or rather of the difficulty which had perplext so many of the ancients who made it greater then in his opinion it needed to have been to be this that they made their calculations according to the scale of other Nations or languages not by the Hebrew computation which doth not oppose day unto night but take day and night for one naturall day His observation is true and helps in part to salve the truth of the literall sense if hee had given the true reason of this their account But yet under correction the instances which he brings from the Hebrew accompt of the fasting of Moses and Elias both which are expressed to have fasted forty daies and forty nights doe rather prejudice then cleare the true meaning of our Saviour's prediction That he was to continue three daies and three nights in the belly of the earth For certainly Moses and Elias and so our Saviour in the wildernesse did fast as well forty nights as forty daies or forty naturall daies compleat without any Synecdochicall abatement either of one day or night whereas from the three daies and three nights wherein our Saviour fore-told he was to continue in the wombe of the earth we must abate the one halfe of a naturall day besides the space of one houre or one houre and an halfe at the most This abatement being fully made hee did continue in propriety of sacred dialect in the Grave three daies and three nights if we would measure his divine prediction by the most ancient and originall scale of the Hebrew accompt which Moses used throughout the history of the Creation 9 Briefly the three daies and three nights in the 12 of Mathew are equivalent to three of those evenings and mornings which made up halfe of the six naturall daies wherein the World was created The evening we know was in order of time before the morning whence it is that the Hebrewes begun their naturall day from the vespers ortwilight that which we call Saturday-night was to them the beginning of the first day of the weeke our Sunday at night the begining of their second Munday at night of their third Tuesday night of their fourth Wednesday night of their fifth Thursday night of their sixth Friday night of their seventh day or Sabbath Moses in his description of the six daies of the World's Creation gives the true hint for interpreting our Saviour's words as we have done when he said The evening and the morning were the first second and the third day c. For this is all one as if he had said the heaven and the earth were created in six daies and six nights and albeit he made no mention of any evening or morning of the seventh day wherein God did rest from his worke Yet may we not think but that day consisted of the same parts whereof the other six daies did only the vicissitude of the evening and morning is omitted in the description of that day to represent the everlasting Sabbath whereof it was a Type wherein is no night as the genealogie of Melchisedech in respect of Predecessors or Successors is not mentioned by the same Moses because the holy Ghost by whose direction he wrote would have him brought in without genealogie because hee might resemble the eternitie of our high Priest the Son of God From these premises wee may safely conclude that when our Saviour fore-told he should be three daies and three nights in the belly of the earth this is all one as if he had said hee should be three evenings and mornings in the wombe of the earth The conclusion being granted the former Synecdoehe is in this case most allowable for 't is evident that our Saviour was interred in the sixth evening and morning that is on Friday which was the sixth day of the weeke according to the Hebrewes accompt before the setting of the sun or the evening following which was the beginning of the seventh naturall day or Sabbath during all which as well the whole evening as morning hee rested in his Grave at least untill the dawning of the first day during whose evening or night preceding he likewise rested there So that he was in the wombe of the earth in part of the sixth evening and morning or sixth night and day and all the Sabbath as it consists of night and day and all the whole night succeeding the Sabbath and part of the morning following for he did not arise till after the breake of day or till the sun begun to approach the Horizon 9 This forme of accompting the weeâ—ke by day and night or by evening and morning doth more lively character the sâ—â—â—ession of times or vicissitude of seasons then if we should measure the same space either by nights alone or by daies alone as when wee English describe the space of a compleat week by seven nights or the space of halfe a month by a fortnight or of a yeare by three hundred threescore odde daies minuts But this by the way the Reader may find more for his satisfaction in good Commentators upon these words of Daniel Chap. 8. ver 26. And the visian of the evening and the morning which was told is true c. 11 Bt to returne unto my taske which is the unfolding of our Saviour's prediction in the 12â— of Mathew That as many other prophecies hath his peculiar mysticall sense whose explication must be grounded upon the former literall sense as it hath been now explain'd For that he should be interred in the Grave in part of the sixth day and there remaine in the residue of it and all the Sabbath or Seventh day and for a great part of the first day or of the