perfect Sabbath hee had performed some part of the Lawe and thereby beene partaker with Christ in the worke of our Redemption Againe if Adam had continued in the image of God which is in righteousnesse and true holinesse vntill the Sabbath hee would haue performed the ordinances of the Sabbath which was to eate of the tree of life which was made for a Sacrament of conseruation vnto him and should not haue needed a Redeemer Hee did not eate of the Tree of Life for God after his fall setteth Cherubims to keepe the way of the Tree of Life least Adam eating should liue for euer Whereby it appeareth that if hee had eaten thereof before hee had not fallen Therefore it cannot be that Adam continued perfect vnto the Sabbath And further it is written Psal 49. Adam being in honour continueth not one night but is like to the beasts that perish Cedrenus a Greeke writer saith that Adam fell the sixt day of the first weeke Saint Augustine saith the woman streight way after her creation before she accompained with Adam became into the transgression otherwise Kaine had beene conceaued without sinne Theophilact vpon Matthew sayth that as man was formed the sixt day and did eate of the tree the sixt howre so Christ reforming man and healing the fall was fastened to the tree the sixt day and the sixt howre And in the storie of the creation in Genesis presently after the fall Moses speaketh of the Redemption And without wee compare the Creation with the Redemption wee misse of all For Adam to bee compared with Christ is the summe of all And wherefore should all the actions of the Redemption bee accomplished in such rarenesse except to bee aunswerable both to the fall and to the time of the fall Wherefore it is needfull wee should know our thraldome if wee will receaue comfort by the Redeemer thus First Christ the Restorer was borne of a Virgine Why because by a Virgine destruction came to the world Chrysostome compareth Eue and Marie together thus Eue beeing a Virgine hearing the wordes of the SERPENT and beleeuing them brought foorth DEATH The Virgine Marie hearing the wordes of the Angell Gabriel and beleeuing them brought foorth Life Againe why should Christ die on the sixt day rather than on the fifth or fourth And why was there darkenesse vntill the coole of the day rather than till the Sunne setting but to make the Redemption answerable to euery part of the fall because God according to the secret counsell of his owne will before the foundations of the earth were laide would make the Art of saluation so easie and the harmonie of the Bible so tuneable that no musicke in the world can bee more pleasant to the eare than the meditation of the loue of God towards vs in Christ is comfortable to the heart of man Therefore the meditation of Adams fall and the victorie of Christ ought to bee continually in our mindes Now compare Christ with Adam Adam Christ The first Adam was made a soule hauing life of earth earthly therefore by the earthly one came disobedience sinne iudgement condemnation death was created on the sixt day and did eate of the tree the sixt howre was made a man without a Father made not inferiour to the Angels lost all was tempted lost saluation at the time of eating was made ruler of the world and did not hold it did fall in the Garden his soule was in darkenes from the sixt houre vntil the ninth howre by breaking one commandement lost all was called to account at the ninth howre was debarred of the tree of life was driuen out of Paradise was the head of his Wife was a King Prophet Sacrificer liued a thousand yeeres wanting seuentie The second Adam was made a spirit giuing Life from heauen heauenlie thetefore by the heauenly one came obedience grace forgiuenesse iustification life reforming man healing the fall is fastened to the tree the sixt day the sixt howre was made a man without a Father made lower then the Angels is crowned with glory and all the Angels worship him being man whereby wee may know the world was made subiect to a man was tempted brought saluation to all at the time of eating was made ruler of the world and did hold it went into a Garden to recouer Adams fall in the garden when he suffered caused darkenes to couer the whole earth from the sixt howre till the ninth howre by fulfilling all the commaundements brought life to all at the ninth howre yeeldeth vp the Ghost and goeth to giue account to his Father is the true Tree of Life on that day openeth Paradise to the poore theefe the head of his Church was a King Prophet Sacrificer was borne seuentie yeeres before foure thousand BEcause these two Tables consist onely of numbers and that numbers in the scripture are great helpes for the vnderstanding of the same before wee come to speake of Seth it is not amisse to lay downe what numbers are of most vse in the Bible namely 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 12. 