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
of iron and clay and brake them to peeces then was the iron the clay the brasse the siluer and the gold broken all together that no place was found for them and the stone that smote them became a great mountaine and filled the whole earth Dan. 2. Daniel sawe some great beasts come vp from the sea the first a Lyon the second a Beare the third a Leopard the fourth vnlike the former with teeth of iron and tenne hornes Dan. 7. These great beasts which are foure are foure Kings which shall take the kingdome of the Saints of the most high In the thirteenth of the Reuelation Iohn sawe a beast rise out of the sea hauing seauen heads and tenne hornes mouthed like a Lyon bodied like a Leopard footed like a Beare and the Dragon gaue him his power And Daniel beheld till the thrones were set vp and the Ancient of daies did sit whose garment was white as snowe and the haire of his head like the pure wooll his throne was like the fiery flame and his wheeles as burning fire a fiery streame issued and came forth from before him thousand thousands ministred vnto him and tenne thousand thousands stood before him the iudgement was set and the bookes opened the beasts were slaine and their bodies cast into the burning fire and behold one like the Son of man came in the clowdes of heauen and came to the Ancient of daies and he gaue him dominion and honour and a kingdome that all people nations and languages should serue him his kingdome shall neuer be destroyed so as Reuel 20. Iohn sawe a great white throne and one that sate on it from whose face flied both the earth and the heauen and he sawe the dead both great and small stand before God and the bookes were opened and another booke was opened which was the booke of life and the dead were iudged of those thinges which were written in the bookes according to their workes and whosoeuer was not found written in the booke of life was cast into the lake of fire Dan. 3. Nebucadnetzar erecteth an Image and commaundeth to worshippe it Sidrach Mishach and Abednego refused This sheweth that wicked lawes cannot compell godly men to doe that which God forbiddeth for the faithfull are alwaies assured that God wil defend them this is the meaning of this place and will not feare him that can throwe the body into the fire but stand in awe of him that can throwe both body and soule into eternall fire so in Apoc. 1◠As many as would not worship the image of the beast were killed 3409. Ioachin three moneths HE was eight yeares old when he beganne to raigne and hee ruled three monthes and ten dayes in Ierusalem and did euill in the sigh of the Lord. And when the yeare was out King Nebucadnetzar sent and brought him to Babel with the pretious vessels of the house of the Lord. He beganne his raigne at eight yeares and raigned ten yeares when his father was aliue and after his fathers death which was the eighteenth yeare of his age he raigned alone three monthes and ten dayes So he was brought prisoner to Babel and Zedechias his brother but in truth his Vncle was made King in his steede so he continued in prison all the daies of Nebucadnetzar that is seauen and thirtie yeares after Nebucadnetzar had carried him captiue vnto the first yeare of euill Merodach King of Babel who succeeded Nebuchadnetzar This was foretold him by the Prophet Ieremie cap. 22. Thou that dwellest in Lebanon and makest thy nest in the Cedars how beautifull shalt thou be when sorrowes come vppon thee as the sorowes of a womā in trauaile as I liue saith the Lord though Coniah that is Ioachin or Ieconias the sonne of Iehoiachim King of Iuda were as the signet of my right hand yet would I plucke thee thence and I will giue thee into the hand of them that seeke thy life and into the land of them whose face thou fearest euen into the hand of Nebucadnetzar King of Babel and into the hand of the Chaldeans and I will cause them to carry thee away thy mother that bare thee into another countrie where ye were not borne and there shall yee die but to the land whereunto they desire to returne they shall not returne thither But after the death of Nebucadnetzar euill Merodach his sonne did lift vp the head of Ioachin or Ieconias King of Iudah out of the prison and spake kindely to him and set his throne aboue the throne of the Kings that were with him in Babel changed his prison garments and he did continually eate meate before him all the daies of his life and his portion was a continuall portion giuen him by the King euery day a certaine all the daies of his life 3410. Zedechias Eleauen yeares HIs name was first Mattamah but Nebucadnetzar changed his name to Zedechiah Hee was one and twentie yeares olde when he beganne to raigne And he did euill in the sight of the Lord according to all that