bough or Plant. 1849. Nachor borne Drie 1878. Terah borne Smelling AN euill Plant that hath lost his sappe and is become drie being not watered with the dew of heauenly grace can giue no good smell which appeareth in that Terah quite forgetting that euer God created and consumed the world and brought the deuises of the Sonnes of Noah his great Grandfather to open shame of eternall memorie scattering them vp and downe like Vagabonds ouer all the earth figuring the calamities of their later ages the punishment wherof chiefely to be perfourmed in his owne kindred became an Idolatrer as Ioshua 24. Your Fathers in old time worshipped strange Gods euen Terah the Father of Abraham c. But marke the euent For euen as the Sonnes of Sem for ioyning with the rest were scattered with the rest so the posteritie of Terah by Abram euen the best of them namely the Iewes were once scattered Vagabonds ouer all the earth for not embracing the couenant of Abraham Isaack and Iacob but in mercie gathered together againe to the Mountaine of grace to Iacobs Well that giueth euerliuing water to so many as would acknowledge Christ the Rocke to the Land that flowed with Milke and Honie to Bethel the house of Iehouah where they might see a Ladder reaching from heauen to earth with Angels ascending and descending to that fresh springing hill of Sion which is watered with the dew of Hermon from whence it runneth like the precious oyntment that ran downe from Aarons beard to wash away their former vncleanesse and to purge their filthy leaprousie that they might be a sweet smelling sacrifice vnto the Lord holy and acceptable before his Throne hauing an high sacrificer to enter into the Holy of Holyest to make intercession for them that they might be free from confusion and deliuered out of the bondage of the outward and spirituall Babel But euen as the dog that returneth to his vomite and the hogge to his wallowing in the mire so these Iewes of vncircumcised hands and hearts forgetting all those and many more benefits of God bestowed vpon them crucifying Christ the King of glorie the God of Sem and not remembring their former punishments are once againe so scattered ouer the face of the earth that while the world endureth they shall be Vagabonds and neuer gathered together againe To teach vs that if God spared not them nor suffered them to continue in their transgressions being his peculiar people that wee are to looke for no other recompence than they had if we despise the knowledge of Christ as they did Terah hath three Sons Haran Nachor Abraham as Adam and Noah had 1996. Peleg died being 229. yeeres old He had not halfe the yeares of his Father Heber the most aged man after the flood liued not to halfe Methushelahs yeres to shew the curse that came by the flood So euery man in the world hath part of Gods curse by the flood 1997. Nachor died being 148 yeares old  2006. Noah died being 950 yeares old He liued after the flood 350 yeares that is Seuen Fifties or Seuen Iubilees of yeres as many as were from conquering the Land of Canaan to the gouernment of Samuel Noahs whole life was a singing of saluation to the holy Lambe seeing all the world drowned and he onely saued When Noah dyeth Abram was borne So God stirres vp one good man after another oftentimes 2008. Abram Borne His name signifieth His Father being the Tenth from Noah another establisher of Religion as Noah the restorer or comforter was the Tenth from Adam And as in Noahs dayes hee being the Tenth from Adam Gods Iustice ouer all flesh was extended so in Abram he being the Tenth from Noah Gods mercie to all the world is pronounced When Terah is 130 yeares old he begat So old was Adam when he begat Seth a foundation of Religion Iacob a bringer of Religion into Egypt is 130 yeares old when he standeth before Pharaoh Iehoiada the high sacrificer saueth Ioas the Kings Sonne from the malice of Athalia which had destroyed all the rest of the Kings seede and dieth being 130 yeares old While he liued Ioas kept Religion and worshipped the God of his Father After his death he fell away and suffered incense to be offered in the groues to whome Zacharias the Sonne of Barachias sayd Is this the reward of all my Fathers paines that assoone as my Father is dead you forsake the true God and worship the Gods of the Nations For which cause Ioas caused him to be slaine between the Altar and the Temple So that as death is contrarie to life and as at the birth of Seth and Abraham the graces of God were manifested to the world so at Iehoiadahs death the Tribe of Iuda lost all Religion It is a question howe Terah being