first evening and moraing wants not a peculiar yea a triple mystery For the illustratioÌ„ whereof it will not be amisse to premise the sweet harmony between the six daies of the Worlds Creation by the Consecration Death and Passion of Him by whom it was first made As there was a weeke of Creation which could not be fore-shadowed by any time precedent So there was a solemne weeke appointed for Redemption for-shadowed partly by the weeke of Creation and God's rest from his workes partly by the weeke of Aarons Consecration and his accomplishment of it upon the eighth day To parallel the acts or workes of every day whether of the weeke of the first Creation or of the weeke of Aaron's Consecration with the like acts or workes of heb dâ—madae sanctae or the weeke of man's Redemption by our Saviour's Consecration would be a worke more difficult to the undertaker whether by pen or preaching then profitable to the Auditor or Reader It shall suffice me to exhibite the Evangelicall Cycle from the first day of our Saviour'e Consecration which was the first day of the week following taking the day as opposed to night or evening or of the time interjacent betwixt the great Feast of the Passion and the Pentecost-following 12 Vpon
the first day of that weeke wherein our Redemption was wrought our Saviour came in triumphant manner into Ierusalem not only to fulfill the prophecy of Zachary before expounded at large for that might have been fulfilled at any other time or day for its substance but to testifie withall that hee was the true paschall Lambe appointed pointed for the sacrifice of that great Feast that Lambe of God which â—ame too take away the sinnes of the world For upon that very day of the month Abib were it the tenth or ninth in which our Saviour came to Ierusalem saluted with ecchoing cries of Hosanna the Son of David was the legall paschall Lambe according to first institution of the Passeover brought out of the fields unto the place appointed for the publique assembly with greater pompe perhaps and solemnity prescribed by custome than was expressely required in the Law Vpon the fifth day day of this â—acred weeke being as I take it the fourteenth of the month Abib our Saviour being to be offered in sacrifice at the time wherein the paschall Lambe was eaten by seterall families did eate the Passeover with his Disciples and preoccupated the usuall day for eating the paschall Lambe upon necessity In the night following which was the evening of the sixth day hee was apprehended and arraigned in the morning of the same day condemned by the Iewes â— and upon their solicitation adjudged by Pilate to be crucified and executed by the Roman Souldiers In the sixth day or which is all one the sixth evening and morning of the first weeke of times succession God is said to have finished the workes of Creation by making the first man In the sixth day or in the sixth evening and morning of the weeke of our Saviour's Consecration Hee by whom the world was made did solemnely declare the worke of our Redemption to be accomplished in respect of any labour worke or paines to be further undertaken by him For so farie his solemne proclamation upon the Crosse extends consummatum est And so he went into his rest upon the same day about the same houre wherein God was said to rest from all his workes of Creation that is in the close of that day a litle before the evening of the seventh day or Sabbath CHAP. 41. A Parallel betweene the day wherein Adam is thought to have been cast out of Paradise with the day wherein our Saviour was Crucified And betweene the first day of the world's Creation and our Saviour's Resurrection THere is a a tradition or rather a received opinion avouched by many good Authors in their severall writings that Adam the first man should fall and forfeit his estate in Paradise upon the same day wherein he was created The opinion it selfe we cannot disprove nor justly suspect to be a meere conjecture because we know not what warrant the first or immediate Authors of this Doctrine had to commend it to posterity But their language I take it is much mistaken by some later school-men the first Authors meaning or expression of it must be limited or rather extended to the same sense or construction as hath been before observed in the like words of Daniel Chap. 7. That Belshazer was slaine in the same night wherein after his carousing in the boules of the Sanctuary the hand-writing was seen upon the wall or that other 2. of Kings that Senacherib's mighty army was discomfitted upon the night immediately following that day wherein he sent that blasphemous message unto Hezekiah or the day wherein Isaiah returned his message to the good King In both places the same night cannot be understood of the selfe same naturall day and night but of the same night or day after the revolution of one yeare or more In like manner the first man according to the tenor of the former received opinion did fall upon the same day wherein he was created yet not upon the same day numerically individually or identically taken but upon the same day after the revolution of a weeke at least or more that is upon the sixth day and thrust out of Paradise before the Sabbath ensuing for his stealth or presumptuous usurpation of the forbidden fruit Vpon the same day after revolution of many yeares the Son of God or second Adam now consecrated to