Sonne from the malice of Athalia which had destroyed all the rest of the Kings seede and dieth being 130 yeares old While he liued Joas kept Religion and Worshipped the God of his Father After his death he fell away and suffered incense to be offered in the groues to whom Zacharias the Sonne of Barachias said Is this the reward of all my Fathers paines that as soone as my Father is dead you forsake the true God and worship the Gods of the Nations For which cause Ioas caused him to be slaine betweene the Alter and the Temple So that as death is contrarie to life and as at the birth of Seth and Abraham the graces of God were manifested to the world so at Iehoiadahs death the Tribe of Iuda lost all Religion It is a question how Torah being an Idolater could name Abram Hie Father son so doth the word signifie Hee might guesse like a worldly man that his Sonne Abram should be likely to be Rich and Mightie and so should haue many vnder him Howsoeuer it was this is certaine that God directed the tongue of this Idolater to set foorth and preach his glory though his life had no shew of vertue Here is an other question to be discussed of the age of Terah when he begat Abram Of Terah his age when he begat Abram SOme will haue Abram to be borne at Terahs Seuentieth yeare because in Gen. 11.26 it is sayd Terah liued seuentie yeares and begat Abram Nachor and Haran Wherevpon they gather that Abraham was the first borne because hee is put in the first place and that hee was borne in that yeare of Terah to wit the Seuentie But they marke not that Terahs Sonnes are reckoned not according to their age but according to their dignitie as Gen. 5. The sonnes of Noah Sem Cham and Iaphet are so rehearsed that in the first place there is mention made of Sem who for all that was not the first borne neither could be borne in the Fiue hundreth yeare of Noah fith two yeares after the Flood in which yeare he begat Arphaxad hee was but an hundreth yeares old Now the first of this opinon whom I follow was Caluine that famous Doctor of the Church of Geneua who in his Commentaries vpon Gen. 11.27 expresseth it in plaine wordes Him followed Beroaldus who did much in the illustrating of time and Mangoldus This demonstration is set downe Act. 7. Abraham is said to goe out of Haran after his father Terah died Now Terah liued 205. yeares And Abraham went out of Haran in the 75. yeare of his age which yeares if you subtract from Terahs age there remaine 130. yeares in which Abrams natiuitie falleth The same may be confirmed by Sarahs age Abrams wife who is thought to be the Daughter of Abrams brother Abram exceeded her no more but ten yeares whereupon it followeth that hee was borne long after him that was both his Brother and Father in law Abram therefore was called and began his Peregrination in the 2084. yeare of the world the very same day that his posteritie went out of Egipt namely the 15. of Nisan as it is sayd in Exod. 12. The third ioynct of this first time which containeth the diuine couenant of Abraham endeth in the yeare when the Law was giuen in which the Israelites by the goodnesse of God were brought foorth and deliuered out of Egipt by many and strange Miracles This containeth 430. yeares which is confirmed by the testimonie of S. Paul who expresly sayth Gal. 3.17 That the Law began 430. yeares after the confirming of the Couenant or Testament And concerning the confirmation of which Couenant he speaketh he expresseth in that which went before namely of that same which was made when being called of God he went out of Haran For in vers 8. hee cyteth the same Promise In thee shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed Which Gen. 12. is rehearsed in the narration of his calling vers 3. Hitherto also it appertaineth which is written Exod. 12. vers 40. The Peregrination of the Children of Israel as learnedly and truely translateth that worthy man Beroaldus which they dwelt in Egipt was Foure hundred and thirtie yeares Which surely the Seuenty Interpreters so translate that they account the Peregrination of the Fathers made in the Land of Canaan in this dwelling Neither doth the place of Gen. 15. vers 13. concerning the Seede of Abrham to be afflicted 400. yeares hinder it For Abrahams Peregrination is to be deriued frō his Calling and his Seed began to be afflicted when Isaacke the Sonne of Promise borne 25. yeares after his Calling being a Child peraduenture of fiue yeares old suffered the scoffinges of Ismael borne of the Hand-mayde which surely the Apostle Gal. 4.29 expressely nameth Persecution Adde hereunto the rest which Isaacke and Iacob suffered among Strangers Now that time wherein the Israelites abode in Egipt that it is farre wide of 400. yeares is clearer then the light at noone day to them which consider that Koath the Sonne of Leui went downe into Egipt and liued 133. yeares and that his Sonne Amram liued 137. yeares Exod. 6. and that Moses his Sonne was 80. yeares old when he went out of Egipt All which make but 350. yeares and if from these those yeares be subduced which they liued after their Sonnes were borne the yeares remayning would be few But these thinges Doctor Beroaldus and others haue learnedly set foorth Those notable men Bullinger Phlinspachius Scalinger and others agree vnto it It is said that Terah being 70. yeares old begetteth Abram Haran Nachor The Iewes say That Abraham was the eldest but thereby they bring notable absurdities for they agree that Sara was Harans Daughter she is but Ten yeeres younger than Abram and then Abram being elder than Haran and yet married his daughter but Ten yeares younger then her Husband Haran must needes beget her at Nine yeares of age which is impossible Therefore it is certaine that Nachor and Haran were elder then Abram For if wee looke to Gen. 12. and consider that Abram being Seuentie and fiue yeares old receiued the promise and to Saint Stephens Oration Act. 7.2 by which it appereth that Terah was dead before Abram had the promise or else the promise might haue had reference to Terah as well as to Abram we shall by good Arithmetique cast Terah at the birth of Abram to be 130. yeares for take 75. yeares out of 205. which is the time that Tenah liued and there remaineth 130 the age of Terah when he begat Abram To inlarge this further If Abram had beene the eldest Sem would not haue giuen him the blessing for then he should haue died before Sem and men doe not giue their inheritance to their sonnes which die in their life but he would rather haue kept it for Isaack with whom he liued 50. yeares this may be made plaine by another of the same sort Rebecca being with child and they
both striuing in her wombe asketh counsell what should become of her The question is of whom Sem beeing dead it is manifest either of Heber or of Abraham Thus you may see that without the knowledge of the times wee could not auoide these errours SARAH borne SArah is the same in signification that Iiscah is for Sarah signifieth Queene So doth Iiscah Her name was afterwards called Sarai that is My Queene Shee is thought to bee Iiscah the Daughter of Haran and so shee is for Abraham calleth Lot Brother which could not be but in respect of marriage for Lot was the sonne of Haran and brother to Iiscah therefore in that meaning Abram speaketh truely You haue a verie easie reckoning of the times if you begin at Sarahs fifteenth yeare of age when she was fit as is were to bee a Tabernacle for Abraham From Sarahs 15. yeare of age to the building of Moses Tabernacle 480. These comparisons prooue the Prouidence of god to be plaine and his counsell easie Frō thence to the Building of Salomons temple 480. Third of Cyrus when the Proclamation went forth for building the seconde Temple 480. Gouernment of Pontius Pilate in whose time Christ built his spirituall Temple 480. These comparisons prooue the Prouidence of god to be plaine and his counsell easie Regu died being 239. yeares old Serug died being 230. yeares old The Promise is giuen to Abraham at his 75. yeare of age THat is Christ is promised to Abraham after the flesh Gen. 12.3 430. yeares before the giuing of the Law The Promise to Adam in Paradise and to Sem after the Flood is heere renewed to Abraham when hee is 75. yeares old so many yeares olde as there bee Fathers of Christ from Adam to Iosepth Saint Matthew beginning at Abraham reckoneth them but 42. that is three Fourteenes or six Seuens but Saint Luke reckoning them bringeth Christ from Adam and sheweth their number to be 75. Saint Matthews meaning was to prooue him King of the Iewes and Saint Luke to shew that he is the Seede of the woman Seuentie fiue hath in it Ten Seuens and Fiue the number of the letters of Iebouah God changeth Abrams name from Abram to Abraham of Haman a Multitude because in him all the Nations and multituds of the earth should bee blessed like vnto Noah a new Comforter Hee left his Countrey and his fathers house and went to a Land which God would shew him so Saint Paul teacheth saying By fayth Abraham when he was called obeyed God to got into a place which he should after receiue for an inheritance and he went out not knowing whither he went In this faith Moses a high Sonne refused to be called the Sonne of Pharaohs Daughter Saint Luke testifieth of him Act. 7.2 That the God of glorie appeared to our Father Abraham when hee was in Mesopotamia before he dwelt in Charran and sayd vnto him Get the out of thy Country frō thy kindred come into a Land that I shall shew thee Then came he out of the Land of Chaldea and dwelt in Charran and from thence when his Father was dead hee brought him into the Land of Canaan but he had no inheritance in it no not the breadth of a foote Yet God promised that hee would giue it him to possesse and to his seede after him when as yet he had no Childe Wherefore Beleeuing in God it was counted to him for righteousnesse For the promise to Abraham that hee should bee the heire of the world was not giuen him or his seede through the law but through the righteousnesse of fayth Rom. 4. In Nehem. 