an Idolatrer could name Abram Hie Father for so doth the word signifie He might guesse like a worldly man that his Sonne Abram should be likely to be rich and mightie and so should haue many vnder him Howsoeuer it was this is certaine that God directed the tongue of this Idolatrer to set forth and preach his glorie though his life had no shew of vertue Here is another question to be discussed of the age of Terah when he begat Abram Of Terah his age when he begat Abram SOme will haue Abram to be borne at Terahs Seuentieth yeare because in Gen. 11. it is sayd Terah liued Seuentie yeares and begat Abram Nachor and Haran Whereupon they gather that Abraham was the first borne because hee is put in the first place and that hee was borne in that yeare of Terah to wit the Seuentie But they marke not that Terahs Sonnes are
long time to the performance of a promise to be accomplished almost Foure hundred yeares after ayming like a prophane worldling at the outward inheritance of the Land of Canaan and not respecting the blessing of the spirituall Salem He was the eldest and extreame wicked notwithstanding he was the Sonne of a righteous Father to shew that the sincerest nature of the godlyest men is extream wicked Hee was to Iacob as Kaine to Abel and as Ismael to Isaack And as in his owne person he persecuted and sought the death of his Brother Iacob so his posteritie were continuall enemies to the seed of Iacob Amelech of Esau lay in waight for the children of Israel when they came out of Egipt to destroy them but God commaunded them to put out his name from vnder heauen Wicked Haman would at once haue destroyed all the Iewes but he and his ten Sonnes were hanged Haman was of Agag the Amalekite of Esau In him is performed a prophecie in Numb 24. Ameleck is the beginning of Nations but his later end shall perish vtterly Herod of Edome likewise seeketh to put Christ the true Israel to death wherein you may see the malice of Esau to continue euen till Christ Esau was hated of God before he was borne therefore whatsoeuer he did it turned still into a curse vnto him hee prepareth venison for his Father and the whiles loseth the blessing of eternall life he would please his father by marrying into Abrahams stocke and maryeth Ismaels daughter he wept for the blessing but found no place of repentance though he sought the blessing with teares In like sort is the repentance of euerie wicked man when he is touched with the conscience for sinne he will then acknowledge his sinne and with teares shew forth for his transgressions but through the hardnes of his hart which cannot repent he returneth like to Esau to his vomite againe IAcobs Storie will appeare the better by declaring Esaus euen as contraries are set together that thereby euerie one may shewe the cleerer His name signifieth a Suplani or Heeler and all his life sheweth him to be contrarie to Esau The one an image of all impietie the other a mirrour of all godlynesse the one a persecutor the other persecuted the one a despiser of grace the other an embracer of vertue You haue from the creation to Iacob two and Twentie Fathers answerable to the Two and Twentie Letters in the Hebrew tongue So Epiphaneus in Ankorato handleth them Thus by comparisons God maketh his dealings easie to bee kept in memorie Iacob though the Two and Twentie from Adam yet the third Seuenth of those which were borne after Adams creation Now the Chronicle is ended for particular liues for after Iacobs Storie the Scripture containes whole Stories of whole States and Kingdomes Noah is the Tenth from Adam Abraham the Tenth from Noah Iacob the Twelfe so you haue the two and Twentie The Hebrewes admire the patience of God that Tenne whole ages God gaue them time to repent and yet Esay sayth that the Lord looked about and saw that there was none good vpon the earth The Seuentie Interpreters translating the old Testament into Greek thrust in one Kenan whose name is not in the Hebrew If the reason be demaunded why they did so this may be answered The Seuenty Interpreters knew that a great deale of wisedom was contained in the comparison between the Two and Twentie Letters of the Hebrew tongue and the Two and Twentie Fathers Now because they enuied the Egyptians and were loath they should gaine any wisedome by them of purpose they adde Kenan to disturbe this proportion and so they make Iacob the Three and Twentieth Saint Luke setting downe the Genealogie of Christ alleageth Kenan following the Genealogie penned by the Seuentie Interpreters For Saint Luke was to take it as he found it and hee knewe that all the Iewes were well