Image of Adam to shew that whatsoeuer is borne of the flesh is flesh and whatsoeuer is borne of the spirit is spirit When Adam was 130. yeares old he begetteth Seth being as may be gathered not one day more nor one day lesse And the rule serueth for all the Ten fathers before the floud The holy Ghost keeping an exact Cronicle of the times beginneth at Adam and so goeth forwarde laying downe the particuler ages of the fathers vnto the floude saying when Adam is 130. yeares old Seth is borne Now if he had beene one day more the number had not been perfect if one lesse it had not beene exacted We may better therefore conclude that all the Ten fathers were borne on the sixt day that is the day of Adams creation rather than on any other day seeing it cannot well bee denyed and that it crosseth neither story nor rule of religion Seth Signifieth Setled or Foundation He knew the Creator and that the world should be founded vpon him Es 58. The wicked haue no sure foundation but are like to the chaffe in a summer floore But the Godly shal be like a fresh watered Garden and like the fountaine of water that neuer leaueth running whose foundation is layd for many generations For as a tree that hath sure rootes will beare many braunches so to be setled in religion as Seth was many thinges will appeare to bee of singuler force Now compare him with Christ thus Seth. His name signifieth foundation He was begotten in the image of Adam Christ is The Rocke sure foundation of his Church The very character of his Father 105. Enosh borne In these numbers you haue 10. multiplied by 10. and 5. which is the number of the letters of Iehouah HIs name signifieth Sorowfull Euery man is called sorowfull Enosh and the Hebrew tongue sometime calleth a man Enosh and sometimes Adam The Caldeans call a man Enosh but not Adam because they had not the antiquitie of the creation of the world In Enosh his time Religion decayed in the house of God for which the floud came and drowned the world This sorrowe is called a godly sorrowe to which the Lord hath added a blessing as Mat. 5. Blessed are they that mourne for they shall receaue comfort and Ecclesiastes 7. Grauitie is better than laughter for when the countenance is heauie the heart is reformed but Luke 6. saith Blessed are yee that weepe now for yee shall laugh CHrist beeing sorrowfull for the negligence of the Iewes knowing that they should bee plagued for not embracing the promise to Abraham Isaack and Iacob weepeth ouer Ierusalem saying O Ierusalem Ierusalem 1. O sight of peace O sight of peace If thou hadst knowne those things that belong to thy peace so with griefe and sorow of heart he leaueth off as not able to expresse the sum of his sorrow Againe with like sorrow he saith How often would I haue gathered you together as a henne gathereth her chickens and you would not 90. Kenan borne HIs name signifieth Contrite or small store Matth. 5. Blessed are the poore in spirit for their is the kingdome of heauen Esay 54. Thus saith the High and Excellent euen he that dwelleth in Eternity whose name is the holy one I dwell high aboue and in the Sanctuarie and with him also that is of a Contrite Spirit doe I dwell that I may heale a troubled mind and a Contrite heart Psal 50. An humble and Contrite heart the Lord doth not despise therefore shall euery godly man prayse the Lord without ceasing 70. Mahalaleel borne You haue in this number ten seuens or seuen multiplied by ten which is seuentie which is the number of his natiuitie wherein you haue a sweet resemblance of the creation of which number many excellent things are to be spoken which I will handle afterwards THis name signifieth My praise God Leah nameth her fourth sonne Iuda the Father of Shiloh Praise God for so doth his name likewise signifie The vse of this ought to be embraced of all seeing it stretcheth to the saluation of all It appeareth hereby that the godly fathers in ancient time had wonderfull regard in naming their children For if you doe marke the whole stories of the Bible you shall find very few notable men whether they were godly or wicked but they conteine rare matter in their names From Mahalaleel we are taught to prayse God aright First in sinceritie of spirit with sound knowledge grounded vpon the truth of his word Dauid knowing that prayse giuing to God is not only required at our hands but also at euery creatures in their kind biddeth the whole course of nature praise the Lord. And in Psal 47. hee sayth O sing prayses sing prayses vnto our God O sing prayses sing prayses vnto our King for the Lord is high and to be feared He is the great king vpon all the earth sing prayses therefore with vnderstanding Hee sheweth vs a reason in the 19. Psalme where he saith The heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handie worke one day telleth another and one night certifieth another c. Therefore let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be alway acceptable in thy sight O Lord my Rocke and my Redeemer Whereby we are taught that the true praise of God consisteth not onely in outward acknowledging of his works and his iudgements for that the wicked are oftentimes compelled to confesse as Pharaoh Nebucadnetzar and others but wee must prayse God so as that all our thankes and all our actions may tend to the acknowledging of the Redemption by Christ for so doth Dauid in this 19. Psal he beginneth with the Creation endeth with the Redemption Let vs therefore with him also say Psal 102. Prayse the Lord O my soule and all that is within me prayse his holy name which forgiueth all thy sinne and healeth all thine infirmities which saueth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with mercie and louing kindnesse And Psal 105. O giue thankes vnto the Lord and call vpon his holy name tell the people what things he hath done O let your songs be of him and praise him and let your talking be of all his wonderous workes Reioyce in his holy name let the heart of them reioyce that seeke the Lord seeke the Lord and his strength seeke his face euermore 65. Iared borne For this number 65. it is the halfe of 130. His name signifieth Lowlie or meeke he was 162. yeeres old before he married because at that time he had knowledge of the flood that it should come Therefore hee consecrated his sonne to God HOw precious a vertue this Meekenesse is and how highlie to be embraced we may know by open experience if we examine how God from the beginning hath gouerned the world For God respecteth not the person of any man that he should feare him He ouerthrew the rebellious Nimrod and the rest of the Nephewes of
