Iewes was extinct Iohn was banished into Patmes and is commaunded to write to the Seuen Congregations in Asia the lesser where Iaphets Sonnes were first setled to so many Congregations as Iaphet had Sonnes Grace and peace from him that was and is and which is to come and from the seuen Spirits expressed in Esay 11. which are before his throne and from Iesus Christ which is a faithfull witnesse and first begotten of the dead Alpha and Omega the first and the last who is aliue but was dead and behold he liues for euer and euer and hath the keys of hell and of death and giueth light and life to Iaphet the Gentile who was in darkenesse and in the shadowe of death perswading him to dwell in the Tents of Sem to be a dweller in the spirituall Canaan and a Citizen in the heauenly Salem where there is no earthly Temple For God almightie and the Lambe are the Temple of it Now for Sem. SEm being one Hundred yeares old begetteth Arphaxad two yeeres after the flood so old was Abraham when hee begat Isaack He is in vertue equall with any before the flood This Sem was a King Prophet Sacrificer He signifieth A Name to teach them that the should looke to him in whom Sem and the whole world should be blessed He had fiue sonnes Elam Ashur Arphaxad Lud. Amram Elam of whom the Persians Ashur of whom the Assyrians Arphaxad of whom Christ Amram of whom the Aramites Lud of whom the Lidians There be diuers which condemne Genealogies warranted therby as they affirme by Saint Pauls Councill to Timothie neither that they giue heed to fables and Genealogies endlesse which breede rather questions then godly edifying by faith Indeed seeing Genealogies are of great consequence to the prouing of Christ to be the Messias the Iewes to crosse this faine diuers of their owne which S. Paul calleth endlesse and therefore to be auoided as also tales inuented by them whereby they corrupted the story of the Scriptures But this condemneth not the Genealogies which the Holy Ghost penneth but rather approueth them And if we doe but crosse the account laide downe by the heathen we do obscure the euidence of the Scriptures Thus much for the answere of this obiection 100. Arphachsad borne HIs name signifieth Healing Some hold that the Caldeans come from him CHRIST healeth all our infirmities Shelah borne HIs name signifieth Spoyling He was the Father of the Shelanites When he is thirtie yeeres old he begetteth Heber Heber a representer of the sonne of God who beginning to be thirtie yeeres old buildeth vp the decayed walles of the Gentiles Thirtie yeeres after the promise giuen to Abram was it before his seed began to be afflicted Ioseph being thirtie yeeres old expoundeth Pharaohs dreame Heber signifieth Pilgrime or stranger so saith Abraham I am a stranger and Pilgrime giue me a place for money to burie my dead So saith Saint Peter repeating the same storie I beseech you as Pilgrims and strangers to abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight against the soule Hebers posteritie went as strangers flitting from land to land looking for a Citie whereof God was the builder Heb. 11. Hereby we are taught that the world is not the end to which wee were created but that the glory of God is the end or marke that wee ought to leuell at For if we consider Man and the World in man the sences and in the world the sensible things Man as the beholder the world as the Theatre Man as the guest in the world the Feast prepared of all things conuenient for him wee will presently say not only that they be made one for another but also that in very deed the world was made for man and not man for the world And againe if wee consider how the world affordeth content of pleasures to all the sences but nothing sufficient to content the minde shall wee not conclude that as the pompe of this pilgrimage cannot bee mans end so can it not also bee his full contentation but man by a peculiar priuiledge hath an Vnderstanding wit which was giuen vnto him and Will which he receiued franke and free the one to knowe and discerne the leuell of his ende the other to loue and embrace it Seeing then the hither ende of all creatures heere beneath is Man and the furthest end of them is God the neerest and immediate end of man is to know God in the death merits of his Sonne Christ and them to embrace as the soueraigne welfare and comfort of our soules when from this handfull of earth our soules must goe to God that gaue it And what gaineth it a man to get all the kingdomes in the world by humane policie and want grace to ayme the end of our pilgrimage at heauen For what else is the getting of this world but a proofe of want and pouertie And what are honour vaine titles and Imperiall glories but a stampe of the diuels nature Therefore as the end of the first man when he was in his perfect holines was to attaine vnto God so the end of vs who by regeneration are partakers of that righteousnes must tend wholly to the mortifying of our worldly affections and accounting of these transitory momentaries as though they were not And to be short like as the soule is the shape of man so is the knowledge of God the true shape of mans vnderstanding and what desire we but the things that are and what can he want which possesseth him in whom all things are Then let vs say that as it had beene a happie case for Adam