be a quickning spirit did restore the sons of the first Adam to their inheritance which their Father had lost by giving a true naturall son of the first Adam a thiefe by practise liverie de sezin or actuall possession of the coelestiall Paradise The bequest or legacy was punctuall and solemne Amen dico tibi hodie mecum eris in Paradiso Verily I say unto thee this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Vpon the sixth day of the first week or week of Creation or vicissitude of times Adam's body was taken out of the substance of the earth Vpon the same sixth day was the body of the second Adam the Son of God shut up into the bowels of the earth after he had commended his spirit into his Father's hands which had given it him That temporall curse denounced against the first Adam In the day wherein thou eatest thou shalt die the death was exactly now fulfilled in the second Adam For in the sixth day of the weeke of his Consecration he died the death of the Crosse and was delivered to the earth whence the first man was taken only he was not to be resolved to dust but rested there without corruption For as God had rested the Seventh day from his works of Creation though not of Preservation so the Son of God was to rest from all his labour or toile upon the seventh day of the week of his Consecration not only to blesse and sanctify that day and make it his own but withall to hallow the grave or the wombe of the earth whence all flesh was taken and by the course of nature must returne by his sweet rest and presence in it So saith S. Iohn I heard a voice from heaven saying Blessed are the dead which hereafter die in the Lord even so saith the spirit for they rest from their labours and their workes follow them Rev. 14 ver 13. Their sleepe or quiet rest in the grave thus hollowed by our Saviour's Death and rest in it becomes the evenings or vespers of their everlasting Sabbath 2 The night immediately following the legall Sabbath wherein our Saviour did rest from all his Labours was part of the first evening and morning or of the first naturall day of the weeke His Resurrection upon that day and at that time of the day and at that season implieth a two-fold mystery or the accomplishment of two remarkable divine Oracles First that of Gen. Chap. 1. ver 1. 2. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth and the earth was without forme and void and darknesse was upon the deepe The darknesse made the evening and the separation of the light from
mother are but branches of that generall negative without genealogie Now whether we consider him as God or as man he cannot without wrong to the sacred character or sense of the holy spirit be thought or said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without genealogy as Melchisedech is for one generation or descent makes a genealogie Otherwise Cain and Abel should have beene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without genealogie which titles notwithstanding cannot in the Evangelists meaning be applyed unto Adam for he derives all others genealogies from Adam's and Adam's from God Luk. 3. Now looke in what sense Abel Cain or Adam may be said to have a genealogie Christ may in the same sense have two One as he is the Sonne of God another as he is the Sonne of Abraham David and of Marie But so it is that even the wisest and most judicious Writers of times swallow such fallacies in historicall narrations or discourses of matters spirituall especially without any sensible disgust or dislike as would be rejected no lesse then poison unallayed were they exhibited to them in the simplicitie of language or logistick forme To instance in an notorious one much like unto this late mentioned 7 The most ancient Editions of Macrobius mention a jest of Augustus broken upon Herod for killing his Sonne at the same time that he butchered the Hebrew Infants Mallem Herodis esse percum quam filium Some ancient Christians to salve the truth of this narratioÌ„ being somewhat suspicious because Herod at that time had no knowne Sonne that was a child have made the old Tyrant father of a young sonne supposed to be borne unto him by a second wife of Iewish if not of Davids progenie which the age wherein hee lived never laid unto his charge Some later criticks better able to disprove this supposititious broode then apt to reforme that error in themselves which unreform'd in others did beget it have not spared to charge their Bretheren in time their fathers with falsification of Macrobius his Text as if the forecited passage had been inserted by some ancient Christians as many verses in Sibylla's oracles have beene unlesse these and the like Aristarchusses faile in their criticismes But for Macrobius his text it is without question uncorrupt and the Christian Fathers free from that falsification of it whereof late Criticks have accused them The zeale of the ancient Fathers and the censorious sawcinesse of later Criticks did alike overreach their judgments But this as I said is a fault common to us and to those that are farre our betters We maintaine our owne posittions as if wee were waking Wee peruse good Authors as if wee had never lookt upon them but in a slumber yet what punie Logician but would scorne to swallow this fallacy in a dreame Chaerilus fuit vir bonus Chaerilus fuit poeta ergo Chaerilus fuit bonus poeta Chaerilus was a good man and a