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
must cast to end iust with the death of Christ or else howe doth Christ according to Daniel the 9. end the ceremonie oblation and the wisedom of God hath taken such order that where the Scripture seemeth to leaue off to reckon there the heathen keepe a iust account nothing at all crossing Daniels Seuens For the Iubilee which the Iewes and Romanes obserue there is no colour of Religion in it nor warrant in Moses for them Therefore we leaue them to obloquie as not worth the handling amongst the rest of their grosse errours which they against Scripture foolishly maintaine 2611. Aod Eightie yeares HE was of the Tribe of Beniamin The Children of Israel committed wickednesse in the sight of the Lord and the Lord strengthned Eglon King of Moab against Israel But when they cryed vnto the Lord hee stirred them vp a Sauiour Aod the Sonne of Gera the Sonne of Beniamin a man lame of his right hand and the Children of Israel sent a present by him vnto Eglon King of Moab and Aod made a sharpe Dagger and carried it priuily and when he had deliuered the Present he thrust it into him and killed him and they slue the same day ten Thousand Moabites so Moab was subdued vnder the hand of Israel and the Land had rest Fourescore yeares Iudg. 3. 2671. Eglon oppresseth Eighteen yeares Iudg. 3.  2691. Baracke and Deborah Fortie yeares Baracke was of Nephtali and Deborah of Ephraim THe Children of Israel began againe to doe wickedly in the the sight of the Lord when Aod was dead and the Lord sold them into the hand of Iabin King of Canaan whose cheefe Captaine was called Sisera Then they cryed vnto the Lord For Sisera had Nine hundred yron Chariots and Twentie yeares hee had vexed them And at that time Deborah a Prophetesse the wife of Lapidoth iudged Israel And shee called vnto her Baracke the Sonne of Abinoam and she went with Baracke to Kedesh against Sisera and the Lord destroyed Sisera and all his Chariots at the waters of Maggeddon in the Reuelation the ouerthrow of Antichrist is compared to the ouerthrow of Sisera at Mageddon Then sange Deborah and Barack the same day saying Praise ye the Lord for auenging of Israel c. to the last verse of the Chapter So let thine enemies perish O Lord but they that loue him shall be as the Sunne when he riseth in his might and the Land had rest Fortie yeares Here is perfourmed Gen. 49. Where Iacob blessing Nephtali saith Hee shall bee a Hinde let goe giuing goodly words Hee was in the pursute of Sisera as swift as a Hinde and gaue goodly words with Deborah Iudg. 5. 2711. Sisera oppresseth Twentie yeares Obed of Ruth IN the time that the Iudges ruled there was a dearth in the Land and a man of Bethelem in Iuda went for to soiourne in the Country of Moab The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife was Naomi and his two Sonnes Mahlon and Chilion Ephrathites of Bethlehem and they came into the Countrey of Moab and continued there and they tooke wiues of the Moabites the name of the one was Ophrath and the name of the other Ruth and so read through the first and second Chapters of the Booke of Ruth We haue the like commendation of Ruth that is spoken of Abraham That she left her Father and Mother and the Land where she was borne and came into a people whome shee knewe not in times past And withall she is blessed in these words The Lord recompence thy worke and a full reward be giuen thee of the Lord God of Israel vnder whose winges thou art come to trust Ruth 2. So Booz tooke Ruth and she was his wife and the Lord gaue that she conceiued a Sonne and called his name Obed the same was the Father of Iessay the Father of Dauid Ruth 4. In that Christ chooseth to come of Rahab of Cham of Ruth of Moab he purposed not to come into the world by the prerogatiue of nature or as the Iewes looked he should come in most tryumphant sort but by grace offering grace to Cham recompencing the loue of Lot to Abraham and opening the eyes of all the Gentiles in the world and causing the dumbe Nations that knewe not that the seed of the woman should breake the Serpents head to speake the prayses of God in their owne tongue Againe if his Parents had been from time to time of vertuous life vnspotted as many of them were the woonderfull graces of Christ would haue been attributed vnto the generalitie of his Fathers But hee preuented euerie obiection that the peeuish vnbeleeuing Pharisees might imagine by comming of such as the Iewes held as vncleane before God 2731. Gedeon Fortie yeares Gedeon Baracke Sampson Iephte Dauid Samuel and the Prophets obtained promises but receiued not the promise Heb. 11. AGaine the Children of Israel committed wickednesse in the sight of the Lord and the Lord gaue them into the hands of Madian Seuen yeares so Israel was exceedingly impouerished by the Madianites Therefore they cryed vnto the Lord and when they cryed the Lord sent a Prophet vnto them who sayd vnto them Thus saith the Lord God of Israel I haue brought you vp from Egipt and haue brought you out of the house of bondage and I said vnto you feare not the Gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell but you haue not obeyed my voice And Gedeon of the Tribe of Ephraim was threshing of wheat to hide it from the Madianites Then the Angell of the Lord appeared vnto him and sayd The Lord is with thee thou valiant man And the Lord looked vpon him and sayd vnto him Goe in this thy might and and thou shalt saue Israel out of the handes of the Madianites Haue not I sent thee The multitude of the Madianites and the Amalekites and all they of the East lay in the valley like Grashoppers and there Camels were without number as the sand by the sea-shore But Gedeon with three Hundred destroyed the Madianites To shew that victorie consisteth not in strength of men or multitude of Camels but in God who giueth the Victorie For at the sounding of Gedeons Trumpet the enemies ranne and cryed and fledde and the Lord caused them to kil one another Thus was Midian brought lowe before the Children of Israel so that they lift vp their heads no more and the Countrey was in quietnesse fortie yeares in the dayes of Gedeon This Gedeon had Seuentie Sonnes begotten of his bodie for hee had many wiues and he had a Sonne by a Concubine whose name was Abimelech So Gedeon died in a good age and was buried in the Sepulchre of Ioash his Father in Ophrath Read the 6 7 and 8 Chapters of Iudges Madian oppresseth Seuen yeares  2771. Abimelech Three yeares the Sonne of Gedeon of the Tribe of Ephraim When Gedeon was dead the children of Israel turned away and went a whoring after Baalim
groues and high places prophaned the name of the mightie God of Iacob Whose sin saith the Prophet Ieremie c. 17. is written with a pen of iron and with the point of a Diamond grauen vpon the table of their hearts and vpon the hornes of their Altars They shall serue their enemies in the land which they know not for they haue kindled a fire in the Lords anger which shal burne for euer saith the Lord. For where the Lord said Take heede to your soules and beare no burthen on the sabbath day nor bring it in by the gates of Ierusalem but sanctifie the sabbath as I commanded your fathers they obeyed not neither inclined their eares but said desperately surely we will walke after our owee imaginations and doe euery man according to the stubbornnes of his wicked heart Therefore thus saith the Lord The Virgin of Israel hath done very filthily will a man forsake the snowe of Lebanon which commeth from the rocke or shall the cold flowing waters that come from an other place be forsaken I shall scatter them with an East winde before the enemie and I will shew them the backe and not the face in the day of their destruction their children shall be deliuered vp to famine and they droppe away by the force of the sword their citie shall be desolate and an hissing and they shall eate the flesh of their owne children For the Lord will visite them according to the fruit of their workes and kindled a fire to deuoure them round about For his kindred he was of Nimrod of Chams house and partaker of the ancient curse Gen. 10. For we doe not reade that euer he acknowledged the Redemption by Christ which is the summe of al saluation though he by punishments was forced to acknowledge the power of God in his iudgments This is the case of all wicked His countrie was called Babel or Shinear Babel signifying Confusion Shinear Shake off God gaue him a stroke ouer al the world but the glory of captiuing Sems house was the greatest honour this was a wonderfull blessing of God to make himselfe knowne in Babylon rather than among other heathen if he had rightly embraced it but we cannot finde that euer he came to any hope of grace But it was a wonderfull iudgement vpon the Iewes for God thereby shewed himselfe to be better knowen in Babylon though but barely confessed Creator than he was in Dauids kingdome at home who neither acknowledged him Redeemer nor Creator This conquest of Nebucadnetzar ouer the Iewes was prophesied of long before by Ieremie cap. 25. in these wordes From the thirteenth yeare of Iosias the sonne of Amon King of Iudah the word of the Lord came vnto me and I haue spoken vnto you rising earely and speaking but ye would not heare Therefore thus saith the Lord of hostes because ye haue not heard my wordes I will send and take to me all the families of the North and Nebucadnetzar the King of Babel my seruant that is in executing Gods iudgments and will bring them against this land and this whole land shall be desolate and these nations shall serue the King of Babel seauenty yeares This by faith they might haue preuented as did the Niniuites For the Lord promised if they would turne euery one from his euil way and from the wickednesse of their inuentions they should dwel in the land that the Lord had giuen them and their fathers for euer and euer and that he would not punish them But in this we see the purpose of God to be eternall He suffereth his chosen to be tryed and chastised with the afflictions of wicked men that thereby the condemnation of the vngodly may be the swifter against themselues This victorie which God gaue vnto the Babylonians ouer the Iewes was not in that they in any thing deserued the fauour of God but to the end he might the sharplier be auenged of them as Ier. 25 And when these seauentie yeares are accomplished I will visite the King of Babel and that Nation saith the Lord for their iniquities euen the land of the Chaldeans and wil make it a perpetuall desolation and will bring vpon that land all my wordes which I haue pronounced against it for many nations and great Kings shall euen serue themselues of them Thus will I recompence them according to their deedes and according to the workes of their owne handes For loe I beginne to plague the citie where my name is called vpon and should you goe free yee shall not goe quite saith the Lord of hosts When the Lord hath accomplished all his worke vpon mount Zion and Ierusalem I will visite the fruit of the prowd King of Ashur and his glorious and prowd lookes because he said By the power of mine owne hand haue I done it and by my wisedome because I am wise Shall the axe boast it selfe against him that heweth with it or the saw exalt it selfe against him that moueth it therfore shall the Lord send among his fat men leannesse and vnder his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of fire and shall consume the glory of his forrest and of his fruitfull field both soule and flesh and he shall be as the fainting of a Standard-bearer For the Lord of hosts shall make the consumption euen determined in the middest of al the land Therefore O people of Sion be not afraid of Ashur he shall smite thee with a rodde nor shall lift vp his staffe against thee after the manner of Egipt But yet a very little time and the wrath shall be consumed and the Lord of hostes shall raise vp a scourge for him according to the plague of Midian in the rocke Oreb as his staffe was vpon the sea so he will lift it vp after the manner of Egipt For behold the day of the Lord commeth cruel with wrath and fierce anger to lay the land waste and he shall destroy the sinners out of it He will visite the wickednesse of the world and their iniquity vpon the wicked and will cause the arrogancie of the prowd to cease and will cast downe the pride of tyrants Their children also shall be broken in peeces before their eyes their houses spoyled and their wiues rauished For Babel the glory of kingdomes the beautie and pride of the Chaldeans shal be as the destruction of God in Sodom and Gomora It shall not be inhabited for euer neither shall it bee dwelt in from generation to generation neither shall the Arabian pitch his tents there neither shall the sheepheards make their fouldes there But Zijm shall lodge there and their houses shall be full of Ohim Ostriges shall dwell there and the Satires shall dance there And Iim shall crie in their places Then shalt thou take vp this Prouerb against the King of Babel say How hath the oppressor ceased and the gold-thirstie Babel rested the Lord hath broken the rodde of the wicked and the scepter of