to haue continued still in his first estate so is it now for vs to returne thither againe that is to be set againe in Gods fauor that we may one day see his face yet againe And because this vnspeakeable blessednesse cannot be brought to perfection in this life so full of miserie we must so dispose our life in this world not to liue still in the world but to die in respect of these dead things and to liue vnto God if we intend to liue the true and euerlasting life for our true resting point is the turning againe vnto God from whose fauour and fellowship we be departed Man is composed of bodie and soule the body mortall the soule immortall now if we set mans felicitie in his bodie onely we doe too great wrong both to the soule and to the whole man For if it consist in the bodie it perisheth and fadeth with the body and then what remaineth to the soule which ouerliueth but wretchednesse but wee looke for a felicitie which belongeth to the whole man In the soule ioyned with the body we haue three abilities Life Sence Vnderstanding The soule giueth life vnto the body and the perfection of life is health If our life then serue to no other end than the outward things of this pilgrimage what had the first man to do with any of them who was created perfect
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 prouideth for the building of the Temple Thus we see how God is still true in his promises Cursed be Canaan a seruant of seruants shall he be Iob he goeth to Sems house for his possessions thereby shewing his religion which would not enioy earthly possessions amongest those whome God had cursed And wee may see in this the law of nature obserued that euerie one is to resort to his eldest brothers house Thus much concerning the place The next circumstance is of what kindred he is HE is of Abraham by Keturah for it is said that he was the richest of all the men of the East This cannot be meant generally for no doubt the kings of the east exceeded him in riches But if we take it of those of Abrahams house by Keturah to whome Abraham gaue gifts and sent them away it is true Besides hee calleth his friends which come to comfort him his brethren for hee sayth My Brethren are like Riuers of water This were improperly spoken if he were not of Abraham he cannot be of Esau for how could that then be true that Esau I haue hated being likewise cursed for despising the promise if so rare a man for godlinesse and sinceritie and that before Moses should be of Esaus kindred Ieremie speaketh in his Lamentations in this wise Lament 4. Reioyce thou Edom in the Land of Huts From hence some conclude that seeing Huts is in the Land of Edom and Iob of Huts therefore he is of Esaus kindred and not of Abraham by Keturah This obiection though it may seeme at the first sight of force yet it is easily answered by marking the times for many ages had passed betwixt Iobs age and Ieremies prophecie Esaus posteritie might at this time haue brought Huts vnder his subiection but in Iobs time wee doe not reade hee had done so And the scripture makes plaine that Abrahams Sonnes by Keturah went and dwelt East-ward And considering Iobs Religion which no doubt was not embraced in Esaus house we must needs thinke notwithstanding this obiection that Iob was of Abrahams kindred Thus much for the circumstance of his kindred ELihu whome God approoueth is of Aram by Milcah who hath Bethuel God is risen the Father of Rebecca and the Father of Aram of whome Elihu These two names containe in them great Religion for the rest of Nachors Sonnes they signifie nothing Here wee see Saint Paules rule true If the vnbeleeuing man will dwell with the beleeuing woman let them not depart for the vnbeleeuing man is sanctified by the beleeuing woman And I rather thinke that Milcah named these two than Nachor thereby to shew her faith in God hauing obtained that prerogatiue at her husbands hand for Nachor must needs learne Idolatrie from Terah his Father Wee may likewise obserue from Iobs kindred what a care Abraham had yea euen in his old age to teach his posteritie the law of God seeing hee instructed Keturah and her Sonnes And this care God affirmeth when hee sayth Gen. 18. That hee cannot keepe secret from Abraham his Counsels for he will teach it his posteritie Therefore we shall find that this booke of Iob is a Commentarie on this sentence Now we come to the question and the summe of the Booke THe question is not concerning Adams fall or the goodnesse and purenesse of workes they doubt not of the Resurrection nor of the Trinitie nor of any other points of faith but it is only a Question of Practise that is to say Whether a man which aboundeth in wealth and being brought to pouertie can be in fauour of God and whether God do so gouern the world that those whom he loueth he will suffer to see affliction Iob is declared to be merueilous great his blessings multiplied in his sonnes in his daughters in Sheepe Oxen Asses and Cammels He himselfe could not bee old perhaps at this time sixtie yeeres for they say they had then liuing elder then his father and after his temptation he liued 140. yeeres and we must take heed we make him not to outliue Isaack Now all his wealth is taken from him himselfe in great miserie remembreth Iacobs storie going with his staffe and his scrip ouer Iordan and by the remembrance thereof comforteth himselfe and confesseth Chap. 1. Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I returne thither the Lord giueth and the Lord taketh away blessed therefore be his name Saint Paul in the 1. Tim. cap. 6. Tels him that godlinesse is great riches if a man be content with that he hath for we brought nothing into the world and it is certaine we can carrie nothing out And the children of Israel euery yere when they came to offer after the Priests had taken the basket of first fruits and set it before the Altar of the Lord were wont to say Deu. 26. A Syrian was my father to wit Iacob who went ouer Iordan with his staffe and his bagge and after he returned into Canaan and being readie to perish went downe into Egypt and soiourned there with a small company and grew there vnto a nation great mightie and full of people This confession was not miraculous in Iob. For the heathen could say thus much as they cōfesse in their Epigrams that naked they came out of the earth and naked they shall goe thither Sathan touched his bodie and left him him nothing free but the flesh of his teeth and his tongue that with his tongue he might by desperation blaspheme God Suidas thinketh his torments endured seuen yeeres by matters mentioned in his orations which likelihood could not fall out sooner as that euery one mocked him and fleed from him Then it was a great while after that his kins-men heard of his temptation yet they could come being Dukes and great men and dwelling farre When they come they tarry seuen dayes without speaking any word so great was his griefe vpon him that all this while it droue them into an amazednesse Then they begun to dispute with him Their disputations are true and voide of oathes they make mention of the Sabbath the inueigh against adulterie and other sinnes of the second table they confute iustification by workes they pray not to Saints departed for Iobs recouerie By their orations wee may easily learne to confute these fond opinions which Popery holdeth His friends may seeme to stacker concerning his saluation by reason of his rauing and speaking so doubtfully of the truth for the which God condemneth him after and asketh Iob 38. Who is he that obscureth knowledge with many words Eliphas therefore beginneth thus Chap. 4. Wilt thou be grieued if one assay to commune with thee but who can hold himselfe from speaking Thou thy selfe hast taught many and hast strengthened the weary hands Thou hast had great hope patience and confidence And yet I can tell thee thy case is very ill and if thou dost not repent thou wilt not be saued For who euer perished being an innocent Indeed the
shall raigne and prosper In his dayes Iuda shall bee saued and Israel shall dwell safely and this is the name whereby they shall call him The Lord our righteousnesse In the 110. Psalme the Lord sware and will not repent thou art a King for euer after the order of Melchisedech the King of righteousnesse In the first Epistle of Saint Iohn it is thus expounded If any man sinne wee haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous The Seuentie Interpreters translating the place of Ieremie And this is his name The Lord our righteousnesse because they knew the Egyptians could neuer vnderstand the meaning of the Lord our righteousnesse they translate it thus And he shall be called the Sonne of Iehosadach which is in signification Ichouah Tzedek The Lord our righteousnesse but thereby the Grecians thought hee was the Sonne of Iehosadach Where Saint Paul speaketh Philip. 2. That at the name of Iesus euerie knee should bow both in heauen and in earth We thinke that the meaning is the outward bowing of our knees and of an externall worship to be giuen at the sound of this word Iesus That is not so but this is the meaning That his Maiesty is so omnipotent that all the creatures both in heauen and earth must be subiect to him And this Christ himselfe prooued by his miracles when the fishes obeyed when the Deuils resisted not when the water bare him vp and the winde was calme at his word Wherefore if wee admit the first exposition wee commit a grosse errour for so soone as wee heare Iesus pronounced we begin to worship by bending our knees though that name be not meant of Christ As in the Epistle to the Hebrewes it is sayd If Iesus had setled the people in rest c. Here is meant Iesus the Sonne of Nun and yet this Iesus shall haue bowing of knees Now compare Iesus with Iesus As Iesus the Son of Nun receiued the gouernment and law from Moses before Iesus Iordan opened Iesus caused the Sunne to stay in the firmament So Iesus Christ fulfilled all the same before Iesus Christ when he was baptised at Iordan the heauens opened Iesus Christ caused the sun to be darkened in the firmament If Iesus had setled the people in rest c. IEsus which signifieth Sauiour with Eleasar who is surnamed Aaron which signifieth Christ Annointed setled the Israelites in an earthly rest in the outward Canaan Iesus with Eleasar brought the Iewes out of the captiuitie of Babell and set them in their Land againe Iesus Christ the Annointed Sauiour hauing in halfe a Seuen conquered Hell and Sathan hath setled our mindes and set vs in an heauenly rest in the spirituall Canaan So the holy Ghost speaketh for if Iesus had setled the people in rest