on the mercies of God acknowledging his power and his iustice which they neglecting to embrace God to shewe his iudgements hardneth their hearts to follow that which shall bee their owne destruction as Amasias did who contrary to the coūsell of the Prophet of God goeth vp against Ioash king of Israel After him the kingdome of Iuda was voide Eleauen yeares 3201. Azarias two and Fiftie yeares HIs name was also called Vzzias All is one in Hebrew it signifieth Might or Strength In his dayes Amos the Prophet the Father of Esay did prophecy so did Oseas the prophet Amos beginneth to preach two yeares before the Earth-quake which was in his time Azarias did vprightly in the sight of God according to al that Amasias his father did and he sought God in the daies of Zechariah which vnderstood the visions of God and when he sought the Lord God made him to prosper for he went forth and fought against the Philistins and brake down the wall of Gath and the wall of Iabneth and the wall of Ashdod and built Cities in Ashdod and amonge the Philistines and many valiant things did he But when he was stronge his heart was lifted vp to his destruction for he transgressed against the Lord his God and went into the Temple of the Lord to burne incense vpon the Altar of incense vsurping the office of the Sacrificers and is stroken with leaprosie and therefore dwelt apart being cut off from the house of the Lord and so continued vnto the day of his death From hence wee may learne what a grieuous thing it is in the sight of God to meddle in the office of the Sacrificers which the Lord had forbidden Num. 18. We may also learne from hence not to forget God in our prosperitie least therby we procure our owne destruction In Antiochus time the Leuites who were appointed of God onely to sacrifice and offer incense before him will vsurpe into the kings seat and beare rule vpon the like successe in victories And then God plagueth thē with a spirituall leaprosie more foule and filthy than that of the bodie being from Pharisees become Saduces denying the resurrection and the life of the soule departed from the bodie This Azarias king of Iuda saw the daies of Eight kings of Israel wherein the word of God remaineth true The wicked shall not liue out halfe their dayes 3253. Iotham Sixteene yeares HIs Fathers plague causeth him to rule indifferently well His Sonne Achaz succeeding is farre worse Micheas the Prophet teacheth in the dayes of Iotham King of Iuda 3268. Achaz Sixteene yeares HE walked in the wayes of the Kings of Israel and made moulten Images for Baalim Moreouer he burnt incense in the valley of Benhinnom and burnt his Sonnes with fire after the abhomination of the heathen whome the Lord had cast out before the Children of Israel He sent for helpe to Tiglah Pilueeser and the rest of the Kings of Ashur which was not lawfull to seeke helpe of Infidels Then the Prophet Esay prophecied and by him God giues a prophesie for when Ierusalem was besieged for the wickednesse of Achaz God sendeth Esay to Achaz and willeth him to aske a signe Who answereth hee will not tempt God Esay 7. The Prophet replyeth Is it not a small thing to grieue men but you must also grieue my God therefore the Lord will giue you a signe A Virgin shall conceiue and beare a Sonne and she shall call his name Emanuel God with vs. Thereby to shew Achaz the greatnesse of his impietie for seeking to the Nations for helpe For seeing God spareth not his owne Sonne but giueth him to death for vs will not he likewise send strength to Iudah He was buried in the Citie of Ierusalem but not in the Sepulchres of the Kings of Iudah 3281. Ezechias nine and Twentie yeres A new Heber HEre we see some recouerie of the state For in the yeare that Azarias died Esay sawe the Lord sitting in the Temple the Seraphins stood vpon it euerie one hauing sixe winges and one cryed to another Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts And God speaketh Ye shall heare me but not vnderstand yee shall see plainely and not perceiue Esay asketh How longe Lord vntill the Cities be wasted the house without a man and the Land vtterly desolate Thereby meaning their captiuitie wherein there shall be tenne forsakings in Ezecchias time two in Manasses one Iosias time one the fift in Iehoachaz time the Sonne of Iosias the sixt in Iehoiakim the Seuenth when he rebelled after he had serued the King of Babell three yeares the Eight in Ieconias time the two last which makes the Tenth vnder Zedechias himselfe being carried to Babell his eyes put out and his Sonnes slaine and after the house of the Lord burnt and all the Citie carried captiue so the Lord is in his Temple beholding the actions of men and his skirts fill the Temple the least of Gods mysteries excelling all the wisedome of man and the Angels proclaime Holynesse to God this Esay confessed for he saw nothing but woe vnto himselfe being a man of polluted lippes that so by faith in the Sonne of God his sinne might bee put away