Noah that would haue a name and turned their speech into babling He plagued that flouting Ismael and quailed that doughtie Esay Hee drowned stout Pharaoh in the red sea and ouerthrew the iron charets of Sisera at the waters of Mageddon He smote diuers nations and slue mightie Kings Sehon King of the Ammorites and Ogg the King of Basan and all the kingdomes of Canaan he foiled that proud Philistine and hewed the horne of Agag in peeces He made Iesabel a pray for dogges and wicked Achab to be slaine in the valley of Iesreel He made King Ioakim to be buried like an asse and prophane Nebucadnetzar to eat grasse like an oxe He made drunken Baltasar to tremble like a leafe and Antiochus the vild to be deuoured of wormes to shew that he regardeth not proud lookes or feareth the Kings displeasure for he setteth vp Kings and putteth downe Kings as Luke 1. He looked on the low degree of his handmaid he hath shewed strength with his arme he hath scattered the proud in the imaginations of their hearts he hath put downe the mightie from their seats and hath exalted the humble and meeke As Ioseph out of the dungeon Dauid from the sheepecoats Daniel from the Lyons denne Peter and Iohn from mending their nets and made them rulers ouer mightie Nations teachers to the Princes of the earth Matth. 5. Therefore blessed are the meeke for they shall receiue the inheritance of the earth Christ being meeke was ledde as a sheepe vnto the slaughter not opening his mouth 162. Henoch borne HIs name signifieth Holy or Dedicated to God The name sheweth his fathers affection in giuing him vnto God answerable to Abraham in offering Isaack Henoch of Kaine was contrarie in signification to this Henoch the one dedicated to God the other to the possessions of this world For Kaine after his curse wandring to the land of Nod buildeth a Citie and calleth it after the name of his sonne Henoch The other Henoch though indeed a rare man yet was 65. yeres without any mention of his integritie and after that his holinesse is made manifest in this that he found fauour with God His calling was very glorious being made a preacher to declare salvation to all that would beleeue in Christ and his owne actions of life to be performed in the highest degree of vertue Whereby we are taught to bee holie and blamelesse before God not giuing our members subiects vnto wantonnesse or pleasures of this life but esteeming the world as though it were not and possesse it as though wee possest it not putting on the new man Christ Iesus that we may be holy euen as he is holy 7. You haue heere the number of seuen to shew that Henoch is the seuenth from Adam for so is he called in the Epistle of Iude. He was no doubt a very rare man seeing that hee is commended of the holy Ghost to haue walked with God to haue his yeeres answerable to the dayes of the sunne and registred to be the seuenth from Adam a Sabbath keeper for his yeeres doe agree with the number of the Sabbath Which number of seuen or of the Sabbath throughout the Bible doth still put vs in mind of the Creation and so of the true keeping of the Sabbath For in the beginning God made the world in sixe dayes and rested the seuenth and hallowed and sanctified the same and commaunded it to be kept holie throughout all generations and to resemble the same in his Creation before there was a Sabbath He made seuen starres in the heauens which Philosophers call planets which haue force in the whole course of nature which he in his wisedome placed there that the very heathen and such as would not take notice of the Sabbath might haue the name thereof in their mouthes although they made no vse thereof in their hearts 65. Methushelah borne His name signifieth Long life or Speare death 187. Lamech borne HIs name signifieth Striken or heart-wounded He is called so in respect of some inward griefes that he should beare for the afflictions of the world You haue an other Lamech of Kaines house but of contrarie nature to this Lamech Lamech of Kaine was a striker Lamech of Seth striken the one a Preacher of destruction to the world the other an example of impietie to the world and being 1600. yeeres after Kaine knew Kaines storie He had two wiues it was not so from the beginning Some hold that he was the first that had two wiues but doubtlesse many others had the like but God in one doth shew the manners of the rest Hee saith to his wiues I will kill a man c. So that as the world began with killing so it continueth in wickednesse and violence The other Lamech doth make a confession full of contrition and in naming his sonne Comforter 600. yeeres before the flood sheweth that he was a Prophet of verie liuely skill Compare him with Christ CHrist is both outwardly striken and inwardly wounded Outwardly when in the open hall he was buffetted scourged and spitted at and vpon the crosse pierced both handes feete and sides Inwardly when hee was reuiled with blasphemous speeches at his death and when in stead of drinke to comfort him they gaue