THE TIMES PLACES AND Persons of the holie Scripture Otherwise entituled THE GENERALL VIEW OF THE HOLY Scriptures AT LONDON ¶ Printed by Thomas Purfoot for Richard Ockould 1607. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL SIR IOHN Brograue Knight his Maiesties Atturney generall of the Duchy of Lancaster RIght Worshipfull the written copie of this booke comming to my hands was thought worthy the presse by men of good iudgement and learning for that it might bee profitable to many aswell those that intend the studie and profession of Diuinitie as to all other good Christians The Author of the booke is vncertaine to me but his worke manifesteth that he was learned and religious which mooued me though with no small charge to impart the same to all and to make it publike And for that the same wanteth the Authors name I thought fit it should not want a Patron neither knew I any other more worthy to whom I might recommend the Patronage thereof than your worship in regard of that seruice wherein I stand bound to your selfe and that most worthy societie of Greyes Inne It may please you therefore to accept the same in good part And I shall euer remaine yours to be commanded Richard Ockould THE AVTHORS EPISTLE TO THE CHRIstian Reader HAuing long purposed to bring into one frame The generall view of the holy Scripture and resoluing the ease would been laying before your eyes The Times Places and principall Persons mentioned in Moses and scattered through the Prophets Opportunitie now fitting my purpose I thought it good by this Tract to manifest the plainnesse of the Truth which all either doe or ought to know that would enioy eternall happinesse by knitting into one bodie the ioynts of Histories The perfect vnderstanding whereof giueth light to the blind eyes to the ignorant and iudgment to such as willingly embrace the knowledge of heauenly wisedome A GENERALL VIEW OF THE HOLY SCRIPTVRES Iehouah our God Iehouah is one Deut. 6.4 Iehouah Is a name of great force to driue vs to the due reuerence of Gods eternall Maiestie for it containeth 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 great reuerence among the Iewes they trembled to name or read it but vsed the name Adoni Lord. After their comming from Babel they neuer vsed the name Iehouah but a name of twelue Letters containing Father Sonne and holy spirit Iehouah hath in it the fiue Vowels which are the sinewes 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 Praise me the eternall God it containeth 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 also hath it two hh which schollers call aspirations or breathings which two aspirations make vp the number of 7 which is the number of the Sabbath Saint Paul closely alluding to the name of Iehouah sayth That from him we haue our breathing and our being and in Esay 57. the Lord saith The blasting goeth forth from me and is included in the bodie I made the breath So often therefore as we breath we are to remember the power and maiesty of Iehouah His Eternity Is closely expressed in these 3. letters י ו ה whose terminations are Iod Vaw He is a signe of the future tense presen tense preterperfect tense This is made plaine in Apo. 1. who was is will 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 bee 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 Marke 13. when there was no difference between the Iew and the Gentile repeateth the verie wordes of Moses Deut. 6. 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 bee obserued whatsoeuer God speaketh of himselfe is to bee taken in the heauenlyest vnderstanding that can be made of it Iehouah our God Iehouah is one There be three in heauen the Father Word and holy Spirit And these Three are one 1. Ioh. 5.7 THe Trinitie is heere described to be one vnited God-head distinguishable in persons but vndiuidable 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 spirite was seene among Angels was preached to the Gentiles was beleeued of the world and receiued vp in glorie 1. Timothy 3. Which to know is the first and chiefest point of all saluation as Iohn 17.3 This is eternall life to knowe the Father and him whome hee hath sent Iesus Christ which must be the true vnderstanding of the Bible as Iohn 5.39 Search the Scriptures and in them yee shall finde eternall life Some will say it is ynough to know Christ crucified Pilate Herod and Iudas the Traytor knewe 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 steppes to saluation for true knowledge is the mother of godlynesse And as the eye is the light of the body so is vnderstanding the light of the minde This a man hauing truly learned hee 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. HErein wee are to consider the louing kindnesse of God to exceed our deserts in louing vs to saluation before wee were The Papists hold merite of saluation which cannot any way hold seeing God of his vnspeakable grace hath elected vs vnto saluation before wee knew him This misterie of gods Election is not fully receiued of all because men take not words of scripture in their proper sense as they are layd 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 knowe 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 euerie thing according to the counsell of his owne will and not according to our reason Then
Iustice to seale the vision and 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 vnderstading 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 embraced and in no respect to be despised as lightly regarding the vse thereof lest striuing for darknesse we become the children of darkenesse and so loose the light of eternall life as the Iewes and Romanes did whose recompence hath followed The one depriued of their earthly glory the other aduanced to glory to be a staine of eternall damnation The Treatise of Time IOHN 1. In the beginning was the word c. THese words In the beginning are the first wordes of the old Testament whose first word in Hebrew is Bera which consisteth according to the Hebrews of three letters which closely containe in them Father Sonne Holy Ghost as ב for Ben which signifieth Son × for Abba which is Father ר for Rouach Hachodesh which is the Holy spirit Thus the Trinitie is closely contained in the first word but in the first verse is expressed in open words In the beginning God made heauen and earth and the spirit of God moued vpon the waters and God said let their be light This is expounded in Iohn 1. in these words In the beginning was the Word and 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. By him were all things created And Ephes 3. God made all things by his Sonne who ruleth all things by his mighty power Wherefore Christ in the dayes of his flesh chose the trade of a Carpenter Iohn 6. and in Esay 43. It is said 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 and who shall let it Thus saith the Lord the holy one our Redeemer Wherein is distinctly expressed Father Sonne and Holy Ghost IOHN 1. ⧠He was the Light and that Light was the Life of man LIfe and Light is not here carnally meant but spiritually to which two things Aarons Iewell of Vrim and Thummim had a full relation Vrim signifieth light of the mind Thummim perfection of vertue which bringeth life to the soule Christ is the true light that lighteth euery man And hee that abideth in this light hath euerlasting life God is light and in him there is no darknes at all If we 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 great Schollers of the Iewes spake euen in the same words Philo the Iew commenteth vpon these wordes saying God is the Soueraigne begetter and next to him is the Word of God Also there are two firsts the one is Gods word and the other is God which is afore the Word and the same word is the beginning and the end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his good pleasure intent or will And in another place Like as a Citie saith he whereof the platforme is but yet set downe in the mind of the builder hath no being else where but in the builder so this world had no being else where then in the Word of God which ordained all things And this is not the meaning of me only but also of Moses himselfe And in another place This word saith he is Gods yonger sonne but as for the elder sonne he cannot bee comprehended but in vnderstanding for he it is who by prerogatiue of eldership abideth with the Father And againe The Word is the Place the Temple and the dwelling house of God because the Word is the only thing that can containe him and to shew the greatnes of this word he could skarce tell what names to giue it Hee calleth it the booke wherin all essences of all things that are in the whole world are written and printed The Perfect patterne of the word Day sunne that is to be seene but onely of the mind Prince of Angels First borne of God Shepheard of his flocke Chiefe high Priest of the world Manna of mens soules Wisedome of God Perfecting of the Highest Instrument whereby God created the world Altogether Light God and the Beer that is of himselfe And he saith further that this Word is the expresse print or stampe of God and euerlasting as God