9.7.8 You haue there in the prayer of Nehemiah an abridgement of all this Storie how the Lord chose Abram and brought him out of Vr of the Chaldees and called him Abraham and found his heart faithfull and made a couenant with him to giue his seede the Land c. S. Paul in Act. 17. reasoneth with the men of Athens thus You Grecians you are of Iapheth that your Countrey is Ionia and yee are the Sonnes of the earth Be it knowne vnto you that God at the first made all mankind of one blood to dwell on all the face of the earth and assigned the seasons which were ordained before and the boundes of their habitations for he deuided vnto them the Land according to the number of the Sonnes of Israel Now ye Heathen your owne Poets say yee are the generation of God and wee may obserue that in all the Ceremonies of Moses there is a great preuiledge laid downe for the Heathen and it is sayd by saint Paul God which iustifieth the wicked euen Abram being an Idolater The Gentiles are no worse therefore they haue no cause to despaire And where it is said in this storie of Abraham that he forsooke his father his fathers house Saint Steuen Act. 7.4 sheweth that it was at the time his father was dead for otherwise it had been an hard example and Gods actions must bee so wisely disposed that the verie Heathen must acknowledge them to be iust which they would not haue done if he had left his father he being aliue It is further added that Abraham was rich hee was of behauiour quiet for to auoide strife and contention betwixt his Shepheards the Shepheards of Lot he willed him to choose whether he would take to the right hand or to the left Lot choseth the best for eie sight though by the close counsell of God ordering his choise it prooued farre contrarie Abraham was politique for he had 318. Souldiers of his owne family which he himselfe had instructed and he vsed recreation and in curiositie did not contemne it for otherwise he could not haue made his men so expert warriours and surely there is nothing disturbeth religion more then curiositie Hee was a stately man and couragious and had authoritie of life and death els could hee not haue kept so many in good order His moderation appeareth also in that he suffered Sara to rule at home he was politique in choosing the night to set on his enemies for seeing hee was in the fauour of God he was sure he could not walke in darkenesse and it was the fittest time to make his enemies afraid Melchisedech King of Salem a figure of the Sonne of God meeteth Abraham IT is a question who this Melchisedech should bee It is most certaine it is Sem the sonne of Noah Which may be gathered from the circumstance of the Storie being modestly expounded Heb. 7.1 This Melchisedech king of Salem mette Abraham as he returned from the slaughter of the Kings to whom also Abraham gaue tithes of all thinges first he is called by interpretation King of Righteousnesse and after that King of Salem that is to say King of Peace without Father without Mother without kindred and hath neither beginning of dayes nor end of life but is likened to the Sonne of God Hee was Without
speaking in the person of God sayth I haue loued Iacob and hated Esau So Saint Paul sayth to the Romanes 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 Rom. 9.13 Esaus description is thus layde downe in the Scriptures First that he was Hayrie that he 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 Vlâ—sses 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 Hee 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 Sayth Esau I am contented for it will be so long ere it will be enioyed that I and my Sonnes Sonne shall be dead first So with an Oath he sold Iacob his Birth-right therefore he was called Edom Redde Pottage No doubt Jsaacks men knew this to be a rare Blessing and seeing he had despised it they must needes when soeuer they called him Edom keepe his wickednesse in memorie for by this sale he despised Noah Som Heber and Abraham and all his victories in the fayth of which Blessing Abraham ouercame so gloriously This is the first combat by which Iacob a Heeler supplanteth Esau The whole posteritie of Esau bare the name of this infidelitie hee thought it a long time to the performance of a Promise to be accomplished almost 400. yeares after ayming like a prophane worldling at the outward Inheritance of the Land of Canaan and not respecting the Blessing of the spirituall Salem Hee was the eldest and extreame wicked notwithstanding he was the Sonne of a righteous Father to shew that the sinceerest nature of the godliest men is extreame wicked Hee was to Iacob as Kain to Abel and as Ismael to Isaacke And as in his owne person hee persecuted and sought the death of his brother Iacob so his posteritie were continuall enemies to the seed of Iacob Ameleck of Esau lay in waite for the children of Israel when they went out of Egipt to destroy them but God commaunded them to put out his name from vnder Heauen Wicked Haman would at once haue destroyed all the Jewes but hee and his ten Sonnes were hanged Haman was of Agag the Amalekite of Esau In him is performed a Prophecie in Numb 24.20 Amaleck is the beginning of Nations but his latter ende shall perish vtterly Herod of Edom likwise seeketh to put Christ the true Israel to death wherein you may see the malice of Esau to continue euen till Christ Esau was hated of God before he was borne therefore whatsoeuer he did it turned still into a curse vnto him Hee prepareth Venison for his Father and the whiles loseth the blessing of eternall Life Hee would please his Father by marrying into Abrahams stocke and marryeth Ismaels Daughter Hee wept for the Blessing but found no place of repentance though hee sought the Blessing with teares In like sort is the repentance of euery wicked man when hee is touched with the conscience for sinne hee will then acknowledge his sinne and with teares shew foorth sorrow for his transgressions but through the hardnesse of his heart which can not repent hee returneth like to Esau to his vomite againe And further we are to note in this Storie how Esau by haste not willing to stay for the Promise till the time appoynted felt the heauie iudgement of God wee haue the like example of this haste the like punishment in Saul Samuel annoynted Saul King and willed him to goe before him to Gilgal and to stay for him seauen dayes till hee come Saul tarryeth seauen dayes according to the time appoynted but Samuel came not therefore the people were scattered Saul seeing the peoples mindes seuered that he might vnite them againe offered a burnt Offering Then came Samuel and rebuked him saying Thou hast done foolishly thy Kingdome shall not continue the Lord hath sought him a man after his owne heart Thus haue you the like example both for storie and prophecie IAcobs Storie will appeare the better by declaring Esaus euen as contraries are set togeather that thereby euery one may shew the clearer His name signifieth Supplanter or Heeler and all his life sheweth him to be contrary to Esau The one an image of al Impietie the other a mirrour of al Godlinesse The one a Persecutor the other persecuted The one a despiser of Grace the other an imbracer of Vertue You haue from the Creation to Iacob two and twentie Fathers answerable to the two and twentie Letters in the Hebrew tongue So Epiphanius in Ankorato handleth them Thus by comparisons God maketh his dealinges easie to be kept in memorie Iacob though the two and twenty from Adam yet the third Seuenth of those that were borne after Adams creation Now the Chronicle is ended for particular liues for after Iacobs Storie the Scripture containes whole Stories of whole States and Kingdomes Noah is the tenth from Adam Abraham the tenth from Noah Iacob the twelfe so you haue the two and twentie The Hebrewes admire the patience of God that ten whole ages God gaue them to repent and yet Esay sayth That the Lord looked about and saw that there was none good vpon the earth The seuentie Interpreters translating the old Testament into Greeke thrust in one Kenan whose name is not in the Hebrew If the reason be demaunded why they did so this may be answered The 70. Interpreters knew that a great deale of wisedome was contained in the comparison betweene the two Twentie Letters of the Hebrew tongue and the two and Twentie Fathers Now because they enuied the Egiptians and were loth they should gaine any wisedome by them of purpose they adde Kenan to disturbe this proportion and so they make Iacob the twentie three S. Luke setting downe the Genealogie of Christ alleadgeth Kenan following the Genealogie penned by the Seuentie Interpretors for S. Luke was to take it as he found it he knew that all the Iewes were well acquainted with the reason why Kenan was added Therfore there could no danger grow in his time though Kenan were kept still in the Genealogie Beza translating the new Testament leaueth him out for the which the Iesuites accuse him Now Beza to the end ignorant men should not stagger by finding him in Luke which is not in Moses leaueth him out and this may Beza do wel enough for any one may know that S. Luke neuer meant that Arphaxad begat Kenan seeing that hee addeth being as men supposed the sonne of Arphaxad to wit of those men that knew not the meaning of the Translators Besides Epiphanius being a Grecian and being acquainted with the Greeke Translation yet
sold his Brethren sprinkleth the blood of a Kidde vpon his partie coloured Coate and brought it home to their Father and said a wilde Beast had slaine him Jacob was 20. yeares from his father Isaacke and did not see his face Ioseph was 20 yeares from his father Iacob before he seeth his face To shew that wherein a man offendeth therein he shall be punished Joseph the sonne of Jacob fedde Israel in Egipt as putting meat into the mouth of a Child Joseth the sonne of Jacoh taketh the child Jesus and his Mother Mary fleeth into Egipt Mat. 2.14 and properly putteth meate into the Childes mouth Er and Onan died Gen. 38.7 ER and Onan hauing committed a horrible sinne before God are slaine and no seed left vnto them Then according to the custome Thamar thought to haue had the third sonne Selah to haue raysed vp seed but Iuda neglecting it shee attyred her selfe like a light woman and lay in the way as Iuda should goe to the Sheepshearing Whom Iuda knew and at the time shee bare two Children Phares and Serah For which fact Iuda would haue burt her Whereby we may know that before the Law giuen by Moses they had the same equitie of Iustice for punishing of sinne that they had afterwards In Moses Law a Magistrate might not be condemned vnder three witnesses Thamar condemneth Iuda by three witnesses his Seale Bracelet Staffe From this deed of Iuda wee may vnderstand the prerogatiue that his Brethren should prayse him could not be meant of himselfe but herein is manifest the giftes of God to be of Grace and not of Nature for if Iuda had been rare of godlinesse the prerogatiue of Nature might seeme to haue caused Christ to haue come of him Isaacke died Gen. 35.29 