him gall and mirhe mingled together but most especially when his guiltlesse soule did suffer the torments of hell to redeeme our guiltie soules and bodies from the thrall of Satan as may appeare when from his sides issued water and blood 56. Adam dieth THe Hebrewes descant very straungely vpon the Arithmeticke of Adams yeares which hee liued which were 930. Vpon a sentence in the 24 of Iob. where it is sayd All the daies of man vpon earth are but a shadow As if he should say all the dayes of Adam are but Abell for Adam in Hebrew signifieth earth and Abell signifieth shadow or vanitie whereby we are taught that from the earth we came and to the earth we must returne according to Ge. 3. We are also to vnderstand from hence that although God deferre his punishments yet he is mindfull of his promises for not one tittle or iot of his word shall passe as appeareth in Adams death which God before had promised and was accomplished though it were 930. yeares after Wherefore howsoeuer we be setled on the pleasures of this life or bee aduaunced to thrones of Maiestie as Adam was we are to know that it is but a Steward shippe bestowed vpon vs for a season and that in this world wee are to looke for no abiding place for we are but grasse wee are consumed as smoke our daies come to an end A Thousand yeares in Gods sight is as yesterday He turneth Adam to dust and saith Returne ye sonnes of Adam He bringeth our yeares to an end as it were a tale that is tould Wherefore let vs pray to God with Moses to teach vs to number our daies aright that wee may apply our harts vnto wisedome Adam cometh
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
of Israel come to Kadesbarnes Then there are Spies sent out to view the Land they are Fortie daies in viewing it They bring word and tell strange things of the goodnes and fatnesse of the Land but they discourage the people and feare them for they told them of huge and great Giants the Sonnes of Anak Iosua he answereth them Let vs goe vp and possesse the Land For if God shall be mercifull vnto vs he will giue vs the Land flowing with milke and honie Vpon this God sweares that they shall not enter into his rest They were for this Forty yeres in the Wildernes Forty daies in viewing the Land S. Paul repeateth this in the Acts 13. God suffered their manners in the Wildernesse they wandred to punish the hardnesse of their hearts for not beleeuing They went vp and downe that all the world might woonder at this dealing of God and thereby learne to feare him for euerie sinne fitteth the prouidence of God and serues for his glorie By this all the world might learne diuinitie For it is sayd of them that their sound was heard to the end of the world So that a man of England meeting with one that had beene about those parts might enquire When doe those people leaue their wandring They were brought out of Egypt strangely for the sea parted and suffered them to goe through and was a wall to them but drowned the Egyptians which followed after Did you euer heare that one striking a Rocke water should come forth Yet this is not all for they had meat from heauen Manna which in English signifieth What shall I call it Besides for their apparell it neuer weareth not so much as their shooes their apparell groweth with their bodies A Childe hath the same apparell being a man that hee had being a Child and the neighbours are in such feare of them as they dare not touch them Surely their God is wonderfull and exceedeth the Gods of other Nations Diodorus Siculus hee speaketh of Moses reuerently Strabo mentioneth these Standings but speaketh wickedly So doth Iustine Hereby is their condemnation iust and they made inexcusable 2554. Moses died Deut. 34. being One hundred and Twenty yeres old Shorter in life than his Father or Grandfather So that seeing long life a great blessing and he so excellent a man euen by the testimonie of the scripture it might be asked why his life was no longer Wee shall see that these his yeares are more glorious than if they had been longer For this comparison of One hundred and twentie yeares with the One hundred and twentie yeares of the building of Noahs Arke is of rare excellencie and euen in this comparison his face must so shine in their harts that they could not behold him without a vaile By this they must likewise remember the promise made to Abraham to be performed for the which he was raised vp And they must ascend higher to Melchisedech who blessed Abraham in whom also the heathen receiued a blessing Then they must goe further to the taking vp of Henoch Homer bringeth in the mother of Achilles telling her Sonne that there was decreed for him a double destinie If he would haue a long life it should then bee obscure If short famous This hee fayneth but yet in fables there is a colour of truth We are to consider further the words of Saint Iude vpon the death of Moses Yet Michael the Archangell when hee stroue with the Deuill and disputed about the body of Moses durst not giue