acquainted with the reason why Kenan was added Therefore there could no danger growe in his time though Kenan were kept still in the Genealogie Beza translating the new Testament leaueth him out for the which the Iesuits accuse him Now Beza to the end ignorāt men shuld not stagger by finding him in Luke which is not in Moses leaueth him out and this may Beza doe well inough for any one may know that Saint Luke neuer meant that Arphachsad begat Kenan seeing that he addeth being as men supposed the Sonne of Arphachsad to wit of those men that knew not the meaning of the Translators Besides Epiphanius being a Grecian and being acquainted with the Greeke translation yet concludeth the Fathers vnder the number of Two and Twentie Iacob is called The beloued of the Lord before he was borne In which he is answerable to Dauid whose name signifieth Beloued And to our Sauiour Christ of whome it was sayd This is my beloued Sonne in whome I am well pleased And further we are to note in this storie how Esau by hast not willing to stay for the promise till the time appointed felt the heauie iudgement of God Wee haue the like example of this hast and the like punishment in Saul Samuel annointed Saul King and willed him to go before him to Gilgall to stay there for him 7 daies till he came Saul tarieth 7 daies according to the time appointed but Samuel came not therefore the people were scattered Saul seeing the peoples mindes seuered that he might vnite them againe offered a burnt offering Then came Samuel rebuked him saying Thou hast done foolishly thy kingdom shal not cōtinue the lord hath sought him a man after his own heart Thus you haue the like example both for Storie and prophecie ISaack is blinde Sem Heber and Abraham being dead onely Esau and Iacob aliue to enioy the blessing after Isaacks death Now if we examine the sequele we shall see that if Isaack had not been blinde he would for his part haue brought destruction vpon the whole earth for hee would haue blessed Esau who vpon any occasion would haue sould it and besides being verie wicked in despising it would haue brought the heauy wrath of God vpon his posterity for disobedience Therefore his blindnesse was a great blessing euen as Saint Paul speaketh euerie thing turneth to the best to the children of God Isaack willeth Esau to goe and kill him some venison that his soule may blesse him before he die So the Prophets vse to desire meate before they prophecie that being refreshed they may be the fuller of spirite and cheerefulnesse The Hebrewes dispute from this place whether Isaack was growne into pouertie Some thinke hee was by reason of the famine which fell in Canaan because the Philistines kept not couenant with him for which cause Sampson afterwards taketh occasion to plague them and that iustly Aben Ezra is of this opinion Rebecca she heareth this Commandement of Isaack and knowing that speedinesse in dispatching is oftentimes a great cause of aduantage willeth Iacob to goe
God requireth by the Law is spirituall as the reward which wee ought to looke for is spirituall You are also to note that there was seuen times seuen dayes after the eating of the Lambe before the giuing of the Law Whereby wee may know that God careth not for ciuilitie without the knowledge of Christ though the contrarie bee taught that it is ynough so wee bee ciuill in life though our mindes neuer thinke of the eating of the Lambe But if wee will liue godlie indeed all our care must bee to esteeme highlie of those rules which concerne the teaching of the Redemption By Christ For it is no commendation to liue ciuilly though a sinne to misse in conuersation And yet this honest behauiour amongst all men must not be neglected Where it is said Sanctifie your selues for to morrow is the Sabbath If it bee demaunded how the Iewes could vnderstand this it may thus be answered God so spake that a childe may vnderstand it For Adam fell in Paradise the sixt day and sacrificed the seuenth which is as much as Moses speaketh heere This is the consent of the Hebrewes There is a Question Whether Ioseph in Egypt and the Iewes in Babylon did keepe the Sabbath For any thing that I can finde they did it not publiquelie Peraduenture Ioseph might doe it priuatlie in respect of his owne conscience but not otherwise And for the keeping of the Sabbathes by the Iewes in Babylon wee haue an expresse example to the contrarie There was a feast at Shusan which was on the Sabbath day which feast the Iewes likewise did solemnize immediately vppon that there was a decree to destroy the Iewes The Chaldee paraphrast expounds it to be for