himselfe is R. Azariel calleth him Spirit Word and Voice saying The Spirit bringeth foorth the Word and the Voice but not by speech of the tongue or by breathing after the maner of men and these three be one Spirit to wit one God one Spirit rightly liuing blessed be he and his name who liueth for euer and euer Spirit Word and Voice that is to say one Holy Ghost and two spirits of that Spirit R. Ioseph saith thus The Light of the soule of the Messias is the liuing God and the liuing God is the fountaine of the liuing Waters and the Soule of the Messias is the riuer or streame of life and none but the Messias knoweth God fully he is the light of God the light of the Gentiles and therefore hee knoweth God and God is knowen by him I thy God saith God am light and mind and of more antiquitie than nature of moisture that is issued from the shadow And this lightsome speach which proceedeth from the mind is the Sonne of God that which seeth and heareth thee is the word of the Lord and the mind is God the Father These differ not one from another as for their vnion it is the vnion of life And this speech being the workman of God the Lord of the whole world hath chiefe power next him is vncreated infinite Proceeding from him the commaunder of all things which he made the perfect and naturall first borne sonne of the most perfect Numenius a Pithagorist saith The first God is free from all worke but the second is the maker which commaundeth heauen and God the worker or maker saith he is the beginner of begetting and God the good is the beginner of Being and the second is the liuely expresser of the first as begetting is an image of Being And in another place he saith that this worker being the Same is knowen to all men by reason of the creating the world but as for the first Spirit which is the Father he is vnknowen vnto them Iamblichus saith plainely that God made the world by his diuine word and the first God being afore the Be-er is the Father of a first God whom hee begetteth and yet neuerthelesse
abideth still in the solenesse of his vnitie which thing farre exceedeth all abilitie of vnderstanding This is the originall patterne of him that is called both Father to himselfe and sonne to himselfe and is the Father of one alone and God verily good indeed Aemelius the disciple of Plotine notwithstanding how great an enemy he was to Christians speaking of the second person yeeldeth to this which Saint Iohn speaketh Surely saith he this is the Word that was from euerlasting by whom al things that are were made As Heraclitus supposed and before God saith he it is the very same Word which that barbarous fellow auoucheth to haue bene with God at the beginning in the ordering and disposing of things when they were confused and to be God by whom all things were absolutely made and in whom they bee liuing and of whom they haue their life and being And that the same Word clothing it selfe with mans flesh appeared a man insomuch that after he had bene put to death he tooke his Godhead to him againe and was very God as he had bene before yer hee came downe into body flesh and man Another of Platoes imitators speaking to the same effect said That the beginning of S. Iohns Gospell was worthy to be written euery where in letters of gold And the deuill himselfe being asked of the King of Egypt who he was that raigned before him and who should raigne after him answered in these foure verses Suidas First God and next the Word and then their Sprite Which three be one and ioyne in one all three Their force is endlesse get thee hence fraile wight The man of Life vnknowen excelleth thee Seeing then that Iewes Philosophers and the Deuill are compeld to glorifie God in their speeches making as it were large volumes of the creation of God by his word and that the same Word is his sonne How can they escape the wrath of God for not embracing it And againe seeing they but through a mist did see a clearenesse of his brightnesse How skilfull ought we to bee whom hee hath noursed in his owne bosome and comforted with the grapes of his owne vineyard and fedde with the bread of his owne flesh and bathed in the blood of his owne heart in prouing the truth of this doctrine against Iew Turke or Pagan Let vs shew a word or two what the Poets themselues speake of the Beginning Architas saith that he accounteth no man wise but him which reduceth all things to one selfe same originall First to God who is the Beginning Middle and end of all things Empedocles hath these verses All things that are or euer were or shall hereafter bee Both man and woman beast and bird fish worme herbe grasse tree And euery other thing yea euen the ancient Gods each one Whom we so highly honour heere come all of one alone Simplicius saith Whatsoeuer is beautifull commeth of the first and chiefest beauty All truth cōmeth of Gods truth all beginnings must be reduced to one beginning which must not be a particular beginning as the rest are but a beginning surpassing all other beginnings and gathering thē all into himselfe yea giuing the dignitie of beginning to all beginnings as is conuenient for euery of their natures Also one good saith he is the originall and wel-spring of all things It produceth all things of it selfe both the First the Middlemost and the Last The one goodnesse bringeth forth many goodnesses the one vnitie many vnities the one beginning many beginnings Now as for Vnitie Beginning Good and God they all be but one thing For God is the first cause of all and all particular beginnings are first setled and grounded in him he is the cause of causes the God of gods and the Goodnesse of goodnesses The vnderstanding of the stories of the Bible do giue a great light to the minde of man and the practise giueth life vnto euery one that embraceth them as Deut. 8. and Mat. 4. Man liueth not by bread onely but by euerie worde which proceedeth out of the mouth of God The despisers of Religion continue in darkenes and light to them is death as 1. Ioh. 2.9 Hee that saith he is in light and yet hateth his brother is in darknes and walketh in darknes and knoweth not whether he goeth because the darknes hath blinded his eyes 1. Ioh. 5.11 But God hath giuen vs eternall life and that life is in his Sonne who laid downe his life for his sheepe Ioh. 10.15 Wherfore while we haue light let vs walke and beleeue in the light that we may be the children of the light Ioh. 12.36 The first Adam was made of the earth earthly c. The second Adam 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 Heauen Earth and Sea and all the host of them which doe consist of wights visible and inuisible Inuisible as Angels visible as Sunne Moone and Starres fishes fowles plantes hearbes grasse Beasts and such like which God created before hee 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 kindnes to Adam by his workes For he fore-purposing to make Adam both King and Father of all the earth would not haue his witts entangled with cares for this life but to haue his affections setled on heauenly things that hee might continue holie and blameles before him as Mat. 6. Take no care what you shall eate or what you shall drinke nor yet for your bodie what rayment you shall put on Behold the fowles neither sowe nor reape and your heauenly Father feedeth them are ye not much better than they how much more then shall hee doe the same for you for hee knoweth that yee haue neede of all these things but first seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnes thereof for no mans life standeth in the aboundance of things which he possesseth Now followeth Adams creation HE was made the sixt day as it is gathered of September of the dust of the earth vppon Mount Moriah which is a Mountaine adioyning to the gates of the garden of Eden into which garden he was put to labour the earth about six of the cloke in the morning as wee account when men commonly goe to labour as should appeare by Psal 104. Where it is sayd Adam goeth forth 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 creatiō He had dominion giuen him ouer all things and witte like to an Angell to giue names to all beasts free libertie to eat of all the trees in the garden the tree of knowledge of good and ill onely excepted As if God should haue sayd to him as Moses afterwards