In Ezechias time Esay speaketh of nine Nations plagued which were borderers on Iudea From this we might gather that seeing their wickednesse was equall they should receiue the like measure of punishment Hee goeth further and telleth what Assur shall speake and Babell and prophecieth of Cyrus one hundred yeares before he was borne answerable to the prophecie that was of Iosias in Ieroboams time concerning the taking vp of the bones of the Prophets Esay in Ezechias dayes prophecieth of Christ and saw the promise a farre off and embraced it and shewed the particulars as if they were now perfourmed by Pilate This would not haue mooued a prophane man but he being a prophet knew that God was faithfull who had promised And the men in his time gathered together Salomons Prouerbs Yet for all this we shall finde that fewe were saued and Christ saith that many Kings desired to see that which you see and saw them not Ezechias was verie desirous to haue his posteritie to keepe the Kingdome in the true Religion Esay commeth vnto him and willeth him to set his house in a readinesse for he should die for any thing yet reuealed Hee wept not for feare of death seeing he had great assurance of Gods fauor and thereby his saluation made certaine but to remember the wickednesse of the Kings before and how through their impiety Iuda was humbled and that now hee should sleepe with his Fathers not leauing a godly one to succeed him He hath a Sonne but it had been better that Manasses his Sonne had neuer been he was so wicked This Ezechias committeth a grieuous offence in shewing his wealth to the Embassadors of the king of Babell Thereupon saith the prophet because thou trustedst not in God but in thy wealth therefore one of Babell
some will say If God decreeth euerie thing why punisheth hee any thing It is answered That punishment commeth from God by the iust desert of the ranckor of mans minde Election is of his free grace which hee bestoweth vpon whome he will as he saith I will haue mercie on whome I will haue mercie Therefore the first thing wee ought to knowe is our Election the last is true holynesse That this Election or louing kindnesse of God towards vs is of the will of God according to the counsell of his owne will and not drawne from him by force by helpe of Saints or as being by workes meritorious of the same it may appeare Esay 43. Abraham knoweth vs not neither is Israel acquainted with vs but thou Lord art our Father and Redeemer and of very louing kindnesse thou hast redeemed vs thy name is euerlasting Rom. 8. It is Christ onely that maketh intercession for vs. Esay 43. I am he onely that for mine owne selues sake doe away thine offences and forget thy sinnes For what hast thou for thee to make thee righteous Thy first father offended sore and thy rulers haue sinned against mee Thou art like to a thing of naught thy time passeth away like a shadowe Iere. I loue thee with an euerlasting loue therefore by my mercy haue I drawne thee vnto mee and Iohn 6. No man can come to me except the father draw him as it is written Esay 54. They shall bee all taught of God Esay 26. Lord thou hast wrought all our workes Phil. 2. It is God that worketh in you both the will and also the deed euen of his good will 2. Cor. 3. Wee are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but if wee bee able the same commeth of God which made vs able Esay 51.12 Yea I euen I am he that in all things giueth you consolation Psal 130. For with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption 1. Pet. 1. We are elect according to the foreknowledge of God the father through the sanctifying of the spirit vnto obedience and sprinckling the blood of Iesus Christ Psal 90. Before the mountaines were brought foorth or euer the earth and the world were made thou art our God from euerlasting to euerlasting thou turnest man vnto dust and sayest returne yee sonnes of Adam Rom. 9. Before the children were borne and when they had done neither good nor euill that the purpose of God might stand not by workes but by the Caller it was sayd The greater shall serue the lesser as it is written Mal. 3. Iacob haue I loued Esau haue I hated Iohn 13. I know whom I haue chosen Psal 135. Whatsoeuer the Lord pleased that did he in heauen and in earth and in the sea and in all deepe places Rom. 11. There is a remnant left according to the election of grace If it be of grace then it is not now of workes for then grace is no more grace But if it be of workes then is it now no grace what then Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh but the election hath obtained it 2. Thes 2. We are bound to giue thankes alwayes to God because that God hath from the beginning chosen vs to saluation through sanctifying of the spirit and through beleeuing of the truth to obtaine the glory of our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 8. Moreouer whom hee appointed before them also hee called And whom he hath called them also he iustified and whom he iustified them hee also glorified Now followeth the effect of Election either in respect of the Elect or Reiect And first for the Elect. THe Elect whome God in his mercie hath saued for his righteousnes sake and not for their deserts he guideth by the grace of his holy spirit as Rom. 8. As many as are led by the spirit of God they are the Sons of God Esay 43. All those that are called by my name I haue created fashioned and made for my honour Yet he leaueth them sometimes vnto themselues that they may acknowledge the weaknes of their owne nature as Noah Lot Iacob Dauid Salomon Peter and others but neuer suffereth them to fall quite away as appeareth Esay 54. A little while haue I forsaken thee but with great mercie will I take thee vp vnto me When I was angrie with thee I hid my face from thee