rayling speeches but said The Lord rebuke thee It may be demanded where Saint Iude hath these words seeing they are not expressely laid down in Moses This obiection is thus answered Any Scholler may from a true ground frame a disputation and it is free to vse this kinde of amplification or any other The meaning of Saint Iude is that Iehouah the Eternall buried Moses In the Prophet Zacharias you haue the like in a vision Iehosua the high sacrificer standeth before the Angell of the Lord Sathan at his right hand to resist him and the Lord sayd vnto Sathan The Lord reprooue thee Sathan Here the second person Christ Iesus is called Michaell and here is the like kinde of speaking So that if wee will frame a speech we may thinke that at Moses death God might commaund Michael to go fetch vp the bodie of Moses Satan resisting he forbad him and added The Lord rebuke thee The meaning of Saint Iude is thus much Those which rayle on officers haue not marked Christs dealing who like a stately King in one word rebuketh them This exposition the Iewes in their Talmed agree vnto The end is to this purpose that seeing it is not written by Moses and the holy Ghost cyteth not the place from whence it is taken wee must diligently looke to the matter and searching the scripture for the like Stories we shall easily finde out the vse and order which the holy Ghost vseth in amplifications Moses was a figure of Christ MOses was cast into the flagges Marie the Daughter of Pharaoh saued him so as Marie saued Moses the deliuerer so the Virgine Marie saued Iesus Christ the Redeemer Moses was persecuted of Pharaoh Christ was persecuted of Herod a new Pharaoh Moses deliuered the people from the bondage and slauerie of Egypt so Iesus Christ hath deliuered vs from the spirituall bondage and Tyrannie of the spirituall Pharaoh Satan Moses when he died was buried by Christ Euen so Iesus Christ by his owne death buried all the Ceremonies of Moses 2555. Ioshua ruleth Seuenteene yeares His name was altered by Moses to Iesus because hee was to be a figure of Iesus Christ He with Caleb encouraged the people when the other ten Tribes misbeleeued when they were sent to spie the Land These Seuenteene yeares are not set downe expressely in the Scripture but are gathered from the circumstance of the Storie in this sort From the comming out of Egypt to the building of Salomons Temple are Foure hundred and Eightie yeares 1. King 6.8 All the particulars of this account are layd downe saue Ioshua his gouernment and they make foure hundred sixtie and three to which adde Seuenteene yeares the time that Ioshua ruled you haue full Foure hundred and eightie So you haue another Seuenteene for Iacob and Iosephs Seuenteene yeares Thus much for the time Now for his name Iesus HOseas the Sonne of Nun which was to take the gouernment from Moses hath his name altered and is called Iesus in the 72. Psalme You haue his name repeated Ganushemo 1 He shall increase The Hebrews in their Cabala say that this is the name of Christ they meane nothing else but to keepe in memorie euerie name wherby the glorie of the Kingdome of the Messias is expressed When the Iewes come from Babell you haue Iesus again the Sonne of Iehosadach In Ierem. 31. the Lord speaketh Behold the day commeth that I will raise vnto Dauid a righteous braunch and a King
Iacobs Sonnes By this wee may be perswaded that our life dependeth on the prouidence of God and that all our wayes are numbred There were in all Three hundred Twentie and Foure Townes wherein the Israelites inhabited and neither Bethlehem nor Nazareth in the tribe of Iuda named and yet they were of speciall vse for the reuealing of the birth of the Messias The reason may be thus rendred God would not in plaine termes manifest it to the end we should be more diligent and careful to know those things which so much concerne our saluation Micheas knew by Dauids birth in Bethleem a figure of Christ and by Beniamins that Christ should there bee borne And so the Doctors of the Lawe answere Herod cyting the testimonie of Micheas the Prophet Esay saith hee sawe a Nazarite a sprigge from the roote of Iessay The Iewes to crosse the certaintie of Christ to bee the Messias say there is no such Towne Yet God tooke such order that the heathen should beare witnesse againg them for it is mentioned in Plinie and other heathen writers The Leuites had allotted to them Fortie and Two Townes and sixe for refuge one of euerie Seuen thereby to signifie that we must obserue the like proportion if wee will haue Religion to flourish The rest of the Tribes had the lot of their inheritance appointed them so that euerie Tribe was distinct by himselfe and so obserued vntill the comming of Christ that the kindred of Christ might not be obscured but that he might be knowne to be the seede of Abraham the Lion of the Tribe of Iuda the blossome of the roote of Iessay Concerning their possessions Reuben was beyond Iordan and Gad Simeon and Leut scattered amonge the Tribes Iuda