being 180. yeares old HEe is the longest liuer after Heber and liueth longer then Abraham to shew that he was a Child of Promise for if Abraham begetting him when he was old he should haue died quickly what rare blessing had it been to Abraham And therefore that the power of God might be seene euen in the weaknesse of man Isaacke hath a longer life then Abraham or any after him Herevpon it may be concluded the Booke of Tobias to be false because it maketh Tobias life so long and thereby seemeth to crosse Iacobs Blessing Besides wee shall finde that in Nehemias time they which came out of Captiuitie do out-liue any in the Scriptures that come after and these men were accounted old The longest liuer of them commeth short of Isaackes age Ezrom borne of him nothing is spoken Iacob goeth into Egipt Gen. 47.5 Hee is nourished of Ioseph 17. yeares NOw for this number of 215. how is that performed Gen. 15.13 where God sayth to Abraham Thy seed shall be euill intreated in a Land that is not theirs 400. yeares seeing they continue in Egipt but 215. yeares They were afflicted by some of Egipt 400. yeares for Ismael the Egiptian by Hagar mocketh Isaacke in the beginning of the 400. yeares and that Mocking in the Scripture is called Persecution And in the end of the 400. yeares they were afflicted vnto the comming out of Egipt so that they were not in Egipt 400. yeares but they were afflicted first and last 400. yeares Psal 105.23 Israel came into Egypt and Iacob was a Stranger in the land of Cham to confirme the couenant that hee made with Abraham and the oath that he sware vnto Isaacke which he appoynted to Iacob for a Law and to Israel for an euerlasting Testament saying Vnto thee will I giue the Land of Canaan the lot of your inheritance when as yet there were but a few of them and they Strangers in the Land what time as they went from one Nation to another and from one Kingdome to another people Hee suffered no man to doe them wrong but reprooued euen Kinges for their sakes saying Touch not mine Annoynted and doe my Prophets no harme Yet hee called for a Dearth vpon the Land and destroyed all the prouision of Bread But hee had sent a man before them Gen. 39.1 euen Ioseph which was sold to be a Bond-seruant whose feete were hurt in the Stockes and the Iron entered into his soule vntill the time that his cause was knowne The word of the Lord tryed him This Famine ouer all the land of Canaan may appeare to be a punishment on Iacobs samilie for selling Ioseph into Egipt IAcob goeth into Egipt and there telleth Pharaoh that hee was 130. yeares old though Pharaoh in his demaunde meant no more then a Heathen man would to wit to know his yeares and the age of his life yeâ— God so disposeth Jacobs answere that he signifieth vnto him that his comming into Egipt with Seauentie soules is answerable in a contrarie degree to the first scattering of the Seauentie Families at the building of the Tower of Babel In fourtie eight yeares there came three discentes from Iacob Whereby it appeareth that Iuda and Pharez could not be much elder when they begot children then Salomon was when he begot Roboam which was about twelue yeares of age By meanes of which speedy increase there were of these Seauentie in two hundred and fifteene yeares Six hundred thousand fighting Men besides Women and Children godly and of the household of fayth to shew how God could performe his Promise to Abraham that Hee would make his seede as the Starres of Heauen and as the Sand of the Sea-shore Heereupon Abacucke sayth that the Councels of God are eternall thereby teaching vs to marke diligently the time wherein God performeth his Promises which may be made familiar by examples in this sort It is sayd Gen. 3.15 The Seede of the Woman shall breake the head of the Serpent This was not performed till Christ tooke flesh of the Virgin and became Man which was 4000. yeares wanting but 70. after the Promise made to Adam Satan to try this tempteth Christ and is ouerthrowne Abraham goeth foorth of his Countrey to imbrace the Promise that God would giue him a Land 430. yeares before his Seede should enioy it But the true performance was long after that is to say in Christ as Zacharias speaketh Luk. 1. To performe the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham that he would giue vs. God speaketh as though presently it should fall out but seeing one thousand yeares in his sight aâ—â—â—â— one day we must marke how his Counsels are eternall It was spoken in King Achaz daies by Esay 7.14 Behold a Virgine shall conceaue a Sonne Hee nor his seede saw the performance thereof So was Isaacke a figure of Christ and the Lambe kept it in memorie Daniel in his time prophesieth of 70. Seauens or 490. yeares before Christ the King should be killed to performe euery Vision and Prophecie Iacob died in Egipt c. Gen. 49.33 HEe is brought from Egipt to Canaan to be buried in Hebron with Abraham and Isaacke as a signe that hee
all the world so notwithstanding the sinne of the Iewes Christ in Canaan wrought the full saluation of all the world These eleuen sonnes of Canaan were setled in one soyle that is in Canaan which is about 160. myles from North to South and 60. myles from East to West Their names are Zidon who built Tyrus the glory of the world for trafique of Marchandize Heth Gebusi who after Sems death as it should appeare possessed Ierusalem Amori Girgashi of whom there were some left till Christes time as Matt. 8. 28 Hiuits of whom Abraham bought his burying place of whose kindred also Esau tooke him Wiues Arkite Siuite Aruadite Zemathite Hemathite It is supposed there were so many Tongues as there were Nations but it was no otherwise then our Cornish and Northerne men differ in their tongues These were Lordes of the whole soyle to plant buyld and replenish it against time to come that the twelue Trybes of Israel might haue Vineyardes that they neuer planted and Houses they neuer builded Whereupon Moses sayth Deut. 32.8 When the most high God deuided to the Nations their Inheritance hee appoynted the borders of a people according to the number of the Sonnes of Israel And when God promiseth to Abraham Gen. 15.18 that he will giue his seed a Land that shall flow with Mylke and Hony hee bordereth it from Egipt to the great Riuer Euphrates within which borders are contained the seuerall Lordships of Canaan and his Sonnes namely the Kenites the Kenesites the Cadmonites the Hithites the Pheresites the Gyaunts the Amorites the Cananites the Girgashites and the Gebusites Because C ham scorned his father who was the restorer of all the world therefore his Countrie was to be giuen to Sems House the Iewes and they were driuen out of their Land by the Sword of Ioshua except some few who were left in the Land to be Spurres in the sides and Thornes in the eyes of the Israelites who were to possesse it that when through the aboundance of wealth they grew to forget God they might be chastened with his rod of correction Thus Shams curse is extended euen vnto Canaan his youngest sonne and he is made a Seruant of seruantes to Sem that the blessing of Sem might appeare and the open cursed should serue the open blessed although it be nine hundred yeares after Noahs Prophecie to shew that although God suffer the wicked a while and doth deferre his punishmentes vntill the sinne of the Amorites come to a full ripenesse that yet he is a righteous Iudge and sitteth vpon a firie Throne from whose presence doth issue Ryuers of fire to consume all such as will not learne to know The Seed of the Woman to be able to breake the head of the Serpent nor desire to dwell in the Tentes of Sem acknowledging the God of Abraham the God of Isaacke and the God of Iacob to be the true GOD that keepeth couenant with all whose Garments were washed in Wine and his Mantell in the blood of Grapes nor marke that Shiloh is that Emmanuel God with Vs who is that Stone that can grind the mightiest Gyant in the land of Canaan to powder Who haue eyes and will not see how God with fire from Heauen consumed their Cities turned Lots wise into a Piller of Salt ouerthew their kinsmen Pharaoh in the read Sea and made the Walles of Iericho to fall downe without violent handes Chams House was not plagued for building Babel onely but for falling from the Religion of Sem and his posteritie had a deadly minde against true Religion And as Cham the rest are in Gehenna in darknesse so in Scripture they are left in darknesse for there is no time of any mentioned when they died but are left in darknesse The wicked men of Canaan would neuer yeeld to the trueth but praysed Gods of Gold Brasse and Stone Now followeth for Iaphet HIs name signifieth Perswaded He had seuen Sonnes Gomer Magog Madai of whom came the Meedes Jauan of whom the Grecians and Romanes come And Tubal and Mesech of whom the Muscouites come And Tiras of whom the Thracians come Of these were the Isles of the Gentiles diuided in their Landes Iaphet hee was pertaker with Sem in the action of couering thier Father but Sem had the prerogatiue of the Promise concerning Christ notwithstanding Iaphet was the elder And if you marke through al the Bible you shal not finde the first borne of any of Christes auncestors to haue the Promise pronounced to them in open tearmes because Christ the first begotten of his Father would not come according to the lust of the flesh or course of nature but by grace Sem in regard of that had the glory of God preached in his Tentes vntill the acceptable Child did come in whom all Nations should be blessed And when the glory of Sems house which were the Iewes was extinct Iohn was banished into Patmos is commanded to write to the seuen Congregations in Asia the lesser where Iaphets sonnes were first setled to so many Congregations as Iaphet had sonnes Grace and peace from him that was and is and which is to come and from the seuen Spirites expressed in Esay 11.7 which are before his throne from Iesus Christ which is a faythfull witnes and first begotten of the dead Alpha and Omega the first and the last who was dead but is aliue and behold he liues for euer euer and hath the keyes of Hell and of Death giueth light life to Iaphet the Gentile who was in darknes and in the shadow of death perswading him to dwell in the tentes of Sem to be a dweller in the spirituall Canaan and a Citizen in the heauenly Salem where there is no earthly Temple For God almightie and the Lambe are the Temple of it Now for SEM. SEM being an hundred yeares old begetteth Arphaxad two yeares after the Flood So old was Abraham when he begat Isaacke He is in vertue equall with any before the Flood This Sem was a King Prophet Sacrificer He signifieth a Name to teach them that they should looke to him in whom Sem and the whole world should be blessed He had fiue Sonnes Elam Ashur Arphaxad Lud. Aram. Elam of whom the Persians Ashur of whom the Assirians Arphaxad of whom CHRIST Aram of whom the Aramites Lud of whom the Lidians There be diuers which condemne Genealogies warranted thereby as they say by Saint Paules Councell to Thimothie Neither that they giue heed to Fables and Genealogies Endlesse which breede rather questions then godly edifying by Fayth Indeed seeing Genealogies are of great consequence to the prouing of Christ to be the Messias the Iewes to crosse this faine diuers of their owne which S. Paul calleth Endlesse therefore to be auoided as also tales inuented by them whereby they corrupted the story of the Scriptures But this condemneth not the Genealogies which the Holy Ghost penneth but rather approueth them And