Iehoiakim had done Therefore the wrath of the Lord was against Ierusalem and Iudah vntill he cast them out of his sight And Zedechias rebelled against the King of Babell and in the ninth yeare of Zedechias raigne the tenth month and which day of the month Nebucadnetzar King of Babel came he and all his host against Ierusalem and pitched against it and they built forts against it round about So the citie was besieged vnto the eleauenth yeare of King Zedechias and the ninth month the famine was so great in the citie that there was no bread for the people of the land So that the fourth of Ieremies Lamentations was trulie performed that mothers did eate their owne children So the citie was broken vp and the King Zedechias fledde but the armie of the Caldees pursued after him and tooke him in the deserts of Iericho and all his host was scattered from him Then they tooke the King and carried him vp to the King of Babel to Riblah where they gaue iudgment vpon him and they slue the sonnes of Zadechias before his eyes and put out the eyes of Zedechias and bound him in chaines and carried him to Babel Heere is performed the wordes of Ieremie the Prophet chap. 24. I will giue Zedechias the King of Iudah and his Princes and the rest of Ierusalem for a terrible plague to all the kingdomes of the earth and for a reproch and for a prouerb for a common talke for a curse in all places where I shall cast them and I will send the sword the famine and the pestilence among them till they be consumed out of the land that I gaue to them and their Fathers And Ier. 5. For the house of Israel and the house of Iudah haue grieuouslie transgressed against me saith the Lord they haue denied the Lord and said It is not he neither shall the plague come vpon vs neither shall wee see sword nor famine
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
If you demaund by what words in Moses it may be gathered that hee sawe the Reuelation I answere it is prophecied in Balaams prophecie Num. 24. That Kittim shall afflict Heber but he shall perishin in the end So there vnder the terme of Kittim the Italians afflicting the Church of God vnto the end of the world are signified So by this wee see the generalitie of this rule that Moses saw the summe of saluation for he saw the fall and restoring of Adam the destruction of the world by the flood how the families fell away in flowting Sem and their curse by their scattering and the calling of the heathen I will prouoke you by a foolish Nation and by those who are not my people This sentence out of Deut. 13. Saint Paul cyteth Rom. 10. to prooue that the Gentiles likewise were elected and should bee called in the time appointed Amongst the Iewes Moses was had in such reuerence that they haue cast all his sentences into numbers for whereas wee vse figures they vse the Hebrew letters and so exactly that if any letter or vowell be either added or left out they can presently tell Withall they are so perfect that they will tell where their Prophets tooke from Moses By this obseruation Sanctus Pagninus giueth a rule that the truth of the Scriptures will neuer appeare in her right cleerenesse neither by the Latine translation nor by the exposition of the Fathers for the Latine it is not agreeable with the Hebrew For the Fathers because the most of them are verie ignorant in the storie therfore many things they expound by allegories which should by storie and euent be manifested so to haue come to passe As where Iacob prophecying of Iudah Gen. 49. describeth the pleasantnesse and fertilitie of the soyle by these circumstances Hee shall wash his garments in wine and his mantle in the blood of grapes The Fathers make an Allegorie of this and apply it to the passion of Christ but of what force is this exposition against the Turke Now followeth to be handled the standings in the Wildernesse THere were two and fortie Standings in the Wildernesse Wee must obserue that it is not lawfull to frame Allegories out of our own braine for it is ynough for vs to embrace those which the scripture hath laide downe We must further note that the plaine expounding of a storie is no allegorie And when we shall finde things diuers times repeated we must know that it is done to this end that we might the better remember our owne estate and therefore they are directions vnto vs. This is prooued by Saint Paul in the Epistle to the Corinthians where hee calleth these Standings in the Wildernesse a stampe of our owne nature This may serue for an introduction into the treatise following The text noteth that where the cloude stood still there they pitched their Tents In the mention of these Standings in Numbers there be some places rehearsed which are not repeated in the former description to wit in Exodus We may not gather from hence any contrarietie