THE TIMES PLACES AND Persons of the holie Scripture Otherwise entituled THE GENERALL VIEW OF THE HOLY Scriptures AT LONDON ¶ Printed by Thomas Purfoot for Richard Ockould 1607. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL SIR IOHN Brograue Knight his Maiesties Atturney generall of the Duchy of Lancaster RIght Worshipfull the written copie of this booke comming to my hands was thought worthy the presse by men of good iudgement and learning for that it might bee profitable to many aswell those that intend the studie and profession of Diuinitie as to all other good Christians The Author of the booke is vncertaine to me but his worke manifesteth that he was learned and religious which mooued me though with no small charge to impart the same to all and to make it publike And for that the same wanteth the Authors name I thought fit it should not want a Patron neither knew I any other more worthy to whom I might recommend the Patronage thereof than your worship in regard of that seruice wherein I stand bound to your selfe and that most worthy societie of Greyes Inne It may please you therefore to accept the same in good part And I shall euer remaine yours to be commanded Richard Ockould THE AVTHORS EPISTLE TO THE CHRIstian Reader HAuing long purposed to bring into one frame The generall view of the holy Scripture and resoluing the ease would been laying before your eyes The Times Places and principall Persons mentioned in Moses and scattered through the Prophets Opportunitie now fitting my purpose I thought it good by this Tract to manifest the plainnesse of the Truth which all either doe or ought to know that would enioy eternall happinesse by knitting into one bodie the ioynts of Histories The perfect vnderstanding whereof giueth light to the blind eyes to the ignorant and iudgment to such as willingly embrace the knowledge of heauenly wisedome A GENERALL VIEW OF THE HOLY SCRIPTVRES Iehouah our God Iehouah is one Deut. 6.4 Iehouah Is a name of great force to driue vs to the due reuerence of Gods eternall Maiestie for it containeth the Wisedome Power and Eternitie of God His Wisedome In giuing a name vnto himselfe answerable to the glorie of his Maiestie This name was had in great reuerence among the Iewes they trembled to name or read it but vsed the name Adoni Lord. After their comming from Babel they neuer vsed the name Iehouah but a name of twelue Letters containing Father Sonne and holy spirit Iehouah hath in it the fiue Vowels which are the sinewes of all tongues And as without them no tongue can be expressed so without the true knowledge of Iehouah no flesh can be saued It signifieth Praise me the eternall God it containeth in it Father Sonne and holy Ghost His Power In that from Iehouah all Creatures haue their breathing and their being which also in Iehouah is closely expressed For as it consisteth of fiue Vowels so also hath it two hh which schollers call aspirations or breathings which two aspirations make vp the number of 7 which is the number of the Sabbath Saint Paul closely alluding to the name of Iehouah sayth That from him we haue our breathing and our being and in Esay 57. the Lord saith The blasting goeth forth from me and is included in the bodie I made the breath So often therefore as we breath we are to remember the power and maiesty of Iehouah His Eternity Is closely expressed in these 3. letters י ו ה whose terminations are Iod Vaw He is a signe of the future tense presen tense preterperfect tense This is made plaine in Apo. 1. who was is will be to come Our God HErein is expressed the humanitie of Christ for it is neither added to the Father the first person in trinitie nor to the holy Ghost the third person but to the Sonne the second person who was to become ours by taking our nature vpon him Some hold it not to bee meant of the humanitie of Christ but for a word of separation of the God of the Iewes from the gods of the Gentiles To remooue such absurditie the holy Ghost in Marke 13. when there was no difference between the Iew and the Gentile repeateth the verie wordes of Moses Deut. 6. The Lord our God the Lord is one thrise naming God as commaunding vs thereby to vnderstand Father Sonne and holy spirit For this is alwayes to bee obserued whatsoeuer God speaketh of himselfe is to bee taken in the heauenlyest vnderstanding that can be made of it Iehouah our God Iehouah is one There be three in heauen the Father Word and holy Spirit And these Three are one 1. Ioh. 5.7 THe Trinitie is heere described to be one vnited God-head distinguishable in persons but vndiuidable in coeternitie one in three and three in one God who created redeemed and sanctified all one onely wise God who was shewed in the flesh was iustified in the spirite was seene among Angels was preached to the Gentiles was beleeued of the world and receiued vp in glorie 1. Timothy 3. Which to know is the first and chiefest point of all saluation as Iohn 17.3 This is eternall life to knowe the Father and him whome hee hath sent Iesus Christ which must be the true vnderstanding of the Bible as Iohn 5.39 Search the Scriptures and in them yee shall finde eternall life Some will say it is ynough to know Christ crucified Pilate Herod and Iudas the Traytor knewe that yet went to eternall destruction Wherefore saluation consisteth not in outward knowledge but in renewing the spirit of our vnderstanding which standeth first in the knowledge and feare of God then in the knowing of our selues which are the first two steppes to saluation for true knowledge is the mother of godlynesse And as the eye is the light of the body so is vnderstanding the light of the minde This a man hauing truly learned hee is to meditate of the graces of Christ offered vnto vs by his word God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the world c. HErein wee are to consider the louing kindnesse of God to exceed our deserts in louing vs to saluation before wee were The Papists hold merite of saluation which cannot any way hold seeing God of his vnspeakable grace hath elected vs vnto saluation before wee knew him This misterie of gods Election is not fully receiued of all because men take not words of scripture in their proper sense as they are layd downe Election is the eternall counsell of God for the sauing and reiecting of some before the beginning of the world The Heathen neuer receiued comfort by this for being told before of thinges afterward to come to passe they could not knowe the reason but thought that the actions of men were gouerned by the motions of starres and the course of nature and not by the decree or fore-purpose of God who worketh euerie thing according to the counsell of his owne will and not according to our reason Then
come to a fearefull end Yea euen like as a dreame doth hee make their image to vanish Some folishly dispute why God hath not saued all things seeing he made all they are answered Ier. 12. The Lord is more righteous then that he should be disputed with Ier. 18. They are in the hand of the Lord as the clay in the hand of the potter Rom. 9. God maketh of one lumpe of clay one vessell to honor and another to dishonour What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power knowen suffereth with long patience the vessels of wrath appointed to destruction What art thou that disputest with God Esay 45. It is I that created the light and the darkenesse I make peace and trouble euen I the Lord doe all these things Woe bee vnto him that striueth with his maker the potsherd with the potter saith the clay to the potter what makest thou or thy worke serueth for nothing Woe be vnto him that saith vnto his father why begettest thou and to his mother why bearest thou Thus saith the Lord euen the holy one and maker of Israel That their sinne is the cause of their Condemnation And God not the author thereof Prou. 29. The sinne of the wicked is their owne snare Esay 50. For your offences are you sold and because of your transgression is your mother forsaken Esay 49. Their misdeeds haue separated them from their God and their sinnes hath hid his face from them that hee heareth them not They hope in vaine things imagining deceit and bringing forth euill they breed Cockatrices egges and weaue the spiders webbe who so eateth of their egges dieth but if one treade vpon them there commeth vp a Serpent their deeds are the deeds of wickednes the worke of robbery is in their hands their feet run to euil they make haste to shed innocent blood all their counsels are wicked harme and destruction are in their wayes but the way of peace they haue not knowen in their goings there is no equity their waies are so crooked that whosoeuer goeth therein knoweth of no peace and this is the cause They looke for light and loe it is darkenes They grope like the blind vpon the wall euen as one that hath no eyes They roare like Beares and mourne like Doues looking for health but it is farre from them for their offences are many and their sinnes testifie against the Lord. They will not confesse and acknowledge their sinnes but doe amisse transgresse and dissemble against the Lord and fall away from their God vsing presumptuous and traiterous imaginations in their hearts casting away equitie truth and righteousnesse but the Lord holdeth himselfe by his owne power and he sustaineth him by his owne righteousnesse he putteth on wrath in steed of clothing and taketh iealousie about him for a cloake like as when a man goeth forth wrathfully to recompence his enemies and to be auenged of his aduersaries But vnto Sion hee is a Redeemer and of Iacob which turne from their wickednesse he is a Sauiour and he will giue them an euerlasting name that shall not perish Esay 56. Thus saith the high and excellent euen he that dwelleth in eternitie whose name is the holy one I dwell high aboue and in the sanctuarie and with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit doe I pitch my habitation Psal 104. As for sinners they shall be consumed out of the earth and the vngodly spall come to an end Psal 59. For the sinne of their mouth and for the words of their lippes they shall be taken in their pride and why their preaching is of cursing and lyes Psal 62. Their deuise is onely how to put him out whom God hath exalted their delight is in lies they giue good words with their mouth but curse with their heart for they persecute him whom the Lord hath smitten And they talke how they may vexe him whom he hath wounded 2. Thes 2. Therefore shall the Lord send them strong delusions that all they might bee damned which beleeued not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse and obeyed not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus With euerlasting damnation shall they be punished from the presence of the Lord and from the presence of his power Psal 51. That hee may bee iustified in his sayings and cleare when hee iudgeth EPHESIANS 1.10 ⧠That in the fulnesse of time all should be brought vnder one head FVlnesse of time is here taken for the time of Christs death whose death should accomplish the Ceremonie oblation and breake downe the wall betweene the Iew and the Gentile when men should looke no longer for saluation onely from Ierusalem but should prayse God euery where their hearts being assured that they were members of Christ the head The heathen not taking notice of this could neuer come to saluation The blind Iewes not marking this ioyned with Chittim in the second degree which are the Romanes To crucifie Christ the King of the most Holy because hee testified of himselfe that he was that day Starre which was to appeare That Scepter that should dash all the sonnes of Seth The Ladder by whom the Angels of God ascended and descended Shiloh Emmanuel the Lion of the tribe of Iuda The roote of Iessay The Stone which the builders refused The true Manna That spirituall Rocke that would giue waters of life The true Bread that came downe from heauen He vnto whom the Crowne and Diademe did belong Michael who thought it no robberie to bee equall with God The Stone that did punne Nebuchadnetzars Image to dust Palmoni the secret Numberer He who waieth numbreth and diuideth The great shepheard of his sheepe The true Vine from whose sides doe proceed wine of euerlasting life He that came to doe the will of his Father Iohn 4.10 He that met with the woman of Samaria at Iacobs well to whom he promised euerliuing water The Stumbling Blocke to the Iewes The Light to the Gentiles The Eye to the blind And an Helpe to the lame For that is his name God is my strength and my righteousnesse c. Wherefore he hath made them Vagabonds ouer the whole earth and hath brought that Abhomination of Desolation vpon them whereby their Citie and Sanctuarie is destroyed and why because they would not know the Fulnesse of time the day of saluation The Crane the Swallow and the Turtle Doue doe know their time but my people will not know the time of my comming saith the Lord. Also our Sauiour Christ saith Woe bee vnto you Scribes and Pharises Hipocrites You can discerne the wind and the weather but you know not the time of the comming of the son of man which they might haue knowne from Daniel 9. Where the Angel Gabriel saith 70. seuens or 490. yeeres are determined for the death of Christ the King of the most Holy to finish sinne to reconcile iniquity to bring in
Iustice to seale the vision and Prophet and to annoint the most Holy By which we are constrained highly to esteeme of the knowledge of the times for they are of as great force to the vnderstading of the Bible as the starres are in the heauens for giuing of light No part of the Bible but consisteth of time place or person If of time as one third part then the knowledge thereof is to be embraced and in no respect to be despised as lightly regarding the vse thereof lest striuing for darknesse we become the children of darkenesse and so loose the light of eternall life as the Iewes and Romanes did whose recompence hath followed The one depriued of their earthly glory the other aduanced to glory to be a staine of eternall damnation The Treatise of Time IOHN 1. In the beginning was the word c. THese words In the beginning are the first wordes of the old Testament whose first word in Hebrew is Bera which consisteth according to the Hebrews of three letters which closely containe in them Father Sonne Holy Ghost as ב for Ben which signifieth Son × for Abba which is Father ר for Rouach Hachodesh which is the Holy spirit Thus the Trinitie is closely contained in the first word but in the first verse is expressed in open words In the beginning God made heauen and earth and the spirit of God moued vpon the waters and God said let their be light This is expounded in Iohn 1. in these words In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and that word was God shewing that Word in this place is taken for the Sonne of God by whom he made the world as Iohn 1. By him were all things created And Ephes 3. God made all things by his Sonne who ruleth all things by his mighty power Wherefore Christ in the dayes of his flesh chose the trade of a Carpenter Iohn 6. and in Esay 43. It is said This Record you must beare me your selues saith the Lord that I am God and euen he I am from the beginning I doe the worke and who shall let it Thus saith the Lord the holy one our Redeemer Wherein is distinctly expressed Father Sonne and Holy Ghost IOHN 1. ⧠He was the Light and that Light was the Life of man LIfe and Light is not here carnally meant but spiritually to which two things Aarons Iewell of Vrim and Thummim had a full relation Vrim signifieth light of the mind Thummim perfection of vertue which bringeth life to the soule Christ is the true light that lighteth euery man And hee that abideth in this light hath euerlasting life God is light and in him there is no darknes at all If we walke in light euen as he is light then haue we fellowship with him and the blood of Iesus Christ shall giue vs life and cleanse vs from our sinne We the Gentiles were darknes but now are light in the Lord. Ephes 5.8 The great Schollers of the Iewes spake euen in the same words Philo the Iew commenteth vpon these wordes saying God is the Soueraigne begetter and next to him