story whensoeuer they heare any man speake in an other tongue which they vnderstand not For entring into the consideration thereof they are driuen presently to examine the storie of the Gen. â—0 in which they may see the iust and seuere dealing of God to such as enuie the blessing of their brother for going from sinne to sinne they had their tongues diuided and their dwellings scattered It appeareth by this story that the dealinges of Cham and his sonnes were in the same kinde that Kaines were Kaine after his Curse wandring like a Vagabond from the place of true Religion into the land of Nod which signifieth Fugitiue buildeth a Citie and calleth it after the name of his Sonne Henoch C ham after his curse goeth wandring about from the place that Noah liued and Sem sacrificed at vnto the land of Shinear which signifieth Shake off and there hee built a Cittie of Confusion From which story also we may obserue the iudgments of God that wherein a man offendeth hee or his seede is commonly punished for it is certaine that all the actions of wicked are a harmony with Gods dealings though in respect of the wicked they agree not with vertue The sonnes of Sem for ioyning with rebellious Nimrod of Cham as it were flouting their Fathers blessing to furnish vp the number of 70. made Bricke for the buylding of the Tower of Confusion 70. of Sems posteritie 600. yeares after were forced to goe into the land of Cham and there compelled to be Brickmakers vnder Pharaoh King of Egipt because they despised the blessing of Sem and remembred not the storie of the 70. Families that buylt the Tower of Babel To shew that when in prosperie men forget God turning his Graces into Wantonnes and his Blessinges into folish Pleasures that he will take his blessinges of Bread and Wine and Oyle from vs and driue vs into forraine Nations amongst Egiptian Dogges to seeke reliefe Whose succour shall be yokes of heauie bondage to punish vs in the same pleasure wherein we offended All the 70. Families doe afflict Sem for this before hee hath his ful renowne and in scattering of Iocktanes sonnes they are placed farthest off Ierusalem of any Peleg Diuided Christ is Palmoni the secret numberer that weghieth numbreth and diuideth Vnto the building of the Tower of Babel we haue Sem Name Arphaxad Healing Sale Spoyling Heber Pilgrime Peleg Diuided Put these togeather and you haue a short senteÌ„ce A good Name like precious Oyntment to heale bind vp the ruined branches of poore Pilgrimes walking in out here on earth like strangers as hauing no abyding place for God will diuide to euery one according to his workes 1787. Regu borne A breaking a sunder or euill 1819. Serug borne Bough Plant or principal Vine 1849. Nachor borne Dry. 1878. Terah borne Smelling These like a principall Vine moystned with good sap and healed by grace gaue a good smell though Terah falling to Idolatrie had almost extinguished the heate thereof AN euill Plant that hath lost his sappe and is become dry being not watered with the deaw of Heauenly grace can giue no good smell which appeareth in that Terah quite forgetting that euer God created and consumed the world and brought the deuises of the sonnes of Noah his great Graundfather to open shame of eternall memorie scattering them vp and downelike vagabonds ouer all the earth figuring the calamities of their latter ages the punishment whereof chiefly was to be performed in his owne kinred became an Idolater as Ioshua 24.15 Your Fathers in old time worshiped strange Gods euen Terah the father of Abraham c. But marke the euent For euen as the sonnes of Sem for ioyning with the rest were scattered with the rest so the posteritie of Terah by Abram euen the best of them namely the Iewes were once scattered Vagabondes ouer all the earth for not imbracing the couenant of Abraham Isaacke and Iacob But in mercie gathered togeather againe to the Mountaine of grace to Iacobs Well that giueth euer-liuing Water to so many as would acknowledge Christ the Rocke to the Land that flowed with Milke and Hony To Bethel the house of Iehouah where they might see a Lather reaching from Heauen to Earth with Angels ascending and descending To that fresh springing hill of Sion which is watered with the deaw of Hermon from whence it runneth like the precious Oyntment that ran downe from Aarons beard to wash away their former vncleannes and so purge their filthy leprosie that they might be a sweete smelling Sacrifice vnto the Lord holy and acceptable before his Throne hauing an high Sacrificer to enter into the Holy of Holyest to make intercession for them that they might be free from Confusion and deliuered out of the bondage of the outward spirituall Babel But euen as the Dogge returneth to his vomit and the Hogge to his wallowing in the Mire so these Iewes of vncircumcised handes and heartes forgetting all those and many more benefites of God bestowed vpon them crucifying Christ the King of glory the God of Sem and not remembring their former punishmentes are once againe so scattered ouer the face of the earth that while the world endureth they shall be vagabondes and neuer gathered togeather againe to teach vs that if God spared not them nor suffered them to continue in their transgressions beeing his peculiar people that wee are to looke for no other recompence then they had if we despise the knowledge of Christ as they did Terah hath three Sonnes Haran Nachor Abraham as Adam and Noah had Peleg died being 229. yeares old Hee had not halfe the yeares of his father Heber the most aged man after the Flood liued not to halfe Methushelahs yeares to shew the Curse that came by the Flood so euery man in the world hath part of Gods Curse by the Flood Nachor died being 148. yeares old NOAH died being 950. yeares old Hee liued after the Flood 350. yeares that is 7. Fifties or 7. Iubilees of yeares as many as were from conquering the Land of Canaan to the gouernment of Samuel Noahs whole life was a singing of Saluation to the holy Lambe seeing all the world drowned and hee onely saued Noah died two yeares after Abram was borne So God stirs vp one good man after another oftentimes ABRAM borne 352 yeares after the Flood HIs name signifieth Hie father being the tenth from Noah An other establisher of Religion as Noah the Restorer or Comforter was the tenth from Adam And as in Noahs dayes hee being the tenth from Adam Gods iustice ouer all flesh was extended So in Abrams hee being the tenth from Noah Gods mercie to all the world is pronounced When Terah is 130. yeares old Abram is borne So old was Adam when he begat Seth a foundation of Religion Iacob a bringer of Religion into Egipt is 130. yeares old when he standeth before Pharoh Iehoiada the high sacrificer saueth Ioas the Kings
or middlemost but in Gods free election standeth our eternall happines Three Angels appeared to Abraham in his Tent. Three foures of precious Stones were set in Aarons brest Three thinges reserued in the Arke The Booke of the Law The Potte of Manna Aarons Rodde that did alwayes florish Three taken vp in the Old Testament and three in the New Three partes was Ierusalem deuided into Three Letters the roote of euery word in the Hebrew tongue Three Captiuities of the Iewes Three times was the Temple grosly polluted by the Babylonians Antiochi Romanes Three times a yeare were the Iewes bound to come to Ierusalem to giue accompt of their Religion Three dayes nightes was Ionas in the Whales belly Three nightes and dayes was Christ in the Graue Three Iohns viz. Iohn Baptist Luke 1.60 Iohn Euangelist Mat. 4.21 Iohn Marke Act. 12.25 Job saued three Eliphaz Sophar Bildad Daniel saued three Ananias Azarias Mishael Noah saued three Sem. Cham. Japhet In the third seauenth Iubilee the Iewes fell away and then Ieremie said O Earth heare the worde of the Lord c. The Title ouer Christ on the Crosse was written in Three tongues Hebrew Greeke Latin Although it may not bee vrged that all these Threes haue full relation to the Trinitie seeing they fall not out by chaunce yet wee are not to despise the pleasant harmonie and comfortable vse of them but to thinke that the wisedome of God hath contriued saluation into such a sweet Art that verie children may learne the same and therefore the Scripture is called verie fitly a shallow water and a deepe fountaine shallow that the Lambe may wade and deepe that the Elephant may swimme FOVRE Foure Is a square number and vsuall Heber the fourth after the Flood Iuda the fourth sonne of Iacob Foure square signifieth true Religion Moses fourth sonne in the fourth age was Sacrificer to the Tribe of Dan. Foure times seuen Iubilees the time of Christes death Foure The forme of the heauenly Ierusalem FIVE Fiue the letters of Iehouah The fiue Vowels the sinewes of all Tongues Christ seedeth 5000. with Fiue Loaues SIXE Sixe The day of Adams creation which number is often times vsed in the Scripture to put vs in minde of the Creation Sixe hundred thousand fighting men came out of Egipt Sixe hundred yeares old was Noah at the flood Sixe times seuen Standinges had the Children of Israel in the Wildernes Sixe yeares was the land of Canaan in conquering Sixe Cities of refuge for one that killed a man by chance and not of malice had the Iewes to flie vnto Sixe times did the Children of Israel fall before Diuids time in the time of the Iudges SEVEN Seuen the number of the Sabaoth which number of Seuen as it is famous for the Creation so God comtinueth the same proportion throughout the Bible to the Redemption For as God the Father made the World in sixe dayes and