short of 1000. yeares so much as is the dayes of mans life Iared Methushelah and Noah ouerreached Adam in long life because of the power of the word of God He 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 gouernment and taught them humane arts And he was fittest to do it beeing a King to commaund whome hee would and what hee would and hauing wit 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 vntill he might haue a stately Court Now if a King should coÌ„maund a Diuine to make Adams will from his storie he would make it in this sort O my sonnes gather you together and harken vnto the words of your father Adam the last that euer he shall speake vnto you I was voide of saluation and enioyed not happinesse by disobeying which disobedieÌ„nce I theÌ„ practised wheÌ„ I harkened to the perswasion of Heua did eat the forbidden fruite I then felt the heauy iudgements of God against sinne and sawe my nakednes whereof I was ashamed 〈…〉 not remooued it by offering a blessing in the 〈◊〉 of the woman 〈…〉 you all the dayes of my life as a father that you may learne 〈…〉 gouernours which resemble fathers in behauiour I haue instructed you to loue and obey their gouernement you must know that as my saluation râ—â—â—th vpon beliefe in the sâ—ede 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 bee saued by the Arke yet seuen onely shall keepe sincerely the beliefe in this promise of the seede of the woman My daies haue beene long with the rest of your fathers but the end of all flesh is come vpon me for out of the earth I came and to the earth I must returne 113. Henoch is taken vp being 365. yeres old HIs yeres are answerable to the dayes of the sunne 65. yeres a yere for a day And as the sunne excelleth all other starres in brightnesse so did his life excell all other men then aliue in the world for vertue He is also sayd to haue walked with God to be a preacher of righteousnesse to bee taken vp These foure speciall commendations are of equall glory and wee may be assured by these testimonies that his godlinesse was very rare The Grecians say that hee left a booke behind him of his preaching But thereby as much as in them lyeth they call into question the truth of the Scriptures For first by this opinion they derogate from the glorie of Moses that he should not be the first writer Secondly from the wisedome of God which tooke order to lay downe the liues of the fathers in so short Arithmatique and would thereby haue his wisedome wonderfull to those which should come after which had bene to small purpose if Henoch had left a booke of his preaching But the Grecians thus being answered it followeth that Henochs prophecie was against the wordes of the wicked and against the contempt of religioÌ„ which wicked men shewed in not beleeuing the preaching of the flood Saint Iude in his Epistle from the circumstances of the men and manners of the people to whom Henoch preached gathered what might be the summe of Henochs preaching in this sort Behold the Lord commeth how as at the giuing of the law with thousands of his Angels to give iudgement against all men to rebuke all the vngodly among them of all their wicked deeds which they haue vngodly committed and of all their cruell speakings which wicked sinners haue spoken against him Vpon which words the Grecians not knowing the course of the Hebrewes in their fained speeches say that Henoch left a booke of his preaching behind him His taking vp did shew what should be the state of the godly Hee was taken vp in despite of the wicked and in recompence of his own faith Hee was taken vp 57. yeeres after Adams death all the fathers then being aliue And it may be the fathers did see him taken vp as a figure of Christs ascension The wicked might then say where is the appearance of the flood For Adam is dead and Henoch is taken vp and all things continue as from the beginning In that God bestowed so short life vpon Henoch it sheweth that hee would bestow greater blessings of him in another kind Now compare him with Christ Henoch Christ Was a Prophet for he prophecied of the destruction of the world by the flood Walked with God His dayes were as the dayes of the sunne Was taken vp being the seuenth from Adam Was a Prophet and prophecied of the destruction of the world Did the will of his Father Is the bright sunne of Iustice whose dayes in the Psalmes are likened to the dayes of the sunne In the Scripture is the seuenth that ascended To wit 1. The sonne of the widow of Sarepta 1. King 17. 2. The Shunamites sonne whom Eliseus brought againe to life 2. King 4.32 3. The souldier buried by Eliseus corps 4. Iayrus daughter Mat. 9. 5. The widowes sonne Luke 7. 6. Lazarus Luke 11. 7. Christ That is 3. in the olde Testament new Testament and the Lord was the seuenth 1042. 168. Seth died being 912 yeeres olde 1056. 182. Noah borne HIs name signifieth Comforter or Restorer The faith of Lamech no doubt was cleare concerning saluation by the seede of the woman in that he named his sonne Comforter or Restorer As if he had said though for impietie all the world be destroyed yet I am assured that the promise made to Adam must of necessitie be performed or else no flesh can be saued In this faith Adam after he had transgressed by eating of the forbidden fruite was saued In this faith Abell offered vp a greater sacrifice than Kaine In this faith Henoch walked with God and was no more seene for he was taken vp In this faith all the Fathers obtained eternall life In this faith Noah became a preacher of righteousnesse and an executor of true iudgement and prepared the Arke to the sauing of his houshold c. Heb. 11. 10. This ten is to shew that Noah is the tenth from Adam multiply Henoch by Noah that is the number of of the Sabbath by the full number 10. you haue the number 70. which throughout the Bible is famous and of great force for light in the storie In this tenth age Gods iustice ouer all flesh was extended Compare him with Christ Noah Christ Was a preacher of righteousnesse Found grace before God Was a King Prophet Sacrificer Was the true preacher of righteousnesse Dan 9. Grew in fauour with God and man Luke 2. Was a King Prophet Sacrificer Enosh
died 905 yeeres old Kenan died being 910 yeeres old Mahalaleel died being 895 yeeres old Iared died 962 yeeres old While hee liued there was no proclaiming of the flood but presently after there was 480. 120. Yeres begin Gen. 6. WHerein Noah made the Arke for so long was he in making it not because he could not haue made it sooner for God could haue commanded it to be made with a word aswell as he made all the world but to shew the patience and long suffering of God in sparing his iudgements that they who would not heare the preaching of Noah might iustly be condemned Many things fall out in the Bible whose numbers are answerable to this of 120. 120. Nations paid tribute to bring the Iewes home from captiuity The gouernement of the Persians was about 120. yeeres 120. Seuerall nations that is some of euery Nation were at Ierusalem after Christs resurrection The Hebrewes descant very strangely with the letters of Iehouah and the 120. yeeres wherein the Arke was in making thus Multiplie 120. by the letter ×” which is 5. then you haue 600. Multiplie 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 Here is a doubt to be discussed concerning the wordes spoken in Gen. 6. The occasion of the doubt ariseth thus God saith in Gen. 6. My spirit shall not alwaies striue with man his daies shal be 120. yeares In Ge. 5. Noahs age is reckoned and he is then said to be 500. yeares old and begetteth Sem Cham and Iapheth when his age is reckoned againe at the floude the summe is but 600. so that if the 6 chapter be in time after the fift and in the fift Noah is 500. yeares old and that afterwardes God saith the daies of all flesh shal bee 120. yeares then Noah at the floude must be 620. yeares for put 120. to 500. and you haue 620 but his age at the floude is but 600. Therefore some thinke that either the Chronicle is false or els the 20. yeares were shortned like as it shall bee in the ende of the world least els 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 therfore of that storie or action followeth the Chapters or Actions going before For this is but a circumstance of method For Moses in penning the Scriptures vseth this order he layeth down things of like nature together as Genealogies together and such like though they differ in time because else hee should make often repetitions of the same things The obseruation of this caused the Hebrewes to set downe this rule that Moses in penning his story doth not regard the cricumstance of first and latter To wit he doth not set downe that in the first place which is first in time so that which is later in time afterwards but sometimes that which is later in the first place and that which is first in time in the last as the necessity of the narration giueth occasion This being thus made plaine the doubt is easily discussed for neither is Noah 620. yeares olde at the floude neither are the yeares of the floude any thing shortned but the Chronicle is altogether true For if wee referre the 120. yeares of the floude 20. yeares before that Chapter in which it was sayd Noah was 500. yeares old and begot Sem Cham and Iaphet then do we make all things agree without crossing one another And this of necessetie we must needs doe for seing God hath layd downe the Generals in proper and plaine termes we must so cast the particulers that they may make the generall true and no way alter it Besides we haue a like example for though all the liues deaths of the fathers before the floud are reckoned and summed vp together in one chapter we must not thinke that all their liues are precedent to the Chapters following for the Chronicle sheweth that Lamech liued fiue yeares before the floud and Methushelahs death and the beginning of the floud are very neere Euen so here this sentence of the 120. years is to be counted before the fift