then would not Dauid after this haue spoken of another rest Moses giueth instruction to Iesus for the Conquest of the Land and goeth not thither himselfe So Moses vnprofitable except Christ had come and performed it THis Fiftie sheweth that the reckoning of the yeare of Iubilee here beginneth The Seuen sheweth that the people of Israel were sixe yeres in conquering the Land of Canaan and the Seuenth yeare setled in rest as the world was six dayes in making and the Seuenth day appointed for rest The Fiue and Fortie will approoue this true in the Fourteenth of Iosua Caleb saith Fortie yeares old was I when Moses sent mee to spie the Lands Now the people of Israel were Two yeares in the Wildernesse before the Spies were sent When the Land is fully conquered hee sayth I am this day fiue and Fortie yeres old since Moses sent me from Cadesbarnes to view the Land From which fiue and Fortie if you take away Seuen there remaineth Thirtie and Eight to which if you adde the other two in which they were in the Wildernes before the Spies were sent you haue Fortie so long they were in the Wilnernesse and the other Seuen they were in conquering the Land For comparison with this Seuen you haue Seuen Fifties for the house of Ioseph so Hoseas the Prophet speaketh while Ioseph spake there was great terrour Then Seuen Seuenties to the Captiuitie Ten Seuens the Captiuity and Seuen Seuenties to the death of Christ The proofe of this is layd downe in the 25. of Leuit. where they are cōmanded vpon their setling in the Land to number vnto them sixe yeares for tilling and plowing their ground and the Seuenth to be a Sabbath that is holy vnto the Lord. And Seuen Sabbaths of yeares thou shalt likewise number then thou shalt cause to blowe the Trumpet of the Iubilee and that was the next yeare after the seuenth Seuen Theodoretus saith Moses prophecied that Iesus should be Seuen yeares in conquering the Land and thereby likewise expresseth the Iubilee and thereby sheweth the Fiftie yeares after they should ouerthrow Chusan So the first Iubilee hath a wonderfull victorie God had an especiall purpose in his prouidence that the land should not bee conquered in one day which he could haue performed because from obseruing the wonderfull order of Iesus victories the nations farre and neere might bee stirred vp to enquire after their God and if they would not yet hereby to bee made vnexcusable Suidas noteth that hee came into a Countrey where hee found certaine blacke pillars erected wherein this was engrauen Iesus the spoyler droue vs out of Canaan Cadmus builds Thebes while the Grecians flourished and there was continuall enmitie betweene the Athenians and the Thebanes and if you cast the ages to Dauids time you shall find that Iesus draue him out likewise Now followeth the diuiding of the Land which is particularly handled in Ioshua 15 16 17 18 19. NOw the curse is performed Gen. 10. Cursed be Canaan a seruant of seruants shall he be For his posteritie the most part of them are driuen out of their Land being replenished with all good things and Sem doth raigne our him Seuen Nations onely were driuen out the rest God would not as yet vtterly roote out but reserued them to bee spurres in the sides and thornes in the eyes of the Israelites if they should at any time bee stout and forget God This conquest of Sems house vppon Canaan God purposed when hee first setled them in the Land at the scattering of Nations as Moses testifieth Deut. 32. When the most high God diuided to the Nations their inheritance he appointed the borders of a people according to the number of the Sonnes of Israel Our translation is faultie in that place and thereby obscureth the meaning of the place For we say When the most high diuided to the Nations their inheritance hee appointed the borders of the people according to the number of the children of Israel which any man knoweth to be infinite and therfore not proper for the vnderstanding of the text For looke what Countreys Iacob gaue in his will and described Iesus and Eleasar performed in possession to
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
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
Noah that would haue a name and turned their speech into babling He plagued that flouting Ismael and quailed that doughtie Esay Hee drowned stout Pharaoh in the red sea and ouerthrew the iron charets of Sisera at the waters of Mageddon He smote diuers nations and slue mightie Kings Sehon King of the Ammorites and Ogg the King of Basan and all the kingdomes of Canaan he foiled that proud Philistine and hewed the horne of Agag in peeces He made Iesabel a pray for dogges and wicked Achab to be slaine in the valley of Iesreel He made King Ioakim to be buried like an asse and prophane Nebucadnetzar to eat grasse like an oxe He made drunken Baltasar to tremble like a leafe and Antiochus the vild to be deuoured of wormes to shew that he regardeth not proud lookes or feareth the Kings displeasure for he setteth vp Kings and putteth downe Kings as Luke 1. He looked on the low degree of his handmaid he hath shewed strength with his arme he hath scattered the proud in the imaginations of their hearts he hath put downe the mightie from their seats and hath exalted the humble and meeke As Ioseph out of the dungeon Dauid from the sheepecoats Daniel from the Lyons denne Peter and Iohn from mending their nets and made them rulers ouer mightie Nations teachers to the Princes of the earth Matth. 