but we must learne that those places which are not repeated again are some little Townes or Villages hard by as well knowne as the other and as it were the verie same and then it is free to vse the one or the other The Standings are Two and Fortie for comparison with these you haue Two and Fortie bowles knobs and flowers in the Candlesticke of the Tabernacle 42 Of Omri Sonnes slaine 42 Children destroyed by Beares 42 Generations of Christs kindred from Abraham Saint Augustine saith that the numbers in the Scripture containe rare and excellent matters euen the rudest of them This opinion of Saint Augustine in this number of Two and Fortie will prooue true For this Two and Fortie consisteth of sixe Seuens which number of Sixe and of Seuen keepeth in memorie the Creation By this the Nations are compelled to admire the wisedome of God in the Creation for they could not thinke that it came by chaunce that there should bee iust Two and Fortie Standings in the Wildernesse and no more Iob sayth of God O thou that doest order all my steps And if in our life we meditate on these Two and Fortie Standings we will endeuour to auoid the like sins which the Israelites coÌ„mitted in the Wildernesse least wee be ouertaken with their punishments The place was diuers and variable sometimes pleasant and sometimes vnpleasant so is it with vs in our life and in this we see our pilgrimage resembled If we consider the place it selfe it was the fittest for to teach all Nations from this storie the true Religion seeing they were either borderers or came thither On the one side was Ismael called also Pharan on the other side Esau named also Iumea By it Madian where Moses tooke his wife Sinay also where the Lawe was giuen Iacobs Sonnes dwelt thereabout Arabia was neere which Saint Paul in the Galathians calleth a mixed Nation Naâ—ors twelue Kings thereabouts Moab and Ammon there This in generall for the place Now follow the Standings THe first Station was Ramesis which signifieth Wormes This is handled where we are admonished not to lay vp our treasure in this life where wormes and rust consume but in heauen where these things annoy vs not 2. Station Succhoth Which signifieth poore Cottages so is euerie ones state in this life 3. Etham Which signifieth Hard ground so was their state The Lord there went before them by day in a pillar of a cloude to lead them the way and in a pillar of fire in the night to giue them light Exod. 13. This fauourable dealing of the Lord Esay applyeth vniuersally to the Church saying The Lord will make vpon euery dwelling house of Mount Sion that is vpon all the assemblies of it A Cloud for the day time and a smoke and brightnesse and a flame of fire for the night Es 44. Ap. 10. Christ the mightie Angell hath his feet in a pillar of fire 4. Piahiroth Which signifieth Contention There Egypt stroue with Israel and they murmured against Moses whereof the name was afterwards giuen to that place They goe thorough the red Sea the seuenth day of vnleauened bread as the Iewes hold with one consent By faith they passed through the red Sea as by drie land which when the Egiptians assayed they were drowned Heb. 11. Our Fathers were all vnder the cloud and all passed through the Red Sea and were all baptised vnto Moses in the Sea 1. Cor. 10. 5. Marah Which signifieth Bitternesse There they could find no waters to drinke for the waters were bitter therefore the place was called Marah and they murmured against Moses as Saint Paul testifieth Let vs not murmure as some of them murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer 1. Cor. 10.10 The next is Elim Grace Where were Twelue Fountaines of waters and Seuentie Palme trees Thus we see that none can come to Elim Grace but first they must abide pouertie
Chams house and yet God of his especiall grace gaue her the light of his countenance and was mercifull vnto her because she beholding the impieties of the vncleane Cities of Canaan and their reward and the Storie of Lots wife which no doubt was famous the loathsome life of the Egyptians and their plagues embraced the Couenant to Abraham and the oath that hee sware vnto Isaack The manners of these Egyptians are expressed by the woman in the Gospell which had her daughter possessed with a Deuill Christ telleth her that it is not lawfull to take the Childrens bread and to cast it to Dogges As if Christ should say Moses in his lawes and religion hath cut you off like Dogges to whome precious things must not bee throwne and therefore I am not in mercie to regard you She answereth It is true Lord that wee are cursed and by Moses law cut off from saluation and it is likewise true that wee are not the Children yet wee see that the little Dogs eat of the crummes which fall from the Childrens table And Moses himselfe hath a