rested the seuenth so God the Sonne hauing performed his Fathers will resteth the seuenth day in the Graue Seuen is a yeare of Grace Seuen Planets in the Firmament which Plato compareth to the number of seuen Starres in Apo. 1.16 Seuen yeares was the land of Canaan plagued for that Ioseph the beloued of the Lord should haue been slaine by his Brethren Seuen Stones in the Temple Gods seuenfold Wisedome or Prouidence in all his actions Seuen eyes to looke vpon the Building of euery Stone in in the Temple of Ierusalem Seuen yeares the land of Canaan was setling in rest Seuen yeares the Temple was in building Seuen yeares Nebuchadnetzar was a Beast for destroying the Temple Seuen Gates in the Temple before you come to the Holy of Holiest Seuen Branches did the Candlesticke in the Temple stand vpon which had 24. Knobbes signifying the sixe dayes worke the seuenth day of rest in the Creation Seuen Moneths was the Tabernacle in building Seuen Iubilees was the Arke in the house of Ioseph Seuen Trumpeters is a great number that doe alwayes sound Gods prayse Henoch the seuenth from Adam Heber the seuenth from Henoch Isaach the seuenth from Heber Moses the seuenth from Abraham Iosua the seuenth from Ephraim Elias taken vp in the seuenth age from Samuel Ioram the seuenth from Dauid Salomons Temple was consecrated in the seuenth moneth answerable to the birth of the Fathers The ceremonie of the Feast of Tabernacles continued seuen dayes After the comming from Egipt it was seuen times seuen dayes before the Law was giuen Seuen times seuen dayes after Christes resurrection descended the holy Ghost The stories of the Scriptures goe by seuens from Moses till Christs death thus Seuen yeares the land of Canaan was in conquering Seuen fifties for the glorie of Iosephs house Seuen seuenties for the house of Iudah Seuen tennes for the Captiuity From the Captiuitie to the death of Christ seuen seuenties Moses Ceremonies for the most part were in the seuenth Moneth The Manna that was gathered on the sixt day serued for the seuenth The seuenth yeare the Iewes might not plough sow nor reape In the end of the seuen seuens was the yeare of Iubilee In the seuenth seuen from Cyrus the Walles of Ierusalem were built Seuen times 7000. of the Iewes came from Captiuitie Ioakim endeth the seuenth seuentie with affliction Seuen yeares plenty seuen yeares dearth in the land of Egipt figured by seuen eares of Corne seuen Kyne Noah liued seuen Iubilees after the flood Seuen thousand in the booke of Kings mencioned that neuer bowed their knees vnto Ball. Kaines house cut off in the seuenth age How often shall I forgiue my Brother till seuen times I say vntill seuen times seuentie times alluding vnto Daniels seuens EIGHT Eight The number of the persons saued in the Arke Eight The day of circumcision TEN Tenne Is a full number and the highest or last of simple numbers All Nations after the number of 10. begin againe for plaine teaching and plainnesse in reckoning Ten is the yeare of Iudgement or accompt You haue Ten words for the creation of the World And Ten wordes for the gouernment of the world The Tenth is a holy number as in Tythes which is giuen to vs to acknowledge our dueties In the Tenth moneth the Waters of the Flood abated Sem liued to see the Tenth age a great blessing Tenne Plagues were the Egyptians plagued with for afflicting Sems house Tenne Spies in the Wildernesse misbeleeued Tenne Tribes fell away at Roboams time Daniels Beast hath Tenne Hornes which doe represent Ten cruell Kinges The Beast in the Reuelation hath Tenne Hornes The Pope hath Tenne stately Kingdomes to assist him Noah is the Tenth from Adam Abraham the tenth from Noah TWELVE Twelue Signes in the Zodiacke Twelue Moneths in the yeare Twelue Fathers from the Flood to Iacob Twelue Sonnes of Iacob Twelue Fountaines in the Wildernesse Twelue Stones in Iordan Twelue Stones in Aarons brest Salomon had Twelue Stewards and Dauid Twelue valiant Captaines Salomon at Twelue yeares of age discided the
thanks and all our actions may tende to the acknowledging of the Redemption by Christ For so doth Dauid In this 19. Psalme hee beginneth with the Creation and endeth with the Redemption Let vs therefore with him also say Psal 103.1 Prayse the Lord O my soule and all that is within mee prayse his holy name which forgiueth all thy sinne and healeth all thine infirmities which saueth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with mercy and louing kindnesse And Psalm 105.1 O giue thankes vnto the Lord and call vpon his holy name tell the people what thinges hee hath done O let your songes be of him and prayse him and let your talking be of all his wondrous workes Reioyce in his holy name Let the heart of them reioyce that seeke the Lord. O seeke the Lord and his strength seeke his face euermore Mahalaleel died being 895. yeares old Iared borne when Mahalaleel was 65. yeares old For this number 65. it is the halfe of 130. HIs name signifieth Lowly or Meeke Hee was 162. yeares old before he marryed because at that time he had knowledge of the Flood that it should come therefore he consecrated his sonne to God How precious a vertue this Meekenesse is and how highly to be imbraced wee may know by open experience if wee examine how God from the beginning hath gouerned the World for God respecteth not the person of any man that he should feare him Hee ouerthrew the rebellious Nimrod and the rest of the Nephewes of Noah that would haue a Name and turned their speach into Babling Hee plagued that flouting Ismael and quayled that doughtie Esau Hee drowned stout Pharaoh in the red Sea and ouerthrew the iron Chariots of Sisera at the waters of Mageddon Hee smote diuers Nations and slew mightie Kinges Schon King of the Amorites and Ogg the King of Basan and all the Kingdomes of Canaan Hee foyled the proud Philistine and heawed the horne of Agag in peeces Hee made Iesabel a prey for Dogges and wicked Achab to be slaine in the vallie of Iesrael Hee made king Ioakim to be buried like an Asse and prophane Nebuchadnetzar to eate Grasse like an Oxe Hee made drunken Baltasar to tremble like a Leafe and Antiochus the vilde to be deuowred of Wormes to shew that he regardeth not proud lookes or feareth the Kinges displeasure For hee setteth vp Kinges and pulleth downe Kings as Luk. 1.48 Hee looked on the low degree of his Handmayde Hee hath shewed strength with his Arme Hee hath scattered the proud in the imaginations of their heartes Hee hath put downe the Mightie from their seates and hath exalted the Humble and Meeke As Ioseph out of the Dungeon Dauid from the Sheepcoates Daniel from the Lyons denne Peter and Iohn from mending their Nettes and made them Rulers ouer mightie Nations and Teachers to the Princes of the earth Matth. 5.5 Therefore blessed are the meeke for they shall receiue the inheritance of the earth Christ being meeke was led as a Sheepe vnto the slaughter not epening his mouth Iared died being 962. yeares old While hee liued there was no proclayming of the Flood but presently after there was 7. Henoch the seuenth borne when Iared was 162. yeares old HIs name signifieth Holy or Dedicated to God The name sheweth his fathers affection in giuing him vnto God answerable vnto Abraham in offering Isaacke 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. yeares without anie 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 saluation 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 be holy and blamelesse before God not giuing our members subiectes vnto wantonnesse or pleasures of this life but esteeming the world as though it were not and possesse it as though we 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 he is called in the Epistle of Iude. Hee was no doubt a very rare man seeing that he is commended of the Holy Ghost to haue Walked with God to haue his yeares answerable to the dayes of the Sunne registred to be the seuenth from Adam a Sabaoth keeper for his yeares do agree with the number of the Sabaoth which number of Seuen or of the Sabaoth throughout the Bible doth still put vs in minde of the Creation and so of the true keeping of the Sabaoth For in the beginning God made the World in sixe dayes and rested the seuenth and hallowed and sactified the same and commaunded it to be kept Holy throughout all generations And to resemble the same in his Creation before there was a Sabaoth he made the seuen Starres in the Heauens which the 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 Sabaoth might haue the name thereof in their mouthes although they made no vse therof in their heartes Henoch is taken vp being 365. yeares old His taking vp did shew what should be the state of the Godly Hee was taken vp in despight of the wicked and in recompence of his owne fayth Hee was taken vp 57. yeares after Adams death all the Fathers being then aliue And it may be the Fathers did see him taken vp as a figure of Christes ascension The wicked might then say Where is the appearance of the Flood for Adam is dead and Henoch is taken vp and all things continue as from the beginning In that God bestowed so short life vpon Henoch it sheweth that hee would bestow greater blessinges on him in an other kind His yeares are answerable to the dayes of the Sunne 365. yeares a yeare for a day And as the Sunne excelleth all other Starres in brightnesse so did his life excell all other men then aliue in the World for vertue Hee is also sayd to haue Walked with God to be a preacher of Righteousnesse to be taken vp These foure speciall commendations are of equall glorie and wee may be assured by these testimonies that his Godlynesse was verie rare The Grecians say that hee left a booke behind him of his preaching But thereby as much as in them lyeth they call into question the truth of the Scriptures For first by this opinion they derogate from the glorie of Moses that he should not be the first writer Secondly
