the Fishes of the Sea of their multiplication of the severall sorts of Fishes that are taken in every Moneth of their provision an Objection answered Chap. 14. Of the extent of providence to the earth and to the things that are in it of the form and figure of the earth of the stability and situation of the earth how it standeth in the water and out of the water five branches of comfort to Gods people drawn from the earths stability to prove the stability of the Church of Christ Chap. 15. That providence is visible in Herbs Plants and Trees that grow out of the earth of the variety of Herbs and Plants brought forth in every Moneth of the Lillies of the field Chap. 16. Of the extent of providence to the Beasts of the earth of a speciall providence in providing for Lions and other Beasts of prey Chap. 17. How the calling and labours of the Husbandman are directly subordinate to Gods providence Chap. 18. Of the speciall providence of God toward Men how God over-ruleth the hearts and wils of men yea of the greatest Kings and Princes and how the actions of men are swayed by Gods providence of Gods providence about things contingent a discourse upon Lots Chap. 19. How the steps and goings of men are ordered by Gods providence a discourse on the journey of the Wise men that came from the East to Ierusalem at the birth of Christ some Objections answered Chap. 20. How the good actions of men are under divine providence Chap. 21. How the evil actions of men are governed by Gods providence of Gods ends Satans ends and sinners ends in one and the same action Chap. 22. How Gods providence reacheth the habitations and dwellings of men Chap. 23. Of Gods providence concerning Marriage and in bringing man and wife together Chap. 24. Sect. 1. Of the speciall providence of God toward the godly in afflicting them an Objection answered Gods ends in afflicting them Sect. 2. Of Gods providence in preserving his people in afflictions Sect. 3. Of Gods delivering his people out of afflictions of the divers wayes God useth in their deliverance and how they are more than conquerours in afflictions shewed in five things Sect. 4. Of Gods providence in bringing about the salvation of his people Chap. 25. How Gods providence reacheth the wicked Sect. 1. Of his suffering the wicked to rage against his people a Question Whither a Christian may fly in time of persecution answered Sect. 2. Of Gods restraining the rage of the wicked shewed in divers particulars Sect. 3. Of the dreadfull executions God doth sometimes lay on wicked men many notable examples of Gods heavy judgements upon persecutors Chap. 26. Quest 1. How God governeth all things whether immediately by himself or mediately by second causes answered in two Theses an Objection answered Chap. 27. Quest 2. Whether Gods providence be immutable answered affirm Sect. 1. Sect. 2. Sect. 3. An Object against the immutability of Gods providence answered how God is said to repent c. Chap. 28. Divers Objections against this doctrine of Providence answered Object 1. answered Chap. 29. Object 2. answered in five things Chap. 30. Object 3. Object 4. answered Chap. 31. Divers Corollaries drawn from this doctrine of Providence Corol. 1. Corol. 2. Corol. 3. Chap. 32. Corol. 4. Corol. 5. Chap. 33. Corol. 6. Corol. 7. Chap. 34. Profitable Instructions arising from this doctrine of Providence Instruct 1. Chap. 35. Instruct 2. Chap. 36. Instruct 3. Chap. 37. Instruct 4. Chap. 38. Instruct 5. Chap. 39. Instruct 6. Chap. 40. Instruct 7. Chap. 41. Instruct 8. Chap. 42. The Conclusion consolatory to the Church of Christ The Authors cited in this Treatise A ABen Ezra Aelian nat Hist Ainsworth Ambrosius Alstedius Antoninus Aquila Athanasius Aulus Gellius Aquinas Ausonius Augustinus Arias Montanus Aristotle Aratus Aretius B B p Babington Sr Ri. Barckley Basilius Bastingius Beda Ben. Gorion D. Bernard R. Bern. on Ruth Benefield Beza Bodinus de Republ. Boetius de consol D. Boys Bucan loc com Bullinger Bucer D. Bright Brathwait C Callistratus Calvinus Camden Britan. Causinus Cassiodorus Cebes Theban Caelius Rhodig Carion Chron. Caryl Chald. Chemnitius Clapham Cant. Clapham Manual Clemens Alexand. Chrysippus Cratippus Cicero Cotton Caesar Comment Chrysostome Cyprian Com. Relig. Galliae M. Coverdale Crompton D Damascen De Dieu Diodati Discip de Temp. Dorotheus Dearing Dyonis Aereop Didacus Stella Danaeus Diodor. Sicul. Drexelius E Egesippus Euseb Eccl. Hist Euripides Euthymius Expl. ver Relig. F Frytschius Franzius Ferus Flac. Illyric Fox Act Mon. Fenner Catech. Th. Fuller G Genev. transl Gualter Greg. Magn. Greg. Nyssen Lud. Granat Greenhaw Goulart Gossen H Hagius Hesychius Hist Sinarum Herodotus Hebr. Hieronymus Hedf Sphinx Holcot Hooker