for a little season but through euerlasting mercie haue I redeemed thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer The mountaines shall moue and the hils shall fall downe but my louing kindnes shall not mooue and the bond of my peace shall not fall downe from thee saith the lord thy mercifull louer Psalme 37. The lord ordereth a good mans going and maketh his way acceptable vnto himselfe though he fall hee shall not be cast away for the lord vpholdeth him with his hand Psalme 103. He dealeth not with them after their sins nor rewardeth them according to their wickednes but looke how the heauen is in comparison of the earth so great is his mercie towards them that feare him for he knoweth whereof they be made and he remembreth that they are but dust He saueth their life from destruction and crowneth them with mercie and louing kindnes Esay 54. Lo this is the heritage of the lords seruants and their righteousnes commeth of me saith the lord The Reiect he leaueth to their owne selues hardening their hearts that hee may haue occasion of Iudgement against them Esay 57. They are like to the raging Sea that cannot rest whose water fometh with the myre and grauell for they haue no peace with God The winde shall blowe them forth and vanitie shall take them all away they are like to dust before the winde and like to the chaffe in a summer floore Psal 73. The lord suffereth them to come in no perrill of death but are lustie and stronge they come in no daunger like other folke neither are they plagued like other men and this is the cause that they be so holden with pride and ouerwhelmed with crueltie their eyes swell for fatnesse and they doe euen what they lust They corrupt others and speake of wicked blasphemie their talking is against the most highest Tush say they how shall God perceive it is their knowledge in the most highest Loe these are the vngodly and these haue riches in posession Such were Kaine the wicked mockers before the floode Cham the builders of Babel the vncleane Cities Ismael Esau Pharaoh Moab Ammon The wicked oppressors Saul Absalom the Kings of Israel and the Kings of Babel Antiochus the vild Herod Pilate and Iudas the traitour many others who brought vpon themselues iust cause of eternall condemnation Psal 73. The Lord hath set them in slipperie places and casteth them downe and destroyeth them Oh how suddenly doe they consume and perish and
the workes of the fathers and bred by them maintaineth manifest absurdities we must seeke for another exposition If we consider the old Testament we shall find that Eliphaz in the booke of Iob preacheth the same doctrine that Saint Peter doth and therefore will serue for an exposition Eliphaz reasoneth with Iob thus Haste thou O Iob marked the way of the world wherein wicked men haue walked which were cut off by time and whose foundation was couered with waters which said vnto God depart from vs And yet what could he doe more for them he filled their houses with good things yet they refused the way of the Almightie So Saint Peter speaketh that the spirit of God went in like manner as he is said to come downe at the ouerthrow of Babell by confounding their tongues and when he destroyed Sodome and Gomorrah and preached in Noah to wit the time while the Arke was in making To whom to the spirits now in prison why because they said to God depart from vs we wil none of thy wayes Thus you see the words of Saint Peter made plaine This time of 120. yeeres Saint Peter calleth the patience and long suffering of God The Iewes in a booke called Zoar expound S. Peters words in this sort The Lord commeth to plague the wicked for their vnbeliefe sixe moneths with water sixe monethes with fire hot and cold and sent them all to Gehenna which is hell Not that they meant so the story of the word by plaine eye-sight controleling it but that the anger of God was as grieuous to their soules as the waters of the flood which wrinkled their bodies Christ in the Gospell compareth the flood with the end of the world for in the dayes of Noah they had rich Iubal to feast them and cunning Tubalkain to delight them in building or such like deuises and faire Naamah that they might marry according as their eyes lusted till the waters of the flood ouerwhelmed them so shall it be in the end of the world Eliphaz counselleth Iob that considering the ende of these men hee should bee at peace with God before our substance be cut off and the fire consume the rest of them Iaphet borne HIs name signifieth Perswaded He was the eldest sonne of Noah whereof many seeme to doubt which being examined by Scripture will appeare most certaine in Gen. 5. It is sayd Noah being 500. yeres old he begetteth Sem Cham and Iaphet Now it is certaine that they were not borne all at once for the plaine storie crosseth that In Gen. 6. Noah is said to be 600. yeeres old and the flood commeth then he must needes haue a sonne that is 100. yeeres old It could not be Sem for hee was but 100. yeeres olde two yeeres after the flood Gen. 11. Neither was it Cham for he was yonger than Sem For Noah said hee knew what his yongest sonne had done The reason of the doubt ariseth because Sem is named first in Gen. 5. Whom Moses penning the storie long after placed first to shew that Sem was the most worthie and had the prerogatiue of first borne because Christ was to come from him according to the promise made to Eua in Paradise The seede of the woman shall breake the head of the Serpent Sem borne WHich signifieth Name or Renowne Whereby we are to vnderstand that Noah had a wonderfull assurance of the promise in Christ in calling him Sem or as we say Name And withall we are to seeke by the like faith to be renowned that our names may be written in the booke of life For Salomon saith Pro. 22. A good name is