Mountaines were descouered Noah tarried yet 40. dayes When 311. daies were past then he sent foorth a Rauen which houered a long time he nameth not the time but as 7. vpon 7. in the Doue is expressed so 40. vpon 40. is here to be vnderstood So then there are daies 351. to which add the 14. last in which the Doue was twise sent foorth then you haue dayes 364. after the 14. daies in which the Doue returned not Moses reckneth the first day of the Moneth in these wordes In the 601. of the age of Noah the first day of the first Moneth the waters were dried vp Concerning the 5. dayes euery sixe yeares they make a leape Moneth the odde quarter of a day in 120. yeares make a leape Moneth Thus much for the vse of the Fathers before the Flood Now follow the Fathers after the Flood whose Storie conteineth vnto the Promise giuen vnto Abraham 427. yeares Some thing will I speake of the generall vse of them both togeather WEe 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 sent Iesus Christ For surely the spirit of God hath in such plainnesse penned downe the Storie of the Scriptures that all the world must wonder at the wisedome of God layde downe so shortly and plainly Before the Flood he taught nothing but the Gospell adding to the doctrine thereof Kaines Murther and Lameches 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 clearenes of the Word Times are generall or perticular Generall from Adam to the Flood and from thence to Abrahams promise from thence to the comming out of Egypt then to the building of Salomons Temple then to the burning thereof by the Babilonians and then to the end of the Captiuitie 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 heere handled againe because their storie continued through and after the Flood Compare Noah with Adam and you shall see that Noah is another Adam Adam Was an husbandman Became into transgression by eating vnlawfully And Euah after their transgression seeing their nakednesse sewed Fig-tree leaues to couer them and the very same wordes that God spake to Adam in Paradise for ruling and increasing the very same he reneweth to Noah Had the tree of Life in Paradise for a seale of conseruation Had two younger Sonnes good the elder wicked Noah was an husbandman Became into transgression by drinking vnlawfully After his transgression hauing his nakednes vncouered is couered by Sem and Japhet Had the Rainebow as a couenant of preseruation Had two eldest Sonne good and the younger wicked Kaine the eldest sonne of Adam was cursed C ham the youngest sonne of Noah euen to Canaan his youngest son 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 Flood might eate Flesh the Blood onely excepted because in the Blood of euery thing is the life and the life of euery thing will God require at euery creatures hand from the seueritie of which a commandement against Murther was giuen to Noah The reason why they might eate Flesh after the Flood and not before may be because the dayes of man being shortened at the Flood halfe in halfe the bodyes 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 an helpe in digestion to the strengthning of the body and quickning of the vitall spirits as in Psalm 104.15 Wine doth make the heart glad and Oyle doth cause a chearefull 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 slaules 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 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 Egiptians the Canaanites Ethiopians Blackemores Babylonians and such like is contained within Chams curse Whatsoeuer blessing is promised or performed to the Iewes is comprehended within Sems blessing Whatsoeuer promises of mercie and sauing health was prophecied of to the Gentiles is vnderstood vnder these words And God will perswade Iaphet to dwell in the Tents of Sem. The Prophet Noah spake not at random when he said Blessed be the God of Sem. But what is there spoken short in due time is drawen out longer and the not regarding the blessing to Sem doth make many thinges in the new Testament to be neglected And first for CHAM HIs name signifieth Hotte or Cholericke And those Countries did his Sonnes after the confusion of Tongues possesse namely in Africa in the South countrie C ham the Prince of Affricke the spreader of wickednesse inhabited the fourth part of the World with his Families His House neuer got any victorie but for some especiall punishment to be shewed vpon Sems house C ham had a curse in this world and doubtlesse in the world to come He had foure Sonnes The first Cush of whom came the Ethiopians or in our tongue Burnt-faces The second Mitzraijm of whom the Egiptians come for Mitzraijm doth signifie Egypt The third Put of whom the Lybians and Blackamores come And the fourth Canaan of whom the Canaanites come in whom the curse of Cham was pronounced notwithstanding it falleth out also in all his other Sonnes And as Canaan was a slaue of slaues so are they that are of the like infidelitie so that oftentimes for the horrible impietie of one man the whole Nation fareth the worse This Canaan had eleuen Sonnes and himselfe made the twelfe and his Countrie was called Canaan which once was Paradise And as Paradise to Adam resembled the state of Heauen so did the land of Canaan to the Israelites and the Iewes for it was a Land abounding with all good thinges In Paradise was the Tree of life in Canaan CHRIST was borne the true Tree of life Adam neglecting the true seruice of God in Paradice was driuen from thence The Iewes neglecting their Sabaothes and finally the knowledge of Christ were likewise driuen out of Canaan But as notwithstanding Adams fall saluation in Paradise was promised to
vpon his head seeing he persecuted Isaacke Arphaxad died being 438. yeares old Gen. 11.12.13 Isaacke borne Gen. 21.5 when Abraham is 100. yeares old and Sara 90. yeares old according to Gen. 17.17 HIs name signifieth Laughter When Isaacke is promised Sara laughed so did Abraham so did Ismael laugh at Isaacke These three laughters in Hebrew are expressed by one word but there is great difference Sara Laughed as at a thing vnlooked for for she sayd I am now nintie yeares old and my Lord an hundred shall I now giue my selfe vnto lust seeing it ceaseth to bee with mee as with other Women And the Lord sayd Is any thing vnpossible with God Abraham laughed as reioycing thereat for it is sayd Abraham beleeued in God and it was reckoned to him for righteousnesse Jsmael laughed as flouting at Isaacke as though hee were such a goodly fellow in whom the Promise should be established You haue this Storie renewed againe in the New Testament For the Angell Gabriel sayth vnto Marie For with God nothing is impossible Elizabeth commeth to salute Marie and she sayth Blessed is she that beleeueth for those thinges shal be performed which are told thee from the Lord. It is sayd of Abraham that hee laughed when the Angell promised he should haue a Sonne thereby signifying his reioycing Isaacks life was answerable to this ioy for he had no affliction in Canaan onely he was driuen to goe to Abimelech King of the Philistines and dwelt in Gerar where he was somewhat iniured Abraham praying for Ismael that God would blesse him he sayth I will make of him a mightie Nation but in Isaacke shall thy seed be called It is written that Abraham had two Sonnes one by a Seruant and one by a Free woman But he which was of the Seruant was after the Flesh and he which was of the Free woman was by Promise which thinges are spoken by an allegorie For these Mothers are the two Testaments the one which is Hagar of Mount Sinay for Hagar or Mount Sinay is a Mountaine in Arabia which gendreth vnto bondage and it answereth to Ierusalem which now is and she is in bondage with her Children But Ierusalem which is aboue is free which is the Mother of vs all for we are after the maner of Isaacke children of the Promise But as then hee which was borne after the flesh persecuted him that was borne after the spirit euen so is it now But what saith the Scripture Put out the Seruant her Sonne for the Sonne of the Seruant shall not be heire with the Sonne of the Free woman Then we are not Children of the Seruant but of the Free woman Gal. 4.21 2113. Ismael and Hagar are expelled Abrahams house Gen. 21.10 It was sayd vnto Abraham that his Seed should be afflicted in a Land that is not theirs 400. yeares and should serue them and they should intreat them euill Now if we reckon the time of the abode of the Children of Israel in Egipt wee shall finde it but 215. yeares for Iacob goeth into Egipt 185. yeares after the Promise of the 400. yeares So that they were not in Egipt full 400. yeares but they were afflicted first and last 400. yeares For Ismael the Egiptian flouteth Isaacke and beginneth the 400. yeare And Pharaoh the Egiptian in the end of 400. yeares afflicteth the Seed of Isaacke And as the Seed of Sem were afflicted by Cam 400. yeares so afterwardes about that time were they also afflicted by Iaphets seede ruling in Egipt It may be obiected How is Ismael an Egiptian seeing hee is of Abraham Hee is by the Mothers side an Egiptian for Hagar was of that Countrie and by this exposition it falleth out to be true We haue for to warrant this the like in the Storie of the Kinges where one beeing an Egiptian is called of the Kinges seede because one of his Auncestors marryed with a wife of Iuda This Storie is mentioned in 1. Chro. 2 34. it is thus sayd Shesan had no Sonnes but Daughters and Shesan had a seruant an Egiptian named Iarchthang Shesan gaue him his Daughter to wife In 2. King 25.22 after that the King of Babel had ouerthrowne Ierusalem he left people in the land of Iuda to till the ground and to exercise manuall trades which were made tributaries and he set Gedoliah ruler ouer them Then came Ismael the sonne of Nethaniah to Gedoliah to Mizpah and Gedoliah sware vnto them that they should not feare to serue the King for by that meanes it should be well with them they should dwel with them in the Land But in the seuenth moneth Ismael the sonne of Nethaniah the sonne of Elishama of the Kinges seede came and slew Gedoliah and he died Heere Ismael which was by his Fathers side Iarchthange an Egiptian is called of the Kinges seede sixteene ages after because his auncestor Iarchthange married one of Iuda And surely it is likely by this that the Kings seede was wonderfully decayed when as one by an Egiptian his great Grandfather hauing onely married in Iuda should be called of the blood Royall And without question Shesan was very wicked in despising the glorie of the Tribe of Juda which he openly shewed when he married his Daughter to an Egiptian His name in Hebrew answereth to Ismaels manners afterwards for the Hebrewes affirme that Iarchthange is so harsh and lothsome to be pronounced as no word of like tediousnesse in all the Hebrew tongue So likwise Ismaels manners are as detestable as the earth can afford Thus you see how Ismael Abrahams sonne may rightly be called an Egiptian Sara reasoneth with Abraham concerning the sending away of Hager and Ismael she might haue great cause to be grieued at the flouting of Ismael for we may imagine her to haue vsed such like speaches as these I haue been content to haue gone with you from Vr of the Chaldeans from my Fathers house and mine owne kindred Besides the tediousnesse of the trauell I haue susteined great vexation and disquietnesse by the feare which I might haue when you went to fight with the foure Kinges For my behauiour towardes you it hath alwayes been pleasing My selfe being barren I gaue you my Mayde that yet by her I might haue children for this euen Hagar despiseth mee It had been better forme to let Eliazar of Damascus haue enioyed the Blessing Now God hath sent me a Sonne see how he is flouted Surely if you doe mee right and that which appertaineth to iustice you must driue out this Bondwoman and her Sonne for this Sonne of the Bondwoman shall not be heire with my Sonne Isaacke This dealing of Sara God approoueth and willeth Abraham to heare her voyce though it seeme grieuous to him Heere we may see by the mocking of Ismael that the wicked euer persecuteth the godly Asa maketh a Law that whosoeuer will not seeke the Lord God of Israel shall be slaine The wicked make as seueere Lawes But heere