Eccl. Pol. Hist novi orbis Homerus Hyperius Hesiod Hilarius Horatius I Ital. Annot. Josph Antiqu. B P Iuell Iul. Scalig. Junius Isidorus Iust Mart. Iuvenal Sat. K Keckerman Bp. King L Lactantius Levin Lemn Livius Lorinus Lumb Sent. Luther Lyps de const Lyra. Lyranus Lucanus M Marcellinus Macchiavel Menochius Maimony Morney Mayer Pet Mart. Moores Antidot Munst Cosmog Minut. Faelix Geo. More 's Demonstr N Gr. Nazianzen Niceph. Gregor Ios Nancler O Origen Ovid. Otho Casman Orpheus P Pacuvius Pareus Paulus Aemil. Philo Jud. Pompon laetus Petrarch Pemble Pineda Pet. du Moulin Perkins Plin. Nat. Hist Prideaux Pier. Hierogl Polan Synt. Procopius Prosper Perrerius Plutarch Pythagoras Publ. Mimus Dr Preston Q Quintillian Quint. Curt. R Rab. Sol. Iarch Remigius Rest fren estat Rolloc Rutherford S Salvian Senault B p Sanderson Seneca Septuagint Solinus Strabo Scultetus Stocke Suetonius Sutton Symmachus Synesius Socinus Struther Symson Synops. purior theol T Tacitus Dr Tailor Tertullian Theophilact Theodoret. Tremellius Talmud Thucyd. hist Turnbull V Vatablus Verron Phys Virgil. Vrsinus W R. Walker Weems Willet Wilkins Wolfius Woodward X Xenophon Z Zanchius Zegedin THE Eye and Wheel OF PROVIDENCE Joh. 5.17 But Jesus answered them My Father worketh hitherto and I work Chap. 1. The Text opened an Introduction to this Work THe words are an answer to the Jews that persecuted our Saviour and sought to slay him for healing one on the Sabbath-day that had been diseased thirty eight years Christ pleadeth with them in the defence of his fact to let them see and the world know that he had done nothing but what was lawfull and justifiable He might have told them what though it were unlawfull upon the sabbath-Sabbath-day to do any servile work except with limitation about the Sacrifices in the Temple Mat. 12.5 6. yet it 's lawfull to cure as I do for I use no work but do all by my Word now it was ever held lawfull to speak on the sabbath-Sabbath-day But by his answer he fully instructeth us in the doctrine of the Sabbath they might have remembred that he was Law-maker and Lord of the Sabbath and therefore not tied by the Law for though it be a Question in policy whether the Law made or the
God's wonderfull Providences He hath made his wonderfull workes to be remembred saith the Psalmist The Rabbines observe that the Children of the Jewes the night beforeth Passeover used to aske their parents why is it called the passeover th y answered because the Angel passed over and destroyed us not c. Thus ought we to speak publiquely of Gods great mercies for the benefit of our posterity to tell what God hath done for our soules that his glory may be declared among all Nations and his wonders among all people Joh. Menoch de republ Hebr. Psal 111.4 They are worthy our remembrance The works of his hand are verity and judgement vers 7. not onely the words of his mouth but also the works of his hand When we cannot find out God's mind in his word we may spell it out in his works God puts Israel in mind of their deliverance Deut. 8.2 Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these fourty years in the wildernesse c. I brought thee up out of the Land of Aegypt and redeemed thee out of the House of servants and I sent before thee Moses Aaron and Miriam O my people remember now what Balak King of Moab consulted and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal that ye may know the Righteousnesse of the Lord Mich. 6.4 5. Remember the former things of old Isa 46.9 All God's doings are very weighty in themselves and not to be forgotten When thou art apt to murmure for the want of any thing look upon the Rocks and remember how God made water to flow out of the Rock to the Israelites ready to perish for thirst When thou art in a straight and seest the water let that put thee in mind of God's dividing the red Sea When thou seest the Sun think how God can make it stand still for the good of his Children or go bacward to help forward our Faith Art thou persecuted Remember what God did to Pharoah Deut. 7.18 and to all Aegypt When thou art in affliction then is a time to remember God When my soul fainted within me I remembred the Lord saith Jonab chap. 2.7 When God remembred Jonah he remembred the Lord and praied unto him Many men have quick wits and fluent tongues yet are mute reporters of Gods Providences It is a great sinne to forget God or to be unmindfull of his works and Properties It is sad of the Children of Israel That they did evill in the sight of God and forgat the Lord their God Judg. 3.7 If David did as it were curse himself if he should forget Jerusalem Psal 137.5 6. what then shall happen to those that say to God depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy waies God complaineth of some that they had forgotten him daies without number Jerem. 