is the Word of God Also there are two firsts the one is Gods word and the other is God which is afore the Word and the same word is the beginning and the end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his good pleasure intent or will And in another place Like as a Citie saith he whereof the platforme is but yet set downe in the mind of the builder hath no being else where but in the builder so this world had no being else where then in the Word of God which ordained all things And this is not the meaning of me only but also of Moses himselfe And in another place This word saith he is Gods yonger sonne but as for the elder sonne he cannot bee comprehended but in vnderstanding for he it is who by prerogatiue of eldership abideth with the Father And againe The Word is the Place the Temple and the dwelling house of God because the Word is the only thing that can containe him and to shew the greatnes of this word he could skarce tell what names to giue it Hee calleth it the booke wherin all essences of all things that are in the whole world are written and printed The Perfect patterne of the word Day sunne that is to be seene but onely of the mind Prince of Angels First borne of God Shepheard of his flocke Chiefe high Priest of the world Manna of mens soules Wisedome of God Perfecting of the Highest Instrument whereby God created the world Altogether Light God and the Beer that is of himselfe And he saith further that this Word is the expresse print or stampe of God and euerlasting as God himselfe is R. Azariel calleth him Spirit Word and Voice saying The Spirit bringeth foorth the Word and the Voice but not by speech of the tongue or by breathing after the maner of men and these three be one Spirit to wit one God one Spirit rightly liuing blessed be he and his name who liueth for euer and euer Spirit Word and Voice that is to say one Holy Ghost and two spirits of that Spirit R. Ioseph saith thus The Light of the soule of the Messias is the liuing God and the liuing God is the fountaine of the liuing Waters and the Soule of the Messias is the riuer or streame of life and none but the Messias knoweth God fully he is the light of God the light of the Gentiles and therefore hee knoweth God and God is knowen by him I thy God saith God am light and mind and of more antiquitie than nature of moisture that is issued from the shadow And this lightsome speach which proceedeth from the mind is the Sonne of God that which seeth and heareth thee is the word of the Lord and the mind is God the Father These differ not one from another as for their vnion it is the vnion of life And this speech being the workman of God the Lord of the whole world hath chiefe power next him is vncreated infinite Proceeding from him the commaunder of all things which he made the perfect and naturall first borne sonne of the most perfect Numenius a Pithagorist saith The first God is free from all worke but the second is the maker which commaundeth heauen and God the worker or maker saith he is the beginner of begetting and God the good is the beginner of Being and the second is the liuely expresser of the first as begetting is an image of Being And in another place he saith that this worker being the Same is knowen to all men by reason of the creating the world but as for the first Spirit which is the Father he is vnknowen vnto them Iamblichus saith plainely that God made the world by his diuine word and the first God being afore the Be-er is the Father of a first God whom hee begetteth and yet neuerthelesse
perfect Sabbath hee had performed some part of the Lawe and thereby beene partaker with Christ in the worke of our Redemption Againe if Adam had continued in the image of God which is in righteousnesse and true holinesse vntill the Sabbath hee would haue performed the ordinances of the Sabbath which was to eate of the tree of life which was made for a Sacrament of conseruation vnto him and should not haue needed a Redeemer Hee did not eate of the Tree of Life for God after his fall setteth Cherubims to keepe the way of the Tree of Life least Adam eating should liue for euer Whereby it appeareth that if hee had eaten thereof before hee had not fallen Therefore it cannot be that Adam continued perfect vnto the Sabbath And further it is written Psal 49. Adam being in honour continueth not one night but is like to the beasts that perish Cedrenus a Greeke writer saith that Adam fell the sixt day of the first weeke Saint Augustine saith the woman streight way after her creation before she accompained with Adam became into the transgression otherwise Kaine had beene conceaued without sinne Theophilact vpon Matthew sayth that as man was formed the sixt day and did eate of the tree the sixt howre so Christ reforming man and healing the fall was fastened to the tree the sixt day and the sixt howre And in the storie of the creation in Genesis presently after the fall Moses speaketh of the Redemption And without wee compare the Creation with the Redemption wee misse of all For Adam to bee compared with Christ is the summe of all And wherefore should all the actions of the Redemption bee accomplished in such rarenesse except to bee aunswerable both to the fall and to the time of the fall Wherefore it is needfull wee should know our thraldome if wee will receaue comfort by the Redeemer thus First Christ the Restorer was borne of a Virgine Why because by a Virgine destruction came to the world Chrysostome compareth Eue and Marie together thus Eue beeing a Virgine hearing the wordes of the SERPENT and beleeuing them brought foorth DEATH The Virgine Marie hearing the wordes of the Angell Gabriel and beleeuing them brought foorth Life Againe why should Christ die on the sixt day rather than on the fifth or fourth And why was there darkenesse vntill the coole of the day rather than till the Sunne setting but to make the Redemption answerable to euery part of the fall because God according to the secret counsell of his owne will before the foundations of the earth were laide would make the Art of saluation so easie and the harmonie of the Bible so tuneable that no musicke in the world can bee more pleasant to the eare than the meditation of the loue of God towards vs in Christ is comfortable to the heart of man Therefore the meditation of Adams fall and the victorie of Christ ought to bee continually in our mindes Now compare Christ with Adam Adam Christ The first Adam was made a soule hauing life of earth earthly therefore by the earthly one came disobedience sinne iudgement condemnation death was created on the sixt day and did eate of the tree the sixt howre was made a man without a Father made not inferiour to the Angels lost all was tempted lost saluation at the time of eating was made ruler of the world and did not hold it did fall in the Garden his soule was in darkenes from the sixt houre vntil the ninth howre by breaking one commandement lost all was called to account at the ninth howre was debarred of the tree of life was driuen out of Paradise was the head of his Wife was a King Prophet Sacrificer liued a thousand yeeres wanting seuentie The second Adam was made a spirit giuing Life from heauen heauenlie thetefore by the heauenly one came obedience grace forgiuenesse iustification life reforming man healing the fall is fastened to the tree the sixt day the sixt howre was made a man without a Father made lower then the Angels is crowned with glory and all the Angels worship him being man whereby wee may know the world was made subiect to a man was tempted brought saluation to all at the time of eating was made ruler of the world and did hold it went into a Garden to recouer Adams fall in the garden when he suffered caused darkenes to couer the whole earth from the sixt howre till the ninth howre by fulfilling all the commaundements brought life to all at the ninth howre yeeldeth vp the Ghost and goeth to giue account to his Father is the true Tree of Life on that day openeth Paradise to the poore theefe the head of his Church was a King Prophet Sacrificer was borne seuentie yeeres before foure thousand BEcause these two Tables consist onely of numbers and that numbers in the scripture are great helpes for the vnderstanding of the same before wee come to speake of Seth it is not amisse to lay downe what numbers are of most vse in the Bible namely 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 12. 1 Expressing the vnion of the Godhead and from thence the vnitie of all godly as being members of one head Christ Iesus which is made plaine Psal 133. Behold how good and comely a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in vnitie c. 3 The distinguished Trinitie within which number many excellent things fall out still to put vs in minde of the vndeuidable coeternitie of Father Sonne and holy Spirite To shew that neither in eldest yongest or middlemost but in Gods free election standeth our eternall happinesse Adam Kaine Of Adam the eldest extreame wicked Abel Of Adam the eldest extreame wicked Seth. Of Adam the eldest extreame wicked Noah Iaphet Of Noah the youngest wicked Sem Of Noah the youngest wicked Cham. Of Noah the youngest wicked Terah Haran Of Terah the middlemost was wicked Nachor Of Terah the middlemost was wicked Abram Of Terah the middlemost was wicked Three Angels appeared to Abraham in his Tent. Three Fowers of precious stones were set in Aarons breast Three Things reserued in the Arke Three Taken vp in the old Testament and 3 in the new The Booke of the Lawe The pot of Manna and Aarons rod that did alwaies flourish Three Parts was Ierusalem diuided into Three Letters the root of euerie word in the Hebrew tongue Three Captiuities of the Iewes Three Times was the Temple grosly poluted by the Babilonians Antiochi Romanes Three Times a yeere were the Iewes bound to come to Ierusalem to giue account of their Religion Three Dayes and Nights was Ionas in the Whales belly Nights and dayes was Christ in the graue Iohns viz. Iohn Baptist Luk. 1. Iohn Euangelist Mat. 4. Iohn Marke Act. 12. Iob saued 3 Eliphaz Sophar Bildad Daniel saued 3 Ananias Azarias Mishael Noah saued 3 Sem. Cham. Iaphet In the 3. seuenth Iubile the Iewes felaway and then Ieremie said O earth earth earth Heare the word of the Lord
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
of men after the flood both in comparison with those before the flood and those after that their storie might not be flouted of the Egyptians adde of purpose 1500. yeares to the Fathers after the flood For seeing Terah begot Abraham at 120. And because Sem begot Arphacsad at 100. yeares old to euery one where wanteth an hundred they put an hundred As Arphacsad liued 3â— yeres and begot Selah they translate Arphacsad liued 135. and begot Selah and so in the rest By which reckoning Sem is dead before the time he should meet with Abraham Saint Ieâ—om accquainted with the Hebrewes dealings knew that their consent was that Sem was Melchisedech and so he affirmeth Besides it is not likely that any of Chams house should be like to the Son of God being a cursed generation Againe if it be obiected that Moses doth not call Melâ—hisedech Sem and therefore it is likely hee was not Sem This obiection is thus answered Moses penneth his storie short because he knew all the Iewes were well acquainted therwith And as for the Author to the Hebrewes setting him downe to bee without father without mother we must consider in what sense and meaning he speaketh for seeing it is added by Moses in Melchisedechs storie that he was king of Salem and it is not possible for a king to be borne without Father without Mother and it was neuer the meaning of the holy Ghost to crosse the course of the creation therefore we must looke for some other exposition than that which the bare litterall sense will afford vpon the first sight This therefore is the Author to the Hebrew meaning He was now to call to the Iewes minde one who in their storie was a figure of the Messias Now seeing Christ the Sauiour of the world as he was God had no mother and as he was man no father therefore to make this plaine that is to make Melchisedech a figure answerable to this truth he so speaketh of him as if hee were without Father or Mother because he resembled the Sonne of God Now the Author to the Hebrewes might verie safely vse this kind of speaking For Sem being borne before the floode and in Abrahams time being a Grandfather of eight degrees must needes be thought to Abrahams Souldiers to bee without father without mother who had neither beginning of dayes nor end of life So that a Souldier of Abrahams campe might aske of one of Canaan Goodman of Canaan who is this goodlie old man with a hoarie beard Hee would answere thus Hee is called the iust King and his towne is named the quiet Towne For when all the other Kings his neighbours are at variance he onely liueth in peace And when Elam ouercame fiue Kings no man offered him any violence We haue in euery village a seuerall God but he sacrificeth to the God as he saith that made vs and them And marke what I shall tell you When he offereth an Oxe or a Ramme to his God which he saith made the heauens and the earth fire commeth from heauen to consume it and he seemeth to be so strong that none of vs shall liue to see his dayes In this respect therefore the Author to the Hebrewes affirmeth that he was without father without mother who hath neither beginning of dayes nor end of life For in proper sence it cannot be true 2094. Ismael borne THe sonne of Hagar an Egyptian whom Sara gaue to Abraham because her selfe was barren When Ismael was thirteene yeeres old as Gen. 17. Abraham tooke Ismael and euery man child among the men of his house and circumcised the fore-skin of their flesh the same day as God had commaunded Which Ceremonie of circumcision continued vnto Christ but since his death it is abrogated with the rest of the ceremonies of the law and is of no force vnto saluation As Gal. 5. I Paul testifie that if ye be circumcised Christ shall profite you nothing at all for whosoeuer is circumcisied is bound to keepe the whole lawe And as many as are iustified by the lawe are fallen from grace For in Iesus Christ neither is circumcision any thing worth nor vncircumcision But faith which worketh by loue as Abak 2. The iust shall liue by his faith The day of Circumcision was the Eight day The seale was answerable to Baptisme Wee haue no speciall storie of Eight to be compared with this but the eight that were saued in the Arke The ceremony of the day is answerable to the number of the persons and the seale it selfe answerable to the waters of the floode to the which answereth Babtisme which now saueth