concludeth the Fathers vnder the number of Two and twentie Iacob is called The beloued of the Lord before hee was borne in which he is answerable to Dauid whose name signifieth Beloued and to our Sauiour Christ of whom it was said This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased ISaacke is blinde Sem Heber and Abraham being dead onely Esau and Iacob aliue to enioy the Blessing after Isaacks death Now if we examine the sequell we shall see that if Isaacke had not been blinde hee would for his part haue brought destruction vpon the whole eart for hee would haue blessed Esau who vpon any occasion would haue sould it and besides being verie wicked in despising it would haue brought the heauy wrath of God vpon his posteritie for disobedience Therefore his blindnesse was a great blessing euen as Saint Paul speaketh Eueriething turneth to the best to the children of God Isaacke willeth Esau to goe and kill him some Venision that his soule may blesse him before he die So the Prophets vse to desire meate before they prophecie that being refreshed they may be the fuller of spirite and cheerefulnesse The Hebrewes dispute from this place whether Isaacke was growne into pouertie Some thinke hee was by reason of the famine which fell in Canaan and because the Philistines kept not couenant with him for which cause Sampson afterwards taketh occasion to plague them and that iustly Aben Ezra is of this opinion Rebecca she heareth this Commandement of Isaacke knowing that speedinesse in despatching is oftentimes a great cause of aduantage willeth Iacob to goe and fetch a Kid that therof she might make pleasant meate for Isaacke Iacob is affraid she comforteth him for she had her warrant from God that the elder should serue the younger and therefore shee boldly aduentureth Hee commeth to Isaacke who supposeth him to bee Iacob by his voyce but feeling the roughnesse of his handes and necke is perswaded that it is Esau and blesseth him When he was blessed in commeth Esau with his venison and prayeth his Father to blesse him Isaacke was now astonied to thinke of this subtiltie His spirite must needs be full of feare to thinke how hee whom he would haue blessed the Lord would not choose Isaacke therefore seeing the euent acknowledgeth the election of God in Iacob and concludeth that he shall be blessed Now heere is a question to be handled when Iacob sayth I am thy sonne Esau and Isaacke answereth It is Iacobs voyce Whether Iacob doth lie or noe This answere of Iacobs if we expound in the best sence is no lie for then it is no more but a kind of speach called Ironia So God speaketh in Gen. 3.22 Behold the man is become as one of vs to know good and euill So Christ in the Gospell commeth to his Disciples and finding them asleepe sayth Sleepe hencefoorth Wee may answere it further thus Iacob in respect of the purpose of God which chose him for the blessed might very well be called the onely Sonne Besides in regard of ciuil right now he was his eldest Sonne seeing he had bought the Birth-right of Esau Whether it were a lye or no we will leaue it to God and we can not altogeather condemne this answere seeing God approoueth it by giuing Iacob the blessing Plato sayth When men are dead we cannot aske them what they meant Therefore wee must expounde their speaches and their actions to the best meaning And further wordes are not alwayes to be taken in proper kind of speaking for Abram defendeth himselfe that Sara was his Sister to wit the Daughter of his Father but not the Daughter of his Mother Joseph sweareth By the life of Pharaoh if you take the words as they lie in proper sence he sinned greatly and was euen for his oath the worst of all Iacobs Sonnes But Salamo-Iirkie expoundeth him thus By the life of Pharaoh you are Spies that is Pharaohs life is a Wormes life which in account is no life euen so are ye no Spies in truth though you may seeme so to be So likewise Hushas answereth Absalom for when Absalom saw Hushai Dauids Counseller he asketh him Is this thy kindnesse to thy friend Why wentest thou not with thy friend meaning Dauid Hushai answereth Nay but whom the Lord and his people and all the men of Israel chose his will I bee and with him will I dwell This sentence hath a double meaning either that he meant to serue Absalom or King Dauid Therefore when things are spoken doubtfully we must marke how men may in wit expound them Abraham died Gen. 25.78 being 175. yeares old Hee was buried in Hebron Heber died Gen. 11.16.17 being 464. yeares old Hee was the longest liuer of any that was borne after the Flood Ismael died being 137. yeares old THe Prophet Esay cap. 60.7 prophecying of the calling of the Gentiles nameth the two eldest Sonnes of Ismael Nebaioth and Kedar saying The Rammes of Nebaioth shall serue thee and the Sheepe of Kedar shall be gathered vnto thee Againe he nameth two of Abraham by Ketura Sheba and Seba which two names doe also containe the Gentiles by Cham and the Gentiles of Sem by Iocktan So that vnder the names of the most worthy Gentiles which are the Gentiles by Abraham hee sheweth the calling of all the Gentiles in the World Whereby we are taught that Israels posteritie was not wholly rooted out of the fauour of God as Ameleckes was Iacob goeth to Laban Gen. 28.5 HEe goeth into the Countrie of Mesopotamia to Laban there he serueth twentie yeares This Laban was the sonne of Bethuel and brother to Rebecca and of the house of Nachor the brother of Abraham and Haran who remayned in the land of the Caldies after Abrahams departure so that Laban though of Mesopotamia yet is neere kinsman to Iacob Iacob in this Iourney goeth ouer Iordan with his Staffe and Scrippe as closely and secretly as he could that thereby Esau might not know of his departure for Esau was mighty and as it appeareth afterwardes had a band of foure hundred men Iacob going to Haran stayeth by the way all night because the Sunne was downe and layde of the Stones of the place vnder his head and slept There hee seeth the vision of the Ladder and when he awaketh he sayth Surely the Lord was in this place and I was not ware of it Then he rose and tooke vp the Stones and made a Piller and called it Bethel for he sayd this is no other but the House of Iehouah and the Gate of Heauen Hee seeth a Ladder c. THis Ladder representeth Christ the foote on the Earth his Humanitie and the toppe reaching to Heau enhis Deitie the Angels of God ascending and descending the Mediations betwixt God and vs and the Lord standing aboue vpon it the readinesse of the Father to receiue our Prayers This is expounded Iohn 1.51 Yee shall see the Heauens open and the Angels of God
looked for the Resurrection and inioying of the spiriturll Canaan This place Caleb afterwardes claymeth for an Inheritance when he commeth into the Land for it was the first Purchase and a signification of our Pilgrimage in this life hauing heere no abiding place Now let vs compare the Iourneyes of Abraham Iacob Iacobs sonnes and Christ together Abraham Was borne in Mesopotamia He goeth to Canaan He returneth to Egipt He dieth in Canaan Iacob Was borne in Canaan He goeth to Mesopotamia He returneth to Canaan He goeth into Egipt He is brought to Canaan Iacobs sonnes Are borne in Mesopotamia They dwell in Canaan They multiply in Egipt They returne to Canaan and after that are carried into Babel an other Egipt CHRIST Is borne in Canaan He goeth to Egipt He returneth to Canaan and there he dieth and bringeth a new Babel or Egipt the Romanes on the Iewes to destroy them Rambam an old Hebrew maketh another comparison in the euents thus Iacob himselfe was vsed well in Egipt but his posteritie was plagued by the Kings which liued after him in Egipt In Babylon those that went into captiuitie were plagued as Sidrack Misack Abednago but their posteritie found reliefe in Cirus and Darius conquering the Babilonians Now it is necessarie to speake of the place where Iacob died This place was Egipt Chams Countrie long agoe accursed Where it is spoken in the Prophets that in Egipt men spake with the tongue of Canaan The meaning of it is thus much That when Christ shall come to preach his teaching shall be of such power that it shall conuert in all Countries as well Egipt as Grecia Barbaria and all other the Countries of the Gentiles which knew not God soules vnto God which being conuerted shall speake the tongue of Canaan that is their tongues shall prayse God for their Redemption by Christ which is the tongue of Canaan This continueth yet true for there it no Countrie nor Nation where God hath not had or hath those which vnfaignedly beleeue the Gospell Yet if it be obiected that the tongue of Canaan was Hebrew how then shall a simple Ploughman vnderstand it This obiection is thus taken away It is not necessarie for a simple Ploughman or trades-man to be a skilfull Hebrecian for hee may be saued without the knowledge of the tongue seeing by the Bible translated hee may learne the Religion of Canaan and that learning will teach him the tongue of Canaan If they reply further that the Papistes say the Translations be corrupted and therefore it is necessarie he should be cunning in the originall For answere to this reply made from the Papistes argument If any doubt of the trueth of the Translations he may resort to learned Preachers which can easily resolue him And for the Papistes if the controuersie be betweene them and vs the originall must determine it It is sayd that Iacobs sonnes were of Cham. It is not meant his twelue