A Briefe Discourse of the Scriptures Declaring the seuerall Stories Liues and Deaths of the Fathers from the Creation of Adam vnto the death of Ioseph Very necessarie to be read and practised for easie vnderstanding of the Scriptures in a short time Imprinted at London by W. White dwelling in Cow-lane 1614. THE PRINTER To the Reader THis short Treatise Christian Reader of The storie of the Fathers from Adam to Ioseph comming to my hands and beeing well approoued of by many godly and discreetly zealous men for the worthinesse of the subiect I was at the earnest request of sundry my especiall good Friendes drawne to commit it as thou seest to the Presse for the benefite of many Of the Author hereof I finde no mention yet likely it is to haue been penned by an Attendaunt on that learned Diuine M. H. B. as a collection from his Notes or Readings Perused it hath been before the authorizing thereof for the print by a Diuine of mature iudgement who corrected such thinges as he found faultie therein Read it without preiudice or partialitie and I doubt not but the profite which thou shalt reape thereby for the increase of thy knowledge in holy Scripture will preserue thee from all repenting of thy paines W. W. A Briefe Discourse of the Scriptures declaring the seuerall Stories Liues and Deaths of the Fathers from the creation of Adam vnto the death of Joseph very necessarie to be read and practised for easie vnderstanding of the Scriptures in a short time Jehouah our God Jehouah is one Deut. 6.4 IEHOVAH is a name of great force to driue vs to the due reuerence of Gods eternall Maiestie for it conteyneth the Wisedome Power and Eternitie of God His Wisedome In giuing a Name vnto himselfe answerable to the glorie of his Maiestie This Name was had in such reuerence among the Iewes that they trembled to name or read it but vsed the name Adonai Lord. After their cōming frō Babel they neuer vsed the name Jehouah but a name of twelue letters conteining Father Sonne and Holy spirit Jehouah hath in it the fiue Vowels which are the sinnewes of all Tongues And as without them no tongue can be expressed so without the true knowledge of Iehouah no flesh can be saued It signifieth Prayse mee the eternall God It conteineth in it Father Sonne and holy Ghost His Power In that from Iehouah all creatures haue their breathing and their being which also in Iehouah is closely expressed For as it consisteth of fiue vowels so hath it two hh which Sholers call Aspirations or Breathings which two Aspirations make vp the number of 7. which is the number of the Sabboth S. Paul closely alluding to the name of Iehouah sayth that from him we haue our breathing and our beeing and in Esay 57.16 the Lord sayth The blasting goeth foorth from me and is included in the body I made the breath So often therefore as we breath we are to remember the Power and Maiestie of Iehouah His Eternitie Is closely expressed in these three Letters י ו τ Whose terminations are Jod vavv be is a signe of the Futertense Presentense Preterperfectense This is made plaine in Apoc. 1.4 Who was is wil be to come Our God Herein is expressed the Humanitie of Christ for it is neither added to the Father the first person in Trinitie nor to the holy Ghost the third person but to the Sonne the second person who was to become ours by taking our nature vpon him Some hold it not to be meant of the Humanitie of Christ but for a word of separation of the God of the Iewes from the Gods of the Gentiles To remooue such absurditie the holy Ghost in Mark 12.29 when there was no difference betweene the Iew and the Gentile repeateth the very words of Moses Deut. 6.4 The Lord our God The Lord is one Thrise naming God as commaunding vs thereby to vnderstand Father Sonne and Holy spirit For this is alwayes to be obserued Whatsoeuer God speeketh of himselfe is to be taken in the heauenliest vnderstanding that can be made of it Iehouah our God Iehouah is one There be three in Heauen The Father the Worde and the Holy Spirit And these three are one 1. Iohn 5.7 The Trinitie is heere described to be one vnited Godhead distinguishable in persons but vndeuidable in coeternitie one in three and three in one GOD who Created Redeemed and Sanctified all One onely wise God who was shewed in the Flesh was iustified in the Spirit was seene among Angels was preached to the Gentiles was beleeued on in the World receiued vp into Glorie 1. Timo. 3.16 Which to know is the first and chiefest poynt of all saluation as Iohn 17.3 This is eternall life to know the Father and him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ Which must be obteined by the true vnderstanding of the Bible as Iohn 5.39 Search the Scriptures and in them ye shall find eternall life Some will say it is enough to know Christ crucified Pilate Herod and Iudas the traytor knew that yet went to eternall destruction Wherefore saluation consisteth not in outward knowledge but in renewing the spirit of our vnderstanding which standeth first in the knowledge and feare of God then in the knowing of our selues which are the first two steps to saluation For true Knowledge is the mother of Godlinesse and as the Eye is the light of the Body so is Vnderstanding the light of the Minde This a man hauing truly learned he is to meditate of the graces of Christ offered vnto vs by his Word God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the World c. Ephes 1.4 HErein we are to consider the louing kindnesse of God to exceed our desertes in louing vs to saluation before we were The Papistes hold merites of saluation which cannot any way hold seeing God of his vnspeakable grace hath elected vs vnto saluation before we knew him This mysterie of Gods Election is not fully receiued of all because men take not words of Scripture in their proper sense as they are layde downe Election is the eternall counsell of God for the sauing and reiecting of some before the beginning of the world The Heathen neuer receiued comfort by this for being told before of thinges afterward to come to passe they could not know the reason but thought that the actions of men were gouerned by the motions of Starres and the course of Nature and not by the decree or fore-purpose of God who worketh euery thing according to the counsell of his owne will not according to our reason Then some will say if God decreeth euery thing why punisheth he any thing It is answered that punishment commeth from God by the iust desert of the rancor of mans minde Election of his free grace which he bestoweth vpon whō he will as he saith Rom. 9.15 I will haue mercie on whom I will haue mercie Therefore the first thing we ought to know is our
striuing for darknes we become children of darknes so lose the light of eternall life as the Iewes and Romanes did whose recompence hath followed The one depriued of their earthly glorie the other aduanced to glorie to be a staine of eternall damnation In the begining was the word c. Iohn 1.1 THese words In the beginning are the first wordes in the old Testament whose first word in the Hebrew is Bara which consisteth according to the Hebrew of three letters which closely conteine in them Father Sonne and Holie Ghost as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Ben which singnifieth Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Abba which is Father and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Ruach Hakodesh which is the Holy spirit Thus the Trinity is closely contained in the first word but in the first verse is expressed in open wordes In the beginning God made heauen and earth and the spirit of God mooued vpon the waters and God said Let there be light This is expounded Iohn 1.1 in these wordes In the beginning was the Word the Word was with God and that Word was God shewing that Word in this place is taken for the Sonne of God by whom he made the world as Iohn 1.3 By him were all things created And Heb. 1.2 God made all things by his Sonne who ruleth all things by his mightie power Wherefore Christ in the dayes of his flesh chose the trade of a Carpenter Iohn 6.42 Math. 13.55 And in Esay 43.10 It is sayd This record you must beare me your selues saith the Lord that I am God and euen he I am from the beginning I doe the worke who shall let it Thus saith the Lord the holy one our redeemer Wherein is distinctly expressed Father Sonne and Holy Ghost He was the Light and that Light was the life of man Iohn 1.4 LIfe and light is not here carnally meant but spiritually To which two thinges Aaarons Iewell of Vrim and Thummim had a full relation Vrim signifying Light of the minde Thummim Perfection of vertue which bringeth life to the soule As Iohn 1.9 Christ is the true light that lightneth euery man And hee that abideth in this light hath euerlasting life 1. Iohn 1.5 God is light and in him is no darknes at all If wee walke in light euen as he is light then haue we fellowship with him and the blood of Iesus Christ shall giue vs life and cleanse vs from our sinne We the gentiles were darknes but now are light in the Lord. Ephes 5.8 The vnderstanding of the stories of the Bible doth giue a great light to the mind of man and the practise giueth life vnto euery one that embraceth them as Deut. 8.3 and Mat. 4.4 Man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God The despisers of religion continue in darknesse and light to them is death as 1. Iohn 2. 