5. Therefore blessed are the meeke for they shall receiue the inheritance of the earth Christ being meeke was ledde as a sheepe vnto the slaughter not opening his mouth 162. Henoch borne HIs name signifieth Holy or Dedicated to God The name sheweth his fathers affection in giuing him vnto God answerable to Abraham in offering Isaack Henoch of Kaine was contrarie in signification to this Henoch the one dedicated to God the other to the possessions of this world For Kaine after his curse wandring to the land of Nod buildeth a Citie and calleth it after the name of his sonne Henoch The other Henoch though indeed a rare man yet was 65. yeres without any mention of his integritie and after that his holinesse is made manifest in this that he found fauour with God His calling was very glorious being made a preacher to declare salvation to all that would beleeue in Christ and his owne actions of life to be performed in the highest degree of vertue Whereby we are taught to bee holie and blamelesse before God not giuing our members subiects vnto wantonnesse or pleasures of this life but esteeming the world as though it were not and possesse it as though wee possest it not putting on the new man Christ Iesus that we may be holy euen as he is holy 7. You haue heere the number of seuen to shew that Henoch is the seuenth from Adam for so is he called in the Epistle of Iude. He was no doubt a very rare man seeing that hee is commended of the holy Ghost to haue walked with God to haue his yeeres answerable to the dayes of the sunne and registred to be the seuenth from Adam a Sabbath keeper for his yeeres doe agree with the number of the Sabbath Which number of seuen or of the Sabbath throughout the Bible doth still put vs in mind of the Creation and so of the true keeping of the Sabbath For in the beginning God made the world in sixe dayes and rested the seuenth and hallowed and sanctified the same and commaunded it to be kept holie throughout all generations and to resemble the same in his Creation before there was a Sabbath He made seuen starres in the heauens which Philosophers call planets which haue force in the whole course of nature which he in his wisedome placed there that the very heathen and such as would not take notice of the Sabbath might haue the name thereof in their mouthes although they made no vse thereof in their hearts 65. Methushelah borne His name signifieth Long life or Speare death 187. Lamech borne HIs name signifieth Striken or heart-wounded He is called so in respect of some inward griefes that he should beare for the afflictions of the world You haue an other Lamech of Kaines house but of contrarie nature to this Lamech Lamech of Kaine was a striker Lamech of Seth striken the one a Preacher of destruction to the world the other an example of impietie to the world and being 1600. yeeres after Kaine knew Kaines storie He had two wiues it was not so from the beginning Some hold that he was the first that had two wiues but doubtlesse many others had the like but God in one doth shew the manners of the rest Hee saith to his wiues I will kill a man c. So that as the world began with killing so it continueth in wickednesse and violence The other Lamech doth make a confession full of contrition and in naming his sonne Comforter 600. yeeres before the flood sheweth that he was a Prophet of verie liuely skill Compare him with Christ CHrist is both outwardly striken and inwardly wounded Outwardly when in the open hall he was buffetted scourged and spitted at and vpon the crosse pierced both handes feete and sides Inwardly when hee was reuiled with blasphemous speeches at his death and when in stead of drinke to comfort him they gaue him gall and mirhe mingled together but most especially when his guiltlesse soule did suffer the torments of hell to redeeme our guiltie soules and bodies from the thrall of Satan as may appeare when from his sides issued water and blood 56. Adam dieth THe Hebrewes descant very straungely vpon the Arithmeticke of Adams yeares which hee liued which were 930. Vpon a sentence in the 24 of Iob. where it is sayd All the daies of man vpon earth are but a shadow As if he should say all the dayes of Adam are but Abell for Adam in Hebrew signifieth earth and Abell signifieth shadow or vanitie whereby we are taught that from the earth we came and to the earth we must returne according to Ge. 3. We are also to vnderstand from hence that although God deferre his punishments yet he is mindfull of his promises for not one tittle or iot of his word shall passe as appeareth in Adams death which God before had promised and was accomplished though it were 930. yeares after Wherefore howsoeuer we be setled on the pleasures of this life or bee aduaunced to thrones of Maiestie as Adam was we are to know that it is but a Steward shippe bestowed vpon vs for a season and that in this world wee are to looke for no abiding place for we are but grasse wee are consumed as smoke our daies come to an end A Thousand yeares in Gods sight is as yesterday He turneth Adam to dust and saith Returne ye sonnes of Adam He bringeth our yeares to an end as it were a tale that is tould Wherefore let vs pray to God with Moses to teach vs to number our daies aright that wee may apply our harts vnto wisedome Adam cometh