law that if any will learne the Religion of Iuda hee shall be admitted so that yet there is some hope for the Dogs Goe thy way saith Christ thy faith hath saued thee And no doubt as this poore womans daughter was possessed with a Deuill in bodie so the mindes of the Egyptians had many Deuils seeing they were full of superstition witchcraft and coniuring They worshipped one Ammon a Deuill yet there were many of Chams house saued This I inferre because Rahab was of Cham. And this opinion is confirmed by her Storie who was saued when Iericho was destroyed Shee telleth the Spies I knowe that the Lord hath giuen you the Land for we haue heard how the Lord dryed vp the Redde Sea before you for the Lord your God hee is the God in heauen aboue and in the earth beneath thereby shewing that she embraced the promise made to Abraham that in his seede all Nations in the earth should bee blessed It is testified of both these women that their faith did saue them The Lord likewise in the dayes of his flesh went into Iericho the Citie of Rahab long agoe accursed 2610. The first Iubilee IT hath his name from Iobal a Horne because in the beginning of the Feast trumpets of Rammes hornes were to bee blowne and thereby the yeare was proclaimed It was the Fiftieth yeare after the setling the people in the Land as Leuit. 25. You shall reckon to you seuen Seuens of yeares and the Fiftieth shall be a yeare of Iubilee c. And it was to be kept solemnely vntill the death of Christ The cause of keeping it was to put them in minde of the great victories which God had giuen them ouer their enemies in the Land of Canaan so that by this ceremonie likewise the Redemption by the conquest of Christ ouer our spirituall enemie which the yeare of Iubilee signified was also proclaymed For if they considered the promise made to Abraham concerning this Land and their deliuerance out of Egypt being in bondage and how they were placed in the Land by Iesus their Captaine the death of Christ which deliuered them from the snares and bondage of the Deuill must needes bee made plaine vnto them Iobal doth signifie Ioyfull In it all Lands that were bought of any of the Tribes was to returne to the old Possessor then all prisoners were set at libertie Figuring that ioyfull yeare of the Lord wherein we should be freed from the bondage of Satan wherof Esay speaketh He shall heale the broken heart and bring the gladsome tidings of the Lord Iustice shal be the girdle of his loynes and faithfulnesse the girdle of his reynes then the Woolfe shall dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard shall lye with the Kidde and the Calfe and the Lion and the fatte beast and a little Chila shall lead them the sucking Child shall play vppon the hole of the Aspe and the wayned Child shall lay his hand vppon the Cockatrice hole then shall none hurt nor destroy in the mountaine of mine holynesse for the earth shall bee full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters that couer the Sea Es 11. The meaning is that the prophane beasts of the world which nowe know not Christ shall in this ioyfull yere be lightned with the brightnesse of his glorie and shall reioyce and be glad for so great saluation and shall be members of one head Christ Iesus louing one another as Christians whose ioy is expressed verie largely in the 35. of Esay The desert and the Wildernesse shall reioyce and the wast ground shall flourish as a Rose it shall flourish aboundantly and shall greatly reioyce also and ioy the glorie of Lebanon shall be giuen vnto it the beautie of Charmell and of Sharon they shall see the glory of the Lord and the excellencie of our God strengthen the weake hands and comfort the feeble knees say vnto them that are fearefull Be stronge feare not behold your God commeth euen God with a recompence will come and saue you then shall the eyes of the blinde be lightned and the eares of the deafe be opened then shall the lame man leape as an Hart and the dumbe mans tongue shall singe for in the Wildernesse shall water breake out and riuers in the desart and euerlasting ioy shall bee vppon their heads they shall obtaine ioy and gladnesse and sorrow and mourning shall flye away To returne to the obseruation of the time of the Iubilee Moses saith You shall reckon to you seuen Seuens of yeares and the Fiftiet◠shall bee a Iubilee Leuit. 