9. He that saith hee is in light and hateth his brother is in darknesse and walketh in darknesse and knoweth not whither he goeth because the darknesse hath blinded his eies 1. Iohn 5.11 But God hath giuen vs eternall life and that life is in his Sonne who layed downe his life for his Sheepe Iohn 10.15 Wherefore while wee haue light let vs walke beleeue in the light that we may be the children of the light Iohn 12.36 The first Adam was made of the Earth earthly c. The second was made a soule giuing life c. HEre before the comparison betweene Adam and Christ we are to consider the Creation wherein we are to vnderstand the Creation of the Heauen Earth and Sea all the hoast of them which doe consist of Wightes visible and inuisible Inuisible as Angels Visible as Sunne Moone Starres Fishes Fowles Plants Hearbs Grasse Beastes and such like which God created before he created Adam by Christ for Adams sake because he purposed not to take the nature of Angels or of any other creature but of Adam and that he might be knowne in his power and louing kindnesse to Adam by his workes For he fore-purposing to make Adam both King and Father of all the Earth would not haue his wittes entangled with cares for this life but to haue his affections setled on heauenly things that he might continue holy and blamelesse before him as Mat. 6.25 Take no care what you shall eate or what you shall drinke nor yet for your body what rayment you shall put on Behold the Fowles neither sow nor reape and your heauenly Father feedeth them Are yee not much better then they How much more then shall he doe the same for you For he knoweth yee haue need of all these thinges But first seeke the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse Math 6.33 For no mans life standeth in the aboundance of thinges which he possesseth Now followeth Adams creation HEe was made the sixt day as it is gathered in September of the dust of the earth vpon Mount Moriah which is a Mountaine adioyning to the gates of the Garden of Eden into which Garden hee was put to dresse it about sixe of the clocke in the morning as we account when men commonly goe to labour as should appeare by the Psal 104.23 where it is said Adam goeth foorth in the morning to his labour This is not particularly meant of Adam but generally of all men no doubt alluding to the time of Adams creation Hee had dominion giuen him ouer all things and witte like to an Angell to giue names to all Beastes free libertie to eate of all the Trees in the Garden The Tree of knowledge of good and ill onely excepted As if God should haue said vnto him as Moses afterwardes sayd to the Children of Israel I set heere before you life and death eate of the one and liue and eate of the other and die eternally Yet could not he be content with this glorious estate but did eate of the forbidden Fruite by the perswasion of the Woman which God framed out of Adams Ribbe and ioyned to him to be an helpe for him before they had continued in Paradice one day as it is written Psal 49.20 Adam being in honour continueth not a night but is like to the Beastes that perish which Woman was deceiued by the subtiltie of a Serpent that is of the Deuill speaking in a Serpent which Beast was fittest to possesse to the deceiuing of her because he excelled all other Beastes in the Field in witte For if an Asse had sayd so much to her as did the Serpent it is very likely shee would haue examined the cause further But hee hauing once been an Angell of light but not keeping his first originall being throwne downe from Heauen continuing his knowledge though he lost his vertue was not to seeke either for meanes matter or oportunitie enuying their estates to bring his murtherous purpose to passe for so is he called the Serpent the old Deuill or Satan who was a
sacrifices as being taught from Adam whose sacrifices were of two sortes Abel offered as appeareth in sinceritie of religion The other for outward ceremonie voyd of true religion Wherefore to Abel and his offering God had respect but to Kaine and his offering hee had no regard Wherefore Kaine being possessed with the Poyson of the Serpent enuied Abel because his workes were good and his owne euill and killed him and being asked of God why hee had slaine his brother in steede of asking pardon of God hee said that his fault was greater then that Gods mercie could forgiue it Against whom Saint Augustine cryeth vehemently that by how much lesse the mercie of God could be inferiour to the fault of Kaine seeing that to forgiue is a thing proper to God and to reuenge and punish is farre estranged from his nature by so much more great was the offence of Kaine in the wordes he said then in the murther he did seeing that by the stroke of the Sword hee tooke away but the life of his Brother but by the blasphemie of his tongue he gaue death to his owne soule To kill his Brother was euill done but to dispaire in Gods mercie was euen a transgression of the Diuell For more do we offend God to esteeme him without mercie then in any other sinne we commit against Man For which God curseth him giuing him a marke of a guiltie Conscience alwayes accusing him of sinne against God and inhumanitie against Nature Wherevpon he goeth vp downe wandring as one finding no rest or peace like an excommunicate person from the place of true Religion into the land of Nod which signifieth Fugitiue This Kaine was the eldest Sonne of Adam whom hee named Possession for so doth Kaine signifie as if he had gained a goodly Possession But seeing what might be the comfort of such Possession he calleth his other Sonne Abel that is Vanitie to shew that if a man haue neuer so large Kingdomes or Possessions or be neuer so nobly borne as Kaine was except the Sonne of God it is all but Vanitie and vexation of minde It is not to be vnderstood that Adam had now no more Children but Kaine and Abel for doubtlesse Adam had many more Children as may appeare by Kaines Storie For it is sayd that Kaine departed into the land of Nod and knew his Wife which must needes be Adams Daughter and married before the murder for we are not to thinke that Adam would afterward haue bestowed his Daughter vpon a Reprobate The holy Ghost nameth onely three of Adams Sonnes Kaine Abel and Seth to make a proportionable number answerable to the number of the letters of the wordes of the Holy tongue or the tongue of Adam For vpon three letters doth euery word in that tongue consist Kaine doth represent the afflicters of such as in this life esteemed the World and the pleasures thereof Vanitie which is Abel And Seth whose name signifieth Setled or Foundation to shew the assurance of his Fayth in the Promises of God to the confirming of our Fayth which was that from him must come that Seed of the Woman that should bruse the head of the Serpent This sentence they and wee and all the World were and are bound to take notice of For this we ought to know and beleeue so assuredly that wee might shew our selues setled vpon a sure Foundation not vpon Sandes where Sea and Wind may ouerthrow vs but vpon the Rocke Christ Iesus that our building may remaine as the Mount Sion and as the heauenly Ierusalem which is builded foure square of three foures of precious Stones that howsoeuer wee be tossed with afflictions of this life we may stand firme acknowledging Iehouah to be the one true and euerlasting God Father Sonne and Holy spirit and that his mercie is like to eternall Mountaines that cannot be remooued wherewith he loued vs vnto saluation before the foundation of the World Thus duely considering his Power and Wisedome in the particular actions of the Creation Adams fall the Promise of eternall life Adams Fayth and his Sacrifices the shadowes of our Redemption the Seauenth day and the vse thereof wee shall spend our dayes in beholding our end and neuer doe amisse sorrowing with a godly sorrow as Enosh whose name signifieth Sorrow did For as in our dayes so in his men fell from the true Religion of Adam of Seth and other Godly men which were then aliue turning the grace of God into wantonnesse marrying Wiues of Kaines poysoned seed respecting Beautie and other outward giftes rather then Vertue not remembring their Grandmother Enah that for beholding the Beautie of one forbidden Fruite commending it to Adam for the pleasantnes of the Taste and the vnlawfull desire that she had of diuelish Knowledge not long before was driuen out of Paradse whose blessing of Procreation was ioyned with sorrow of Conception Whose innocent Soule by breaking but one Commandement became guiltie of eternall death lost the whole glorie of Paradise and was driuen out into Mountaines as not worthy to enioy the benefite of the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden But Enosh being a Godly man and knowing that the fruites of worldly sorrow are likewise eternall Death and of Godly sorrow Repentance which word signifieth a changing of Iudgement from Ignorance to true Knowledge to the renewing of the spirit nameth his Sonne Kenan Contrite or Repenting or a looking backe into their impieties detesting their vaine conuersation to the killing of sinne in him selfe and to the imbracing of righteousnes For it is not onely required of a man to eschew euill but withal to do good to flie darknesse if we will enioy the light to follow the right way if we will not erre to auoy de the myre durt if we will be cleane and without spot and forbeare to be euill if we will begin to be good For it is not enough for a Valiant man to doe what he may but also he is bound to attempt nothing but what he ought And as repentance is the fruit of godly sorrow so thankfulnes to God for deliuerances from like trials proceedeth from Repentance Therefore Kenan the Contrite nameth his son Mahalaleel My praise God which none can doe effectually without a lowly minde sanctified first by Grace by the subduing of the flesh Mahalaleel knowing that such fruite is required of such a tree nameth his sonne Iared the Lowly which giftes of grace God bestoweth vpon such onely as he accepteth vnto himself as it is written Blessed is the man vnto whom God imputeth not his sin c. So that a man hauing thus purged himselfe from the iniquitie of wicked men marking the rules of Gods eternall Wisedome He shall be a vessell sanctified vnto honour meete for the vses of the Lord 2. Tim. 2.21 Therefore Iared the lowly nameth his sonne Henoch the Holy Now God commanding al men to direct their steps by the straight line of his word first layeth downe