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
reckoned not according to their age but according to their dignitie as Gen. 5. The Sonnes of Noah Sem Cham Iaphet are so rehearsed that in the first place there is mention made of Sem who for all that was not the first borne neither could be borne in the Fiue hundreth yeare of Noah sith two yeares after the flood in which yeare hee begat Arphachsad hee was but an Hundreth yeares old Now the first of this opinion whome I follow was Caluine that most famous Doctor of the Church of Geneua who in his Commentaries vpon Gen. 11.27 expresseth it in plaine words Him followed Beroaldus who did much in the illustrating of time and Mangoldus This demonstration is set downe Act. 7. Abraham is sayd to goe out of Haran after his Father Terah died Now Terah liued Two hundred and fiue yeares And Abram went out of Haran in the Seuentie and fiue yeare of his age which yeeres if you subtract from Terahs age there remaines One hundred and thirtie yeares in which Abrams natiuitie falleth The same may be confirmed by Sarahs age Abrams wife who is thought to be the Daughter of Abrams Brother Abram exceeded her no more but Ten yeeres wherevpon it followeth that hee was borne long after him that was both his brother and father in law Abram therefore was called and began his peregrination in the Two thousand Eightie and fourth yeare of the world the verie same day that his posteritie went out of Egypt namely the Fifteenth of Nisan as it is sayd in Exod. 12. The third ioynct of this first time which containeth the diuine couenant of Abraham endeth in the yeare when the law was giuen in which the Israelites by the goodnesse of God were brought forth and deliuered out of Egypt by many and strange miracles This containeth foure Hundred and Thirtie yeres which is confirmed by the testimonie of Saint Paul who expresly sayth Gal. 3.17 That the Law began foure Hundred and Thirtie yeares after the confirming of the couenant or testament And concerning the confirmation of which couenant he speaketh he expresseth in that which went before namely of that same which was made when being called of God he went out of Haran For in vers 8. he cyteth the same promise In thee shall all the nations of the earth be blessed which Gen. 12. is rehearsed in the narration of his calling Vers 3. Hetherto also it appertaineth which is written Exod. 12. Vers 40. The peregrination of the children of Israel as learnedly and truely translateth that worthy man Beroaldus which they dwelt in Egypt was Foure Hundred and Thirtie yeares Which surely the Seuentie Interpreters so translate that they account the peregrination of the Fathers made in the Land of Canaan in this dwelling Neither doth the place of Gen. 15. Vers 13. concerning the seed of Abram to be aflicted foure Hundred yeares hinder it For Abrahams peregrination is to be deriued from his calling and his seed began to be afflicted when Isaack the Sonne of promise borne fiue and twentie yeares after his calling being a childe peraduenture of fiue yeares old suffered the scoffings of Ismael borne of the hand mayd which surely the Apostle Gal. 4.29 expressely nameth persecution Adde hereunto the rest which Isaack and Iacob suffered amonge strangers Now that time wherein the Israelites abode in Egipt that it is farre wide of foure Hundred yeeres is cleerer than the light at noone day to them which consider that Kaath the Son of Leui went downe into Egipt and liued One Hundred Thirtie and Three yeares and that his Son Amram liued one hundred thirtie and seuen yeres Exod. 6. and that Moses his Sonne was Eightie yeares old when he went out of Egipt All which make but Three hundred and Fiftie yeares and if from these those yeares bee subduced which they liued after their Sonnes were borne the yeares remayning would be few But these things Doctor Berwildus and others haue learnedly set forth Those notable men Bullinger Phlinspachius Scaanger and others agree vnto it It is sayd that Terah being Seuentie yeares old begetteth Abram Haran and Nachor The Iewes say That Abraham was the eldest but thereby they bring notable absurdities for they agree that Sara was Harans Daughter she is but Ten yeres yonger than Abram and then Abram being elder than Haran and yet married his daughter but Ten yeares younger than her husband Haran must needes beget her at Nine yeares of age which is impossible Therefore it is certaine that Nachor and Haran were elder than Abram For if wee looke to Gen. 12. and consider that Abram being Seuentie and fiue yeares old receiued the promise and to Saint Stephens Oration Act 7. by which it appeareth that Terah was dead before Abram had the promise or else the promise might haue had a reference to Terah as well as to Abram we shall by good Arithmeticke cast Terah at the birth of Abram to be One hundred and thirtie yeares old for take Seuentie and fiue yeres out of two hundred and fiue which is the time that Terah liued and there remaineth One hundred and thirtie the age of Terah when he begat Abram To enlarge this further If Abram had beene the eldest Sem would not haue giuen him the blessing for then hee should haue died before Sem and men