25. Wherein wee may behold the wonderfull prouidence of God for them so long as they kept his Sabbaths for the Nine and fortieth yeare did yeeld corne for three yeares No doubt this must needs make the Nations astonished to see that the Children of Israel had such a God as could in one yeare giue them corne for three yeares so that they should neither sowe nor reape when themselues had scarce corne with great labour for one yeare Amos in his prophecie findeth great fault with those which hoard vp corne and pronounceth a woe vnto them for so doing But wee are to vnderstand that when the Israelites neglected their Sabbaths and forgot the great benefites they had receiued becomming Idolatrers and polluted with the abhominations of the land into which they came their ioy was turned into sadnesse and their Iubilees vnto their destructiō For in the seuenteenth Iubilee they hauing despised the prouidēce of God they haue Sedechias a most wicked King set ouer them and in Iehoiakims time they are carried quite away into Babylon and there are as dead bones for Seuentie yeares vntill the land had payd her owne Sabbaths which they had omitted when they dwelt vpon it Therefore wee are to note that wee shall neuer keepe our religion easie and plaine but by casting the Iubilees right which we
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
belongs not to the chronicle this is the vse of al Christ is Palmoni the secret nūberer who weigheth numbreth and diuideth yea euen the haires of our head By these also the Eight and twentie Iubilees are made plaine and perfect The certentie of these falling out so iust may assure our consciences that God is faithfull who hath promised Dan. 9. Christ the King after seuenty Seuens shall be slain but not for himselfe c. is the full accomplishment hereof and to which they are to to be referred for so Othoniel the first Iudge of the Tribe of Iudah represented him of all these Iudges Saint Paul speaketh Heb. 11. By faith all these saw the Promise a farre off and beleeued and receiued it not God prouiding a better thing for vs that without vs they should not be made perfect To conclude in the ninth of Esay the Lord bringeth in the conquest of the Iudges both of Zabulon and Nephtali and the ouerthrowe of Madian and then how the Battell of the Warriour was with great noyse and with tumbling his garments in blood but when Christ shall come to subdue all Nations vnto himselfe whome these Conquerours signified his gouernment shal be with peace and righteousnesse and of his Kingdome there shall be none end Thus much for the Storie of the Iudges THE NEXT VVHICH IS TO be handled are Samuel and Saul and first for Samuel The Seuenth Iubilee HEre you haue in the Seuenth Iubilee a rare man Samuel to teach Religion where God purposed to establish a Kingdome It may be demanded why Christ did not die in the Fourth Iubilee seeing it is a square number and representeth the forme of the heauenly Ierusalem Because Iosephs house had not then receiued his full glorie Why then died he not in the Seuenth Iubilee seeing it is a holy number and figureth the rest of our soules Because the Scepter which Iacob promised was not yet come to Iudah and when he had it must haue a double glory ouer Ioseps house but multiply the number of Seuen by the number foure you haue Eight and Twentie the verie yeare of Christs death Thus you see in what a sweet harmonie all the actions of God are lincked if men will marke and not be amazed at manifest truthes Samuel and Saul Fortie yeares IN Samuels Storie we are to consider three things First the time of the gouernment Secondly the place where hee ruled Thirdly his person The time was in Seuenth Iubilee this is a speciall note They were Seuen yeares in conquering the Land Theodoretus applies this to this Storie that so in the Seuenth Iubilee they should looke for some rare euent In the first Iubilee Othoniel of the Tribe of Iuda hath a great victorie and is the first Iudge and recouereth the Kingdome In the Seuenth Iubilee there is a great conquest for Samuel recouereth the Kingdome from the Philistines restoreth the Arke to Iuda and erecteth the Kingdome in Israel This is a wonderfull matter and these times are to be noted because Saint Paul in the Acts saith That God gaue them Iudges after a kinde of reckoning Foure hundred and Fiftie yeares vnto the time of Samuel the Prophet which foure Hundred and Fiftie yeares wee must finde out by casting the particulars So likewise Daniel reckoning the death of Christ by seuentie Seuens compelleth vs to remember the Seuentie yeares of the Captiuitie the foure Seuens of Iubilees and the other Seuens through the scripture These things hange together like a golden chaine that euen as by breaking one linke all is disturbed so by not marking or neglecting one the other become hard and by obseruing this order the word of God is made plaine and easie to those which delight in it Samuels time may bee compared to the newe world after the flood for euen as in Noahs time at the flood all good men were dead euen so now none aliue of any rare blessing so that Samuel beginneth as it were to reuiue the world againe Now for the place HE was borne at Aramathia which signifieth a hye Bancke Here is no