vs. Ismael had twelue sonnes and one daughter Iacob had twelue sonnes and one daughter Ismael was answerable in outward blessings to Isaack and Iacob but not in spirituall for hee was borne after the flesh And although he were the sonne of Abraham hee was not the sonne of Abraham as it is written They are not all children because they are the seede of Abraham but In Isaack shall thy Seede bee called that is they which are the children of the flesh are not the children of God but the children of the Promise are counted for the Seede In the Bible there are two Ismaels the one an Egyptian by the mother the other by the Father The one of Abraham by the mother the other of Abraham by the Father Both these were enemies to the True seede of Abraham This Ismael flowted the Promise in Isaack the other Ismael killeth Godoliah Hee being left a Gouernour of the seede of Isaack Ismael was vpon euery mans head and euery man vpon his head seeing he persecuted Isaack 2096. Arphachsad died being 438. yeere old Gen. 11. Â 2100. Isaack borne Gen. 21. When Abraham is 100. yeeres olde and Sara 90. yeeres old according to Gen. 17. HIs name signifieth Laughter When Isaack is promised Sara Laughed so did Abraham So did Ismael laugh at Isaack These three laughters in Hebrew are expressed by one word but there is great difference Sara Laughed as at a thing vnlooked for For she said I am now 90. yeeres olde and my Lord 100. shall I now giue my selfe vnto lust seeing it ceaseth to bee withe mee as with other women And the Lord said is any thing vnpossible with God Abraham laughed as reioycing thereat for it is said Abraham beleeued in God and it was reckoned to him for righteousnesse Ismael laughed as flowting at Isaack as though he were such a goodly fellow in whom the Promise should be established You haue this storie renewed againe in the New Testament For the Angel Gabriel saith vnto Mary For with God nothing is impossible Elizabeth commeth to salute Mary and she saith Blessed is she that beleeueth for those things shal be performed which are told thee from the Lord. It is sayd of Abraham that hee laughed when the Angel promised he should haue a sonne thereby signifying his reioycing Isaacks life was answerable to this ioy for
mother Mary and fleeth into Egypt Mat. 2. And properly putteth meat into the childs mouth 2280. Er and Onan died Gen. 38. ER and Onan hauing committed 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 vppe seede But Iuda neglecting it shee attyred her selfe like a light woman and lay in the way as Iuda should goe to the sheepe shearing whom Iuda knew and at the time she bare two children Phares and Serah for which fact Iuda would haue burnt 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 deede of Iuda we may vnderstand that the prerogatiue That his brethren should praise him could not be meant of himselfe but herein is manifest the gifts of God to be of grace and not of nature For if Iuda had bene rare for godlinesse the prerogatiue of nature might seeme to haue caused Christ to haue come of him 2288. Isaack died Gen. 35. being 180. yeeres 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 quickelie what rare blessing had it beene to Abraham And therefore that the power of God might be seene euen in the weakenesse of man Isaack hath a longer life than Abraham or any after him Heereuppon it may bee concluded the booke of Tobias to bee false because it maketh Tobies life so long and thereby seemeth to crosse Iacobs blessing Besides wee shall finde that in Nehemiahs time they which came out of captiuitie doe out-liue any in the Scriptures that come after and these men were accounted old The longest liuer of them commeth short of Isaacks age Ezrom borne of him nothing is spoken  2298. Iacob goeth into Egypt Gen. 47. Hee is nourished of Ioseph 17. yeeres NOw for this number of 215. how is that performed Genesis 17. where God saith to Abraham Thy seede shal be euill intreated in a land that is not theirs 400. yeeres Seeing they continue in Egypt but 215. yeeres they were afflicted by some of Egypt 400. yeeres For Ismael the Egyptian by Hagar mocketh Isaack in the beginning of the 400. yeeres and that mocking in the Scripture is called persecution and in the end of 400. yeeres they were afflicted vnto the comming out of Egypt so that they were not in Egypt 400. yeeres but they were afflicted first and last 400. yeeres Psal 105. Israel came into Egypt and Iacob was a stranger in the land of Cham to confirme the couenant that he made with Abraham and the oath that he sware vnto Isaack which he appointed to Iacob for a law 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 annother people hee suffered no man to doe them wrong but reprooued euen Kings for their sakes saying touch not mine anointed and doe my Prophets no harme Yet he called for a dearth vpon the land and destroyed all the prouision of bread But hee had sent a man before them Gen. 45. Euen Ioseph which was sold to be a bondseruant whose feet were hurt in the stocks and the yron entred into his soule vntill the time that his cause was knowne The word of the Lord tried him This famine ouer all the land of Canaan may appeare to be a punishment on Iacobs familie for selling Ioseph into Egypt IAcob goeth into Egypt and there telleth Pharaoh that he was 130. yeeres old Though Pharaoh in his demaund meant no more than a heathen man would to wit to know his yeeres and the age of his life Yet God so disposeth Iacobs answere that he signifieth vnto him that his comming into Egypt with seuentie soules is answerable in a contrarie degree to the first scattering of the seuentie families at the building of the tower of Babell In the 4◠yeeres there came three discents from Iacob Whereby it appeareth that Iuda and Pharez could not bee much elder when they begot children than Salomon was when hee begot Roboam which was about twelue yeeres of age By meanes of which speedie encrease there were of these seuentie in 215. yeeres sixe hundred thousand fighting men besides women and children godlie and of the household of faith 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 shoare Hereupon Abacuck saith that the counsels 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 said Gen. 3. 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. yeeres wanting but 70. after the promise made to Adam Satan to trie this tempteth Christ and is ouerthrowne Abraham goeth forth of his countrey to embrace the promise that God would giue him a land 430. yeeres before his seede should enioy it But the true performance was long after that is to say in Christ as Zacharias speaketh Luke 1. To performe the oath which he sware to our Father Abraham that would giue vs. God speaketh as though it should presently fall out but seeing one thousand yeres in his sight are as one day we must marke how his counsels are eternall It was spoken in King Achaz dayes by Esay 7.14 Beholde a Virgin shall conceaue a sonne He nor his seed sawe the performance thereof so was Isaack a figure of Christ and the Lambe kept it in memorie Daniel in his time prophesieth of 70. seuens or 490. yeeres before Christ the King should be killed to performe euerie vision and prophecie 2315. Iacob died in Egypt c. Gen. 49. HE is brought from Egypt to Canaan to bee buried in Hebron with Abraham and Isaack as a signe that he looked for the resurrection and enioying of the spirituall Canaan This place Caleb afterwards claimeth for an inheritance when he commeth into the lande for it was the first purchase and a signification of our pilgrimage in this life hauing here no abiding place Now let vs compare the iourneys of Abraham Iacob Iacobs sonnes and Christ together Abraham Iacob Iacobs sonnes Christ Was borne in Mesopotamia Hee goeth to Canaan Hee returneth to Egypt Hee dieth in Canaan Was borne in Canaan Hee goeth to Mesopotamia Hee returneth to Canaan Hee goeth into Egypt Hee is brought
of Israel come to Kadesbarnes Then there are Spies sent out to view the Land they are Fortie daies in viewing it They bring word and tell strange things of the goodnes and fatnesse of the Land but they discourage the people and feare them for they told them of huge and great Giants the Sonnes of Anak Iosua he answereth them Let vs goe vp and possesse the Land For if God shall be mercifull vnto vs he will giue vs the Land flowing with milke and honie Vpon this God sweares that they shall not enter into his rest They were for this Forty yeres in the Wildernes Forty daies in viewing the Land S. Paul repeateth this in the Acts 13. God suffered their manners in the Wildernesse they wandred to punish the hardnesse of their hearts for not beleeuing They went vp and downe that all the world might woonder at this dealing of God and thereby learne to feare him for euerie sinne fitteth the prouidence of God and serues for his glorie By this all the world might learne diuinitie For it is sayd of them that their sound was heard to the end of the world So that a man of England meeting with one that had beene about those parts might enquire When doe those people leaue their wandring They were brought out of Egypt strangely for the sea parted and suffered them to goe through and was a wall to them but drowned the Egyptians which followed after Did you euer heare that one striking a Rocke water should come forth Yet this is not all for they had meat from heauen Manna which in English signifieth What shall I call it Besides for their apparell it neuer weareth not so much as their shooes their apparell groweth with their bodies A Childe hath the same apparell being a man that hee had being a Child and the neighbours are in such feare of them as they dare not touch them Surely their God is wonderfull and exceedeth the Gods of other Nations Diodorus Siculus hee speaketh of Moses reuerently Strabo mentioneth these Standings but speaketh wickedly So doth Iustine Hereby is their condemnation iust and they made inexcusable 2554. Moses died Deut. 34. being One hundred and Twenty yeres old Shorter in life than his Father or Grandfather So that seeing long life a great blessing and he so excellent a man euen by the testimonie of the scripture it might be asked why his life was no longer Wee shall see that these his yeares are more glorious than if they had been longer For this comparison of One hundred and twentie yeares with the One hundred and twentie yeares of the building of Noahs Arke is of rare excellencie and euen in this comparison his face must so shine in their harts that they could not behold him without a vaile By this they must likewise remember the promise made to Abraham to be performed for the which he was raised vp And they must ascend higher to Melchisedech who blessed Abraham in whom also the heathen receiued a blessing Then they must goe further to the taking vp of Henoch Homer bringeth in the mother of Achilles telling her Sonne that there was decreed for him a double destinie If he would haue a long life it should then bee obscure If short famous This hee fayneth but yet in fables there is a colour of truth We are to consider further the words of Saint Iude vpon the death of Moses Yet Michael the Archangell when hee stroue with the Deuill and disputed about the body of Moses durst not giue rayling speeches but said The Lord rebuke thee It may be demanded where Saint Iude hath these words seeing they are not expressely laid down in Moses This obiection is thus answered Any Scholler may from a true ground frame a disputation and it is free to vse this kinde of amplification or any other The meaning of Saint Iude is that Iehouah the Eternall buried Moses In the Prophet Zacharias you haue the like in a vision Iehosua the high sacrificer standeth before the Angell of the Lord Sathan at his right hand to resist him and the Lord sayd vnto Sathan The Lord reprooue thee Sathan Here the second person Christ Iesus is called Michaell and here is the like kinde of speaking So that if wee will frame a speech we may thinke that at Moses death God might commaund Michael to go fetch vp the bodie of Moses Satan resisting he forbad him and added The Lord rebuke thee The meaning of Saint Iude is thus much Those which rayle on officers haue not marked Christs dealing who like a stately King in one word rebuketh them This exposition the Iewes in their Talmed agree vnto The end is to this purpose that seeing it is not written by Moses and the holy Ghost cyteth not the place from whence it is taken wee must diligently looke to the matter and searching the scripture for the like Stories we shall easily finde out the vse and order which the holy Ghost vseth in amplifications Moses was a figure of Christ MOses was cast into the flagges Marie the Daughter of Pharaoh saued him so as Marie saued Moses the deliuerer so the Virgine Marie saued Iesus Christ the Redeemer Moses was persecuted of Pharaoh Christ was persecuted of Herod a new Pharaoh Moses deliuered the people from the bondage and slauerie of Egypt so Iesus Christ hath deliuered vs from the spirituall bondage and Tyrannie of the spirituall Pharaoh Satan Moses when he died was buried by Christ Euen so Iesus Christ by his owne death buried all the Ceremonies of Moses 2555. Ioshua ruleth Seuenteene yeares His name was altered by Moses to Iesus because hee was to be a figure of Iesus Christ He with Caleb encouraged the people when the other ten Tribes misbeleeued when they were sent to spie the Land These Seuenteene yeares are not set downe expressely in the Scripture but are gathered from the circumstance of the Storie in this sort From the comming out of Egypt to the building of Salomons Temple are Foure hundred and Eightie yeares 1. King 6.8 All the particulars of this account are layd downe saue Ioshua his gouernment and they make foure hundred sixtie and three to which adde Seuenteene yeares the time that Ioshua ruled you haue full Foure hundred and eightie So you haue another Seuenteene for Iacob and Iosephs Seuenteene yeares Thus much for the time Now for his name Iesus HOseas the Sonne of Nun which was to take the gouernment from Moses hath his name altered and is called Iesus in the 72. Psalme You haue his name repeated Ganushemo 1 He shall increase The Hebrews in their Cabala say that this is the name of Christ they meane nothing else but to keepe in memorie euerie name wherby the glorie of the Kingdome of the Messias is expressed When the Iewes come from Babell you haue Iesus again the Sonne of Iehosadach In Ierem. 31. the Lord speaketh Behold the day commeth that I will raise vnto Dauid a righteous braunch and a King