Redemption answerable to euerie part of the Fall because God according to the secret counsell of his owne will before the foundations of the earth were layd would make the art of Saluation so easie and the harmonie of the Bible so tunable that no musicke in the world can be more pleasant to the eare then the meditation of the loue of God towardes vs in Christ is comfortable to the heart of man Therefore the meditation of Adams fall and the victorie of Christ ought to be continually in our mindes Adam dieth THe Hebrewes descant very strangely vpon the Arithmeticke of Adams yeares which he liued which were 930. vpon a sentence in the 24. of Iob where it is sayd All the dayes of man vpon earth are but a shadow as if hee should say All the dayes of Adam are but Abel for Adam in Hebrew signifieth Earth and Abell signifieth shadow or vanitie Whereby we are taught that from the Earth we came and to the Earth we must returne againe according to Gen. 3.19 Wee are also to vnderstand from hence that although God deferre his punishmentes yet hee is mindfull of his promises for not one tittle or iod of his Word shall passe as appeareth in Adams death which God before had promised and was accomplished though it were 930. yeares after Wherefore howsoeuer we be setled on the pleasures of this life or be aduanced to thrones of Maiestie as Adam was we are to know that it is but a Steward-ship bestowed vpon vs for a season and that in this world we are to looke for no abiding place for we are but Grasse we are consumed as Smoake our dayes come to an end A thousand yeares in Gods sight is as yesterday He turneth Adam to dust and sayth Returne to dust yee sonnes of Adam He bringeth our yeares to an end as it were a tale that is told Wherefore let vs pray to God with Moses To teach vs to number our dayes aright that we may apply our heartes vnto Wisedome Adam commeth short of 1000. yeares so much as is the dayes of mans life Iared Methushelah and Noah ouer-reached Adam in long life because of the power of the word of God Hee died about Mount Moriah where he was made He liued till he saw many Kings he himselfe the greatest and vntill he had erected a stately gouernement taught them humane artes who was fittest to doe it being a King to commaund whom he would and what he would and hauing witt excelling all the men in the world And as in a Princes court it is requisite to haue Noble men some higher and some lower and men of all degrees so Adam liued till he might haue a stately Court Now if a King should commaunde a Diuine to make Adams Will from his Storie he would make it in this sort O my Sonnes gather you togeather and harken vnto the wordes of your Father Adam the last that euer he shall speake vnto you I was voyde of saluation and enioyed not happinesse by disobeying which disobedience I then practised when I harkened to the perswasion of Heua and did eate the forbidden Fruite I then felt the heauie iudgementes of God against sinne and saw my nakednesse whereof I was ashamed Thereby I brought death vpon all my posteritie which Curse had continued if the Mercie of God had not remooued it by offering a Blessing in the Seede of the Woman I haue ruled you all the dayes of my life as a Father that you may learne to choose Gouernours which resemble Fathers in behauiour I haue instructed you to loue obey their gouernment you must know that as my saluation resteth vpon beliefe in the Seede of the Woman so must yours But the house of Kaine despising this and killing Abel a figure of him who by dying shall ouercome the power of the Serpent will cause the Flood to destroy the earth Few shall embrace this Doctrine for though eight be saued by the Arke yet seuen onely shall keepe sinceerely the beliefe in this Promise of the Seed of the Woman My dayes haue been long with the rest of your Fathers but the end of all flesh is come vpon mee for out of the Earth I came and to the Earth I must returne Now compare Christ with Adam The first Adam was made a soule hauing life of earth earthly therfore by the earthly one came Disobedience Sinne. Iudgement Condemnation Death The second Adam was wade a spirit giuing life from heauen heauenly Therefore by the heauenly one came Obedience Grace Forgiuenesse Iustification Life Adam was created on the sixt day did eate of the tree the sixt houre Was made a man without a Father made not inferior to the Angelles â— 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 darknes from the sixt houre vntill the ninth houre Christ Reforming man and healing the fall is fastened to the tree the sixt day and sixt houre Was made a man without a Father Made lower then the Angels is crowned with glory all the Angels worship him being man whereby we may know the world was made subiect to 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 darknesse to couer the whole earth from the sixt houre till the ninth houre Adam By breaking one Commandement lost all Was called to accompt the ninth houre Was debarred of the Tree of life Was driuen out of Paradise Was the head of his Wife was a King Prophet Sacrificer Liued 1000. yeares wanting 70. Christ By fulfilling all the Commandementes brought life to all At the ninth houre yeeldeth vp the ghost goeth to giue accompt to his Father Is the true Tree of life on that day openeth Paradise to the poore Theefe The Head of the Church was a King Prophet Sacrificer Was borne 70. yeares before 4000. Because these two Tables consist onely of Numbers and that Numbers in the Scriptures are great helpes for the vnderstanding of the same before we 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 ONE One Expressing the vnion of the God-head and from thence the vnitie of all Godly as being members of one head Christ Iesus which is made plaine Psal 133.1 Behold how good and comely a thing it is for Breathren to dwell togeather in vnitie THREE Three Expressing the distinguished Trinitie within which number many excellent things fall out still to put vs in minde of the vndeuidable coeternity of Father Sonne and Holy Spirit Adam Kaine Of Adam the eldest extreame wicked Abel Seth Noah Iaphet Sem Cham Of Noah the youngest wicked Terah Haran Nachor Of Terah the middlemost was wicked Abram To shew that neither in eldest youngest
for so long was hee in making it not because hee could not haue made it sooner for God could haue commanded it to be made with a word as well as he made all the world but to shew the patience and long suffring of God in sparing his iudgementes that they who would not heare the preaching of Noah might iustly be condemned Many thinges fall out in the Bible whose number are answerable to this of 120. yeares 120. Nations payde tribute to bring the Iewes home from Captiuitie The gouernment of the Persians was about 120. yeares 120. Seuerall Nations that is some of euery Nation were at Ierusalem after Christes Resurrection The Hebrewes descant very strangely with the letters of Iehouah and the 120. yeares wherein the Arke was in making thus Multiply 120. by the letter which is 5. then you haue 600. which is Noahs age at the Flood with the letter which is 10. then you haue 6000. The end of the world This is the consent of all the Hebrewes Heere is a doubt to be discussed concerning the wordes spoken in Gen. 6. The occasion of the doubt ariseth thus God sayth in Gen. 6.3 My spirit shall not alwayes striue with man his dayes shall be an hundred and twentie yeares In Gen. 5.32 Noahs age is reckoned and hee is then said to be Fiue hundred yeares old and begetteth Shem Cham and Iapheth When his age is reckoned againe at the Flood the summe is but Sixe hundreth yeares So that if the sixt Chapter be in time after the fifth and in the fifth Noah is 500. yeares old and that afterwards God saith The daies of all flesh shal be an hundreth tweentie yeares then Noah at the flood must be 620. yeares for put 120. to 500 and you haue 620. but his age at the Flood is but 600. Therfore some thinke that either the Chronicle is false or else the 20. yeares were shortened like as it was in Ierusalems straytes least no flesh should be saued To answere this doubt we must obserue that it is no reason in diuinitie that because a matter commeth or is made mention of in a Chapter afterwards that the time therefore of that storie or action followeth the Chapters or actions going before for this is but a circumstance of methode For Moses in penning the Scriptures vsed this order He layeth downe things of like nature together as Genealogies together such like though they differ in time because else he should make often repetion of the same thinges The obseruation of this caused the Hebrewes to set downe this Rule that Moses in penning his Storie doth not regard the circumstance of first latter To weete hee doth not set downe that in the first place which is first in time and so that which is latter in time afterwardes but sometimes that which is latter in the first place and that which is first in time in the last as the necessitie of the narration giueth occasion This being thus made plaine the doubt is easily discussed for neither is Noah 620. yeares old at the Flood neither are the yeares of the