Sonnes for they were borne before hee came into Egipt but that place of Scripture hath speciall referrence to the two sonnes of Ioseph Ephraim and Manasses who are recconed to be Iacobs Children For Ioseph marrying an Egiptian by whom he had them they by the Mothers side are of Cham and so Iacobs Children in this sense are of Cham. Thus much for the place Now followeth his Will Gen. 49.2 HEare yee Sonnes of Iacob and hearken to Israel your Father Heere hee repeateth his owne name Israel that is Mightie with God The occomplishment of this strength was fulfilled when they came from Egipt As there is no Common-wealth but standes of those that be Wanton of men ouerreached with Choller of Iudges of Husbandmen of Merchants of men of Trade of Warriours to defende from forraine inuasion so are Iacobs twelue Sonnes of all degrees in life In placing them heere thus their Dignitie is regarded and not their prerogatiue of Birth for then Reuben should be first IVD A hath the prerogatiue that His Brethren shall prayse him Yet if wee looke into his life this could not be meant of him for who looser then hee who lay with his daughter Thamar But herein is manifest the giftes of God to be of Grace and not of Nature For if Iuda had been rare for godlinesse then the prerogatiue of Nature might seeme to haue caused Christ to haue come of him Iuda his Storie of Prayse God is repeated by S. Paul Rom. 2.25 where he sayth Whose prayse is not of men but of God So euery man that knoweth the birth of Christ and imbraceth the truth thereof with constancie not turning for the loue of reward his prayse is of God though the world hate him JOSEPH hee Exceedes in vertue and therefore hath woonderfull blessinges for among the thirteene Iudges sixe are of his Tribe By which glory his posteritie began to despise the Tribe of Iuda for at Roboams time they say 1 Kin. 12. What haue we to doe with the house of Iessai What haue we to doe with the house of Dauid to your Tentes O Israel to your Tentes But the Lord plagued them with a Plague euer to be kept in memorie as the Prophet Ieremie sayth Ier. 7.12 Marke what I haue done to Siloh which was a Citie in the Tribe of Ephraim And in Psal 78.67 He forsooke the Tabernacle of Siloh euen the Tent that hee had pitched among them He refused the Tabernacle of Ioseph and choose not the Tribe of Ephraim but choose the Tribe of Iuda euen the hill of Sion which he loued Concerning the prosperitie of Iosephs house Nazeanzenus noteth that hee himselfe was more afrayde of the subtleties of Satan in his prosperitie then in his aduersities NEPHTALI Of him this onely is spoked Gen 49. Hee is a Hinde let goe giuing goodly wordes Which was performed when Barack of Nephtali and Debora of Ephraim sang for the ouerthrow of Sisera at the waters of Mageddon Iudg. 5.1 c. Now whereas you haue Abacuck to bring a messe of Pottage to Daniel in the Lions denne some Iew that made that neuer meant so but from that place of Abacuck The iust shall liue by his Fayth Abac. 2. fayneth a comparison that as Pottage preserueth this naturall life from perishing so the meditating by Fayth on the Promises of God in Christ kept our soules from wauering by distrust and by that confidence Daniel was saued from the mouth of the Lions BENIAMIN A child very vertuous Rachel calleth him Ben-oni Sonne of my sorrow but Israel calleth him Beniamin Sonne of my right hand Moses in Deut. 33.12 in his blessing sayth The beloued of the Lord shall dwell in safetie by him and God shall dwell betweene his shoulders And so he did for the Temple was afterwardes built in the Tribe of Beniamin His Tribe hath the first King though he be the meanest of the Tribes Beniamin continueth till the euening When the other Tribes fell away hee onely with Iuda at Roboams time hee onely with Iuda in Cyrus time ioyned
for the building of the Temple Hester of Beniamin saued all Iuda from the practise of Haman Paul of Beniamin was one of the last Builders of the spirituall Temple DAN Moses in his blessing in numbring the Tribes leaues out Simeon And in the Reuelation when the Tribes are sealed Dan is left out Therevpon the Grecians thinke that Antichrist shall come of the Tribe of Dan. That is not so but Moses being of Leui in blessing the Tribes putteth in Leui and speaketh largely of his spirituall blessinges Iosephs Sonnes are not to be left out because they were adopted therefore to keepe the number of Twelue he must leaue out some Simeon was the fittest because he was without repentance Leui must be reckoned seeing his was a spirituall inheritance and the Lord promised to be his inheritance therefore Dan must be omitted And this may be the reason When the children of Israel came into the land of Canaan the Tribe of Dan causeth the first Idolatrie and therefore that Tribe was iustly plagued And in this Tribe Idolatrie continued till the remoouing of the Arke from Siloh But yet this wee must vnderstand that though Dan is not named yet in respect his Tribe are Iacobs Sonnes the Tribe is comprehended in the generall Blessing And Moses concludeth that seeing that the eternall God is his refuge Israel the Fountaine of water shall dwell in safetie ISACHAR Was content to liue vnder tribute or labour like a Merchaunt or like to an Asse couching downe betweene two Burdens rather then to seeke glorie by leading Bandes of men REVBEN Hee lost his prerogatiue because hee Went vp to his Fathers bedde therefore hee is light as Water hee shall not excell Reuben hath one of Dauids Captaines of his Tribe but it is presently added therewith Thirtie better then hee Reuben sheweth some compassion to Ioseph and would not haue him killed but cast him into some Pitte Iuda thought that might be too long ere hee would be pispatched and therefore selleth him SIMEON and LEVI Their wrath was fierce yet because Leui afterwardes repented and shewed tender affection to Ioseph and was zelous in destroying Idolaters therefore he had a Blessing in Moses Will. Simeon neuer shewed any tender affection to Ioseph and therefore when his Brethreh come into Egipt and Ioseph accuseth them for spies he keepeth Simeon in prison till they come downe againe as a kind of punishment for his former malice His sinne against the Sichemites was exceeding great and seeing hee neuer shewed any signe of repentance hee was iustly cut off from the hope of a Blessing By this wee may learne to reiect the authoritie of the Booke of Iudith First because shee is sayd to be of the Tribe of Simeon If wee marke this well wee shall see how this Booke can not be Scripture for wee must note that it is no small glory to haue the spirit of God penne a Booke of ones actions If there be but a sentence spoken in the commendation of any in the Scripture it is a great weght of glory Now if we looke to Iacobs Will and see that hee hath a Curse and not a Blessing and in the course of Scripture afterward no mention of any repentance that Simeon and his Tribe shewed nor any zeale of Religion expressed how can this stand with Iacobs Prophecie nay it cleane crosseth it and maketh it frustrate For seeing Jacob as a Prophet telleth all his Sonnes what should befall them in the last dayes to euery one and his Tribe so long as the Kingdome of the Iewes and their pollicie stood and in his Will maketh no mention of the Booke of Iudith Wee must by admitting this Booke accuse the spirit of God of ignorance Besides it is a Storie and yet the time thereof doth not fall out within the compasse of any time neither before the Captiuitie neither after and therefore to be reiected And for my opinion I make as much account of Ouid Metamorphosis as of Iudith for Plato sayth That in Fables there a Truth reuealed secretly Thus we are to thinke likewise of the booke of Tobie LEVI Hee repented when Amram of the Tribe of Leui saued Moses ZABVLON Was a Merchaunt and Delighted in Shippes In Greeke Canaan is called Phenicea and the men of Canaan Phenices Aristotle a thousand yeares after Moses maketh mention of a Riuer Tartesus he meant the Sea Tharsis and the Phenices brought Gold and had such plentie that their Ankers were thereof No doubt he had heard of Salomons time wherein Gold and Siluer was no more esteemed then Stone This trauayling of Iacobs Sonnes into farre Countries must needes make the Heathen haue a taste of Religion And Moses hee willed the Heathen to resort to the Mountaine where the Temple was built ASER Was a Farmour To prouide pleasures for a King You haue in the old Testament little spoken of him but because his Tribe should not thinke themselues excluded the fauour of God you haue in the new Testament Anna that is Grace a very rare Woman for godlinesse the daughter of Phanuell that is see God of the happie Tribe of Aser for Aser signifieth Happie GAD Hee shall Lead an Host of men This was performed when Reuben Gad and halfe of Manasses gaue a great ouer throw to the Haggarines about the time that Saul was annoynted King Thus we may see that whatsoeuer is requisite in palicie for the maintenance of a Common-weale you shall finde expressed in the liues and behauiour of the Sonnes of Israel Ioseph died Gen. 50.26 being 110. yeares old BY Fayth Ioseph when hee died made mention of the departing of the Children of Israel out of Egipt and gaue commandement of his bones Heb. 11.22 Now because many excellent thinges are to be said of Ioseph before his death when he was in Egipt in the Sinay sight no yeares layde downe I will heere handle them togeather God prospered him in Egipt in all his actions And euen as God blessed Lahan for Jacobs sake so he blessed Iosephs Maister for Iosephs sake Ioseph was a goodly person and well fauoured which commendation in the same wordes is bestowed vpon Dauid Sam. 16 â—3 the same of Daniel and the same of Christ Ioseph would not bee defiled with the fornication of Egipt Daniel would not be defiled with the vncleane diet of Babel Ioseph expoundeth Pharaohs Dreame Daniel expoundeth Nebuchadnetzars Dreame Ioseph was made Ruler ouer Egipt Daniel was made Ruler ouer Babel Ioseph being in Prison found fauour with the Maister of the Prison Daniel found fauour with the Kings Chamberlaine Iosephs name was changed by Pharaoh Daniels name was changed by Nebuchadnetzar Ioseph was falsely accused Christ was falsely accused Ioseph was thirtie yeares old when he stood before Pharaoh Iesus is baptized beginning to be thirtie yeares old Ioseph was in Prison betweene two Theeues the one of them was saued the other condemned Christ was crucified betweene two Theeues the one of them was saued the other condemned