2.32 many remember but a part of God his mercy to presume thereon Polan Syntag. de Gratiar actione utterly forgetting his judgements If we forget his word we forsake God if we obey it not we do the like Jerem. 32.33 If we play the Hypocrites we forget his Providence and so whensoever we are unmindfull of him we rush into any kind of sinne making not God our treasure for then our hearts would be with him Ah! how easily do men remember foolish jests vain sports and tricks of youth but how soon are the word and works of God forgotten by us David rouzeth up himself Psal 77.10 11 12. In priscis rebus veritas nòn ad unguem quaerenda Diodat to remember the years of the right hand of the most High To remember the works of the Lord and his wonders of old To meditate of all his workes and talk of all his doings If thou canst not remember particular daies labour to remember the years of the most high in antient things a generall knowledge is sufficient Here I must now commend the lawfull use of History there we may search after the proverbs and records of the Antients 1 Sam. 24.13 There we may see how others have demeaned themselves upon divers occasions and businesses of great importanec Historiae utilitas est magna faelicitatem participat c. Diodor. Sicul. lib. 1. de fabulos gestis It is as one observeth a prudent Sate Councellour by whose advice a Commonweale may be framed Governed reformed and preserved an army well marshalled and ordered Towns besieged and taken Enemies vanquished Kingdomes subdued and great victories obtained In it as in a clear Chrystall-glasse we may behold God's Providence governing the world Joh. Crompton's Sermon of marriage and the actions of men which have often strange and unexpected events and sometimes reach unto such ends as are quite contrary to the actors intentions it representeth to us the vices and vertues of great ones it leaves to posterity the worthy sayings and doings of men famous in their generation for the imitation of their survivors But above all Histories let us be carefull to read the Sacred Histories of God's wonderfull Providences towards his people this divideth time to us it acquainteth us with all the passages of Gods Providence that have been from the beginning of the world it keeps God's benefits fresh in our minds it perfumeth the memorial of the Godly making piety the more amiable it teacheth us by the examples of those Worthies that are there mentioned how we should carry our selves upon whom the ends of the world are come Now that we may the better rub up our memories we must make diligent enquiry after God's wonderfull works Eliphaz tells Job That he would not onely declare to him what himself had seen but also what wise men had told from their Fathers Job 15.17 18. We should ask of those that have the best and most experience we love to hear travellers discourse of other Countries especially those that know them by experience and albeit Art and Learning are good helpes yet he maketh the best Comment upon God's works that speaketh from holy experience What a shame is it then for old men to be children in understanding many old men are indeed profound in worldly wisedom but babes in other things so that even youths may teach the Senatours wisdom it is a great judgement when Counsell perisheth from the Antient Ezek. 7.6 Cyrus in Xenophon Xenophon reports that the Persians had a Law enjoyning all men to be silent when an Elder should speak Callistratus to give him the wall when they met him in the streets Hesychius and to set open and clear the passage waies when he should go any journey or voyage Monsieur Goulart's Vieillard In the Antient Roman Common-wealth great Reverence was done to old men and the Antient Grecians as Hesychius observeth gave Majestick titles to Old men the Counsels of Old men are more regarded than the strength of young men it 's the best Ornament of the hoary head to be full of Heavenly wisedome