Flood any thing shortned but the Chronicle is altogeather true For if we referre the 120. yeares of the Flood 20. yeares before that Chapter in which it was sayd Noah was 500. yeares old and begot Sem Cham and Iaphet then doe we make all thinges agree without crossing one another and this of necessitie wee must needes doe For seeing God hath layde downe the generals in proper and plaine termes we must so cast the particulars that they may make the generall true and no way alter it Besides we haue a like example for although all the liues and deathes of the Fathers before the Flood are reckoned and summed vp togeather in one Chapter wee must not thinke that all their liues are precedent to the Chapters following For the Chronicles sheweth that Lamech liued 5. yeares before the Flood and Methushelahs death and the beginning of the Flood are very neare Euen so heere this sentence of the 120. yeares is to be counted before the fifth Chapter wherein Noahs age is reckoned and for the shortning of the dayes in Ierusalems besiedging the holy Ghost sayth it shall be so but for the shortning of the dayes at the Flood we haue no such warrant in Moses Therefore we are not to beleeue it Cxx. yeares begin Gen. 6. In which the spirit of Christ preached while the Arke was in making VPon this sentence there dependeth a great question whether Christ descended into Hell in his humane soule The cause why this question is necessarie to be handled is because diuers of the auncient Fathers hold opinion of Christes discent into Hell in his humane soule Whose opinions hauing been so superstitiously receiued haue drawen others of latter time into the like errours But if men would follow the plainnes laide downe in the Bible and with humilitie search it auoyding curiositie they need not trouble themselues with the errours of the Fathers The wordes of the text 1. Pet. 3.18 are these Christ was dead concerning the flesh but was quickned by the Spirit By the which he also went and preached to the spirits in prison which in times past disobeyed when once the long suffering of God abode in the dayes of Noah while the Arke was in making Now the words whereupon this error is grounded are these Christ being dead as concerning the flesh went and preached to the spirits in prison Vpon this they gather that the spirits mentioned there are meant those in Hell and went and preached that is after hee was dead But if wee compare these words with the residue and consider the time when this preaching was we shall see Saint Peter meaneth nothing lesse than the descending of Christs soule into hell For first the text saith Hee went and preached by the same spirit by which he was quickned This spirit is of necessitie the Godhead For what spirit was there that could loosen the sorrowes of death that they should not hold him and raise Christ from the dead but the Godhead of Christ Then the soules of all men Godly or vngodly being immortall cannot die and therefore this quickning cannot be meant of his humane soule for it needed none Besides we must consider to whom Saint Peter wrote to wit to the Iewes Now seeing Christ taught nothing but Moses and the Prophets and the Apostles nothing but what they learned of Christ with what conscience could Saint Peter write a storie to the Iewes of the seueere iustice of God which was neuer in Moses for Moses neuer mentioneth Christs descent into Hel there to cause the wicked to be more tormented Therefore seeing this old opinion gathered out of the workes of the fathers and bred by them maintaineth manifest absurdities we must seeke for another exposition If we consider the old Testament we shall find that Eliphaz in the booke of Iob. preacheth the same doctrine that S. Peter doth and therefore
Election The last is true Holines That this Election or louing kindnes of God toward vs is of the will of God according to the counsell of his owne will and not drawne from him by force by helpe of Saintes or as being by workes meritorious of the same it may appeare Esay 63.16 Abraham knoweth vs not neither is Israel acquainted with vs but thou Lord art our Father and Redeemer and of very louing kindnes thou hast redeemed vs thy name is Euerlaistng Rom. 8.34 It is Christ onely that maketh intercession for vs. Esay 43.25 I am hee onely which for mine owne selfes sake doe away thine offences and forget thy sinnes for what hast thou to make thee righteous with Thy first Father offended sore and thy Rulers haue sinned against me Thou art like a thing of naught thy time passeth away like a shadow Ier. I loue thee with an euerlasting loue therefore by my mercie haue I drawne thee to mee And Iohn 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father draw him as it is written Esay 54.13 They shall be all taught of God Esay 26.12 Lord thou hast wrought all our workes Phil. 2.13 It is God that worketh in you both the will and also the deed euen of his good will 2. Cor. 3.5 Wee are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but if wee be able the same commeth of God which made vs able Esay 51.12 Yea I euen I am hee that in all thinges giueth you consolation Psal 130.7 For with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plentious redemption 1. Pet. 1.2 Wee are elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through the sanctifying of the Spirit vnto obedience and sprinkling the blood of Iesus Christ Psal 90.2 Before the Mountaines were brought foorth or euer the Earth and the World were made thou art our God from euerlasting to euerlasting thou turnest man vnto dust and sayest returne ye sonnes of Adam Rom. 9.11 Before the Children were borne and when they had done neither good nor euill that the purpose of God might stand not by workes but by the Caller it was said The greater shall serue the lesser as it is written Mala. 1.2.3 Iacob haue I loued Esau haue I hated Iohn 13.18 I know whom I haue chosen Psal 135.6 Whatsoeuer the Lord pleased that did he in heauen and in earth and in the sea in all deepe places Rom. 11.5.6 There is a remnant left according to the election of grace If it be of grace then it is not now of workes for then grace is no more grace But if it be of workes then it is now no grace What then Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh but the Election hath obtained it 2. These 2.13 We are bound to giue thankes alwayes to God because that God hath from the beginning chosen vs to saluation through sanctifying of the spirit and through beleeuing of the truth to obtaine the glory of our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 8.30 Moreouer whom he appointed before them also hee called And whom he hath called them also hee iustified and whom he iustified them hee also glorified Now followeth the effect of Election either in respect of the Elect or Reiect And first for the Elect. THE Elect whom God in his mercie hath saued for his righteousnesse sake and not for their desertes he guideth by the grace of his holy Spirit as Rom. 8.14 As many as are led by the spirit of God they are the Sonnes of God Esay 43.7 All those that are called by my name I haue created fashioned and made for my honour Yet he leaueth them sometimes vnto themselues that they may acknowledge the weakenes of their owne nature as Noah Lot Iacob Dauid Salomon Peter and others but neuer suffereth them to fall quite away as appeareth Esay 54.8 A little while haue I forsaken thee but with great mercy will I take thee vp vnto mee When I was angry with thee I hid my face from thee for a little season but through euerlasting mercy haue I redeemed thee sayth the Lord thy Redeemer The Mountaines shall mooue and the Hilles shall fall downe but my Louing kindnesse shall not mooue and the bond of my peace shall not fall downe from thee sayth the Lord thy mercifull louer Psalm 37.23 The Lord ordereth a good mans going and maketh his way acceptable vnto himselfe Though he fall he shall not be cast away for the Lord vpholdeth him with his hand Psal 103.10 He dealeth not with them after their sinnes nor rewardeth them according to their wickednes but looke how the Heauen is in comparison of the Earth so great is his mercy towards them that feare him for he knoweth whereof they be made and he remembreth that they are but dust He saueth their life from destruction and crowneth them with mercy and louing kindnesse Esay 54.17 Loe this is the heritage of the Lords Seruants and their righteousnes commeth of mee sayth the Lord. The Reiect hee leaueth to their owne selues hardning their owne heartes that hee may haue occasion of iudgement against them Esay 57.20 They are like to the raging Sea that can not rest whose water fometh with the myre and grauell for they haue no peace with God The Winde shall blow them foorth and Vanitie shall take them all away they are like to Dust before the Winde and like to the Chaffe in a Sommer floore Psal 73.4 The Lord suffereth them to come in no perill of death but they are lusty and strong they come in no danger like other folke neither are they plagued like other men And this is the cause that they be so holden with pride and overwhelmed with crueltie their eyes swell with fatnesse and they doe euen what they lust They corrupt others and speake wicked blasphemie their talking is against the most highest Tush say they how shall God perceiue it is there knowledge in the most highest Loe these are the vngodly and these haue riches in possession Such were Kaine the wicked mockers before the floode Cham the builders of Babel the vncleane Citties Ismael Esau Pharaoh Moab Ammon The wicked oppressers Saul Absalon the Kings of Israel and the Kings of Babel Antiochus the vild Herod Pilate and Iudas the traytour and many others who brought vpon themselues iust cause of eternall condemnation Psa 73.18 The Lord hath set them in slipperie places and casteth them downe and destroyeth them Oh how suddenly doe they consume and perish and 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. 12.1 The Lord is more righteous then that he should be disputed with Ier. 18.6 They are in the hand of the Lord as the clay in the hand of the potter Rom. 9.21 God maketh of one lumpe of clay one vessell to honour another to dishonour What if