1 Expressing the vnion of the Godhead and from thence the vnitie of all godly as being members of one head Christ Iesus which is made plaine Psal 133. Behold how good and comely a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in vnitie c. 3 The distinguished Trinitie within which number many excellent things fall out still to put vs in minde of the vndeuidable coeternitie of Father Sonne and holy Spirite To shew that neither in eldest yongest or middlemost but in Gods free election standeth our eternall happinesse Adam Kaine Of Adam the eldest extreame wicked Abel Of Adam the eldest extreame wicked Seth. Of Adam the eldest extreame wicked Noah Iaphet Of Noah the youngest wicked Sem Of Noah the youngest wicked Cham. Of Noah the youngest wicked Terah Haran Of Terah the middlemost was wicked Nachor Of Terah the middlemost was wicked Abram Of Terah the middlemost was wicked Three Angels appeared to Abraham in his Tent. Three Fowers of precious stones were set in Aarons breast Three Things reserued in the Arke Three Taken vp in the old Testament and 3 in the new The Booke of the Lawe The pot of Manna and Aarons rod that did alwaies flourish Three Parts was Ierusalem diuided into Three Letters the root of euerie word in the Hebrew tongue Three Captiuities of the Iewes Three Times was the Temple grosly poluted by the Babilonians Antiochi Romanes Three Times a yeere were the Iewes bound to come to Ierusalem to giue account of their Religion Three Dayes and Nights was Ionas in the Whales belly Nights and dayes was Christ in the graue Iohns viz. Iohn Baptist Luk. 1. Iohn Euangelist Mat. 4. Iohn Marke Act. 12. Iob saued 3 Eliphaz Sophar Bildad Daniel saued 3 Ananias Azarias Mishael Noah saued 3 Sem. Cham. Iaphet In the 3. seuenth Iubile the Iewes felaway and then Ieremie said O earth earth earth Heare the word of the Lord
yeeres olde and three quarters answerable to the death of Christ at his death seeing his death was a figure of the death of Christ There is nothing precisely determined by the Scriptures and therefore it is left for vs to follow which we will This Isaack in respect of the commaundement of God that he should be offered vp and the obedience of Abraham in offering him was dead and was restored to Abraham as if he had beene risen from the dead He was offered on mount Moriah a part of the mountaine of Sion called afterwards Ierusalem Of this Christ speaketh O Ierusalem Ierusalem that thou sawest those things that concerne the peace but now they are hid from thine eyes therefore thou art Iebus that is troden downe God altereth the name of Moriah to Ierusalem because he would haue kept in memorie Abrahams obedience Sems religion and therefore giueth it a name comprehending both for in respect of Abraham he calleth it Iire Abraham giuing it the name Iehouah Iire that is in the mount will the Lord be seene In respect of Sem he keepeth the name of Salem still and so it is called Iire Salem the Sight of peace From this storie the Iewes might haue knowne the death of Christ seeing Christ compareth them together and yet by putting Christ to death haue saued the world though not heaped condemnation on their owne heads For as it was prophecied that one man must die for all the people so they might haue thus reasoned We know this is the Messias and that he must die for the sinnes of the people Isaack beeing a figure and this time wherein hee nowe is on the earth agreeing with Daniels seuens Therefore as Abraham offered vp Isaack so let the high sacrificer according to the lawe put him to death But then as Saint Peter speaketh if they had knowne this they would not haue crucified the Lord of glorie But as the windowes of Salomons Temple bee narrow without and wide within so Christ speaketh of parables that they are therefore spoken that in hearing they should not heare and in seeing they should not see least they should repent and bee saued The Authour to the Hebrewes sayth By faith Abraham offered vppe Isaack and hee that receiued the promise offered his onelie begotten sonne to whome it was saide In Isaack shall thy Seede bee called for thee considered that God was able to raise him vppe euen from the dead from whence hee receiued him also after a sorte Christ in the Gospell affirmeth That Abraham sawe my dayes that is in Isaack and reioyced God speaketh from heauen to Abraham in this sorte By my selfe haue I sworne because thou hast done this thing and haste not spared thine onely sonne therefore will I surely blesse thee In Rom. 8. Saint Paul speaketh thus What shall we say then to these things If God be on our side who can be against vs who spared not his owne sonne but gaue him to death