the River Nilus he saw in a miraculous and prodigious manner the Moon coming out of the East being by course of nature in another Hemisphere and Horizon viz. full South with their Antipodes and about noon interposing it self between the Sun and the earth and there continuing by the space of three hours and then returning again to the East whereupon it is said he cryed out Aut Deus naturae patitur aut mundi machina dissolvitur Either the God of nature is now suffering some impediment and is by a greater than himself hindered or if that be impossible he hath determined to make a present dissolution of the world The course of nature was altered when the God of nature suffered Now for the largeness and extent of this darkness in regard of place divers are of divers opinions Some think that this was universall and over all the world because St. Luke saith there was darkness over all the earth of this opinion was Tertullian among the Ancients as Beza noteth Beza in Annot. sup Marc. 15.35 Gualt in Luc. 23. and Gualter in his Commentary upon these words But Lyra Calvin Beza Perkins and divers others be of another judgement sc that this darkness was in the Land of Jury only or at least but in some few neighbouring and near adjoyning Countreys Hereof they give divers conjecturall Reasons Reason 1. Because Lyra saith there cannot be a generall or universall Eclipse of the Sun over all the world at once as aforesaid but being miraculous it might therefore not to insist upon that 2. Calvin Beza and Mr Perkins affirm that if it had been universall it 's not unlikely but that all Historians of those tintes both Greek and Latin would have mentioned it but many they say say nothing of it and but some few speak of it 3. Also they say It had been less miraculous and prodigious and not so likely to portend the ruine of the Jews if it had been common to others as well as to them but to be appropriate and peculiar to them only might well be thought fatall Beza saith likewise It 's the more probable opinion because it hath more resemblance to a miracle of the like nature Exod. 10. where it 's said that by the space of three dayes there was gross and palpable darkness over the whole Land of Aegypt but light in the Land of Goshen where the children of Israel dwelt So here for the space of three hours there was darkness over the Land of Juda but light over all the world besides Object If the words of the Text be alleadged viz. that there was darkness over all the earth Resp 1. Then their answer is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 terram pro regione the Earth or Land put for the Land of Canaan only as Mat. 9.26 Luk. 4.25 as for the Epistle of Dionysius before-mentioned it is counterfeit and therefore of no credit but may be a fabulous fiction 2. It might signifie portend and admonish them of the great judgement of God shortly to ensue upon that Nation viz. that as when Christ suffered there was darkness over the Land of Jury only whereas all the world besides enjoyed the benefit of the light of the Sun so shortly after spirituall darkness and blindness of mind was to surprize and seize on that Nation because they refused the light that shined among them and was offered to them whereas unto all other Nations the Sun of righteousness more clearly shined in the preaching of the Gospel Mal. 4.1 2 3. 2 Cor. 3.14 c. 3. This miraculous Eclipse of the Sun confuteth the folly of the Jews and declareth them to be much deceived in thinking and saying Christ was a deceiver who was no less than the Lord of glory the Messiah and Saviour of the world and this appeared in that all the Creatures did him homage and suffered together with their Creator 4. It sheweth the horribleness and hainous nature of sin so provoking God to anger as at the punishment thereof he even seems to turn the whole course of nature topsie-turvy or upside down Also it may admonish us that the price of our redemption was no trifle or small matter it costing no less than if the Sun should have fallen from Heaven to earth A wise Captain or Housholder will not easily be induced to alter the course and order of his government in his Camp or Family much less will God alter his government of the world notwithstanding now he did even disordering as it were the whole order of nature to set our disorders to rights again CHAP. X. Of the extent of Providence to the Stars of their order variety and use how they are for signs and for seasons and for dayes and years a discourse on the Star that led the Wise men to Christ FRom the Sun and Moon let us proceed to the Stars Stellae sunt corpora luminaria coelestia verbo Dei in Firmamento collocara ad illuminandam totam machinam sublunarem Alsted Theol. Natural part 2. c. 6. which God hath made also to rule the night Psal 136.6 wherein Gods Providence will much appear They are celestiall and shining bodies called Stars of light Psal 148.3 they were all made at the first immediately by God himself they are placed likewise in their severall orbs Philosophers say that the Stars are nothing but the thicker part of all the Heavens made in the Heavens of the matter of the Heavens God likewise hath set and placed them in the Heavens in a most beautifull order of these some are fixed some are wandring Stars or Planets they difer one from another in glory 1 Cor. 15.41 they are innumerable God alone knoweth the number of them and