more worth than a precious oyntment But God will put out their names from vnder heauen that flatter themselues in their wickednesses and whose roote beareth gall and wormewood as he commaunded Deut. 25. Put out the name of Amalecke from vnder heauen he is the beginning of Nations but his latter end shall perish vtterly 93. Lamech died Fiue yeeres before the flood being 777. yeeres olde His name runneth vpon seuens For what he wanted in long life he had it in casting a sweet account If Lamech had the age of his fathers he might haue seene the flood 98. Methushelah dieth Being 969. yeeres old and the seuenth that died after Adam as his Father Henoch was the seuenth that was borne after Adam Hee died but a few dayes before the flood to shew that he being a iust man kept away the flood and lacked but 31. yeere of 1000. Now it is not to be vnderstood that he liued full 969 yeeres for hee liued but a fewe dayes of his last yeere For if his yeeres be cast you shall see hee dieth in the yeere of the flood Now the flood came not in the first moneth because Methushelah then liued the tenth day of the second moneth the flood came Methushelah was dead before that time his dayes were the exact rule of the flood for so long as hee liued the waters could not ouerflow the earth he being dead the waters might aske God whether they should now worke vengeance to the wicked No saith God Noah shall mourne him a moneth as the children of Israel mourned Iacobs death Afterwards this moneth of sorrow being ended then they demaund of God againe whether now the wicked should be ouerwhelmed with waters God answereth No For Noah shall haue a Sabbath of preparation This being finished the flood couereth the face of the earth Methushelah Spoile death or Speare death Christ Died and rose againe and reuiued that he might be Lord of quicke and dead Suffered death that by his death he might ouercome him that had the power of death This halfe sheweth that at the flood the dayes of man were shortned halfe in halfe as Psal 89. The Lord hath shortned the dayes of youth These numbers are the summe of the yeares from the Creation to the floud which are gathered by the particuler natiuities of the Ten Fathers before the floud These particulers being added they make the yeares of the world at the floude 1656. Adam 130 Seth. 105 Enosh 90 Kenan 70 Mahalaleel 65 Iared 162 Henoch 65 Methushelah 187 Lamech 182 Noah 600. The floud is brought vpon the olde world c. THe floude is a resemblance of the destruction of the world and was the greatest iudgement of the world till the world shal be consumed with fire Therfore the story of the floud doth cause vs to consider of things past and to haue iudgement of things to come For in the floude are rare examples concerning waighing numbring and diuiding It was 40. daies in rayning the like time in abating God hath numbred waighed and diuided The second day of the seuenth moneth The times do shew that God doth waigh and number wonderfully all the affaires of men but men did not then know what God would doe because he had hardned their hearts and scorning Noah all his life time they were ashamed then to fly vnto him
but the floud came for the sinnes of man for the bloud of Abell came the floude and washt them all away Yea the waters that were vnder the earth aduanced themselues aboue man Further in this storie of the floud these three things are chieflye to be considered the Arke Persons that were saued Time of the continuance of the floude And first for the Arke THe Arke was made about mount Lebanon where the Cedars for Salomons Temple were had and it was sixe score yeeres in making which time in Saint Peter is called the long suffering of God The fortie yeeres in the wildernesse was a famous thing but the making of the Arke was more famous and the time thrise so long not any thing so famous as the Arke except the Lords death The proportions of height depth and breadth are described Gen. 6. The heighth is the tenth part of the length The beasts were in the middlemost place the fodder aboue the dung beneath And God bids vs marke the quantitie of all the beasts of the earth by the bulke of the Arke There is much speach taken from the Arke to the Church but the consequent of the one followeth not in the other In the Arke were beasts cleane and vncleane Some in the Arke did perish They that were out of the Arke did perish The waters did hold vp the Arke In the Church are faithfull and vnfaithfull Some in the Church do perish So the Turke being out of the Church doth perish The waters doe wash them clean away that are without The tossing vpon the waters doth represent the troubles which the Church of God is to endure in this life Againe no man of modestie but may know that it was no pleasant life for Noah and his familie to dwell an whole yeere vpon the waters and to abide the noisomnes of all kindes of beasts in the Arke which came to the Arke at the appointment of God to the condemnation of all the world For it appeareth that the verie brute beasts had more regard to themselues than the wicked workers which despised the preaching of Noah and the making of the Arke who said where is the appearance of his comming Euer since the Fathers died all things continue in one state winter summer spring haruest c. And while they were thus saying the flood commes and washeth away their foundation But saith Saint Peter in this they aâ—e willingly ignorant for euen as before the flood they married feasted builded goodlie houses c. euen to the day that Noah entred into the Arke and neuer thought the preaching of Noah true because all things continued still in the same sort they thought it vnpossible that the waters which were beneath the valleyes could couer the highest mountaines fifteene cubits and yet this they