for vs how shall he not with him giue vs all things also Compare Isaack with Christ Was not Abraham our father iustified by workes when he offered his son Isaack vpon the Altar Iam. 2. Isaack was bound Isaack after 3. daies was offred vp to death and after a sort reuiued to life God spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all to death Christ was bound Hauing suffred death riseth vp againe the third day to life 2145. Sara died Being 127. yeeres old She was buried in Canaan in the field of Machpelah which Abraham bought of the Hittites This place they would haue giuen Abraham freely for they confessed that hee was a prince of God amongst them but he would buy it because they should not say that they had made Abraham rich wherefore we must know if we will be godlie that all our life is but a pilgrimage and that wee are but straungers and that all our inheritance is nothing else but a place for buriall The Hebrewes expound Sarahs death a mortification and dying vnto sinne Rebecca is married to Isaack Gen. 25. When he is 40. yeeres old She is the daughter of Bethuel the sonne of Nachor the sonne of Terah and brother of Abraham her Grandfather Nachor was an idolatrer but her grandmother Milka is thought to bee of a good Religion in that two of her sonnes Bethuel and Kemuel haue El. the mightie God in their names Isaack goeth to Mesopotamia for a wife of his owne kinred for in Canaan there were none of his kinred and of the women of the lande he might not marrie Iacob his sonne likewise goeth to Mesopotamia to Laban the Brother of Rebecca and there taketh him wiues of the same kindred 2158. Sem died Gen. 11. This Sem was a great King and liued Sixe Hundred yeares as Noah before the flood He is called Melchisedech the King of peace Hee dwelt at Salem where his name continued Sixtie and fiue ages halfe One hundreth and thirtie answerable to Seth till that the Apostles receiued the holy Ghost after the ascention of Christ Hee is resembled to the Sonne of God Sems house beleeued that Christ should come till hee came and when he came they denyed him and were cut off 2160 Esau and Iacob borne Gen. 25. The first matter in this storie to bee considered is how the two twinnes in Rebeckahs wombe are called two nations Malachi speaking in the person of God saith I haue loued Iacob and hated Esau So Saint Paul saith to the Romanes Cap. 9. Ere they were borne it was sayd The elder shall serue the younger as it is written Esau haue I hated and Iacob haue I loued ESaus description is thus layd downe in the Scriptures First that he was hayrie that hee was of great courage and at his birth Iacob holdeth him by the heele God thereby shewing at their birth what should be the course of their liues afterwards Homer maketh mention that Vlisses ouerthrew Aiax by striking him on the leg The Greeke translators handle it so and call him Thermistes that is to say a Heeler Esau was a Hunter liuing like the Ruffians and Roysters of our time He selleth his birth-right for a messe of pottage for Iacob would not giue it vnto him except Esau would first sweare to sell him his birth right Saith Esau I am contented for it will bee so long ere it will be enioyed that I and my sonnes Sonne shal be dead first So with an oath he sold Iacob his birth-right therefore hee was called Edom Redde pottage No doubt Isaacks men knew this to bee a rare blessing and seeing he had despised it they must needs whensoeuer they called him Edom keepe his wickednesse in memorie for by this sale he despised Noah Sem Heber and Abraham and all his victories in the faith of which blessing Abraham ouercame so gloriously This is the first combate by the which Iacob a Heeler supplanteth Esau The whole posteritie of Esau bare the name of this infidelitie hee thought it a
in the Wildernesse Dauid referred all his actions to the building of the Temple And if we will truly be beloued all our actions must haue this end to aduance the glorie of God in his Temple Dauid had many enemies so that the 18. Psalme is a thankesgiuing to God for his deliuerance from them God would not haue his afflictions easie because the comfort and consolation in ouercomming should be sweeter and that he being the beloued of God and yet afflicted men might learne to leaue to trust to the happinesse in this life and thirst after the felicitie of the world to come Hee had enemies abrode and enemies at home As Adonay Absalom c. and in respect of this hee maketh the 86. Psalme The consideration of this is of great vse to euerie godly man in his priuate life Besides these he himselfe was his owne greatest enemie in seeing Vrias wife and coueting her and killing of Vrias Gods purpose in these great offences of the godly is wonderfull vpon this he sung the 51. Psalme shewing