chapter wherein Noahs age is reckoned for the shortning of the daies at the end of the world the holy Ghost saith it shal be so But for the shortning of the daies at the floud we haue no such warrant in Moses Therfore we are not to beleiue it 120. Yeares begin Ge. 6. In which the Spirit of Christ preached while the Arke was in making VPon this sentence there dependeth a great and waightie 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 ancient fathers hold the opinion of Christ discent into hell in his humane soule whose opinions hauing been so superstitiously receiued haue drawen others of later time into the like errours But if men would follow the plainnesse layd downe in the Bible and with humilitie search it auoiding curiositie they neede not trouble themselues with the errors of the Fathers The words of the text 1. Pet. 3. are these Christ was dead concerning the flesh but was quickened by the Spirit By the which hee also went and preached to the spirits in prison which in times past disobeyed when once the long suffering of God abode in the daies 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 he was dead But if we 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 vngodlie being immortall cannot die and therefore this quickâ—ing 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 seuere iustice of God which was neuer in Moses for Moses neuer mentioneth Christs descent into hell there to cause the wicked to be more tormented Therefore seeing this old opinion gathered out of
that thereby we may be made more fit for his iudgements C ham was saued in the Arke to be a scourge for all the rest And if you marke through the Bible you shall find 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 them Abell had Kaine to kill him Isaack had Ismael to flout him Iacob had Esau to pursue him Ioseph had His owne brethren to sell him Iob had His wife and friends to reproue him The Israelites had Pharaoh to afflict them Dauid had Saule and Absalom to persecute him The Iewes had the Babylonians Medes and Persians Grecians Sirogrecians to subdue them Christ had the 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 things the dayes of the moneth and the dayes of the whole yeare For hee writeth that the Flood began the Seuenteenth day of the Second moneth and that the waters preuailed One Hundred and Fiftie dayes and that the next day after One Hundred and Fiftie was the Seuenteenth day of the Seuenth moneth Six and Fortie dayes had passed before the Floud for the Seuen and Fortie day I meane the Seuenteenth day of the Second moneth the Floud began Ioyne One Hundred and Fiftie with Six and Fortie they make plainely One hundred Nintie and Sixe dayes which diuided by Thirtie leaue Sixe exact moneths and the Seuenteene dayes of the Seuenth Moneth in which Moses writeth that the Arke rested Hereby it is most euident that in ancient time they had Thirtie dayes to a Moneth Moreouer a moderate expounder of Moses shall finde Three hundred sixtie and fiue dayes in the yeare of the floud Thus The first day of the Tenth Moneth Two hundred Seuentie and One dayes from the beginning of the yeare the tops of the Mountaines were discouered Noah taried yet Fortie dayes when Three hundred and Eleuen dayes were past then he sent forth a Rauen which houered a long time hee nameth not the time but as Seuen vpon Seuen in the Doue is expressed so Fortie vppon Fortie is here to be vnderstood So then there are Three hundred fiftie and one dayes to which adde the fourteene last in which the Doue was twise sent forth then you haue Three hundred sixtie and foure dayes after the Fourteene dayes in which the Doue returned not Moses reckoneth the first day of the Moneth in these words In the Six hundred and One of the age of Noah the first day of the first Moneth the waters were dried vp Concerning the fiue dayes euerie sixe yeares they make a leap Moneth and the odde quarter of a day in One hundred and Twentie yeares make a leape Moneth Thus much for the vse of the Fathers before the Flood ⧠NOW FOLLOWETH THE Fathers after the Flood whose Storie containeth vnto the promise giuen vnto Abraham 427 yeeres ⧠Some thinge will I speake of the generall vse of them both WE 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 hath sent Iesus Christ For surely the spirit of God hath in such plainesse penned downe the Storie of the Scriptures that all the world must wonder at the wisdome of God layd downe so shortly and plainely Before the flood hee taught nothing but the Gospell adding to the doctrine thereof Kaines Murther and Lamechs 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 clearenesse of the word Times are generall or particular generall from Adam to the flood and from thence to Abrahams promise from thence to the comming out of Egipt then to the building of Salomons Temple then to the burning thereof by the Babilonians and then to the end of the captiuity 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 here handled againe because their story continued through and after the floode Compare Noah with Adam and you shall see that Noah is another Adam Adam Noah was an husbandman Became into transgression by eating vnlawfully And Euah after their transgression seeing their nakednes sowed figge tree leaues to couer them and the very same words that God spake to Adam in Paradise for ruling and encreasing the very same he reneweth to Noah Had the tree of life in Paradise for a seale of conseruation Had twoo younger Sonnes good and the elder wicked Was an husbandman Became into transgression by drinking vnlawfully After his transgression hauing his nakednes vncouered is couered by Sem Iaphet Had the rainbowe as a couenant of preseruation Had twoo eldest Sons good and the younger wicked Kaine the eldest Son of Adam was cursed C ham the yongest Son of Noah euen to Canaan his youngest Sonne 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 floode might eat flesh the blood onely excepted because in the blood of euerie thing is the life and the life of euerie thing will God require at euerie creatures hand from the seueritie of which a commandement against murther was giuen to Noah The reason why they might eat flesh after the flood and not before may be because the dayes of man being shortened at the flood halfe in halfe the bodies 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 a helpe in digestion to the strengthning of the bodie and quickning of the vitall spirits as in Psal 104. Wine doth make the heart glad and oyle doth cause a cheerefull 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 slaues 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 of 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 Egyptians the Cananites Ethiopians Blackemores Babylonians and such like is contained within Chams curse Whatsoeuer blessing is promised or performed to the Iews is comprehended within Sems blessing Whatsoeuer promises of mercie and sauing health was prophecied of to
of the tower of Confusion 70 of Sems posteritie 600. yeeres after were forced to goe into the land of Cham and there compelled to be bricke-makers vnder Pharaoh King of Egypt because they despised the blessing of Sem and remembred not the story of the 70. Families that built the tower of Babell To shew that when in prosperitie men forget God turning his graces into wantonnesse and his blessings to foolish pleasures that hee will take his blessings of bread and wine and oyle from vs driue vs into forraine Nations amongst Egyptian dogges to seeke reliefe whose succour shal be yokes of heauy bondage to punish vs in the same pleasure wherein we offended All the Seuentie Families doe afflict Sem for this before he hath his full renowne and in scattering of Iocktanes Sons they are placed furthest off Ierusalem of any Peleg diuided Christ is Palmoni the secret Numberer that weigheth numbreth and diuideth Vnto the building of the Tower of Babel we haue Sem Name Arphachsad Heaâ—ing Sale Spoyling Heber Pilgrime Peleg Diuâ—ded Put these together and you haue a short sentence A good name like precious Oyle shall heale the spoyling of poore strangers for God will dâ—uâ—de to euerie one accordâ—ng to his workes 1787. Regu borne Euill 1819. Sarug borne Bough or Plant. 