God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power knowen suffer with long patience the vessels of wrath appointed for destruction What art thou that disputest with God Esay 45.7 It is I that created the light and the darknes I make peace and trouble euen I the Lord doe all these thinges Woe be vnto him that striueth with his Maker the Pot-soerd with the Potter Sayth the Clay to the Potter What makest thou or thy worke serueth for nothing Woe be vnto him that sayth vnto his Father Why begattest thou and to his Mother Why barest thou Thus sayth the Lord euen the holy one and maker of Israel That their Sinne is the cause of their Condemnation and God not the author of it Prouerbs 29.6 The Sinne of the wicked is their owne snare Esay 50.1 For your Offences are you sold and because of your Transgression is your Mother forsaken Esay 59.2 Their Misdeedes haue separated them from their God and their Sinnes haue hid his face from them that he heareth them not They hope in vaine thinges imagining deceit and bringing foorth euill they breed Cockatrises egges and weaue the Spiders webbe who so eateth of their egges dieth but if one tread vpon them there commeth vp a Serpent Their deedes are the deedes of wickednes and the worke of robberie is in their handes Their feete runne to euill 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 goinges there is no equitie their wayes are so crooked that whosoeuer goeth therein knoweth of no peace And this is the cause They looke for light and loe it is darknesse 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 him selfe by his owne power and he susteineth him by his owne righteousnesse He putteth on wrath in stead of cloathing and taketh Ielousie about him for a cloake Like as when aman goeth forth wrathfully to recompence his enimies 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 hee will giue them an euerlasting name that shall not perish Esay 57.15 Thus sayth the high and excellent euen hee 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 humble Spirit doe I pitch my habitation Psal 104.35 As for sinners they shall be consumed out of the earth and the vngodly shall come to an end Psal 59.12 For the sinne of their mouth and for the wordes of their lippes they shall be taken in their pride And why Their preaching is of cursing and lyes Psal 62.4 Their deuise is onely how to put him out whom God hath exalted their delight is in lyes they giue good wordes with their mouth but curse with their heart Psalm 69.26 For they persecute him whom the Lord hath smitten and they talke how they may vexe him whom hee hath wounded 2. Thes 2.11 Therefore shall the Lord send them strong delusions that all they might be damned which beleeued not the trueth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnes and obeyed not the Gospell 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 51.4 That he may be iustified in his sayinges and cleare when he iudgeth That in the fulnesse of time all should be brought vnder one head Ephes 1.10 FVlnesse of time is here taken for the time of Christs death whose death should accomplish the ceremony and oblation and breake downe the wall betweene the Iewe and the Gentile When men should looke no longer for saluation onely from Ierusalem but should praise God euerie 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 Chittem in the second degree which are the Romanes to crucifie Christ the King 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 sons of Seth The Ladder by whom the Angels of God ascended and descended Shiloh Emmanuel the Lyon of the tribe of Iuda The Roote of Iessay The stone which the builders refused The true Manna That Spirituall Rocke that would giue wathers of Life The True Bread that came downe from heauen Hee vnto whom the crowne and Diademe did belong Michael who thought it no robbery to be equal with God The Stone that should punne Nebuchadnetzars Image to duste Palmonie the secrete Numberer Hee who wayeth numbreth and deuideth the Great Sheepheard of his sheepe The True Vine from whose sides doth proceede wine of euerlasting life Hee that came to do the will of his Father Iohn 4.10 Hee that met with the woman of Samaria at Iacobs well to whom he promised euerlasting water The Stumling 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 my righteousnes c. Wherfore 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 be vnto you Scribes and Pharises Hipocrites you can discerne the wind the weather but you know not the time of the comming of the sonne of man which they might haue knowen from Dan. 9.24 where the Angel Gabriel saith 70 Seauens or 490. yeeres are determined for the death of Christ the King the most holy to finish sinne to reconcile iniquitie to bring in Iustice to seale the vision prophet and to annoint the Most Holy By which we are constrained highly to esteeme of the knowledge of the times for they are of as great force to the vnderstanding of the Bible as the starres are in the heauens for giuing of light No part of the Bible but consisteth of time place or person If of time as one third part then the knowledge thereof is to be imbraced and in no respect to be despised as lightly regarding the vse thereof least
controuersie betweene the Women for the dead Child Christ at Twelue yeares of age is found disputing among the Doctors He likewise ordained Twelue Apostles and Twelue times did he appeare after his resurrection In the Reuelation of euery Tribe is sealed Twelue thousand The heauenly Ierusalem is described to haue Twelue Foundations of 12. precious Stones Twelue Gates and Twelue Angels and the Names written of the Twelue Apostles and through the Cittie there runneth a pure Riuer and on either side of the Riuer the Tree of Life which beareth Twelue manner of Fruites and beareth Fruite euery moneth in the yeare and the leaues of the Tree doe serue to heale the Nations with Now the reason why God in the beginning layde downe in close signification and such easie proportions the whole scope of his gouernment to the Worldes end is to shew that his Wisedome is infinite and that nothing in the Scriptures doth fall out by chaunce but by his forepurpose according to the secret counsel of his owne will to make vs still looke backe vnto the Creation Seth borne Gen. 5. when Adam is 130. yeares old ADam was make in the image of God Seth is begotten in the image of Adam to shew that whatsoeuer is borne of the flesh is flesh and whatsoeuer is borne of the spirit is spirit When Adam was 130. yeares old hee begetteth Seth being as may be gathered not one day more nor one day lesse And this rule serueth for all the Ten Fathers before the Flood The holy Ghost keeping an exact Chronicle of the times beginneth at Adam and so goeth forward laying downe the particular ages of the Fathers vnto the Flood saying When Adam is 130. yeares old Seth is borne Now if he had been one day more the number had not been perfect if one lesse it had not been exact We may better therefore conclud that all the ten Fathers were borne on the sixt day that is the day of Adams creation rather then on any other day seeing it can not well be denied and that it crosseth neither Storie nor rule of Religion Seth signifieth Setled or Foundation Hee knew the Creator and that the world should be founded vpon him Esay 58.11 The Wicked haue no sure foundation but are like to the Chaffe in a Summer floore But the Godly shall be like a fresh watred Garden and like the Fountaine of water that neuer leaueth running whose foundation is layde for many generations For as a Tree that hath sure rootes will beare many Branches so to be setled in Religion as Seth was many things will appeare to be of singular force Seth died being 912. yeares old Now compare him with Christ thus Seth His name signifieth Foundation He was begotten in the image of Adam Christ The Rocke and sure Foundation of his Church The very caracter of his Father Enosh borne when Seth is 105. yeares old In these numbers you haue 10. multiplyed by 10. and 5. which is the number of the letters of Iehouah HIs name signifieth Sorowfull Euery man is called sorowfull Enosh and the Hebrew tongue sometime calleth a man Enosh and sometimes Adam The Caldeans call a man Enosh but not Adam because they had not the antiquitie of the Creation of the world In Enosh his time Religion decayed in the house of God for which the Flood came and drowned the World This Sorrow is called a Godly sorrow to which the Lord hath added a Blessing as Mat. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourne for they shall receiue comfort And Ecclesiastes 7.5 Crauitie is better then laughter for when the countenaunce is heauie the heart is reformed And Christ in Luk. 6.21 sayth Blessed are yee that weepe now for yee shall laugh Christ being sorrowfull for the negligence of the Iewes knowing that they should be plagued for not embracing the Promise to Abraham Isaacke and Iacob weepeth ouer Ierusalem saying O Ierusalem Ierusalem O sight of peace O sight of peace If thou haddest knowen those thinges that belong to thy peace And so with griefe and sorrow of heart he leaueth off as not able to expresse the summe of his sorrow Againe with like sorrow he sayth How often would I haue gathered you togeather as a Henne gathereth her Chickens and you would not Enosh dyed being 905. yeares old Kenan borne when Enosh was 90. yeares old HIs name signifieth Contrite or small store Mat. 5.3 Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of heauen Esay 57.15 Thus sayth the High and Excellent euen hee 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 spirit doe I dwell that I may heale a troubled minde and a Contrite heart Psal 51.17 An humble and Contrite heart the Lord doth not despise Therefore shall euery godly man prayse the Lord without ceasing Kenan dyed being 910 yeares old Mahalaleel borne when Kenan was 70. yeares old You haue in this number ten seuens or seuen multiplyed by ten which is 70 which is the number of his natiuitie wherein you haue a sweete resemblance of the Creation of which number many excellent thinges are to be spoken which I will handle afterwardes THis name signifieth My prayse God Leah nameth her fourth sonne Iuda the Father of Shiloh Prayse God for so his name likewise signifieth The vse of this ought to be imbraced of all seeing it stretcheth to the saluation of all It appeareth hereby that the godly Fathers in auncient time had wonderfull regard in naming their Children For if you doe marke the whole Stories of the Bible you shall finde very few notable men whether they were godly or wicked but they containe rare matter in their names From Mahalaleel we are taught to Prayse God aright that is in sinceritie of spirit with sounde knowledge grounded vpon the trueth of his word David knowing that prayse giuing to God is not onely required at our hands but also at euery creatures in their kind biddeth the whole course of Nature Prayse the Lord. And in Psalm 47.6 hee sayth O sing prayses sing prayses vnto our God O sing prayses sing prayses vnto our King for the Lord is high and to be feared Hee is the great King vpon all the earth sing prayses therefore with vnderstanding Hee sheweth vs a reason in the 19. Psal 1. when he sayth The Heauens declare the glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handie worke One day telleth another one night certifieth another c. Therefore let the wordes of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be alway acceptable in thy sight O Lord my Locke and my Redeemer Whereby we are taught that the true prayse of God consisteth not onely in outward acknowledging of his workes and his iudgementes for that the wicked are often times compelled to confesse as Pharaoh Nebucadnetzar and others but we must prayse God so as that all our
will serue for an exposition Eliphaz resoneth with Iob thus Hast thou O Iob marked the way of the world wherein wicked men haue walked which were cut off by time and whose foundation was couered with waters which said vnto God depart from vs And yet what could he doe more for them he filled their houses with good thinges yet they refused the way of the Almightie So S. Peter speaketh that the spirit of God went in like manner as he is said to come downe at the ouerthrow of Babell by confounding their tongues and when he destroyed Sodome and Gomorrah preached in Noah to weete the time while the Arke was in making To whom to the Spirits now in prison Why because they sayd to God Depart from vs we will none of thy wayes Thus we see the wordes of S. Peter made plaine This time of 120. yeares Saint Peter calleth The patience and long suffering of God The Iewes in a Booke called Zoar expound S. Peters wordes in this sort The Lord commeth to plague the Wicked for their vnbeliefe sixe monethes with Water sixe monethes with Fire hotte and cold and sent them all to Gehenna which is Hell not that they meant so the storie of the word by plaine eye-sight controlling it but that the anger of God was as grieuous to their soules as the Waters of the flood which wrinckled their bodyes Christ in the Gospell compareth the Flood with the end of the World for in the dayes of Noah they had rich Iubal to feast them and cunning Tubalkain to delight them in building or such like deuises and faire Nahamah that they might marrie according as their eyes lusted till the Waters of the flood ouerwhelmed them so shall it be in the end of the World Eliphaz counselleth Iob that considering the end of these men hee should be at peace with God before our substance be cut off and the fire consumed the rest of them Iaphet borne when Noah was 500. yeares old HIs name signifieth Perswaded Hee was the eldest Sonne of Noah whereof many seeme to doubt which being examined by Scripture will appeare most certaine In Gen. 5.32 it is sayd Noah being 500. yeares old hee begetteth Sem Cham and Iapheth Now it is certaine they were not borne all at once for the plaine Storie crosseth that In Gen. 7.6 Noah is said to be Sixe hundreth yeares old and the Flood commeth Then hee must needes haue a Sonne that is 100. yeares old It could not be Sem for he was but an hundreth yeare old two yeare after the Flood Gen. 11.10 Neither was it Cham for hee was younger then Sem for Noah said Hee knew what his youngest Sonne had done The reason of this doubt ariseth because Sem is named first in Gen. 5.32 whom Moses penning the Storie long after placed first to shew that Sem was the most worthie and had the prerogatiue of first borne because Christ was to come from him according to the Promise made to Euah in Paradise The seede of the Woman shall breake the head of the Serpent Sem borne when Noah was 502. yeare old HIs name signifieth Name or Renowne Whereby we are to vnderstand that Noah had a wonderfull assurance of the Promise in Christ in calling him Sem or as we say Name And withall we are to seeke by the like fayth to be renowned that our Names may be written in the Booke of Life For Salomon sayth Pro. 22.1 Eccle. 7.3 A good Name is more worth then a precious Oyntment But God will put out their Names from vnder Heauen that flatter themselues in their wickednesse and whose roote beareth Gall and Wormewood as he commaunded Deut. 25.19 Put out the Name of Amalecke from vnder Heauen hee is the beginning of Nations but his latter end shall perish vtterly These numbers are the summe of the yeares from the Creation to the Flood which are gathered by the particular Natiuities of the ten Fathers before the Flood Adam 130. Seth. 105. Enosh 90. Kenan 70. Mahalaleel 65. Iared 162. Henoch 65. Methushelah 187. Lamech 182. Noah 600. These particulers being added they make the yeares of the world at the Flood 1656. ½ This halfe sheweth that at the Flood the dayes of man were shortned halfe in halfe as Psal 89.45 The Lord hath shortened the dayes of youth The Flood is brought vpon the old World c. THe Flood is a resemblance of the destruction of the world and was the greatest iudgement of the world till the world shal be consumed with fire Therefore the story of the Flood doth cause vs to consider of things past and to haue iudgement of things to come For in the Flood are rare examples concerning waighing numbring and diuiding It was 40. dayes in rayning the like time in abating God hath numbred waighed and diuided The second day of the seuenth moneth The times do shew that God doth waigh and number wonderfully all the affaires of men but men did not then know what God would doe because he had hardned their hearts and scorning Noah all his life time they were ashamed then to fly vnto him but the Flood came for the sinnes of man for the blood of Abell came the Flood and washt them all away Yea the very waters that were vnder the earth aduanced themselues aboue men Further in this storie of the Flood these three thinges are chiefely to be considered The Arke Persons that were saued Time of the continuance of the Flood And first for the Arke THe Arke was made about Mount Libanon where the Cedars for Salomons Temple were had and it was sixe score yeares in making Which time in S. Peter is called The long suffering of God The fourtie yeares in the Wildernesse was a famous thing but the making of the Arke was more famous and the time thrise so long Not any thing so famous as the Arke except the Lords death The proportion of height depth breadth are described Gen. 6.15 The height is the tenth part of the length The Beastes were in the middlemost place the fodder aboue the dung beneath And God bids vs marke the quantitie of all the Beastes of the earth by the bulke of the Arke There is much speach taken from the Arke to the Church but the consequent of the one followeth not in the other In the Arke were Beastes cleane and vncleane Some in the Arke did perish They that were out of the Arke did perish The Waters did hold vp the Arke In the Church are faythfull and vnfaythfull Some in the Church doe perish So the Turke being out of the Church doth perish The Waters doth wash them cleane away that are without The tossing vpon the waters doth represent the troubles which the Church of God is to endure in this life Againe no man of modestie but may know that it was no pleasant life for Noah all his familie to dwell a whole yeere vpon the waters and to abide the noysomnesse of all