might haue knowen that as the waters in the Creation couered the earth till God commaunded them to goe to their channell euen so againe at the commaundement of God they could returne to couer it Saint Peter therefore addeth that these men were willinglie ignorant The Arke rested vpon mount Ararat which is a mountaine in Armenia and signifieth Take away feare Whereby we are to note that whosoeuer dwelleth vnder the defence of the most high and shall say vnto the Lord Thou art my hope my strong hold and my God in whom I put my trust shall not be afraid for any terror by night nor for the arrow that flyeth by day for the pestilence that walketh in darkenesse nor the sickenesse that destroyeth in the noone day For a thousand shall fall at their right hand ten thousand at their left hand but they shall not be touched With their eyes shall they see the reward of the vngodly for the Lord is their hope and he hath set his house of defence very high With long life will he satisfie them and through his louing kindnesse will he shew them his saluation Let euery one therefore say The Lord is my light and my saluation whom then shall I feare The Lord is the strength of my life whereof then should I be afraid for in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his Tabernacle and set me vp vpon a Rocke of Stone Now compare Christ and the Arke together The Arke had a doore by the which Noah and his houshold entred in to the sauing of them Mount Ararat Take away feare Christ Is the doore by whom we enter into the holy of holiest to the sauing of our soules Christ Is that mount Ararat vpon whose shoulders if we rest wee need not feare what man can doe vnto vs. The persons were Noah Iaphet Sem Cham and their wiues Psal 130. The Lord hath brought my soule out of hell and kept my life from them that goe downe to the pit Hebrews 11. By faith Noah prepared the Arke to the sauing of his houshold NOah walked with God therefore it is certaine that the spirit of Christ preached by him For Saint Peter giueth a rule The spirit of Christ spake in all the Prophets His calling was very glorious being made a preacher to declare saluation to all which would beleeue in Christ How he was receiued it is manifest seing he preuailed with a very few yet the word of God is not in vaine for seeing they refused the mercie of God offered in Christ it is certaine Noah would preach the iudgements of God the other part of the Gospell which the Latines call excommunication The Hebrewes The Lord commeth The Hebrewes and with them the Greeke Orators do vse to faine Prosopopeia which is a conference or communication when they meane to expresse things more at full So wee may imagine Tubalkaine to say Surely Noah is an honest man and payeth well for his worke and hee hath with very great charge kept a great sort of labourers these sixe-score yeeres What should he meane by this Surely answereth Iubal I will tell you strange things Seuen of my best Rammes and seuen of my best Ewes ran from my flocke right foorth to the Arke and there they went in And another standing by replieth I am sure I can tell saith he as great a meruaile as this for comming by a wood I sawe a fearefull Lyon and a fierce Lyonesse and they went as gently by me as two Lambes not offering to do me any hurt and came to the Arke and there were plankes set and they went in Yea saith another I saw a huge Beare doe the like and so they might speake of the rest of the beasts This might driue them to an amasednesse but this could not saue them And hereby it is apparant that it is not in our power to repent when we list For this is not repentance to be sory for our sins There is no man so wicked but hath done so There must also be a turning to God which is neuer except we be lightned by his spirit The Lord vseth first to offer mercy which if it be contemned he hardneth our hearts
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
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
shall come and carrie away captiue these excellent things and thy Sonnes shall bee courtiers in the court of the king of Babell He hath Fifteen yeares longer allowed for the time of his life in this world and hath this warranted by the course of the Sun going fifteen degrees backward He knew the end and period of his life and thereby no doubt had a wonderfull glorie This is certaine that none can tell by outward blessings how farre he is in the fauour or disfauor of God Ezechias dieth to the end hee should not see the euill dayes 3311. Manasses his Sonne raigneth 55. yeres being wonderfull wicked HEre the long patience of God appeared calling men to repentance as in the dayes of Noah while the Arke was in preparing 3366. Amon his Sonne raigned Two yeares HE committed euill in the sight of the Lord as did Manasses his Father For Ammon sacrificed to all the Images which Manasses his Father had made and serued them and he humbled not himselfe before the Lord as Manasses his Father had humbled himselfe but this Ammon trespassed more and more and his Seruants conspired against him and slue him in his owne house And the people of the Land made Iosias King and hee raigned One and Thirtie yeares and hee did vprightly in the sight of the Lord and walked in the wayes of Dauid his Father and bowed neither to the right hand nor to the left He taketh vp the Prophets bones and burneth them vppon their Altars and purged Iudah and Ierusalem So hee fulfilleth that prophecie Read the 3. King 23.16 He was verie godly at Sixteen yeares of age at Eighteen the Booke of the Lawe is found It is a great question what Booke of the Law it was It is certaine that the prophets had the law to studie as Esay Amos and Ezechiel Therefore the meaning cannot be that before this finding they had no copies of Moses but the truth is Now was found the verie originall which Moses wrote for wicked Manasses was the occasion of hiding thereof Vpon this finding and reading thereof God saith 2. Chron. 