calleth them all by names Psal 147.4 Some of the Stars or Constellations have names in Scripture Ainsworth in Gen. 1. Ursa major or Acturus are seven Stars near the North Pole called of some Charls wain as Mazzaroth or Mazzaloth Arctururs Orion Pleiades Job 38.31 32. Job 9.9 Amos. 5.8 Ainsworth saith They may well be Englished water-Stars winter-Stars thunder-Stars and the like The Stars have their courses periods and revolutions taking the tracks and wayes which were traced out to them from East to West at their Creation from that time they have cast their favourable aspects and their influences have fallen upon the earth Ut Sol maximus est omnium syderum ita minimus est Mercurius post eum Luna Soli propemodum par videtur nobis quod citima vicinissima terrae sit Perrer in Gen. 1. observing inviolably and with great respect the Orders and Laws of their Creation As the Sun is the Prince of all the heavenly lights and the greatest of the Stars so Mercury is the least and after him the Moon though she seem to us of equall bigness with the Sun yet is she not so but seemeth great unto us because she is nearest to the earth God hath
an habitation for himself on a rock Sometime the fear of bodily wants makes men leave their home their native soil their friends and kinred to go into a strange Countrey so forcible is nature for the preservation of corporal life which man so much esteemeth Thus in a time of famine in the Land Elimelech his wife and his two sons went from Bethlehem-judah to sojourn in the Land of Moab Ruth 1. all this came to passe by the Providence of God that hath all things at his disposing that no man may think himself securely setled which consideration should much humble men when they are driven out from their habitations or their dwelling houses are taken from them and when they peaceably enjoy them to stir them up to use them to the furtherance of God's glory and day by day to praise God for the comfortable use we have of them If God call any of us to dwell in such a place where he hath given us great possessions rich inheritances fair houses pleasant gardens Orchyards store of cattel c. Let us say of them these hath the most High divided to me He divided to the Nations their inheritance when he separated the sonnes of Adam he set the beunds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel Deut. 32.8 It becometh every one to do good in that place where the Providence of God hath cast him At the espousals of Boaz and Ruth the Elders and Inhabitants of Bethlehem pray that he might do worthily in Ephratah and be famous in Israel Ruth 4.11 12. Bethlehem was the place of Boaz his dwelling here lay his Estate and Inheritance there must every good man labour to do much good in the place where God hath seated him either by course of inheritance or by any other honest and lawfull means of possession It is noted of our Saviour That he first executed his Ministry where he had been brought up Luke 4.16 They are much too blame that forsake their own houses and get houses in desolate places where none can find them God for this even threatneth That many houses great and fair should be desolate without an inhabitant Isa 5.9 Men bring that judgement upon themselves to runne away from the houses which God hath called them to dwell in leaving Ziim and Ohim to lodge Ostriches and Satyrs to dwell there CHAP. XXIII Of Gods Providence concerning Marriage and in bringing Man and Wife together Some Objections answered 6. ORder may require that I speak something of God's Providence touching Marriage God having finished his works and furnished the world with all kind of creatures and set Adam to be Lord and Ruler over them Genes 1.26 and put him in Paradise a place of all delight yet in his wisdome saw that there was something wanting to him for the time to come as Zanchy saith viz. a meet mate and comfortable companion which could not be found among all the Creatures the Angels being too high for him and wanting bodies and all other Creatures too low and base for him and wanting reasonable souls therefore he resolveth that some course must speedily be taken whereby such a supply might be made as nothing might be wanting to him Aut ad esse aut ad benè esse either to his being or well-being and to this purpose he consulteth or deliberateth about the businesse The Lord God said It is not good that the man should be alone c. Genes 2.18 That this consultation was not with the Angels Lombard l. 2. distinct 16. the master of the Sentences proveth affirming That God and they had not the same Image and therefore God did not speak to them Pet. Martyr loc com 12. p. 89. Peter Martyr likewise speaking of the Creation of the Angels giveth this as a