kindes of Beasts in the Arke which came to the Arke at the appointment of God to the condemnation of all the world For it appeareth that the very bruite Beasts had more regard to themselues than the wicked mockers which despised the preaching of Noah and the making of the Arke who sayd where is the appearance of his comming Euer since the Fathers died all things continue in one state Winter Summer Spring Haruest c. And while they were thus saying the Flood comes and washeth away their foundations But saith S. Peter in this they are willingly ignorant for euen as before the Flood they married feasted builded goodlie houses c. euen to the day that Noah entred into the Arke and neuer thought the preaching of Noah true because all things continued still in the same sort they thought it vnpossible that the waters which were beneath the valleyes could couer the highest mountaines fifteene cubits and yet this they might haue knowen that as the waters in the Creation couered the earth till God commaunded them to goe to their Channell euen so againe at the commandement of God they could returne to couer it Saint Pteer therefore addeth that these men were willinglie ignorant The Arke rested vpon Mount Ararat which is a Mountaine in Armenia and signifieth Take away feare Whereby we are to note that Whosoeuer dwelleth vnder the defence of the most High and shall say vnto the Lord thou art my Hope my strong Hold and my GOD in whom I put my trust shall not be afrayde for any Terrour by night nor for the Arrow that flyeth by day for the Pestilence that walketh in darknesse nor the Sicknesse that destroyeth in the noone day For a thousand shall fall at their right hand and ten thousand at their left hand but they shall not be touched With their eyes shall they see the raward of the vngodly for the Lord is their hope and he hath set his house of defence very high With long life will hee satisfie them and through his louing kindnesse will hee shew them his saluation Let euery one therefore say The Lord is my Light and my Saluation whom then shall I feare The Lord is the strength of my life whereof then should I be afraid for in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his Tabernacle and set me vp vpon a Rocke of Stone Now compare Christ and the Arke togeather The Arke had a Dore by the which Noah and his houshold entred into it to the sauing of them Mount Ararat take away feare Christ Is the Dore by whom we enter into the Holy of Holiest to the sauing of our soules Is that Mount Ararat vpon whose shoulders if we rest we need not feare what man can doe vnto vs. The persons were Noah Iaphet Sem Cham and their Wiues Pas 30.3 The Lord hath brought my soule out of Hell kept my life from them that go downe to the pit By fayth Noah prepared the Arke to the sauing of his household Heb. 11.7 Noah Walked with God therefore it is certaine that the spirit of Christ preached by him For S. Peter giueth a rule The spirit of Christ spake in all the Prophets His calling was very glorious being made a Preacher to declare saluation to all which would beleeue in Christ How hee was receiued it is manifest seeing hee preuayled with a very few yet the word of God is not in vaine For seeing they refused the mercie of God offered in Christ it is certaine Noah would preach the Iudgements of God the other part of the Gospell which the Latines call Excommunication the Hebrewes The Lord commeth The Hebrewes and with them the Greeke Orators doe vse to feigne Prosopopeia which is a Conference or Communication when they meane to expresse thinges more at full So we may imagine Tubalkaine to say Surely Noah is an honest man and payeth well for his worke and hee hath with very great charges kept a great sort of Labourers these sixe score yeares What should hee meane by this Surely answereth Iubal I will tell you strange thinges Seuen of my best Rammes and seuen of my best Ewes ranne from my flocke right-foorth to the Arke there they went in And an other standing by replyeth I am sure I can tell sayth hee as great a maruell as this for comming by a Wood I saw a fearefull Lyon and a fierce Lyonesse and they went as gentlely by me as two Lambes not offering to doe me any hurt and came to the Arke and there were Plankes set and they went in Yea sayth an other I saw a huge Beare doe the like And so they might speake of the rest of the Beastes This might driue them to an amazednesse but this could not saue them And hereby it is apparant that it is not in our power to repent when we list for this is not repentance to be sorie for our sinnes there is no man so wicked but hath done so There must be also a turning to God which is neuer except we be lightned by his spirit The Lord vseth first to offer mercie which if it be contemned be hardeneth our heartes that thereby we may be made more fit for his iudgments C ham was saued in the Arke to be a scourge for all the rest And if you marke through the Bible you shall finde that God dealeth in the like seueritie For euery good Familie hath one of Chams impietie to persecute him ADAM had The Serpent to tempt him Abel had Kaine to kill him Isaack had Ismael to floute him Iacob had Esau to pursue him Ioseph had His owne brethren to sell him Iob had His Wife and Friends to reprooue him The Israelites had Pharaoh to afflict them Dauid had Saul and Absolon to persecute him The Iewes had The Babilonians The Medes Persians The Grecians The Syrogrecians to subdue them CHRIST had She Iewes and Romanes to Crucifie him The time of the continuance of the Flood is thus described IN the dayes of the Flood Moses teacheth two thinges the dayes of the Moneth and the dayes of the whole Yeare For he writeth that the Flood began the Seuenteenth day of the second Moneth that the Waters preuayled 150 dayes that the next day after 150. was the Seuenteenth day of the seuenth Moneth Sixe and fourty dayes had passed before the Flood for the Seuen and Fortie day I meane the Seuenteeth day of the Second moneth the Flood began Ioyne One Hundred and Fiftie with Sixe and Fortie they make plainely One hundred nintie and Sixe dayes which diuided by Thirite leaue Sixe exact moneths and the Seuenteenth dayes of the seuenth Moneth in which Moses writeth that the Arke rested Hereby it is most euident that in auncient time they had 30. dayes to a Moneth Moreouer a moderate expounder of Moses shall find 365. dayes in the yeare of the Flood thus The first day of the tenth Moneth 271. dayes from the beginning of the yeare the toppes of the
Mountaines were descouered Noah tarried yet 40. dayes When 311. daies were past then he sent foorth a Rauen which houered a long time he nameth not the time but as 7. vpon 7. in the Doue is expressed so 40. vpon 40. is here to be vnderstood So then there are daies 351. to which add the 14. last in which the Doue was twise sent foorth then you haue dayes 364. after the 14. daies in which the Doue returned not Moses reckneth the first day of the Moneth in these wordes In the 601. of the age of Noah the first day of the first Moneth the waters were dried vp Concerning the 5. dayes euery sixe yeares they make a leape Moneth the odde quarter of a day in 120. yeares make a leape Moneth Thus much for the vse of the Fathers before the Flood Now follow the Fathers after the Flood whose Storie conteineth vnto the Promise giuen vnto Abraham 427. yeares Some thing will I speake of the generall vse of them both togeather WEe haue two stayes the Fathers before the Flood and the Fathers after the Flood The summe of all is nothing else but to know God and him whom he sent Iesus Christ For surely the spirit of God hath in such plainnesse penned downe the Storie of the Scriptures that all the world must wonder at the wisedome of God layde downe so shortly and plainly Before the Flood he taught nothing but the Gospell adding to the doctrine thereof Kaines Murther and Lameches Adulterie And after the Flood we haue not ten notable Fathers as before For Terah the father of Abraham fell away and worshipped strange Gods And surely as the Sunne Moone and Starres are glorious and excellent for the distinguishing of times so are the Numbers of the ages of the Fathers And through the Scripture for the clearenes of the Word Times are generall or perticular Generall from Adam to the Flood and from thence to Abrahams promise from thence to the comming out of Egypt then to the building of Salomons Temple then to the burning thereof by the Babilonians and then to the end of the Captiuitie and from thence to the death of Christ These are the summe of all the Times the proofe of these is scattered through the Scriptures Thus much for the two Tables in generall After the Flood Noah and Sem be heere handled againe because their storie continued through and after the Flood Compare Noah with Adam and you shall see that Noah is another Adam Adam Was an husbandman Became into transgression by eating vnlawfully And Euah after their transgression seeing their nakednesse sewed Fig-tree leaues to couer them and the very same wordes that God spake to Adam in Paradise for ruling and increasing the very same he reneweth to Noah Had the tree of Life in Paradise for a seale of conseruation Had two younger Sonnes good the elder wicked Noah was an husbandman Became into transgression by drinking vnlawfully After his transgression hauing his nakednes vncouered is couered by Sem and Japhet Had the Rainebow as a couenant of preseruation Had two eldest Sonne good and the younger wicked Kaine the eldest sonne of Adam was cursed C ham the youngest sonne of Noah euen to Canaan his youngest son was cursed The one against nature killed his Brother The other against humanitie vncouered his Fathers nakednes Adam before the Flood might eate no Flesh Noah after the Flood might eate Flesh the Blood onely excepted because in the Blood of euery thing is the life and the life of euery thing will God require at euery creatures hand from the seueritie of which a commandement against Murther was giuen to Noah The reason why they might eate Flesh after the Flood and not before may be because the dayes of man being shortened at the Flood halfe in halfe the bodyes of men were afterwards of a