himselfe to be a spirituall Leapour more odious and detestable in the sight of God than the bodily leaprousie in the sight of men In the psalme there is a sentence vsed which Saint Paul applyeth in the new testament for he sayth then shall I teach thy way vnto the wicked and sinners shall be conuerted vnto thee And sayth Saint Paul God hath shewed mercie to me a sinner These fallings of Dauid are no warrant for any man to presume to doe the like But from hence ariseth a wonderfull comfort to the sinner which transgresseth by infirmitie to hope for forgiuenesse that so hee may bee free from desperation If Dauid being so glorious in conquests and other graces had not thus transgressed hee would haue been too proude but hee was therefore humbled that hee might thereby keepe the Commaundements of the Lord. Now let vs consider him in his learned affaires THe whole Booke of Psalmes are called Dauids but there be many which are none of his yet they are called Dauids psalmes because they bee in that volume All Dauids Psalmes haue relation to Moses and there is great vse of them to expound Moses For as Moses at his death blesseth Iuda the second psalme expounds that blessing and applyeth it to Christ Moses teacheth the Children of Israel to blesse in this sort Numb 6. The Lord blesse you and keepe you the Lord make his face to shine vpon you the Lord turne his louing countenance towards you and graunt you his peace Dauid in the 67. Psalme expounds this and telleth wherein this consisteth Hee beginneth in the like order that God would bee mercifull vnto vs and shew vs the light of his countenance This appeareth in that the earth knoweth his way and the Nations his sauing health When hee iudgeth the folke righteously and gouernes the Nations vpon the earth and then shall the earth increase therefore let the people praise thee o God yea let all the people praise thee by this one you may gather all the rest In Moses it is sayd that God did arise The 68. Psalme beginneth so Let God arise and his enemies shall be scattered There he sayth Thou art gone vp on high thou hast led captiuitie captiue and receiued gifts for men Saint Paul expounds this of Christ Ephes 4. Thus much for his Doctrine generally ABenezra an ancient Iew mooueth a doubt concerning Dauids Organes and Instruments of Musicke It may thus bee answered when they came from Egipt they had Organes and hauing one kinde it was lawfull to haue other kindes also The Prophets which knewe the Iewes should be trayned vp in ceremonies might vse these to the same purpose This is no warrant for the vse of them nowe seeing Ceremonies cease Concerning the ecclesiasticall discipline amongst the Iewes we shall see that Dauid durst not aduenture to appoint the Sacrificers whose turne should be first or second but they cast lots for it for as he was Prince ruler ouer the people so they were al Princes of the sanctuarie and therein equall with him When the Leuites tooke vpon them to be Kings they became Saduces and Malachi calleth this time the time of the curse Rabbi Leui Ben Gerson sheweth that though the Leuites had notable victories against the Antiochi yet they all died of violent deaths because they tooke the glorie from Iuda therefore God would not hold them vnpunished In the 22. Psalme Dauid as a prophet telleth what the Scribes and pharisees would doe vnto Christ and therein sheweth likewise the calling of the Gentiles He entituleth the Psalme the Hart of the morning that looke euen as the Hart is the pleasure of the beasts and the morning the glorie of the day so is Christ to the soules of those which beleeue in him As Dauid a great many yeares looketh to the death of Christ so must wee following Saint Peters rule look to the end of the world that from the meditation thereof wee may lift vp our heads knowing that our saluation is at hand Dauid knew of these contumelies against Christ by the spirite of prophesie but yet he must prooue the truth therof therefore imagineth the most outragious And surely we cannot imagine greater than that Christ should bee as one forsaken of God Besides what could bee more cruell than to giue vinegar to drinke to those which are sicke Dauid in his psalmes goeth further and compareth Melchisedech with Christ saying Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech and from thence descendeth to the calling of the heathen He shall smite in sunder the heads ouer diuers Nations He likewise in the 49. Psal mentioneth Adams Storie Adam being in honour continueth not one night but is as the beast that perisheth The summe of all is that as Paul taught nothing but Moses and the prophets so doth hee In that his Sonnes are wicked wee haue to learne that godlinesse is no inheritance neither doth it lineally descend from the Father