reason why there is nothing particularly said thereof lest they might have been imagined to have been joyned in commission with God and to have helped him in the making of other creatures and so might have been worshipped and Idolatry committed nor could he speak to or consult with the Elements for they were livelesse and senslesse creatures and meer passive principles nor did he speak of himself being but one in the plural number Junius Tremel in Gen. 1. more magnatum after the manner of great men for that custome as the Learned have observed was not so ancient as to be begun by the Ancient of dayes In a word it 's an undoubted truth that the consultation was held by the three Persons of the Trinity and it were no hard matter to prove out of the two Hebrew words Jehovah Elohim the one of the singular number the other of the plural an Unity of Essence and a plurality of Persons in the God-head or Divine Nature In the consultation we may observe 1. A Declaration of something that God saw to be wanting to Adam before Eve was made in these words It is not good that the man should be alone 2. A Determination to make a supply of it by making an help meet for him Object 1. But God here and the Apostle Paul seem not to agree for God saith It is not good for man to be alone and Paul saith It were good for a man not to touch a woman that is to be alone and not to marry if he can contain Resp. Some answer That God in Gen. 2. spake Lyra Bucan loc com of mankind which was then in Adam that it was not good to be alone for them how should there be procreation and a preservation of the Species but Paul of particular persons having the gift of continency So that God might speak de bono publico specifico and Paul de bono privato individuali But the sounder answer is to distinguish of the times wherein both speeches were uttered and then we shall see both true and no contradiction between them God spake in Genesis of a woman in her first estate by creation and so she was a part of man's perfection who was but half himself till he had her but Paul speaks of men and women in the state of corruption wherein by reason of sin many inconveniences follow married persons at first in time of man's innocency it was absolutely and simply good for man to marry that by this means he might have children and also have a companion and comforter but now sinne hath so infected all estates as that which was simply good is become indifferent yea sowr-sweet it hath as much gall as honey in it yea it hath rather moe than lesse inconveniences than single life for in the 28th verse of this Chapter he saith That such i. e. married persons shall have troubles in the flesh not that unmarried persons shall escape and have none but because comparatively married persons shall have most and be tied to some discommodities from which the other may be free Ambrose saith Bona sunt vincula nuptiarum sed vincula
man fly he is in worse case than he was before as for instance Thou retainest to some great man in the world thereby to make him thy friend and thou supposest thy self secure and yet for all that there are such uncertainties in the world and the falls of great men are so common that when thou hast gotten thee such a refuge thou hast a great deal more cause to fear than thou hadst before but they are not only secure but blessed that put their trust in God Psal 2. ult Sect. 3. Of Gods delivering his people out of afflictions of the divers wayes God useth in their deliverance and how they are more than conquerours in afflictions shewed in five things When Godfrey of Bovillon besieged Jerusalem the Sultan having taught Pigeons to carry messages dispatched one of them with a letter which she bare under her wings to give advice to the besieged but by providence a Hawk seizing on her over the Christian army took her and made her to let fall what she carried to inform ours of the enemies designs Paul Aemil. l. 4. NOw as God doth by his providence preserve his people in afflictions so he doth deliver them out of afflictions Thou hast enlarged me or set me at liberty when I was in distresse saith David Psal 4.1 He shall pluck my feet out of the net saith he Psal 25.14 Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers the snare is broken and we are escaped Psal 124.7 Many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of them all Psal 34.19 As God is the authour of afflictions so he is the moderatour and remover of them He casteth down and he comforteth 1 Sam. 2.6 7. After two dayes saith the Prophet he will revive us and the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight Hos 6.1 2. Though God afflict and correct his children for a time yet he will find a time likewise