had Two Sonnes Ophni and Phineas which were Sacrificers and they sinned greeuously against God as appeareth 1. Sam. 2.12.22 And Eli in stead of putting them to death reprooued them with tender words So there came a man of God vnto him and sayd Wherefore haue you kicked against my Sacrifice and mine offering which I commanded in my Tabernacle and honourest thy children aboue mee Wherefore the Lord God of Israel sayth Behold the dayes come that I will cut off thine arme and the arme of thy Fathers house that there shall not bee an old man in thy house shall be a signe vnto thee that thy Sonnes die both for them that honour me I will honour and they that despise mee shall bee despised 1. Sam. 2. This our Sauiour Christ repeateth in the Gospell Who so loueth Sonne or Daughter more than me is not worthy of me Mat. 10. and in the 1. Sam. 15. it is sayd Behold to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken is better than the fat of Rams For rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft and transgression is wickednesse and idolatrie Afterwards the Arke of the Couenant of the Lord was taken from the host of Israel by the Philistines and Israel was smitten down and there was a great slaughter for there fell of Israel thirtie Thousand footmen and Hophni and Phineas died And when Heli heard that the Arke was taken he fell from his seat backward and his necke was broken and he died for hee was an old man and heauie and had iudged Israel Fortie yeares So the Arke of the Lord was in the Countrey of the Philistines Seuen moneths But the Lord plagued them all the time that they kept it So they knew not what to doe with it but put it into a cart and set a couple of young kine to to drawe it and the Kine caried it directly to the Israelites and turned neither to the right hand nor to the left till they came at the Isralites This sheweth the wonderfull impietie of the Philistines in that the beasts had more knowledge then they Therefore the Prophet Dauid saith they are like vnto horse and Mule that hath no vnderstand For they worshipped Dagon a moulten Image But the hand of the Lord was vpon them and the Lord destroyed them with Emorods which was the cause they sent away the Arke The vse of it is thus much that the wicked when they feele the hand of God grudge and reiect him whereas the godly embracing Christ humble themselues and crie for mercie Thus much for the particuler stories of the Iudges Now followeth somewhat againe in generall IN these Stories we are to note that Iosephs Tribe hath more Iudges than Iuda or any other Tribe This may be the reason We shall see through the course of the Scriptures that the Children haue diuers times great prerogatiues in regard of their Parents Stories Ioseps mother was first contracted but Iudahs Mother first bare Children this wee shall further obserue in things concerning outward life and therefore in respect of the first loue of Iacob and that Rachel was first contracted it was necessarie that in outward blessings Ioseps house should seeme to ouer match Iudahs Yet seeing Leahs zeale was verie feruent the Messias choseth to come of her Othoniel the first Iudge was of the Tribe of Iudah to shew that they should looke for their deliuerer which should end all the visions prophesies and perfect all righteousnesse to bee of Iudah The second is Aod of Beniamin who is called the beloued of Israel and of whom Moses prophecieth that God should rest vpon his shoulders Ioseph gathered poyson where he should haue gathered honie of him Hoseas speaketh while Ephraim spake there was great terrour And thus we see that none can come to the Sonne except the Father draw him as hee himselfe testifieth for Ioseps glorie and blessing was the cause of his ouerthrowe This was the cause that in Roboams dayes the ten Tribes fell away and despised the glorie of Iudah compelling euerie one to his Tents saying What haue we to doe with the Sonne of Iessai forgetting Booz Salmon Obed and Iessai who in age at the birth of their Sonnes resembled and kept in minde Abrahams age at the birth of Isaacke Thus much for the Iudges in generall Now let vs returne to the Oppressors THe first is Chusan of Mesopotamia The second is Eglon of Moab The 3. is Sisera of Canaan the 4. Madian of Moab then Ammon of Mesopotamias then the Philistins in Canaan so forth in the like sort We may obserue in these Iudges the gentle patient punishing of God who first beginneth 〈◊〉 but if thereby the wicked grow worse and worse and will not be bettered he vseth more seuere corrections for Chusan is more milde than Eglon Eglon more seuere than Chusan But Sisera with nine Hundred Chariots wonderfull vehement in oppressing We shall see that the Moabites were lesse heauie in afflictions towards the Children of Israel than the rest of the oppressors The reason hereof may thus be rendred The Moabites were of affinitie with Abrahams seede and God promised that whosoeuer blessed Abraham he would likewise blesse and therefore Lot and his posteritie had diuers blessings and the memorie of this must in some sort asswage their malice Thus we see an art as it were in Gods punishments and the order which he obserueth and yet the Stories containe this doctrine so layd downe as if they fell out at randome Now for the time of the Iudges gouernment SSaint Paul in the Act. cap. 7. mentioning their Storie saith That God gaue them Iudges after a kinde of reckoning Foure hundred and Fiftie yeares if you count the yeares of the Iudges exactly they were but three Hundred thirtie and nine Therefore Saint Paul addeth after a kinde of reckoning that is as the Iewes accounted it taking in the yeares of the oppressors whose tyrannie amounted to one hundred and eleuen yeares which one Hundred and eleuen yeares being added to the three Hundred thirtie and nine yeares make vp the iust summe of foure Hundred and Fiftie yeares This kinde of reckoning Iosephus an ancient Iew vseth who of some is thought to erre because they marke not his purpose in the 1. King 6. where the Text sayth From the going out of Egipt to the building of the Temple are foure Hundred and Eightie yeares Iosephus as if he purposed to crosse the text sayth that the time was fiue Hundred ninetie and two yeares we haue no warrant to thinke Iosephus either of so great impietie as to denie the truth of the Scripture or of such ignorance as to bee vnskilfull in so plaine a matter which might bee discussed by eye-sight Therefore if we take in the yeares of the Oppressors and the yeares wherein the Egiptians were plagued wee haue iust fiue Hundred ninetie and two yeares so Saint Paul in the followeth the account of the Iewes though in right the time of the Oppressors
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
the Rulers which smote the people with a continuall plague and ruled the nations in wrath The whole world doth sing for ioy they that see thee shall looke vpon thee and consider thee saying Is this the man that made the earth to tremble and that did shake the kingdomes he made the world as a wildernesse and destroyed the cities thereof and opened not the house of his prisoners All the Kings of the nations sleepe in glory euery one in his owne house but thou art cast out of thy graue like an abhominable branch and like the rayment of those that are slaine thou shalt not be ioyned with them in the graue because thou hast destroyed thine owne land and slaine thy people for the seede of the wicked shall not be renowned for euer Prepare a slaughter for his children for the iniquitie of their fathers let them not rise vp and possesse the land nor fill the face of the world with enemies for I will rise vp against them saith the Lord of hostes and will cut off from Babel the name and the remnant and the sonne and the nephewe saith the Lord and I will make it a possession to the Hedg-hogge and pooles of water and I will sweepe it with the beesome of destruction saith the Lord of hostes For the Lord hath sworne saying like as I haue purposed so it shall come to passe and as I haue consulted it shall stand That I wil breake to peeces Ashur in my land and vpon my mountaines will I tread him vnderfoote so that his yoke shall depart from my people and his burden shall be taken from off their shoulder for the Lord will haue compassion on Iacob and will yet choose Israel and cause them to rest in their owne land and the stranger meaning the Gentiles shall ioyne himselfe vnto them and they shall cleaue vnto the house of Iacob and the people shal receiue them and bring them to their owne place and the house of Israel shall possesse them in the land of the Lord for seruants and hand-maides and they shall take them prisoners whose captiues they were and haue rule ouer their oppressors and the light of Israel shal be as a fire and the holy one thereof as a flame meaning that God is a light to comfort his people and a consuming fire to destroy his enemies and it shall burne and deuoure these thornes and briars in one day And at that day shall the remnant of Israel and such as are escaped of the house of Iacob stay no more vpon him that smote them but shall stay vpon the Lord the holy one of Israel in truth the remnant shall returne euen the remnant of Iacob vnto the mightie God For though thy people O Israel be as the sand of the sea yet shal the remnant of them returne the consumption decreed shall ouerflowe with righteousnesse and there shall be a path to the remnant of his people which are left of Ashur like as it was vnto Israel in the day that he came out of the land of Egipt In that day also shall the great trumpe be blowne and they shall come which perished in the land of Ashur and they that were chased into the land of Egipt and they shal worship the Lord in the holy Mount at Ierusalem as it was promised Leuit. 26. Then will I remember my couenant with Iacob and my couenant with Isaack and my couenant also with Abraham will I remember the couenant of olde when I brought them out of Egipt in the sight of the heathen that I might be their God I am the Lord. And thou shalt say in that day O Lord I wil praise thee though thou wast angry with me thy wrath is turned away and thou comfortest me Behold God is my saluation I will trust and will not feare for the Lord God is my strength and song he also is become my saluation Therefore with ioy shall yee drawe waters out of the welles of saluation and yee shall say in that day Praise the Lord call vpon his name declare his works among the people make mention of them for his name is exalted Sing vnto the Lord for he hath done excellent things this is knowne in all the world Crie out and showte O inhabitant of Sion for great is the holy one of Israel in the middest of thee In that day also shall this song be sung in the land of Iudah We haue a strong citie Saluation shall God set for walles and bulwarkes Open ye the gates that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in By an assured purpose wilt thou preserue perfect peace because they trusted in thee Trust in the Lord for euer for in the Lord God there is strength for euermore for hee will bring downe them that dwell on hie the high citie will he abase euen to the ground will he cast it downe and bring it to dust The way of the iust is righteousnes thou wilt make equall the righteous path of the iust the wicked O Lord will not behold thy high hand but they shall see it and bâ— confounded But Lord vnto vs thou wilt ordaine peace for thou hast also wrought all our works for vs. O Lord our God other Lordes besides thee haue ruled vs but we will remember thee only and thy name Thus we see that God doth not vtterly forsake his elect though sometimes he leaueth them for the triall of their faith to their owne infirmities but for euer destroyeth the wicked and vngodly We haue the like storie of Gods iustice in the affliction of Abrahams seede in Egypt God tolde Abraham that his seede should bee euill intreated in a land that was not theirs foure hundred yeares but the people to whome they are in bondage too will I iudge saith the Lord Gen. 15. The afflicters both of Cham. The afflicted both of Abraham It is said in the 25. of Ieremies Prophecie that the fourth yeare of Iehoiakim King of Iuda was the first yeare of Nebucadnetzar King of Babel And in the first of Daniel it is said In the third yeare of Iehoiakim King of Iuda came Nebucadnetzar King of Babel vnto Ierusalem and besieged it The question is how these two places are reconciled the one to the other It is certaine that it is in the third yeare accomplished and in the beginning of the fourth for though Nebucadnetzar began to raigne in the third yeare of Iehoiakims raigne yet that yeare in Ieremie is not counted because it was almost expired but in Daniel it is laid down to make plaine the first yeare of the seauenty which they were to bee in captiuity In the second yeare after this captiuity Nebucadnetzar seeth a great Image whose head was of fine gold his brest and armes of siluer his belly and his thighes of brasse his legs of iron and his feete part of iron part of clay he beheld also till a stone was cut without hands which smote the image vpon his feete that were