to the Sonnes His afflictions may teach vs that the best men are not without the greatest calamities seeing there is no goodnesse in them And if their actions haue good successe it is because God doth blesse the whole state Thus much for Dauids Storie Salomon borne HIs name signifieth Peaceable so was his Kingdome and gouernement thereby to shew that Christ the King whome he representeth should giue peace passing all vnderstanding Hee was of Dauid by Bershabe This blemish the holy Ghost noteth to comfort vs in our infirmities and to keepe vs from desperation Salomon raigneth Fortie yeares THe Grecians say that Salomon was King at Twelue yeres of age The reason is because mention is made of him when Thamar was defloured and they cast it thus two yeares after the deflouring of Thamar Ammon is slaine for the which Absalom flyeth to Geshur and there hee remaineth three yeares afterwards hee is two yeares banisht from the presence of the King then he rebelleth
the vision wherein God restored these bones to life some reason they had thus to esteeme of themselues for they were carried away captiue the land of Iuda desolate for religion and the neighbours about them amazed In Babylon policie they could haue none nor any exercise of Religion If they prayed it must be after the manner of Daniel in his Chamber and so no doubt Ezra and Salathiel and the rest did So that their age was euen as a dead time in the world Besides God sayth Esay 52. My name is euill spoken of because of you amonge the heathen so that one of Babylon might say to his neighbour You see here a Nation vild and of no account yet they haue a hope that they shall be deliuered out of captiuitie after Seuentie yeares and here is one Ieremie which taketh a stone and casteth it into the Sea and so saith he head-long shall Babylon bee ouerthrowne and they haue one Daniel who prophecieth that the great King Nebuchadnetzar shall be a beast that is shall haue the heart of a Beast giuen him because hee doth not worship their God but haue destroyed their temple They despise to march with vs looking still for their deliuerance This no doubt would cause them to be hated and the name of God ill spoken of From this wee may gather a deepe meditation for our owne estate and to looke to our wayes that they be the Lords wayes and not our owne least through misbeleefe wee fall into the like sorrowes As Ezechiel compareth them to dead bones so they themselues were as men in graues for so the 126. Psalme speaketh When thou leddest captiuitie captiue then were wee like men that dreamed for wee thought no more that this had come to passe than the dreames which appeare from the vanitie of our thoughts Now if wee make vse of these things by comparing our state in this life with theirs in Babell wee shall doe well for may not euerie one of vs say with Iacob Genes 47. Our dayes are fewe and euill and full of sorrowe and wee doe not attaine to the dayes of our Fathers All the Kingdomes of the earth since this time in respect of their policie are called Babell In the Reuelation the godly are admonished to come out of Babell seeing they are Gods people otherwise they shall bee partakers of their plagues and as longe as wee liue wee shall bee in Babell and confusion our tongues so confounded as not able to speake the mysteries of God aright this is the case of euerie one of vs. Now the Iewes in Babylon seeing they cannot restore policie they perfourme outward obedience for ciuill actions and turning their faces to Ierusalem the sight of peace they praise God in their soules so we seeing our case is no better than theirs in this life wee must meditate on the Sonne of righteousnesse and settle our affections on high that after this life wee may enioy the heauenly Ierusalem our conscience hauing embraced that peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding not going about to restore policie but in intreating the Lord to teach vs to number our dayes that yet so we may apply our selues vnto wisedome To this purpose the 137. Psalme is full of comfort for we must consider there is no Land nor no law that can hinder vs to be godly And though there bee wicked lawes decreed as when Nebuchadnetzar erected the Image and commanded a worshipping of it yet their end is but to trie the faith of Gods Children that euen as Gold seuen times purified is not consumed but made more glorious so the Furnace seuen times more hot shall not so much as make our garments to smell thereof for God is in the middest of his chosen Thus much for the Seuentie yeares in generall Now a little for the particulars IT had three captiuities The one when Daniel was carried away The second Seuen yeres after when Ieconias was caried away The third eleauen yeres after when Sedechias was carried