34. Because thy heart did melt and thou hast humbled thy selfe before the Lord therfore thou shalt be gathered vnto thy fathers and shalt be put into thy graue with peace He was slaine by Pharaoh Neco at Megiddo for the Lord turned not from his fierce wrath wherewith he was angrie against Iudah because of the prouocations of Manasses therefore hee determined to put Iudah out of his sight Vpon this Ieremie writes the Lamentations of his death In his dayes Ieremie and Sophony prophecied 3399. Ioakim Eleauen yeares HE would not beleeue the iudgments of God against Iudah and Ierusalem pronounced by Ieremie 22. Thus saith the Lord against Ioakim they shall not lament him saying Ah my Brother or ah Sister neither shall they mourne for him saying ah Lord or ah this glorie he shall be buried as an Asse is buried euen drawne and cast forth without the gates of Ierusalem And then began Nebuchadnetzar to besiege Ierusalem and Ioakim cuts Ieremies Lamentations in peeces Therefore he was buried like an Asse and here the succession ended Gregorie Martin herevpon keepes a stirre as if the Scriptures were not true because Saint Mathew saith that Ioakim begat Ieconias and his brethren whereas in truth Ioakim died childlesse The Scripture is true for this word Sonne is taken for any kinsman and so vsed in the scripture He was his Vncle in proper sence and Sonne by succession Here is now the saying fulfilled Ierem. 22. O earth earth earth heare the word of the Lord write Iehoiakim voide of Children Nathaniel he saith of Christ Ioh. 1. Thou art the King of Israel The purpose of God in this Kingdome was this that Christ should bee King for euer whose gouernment they in some sort shadowed and yet seeing they could not performe ciuile Iustice for this life how shall wee if wee trust in our owne righteousnesse appeare in the sight of God The next in order of time to be handled is Nebuchadnetzar and the Storie of the Captiuitie but because before I could not conueniently handle the Kings of Israel before I come to the captiuitie I will heere handle their Stories in generall termes TIll Ieroboams time Iuda ruled ouer all the Tribes but when Salomon was dead and Roboam succeedeth the Ten tribes fall away from Iuda and then those Tribes make another Kingdome by their diuision and frō this time Israel is a kingdom diuided the ten Tribes bearing the name of Israel and the other Tribes Iuda and Beniamin the Kingdome of Iudah This diuision continueth vnto Ezechias time and there endeth the ten Tribes being carried captiue by Salmanasar The Prophet Oseas expresseth their state in this sort Cap. 1. GOe take vnto thee a wife of Fornications and hee tooke Gomer which signifieth a whole bodie or multitude the Daughter of Diblaim which signifieth Barrennesse which was a name of one of the standings in the wildernesse And she conceiued and bare a Sonne and called him Isreel So God calleth the whole state of Israel a whole bodie as barren as the wildernes She conceiued againe and bare a daughter and called her Loruhamah not pitied She bare againe another Sonne and called his name Lognamj that is not my people The meaning is thus much Goe to the multitude of Israel whose Fathers pitched their Tents in the wildernesse of Diblaim and because they fall to Idolatrie worshipping molten Calues as their fathers did in the wildernesse not regarding the glorie of Shiloh tell them that their state shall be as Israel that is like the slaughter of Iehu vpon Achab in the valley of Isreel and they shall be so vnpitied that they shall be as though they were no people vntill they know I am the Lord. Of these calamities Oseas preacheth vnto them in Ieroboams time telleth them vnder these termes of three alterations the one by Iehu which he expresseth by his first Sonne Isreel because a little while and I will visite the blood of Isreel vppon the house of Iehu and will make the gouernment of the house of Israel to cease and at that day will I also breake the bowe of Israel in the valley of Iesrell The Second by his Daughter Loruhamah without mercie For I wil no more haue pitie vpon the house of Israel but I will vtterly take them away which was performed in Tighath Pelesars daies without mercie The Third Lognammi no people for yee are not my people therefore will I not be yours This was performed when Salmanasar caried them cleane away It is not expressed of what Tribes the Kings of Israel were because the Lord keepeth not the wicked in remembrance If any be mentioned it is for some speciall vse in the Storie as Iehu may be supposed to be of Gad because there is mention made that he came from a Towne in that Tribe Ieroboam is of Ioseph and is a plague to Israel when hee erected
Nebuchadnetzar his Grandfather blasphemed God and polluted his vessels For hee made a great banquet and called therevnto his wiues and his Concubines his Lords and his Nobles and was drunke with the wine which hee dranke out of the vessels of the house of the Lord which Nebuchadnetzar had brought out from the Temple of Ierusalem and the same houre whilst he was boasting of himselfe in the pride of his greatnesse a peece of hand writeth on the wall where hee was banqueting Mene Mene Tekel Vpharsin At the sight whereof his countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him so that the ioynts of his loynes were loosened and his knees smote one against the other and his Princes were astonied Wherefore he sent for all his Astrologians Caldeans and Soothsayers to tel him the interpretation of the words but they could not then the Queene mother to wit Nebuchadnetzars wife and Grandmother to Baltazar