Poet therefore a good Poet. The forementioned criticall collection is in regard of its forme a like false and disjointed only the matter of it is not so vulgar or palpable The roote of the Criticks erronious censure was this Herod killed the Syrian or Hebrew Infants amongst these Infants hee killed his owne son ergo this sonne of Herod when hee killed him was an Infant That Herod about the same time wherein the fants of Iudah and Bethleem were by his appointment slaine did out of his jealous feare command Antipater his turbulent sonne to be put to death no modern Critick shall be ever able to disprove That the killing of his owne sonne being come to maturity of age with these Infants doth better sort with the analogy of Gods Iustice usually manifested in the infatuation of Politicians and with the literall sense and character of Augustus iest taking it as Macrobius hath expressed it then if hee had slaine the same party in his Infancy shall elswhere by Gods assistance be declared 8 The fallacy for whose discovery these two former have beene produced is in my opinion of all three the most grosse the best forme that can be put upon it is this Melchisedech was without father or mother Melchisedech is like unto the Sonne of God ergo Melchisedech is herein like unto the Sonne of God in that he is without father or mother The premisses are most true but the conclusion if I may so speake more then most false for of all the persons that are or have beene in heaven or earth none are so unlike as the Sonne of God and Melchisedech if wee state the comparison betwixt them according to the naturall tenor or importance of these termes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What shall we say then that these titles expressely given to Melchisedech by our Apostle are altogether superfluous needlesse or impertinent to the conclusion intended by him Rather most necessary and most apposite As how Briefly thus This descripâ—tion of him by these titles is a condition or Qualification necessarily supposed or pre-required to the similitude intended betwixt Christ and him It is no proper part or formall terme of the similitude it self That formally consists only in being without beginning or end of dayes and herein they are as like one another as any body and its proper shadow can be 9 Every man that hath a father even AdaÌ„ himself who was without father or mother had a beginning of dayes Every man that hath a Son to succeed him as like wise supposed to have an end of daies Whence it is that no King of Iudah or Israel not Solomon himselfe in all his glory could be any true modell of the Son of God in respect of his eternitie No Priest or Son of Levi not Eleazar Phinehas or Aaron himself though pictured in their pontificall ornaments could beare any colour or resemblance of his everlasting Priesthood For all these are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Parents their Sonnes and Successors are exactly registred in the sacred Volume the same Page or Table which expresseth their genealogie doth represent withall their mortalitie that they had a beginning or end of dayes And whosoever hath a beginning or end of dayes can be no true shadow of eternitie or of the Sonne of God as he is eternall CHAP. 8. That the omission of Melchisedech's Genealogie did import a speciall mystery and what that mystery was MAy we hence averre that every man mentioned in Scripture whose birth whose death or genealogie is not expressed may be a true shadow or picture of the Sonne God as he is eternall Wee doe not wee need not say so The day is oftimes mentioned in the Scripture without any mention of the night Yet to seeke after a mysticall sense in all such places were to set our wits a wandring in a waking dream But seeing in the Story of the worlds creation wee find such accurate and constant mention of the evening and morning making one day untill all the works of the sixe daies were
accomplished and no mention of any evening in the seaventh day which God did sanctify for a day of rest wee may with the Ancients safely admit the first sixe daies to be as a Map or Calender of the sixe ages of this transitory world wherein there is a continuall vicissitude of light and darknesse no joy or pleasure without sorrow and griefe for their Successors and companions and the Mosaicall description of the seventh to be an embleme or shadow of the everlasting Sabbath in the heavens which shall be a day of joy and gladnesse without mixture of darknesse or succession of night without any medly of paines or griefe 2 By perfect analogy to this and the like not more mysticall then orthodoxall interpretation of Scripture not merely authoriz'd by the Greeke or Latine Fathers but presuppos'd by our Apostle as unquestionable among the ancient Iewes we may inferre our intended conclusion What was that That the omission of every mans Genealogie whose name or deeds are specified in the sacred Story is alwayes a signe or token of some latent mystery No but rather thus Seeing no King or Priest of Abraham's lineage were he good or bad seeing no Patriarch from whom God's blessings did lineally descend but hath a Genealogie upon sacred record the omission of so great a mans Genealogie as was Melchisedech who was a King and Priest of the most high God a Priest which solemnely and really blessed him in whose seed all the Nations of the earth were