in the best soyle for he shall binde his Asse to the Vine and his Asses foale to the best Vine Beniamin next Ioseph next him the Sonnes of the hand maides Iesus Christ in the daies of his flesh in his pilgrimage goeth through all the Tribes as Iesus the Conqueror and Eleasar the high sacrificer had diuided them He is conceiued in the tribe of Zabulon at Nazareth He is borne in Bethleem of Iuda In Egypt hee goeth through the tribe of Simeon He teacheth in the Temple in the tribe of Beniamin He turned water into wine at the mariage of Cana in Galile in the Tribe of Aser At Sichem in the Tribe of Ephraim hee prooueth himselfe to bee the Messias At Naum in the Tribe of Nephtali hee rayseth Lazarus from the dead In going through the tenne Cities hee is in the Tribes of Reuben Gad and part of Manasses 2570. Iosua or Iesus dieth being One hundred and Ten yeares old answerable to Ioseph who died being One hundred and ten yeares old HE was the Seuenth from Ephraim in whom the blessing of Moses concerning Ioseph is sweetly performed who sayth His horne shall be like to the first borne Bullocke He therefore hath a Bullocke his scutchion to shew that hee is of Ioseph by Ephraim Some doe muze from whence we gather to giue them armes they may bee resolued if they search the antiquities of Gen. cap. 49. Thus much for Ioshua ⧠Now followeth the Storie of the Iudges THis is first generally to bee obserued That where it is sayd When Othoniel Aod or any of the rest had ouerthrowne Chusan Eglon or Sisera or any of the oppressors that the Land had rest Fortie or Eightie or Twentie yeares that the Land rested not so long for the plaine Storie crosseth it but the meaning is from Iosuas death or from Othoniels death or from Aods death after so many yeares the land had rest hauing been oppressed by such and such for the verie natiue translation is the things repeated in Eglons Storie and Aods are the actions of fourescore yeares if you adde to them Othoniels Fortie yeares In the Prophesie of Abacucke Cap. 3. There ye haue an abridgement of all the Stories of the Iudges and so continuing till Dauids death He beginneth at the 17. verse For Iniquitie I saw the Tents of Chusan and the curtaines of the land of Midian did tremble Was the Lord angrie with the Riuers or was thy wrath against the floods Meaning the ouerthrowe of Sisera whose host was discomfited at the Riuer Kyson and so proceedeth in the Chapter The meaning of the Prophet is to comfort the Iewes which now were afflicted by the neighbours about them and assureth them that they shall be deliuered For afore-time they had great deliuerances from the like oppressors and therefore namerh Chusan not that hee was that Chusan that is mentioned in the Iudges but being one of Chush his house and is a Chusan of double impietie for by this time Abrahams Sonnes by Keturah were mixed with Cham and those afflicters which bordered on the Iewes are here meant as Ismael and Nachors Sonnes and Edom and Cham c. Wee are likewise to vnderstand that these Iudges did not rule as Kings or Magistrates Fortie yeares or Twentie yeares but the Land being for their sinnes plagued from time to time by these oppressors the policie did choose some especiall man out of the Tribes to bee cheefe Captaine during the time of their affliction Amongst whom Iosephs house had the chiefest glorie but Iuda had the first prerogatiue They fell away sixe times in the time of these Iudges before Dauids time and that was the cause that these vngodly Nations had such a stroke ouer them Thus much for them in generall 2571. Othoniel of the tribe of Iuda is the First to shew that they should looke for their deliuerer which should end all the visions and prophesies and perfecteth all righteousnesse to bee of Iuda THe Three hundred thirtie and nine is the exact number of the whole time of the Iudges The Foure hundred and Fiftie sheweth the whole time of Iudges with the oppressors yeares The Lord stirred vp our Sauiour to the Children of Israel and hee saued them euen Othoniel the Sonne of Kenar Calebs younger brother and the spirite of the Lord came vpon him and hee iudged Israel and went out to war and the Lord deliuered Chusan Rishathaim King of Aram into his hand and his hand preuailed against him so the Land had rest Fortie yeares and Othoniel died Iudg. 3.9 2603. Chusan oppresseth Eight yeares HIs Country was Mesopotamia The Children of Israel did wickedly that is they dwelt amonge the vncleane Nations that were left in the Land and tooke their Daughters to bee their wiues and gaue their Daughters to their Sons and serued their Gods contrarie to the commaundement of Moses the man of God Deut. 7.3 When you shall come into the Land c. Therefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel and he sould them into the hand of Chusan and they serued him Eight yeares Booz of Rahab Borne By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them which obeyed not when shee had receiued the Spies peaceably Heb. 11. Rahab was of