the contempt of the Sabbath Iob in his booke expounds this commaundement of honoring Father and Mother by shewing how contumeliously those did vse him whose Fathers he would not haue set with his dogges Saint Paul sheweth that this is the first commaundement that hath a promise annexed shewing thereby that we are to be dealt with like children by allurements to embrace common ciuilitie such is the peruersenesse of our nature Ieremy telleth the Iewes that if they will keep their Sabbaths they shall not goe into captiuitie He thereby meaneth that by the true keeping of the Sabbaths they must learne all religion For they must remember Adams fall and the restoring by Christ and then the instituting of the Sabbath Then must they come to Sem and Abraham and the promise and the offering vp of Isaack which was a figure of the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world and so through the Stories of the Scripture The Law is vsually diuided into two Tables the First Second The Foure first Commaundements concerning God The sixe last concerning man The end of the Law is Christ which is excellently set downe in the Epistle to the Hebrewes which Epistle begins in this sort At sundrie times and in sundry manners God spake in the old time by the Prophets As to Adam The Seed of the woman shall break the head of the Serpent To Noah Blessed be the God of Sem. To AbrahaÌ„ In thy seed al Nations in the earth shall bee blessed c. And now last by his Sonne whome hee hath made heire of all things by whome hee made the world â— who being the brightnesse of his glorie and the Character of his substance sustaineth all thinges by whome the world was made farre aboue all Angels For in the beginning O Lord thou establishedst the heauens they will perish but thou doest remaine And the Angels they are but thy miâ—istring spirits for their sakes which shall be heires of saluation Now if euerie transgression and disobedience receiued a iust reward how shall we escape if wee neglect so great saluation It is easie to make triall hereof For the world was made in the beginning to obey man the Angels receiued damnation for despising this and in respect hereof Dauid sayth What is man that thou shouldest be mindfull of him thou hast made him a little inferiour to the Angels that thou mightest crowne him with glorie and honour And it was necessarie that Iesus should take vpon him the seede of Abraham and so be made inferiour to the Angels by suffering death that so hee might bring many Children to glorie and through death destroy him that had the power of death and by this victorie ouer the Deuill be crowned with glorie and honour and haue all things put in subiection vnder his feet And by these his sufferings hee was made like vnto his brethren that hee might be mercifull and a faithfull high Priest in things concerning God that hee might make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people Moses was a faithfull witnesse hereof and they that beleeued him not but disobeyed were plagued in the Wildernesse Therefore while it is called to day harden not your hearts least hee sweare They shall not enter into my rest This Doctrine was further made plaine by Aaron the Annointed of the Lord whose office was to offer for his owne sins and the sinnes of his brethren But his office ceased This ceasing was figured before in Melchisedech blessing Abraham when Leuie was yet in Abrahams loynes and therefore aboue Abraham for the lesser is blessed of the greater to whom Abraham gaue tythes therefore the Iewes must goe to a higher Religion than to the Lawe and Thy God contayneth more than ceremonies Wee shall see this cleare by the Tabernacle in the which wee are not to speake of the particular Ceremonies but of those cheefely which as referred to Christ In the Tabernacle there were two places the Holy the Holy of holiest The Holy was called the Sanctuarie of this world wherein were the Candlestickes Table of shew-bread c. The Holy of holyest did represent the state of heauen in which was the Arke of the Couenant of God In which Arke there was reserued as a memorie for all posterities a potte of Manna Aarons Rodde that alwayes flourished and the Tables of the Lawe The Arke was couered and the couering thereof was called the mercie-seat which figured Christ who is our propiciatorie or mercie-seat to couer our iniquities Ouer the mercie-seat were the forme of two Angels hauing relation to the Angels that kept the way to the tree of life to shew that none were worthie to come into that Holy of holiest but Aaron the annointed of the Lord who likewise figured Christ both in name and office For Aaron signifieth Christ which in English is Annointed and in office by entring once for all into the Holy of holiest For it was the office of the high Sacrificer once euery yeere to enter into this Holy of holyest with blood Of this Dauid speaketh Psalme 40. When hee commeth into the world hee saith Sacrifice and burnt offering thou wouldest not haue but a bodie hast thou ordained In the beginning of thy booke it is written that I should doe thy will O God Then said I loe I