1849. Nachor borne Drie 1878. Terah borne Smelling AN euill Plant that hath lost his sappe and is become drie being not watered with the dew of heauenly grace can giue no good smell which appeareth in that Terah quite forgetting that euer God created and consumed the world and brought the deuises of the Sonnes of Noah his great Grandfather to open shame of eternall memorie scattering them vp and downe like Vagabonds ouer all the earth figuring the calamities of their later ages the punishment wherof chiefely to be perfourmed in his owne kindred became an Idolatrer as Ioshua 24. Your Fathers in old time worshipped strange Gods euen Terah the Father of Abraham c. But marke the euent For euen as the Sonnes of Sem for ioyning with the rest were scattered with the rest so the posteritie of Terah by Abram euen the best of them namely the Iewes were once scattered Vagabonds ouer all the earth for not embracing the couenant of Abraham Isaack and Iacob but in mercie gathered together againe to the Mountaine of grace to Iacobs Well that giueth euerliuing water to so many as would acknowledge Christ the Rocke to the Land that flowed with Milke and Honie to Bethel the house of Iehouah where they might see a Ladder reaching from heauen to earth with Angels ascending and descending to that fresh springing hill of Sion which is watered with the dew of Hermon from whence it runneth like the precious oyntment that ran downe from Aarons beard to wash away their former vncleanesse and to purge their filthy leaprousie that they might be a sweet smelling sacrifice vnto the Lord holy and acceptable before his Throne hauing an high sacrificer to enter into the Holy of Holyest to make intercession for them that they might be free from confusion and deliuered out of the bondage of the outward and spirituall Babel But euen as the dog that returneth to his vomite and the hogge to his wallowing in the mire so these Iewes of vncircumcised hands and hearts forgetting all those and many more benefits of God bestowed vpon them crucifying Christ the King of glorie the God of Sem and not remembring their former punishments are once againe so scattered ouer the face of the earth that while the world endureth they shall be Vagabonds and neuer gathered together againe To teach vs that if God spared not them nor suffered them to continue in their transgressions being his peculiar people that wee are to looke for no other recompence than they had if we despise the knowledge of Christ as they did Terah hath three Sons Haran Nachor Abraham as Adam and Noah had 1996. Peleg died being 229. yeeres old He had not halfe the yeares of his Father Heber the most aged man after the flood liued not to halfe Methushelahs yeres to shew the curse that came by the flood So euery man in the world hath part of Gods curse by the flood 1997. Nachor died being 148 yeares old  2006. Noah died being 950 yeares old He liued after the flood 350 yeares that is Seuen Fifties or Seuen Iubilees of yeres as many as were from conquering the Land of Canaan to the gouernment of Samuel Noahs whole life was a singing of saluation to the holy Lambe seeing all the world drowned and he onely saued When Noah dyeth Abram was borne So God stirres vp one good man after another oftentimes 2008. Abram Borne His name signifieth His Father being the Tenth from Noah another establisher of Religion as Noah the restorer or comforter was the Tenth from Adam And as in Noahs dayes hee being the Tenth from Adam Gods Iustice ouer all flesh was extended so in Abram he being the Tenth from Noah Gods mercie to all the world is pronounced When Terah is 130 yeares old he begat So old was Adam when he begat Seth a foundation of Religion Iacob a bringer of Religion into Egypt is 130 yeares old when he standeth before Pharaoh Iehoiada the high sacrificer saueth Ioas the Kings Sonne from the malice of Athalia which had destroyed all the rest of the Kings seede and dieth being 130 yeares old While he liued Ioas kept Religion and worshipped the God of his Father After his death he fell away and suffered incense to be offered in the groues to whome Zacharias the Sonne of Barachias sayd Is this the reward of all my Fathers paines that assoone as my Father is dead you forsake the true God and worship the Gods of the Nations For which cause Ioas caused him to be slaine between the Altar and the Temple So that as death is contrarie to life and as at the birth of Seth and Abraham the graces of God were manifested to the world so at Iehoiadahs death the Tribe of Iuda lost all Religion It is a question howe Terah being an Idolatrer could name Abram Hie Father for so doth the word signifie He might guesse like a worldly man that his Sonne Abram should be likely to be rich and mightie and so should haue many vnder him Howsoeuer it was this is certaine that God directed the tongue of this Idolatrer to set forth and preach his glorie though his life had no shew of vertue Here is another question to be discussed of the age of Terah when he begat Abram Of Terah his age when he begat Abram SOme will haue Abram to be borne at Terahs Seuentieth yeare because in Gen. 11. it is sayd Terah liued Seuentie yeares and begat Abram Nachor and Haran Whereupon they gather that Abraham was the first borne because hee is put in the first place and that hee was borne in that yeare of Terah to wit the Seuentie But they marke not that Terahs Sonnes are
and fetch a Kid that thereof she might make pleasant meat for Isaack Iacob is affraid she comforteth him for she had her warrant from God that the elder should serue the yonger and therefore shee boldly aduentureth He commeth to Isaack 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 hee was blessed in commeth Esau with his venison and prayeth his Father to blesse him Isaack 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 Isaack therefore seeing the euent acknowledgeth the election of God in Iacob and concludeth that he shall be blessed Now here is a question to be handled When Iacob saith I am thy Sonne Esau And Isaac answereth It is Iacobs voice Whether Iacob doth lye or no. This answere of Iacobs if we expound in the best sence is no lye for then it is no more but a kind of scoffing called Ironia So God speaketh in Gen. 3. 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 a sleepe saith Sleepe henceforth Wee may answere it further thus Iacob in respect of the purpose of God which chose him for the blessed might verie well bee called the onely Sonne Besides in regard of ciuill right now hee was his eldest Sonne seeing hee had bought the birth-right of Esau Whether it were a lye or no we will leaue it to God and wee cannot altogether condemne this answere seeing God approoueth it by giuing Iacob the blessing Plato saith When men are dead wee cannot aske them what they meant Therefore we must expound their speeches and their actions to the best meaning And further words are not alwayes to be taken in proper kinde 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 Ioseph sweareth by the life of Pharaoh if you take the words as they lye in proper sence he sinned greatly and was euen for his oath the worst of all Iacobs Sonnes But Salmo Iirki 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 seem so to be So likewise Hushai answereth Absalom for when Absalom saw Hushai Dauids Counsellor 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 this people and all the men of Israel chose his will I be and with him will I dwell This sentence hath a double meaning either that he meant to serue Absalom or King Dauid Therefore when thinges are spoken doubtfully we must marke how men may in wit expound them 2183. Abraham died Gen. 25. Being One hundred Seuentie and fiue yeares old He was buried in Hebron 2188. Heber died Gen. 11. Being Foure hundred Seuentie and fiue yeares old He was the longest liuer of any that was borne after the flood 2231. Ismael died being 137. yeares old THe prophet Esay Cap. 66. 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 hee 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 he sheweth the calling of all the Gentiles in the world Wherby we are taught that Ismaels posteritie was not wholy rooted out of the fauour of God as Ameleck was 2245. Iacob goeth to Laban Gen. 28. HE goeth into the Countrey of Mesopotamia to Laban There he serueth Twentie yeares This Laban was the Sonne of Bethuell and brother to Rebecca and of the house of Nachor the Brother of Abraham and Haran who remained in the Land of the Chaldees 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 skrip as closely and secretly as hee could that thereby Esau might not know of his departure for Esau was mightie and as it appeareth afterwards had a band of Foure hundred men Alexander Polyhistor writeth of this flying of Iacob for feare of his brother Esau of his abode in Mesopotamia his seuen yeares seruice his marrying with two Sisters the number of his children the rauishing of Dina the slaughter of Sichem the selling of Ioseph and of his imprisonment his deliuerance for expounding of dreames his authoritie in Egipt his marrying with Putifars daughter his two Sons by name that were borne of her the comming of his Brethren into Egypt the Feast that he made them the Fiue parts that he gaue to Beniamin whereof this Author intendeth to yeeld a reason the comming of Iacob and his whole houshold into Egypt of what age euerie of them was and how many children euerie one of them had and so he bringeth vs downe from Noah to the flood from the flood to Abraham from Abraham to Leui and from Leui to Moses notwithstanding euer among faults in recording the times with some other additions of small importance Which plainely shew that he had not those Histories immediately out of the Bible but out of some other bookes which he had seene elsewhere Iacob going to Haran stayeth by the way all night because the Sunne was downe and layd of the Stones of the place vnder his head and slept There hee seeth the Vision of the Ladder and when hee awaketh hee saith 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 pillar and called it Bethel for he said This is no other but the house of Iehouah and the gate of heauen He seeth a Ladder c. THis Ladder representeth Christ the foot on the earth his humanitie and the top reaching to heauen his deity The Angels of God ascending and descending the meditations betwixt God and vs And the Lord standing aboue vppon it the readinesse of the Father to receiue our prayers This is expounded Ioh. 1.51 Ye shall see the heauens open and the Angels of God ascending and descending vppon the Sonne of man In this Vision of the Ladder we see the whole meditation of Christ is shewed to Iacob And if we duly consider it there could not bee a fitter similitude in the whole course of nature to represent the meditation than the Ladder For euen as in the Ladder if two or three steps be broken the Ladder is to no vse seeing wee can neither ascend nor goe downe by