to be blessed unto whom Abraham paid Tithes of all that he had The omission of such a mans genealogie doubtlesie includes some great and weighty mystery And if wee stand not as in many like cases we ought not upon the logicall inference which the assertive letter affords but follow the emblematicall or characteristicall sense of the story we may behold this man to be as the Apostle speakes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is one transformed or turned out of his proper shape or likenesse that hee might be like the Sonne of God The absimilation of this man whosoever he were from himselfe that he might be liâ—e the Son of God consists especially in the abandoning or putting off all references to father or mother to wife or children For these references in man necessarily represent a beginning and end of dayes and by consequency a dissimilitude to the person of the Son of God who is eternall and to his endlesse Priesthood 3 It was the speech of one man but is universally true of all Mortalis mortalem genui and it is as necessarily and essentially true of God Immortalis immortalem gignit For seeing God is more essentially and more immutably immortall more truly eternall then we are mortal Then he which is as truly the Sonne of God as we are the Sonnes of men or Adam must needs be as absolutely eternall as the Deitie or divine nature or as God the Father himselfe Otherwise the generation should be equivocall and imperfect not univocall as contrary to nature it selfe and as prodigious as for a mortall man to beget an immortall Sonne as for a woman to conceive a God And if there were no other places of Scripture as God be praised there are plenty to inferre the absolute eternitie or eternall generation of the Sonne of God against the Arrian or other heretique the very foundation of our Apostles similitude between Melchisedech and Christ in the Chapter following doth clearly represent thus much to all that look not on it with Iewish spectacles To conclude then as the greatnesse and height of Melchisedech's calling serves as a map to represent the high Majestie of the everlasting Priesthood So the omission of his genealogie is an embleme or shadow of the infinite duration or eternitie of the Sonne of God Howbeit if we should take off this borrowed shape or wipe out the artificiall colours wherewith it hath pleased the spirit to set forth this lively picture of Christ yet the very table it selfe whereon the picture is drawne is more apt then any other tree in all the garden of God besides to be made an heavenly Mercurie The fitnesse of it for this purpose will more easily be apprehended if we suppose what the ancient Iewes whose traditions where they are no parties are in no wise to be rejected take as granted viz. That hee whom Moses in the fourteenth of Genesis calls Melchisedech was Shem the great the sonne of Noah This Shem was a man begotten of his father before the world that then was our high Priest our heavenly Mercurie is the Sonne of God begotten of his Father before all worlds before any period or instant of imaginary time even from eternitie it selfe CHAP. 9. What manner of blessing it was which Melchisedech bestowed on Abraham That the manner of the blessing argues Melchisedech to have beene Sem the great as the Iewish Rabbins enstile him the eldest sonne of Noah not by birth yet by prerogative of the first borne IDare not obtrude this tradition of the ancient Iewes as a point of our beliefe yet the matter of it is as probable as any Doctrine whatsoever that is grounded only upon the analogy of faith not upon expresse testimonies of Scripture or conclusions deduced from such testimonies by demonstrative consequences The allegations for this opinion were they exactly calculated or put together amount so high as no assertion contained within the spheare of probability can overtop them The exceptions of Pererius and Maldonate against them are too weake albeit they touch not halfe so many as are diligently and accurately gathered by Dr Willet unto whose labours I referre such as desire further satisfaction in this point neither absolutely necessary nor altogether needlesse One or two reasons not alleaged by him come now to be discussed The first what manner of blessing it was which Melchisedech bestowed on Abraham Heb. 7. The second how the matter and manner of this blessing proves this Melchisedech to be Sem. 2 But what kind of blessing did our Apostle meane Verball only or by way of salutation So the people may blesse their Priests the worst of men their godliest Prelates and wretched'st beggers greatest Kings of such kind of blessing the maxime undoubtedly affirmed by our Apostle cannot be true Of what blessing then is it most undoubtedly true Of reall and solemne blessings authentiquely imparted ex officio as when a Bishop confirmeth children or by way of bequest as when the father bestowes an heritage with his blessing upon the Son As Abraham blessed Isaac Isaac Iacob Iacob Iuda and his Bretheren 3 Whom then may we imagine this man should be which in this sort blesled Abraham who was a man than whom there was none greater amongst the Sonnes of men none in his time Melchisedech only excepted so great in the Church of God No analogie either of sacred rule or of tenets joyntly maintained by the English and Romish Church concerning the never interrupted Succession of the true