and goe through hard and bitter contentions and afflictions of this life And yet then we are not in rest for the next Station we come to is Sin Thorny There the people murmure against Moses for meat In the euening God fedde them with Quailes and they came to the place of Sepulches leanenesse entred into their soules In the morning they were fed with Manna to know that Man liueth not by bread onely but by euerie word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Deut. 8. They did all eat of the same spirituall meat 1. Cor. 10. This Manna was to be gathered as euerie man had need of it If any were reserued till morning it brought foorth wormes Exod. 16.20 This Saint Paul applyeth to the vse of wealth 2. Cor. 8. Let it be of equality at this time that your aboundance fulfill their want that their aboundance may reach to your want that there may bee an equalitie as it is written He that gathered much had not ouer-much and hee that gathered little had not ouer-little The summe of these standings is this that the soyle being good and bad sheweth vs the manners of the men which liue on the earth and with whome wee liue at whose hands we must looke for badde dealing more than for good This Christ taught in the Gospell when hee willed that those who would embrace him should take vp his Crosse and follow him After they come to Rephidim where was no water for the people to drinke the people murmure against Moses the place is called Tentation according to that of Dauid Psal 95. Hebr. 3. To day if you will heare my voice harden not your hearts as is the prouocation in the day of Temptation in the wildernesse c. Moses striketh the Rocke and the Rocke was Christ 1. Cor. 10. They dranke all of the same spirituall drinke c. Iesus fighteth with Ameleck Moses erecteth an Altar and calleth it Iehouah my Banner Christ by death ouercame him that had the power of death and wee haue an Altar Iesus Christ the righteous Heb. 11. Then they come to Horeb which had the soyle verie drie But Sina on the toppe a hole where the winde made a fearefull noyse But Sion was a pleasant and fruitfull soyle full of springs to wash away the blood of the beasts that there were slaine The Land of Chush alwaies in seruitude So we if wee looke onely to haue our liues sauour of ciuilitie our soules not lightned with the knowledge by Christ we shall bee continually in seruitude And as these places come short of the glorie of Ierusalem so the Iewes not thinking on Christ haue their cogitations wandring not finding rest in their soules Saint Paul handleth these two Mountaines in this sort Galat. 4. By the which things another thing is meant saith he for these two hils are two Testaments the one Agar of Mount Sinay which gendreth vnto bondage being a Mountaine in Arabia and it answereth to Ierusalem which now is and shee is in bondage with her children but Ierusalem which is aboue is free the mother of vs all The Persians wonder at the statelinesse of Ierusalem being in glorie One Thousand yeares Saint Paul calleth this time to Christ the time of a childe vnder a Tutor The Sonne is Rom. 15. Whatsoeuer is written is written for our learning that wee through patience might haue hope Now saith Saint Paul These things are our examples to the end wee should not lust after euill things as some of them lusted and fell in one day three and twentie Thousand 1. Cor. 10. In this place Sinay where the Lawe was giuen many things are to be considered The Law was giuen that sinne might be knowne to abound It was giuen by Angels Deut. 33. By a Mediator Moses There is one Mediator of God and man the man Christ Iesus the Mediator of the new Testament Heb. 9. It was giuen on the Lords day in the morning the Lord arising and shining from Pharan with Thousands of his Angels with thunder lightnings and earth-quake Moses erecteth an Altar on Twelue pillars and hauing made a sacrifice doth read the Booke of the couenant and taking the blood of Oxen and Buls with water purple wooll and Isope doth sprinkle the Booke saying This is the blood of the Couenant which God hath commanded for you This is