and goe through hard and bitter contentions and afflictions of this life And yet then we are not in rest for the next Station we come to is Sin Thorny There the people murmure against Moses for meat In the euening God fedde them with Quailes and they came to the place of Sepulches leanenesse entred into their soules In the morning they were fed with Manna to know that Man liueth not by bread onely but by euerie word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Deut. 8. They did all eat of the same spirituall meat 1. Cor. 10. This Manna was to be gathered as euerie man had need of it If any were reserued till morning it brought foorth wormes Exod. 16.20 This Saint Paul applyeth to the vse of wealth 2. Cor. 8. Let it be of equality at this time that your aboundance fulfill their want that their aboundance may reach to your want that there may bee an equalitie as it is written He that gathered much had not ouer-much and hee that gathered little had not ouer-little The summe of these standings is this that the soyle being good and bad sheweth vs the manners of the men which liue on the earth and with whome wee liue at whose hands we must looke for badde dealing more than for good This Christ taught in the Gospell when hee willed that those who would embrace him should take vp his Crosse and follow him After they come to Rephidim where was no water for the people to drinke the people murmure against Moses the place is called Tentation according to that of Dauid Psal 95. Hebr. 3. To day if you will heare my voice harden not your hearts as is the prouocation in the day of Temptation in the wildernesse c. Moses striketh the Rocke and the Rocke was Christ 1. Cor. 10. They dranke all of the same spirituall drinke c. Iesus fighteth with Ameleck Moses erecteth an Altar and calleth it Iehouah my Banner Christ by death ouercame him that had the power of death and wee haue an Altar Iesus Christ the righteous Heb. 11. Then they come to Horeb which had the soyle verie drie But Sina on the toppe a hole where the winde made a fearefull noyse But Sion was a pleasant and fruitfull soyle full of springs to wash away the blood of the beasts that there were slaine The Land of Chush alwaies in seruitude So we if wee looke onely to haue our liues sauour of ciuilitie our soules not lightned with the knowledge by Christ we shall bee continually in seruitude And as these places come short of the glorie of Ierusalem so the Iewes not thinking on Christ haue their cogitations wandring not finding rest in their soules Saint Paul handleth these two Mountaines in this sort Galat. 4. By the which things another thing is meant saith he for these two hils are two Testaments the one Agar of Mount Sinay which gendreth vnto bondage being a Mountaine in Arabia and it answereth to Ierusalem which now is and shee is in bondage with her children but Ierusalem which is aboue is free the mother of vs all The Persians wonder at the statelinesse of Ierusalem being in glorie One Thousand yeares Saint Paul calleth this time to Christ the time of a childe vnder a Tutor The Sonne is Rom. 15. Whatsoeuer is written is written for our learning that wee through patience might haue hope Now saith Saint Paul These things are our examples to the end wee should not lust after euill things as some of them lusted and fell in one day three and twentie Thousand 1. Cor. 10. In this place Sinay where the Lawe was giuen many things are to be considered The Law was giuen that sinne might be knowne to abound It was giuen by Angels Deut. 33. By a Mediator Moses There is one Mediator of God and man the man Christ Iesus the Mediator of the new Testament Heb. 9. It was giuen on the Lords day in the morning the Lord arising and shining from Pharan with Thousands of his Angels with thunder lightnings and earth-quake Moses erecteth an Altar on Twelue pillars and hauing made a sacrifice doth read the Booke of the couenant and taking the blood of Oxen and Buls with water purple wooll and Isope doth sprinkle the Booke saying This is the blood of the Couenant which God hath commanded for you This is handled in the 9. to the Hebrewes If the blood of Oxen and Bulles doth sanctifie to cleanenesse of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ cleanse our conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing Lord Moses goeth vp to the Mountaine and fasteth Fortie dayes Exod. 32. Christ in the Wildernesse fasteth Fortie daies Luk. 4. The people turne the glorie of God into the similitude of a Calfe that eateth hay Exod. 32.6 Be not Idolatrers as some of them were as it is written The people sat downe to eat and drinke and rose vp to play 1. Cor. 16. Moses breaketh the two Tables which hee receiued from God written with the finger of God The Leuites kill three thousand of Israel that had committed Idolatrie They regarded not Father mother brethren or sisters This Christ applyeth to all men Mat. 10. Hee that loueth Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of mee Moses goeth vp againe to the Mountaine with two Tables prepared of himselfe continueth Fortie dayes fasting writeth the words of the former tables in these This Paul handleth 2. Cor. 3. Yee are the Epistle of Christ ministred of vs written not with inkes but with the spirite not in Tables of stone but in the Tables of hearts of flesh The second yeare after their comming from Egypt the Tabernacle is erected out of which the Lord speaketh in a more manifest gracious sort than at any time before he had done to shew himselfe in a speciall sort mercifull Christ his humane nature is the Tabernacle The word became flesh and had his Tabernacle amonge vs Ioh. 1. In him all fulnesse dwelled bodily Col. 4 By grace all Christians are a Tabernacle Es 10. Ap. 21. A cloude ouer-shadowed the Tabernacle To the Virgine Marie Gabriel saith Luk. 1. The power of the highest shall ouer-shadow thee So Moses could not enter into the tabernacle of testimonie because the cloude abode therevpon and the glorie of the Lord filled the Tabernacle When Christ is glorified on the Mountaine and a bright cloude ouer-shadowed him Peter said Let vs make here three Tabernacles one for thee one for Moses and one for Elias Mat. 17. The Temple of the Tabernacle of witnesse was open and the temple was full of the smoke of the glorie of God and no man could enter into the Temple Ap. 15. Where the cloude remained they went forward with the Arke Christ hath a white cloude vnder him Ap. 14. Nadab and Abihu are consumed with fire for offering strange fire before the Lord. To be an example how God is a consuming fire against foolish zeale After this the children
must cast to end iust with the death of Christ or else howe doth Christ according to Daniel the 9. end the ceremonie oblation and the wisedom of God hath taken such order that where the Scripture seemeth to leaue off to reckon there the heathen keepe a iust account nothing at all crossing Daniels Seuens For the Iubilee which the Iewes and Romanes obserue there is no colour of Religion in it nor warrant in Moses for them Therefore we leaue them to obloquie as not worth the handling amongst the rest of their grosse errours which they against Scripture foolishly maintaine 2611. Aod Eightie yeares HE was of the Tribe of Beniamin The Children of Israel committed wickednesse in the sight of the Lord and the Lord strengthned Eglon King of Moab against Israel But when they cryed vnto the Lord hee stirred them vp a Sauiour Aod the Sonne of Gera the Sonne of Beniamin a man lame of his right hand and the Children of Israel sent a present by him vnto Eglon King of Moab and Aod made a sharpe Dagger and carried it priuily and when he had deliuered the Present he thrust it into him and killed him and they slue the same day ten Thousand Moabites so Moab was subdued vnder the hand of Israel and the Land had rest Fourescore yeares Iudg. 3. 2671. Eglon oppresseth Eighteen yeares Iudg. 3.  