to comfort and deliver them Those words of the Prophet are by divers diversly expounded 1. The opinion of the Jewish Rabbines Some of the Jewes by the first day understand the time that the old Israelites their fathers were in bondage in Aegypt whereof we may read at large in the eleven first Chapters of Exodus and by the second day their captivity in Babylon and Assyria the one whereof viz. the carrying of Israel into Assyria hapned in the ninth year of Hoshea sonne of Elah King of Israel who is taken with his people and carried away by Salmanesar 2 Kings 17.6 The other in the eleventh year of Zedekiah King of Judah who likewise was taken and carried away with his people by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon 2 King 25. in which captivities the poor people seemed destitute and desolate like dead men buried and quite forgotten but the third day say they the Messiah shall deliver them and restore them to their former or greater glory But we Christians know that though Christ were a King yet his Kingdome was not of this world as he told Pilate Joh. 18.36 and that the deliverances he bestoweth on his people are not temporal for the most part This Jewish conceit therefore is more subtil than sound more witty than weighty 2. Others by the first day understand the time after the building of Solomon's Temple during which they often sustained many troubles being sometime besieged by their enemies by forreign wars and sometime falling soul among themselves by civil differences and dissentions and at last they are carried captive in Babylon By the second day they understand the time of their return from Babylon by commission from King Cyrus under the conduct of Zerubbabel Ezra 1. and after the building of their second Temple during which time they endured many hot assaults and bitter battails and at last have their City taken and Temple utterly ruinated and destroyed by the Romans And by the third day they understand the deliverance that the Messiah should bestow upon them which if they would expound of a spiritual deliverance of all the faithfull among them from the service of sin and Satan we would go with them but because they dream or rather dote of a temporal deliverance which shall never be leaving God's word we must leave them 3. Others by these two dayes understand a short time Brevi redinte grabit nos Tremel ad loc a certain time being put for an uncertain So David tells us His anger endureth but for a moment but in his favour is life weeping or heavinesse may endure for a night but joy will come in the morning Psal 30.5 4. Most of the Ancients make it a plain Prophecy and Prediction of Christ's Passion and Resurrection or of his two-fold Estates viz. of Humiliation on Earth and Glorification in Heaven Doroth. Episco Tyr. in vit Os◠Prophet as Dorotheus an old Bishop of Tyrus who lived in the dayes of Constantine the Great in his Epitome of the Life and Death of this Prophet tells us So likewise Bernard applieth this place of this Prophet to Christ and his members affirming That as he had so they must have their three several dayes Bern. Serm. in Resur Christ 1. The first was Dies crucis in mundo the day of his Crosse in the world 2. The second Dies quietis in Sepulchro his resting day in the grave 3. The third Dies Gloriae in Coelo the day of his Glory in Heaven Or to put the two dayes together as the Prophet doth the two dayes or whole time of his life was a Tragedy of trouble then the third day he rested in peace for a little space and then rose to eternal glory Thus divers of our Modern Writers affirm these things to belong to Christ Luther Zanch. ad loc Praecipuè principalitèr chiefly and principally because they had in him perfectum complementum and yet they may be referred to all Christians because they likewise be verified of them who shall have their two days of trouble here in this life as Matth. 16.24 Luke 9.23 Acts 14.22 2 Tim. 3.12 Heb. 12.6 Then a time of ease and rest at the end of the second day when death cometh Revel 14.13 and a joyfull resurrection to eternal glory the third day viz. at the end of the world when the Saints shall be delivered from all their troubles But the deliverances God vouchsafeth to his Saints in this life are divers 1. Sometime he delivereth them immediately by his own powerfull hand and stretched out arm without either Angel or man as he delivered Israel from Pharaoh and his host Mr Foxe tells us of one George Crow Fox Act. and Monum p. 1805. who being in danger at Sea cast out whatsoever he had reserving his Testament with which he was taken up and miraculously saved thus God preserved Paul from receiving any harm by the Viper that fastened upon his hand in the Isle Melita or