away so they were wholy but Fiftie yeares in captiuitie in Babel a full Iubilee this opinion hath been crossed but you shall see it must needs be so Then it is sayd that captiuitie begins when men are led captiue Besides seeing God calleth the people of the Iewes Daniels people and the Citie his Citie shall we thinke that hee being in such fauour with God God made no account of his captiuitie seeing by these titles giuen vnto him it is apparant God esteemed more of him than of all the men in the earth Further if you reckon it from Iehoiakims you then make it Seuentie seauen which is more than the scripture warrants Now for the place in Ezechiel from the time of our captiuitie It is certaine the Prophet there speaketh onely of the carrying away of the Kings Ieremie telleth that the Babylonians shall rule but Seuenty yeares and they must be in captiuitie but to them and therefore you must beginne your captiuitie from the time that Daniel was carried away otherwise you will make more or lesse than Seuentie Now if we examine why the Iewes would not beleeue this we shall finde the reason by a common disease amongst our selues For we all know we shall die but yet there is none so old but thinketh hee may liue till to morrow euen so they knewe they should bee ledde away captiue but euerie one perswaded himselfe not in his daies and so destruction came suddenly vppon them Besides there was a prophecie Habac. 1. I will worke a worke in your daies which you will not beleeue though one should tell you Saint Paul speaketh this to the Gentiles and applies it to Christ We may marke another thing Israel is carried away captiue in Hoseas time of whome this is not added that hee continued in the sinnes of Ieroboam and by this we may gather hee was the best of the Kings of Israel Iuda is carried captiue in Iehoiakims time and yet Manasses as wicked a King as he From hence wee see that Christ is Palmoni who numbreth wayeth and diuideth and the wicked shall drink vp their portion the iudgment of God which neither the goodnesse nor wickednesse of any can hinder to cause to come sooner or later Babylon the Lion 3401. Nebuchadnetzar raigned 45. yeares HIs name signifieth The bewayling of iudgment or the sorrowing of pouertyâ— this was true both in himself in the Iews whom he captiued In himselfe in that God being a fiery iudge sitting vpon a throne exalting Kings and putting downe Kings abased the high estate of Nebucadnetzar King of Babel and threw him from the house which he had built wherby he continued not in honour but was made like to the beasts that perish and compelled to bewaile his owne miserie It was true in the Iewes in that they forgetting the law of Moses Leuit. 26. neglected their Sabbaths erected Altars worshipped strange Gods and forsooke not the abhominations of the Nations whose land they possessed but in
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
their Fathers as Saint Paul prooueth in the Acts. This is a Meditation of great comfort if it be applyed to euerie ones conscience Now let vs consider the purpose of Samuel in erecting the Kingdome THis will appeare the plainer if wee looke a little backe vnto Moses actions Moses speaketh glorious things of Iuda yet hee himselfe giueth not the Land to Iuda but leaueth it to him in a Prophecie Iesus of Ephraim diuideth the Land and giueth the pleasant soyle to Iuda Samuel giueth to Iuda by annointing Dauid king so we see how his purpose and practise fulfilleth Moses prophesie concerning the kingdome of Iuda All these things in the Scripture haue their end to the strengthning of Christs kingdome If one of Iuda had diuided the Land and taken the best soyle to himselfe the heathen herein would haue thought it great partialitie therefore one of Ioseph diuideth the Land and refuseth to plant himselfe in the best soyle but giueth that glorie to Iuda Now we haue diuers comparisons between Samuel and Moses FIrst in their births their Mothers being verie old Moses name signifieth Drawne out of the waters and so strangely preserued Samuels name is asked of God and so strangely giuen Moses was brought vp in all the learning of the Egiptians Samuel brought vp in all spirituall learning Moses did rule and left not the kingdome to his posteritie but gaue it to Ioseph that so hee might giue it to Iuda So Samuel giueth it not to his Sonnes but annointeth Dauid of the Tribe of Iuda And so ought Leui to rule to teach others how to rule well but not to leaue a kingdome to his children They were both Kings so Moses testifieth of himselfe when there was no King in Israel They both made warres and were Conquerours and both ruled Fortie yeares The Iewes say hee ruled but thirteene yeares but by this they labor to disturbe the plainenesse of the Scriptures which will