2691. Baracke and Deborah Fortie yeares Baracke was of Nephtali and Deborah of Ephraim THe Children of Israel began againe to doe wickedly in the the sight of the Lord when Aod was dead and the Lord sold them into the hand of Iabin King of Canaan whose cheefe Captaine was called Sisera Then they cryed vnto the Lord For Sisera had Nine hundred yron Chariots and Twentie yeares hee had vexed them And at that time Deborah a Prophetesse the wife of Lapidoth iudged Israel And shee called vnto her Baracke the Sonne of Abinoam and she went with Baracke to Kedesh against Sisera and the Lord destroyed Sisera and all his Chariots at the waters of Maggeddon in the Reuelation the ouerthrow of Antichrist is compared to the ouerthrow of Sisera at Mageddon Then sange Deborah and Barack the same day saying Praise ye the Lord for auenging of Israel c. to the last verse of the Chapter So let thine enemies perish O Lord but they that loue him shall be as the Sunne when he riseth in his might and the Land had rest Fortie yeares Here is perfourmed Gen. 49. Where Iacob blessing Nephtali saith Hee shall bee a Hinde let goe giuing goodly words Hee was in the pursute of Sisera as swift as a Hinde and gaue goodly words with Deborah Iudg. 5. 2711. Sisera oppresseth Twentie yeares Obed of Ruth IN the time that the Iudges ruled there was a dearth in the Land and a man of Bethelem in Iuda went for to soiourne in the Country of Moab The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife was Naomi and his two Sonnes Mahlon and Chilion Ephrathites of Bethlehem and they came into the Countrey of Moab and continued there and they tooke wiues of the Moabites the name of the one was Ophrath and the name of the other Ruth and so read through the first and second Chapters of the Booke of Ruth We haue the like commendation of Ruth that is spoken of Abraham That she left her Father and Mother and the Land where she was borne and came into a people whome shee knewe not in times past And withall she is blessed in these words The Lord recompence thy worke and a full reward be giuen thee of the Lord God of Israel vnder whose winges thou art come to trust Ruth 2. So Booz tooke Ruth and she was his wife and the Lord gaue that she conceiued a Sonne and called his name Obed the same was the Father of Iessay the Father of Dauid Ruth 4. In that Christ chooseth to come of Rahab of Cham of Ruth of Moab he purposed not to come into the world by the prerogatiue of nature or as the Iewes looked he should come in most tryumphant sort but by grace offering grace to Cham recompencing the loue of Lot to Abraham and opening the eyes of all the Gentiles in the world and causing the dumbe Nations that knewe not that the seed of the woman should breake the Serpents head to speake the prayses of God in their owne tongue Againe if his Parents had been from time to time of vertuous life vnspotted as many of them were the woonderfull graces of Christ would haue been attributed vnto the generalitie of his Fathers But hee preuented euerie obiection that the peeuish vnbeleeuing Pharisees might imagine by comming of such as the Iewes held as vncleane before God 2731. Gedeon Fortie yeares Gedeon Baracke Sampson Iephte Dauid Samuel and the Prophets obtained promises but receiued not the promise Heb. 11. AGaine the Children of Israel committed wickednesse in the sight of the Lord and the Lord gaue them into the hands of Madian Seuen yeares so Israel was exceedingly impouerished by the Madianites Therefore they cryed vnto the Lord and when they cryed the Lord sent a Prophet vnto them who sayd vnto them Thus saith the Lord God of Israel I haue brought you vp from Egipt and haue brought you out of the house of bondage and I said vnto you feare not the Gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell but you haue not obeyed my voice And Gedeon of the Tribe of Ephraim was threshing of wheat to hide it from the Madianites Then the Angell of the Lord appeared vnto him and sayd The Lord is with thee thou valiant man And the Lord looked vpon him and sayd vnto him Goe in this thy might and and thou shalt saue Israel out of the handes of the Madianites Haue not I sent thee The multitude of the Madianites and the Amalekites and all they of the East lay in the valley like Grashoppers and there Camels were without number as the sand by the sea-shore But Gedeon with three Hundred destroyed the Madianites To shew that victorie consisteth not in strength of men or multitude of Camels but in God who giueth the Victorie For at the sounding of Gedeons Trumpet the enemies ranne and cryed and fledde and the Lord caused them to kil one another Thus was Midian brought lowe before the Children of Israel so that they lift vp their heads no more and the Countrey was in quietnesse fortie yeares in the dayes of Gedeon This Gedeon had Seuentie Sonnes begotten of his bodie for hee had many wiues and he had a Sonne by a Concubine whose name was Abimelech So Gedeon died in a good age and was buried in the Sepulchre of Ioash his Father in Ophrath Read the 6 7 and 8 Chapters of Iudges Madian oppresseth Seuen yeares  2771. Abimelech Three yeares the Sonne of Gedeon of the Tribe of Ephraim When Gedeon was dead the children of Israel turned away and went a whoring after Baalim
perfect Sabbath hee had performed some part of the Lawe and thereby beene partaker with Christ in the worke of our Redemption Againe if Adam had continued in the image of God which is in righteousnesse and true holinesse vntill the Sabbath hee would haue performed the ordinances of the Sabbath which was to eate of the tree of life which was made for a Sacrament of conseruation vnto him and should not haue needed a Redeemer Hee did not eate of the Tree of Life for God after his fall setteth Cherubims to keepe the way of the Tree of Life least Adam eating should liue for euer Whereby it appeareth that if hee had eaten thereof before hee had not fallen Therefore it cannot be that Adam continued perfect vnto the Sabbath And further it is written Psal 49. Adam being in honour continueth not one night but is like to the beasts that perish Cedrenus a Greeke writer saith that Adam fell the sixt day of the first weeke Saint Augustine saith the woman streight way after her creation before she accompained with Adam became into the transgression otherwise Kaine had beene conceaued without sinne Theophilact vpon Matthew sayth that as man was formed the sixt day and did eate of the tree the sixt howre so Christ reforming man and healing the fall was fastened to the tree the sixt day and the sixt howre And in the storie of the creation in Genesis presently after the fall Moses speaketh of the Redemption And without wee compare the Creation with the Redemption wee misse of all For Adam to bee compared with Christ is the summe of all And wherefore should all the actions of the Redemption bee accomplished in such rarenesse except to bee aunswerable both to the fall and to the time of the fall Wherefore it is needfull wee should know our thraldome if wee will receaue comfort by the Redeemer thus First Christ the Restorer was borne of a Virgine Why because by a Virgine destruction came to the world Chrysostome compareth Eue and Marie together thus Eue beeing a Virgine hearing the wordes of the SERPENT and beleeuing them brought foorth DEATH The Virgine Marie hearing the wordes of the Angell Gabriel and beleeuing them brought foorth Life Againe why should Christ die on the sixt day rather than on the fifth or fourth And why was there darkenesse vntill the coole of the day rather than till the Sunne setting but to make the Redemption answerable to euery part of the fall because God according to the secret counsell of his owne will before the foundations of the earth were laide would make the Art of saluation so easie and the harmonie of the Bible so tuneable that no musicke in the world can bee more pleasant to the eare than the meditation of the loue of God towards vs in Christ is comfortable to the heart of man Therefore the meditation of Adams fall and the victorie of Christ ought to bee continually in our mindes Now compare Christ with Adam Adam Christ The first Adam was made a soule hauing life of earth earthly therefore by the earthly one came disobedience sinne iudgement condemnation death was created on the sixt day and did eate of the tree the sixt howre was made a man without a Father made not inferiour to the Angels lost all was tempted lost saluation at the time of eating was made ruler of the world and did not hold it did fall in the Garden his soule was in darkenes from the sixt houre vntil the ninth howre by breaking one commandement lost all was called to account at the ninth howre was debarred of the tree of life was driuen out of Paradise was the head of his Wife was a King Prophet Sacrificer liued a thousand yeeres wanting seuentie The second Adam was made a spirit giuing Life from heauen heauenlie thetefore by the heauenly one came obedience grace forgiuenesse iustification life reforming man healing the fall is fastened to the tree the sixt day the sixt howre was made a man without a Father made lower then the Angels is crowned with glory and all the Angels worship him being man whereby wee may know the world was made subiect to a man was tempted brought saluation to all at the time of eating was made ruler of the world and did hold it went into a Garden to recouer Adams fall in the garden when he suffered caused darkenes to couer the whole earth from the sixt howre till the ninth howre by fulfilling all the commaundements brought life to all at the ninth howre yeeldeth vp the Ghost and goeth to giue account to his Father is the true Tree of Life on that day openeth Paradise to the poore theefe the head of his Church was a King Prophet Sacrificer was borne seuentie yeeres before foure thousand BEcause these two Tables consist onely of numbers and that numbers in the scripture are great helpes for the vnderstanding of the same before wee come to speake of Seth it is not amisse to lay downe what numbers are of most vse in the Bible namely 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 12. 