mysterie in this But hereby wee may remember a like Storie for Ioseph of Aramathia buried Christ equall with Ioseph which buried Iacob Now followeth the circumstance of his person IN his person first we may consider his name which signifieth I haue asked him of God Plato bringeth in a man Theaitetes which signifieth asked of God The heathen tooke great delight to giue names full of signification This Samuel was of the Tribe of Leui answereable for rarenesse to Moses Moses birth was verie strange his Mother being an hundred and thirtie yeares so the Hebrewes cast her age This they cannot prooue exactly but yet she must be verie old because she was sister to Moses Grandfather so Samuels mother verie old The strangenesse of their birth must needs cause those which liued with them to expect great thinges of them and diligently to obserue their actions Here is yet the difference betweene Moses and Samuel Moses had some notable of his Auncestors which were not touched with any notable blemish Samuel is of Chore which familie is most wicked And here is a great matter to be considered Dauid and Samuels Sonnes are of one age and yet from Leui to Samuel you haue Seuenteene generations and his Sonnes make one generation which maketh Eighteene Generations But in the Tribe of Iuda to Dauid you haue but fiue Generations that is to say Salmon Booz Obed Iessai and Dauid There is mention made in the Psalmes of Ten psalmes of the Sonnes of Chore they be all psalmes of comfort but the Eightie and Foure psalme is a speciall one for there he sheweth how God hath been fauourable vnto the Land because hee brought againe the captiuitie of Iacob when in mercie hee forgaue their sinnes And this mercie will he alwayes shew to them that feare him and then the Lord shall dwell in their Land For mercie and truth shall meete righteousnesse and peace because truth shall budde out of the earth and then righteousnesse shall looke downe from heauen In the 87. Psal thus they speake The Lord loueth the gates of Sion more than all the dwellings of Iacob for in it the Temple was built I will thinke vpon Rahab and Babell Behold yee Philistines and they of Tyre with the Morians loe there was hee borne The meaning of this last sentence is thus much The Lord will write this man that man born in Salem by regeneration where in the conflict betweene Moses and Dathan Chore and Abiram which were destroyed Moses writeth that the Sonnes of Chore did not perish Wee must expound this as a Prophecie and referre it to the present time For he as a Prophet saw that some of them should be godly the perfourmance whereof appeareth in these daies Hereby we may learne that diuers wicked Fathers may haue children inheritors of saluation And the heathen were not hindred for being called because of the ignorance of
also and hee sought Ochosias and caught him where hee was hid in Samaria and brought him to Iehu and slue him and buried him because they sayd hee is the Sonne of Iosaphat which sought the Lord with all his heart So the house of Ochosias was not able to retaine the Kingdome This was the iust plague of God because he ioyned himselfe with Gods enemies yet God to declare the worthinesse of Iosaphat his Grandfather mooued them to giue him the honour of buriall 2. Chron. 22. 3118. Athalia Sixe yeares WHen shee heard that her Sonne Ochosias was dead she putteth to death all the Kings seed of Ochosias house because she might by that meanes bring the Kingdome to Israel and so haue established Idolatrie But Iehoshabeath the daughter of the King tooke Ioash the Sonne of Ochosias and stole him from among the Kings Sons that should be slaine and put him and his Nurse in the Bed-chamber So Iehoshabeath the daughter of King Ioram the wife of Iehoida the Sacrificer for she was the Sister of Ochosias hid him from Athalia So she slue him not and hee was hid with them in the house of God sixe yeares whiles Athalia raigned ouer Iuda But after this Iehoida caused Athalia to be slaine to shew that who so sheddeth blood by man shall their blood be shed 3124. Ioas Fortie yeares THen they brought out the Kings Sonne and put on him the crowne and gaue him the testimonie that is his oath and royall apparell and made him King and Iehoida and his Sonnes annointed him and sayd God saue the king Then all the people of the Land reioyced and the Citie was quiet after they had slaine Athaliah with the sword For where a tyrant and an Idolatrer raigneth there Gods religion cannot flourish but the plagues of God are euer amonge such people This Ioas while Iehoida liued kept religion sincerely but he being dead fell to Idolatrie And because Zacharias the Sonne of Barachias or Iehoida reprooued him he commaunded him to be slaine between the Altar and the Temple that so all the righteous blood from Abel