ond the Prophets shall bee as winde and the word is not in them Wherefore thus saith the Lord God of hostes because yee spake such wordes I will bring a Nation vpon you from farre O house of Israel which is a mighty Nation and an ancient Nation and a Nation whose language thou knowest not neither vnderstandest what they say whose quiuer is an open sepulchre they are all very strong and they shall eate thine haruest and thy bread and they shall deuoure thy sonnes and thy daughters they shall eate vp thy sheep and thy bullockes they shal eate thy vines and thy figge trees they shall destroy with the sword thy fenced cities wherein thou didst trust Neuerthelesse saith the Lord at those daies I will not make a full end of you And when you shall say Wherefore doth the Lord these things vnto vs then shalt thou answere them Like as you haue forsaken me and serued strange Gods in your land so shall yee serue strangers in a land that is not yours Declare this in the house of Iacob and publish it in Iudah for among my people are found wicked persons that lay waite as he that setteth snares and as a cagefull of birdes so is their housefull of deceit they do ouerpasse the deeds of the wicked they execute no iudgment no not the iudgment of the fatherlesse And shall not visite for these things saith the Lord or shall not my soule be auenged on such a Nation as this an horrible and filthy thing is committed in the land the Prophets prophesie lies and the Priests receiue gifts in their hands ard my people delight therein Here the crowne and kingdome is ouerthrowen according to that prophecie I will ouerturne ouerturne ouerturne the kingdome vntill he come vnto whome the crowne and diademe doth belong meaning Christ And indeede the Iewes after this time had neuer an established kingdome seuerall to themselues free from forraine gouernment 3414. Ezechiel prophecieth WHo cap. 1. sawe the heauens open and foure beastes that is Angels like a man a lyon an eagle and an oxe full of eyes and with foure winges and aboue the firmament that was ouer their head was the fashion of a throne like vnto a Saphir stone and vpon the similitude of the throne was by appearance as the similitude of a man vpon it and the likenesse of the bow that is in the clowd in the day of raine so was the apparance of the light round about it this was the apparance of the similitude of the glory of the Lord. Ezechiel being in Chaldea in a vision is carried into Ierusalem and there seeth the glory of God as before and sawe horrible idolatrie The similitude of creeping things and abhominable beasts and all the idols of the house of Israel painted vpon a wall whence the wrath of Christ kindled against them is thus signified one from the throne of Saphir stone clothed with linnen filleth his hands with coles of fire scattereth them ouer Ierusalem So in the fall of the Church Ap. 8. The Angell tooke the censure and filled it with fire of the Altar and cast it into the earth and there were voices and thundrings and earthquakes 3419. Temple burnt IN the Nineteenth yeare of king Nebuchadnetzar king of Babel came Nebuzaradan cheefe Steward and seruant of the king of Babel to Ierusalem and burnt the house of the Lord and the kings house and all the houses of Ierusalem Also all the pillars of brasse the bases the brasen sea did the Chaldees breake and carried the brasse of them to Babel The pots also and the besomes the instruments of musick and the incense ashes and all the vessels of brasse that they ministred in tooke they away It is to be noted that so long as the Temple stood there was peace in all the earth but it being once ouerthrowne there was after that generall warres the Persians against the Babylonians and the Babylonians against all Nations and the Grecians against the Persians For when God once plagued his owne people his iustice was extended ouer all and as it was Seuen yeres in building so Nebuchadnetzar was Seuen yeares a beast for destroying it that is the heart of a man not the bodie of a man was taken from him Megastenes an ancient author writeth that Nebuchadnetzar at his return home was striken with madnes and died crying incessantly to the Babilonians that a great mischiefe was nere them which all the power of their Gods could not stay For quoth he a Hafeasse of Persia shall come make vs thrals The man that he spake of was Cyrus who as Alexander Polihistor witnesseth builded vp the temple of Ierusalē againe Here is performed Iere. 20. I will make this Citie desolate and an hissing so that euerie one that passeth by shall be astonished and hisse because of all the plagues thereof for the people are all rebellious traytors they are brasse and yron they all are destroyers And Ierem. 7. Wherefore thus saith the Lord Is this house become a denne of Theeues wherevpon my name is called before your eyes This our Sauiour Christ in the 21. of Mathew vseth to the mony changers Behold I see it saith the Lord. But goe ye now to Silo where I set my name at the beginning and behold what I did to it for the sinnes of my people Israel euen so will I doe to this house wherein also ye trust euen to the place that I gaue to you and to your Fathers as I haue done vnto Silo. And I will cast you out of my sight as I haue cast all your brethren euen all the children of Ephraim For seest thou not what they doe in the Cities of Iudah and in the streetes of Ierusalem The children gather wood the fathers kindle the fire and the women knead the dough to make Cakes to the Queene of heauen and to powre out drinke offerings vnto other Gods that they may prouoke mee vnto anger Therefore thus saith the Lord God Behold my anger and my wrath shall be powred vpon this place vpon man and vpon beast and vpon the tree of the field and vpon the fruite of the ground and it shall burne and not bee quenched Ezech. 4. And behold I will breake the staffe of bread in Ierusalem and they shall eat bread by waite and with care and they shall drinke water by measure and with astonishment And Ezek. 5. the third part of thee shall die with pestilence and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee and another third part shall fall by the sword and I will scatter the last third part into all the winds and I will draw a sword after them saith the Lord so thou shalt be a reproach and shame a chastisement and astonishment vnto the Nations when I shall execute my iudgments For I will send vpon you a famine and beasts and pestilence and blood shall passe thorough thee I the Lord haue spoken it These plagues were
foretold should come vpon them in the Lawe of Moses Leuit. 26. In these wordes If you will not bee reformed but walke stubbornly against me c. I will appoint ouer you fearefulnesse a consumption and the burning ague to consume the eyes and to make the heart heauie and you shall sowe your seede in vaine for your enemies shall eat it I will breake the pride of power and I will make your heauen as yron and your earth as brasse This was perfourmed when Elias was constrayned to pray for raine Your strength shall be spent in vaine neither shall the Land giue her increase neither shall the trees of the Land giue their fruit I will also send wilde beasts vpon you which shall spoyle you and destroy your cattell and a sword that shall auenge the quarrell of my couenant and when yee are gathered in your Cities I will send the pestilence vpon you and ye shall be deliuered into the hand of the enemie when I shall breake the staffe of your bread then tenne women shall bake your bread in one Ouen and they shall deliuer your bread againe by weight and ye shall eat but not be satisfied and yee shall eat the flesh of your Sonnes and the flesh of your Daughters shall yee deuoure I will make your Cities desolate and bring your Sanctuarie to nought Vpon this destruction Ieremie lamenteth the state of Ierusalems miserie and sheweth therewith the cause of her punishments How doth the Citie remaine solitarie that was full of people she is as a widowe she weepeth continually in the night her teares run downe her cheekes amonge all her louers she hath none to comfort her Iudah is caried away captiue because of affliction and because of great seruitude shee dwelleth amonge heathen and findeth no rest all her persecutors tooke her in the straights The wayes of Sion lament because no man commeth to the solemne feasts all her gates are desolate her Priests sigh her Virgins are discomfited and shee is in heauinesse her Aduersaries are the chiefe and her enemies prosper for the Lord hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions and her children are gone into captiuitie before the enemie And from the Daughter of Sion all her beautie is departed her Princes are become like Harts that finde no pasture and they are gone without strength before the pursuer Ierusalem remembred the dayes of her affliction and of her rebellion and all her pleasant things that she had in times past when her people fell into the hand of the enemie and none did helpe her the aduersaries saw her and did mocke at her Sabbaths Ierusalem hath greeuously sinned therefore she is in derision all that honoured her despise her because they haue seen her filthinesse yea shee sigheth and turneth backward her filthines is in her skirts she remembred not her last end therefore she came down wonderfully she had no comforter shee hath seen the heathen enter into her Sanctuarie whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy Church Sion stretcheth out her hands and there is none to coÌ„fort her The Lord hath appointed the enemies of Iacob round about him Ierusalem is as a menstruous woman in the middest of them The Lord is righteous for I haue rebelled against his commaundement Heare I pray you all people and behold my sorrow my Virgins and my young men are gone into captiuitie I called for my Louers but they deceiued me my priests and mine Elders perished in the Citie while they sought their meate to refresh their soules how hath the Lord darkened the Daughter of Sion in his wrath and hath cast downe from heauen vnto the earth the beautie of Israel and remembred not his foot-stoole in the day of his wrath The Lord hath destroyed all the habitations of Iacob and not spared hee hath polluted the Kingdome and the Princes thereof he hath destroyed his Tabernacle as a Garden he hath destroyed his congregation the Lord hath caused the feasts and Sabbaths to bee forgotten in Sion He hath forsaken his Altar hee hath abhorred his Sanctuarie he hath giuen into the hand of the enemie the walles of her Pallaces they made a noyse in the house of the Lord as in the day of solemnitie her gates are sunke to the ground he hath destroied and broken her barres her King and her Princes are amonge the Gentiles the lawe is no more neither can her Prophets receiue any vision from the Lord all that passe by the way clappe their hands at thee they hisse and wagge their head vpon the daughter Ierusalem saying Is this the Citie that men call the perfection of beautie and the ioy of the whole earth thy enemies hisse and gnash their teeth against thee saying Let vs deuoure it surely this is the day that wee looked for we haue found and seene it The Lord hath done that which hee purposed hee hath fulfilled his word that he had determined of old 3431. Ezechiel seeth a Vision of the restoring of the Temple THe name of Ezechiels Temple is The Lord is there This Temple had more spirituall ornaments than the first for all the Nations of the earth came thither Christ himselfe taught there a greater than Aaron The old Temple had gold that is the spirite of prophecie which the new Temple had not All the lawes and ceremonies of the former Temple was deliuered vnto them againe anew and Israel and Iudah brought all vnder one head as in the dayes of Dauid and Salomon In the fiue and Twentieth yeare of our being in captiuitie in the beginning of the yeare in the Tenth day of the Moneth in the Fourteenth yeare after the Citie was smitten the hand of the Lord was vpon me and brought mee into the Land of Israel in a diuine vision and set me vpon a verie hye Mountaine wherevpon was as the building of a Citie And behold there was a man with a reede to measure it So in the Ap. 21. Iohn sayth The Angell caried me away in the spirite to a great and a hye Mountaine and he shewed me the great Citie holy Ierusalem descending out of heauen from God and I saw no Temple therein for the Lord God almightie and the Lambe are the Temple of it 3446. Euilmerodach two and Twentie yeres OF him no euill is spoken in the Scripture something is spoken in his praise that he entreated fauourably Ieconias King of Iudah Zorobabel His name signifieth Free from confusion This was perfourmed in him when as hee with Iesus the Son of Iehosadach Ezra 3.2 ledde the people from Babell which signifieth Confusion and builded the Altar of the Lord to offer burnt offerings thereon as it is written Exod. 23. This deliuerance was prophesied of Zorobabell by Haggai the prophet Cap. 2. I will take thee O Zorobabel the Sonne of Selathiel and make thee as a signet vpon my right hand 3469. Baltazar Three yeares HIs name signifieth a searcher of treasuâ—â—â— He was verie wicked as was
the thinges hid in secret places that thou mayest know that I am the Lord which call thee by thy name euen the God of Israel For Iacob my seruants sake and Israel mine elect I will euen call thee by thy name and name thee though thou hast not knowne me I whose hands haue spread out the heauens I haue euen commaunded all thine armie I haue raysed thee vp in righteousnesse and I will direct all thy wayes thou shalt build my Citie and let goe my captiues not for price nor reward saith the Lord of Hostes The labour of Egipt and the marchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans men of stature shall come vnto thee and they shall be thine they shall follow thee and make supplication vnto thee saying Surely God is in thee and there is none other Gods besides And Esay 46. For I call a bird from the East and the man of my counsell from farre as I haue spoken so will I bring it to passe I haue purposed and I will doe it Heare me yee stubborne hearted and that are farre from iustice I bring neere my iustice it shall not be farre off and my saluation shall not tarrie for I will giue saluation in Sion and my glorie vnto Israel These people here mentioned were tributaries to the Persians Cyrus was a figure of Christ For as Cyrus deliuered the Iewes from the bondage of Babel so Iesus Christ deliuered vs from the bondage of the spirituall Babel Thus much for the Prophecie of the persons who should destroy Babylon Now followeth the Prophecies of the destruction thereof BEL is bowed downe Nebo is fallen they are bowed downe and fallen together for they could not rid them of their burden and their soule is gone into captiuitie And Esay 47. Come downe and sitte in the dust O Virgin daughter Bahel sitte on the ground there is no throne O Daughter of the Caldeans for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate Take the mill stones and grinde meale loose thy lockes make bare thy feete vncouer the leg and passe through the flouds Thy filthinesse shall be discouered and thy shame shall be seene I will take vengeance and not meete thee as a man meaning that he would vse no humanity nor pittie towardes it Our Redeemer the Lord of hostes is his name the Holy one of Israel Sit still and get thee into darknesse O daughter of the Caldeans for thou shalt no more be called the Lady of Kingdomes I was wrath with my people I polluted mine inheritance and gaue them into thine hands and thou diddest shew them no mercie but thou laidst the very heauie yoke vpon the ancient and thou saidst I shall be a Lady for euer so that thou didst not set thy heart to these things neither didst thou remember the latter end thereof Therefore now heare thou that art giuen to pleasures and dwellest carelesse Thou saist in thy heart I am and none else I shall not sit as a widdowe neither shall know the losse of children but these two things shall come to thee in one day the losse of children and widdowhood for the multitude of the diuinations and for the great abundance of thine enchanters haue caused thee to rebell and thou hast said in thy heart I am and none else Stand now among thy