more weake constitution and then you read first of planting of Vines for Wine which was added to be an helpe in digestion to the strengthning of the body and quickning of the vitall spirits as in Psalm 104.15 Wine doth make the heart glad and Oyle doth cause a chearefull countenance Noah was drunke and vncouered in the midst of his Tent and awaking from his Wine hee knew what his youngest Sonne had done and sayd Cursed be Canaan a slaue of slaules shall he be Now Noah would not curse Cham because God blessed him but hee cursed Canaan his Nephew the Sonne of Cham who as some suppose derided also his Grandfather Blessed be the God Sem. And God will perswade Iaphet to dwell in the Tents of Sem. Vpon these three sentences doe the chiefe Stories of the Bible depend For whatsoeuer plagues doth befall the Egiptians the Canaanites Ethiopians Blackemores Babylonians and such like is contained within Chams curse Whatsoeuer blessing is promised or performed to the Iewes is comprehended within Sems blessing Whatsoeuer promises of mercie and sauing health was prophecied of to the Gentiles is vnderstood vnder these words And God will perswade Iaphet to dwell in the Tents of Sem. The Prophet Noah spake not at random when he said Blessed be the God of Sem. But what is there spoken short in due time is drawen out longer and the not regarding the blessing to Sem doth make many thinges in the new Testament to be neglected And first for CHAM HIs name signifieth Hotte or Cholericke And those Countries did his Sonnes after the confusion of Tongues possesse namely in Africa in the South countrie C ham the Prince of Affricke the spreader of wickednesse inhabited the fourth part of the World with his Families His House neuer got any victorie but for some especiall punishment to be shewed vpon Sems house C ham had a curse in this world and doubtlesse in the world to come He had foure Sonnes The first Cush of whom came the Ethiopians or in our tongue Burnt-faces The second Mitzraijm of whom the Egiptians come for Mitzraijm doth signifie Egypt The third Put of whom the Lybians and Blackamores come And the fourth Canaan of whom the Canaanites come in whom the curse of Cham was pronounced notwithstanding it falleth out also in all his other Sonnes And as Canaan was a slaue of slaues so are they that are of the like infidelitie so that oftentimes for the horrible impietie of one man the whole Nation fareth the worse This Canaan had eleuen Sonnes and himselfe made the twelfe and his Countrie was called Canaan which once was Paradise And as Paradise to Adam resembled the state of Heauen so did the land of Canaan to the Israelites and the Iewes for it was a Land abounding with all good thinges In Paradise was the Tree of life in Canaan CHRIST was borne the true Tree of life Adam neglecting the true seruice of God in Paradice was driuen from thence The Iewes neglecting their Sabaothes and finally the knowledge of Christ were likewise driuen out of Canaan But as notwithstanding Adams fall saluation in Paradise was promised to
concludeth the Fathers vnder the number of Two and twentie Iacob is called The beloued of the Lord before hee was borne in which he is answerable to Dauid whose name signifieth Beloued and to our Sauiour Christ of whom it was said This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased ISaacke is blinde Sem Heber and Abraham being dead onely Esau and Iacob aliue to enioy the Blessing after Isaacks death Now if we examine the sequell we shall see that if Isaacke had not been blinde hee would for his part haue brought destruction vpon the whole eart for hee would haue blessed Esau who vpon any occasion would haue sould it and besides being verie wicked in despising it would haue brought the heauy wrath of God vpon his posteritie for disobedience Therefore his blindnesse was a great blessing euen as Saint Paul speaketh Eueriething turneth to the best to the children of God Isaacke willeth Esau to goe and kill him some Venision that his soule may blesse him before he die So the Prophets vse to desire meate before they prophecie that being refreshed they may be the fuller of spirite and cheerefulnesse The Hebrewes dispute from this place whether Isaacke was growne into pouertie Some thinke hee was by reason of the famine which fell in Canaan and because the Philistines kept not couenant with him for which cause Sampson afterwards taketh occasion to plague them and that iustly Aben Ezra is of this opinion Rebecca she heareth this Commandement of Isaacke knowing that speedinesse in despatching is oftentimes a great cause of aduantage willeth Iacob to goe and fetch a Kid that therof she might make pleasant meate for Isaacke Iacob is affraid she comforteth him for she had her warrant from God that the elder should serue the younger and therefore shee boldly aduentureth Hee commeth to Isaacke who supposeth him to bee Iacob by his voyce but feeling the roughnesse of his handes and necke is perswaded that it is Esau and blesseth him When he was blessed in commeth Esau with his venison and prayeth his Father to blesse him Isaacke was now astonied to thinke of this subtiltie His spirite must needs be full of feare to thinke how hee whom he would haue blessed the Lord would not choose Isaacke therefore seeing the euent acknowledgeth the election of God in Iacob and concludeth that he shall be blessed Now heere is a question to be handled when Iacob sayth I am thy sonne Esau and Isaacke answereth It is Iacobs voyce Whether Iacob doth lie or noe This answere of Iacobs if we expound in the best sence is no lie for then it is no more but a kind of speach called Ironia So God speaketh in Gen. 3.22 Behold the man is become as one of vs to know good and euill So Christ in the Gospell commeth to his Disciples and finding them asleepe sayth Sleepe hencefoorth Wee may answere it further thus Iacob in respect of the purpose of God which chose him for the blessed might very well be called the onely Sonne Besides in regard of ciuil right now he was his eldest Sonne seeing he had bought the Birth-right of Esau Whether it were a lye or no we will leaue it to God and we can not altogeather condemne this answere seeing God approoueth it by giuing Iacob the blessing Plato sayth When men are dead we cannot aske them what they meant Therefore wee must expounde their speaches and their actions to the best meaning And further wordes are not alwayes to be taken in proper kind of speaking for Abram defendeth himselfe that Sara was his Sister to wit the Daughter of his Father but not the Daughter of his Mother Joseph sweareth By the life of Pharaoh if you take the words as they lie in proper sence he sinned greatly and was euen for his oath the worst of all Iacobs Sonnes But Salamo-Iirkie expoundeth him thus By the life of Pharaoh you are Spies that is Pharaohs life is a Wormes life which in account is no life euen so are ye no Spies in truth though you may seeme so to be So likewise Hushas answereth Absalom for when Absalom saw Hushai Dauids Counseller he asketh him Is this thy kindnesse to thy friend Why wentest thou not with thy friend meaning Dauid Hushai answereth Nay but whom the Lord and his people and all the men of Israel chose his will I bee and with him will I dwell This sentence hath a double meaning either that he meant to serue Absalom or King Dauid Therefore when things are spoken doubtfully we must marke how men may in wit expound them Abraham died Gen. 25.78 being 175. yeares old Hee was buried in Hebron Heber died Gen. 11.16.17 being 464. yeares old Hee was the longest liuer of any that was borne after the Flood Ismael died being 137. yeares old THe Prophet Esay cap. 60.7 prophecying of the calling of the Gentiles nameth the two eldest Sonnes of Ismael Nebaioth and Kedar saying The Rammes of Nebaioth shall serue thee and the Sheepe of Kedar shall be gathered vnto thee Againe he nameth two of Abraham by Ketura Sheba and Seba which two names doe also containe the Gentiles by Cham and the Gentiles of Sem by Iocktan So that vnder the names of the most worthy Gentiles which are the Gentiles by Abraham hee sheweth the calling of all the Gentiles in the World Whereby we are taught that Israels posteritie was not wholly rooted out of the fauour of God as Ameleckes was Iacob goeth to Laban Gen. 28.5 HEe goeth into the Countrie of Mesopotamia to Laban there he serueth twentie yeares This Laban was the sonne of Bethuel and brother to Rebecca and of the house of Nachor the brother of Abraham and Haran who remayned in the land of the Caldies after Abrahams departure so that Laban though of Mesopotamia yet is neere kinsman to Iacob Iacob in this Iourney goeth ouer Iordan with his Staffe and Scrippe as closely and secretly as he could that thereby Esau might not know of his departure for Esau was mighty and as it appeareth afterwardes had a band of foure hundred men Iacob going to Haran stayeth by the way all night because the Sunne was downe and layde of the Stones of the place vnder his head and slept There hee seeth the vision of the Ladder and when he awaketh he sayth Surely the Lord was in this place and I was not ware of it Then he rose and tooke vp the Stones and made a Piller and called it Bethel for he sayd this is no other but the House of Iehouah and the Gate of Heauen Hee seeth a Ladder c. THis Ladder representeth Christ the foote on the Earth his Humanitie and the toppe reaching to Heau enhis Deitie the Angels of God ascending and descending the Mediations betwixt God and vs and the Lord standing aboue vpon it the readinesse of the Father to receiue our Prayers This is expounded Iohn 1.51 Yee shall see the Heauens open and the Angels of God