hitherto might come vpon the Iewes and their children Here wee may obserue how hard a thing in a wicked Kingdome it is to escape the wrath of God and to keepe our handes from reaching vnto wickednesse And here looke what Kaines age was for impietie so was this for so Christ ioynes them together Mat. 23. That all the righteous blood from Abel hitherto might come vpon them Thus Ioas forgot the kindnesse which Iehoida the father of Zacharias had done to him And when the yeare was out the Host of Aram came vp against Ioas and they came against Iuda and Ierusalem and destroyed all the Princes of the people from amonge the people and sent all the spoyle of them vnto the King of Damascus Though the Armie of Aram came with a small companie of men yet the Lord deliuered a verie great Armie into their hand because they had forsaken the Lord God of their Fathers And they gaue sentence against Ioash and when they were departed from him for they left him in great diseases his owne seruants conspired against him for the blood of the children of Iehoiada the Sacrificer and slue him on his bed And he died and they buried him in the Citie of Dauid but they buried him not in the Sepulchres of the Kings 2. Chron. 24. Saint Mathew in the Genealogie saith that Ioas was not the natural Sonne of Ochosias for he omits three Kings in the Genealogie First let vs see why hee omits any and then why these three It is certaine that the Iewes wrote the Genealogies and reduced them to sixe Seuens two and Fortie Fathers Saint Mathew was to take them as hee found them seeing they spake true For it was ynough to tell that Christ was of Abraham and Ioseph The rest betwixt are to shew the varietie of Gods wisedome and prouidence The six Seuens haue in them a sweet proportion to the creation and that they make vp two and Fortie they resemble the standings in the wildernesse being likewise two and Fortie Standings Now for the reason why Sant Mathew leaueth out three this it is They were verie wicked and for their wickednesse were grieuously plagued and therefore seeing the Iewes would not exceede the number of two and Fortie they were the fittest to bee left out The like example we haue in the blessing of Moses where Simeon is left out being wicked and the number of Twelue must bee obserued And in the Reuelation where the Tribes are sealed Dan is omitted for the reason afore euen so these three kings being very wicked had violent deaths in token of Gods curse and therefore the Iewes penning Christs Auncestors might iustly leaue them out To proceed when Henocke was taken vp there was a prophecie for the flood In Hebers daies Pelegs name prophecied the cōfounding of their tongues When Elias is taken vp there is presently a great alteration for Ochosias is killed and Athalia doth in sixe yeares as it were vnconquer the Land and bring all to an vproare Ioas the remnant of the Kings seede preserued by Iehoiada the high Sacrificer from slaughter commeth vp verie weakely thereby to shew vnto vs that there is no strength in man whose breath is in his nostrils 3161. Amasias Nine and Twentie yeares HE did vprightly in the eyes of the Lord but not with a perfect heart meaning in respect of his predecessors albeit he had his imperfections For when the Kingdome was established vnto him he slue his seruants that had slain the King his Fathers but he slue not their children but did as it is written in the Lawe and in the Booke of Moses Deut. 24.16 Where the Lord commaunded saying The Fathers shall not die for the children neither shall the Children die for the Fathers but euery man shall die for his owne sinne And Amasias assembled Iudah and made warre against Edom and smote off the children of Seir ten Thousand and other ten Thousand the Children of Iudah tooke aliue and carried them to the toppe of a Rocke and cast them downe from the top and they all burst to peeces Now after that Amasias was come from the slaughter of the Edomites he brought the Gods of the children of Seir and set them vp to be his Gods and worshipped them and burned incense vnto them So that instead of praise giuing to God for his victorie he committeth grosse Idolatry Now after the time that Amasias did turne away from the Lord they wrought treason against him in Ierusalem and hee fled to Lachish and they sent after him and slue him there and he was brought vpon horses and buried with his Fathers in the Citie of Iuda 2. Chron. 25. Here you see a good beginning but an ill end and that God plagueth by those means wherein men most trust to teach them that he sitteth vpon a fiery throne thereby to cause them haue their affections setled only
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
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
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.