enchanters and in the multitude of thy sooth-sayers let now the Astrologers the starre gasers and Prognosticators stand vp and saue thee from these things Behold they shall be as stubble they shall burne like fire and shall not deliuer their owne liues from the power of the flame For Babell is fallen it is fallen and all the images of her Gods are broken to the ground this is the time of the Lords vengeance he will render vnto her a recompence Babell hath beene as a golden cuppe in the Lords hand that made all the earth drunken the Nations haue drunke of her wine therefore doe the Nations rage Babell is sodainely fallen and destroyed howle for her bring balme for her sore if she may be healed We would haue cured Babell but shee could not be healed Forsake her and let euery one goe into his own cuntrey for her iudgment is come vp into heauen and is lifted vp to the clowds O thou that dwellest vpon many waters aboundant in treasures thy end is come euen the end of thy couetousnesse Behold I come vnto thee O destroying mountaine which destroyest all the earth saith the Lord and I will stretch out my hand vpon thee and roll thee downe from the rockes and will make thee a burnt mountaine They shall not take of thee a stone for a corner nor a stone for foundations but thou shalt bee destroyed for euer saith the Lord. A Poste shall runne to meete the Poste and a Messenger to meete the Messenger to shew the King of Babell how his citie is taken on a side therof and that the daughter of Babel is like a threshing floore and the time of her threshing is come saith the Lord. The spoile of me and that which was left of me is brought vnto Babel shall the inhabitant of Sion say and my bloud vnto the inhabitants of Caldea shall Ierusalem say Therefore Babel shall be as heapes a dwelling place for Dragons an astonishment and an hissing without an inhabitant They shall roare together like Lions and yelle as the Lyons whelpes In their heate I will make them feastes I will make them drunken that they may reioyce and sleepe a perpetual sleepe and not wake saith the Lord. How is Sheshack taken how is the glory of the whole world taken how is Babell become an astonishment among the Nations her cities are desolate the land is dry and a wildernesse a land wherein no man dwelleth neither doth the Sonne of man passe therby Though Babell should mount vp to the heauens and though she should defend her strength on high yet from me shall come her destroyers saith the Lord. For the Lord God that recompenceth will surely recompence and I wil make drunke her Princes and her Wisemen her Dukes and her Nobles and they shall slâ—epe a perpetuall sleepe and not wake saith the King whose name is the Lord of hostes And Ieremie tooke a great stone and cast it into Euphrates and said Thus shall Babylon be ouerthrowen Thus the word of the Lord remayneth for euer as it is written If any leade into captiuity hee shall goe into captiuity and if any kill with a sword he must be killed with a sword Ap. 13. Now compare the impieties of Rome or misticall Babylon with these times and you shall find them the very same and therefore the Holy Ghost layeth downe her destruction as the destruction of Babel ANd Ap. 14. I sawe an Angell flie in the middest of heauen hauing an euerlasting Gospel saying with with a loude voice Feare God and giue glory to him for the houre of his iudgment is come And there followed an other Angel saying It is
a time or 42. monthes alluding to the time of Antiochus gouernment For as Antiochus polluted the Temple of God changing the lawes of Moses forbidding that which God commanded placing idolatry in his sanctuary and persecuting such as would not forsake the Religion of God so the Romanes haue polluted the Temple of God changing the lawes that Moses teacheth and forbiddeth that which God commandeth compelling open idolatry and persecuting such as will not forsake the truth of Gods Religion Againe these legges meaning the fourth kingdome are called in Dan. 11. the King of the North and the King of the South that is Syria which is North from Iudea and Egipt which is South from Iudea therefore not the Romanes Againe the corporation of the Romanes is described in the Reuelation to be one beast with seauen heads and ten hornes This fourth beast in Daniel hath but one head and ten hornes therefore it cannot be meant of the Romanes But in truth the Romanes hauing conquered the whole world imbracing the impieties of the Babylonian Lyon the cruelty of the Persian Beare the fiercenes of the Grecian Leopard and the most tyrannicall and prophane blasphemies of the fourth beast The holy Ghost could not by fitter resemblances describe them than by these beastes therefore hee nameth them vnder the name of one monstrous beast hauing property of all the former that is A beast with seauen heads and ten hornes mouthed like the Babylonian Lyon footed like the Persian Beare bodyed like the Grecian Leopard and hath ten hornes and the blasphemous wordes of the fourth beast whose inhumane cruelty was such that no beast in the earth could be likened vnto it Thus much for the parts of the image and for the foure beasts in generall Now followeth to be handled the Persians Storie particularly And first for Cyrus HE deliuered the people from captiuity the same yeare that hee tooke Babylon and gaue them great treasures to build vp the Temple of Ierusalem whither he sent them vnder the conduct of Zorababel 2. Chro. 36. In the first yeare of Cyrus King of Persia when the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Ieremie was finished the Lord stirred vp the spirit of Cyrus and he made a Proclamation throughout all his kingdome saying Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia All the kingdomes of the earth hath the Lord God of heauen giuen me and he hath commanded mee to build him an house in Ierusalem that is in Iudah Who is among you of all his people with whome the Lord his God is let him goe vp and build the house of the Lord God of Israel he is the God which is in Ierusalem Then the chiefe Fathers of Iudah and Beniamin and the sacrificers and Leuites rose vp with all them whose spirite God had raised to goe vp to build the house of the Lord which is in Ierusalem Also Cyrus brought forth the vessels of the house of the Lord which Nebucadnetzar had taken out of Ierusalem and counted them vnto Sheshbatzar the Prince of Iudah whome the Caldeans called Zorobabel and the number of the vessels of gold and siluer were 5400. Sheshbatzar brought vp all with them of the captiuity that came vp from Babel to Ierusalem the whole congregatiō of them together which came from captiuity were 42360. besides their seruants and maides of whome were 7337. and among them 200. singing men and women And certaine of the chiefe Fathers when they came to Ierusalem gaue after their ability vnto the treasure of the worke 60000. drammes of gold and 5000. peeces of siluer and 100. sacrificers garments the summe of the money in our account amounts to 94493. pounds 6. shillings 8. pence for the dramme is the eight part of an ounce and the ounce the eight part of a marke which according to our estimation amounteth allowing the French crowne for 6. shillings 4. pence the dramme to 24826. poundes 13. shillings 4. pence And the peeces of siluer are called Minaes and euery peece conteine 26. shillings 8. pence so 5000. Minaes make 550000. frankes which in our account is 69666. poundes 13. shillings 4. pence But the Israelites that were beyond the riuer in Samaria placed there by the King of Ashur enuying the prosperous proceeding of the building of the Citie and Temple caused it to be hindred vnto the second yeare of Darius King of Persia But Haggai and Zachariah prophesied vnto the people and encouraged them So they continued in the worke one hand on the trowell the other on the sword vntill it was finished So the foundation is laid in the fourth yeare of Cyrus as the first Temples foundation was laid in the fourth yeare of Salomon This Darius is also called Artaxerxes which in the Persian tongue signifieth an excellent Warriour Some thinke it was Cambyses Darius sonne but Cambyses Cyrus sonne was neuer King but Lieutenant in his fathers absence This Darius was also called Assuerus he was not supreme King but deputie to Cyrus For Cyrus hauing conquered the kingdome of the Medes against Astyages left the said kingdome to his brother Darius by whose ayde he tooke Babylon and transported the kingdome of the Babylonians to the Persians Two yeares after the said Darius returned into Madai and Cyrus raigned alone in Babylon Then he mooued warre against the Scythians and marched towards them and in the meane while left Cambyses his sonne King of the countrey in his absence according to the custome of the Persians which was to appoint the neerest of the Kings bloud to be King ouer the countrie when the King went out to fight against any strange Nation this is the cause why Cambyses was not set in the successiue order of the kingdomes Neither is there mention of two brethren which were Magitians which guilefully vsurped the kingdome but their guile being known they continued but a fewe monthes and Darius sonne to Hystaspis was chosen King Xerxes the sonne of the said Darius succeded him but is not heere placed in the number of the Monarchies for that he left his kingdome to Darius Long-hand his sonne according to the custome of the Persians when he went to warre against the Grecians The Greeke Historiographers not respecting the custome number the said Xerxes Cambyses among the said Monarchies successiuely in order which is the cause that they count more yeares in the Persian Monarchy than were that is 226. yeares whereas their whole gouernment was not aboue 120. yeares or thereabouts Cyrus raigned twelue yeares And after Cyrus death Assuerus Artaxerxes obtayneth the kingdome of the Persians twelue yeares in his third yeare beganne the Storie of Hester After him succeeded Darius Assirius Esdr 6.22 This Darius King of Ashur encouraged the people in the worke of the house of the Lord. He is heere called King of Ashur because he was King of the Medes Persians and Assirians After him succeeded Artaxerxes the godly the sonne of Darius Hystaspis Esdr 7. Neh. 2. 2519. The Temple built in
And because hee shall be God and Man therefore he shall be called Emanuel This is he of whome the Prophet Esay cap. 9. foretold saying Vnto vs a childe is borne and vnto vs a sonne is giuen and the gouernment is vppon his shoulder and he shall cal his name Wonderfull Counseller the Mighty God the euerlasting Father the Prince of Peace The encrease of his gouernment and peace shall haue no end He is also called The Sonne of the Virgin Emanuel God with vs Es 7. Shiloh the acceptable child Gen. 49. The bright day starre Luke 3 The Seede of the woman Gen. 3 The Phisition to the helplesse The proclaymer of the acceptable yeare of the Lord The starre and Scepter that should dash all the sonnes of Seth Numb 24 The stone cut out of the mountaine without hands that now filleth all the earth with his glory euē he that should punne Nebucadnetzars image to dust Dan. 2 The sprigge of the root of Iessaj Esay 11 The most holy The annointed of the Father That great Prophet The Tabernacle The Temple The Altar The mercie seate The way that leadeth to the heauenly Ierusalem The truth that directeth to eternall happinesse The life that redeemed Adam from death The true Israelite in whome there is no guile The law-giuer of the Gentiles The propitiatory for our sinnes The mediator betwixt God and man The first begotten Sonne of the Father The euerlasting our Righteousnesse The great sheepheard of his sheepe whome Angels worshipped to whom Kings brought sweet odors as to Salomon to whome the sheepheards of the ends of the earth came to worship He is also called Palmony the secret Numberer who weigheth numbreth and diuideth The Messias Dan. 9. The sonne of Dauid The Lion of the tribe of Iuda The sonne of man The spirituall Rocke The true bread that came from heauen The word that created all things The beloued of the Lord The light and life of man The true vine The dwelling of God with men Michael who thought it no robbery to be equall with God He to whome the Crowne and Diademe doth belong The King of the Iewes Alpha and Omega The Lambe that was killed from the beginning of the world The place where he was borne was Bethlehem of Iudah which the Prophet Micheas calleth Little to be among the thousands of Iudah yet saith the prophet out of thee shall he come forth vnto me that shal be the ruler of Israel whose goings forth haue been from the beginning and from euerlasting The prophet calleth it Little because according to the custome of the Iewes who diuided their countrie into thousands for euery thousand a chiefe Captaine Bethleem was not able to make a thousand But S. Mathew Chap. 2. in respecting the greatnes of the Ruler of Israel that was borne there saith And thou Bethlehem art not the least of the cities of Iudah The time of his birth was in the 42. yeare of Augustus Caesar who Luc. 2. gaue a commandement that all the world should be taxed Therfore went euery man to his owne citie and Ioseph went from Galile out of a citie called Nazaret in Iudea vnto the citie of Dauid which is called Bethleem because he was of the house and lineage of Dauid to be taxed with Mary that was giuen him to wife which was with child And there shee brought forth her first begotten sonne and wrapped him in swadling clothes and laid him in a cribbe because there was no roome for them in the Inne And there were in the same countrie sheepheards abiding in the field and keeping watch by night because of their flockes loe the Angel of the Lord came vpon thē and the glory of the Lord shone about them and they were sore afraide Then the Angell said Be not afraid for behold I bring you tidings of great ioy that shall be to al people that is vnto you is borne this day in the citie of Dauid a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord. And strait way there was with the Angell a multitude of heauenly souldiers praysing God and saying Glory be to God in the highest heauens and peace in earth and towards men good will And these sheepheards following the starre it vanished away where fore they came to Ierusalem and asked saying Where is he that is borne King of the Iewes The purpose of God in this was that the Iewes who by the Prophets might and were bound to haue knowen this by the diligence of the heathen might bee vnexcusable in the day of wrath But departing from Herod the Starre which they before had seene appeared vnto them and went before them till it came stood ouer