1 Expressing the vnion of the Godhead and from thence the vnitie of all godly as being members of one head Christ Iesus which is made plaine Psal 133. Behold how good and comely a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in vnitie c. 3 The distinguished Trinitie within which number many excellent things fall out still to put vs in minde of the vndeuidable coeternitie of Father Sonne and holy Spirite To shew that neither in eldest yongest or middlemost but in Gods free election standeth our eternall happinesse Adam Kaine Of Adam the eldest extreame wicked Abel Of Adam the eldest extreame wicked Seth. Of Adam the eldest extreame wicked Noah Iaphet Of Noah the youngest wicked Sem Of Noah the youngest wicked Cham. Of Noah the youngest wicked Terah Haran Of Terah the middlemost was wicked Nachor Of Terah the middlemost was wicked Abram Of Terah the middlemost was wicked Three Angels appeared to Abraham in his Tent. Three Fowers of precious stones were set in Aarons breast Three Things reserued in the Arke Three Taken vp in the old Testament and 3 in the new The Booke of the Lawe The pot of Manna and Aarons rod that did alwaies flourish Three Parts was Ierusalem diuided into Three Letters the root of euerie word in the Hebrew tongue Three Captiuities of the Iewes Three Times was the Temple grosly poluted by the Babilonians Antiochi Romanes Three Times a yeere were the Iewes bound to come to Ierusalem to giue account of their Religion Three Dayes and Nights was Ionas in the Whales belly Nights and dayes was Christ in the graue Iohns viz. Iohn Baptist Luk. 1. Iohn Euangelist Mat. 4. Iohn Marke Act. 12. Iob saued 3 Eliphaz Sophar Bildad Daniel saued 3 Ananias Azarias Mishael Noah saued 3 Sem. Cham. Iaphet In the 3. seuenth Iubile the Iewes felaway and then Ieremie said O earth earth earth Heare the word of the Lord
c. The title ouer Christ on the crosse was written in 3. tongues Hebrew Greeke Latine Although it may not bee vrged that all these Threes haue full relation to the Trinitie seeing they fall not out by chaunce wee are not to despise the pleasant harmonie and comfortable vse of them but to thinke that the wisedome of God hath contriued saluation into such a sweet Art that verie children may learne the same and therefore the Scripture is called verie fitly a shallow water and a deepe fountaine shallow that the Lambe may wade and deepe that the Elephant may swimme Foure Is a square number and vsuall Heber the Fourth after the floud Iuda the Fourth Sonne of Iacob Square signifieth true Religion The Lord came in the 4000. yeare of the world Moses Fourth Son in the 4. age was sacrificer to the tribe of Dan. Times 7 Iubiles the time of Christs death The forme of the heauenly Ierusalem Fiue The Letters of Iehouah The 5 Vowels the sinewes of all tongues Christ feedeth 5000. with 5 Loaues Six The day of Adams creation which number is oftentimes vsed in the scripture to put vs in mind of the Creation Hundreth Thousand fighting men came out of Egipt Hundreth yeares old was Noah at the floud Times 7 standings had the children of Israell in the Wildernesse Yeeres was the Land of Canaan in conquering Cities of refuge for one that killed a man by chaunce and not of malice had the Iewes to flie vnto Times did the children of Israell fall before Dauids time in the time of the Iudges Seuen The number of the Sabbath which number of 7. as it is famous for the creation so God continueth the same proportion throughout the Bible to the redemption For as God the Father made the world in six daies and rested the seuenth so God the Son hauing performed his Fathers will resteth the seuenth day in the graue Is a yeare of Grace Planets in the Firmament which Plato compareth to the number of Seuen Starres in Ap. 1. Yeares was the Land of Canaan plagued for that Ioseph the beloued of the Lord should haue been slaine by his brother Stones in the Temple Gods Seuen-fould wisedome or prouidence in all his actions Seuen eyes to looke vpon the building of euery stone in the Temple of Ierusalem Yeares the Land of Canaan was setled in rest Yeares the Temple was in building Yeares Nebucadnetzer was a beast for destroying it Gates in the Temple before you come to the Holy of holiest Braunches did the Candlesticke in the Temple stand vrpon which had 42. knobbes signifying the six dayes worke and the Seuenth day of rest in the creation Moneths was the Tabernacle in building Iubiles was the Arke in the house of Ioseph Trumpeters is a great number that doe alwaies sound Gods praise Henoch the seuenth from Adam Heber the seuenth from Henoch Isaack the seuenth from Heber Moses the seuenth from Abraham Iosua the seuenth from Ephraim Elias taken vp in the seuenth age from Samuel Ioram the seuenth from Dauid Salomons Temple was consecrated in the seuenth moneth answerable to the birth of the Fathers The ceremonie of the Feast of Tabernacles continued seuen dayes After the comming from Egipt it was seuen times seuen daies before the law was giuen Seuen times seuen daies after Christs resurrection descended the holy Ghost The stories of the Scripture goe by seuens From Moses till Christs death thus Seuen yeares the land of Canaan was in conquering Seuen fifties for the glorie of Iosephs house Seuen seuenties for the house of Iuda Seuen tennes for the captiuity From the captiuitie to the death of Christ seuen seuenties Moses ceremonies for the most part were in the seuenth moneth The Manna that was gathered on the sixt day serued for the seuenth The seuenth yeare the Iewes might not plowe sowe nor reape In the end of seuen seuens was the yeare of Iubilee In the seuenth seuen from Cyrus the walles of Ierusalem were built Seuen times seuen Thousand of the Iewes came from captiuitie Ioakim endeth the seuenth seuentie with affliction Seuen yeeres plenty Seuen yeeres dearth in the land of Egipt figured by seuen eares of corne and seuen kine Noah liued seuen Iubilees after the flood Seuen Thousand in the booke of Kings mentioned that neuer bowed their knees to Baal Kaines house cut off in the seuenth age How often shall I forgiue my brother till seuen times I say vntill seuen times seuenty times alluding vnto Daniels Seuens The number of the persons saued in the Arke The day of circumcision Ten is a full number and the highest of last of simple numbers All Nations after the number of Ten beginne againe for plaine teaching and plainenesse in reckoning Ten is the yeare of iudgement or accompt You haue Ten woordes for the creation of the world and Ten words for the gouernment of the whole world The Tenth is a holy number as in Tythes which is giuen to vs to acknowledge our duties In the Tenth moneth the waters of the floude abated Sem liued to see the Tenth age a great blessing Ten plagues were the Egiptians plagued with for afflicting Sems house Ten spyes in the Wildernes misbelieued Ten tribes fell away at Roboams time Daniels beast hath Ten hornes which doe represent Ten cruell Kings The beast in the Reuelation hath Ten hornes The Pope had Ten stately kingdomes to assist him Noah is the Tenth from Adam Abraham the Tenth from Noah Twelue signes in the Zodiacke Twelue monthes in the yeare Twelue Fathers from the floude to Iacob Twelue Sonnes of Iacob Twelue Fountaines in the Wildernesse Twelue stones in Iordan Twelue stones in Aarons breast Salomon had Twelue Stewards and Dauid Twelue valiant Captaines Salomon at Twelue yeares of age discided the controuersie betweene the women for the dead Childe Christ at Twelue yeares of age is founde disputing among the Doctors He likewise ordayneth Twelue Apostles and Twelue times did he appeare after his resurection and in the reuelation of euery Tribe is sealed Twelue thousand The heauēly Ierusalem is described to haue Twelue foundations of Twelue precious stones Twelue gates and Twelue Angels and the names written of the Twelue Apostles and through the Citie 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 layd downe in close signification and such easy proportions the whole scope of his gouernment to the worlds end is to shew that his wisedome is infinite and that nothing in the Scriptures doe fall out by chaunce but by his fore-purpose according to the secret counsell of his own will to make vs still looke backe vnto the Creation 130. Seth borne ge 5. when Adam is 130. yeares old ADam was made in the Image of God but Seth is begotten in the