handled in the 9. to the Hebrewes If the blood of Oxen and Bulles doth sanctifie to cleanenesse of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ cleanse our conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing Lord Moses goeth vp to the Mountaine and fasteth Fortie dayes Exod. 32. Christ in the Wildernesse fasteth Fortie daies Luk. 4. The people turne the glorie of God into the similitude of a Calfe that eateth hay Exod. 32.6 Be not Idolatrers as some of them were as it is written The people sat downe to eat and drinke and rose vp to play 1. Cor. 16. Moses breaketh the two Tables which hee receiued from God written with the finger of God The Leuites kill three thousand of Israel that had committed Idolatrie They regarded not Father mother brethren or sisters This Christ applyeth to all men Mat. 10. Hee that loueth Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of mee Moses goeth vp againe to the Mountaine with two Tables prepared of himselfe continueth Fortie dayes fasting writeth the words of the former tables in these This Paul handleth 2. Cor. 3. Yee are the Epistle of Christ ministred of vs written not with inkes but with the spirite not in Tables of stone but in the Tables of hearts of flesh The second yeare after their comming from Egypt the Tabernacle is erected out of which the Lord speaketh in a more manifest gracious sort than at any time before he had done to shew himselfe in a speciall sort mercifull Christ his humane nature is the Tabernacle The word became flesh and had his Tabernacle amonge vs Ioh. 1. In him all fulnesse dwelled bodily Col. 4 By grace all Christians are a Tabernacle Es 10. Ap. 21. A cloude ouer-shadowed the Tabernacle To the Virgine Marie Gabriel saith Luk. 1. The power of the highest shall ouer-shadow thee So Moses could not enter into the tabernacle of testimonie because the cloude abode therevpon and the glorie of the Lord filled the Tabernacle When Christ is glorified on the Mountaine and a bright cloude ouer-shadowed him Peter said Let vs make here three Tabernacles one for thee one for Moses and one for Elias Mat. 17. The Temple of the Tabernacle of witnesse was open and the temple was full of the smoke of the glorie of God and no man could enter into the Temple Ap. 15. Where the cloude remained they went forward with the Arke Christ hath a white cloude vnder him Ap. 14. Nadab and Abihu are consumed with fire for offering strange fire before the Lord. To be an example how God is a consuming fire against foolish zeale After this the children
Chams house and yet God of his especiall grace gaue her the light of his countenance and was mercifull vnto her because she beholding the impieties of the vncleane Cities of Canaan and their reward and the Storie of Lots wife which no doubt was famous the loathsome life of the Egyptians and their plagues embraced the Couenant to Abraham and the oath that hee sware vnto Isaack The manners of these Egyptians are expressed by the woman in the Gospell which had her daughter possessed with a Deuill Christ telleth her that it is not lawfull to take the Childrens bread and to cast it to Dogges As if Christ should say Moses in his lawes and religion hath cut you off like Dogges to whome precious things must not bee throwne and therefore I am not in mercie to regard you She answereth It is true Lord that wee are cursed and by Moses law cut off from saluation and it is likewise true that wee are not the Children yet wee see that the little Dogs eat of the crummes which fall from the Childrens table And Moses himselfe hath a law that if any will learne the Religion of Iuda hee shall be admitted so that yet there is some hope for the Dogs Goe thy way saith Christ thy faith hath saued thee And no doubt as this poore womans daughter was possessed with a Deuill in bodie so the mindes of the Egyptians had many Deuils seeing they were full of superstition witchcraft and coniuring They worshipped one Ammon a Deuill yet there were many of Chams house saued This I inferre because Rahab was of Cham. And this opinion is confirmed by her Storie who was saued when Iericho was destroyed Shee telleth the Spies I knowe that the Lord hath giuen you the Land for we haue heard how the Lord dryed vp the Redde Sea before you for the Lord your God hee is the God in heauen aboue and in the earth beneath thereby shewing that she embraced the promise made to Abraham that in his seede all Nations in the earth should bee blessed It is testified of both these women that their faith did saue them The Lord likewise in the dayes of his flesh went into Iericho the Citie of Rahab long agoe accursed 2610. The first Iubilee IT hath his name from Iobal a Horne because in the beginning of the Feast trumpets of Rammes hornes were to bee blowne and thereby the yeare was proclaimed It was the Fiftieth yeare after the setling the people in the Land as Leuit. 