neuer be easie without the true vnderstanding of the Chronicle Samuel bringeth the Kingdome to Iuda by teaching the religion of god and maketh Schooles of Diuinitie and instructeth them to search Moses This continued in Esdras time and vnder the Antiochi so that as Moses recorded by writing Iudahs gouernment and continuance so Samuel taught it by expounding Moses and thereby established it Here I am to shew a speciall thing When Elias is to be taken vp one telleth Elizeus 2. King 2. Doest not thou knowe that thy Master shall be taken vp from thee If it bee demaunded how hee knewe this it may be thought he knew this from comparison of the ages For as Henoch the Seuenth was taken vp and Moses the Seuenth was buried by God no place remaining of his buriall so nowe in this Seuenth age they were to looke for some rare euent which was performed when Elias was taken vp There bee that thinke that by this kinde of teaching the Ceremonies of Moses are reuiued But they must know that the next way to abolish them is to know what they are and to what vse they serue If wee demaund the reason why God giueth not the gouernment to Iuda we shall see that it was because all Israel followed strange Gods not regarding the glorie of Shiloh And when as the Oxen which carried the Arke were released they went of their owne accord lowing to Iuda and Ieremie saith Marke what I haue done vnto Silo. Therefore to bring in the true worship of God it was necessarie to erect the kingdome in Samuel of Leui Whose gouernment continued Fortie yeares thereby to teach vs that till Religion bee well taught it is not easie to establish a good gouernment and this will bee long in learning Now followeth Sauls Storie SAVL His name signifieth Desired thereby shewing that he was desired of the people casting off the gouernment of God Hee was of the Tribe of Beniamin The prerogatiue that Beniamin hath the first King of his Tribe in that he was the leaft of the Tribes is no doubt an especiall fauour If it be demaunded why hee was of Beniamin before any of the rest of the Tribes this may bee the reason thereof Reuben had defiled his Fathers bed therefore it was no reason that hee should beare sway in the common wealth Simeon neuer shewed any signe of repentance but continued in malice therefore his crueltie must needs hinder him Leui was not to gouerne but to confirme others in the gouernment He must not be of Iuda because God did not choose him but the people for if God had chosen him his kingdome must haue beene established because the gifts of God are without repentance For Isachar and Zabulon the yonger must not bee preferred before the elder Then the Sonnes of the hand-maides to wit Dan and Nephtali by Bilha Gad and Aser by Zilpa must not be first preferred Iosephs pride cast him off for that glorie which he had in the time of the Iudges caused him to despise Iuda and therefore God saith Marke what I haue done to Silo so that of necessitie he must be of Beniamin Concerning Saul he was goodly and faire as any of the Children of Israel Thus the world regardeth onely outward respects but the Lord careth onely for them that feare him and iudgeth not as man iudgeth It is sayd of him 2. Sam. 1. His speare came neuer emptie home We haue a comparison betwixt him and Saul the Apostle for both were of the Tribe of Beniamin both persecuted Dauid the beloued the one for the kingdome the other for profession of the religion of Christ the true king of Dauids Kingdome both end the glorie of their Tribe When Saul is made King the tribe of Reuben might say vnto God O Lord how are wee despised for of all the Tribes we haue no glorie Wilt thou alwaies remember iustice God therefore to comfort them giueth them a conquest ouer the Hagarims by the slaughter of whom they enrich themselues Aser likewise might mourne and reason with God why he neuer looked on them in mercie God therefore giueth them this comfort Anna that is Grace the Daughter of Panuel See God of the happie Tribe of Aser prophecieth at the birth of Christ And surely if we sincerely embrace Christ Iesus wee shall haue the spirite of grace to shew vs the loue of God layd vp in Christ that thereby we may enioy all happines by this you may see the tribe of Aser had a great blessing In the Acts of the Apostles Chap. 4. one Ioses a Leuite of Cyprus selleth his possession and layeth his money at the Apostles feet and he is called the Son of Consolation for the Leuites were scattered in the Land and the Lord the God of Consolation was their inheritance Thus much for those things wherein Saul might seeme glorious Now for his Faults HIs fault was in that he disobeyed the commandement of God insparing Agag and reseruing the best of the spoyle vnto himselfe And in that he was enuious against Dauid and