doe not giue their inheritance to their Sonnes which die in their life but hee would rather haue kept it for Isaack with whom he liued Fiftie yeres This may be made plaine by another of the same sort Rebecca being with child and they both striuing in her womb asketh counsell what should become of her The question is of whom Sem being dead it is manifest either of Heber or of Abraham Thus you may see that without the knowledge of the times wee could not auoid these errors 2018. Sara borne She is thought to bee Iiscah the daughter of Haran and so she is for Abraham calleth Lot brother which could not be but in respect of mariage For Lot was the Sonne of Haran and brother to Iiscah Therefore in that meaning Abram speaketh truely Sara is the same in signification that Iiscah is For Sarah signifieth Queene so doth Iiscah her name was afterwards called Sarai that is My Queene You haue a verie easie reckoning of the times if you beginne at Sarahs Fifteenth yeare of age when she was fit as it were to be a Tabernacle for Abraham These comparisons prooue the prouidence of God to be plaine and his counsels easie From Sarahs Fifteene yeares of age to the building of Moses Tabernacle 480 From thence to the Building of Salomons Temple 480 Third of Cyrus when the proclamation went forth for building the second Temple 480 Gouernement of Poncius Pilate in whose time Christ did build his spirituall Temple 480 The promise is giuen to Abraham That is Christ is promised to Abraham after the flesh Gen. 12. Foure hundred and thirtie yeres before the giuing â—f the law The promise to
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
hundred hath relation to the time that Ismael and Hagar were expelled Abrahams house for Ismaels flowting of Isaack Here is the performance of Gods promise to Abraham Gen. 15. Thy seede shall be in a strange Land foure hundred yeares but the people whome they shall be in bondage to will I iudge saith God Which was made plaine in the ten plagues of Egipt and in the ouerwhelming of Pharaoh and his Chariots in the red sea as Exod. 14. and Psal 78. Maruailous things did the lord in the sight of our Fathers in the land of Ham euen in the field of Zoan he diuided the Sea and let them go through he made the waters to stand on an heap and led forth his people like sheep and carried them in the wildernesse like a flocke And Psal 114. When Israel came out of Egipt and the house of Iacob from among the strange people Iudah was his Sanctuarie and Israel his Dominion The Sea sawe that and fledde Iordan was driuen back this was performed at the beginning of the Law The Mountaines skipped like Rams and the litle hils like yong sheep c. And Psal 105. Egipt was glad at their departure for they were affraid of them And Psa 106. He rebuked the Red Sea and it was dryed vp he led his people through the deepe as through a wildernesse As for those that troubled them the waters ouer-whelmed them and there was not one of them left Then the children of Israel beleeued his words and sange praise vnto him But within a while they forgat his workes and would not abide his counsell but lust came vpon them in the wildernesse and they tempted God in the desert And Psa 78. They forgat what he had wrought in Egipt and his wonders in the field of Zoan How he led them in the day with a cloud and all the night through with a pillar of fire Hee claue the hard Rockes in the wildernesse and gaue them drinke thereof hee brought waters out of the Stonie Rocke so that it gushed out like the Riuers But they prouoked the most highest in the wildernesse and tempted God in their harts saying Shall God prepare a table in the wildernesse He smote the stonie Rocke indeed and the streames flowed withall but can he giue bread also or prouide flesh for his people wherewith the Lord was wroth so hee rained downe Manna from heauen So man did eate Angels food for hee sent them meat ynough At their desire he brought quailes and hee filled them with the bread of heauen hee rayned flesh vppon them as thicke as dust and feathered fowles as the sands of the sea he let it fall amonge their tents euen round about their habitation so they did eat and were filled for hee gaue them their owne desire they were not disappointed of their lust but while the meat was in their mouths the heauie wrath of God came vppon them and slue the wealthiest of them and smote downe the chosen men that were in Israel But for all this they sinned yet more Againe psal 106. They angred Moses in their Tents and Aaron the Saint of the Lord. So the earth swallowed vp Dathan and couered the congregation of Abiram and the fire was kindled in their companie the flame burnt vp the vngodly They made a Calfe in Horeb and worshipped the moulten Image Thus they turned the glorie of God into the similitude of a Calfe that eateth hay So he sayd he would haue destroyed them had not Moses his chosen stand before him in the gappe to turne away his wrathfull indignation yea they thought scorne of that pleasant Land and gaue no credence to his words but murmured in their Tents they ioyned themselues with Baal Peor and eat the offerings of the dead Thus still they prouoked God vnto anger with their inuentions and the plague was great amonge them But Phinees stoode vp and prayed and the plague ceased and that was counted