25. You shall reckon to you seuen Seuens of yeares and the Fiftieth shall be a yeare of Iubilee c. And it was to be kept solemnely vntill the death of Christ The cause of keeping it was to put them in minde of the great victories which God had giuen them ouer their enemies in the Land of Canaan so that by this ceremonie likewise the Redemption by the conquest of Christ ouer our spirituall enemie which the yeare of Iubilee signified was also proclaymed For if they considered the promise made to Abraham concerning this Land and their deliuerance out of Egypt being in bondage and how they were placed in the Land by Iesus their Captaine the death of Christ which deliuered them from the snares and bondage of the Deuill must needes bee made plaine vnto them Iobal doth signifie Ioyfull In it all Lands that were bought of any of the Tribes was to returne to the old Possessor then all prisoners were set at libertie Figuring that ioyfull yeare of the Lord wherein we should be freed from the bondage of Satan wherof Esay speaketh He shall heale the broken heart and bring the gladsome tidings of the Lord Iustice shal be the girdle of his loynes and faithfulnesse the girdle of his reynes then the Woolfe shall dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard shall lye with the Kidde and the Calfe and the Lion and the fatte beast and a little Chila shall lead them the sucking Child shall play vppon the hole of the Aspe and the wayned Child shall lay his hand vppon the Cockatrice hole then shall none hurt nor destroy in the mountaine of mine holynesse for the earth shall bee full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters that couer the Sea Es 11. The meaning is that the prophane beasts of the world which nowe know not Christ shall in this ioyfull yere be lightned with the brightnesse of his glorie and shall reioyce and be glad for so great saluation and shall be members of one head Christ Iesus louing one another as Christians whose ioy is expressed verie largely in the 35. of Esay The desert and the Wildernesse shall reioyce and the wast ground shall flourish as a Rose it shall flourish aboundantly and shall greatly reioyce also and ioy the glorie of Lebanon shall be giuen vnto it the beautie of Charmell and of Sharon they shall see the glory of the Lord and the excellencie of our God strengthen the weake hands and comfort the feeble knees say vnto them that are fearefull Be stronge feare not behold your God commeth euen God with a recompence will come and saue you then shall the eyes of the blinde be lightned and the eares of the deafe be opened then shall the lame man leape as an Hart and the dumbe mans tongue shall singe for in the Wildernesse shall water breake out and riuers in the desart and euerlasting ioy shall bee vppon their heads they shall obtaine ioy and gladnesse and sorrow and mourning shall flye away To returne to the obseruation of the time of the Iubilee Moses saith You shall reckon to you seuen Seuens of yeares and the Fiftiet◠shall bee a Iubilee Leuit. 25. Wherein wee may behold the wonderfull prouidence of God for them so long as they kept his Sabbaths for the Nine and fortieth yeare did yeeld corne for three yeares No doubt this must needs make the Nations astonished to see that the Children of Israel had such a God as could in one yeare giue them corne for three yeares so that they should neither sowe nor reape when themselues had scarce corne with great labour for one yeare Amos in his prophecie findeth great fault with those which hoard vp corne and pronounceth a woe vnto them for so doing But wee are to vnderstand that when the Israelites neglected their Sabbaths and forgot the great benefites they had receiued becomming Idolatrers and polluted with the abhominations of the land into which they came their ioy was turned into sadnesse and their Iubilees vnto their destructiō For in the seuenteenth Iubilee they hauing despised the prouidēce of God they haue Sedechias a most wicked King set ouer them and in Iehoiakims time they are carried quite away into Babylon and there are as dead bones for Seuentie yeares vntill the land had payd her owne Sabbaths which they had omitted when they dwelt vpon it Therefore wee are to note that wee shall neuer keepe our religion easie and plaine but by casting the Iubilees right which we