telleth the King that there was in his Kingdome a man in whom was the spirite of the holy Gods light and vnderstanding and wisedome was found in him whome Nebuchadnetzar made chiefe of the Enchaunters Astrologians Caldeans and Soothsayers because a more excellent spirite and knowledge and vnderstanding was found in him for hee did expound dreames and declare hard sentences and dissolued doubts euen Daniel whome the King named Belteshazter according to the name of Nebuchadnetzars God which hee did of purpose Daniel being young to make him forget his owne name and thereby his Religion if it could haue been for Daniels name indeed contained singuler assurance of Gods mercie towards him Daniel God is my Iudge Then Daniel was brought before the King and the King spake and sayd vnto Daniel Art thou that Daniel which art of the Children of the Captiuitie of Iudah whome my Father the King brought out of Iurie I haue heard of thee that the spirite of the holy Gods is in thee and that light and vnderstanding and excellent wisedome is found in thee Now wise men and Astrologians haue ben brought before me that they should read this writing shew me the interpretation but they could not which if thou canst doe it thou shalt bee clothed with purple and shalt haue a chaine of gold and bee the thirde ruler in my Kingdome Then Daniel answered before the King Keepe thy rewards to thy selfe and giue thy gifts to another Yet will I reade the writing vnto the King and shew him the interpretation By the way wee haue here to vnderstand how godly men cannot liue in a kingdome but God will make them known to be his seruants which they may knowe if they despise vnlawfull preferments trusting to the prouidence of God Abraham was of this Religion hee would not bee enriched by the King of Sodome And Moses had rather suffer affliction with the Children of God than to bee called the Sonne of Pharaohs Daughter Daniel before hee readeth the writing declareth to the King his wonderfull and impious ingratitude towards God considering his wonderfull worke toward his Grandfather and so sheweth that he doth not sinne of ignorance but of malice and therefore cannot be forgiuen Daniels speach is bold yet reuerent O King heare thou The most high God gaue vnto Nebuchadnetzar thy Father a Kingdome and maiestie and honour and glorie and for the maiestie that he gaue him all people Nations and languages trembled and feared before him He put to death whom he would and whome he would he smote he set vp whome hee would and whome hee would hee put downe but when his heart was puft vp and his minde hardned in pride hee was deposed from his kingly throne and they tooke his honour from him and hee was driuen from the Sons of men and his heart was made like the beasts and his dwelling was with the wilde Asses they fed him with grasse like Oxen and his body was weat with the deaw of heauen till he knew that the most high God bare rule ouer the kingdom of men that he appointeth ouer it whomsoeuer hee pleaseth And thou his Sonne O Belshatzer hast not humbled thy heart though thou knewest all these things But hast lift vp thy selfe against the Lord of heauen and they haue brought the vessels of his house before thee and thou and thy Princes thy wiues and thy Concubines haue drunke wine in them and thou hast praysed the Gods of siluer and gold of brasse yron wood and stone which neither see nor heare â—or vnderstand and the God in whose hand thy breath is and all thy wayes him hast thou not glorified ⧠Now this is the writing that he hath written This is the interpretation Mene Mene Mene. God hath numbred thy kingdome and hath finished it Tekel Tekel Thou art weighed in the ballance and art found too light Vpharsin Peres Thy Kingdome is diuided giuen to the Medes Persians The same night was Baltasar the King of the Caldees slaine and Darius of the Medes tooke the Kingdome Thus the head of gold is punned to dust and Babylon the Lion is cast into the fire by Christ the fierie Iudge And here endeth the glorie of the Babylonians Now the Seuenty yeres of captiuing the Iewes is accomplished and the plague ruine of Babylon foretold by the Prophets is now performed For Cyrus of Sem and Darius of Iaphet ioyne together to ouerthrow Baltasar of Chams house here Iaphet is perswaded to dwell with Sem and Canaan is made a seruant of seruants to them both according to Gen. 10. Now followeth to be handled the ouerthrow of Babel and the prophecies which concerne the same and by whome the destruction is prophecied A Greeuous vision was shewed vnto mee The transgressor against a transgressor and the destroyer against a destroyer Goe vp Elam besiege O Madat By Elam he meaneth the Persians by Madai the Meedes This prophesie was foretold a Hundred yeares before this time Esay 13. Behold I will stirre vp the Medes against them which shall not regard siluer nor be desirous of gold their children also shal be broken in peeces before their eyes their houses shall be spoyled and their wiues rauished Of Cyrus one Hundred yeares before hee was borne the Lord said Esay 44. Cyrus thou art my shepheard and he shall perfourme all my desire saying also to Ierusalem Thou shalt be built and to the Temple thy foundation shall be surely layd And Esay 45. Thus sayth the Lord vnto Cyrus his annointed whose right hand I haue holden to subdue Nations before him Therefore I will weaken the loynes of Kings and open the dores before him and the gates shall not bee shut This is verified when Baltazar being drunke at his banquet the watches of the Citie were left open that Cyrus and Darius came suddainly vpon them It is sayd further there I will goe before thee and make the crooked streight I will breake the brasen dores and brust the yron barres and I will giue thee the treasures of darknesse and