the place where the Babe was and they went into the house and fell downe and worshiped him and opened their treasures and presented vnto him gifts euen gold and incense and mirhe Heere is performed Esay 60. They of Sheba and Seba shall bring forth gold and incense vpon mine Altar meaning Christ And I will magnifie the house of my glory These were the first fruits of the Gentiles And these Gentiles also were of Abraham by Keturah to whome when he died he gaue gifts and sent them away to the East There was Iob found a iust and perfect man when all the world else had forsaken God And the Sheepheards returned glorifying and praysing God for all they had heard and seene And after eight daies they circumcised the child his name was then called Iesus which was named of the Angell before hee was conceaued in the wombe Herod another Pharaoh proceeding of Esau the old enemie to Iacob destroyeth the little children not by water as the first Pharaoh did Exod. 2. but by the sword Math. 2. Rachel weepeth for her children and would not be comforted because they were not that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet Ier. 31.15 Ioseph taketh the Babe and Marie his Mother and goeth into Egypt vntill the death of Herod and then returneth againe that it might bee fulfilled which was written Oseas 11.1 Out of Egipt haue I called my son There is a great doubt of the time of the yeare of Christs birth which because it is very necessary to bee knowne I thinke it not amisse to lay it downe in the treatise following SAint Mathew reckoning the kindred of Christ brings them down but from Abraham to make the number of his generations Fortie two that is six seauens or three fourteenes and bringeth him also from Salomon thereby to prooue him King of the Iewes But in reckoning the Kings to make the number answerable to a sweet proportion of a former storie that is of the two and fortie standings in the wildernesse and the two and fortie flowers bowles knobbes of the candlesticke in the tabernacle which figured Christ leaueth out three Ioas Amasias and Azarias S. Luke reckoning his kindred bringeth thē from Adam and from Dauid by Nathan thereby to prooue him to be the Seede of the woman
The number of the generations are 75 answerable in number to Abrahams yeares when the promise concerning the state of the outward Canaan figuring the spiritual holy land was giuen vnto him The key of all Chronicles is taught in Luke 3. Where he compareth the age of Christ with the Romane Empire whereby the writers of Chronicles are taught to compare the heathen histories with the Bible without which place they should hardly haue beene compared so certaine as now they may AT twelue yeares of age Iesus is found in the Temple disputing among the Doctors doubtlesse of the Messias seeing therein all wisdome standeth This twelue hath comparison with the yeres of Salomons age when he decided the controuersie for the dead child But saith S. Mathew Behold a greater than Salomon 3956. Christ baptized BEginning to be thirtie yeares olde according to the manner of the high sacrificer which shadowed Christ who might not enter into that office before he was Thirtie yeares olde His name Christ signifieth Annointed so Aaron in Hebrew signifieth Annointed Now in the Fifteenth yeare of Tiberius Caesar Pontius Pilate beeing gouernour of Iudea and Herod being Tetrarch of Galile and his brother Philip Tetrarch of Iturea and of the country of the Trachonitis and Lysanias the Tetrarch of Abilene when Annas and Caiphas were the high Priests the word of God came vnto Iohn the sonne of Zacharias in the wildernesse and he came into all the coasts of Iordan preaching the baptisme of repentance for the remission of sins as it was foretold Esay 40. The voice of a cryer in the wâ—ldernesse is 5 Prepare the way of the Lord make his paths streight euerie valley shall be filled and euerie mountaine and hill shall bee brought lowe and crooked things shall be made streight and the rough waies shall be made smooth and all flesh shall see the saluation of God The people maruailed at him thinking him to bee Christ but Iohn answered I baptize you with water but one stronger than I commeth whose shooes latchet I am not worthy to vnloose hee will baptize you with the holy ghost and with fire Thus then with many exhortations hee preached vnto the people Now it came to passe as all the people were baptized Iesus also is baptized at Iordan the place of passage and the heauens did open as to the passage of the children of Israel Of this Dauid 114. Psal speaketh Iordan what ayleth thee that thou art turned backe As touching the peculiar act of baptizing it seemeth that the Leuites wayted for some speciall thing vpon it in that they asked of Iohn How happeneth it that thou baptizest if thou bee neither Christ nor Elias the Prophet After this Iohn Baptist hauing beene put in prison for rebuking Herod the Tetrarch for Herodias his brother Philips wife and because of an oath he made to Herodias Daughter is beheaded Mat. 14. And Iesus full of the holy ghost returneth from Iordan and was in the wildernesse fortie dayes and fortie nights as was Moses and was tempted of the Deuill Luk. 4. At Nazareth he sheweth out of Esay all the ioy of the proclamation of the ioyfull or Iubilee yeare to bee fulfilled in him that day At Nazareth also out of Esay hee sheweth the nature of his name Christ for that God annointed him to shew the glad tidings to the poore to heale the broken in heart to preach to the captiues libertie and to the blinde recouerie of sight to proclaime the shaking away of all burthens the ioyfull yeare of the Lord and sheweth how that day that scripture was fulfilled in their eares Now the proclaiming of the Iubilee yeare was on the Tenth day of Tisri euen the same day that the high priest entred into the sanctuarie It seemed therefore that he that day expounded the name and office of the Messias Christ preacheth the word of God in euery towne all his preachings are of the forgiuenesse of sinnes and of the Kingdome of heauen His Disciples were alwaies importune in asking him Lord when wilt thou set vp the Kingdome of Israel againe in stead of contenting them he answereth concerning the Kingdome of heauen One of them would needes haue sit on his right hand and another on his left but he answereth Whosoeuer will be greatest let him be least Hee feedeth Foure thousand with fiue loaues and two fishes Easter being neere but hee went not to the feast This Christ by his power and prouidence doth to the worlds end which we by experience doe knowe if wee marke the woonderfull encrease of the blessings of God He teacheth of the Manna that giueth life vnto the world also of the eating of his flesh and drinking of his blood Easter being neere On the Fiue and twentie of Cisleu Dan. 8. Christ celebrateth the feast that Iudas Machabeus ordained in memorie of the Temple renued from the idolatrie of Antiochus and there hee teacheth that hee is Michael in the forme of God that standeth for his people saying My Father and I am one and none can take my sheepe from me He goeth into Iericho the City of Rahab which was accursed by Iosua in old time and there saueth Zache a chiefe publican froÌ„ the curse He raiseth Lazarus from death Lazarus is my God is the helpe Christ is sayd to loue him Ioh. 11.3 as he loueth all that answere to that name whereof in that parable Luk. 16. Lazarus is set downe for any godly men Moses handleth this name Exod. 2. when he calleth Sonne Eleasar or Lazarus for Eleasar is the same in signification with Lazarus Vpon this occasion for raysing to life the dead for louing of those who hold God their helper the high Priests assembled the Sanedrin or high counsell and from that day they took counsell how to kill him After this he suppeth in Bethani the house of affliction Sixe dayes before the Passeouer where Marie with precious Nard annointeth him vnto his buriall This is foretold in the Song of songs When the King did sit at his repast my Spikenard gaue the smell thereof He commeth to Ierusalem the people tooke palme treeboughes and goe to meet him saying Hosanna It is to bee vnderstood that the feast of Tabernacles ordayned to begin the Fifteenth of Tisri was ordained in token of Gods defence of the people in the cloude in the wildernesse which signified the dwelling of the word of God in the nature of man And whereas hee was borne the day of preparing the boughes and then baptized and at the feast of Tabernacles proclaimed himselfe that all should come to him that thirsted to haue waters of life out of the rocke this being not vnderstood in the feast of Tabernacles the people now performe that which was to bee done in bearing the boughes they cryed Hosanna whereof those boughes were called Hosanna so that in Hosanna to the Sonne of Dauid they meane thus much these boughes we beare in the honour of the Sonne of Dauid Iesus bewayleth Ierusalem
remaine in cloysters and secret places as women and crowns vpon their heads declaring their imperiousnesse and winges like the wheeles of chariots prepared for warre their speedinesse to bloodshed and tayles like Scorpions out of the which proceeedeth poyson to fill the cup of the strumpet which sitteth vpon the scarlet colored beast out of the which the Princes of the earth doe drinke and are drunke with the abhomination of her fornications These are as we call them Abbots Monkes and Friers and Nunnes which like Locusts destroy the fruites of the earth liuing by the sweat of other mens labours who receiue wages of the beast and the false prophet bearing his marke in their foreheads whose name is Abadâ—on that is Destruction He is also called Antichrist that is contrarie to Christs figured before Christs byrth in Antiochus the vild the little horne who prophaned the Temple of God erecting the Idoll of Iouis Olympi in the temple of God changing the lawes that Moses gaue speaking presumptuous words against the God of gods and exalting himselfe aboue all that is called God But hee went to Geheana So shall the Antichrist and the beast be destroyed according to Numbers 24 but hee shall perish in the end because hee prophaneth the temple of God changing times and seasons forbidding marriages sitting in the temple exalting himselfe aboue all that is called God speaking blasphemously I am God vpon earth perswading Gog and Magog the foure quarters of the earth to goe fight for the holy Crosse at Ierusalem for which there were nine mischieuous voiages made to the great bloodshed of many And as his mischieuous prankes were figured in Antiochus so the time of his gouernment which shall bee to the end of the world was in Antiochus likewise figured One thousand two hundred and sixtie daies two and fortie moneths a time two times and halfe a time Vnto this proper time of three yeres and a halfe of Antiochus rage is the whole time of the rage of the Antiochian Antichrist alluded as Beda and diuers godly men doe expound the place the storie compelling them so to vnderstand it And power was giuen to him ouer all kindreds and people and tongues and nations and all that dwâ—lled on the earth worshipped him whose names are not written in the booke of life of the Lambe which was killed from the beginning of the world which Lambe only was found worthy to open the booke and the Seales Ap. 5. 6. Vnto whome thousand thousands cryed with a loud voice saying Worthy is the Lambe that was killed to receaue power and riches and wisedome and strength and honour and glorie and blessing who standing vpon mount Syon had with him One hundred fortie and foure thousand hauing his name and his fathers name written in their fore-heads and they sang the song of Moses the seruant of God and the song of the Lambe saying Great and maruailous are thy works Lord God Almightie iust and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints Who shall not feare O Lord and glorify thy name For thou onely art holy and all Gentiles shall come and worshippe before thee for thy iudgements are made manifest Ap. 17. 18. Chapters Where the woman that maketh drunke with her fornications the Kinges of the earth with her beastly corporation is sayd to goe into perdition whose destruction was figured in the fall of Babilon and in the destruction of Tyrus in Iere. 51. Ezech. 27. For the Gospell of saluation appearing againe in the world men fall away from the throne and the beast so that Kings eate his flesh in denying his power and refusing to beare his marke whereat both Heauens and holy Apostles and Prophets reioyce saying Halleluiah Saluation and glorie and honor and power be ascribed to the Lord our God for true and righteous are his iudgements for hee hath iudged the great whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornication and hath auenged the bloud of his seruants of her hand And againe they sayd Halleluiah and smoake rose vp for euermore And the Heauens opened and behold A white Horse and hee that sat vpon him was faithfull and true and in righteousnes doth hee iudge and make battaile his eyes were as a flame of fire and on his head were many crownes and he had a name written that no man knewe but hee himselfe and hee was cloathed in a vesture dipt in bloud and his name is called The Word of God and he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords and the beast and the Kings of the earth and their warriours gathered together to make battaile against him that sat on the Horse and against his souldiers and the beast was taken with him that false Prophet that is to say the Popes or Antichrist that wrought miracles before him with which he deceaued them that receaued the beasts marke that is the Popes Bulls and them that worshipped his image These both shal be cast into a lake of fire burning with brimstone Hee that testifieth these things saith bee it I come quickly Amen Euen so come Lord Iesus FINIS Deut. 6.4 Rom. 8.34 Esay 43.25 Ioh. 6.44 Phil. 2.13 2. Cor. 3.5 Esay 51.12 Psal 130.7 1. Pet. 1.2 Psal 90.2.3 Rom. 9.11 Malach. 1.2.3 Iohn-13 18 Psal 135.6 Rom. 11.5.6 2. Thes 2.13 Rom. 8.30 Rom. 8.14 Esay 5 4.7.8.10 Psal 37.33.34 Psalm 103.10.11 Psal 103.14 Esay 54.17 Esay 57.20 Psal 73.4.5.6 Psal 73.18.19.20 Iere. 12.1 Iere. 18.6 Ro. 9.21.22 Esay 45.7.8.9.10 Prou-29 6 Esay 50.1 Psal 104.35 Psal 59.12 Psal 62.4 2. Thes 2.11.12 Psal 51.4 Iohn 1.9 1. Iohn 1.5 Mercurius Tresmegists Eight Ten. Twelue 2083. 430. 2140. 20. 215 2513. 430. 400. Exod. 17. Numb 20. Numb 24. 50. 7. 45. Deut. 33. 339. 450. 2774. 2797 2801 2819 2825. 2833. 2843. 2850. 490. 3368. 3401. 70. 490. 390. Ezech 40 Esay 21. Esay 46. 70. 490. 49. 2519. 3691. 3704. 3706. 3710. 3743. 3757. 3764. Dan. 9. 3942. 12. Luke 3. 236. 70. 490.