to him for righteousnesse throughout all posterities for euer They angred him also at the waters of strife so that he punished Moses for their sakes because they prouoked his spirite so that he spake vnaduisedly with his lips Neuerthelesse he thought vpon his couenant and pitied them according to the multitude of his mercies as appeareth 2. Esdr 9 Thou camest downe vpon Sinay and spakest to them from heauen and gauest them right iudgements true Lawes good Commandements and Statutes and declaredst vnto them thy holy Sabbath and commaundedst them Precepts Ordinances and Lawes by the hand of Moses thy seruant and gauest them bread from heauen when they were hungry and broughtest forth water out of the Rocke for them when they were thirstie and promisedst them that they should goe in and take and possesse the Land but they were proude and became obstinate and heady but God forgaue them and was gracious and mercifull patient and of great goodnesse and forsook them not although they made a moulten Calfe and said These are our Gods that brought vs out of the Land of Egipt and did speake blasphemously yet hee forsooke them not in the wildernesse according to his great mercie Fortie yeares long made he prouision for them in the wildernesse so that they lacked nothing their clothes waxed not old and their feete swelled not In this Fortie yeares of their being in the wildernesse many things are to be vnderstood God chose these Forty that all the world might knowe of the Redemption by Christ It standeth of Foure Tens This time is made more famous by the Storie wherein a speciall thing is to be obserued that in all these Forty yeres you haue but three yeares storie and a halfe And thus it is cast One yeare is spent in the Tabernacle halfe a yeare after the Spies are sent to view the Land Vpon their Storie God sweares that they shall not enter into his rest From thence you haue no Storie till the two last yeares of the conquest of Ob and of Maries death This one would not thinke of if the bare Storie did not compell him For comparison with this three yeares and a halfe I will speake more hereafter You haue in the wildernesse the Lambe which represented Christ and Manna which Christ expounds in Ioh. 6. I am the true bread that came from heauen Your Fathers did eat Manna and are dead hee that eateth of this bread shall liue for euer The Rock signified Christ The lifting vp of the Serpent his death Balaam he prophecieth of Christ There shall come a Starre from Iacob and a Scepter shall rise from Israel Kittim and Assur shall afflict Heber but they also shall come to destruction at the last This prophecie begins in the sixt yeare of Ezechias THe time was in the Moneth Abib which Moneth containeth part of March and part of Aprill The Seuentie Interpreters call it Tanda the Moneth of greene blades for about this time of the yeare corne beginneth to shew it selfe aboue the ground Their yeare before
this began in September answerable to the Creation which prooueth the time of Adams creation to bee then For this Moneth is the seuenth Moneth but now commaunded to bee the first The alteration of this old yeare by commanding the keeping of a new yeare as a remembrance of their deliuerance out of Egypt teacheth plainely the Redemption by Christ whereof this deliuerance out of Egypt was a figure And this teacheth vs further that Moses Lawes had not their end only in policy but that their chiefe scope was Christ The passeouer likewise made this plaine for they were to choose the Lambe the Tenth day of the first Moneth in which Moneth they came out of Egypt and on the Fourteenth day hee was to bee slaine The Foure dayes respite betwixt the choosing and the killing admonished them that the matter now to be perfourmed was verie weightie and therefore they were deepely to consider it for now was the action and summe of all saluation in handling In the seuenth Moneth and the first day of the moneth they had the feast of blowing the Trumpets The tenth day of the seuenth Moneth was the feast of offering Sacrifices an holy conuocation to humble them to the Lord. The Fifteenth day the feast of Tabernacles or Cottages to keepe in remembrance thereby the dwelling of the children of Israel in boothes in the wildernesse The vse of the Passeouer was to assure them that God would be their defence seeing according to the promise made to Abraham after Foure hundred and thirtie yeares they were brought out of Egypt and that Christ their Passeouer was to be offered vp in fulnesse of time When Christ was crucified this was perfected and finished hee was crucified at Easter The Iewes thinke that the world shall end at Easter for then they came out of Egypt and then was their yeare altered And in the song of songs this is expressed Behold the winter is past the voice of the Turtle is heard in the Mountaines the figge-tree hath brought foorth her young figges Come my beloued arise and come away my Loue my faire one Cant. 2. From this place they gather the end of the world Christ in the Gospell seemeth to allude to this in this sort Behold saith he the Figge-tree and all trees when they now shoore foorth yee seeing them know of your owne selues that summer is neere so likewise when yee see these thinges come to passe knowe that the Kingdome of God is neere Luke 22. There is nothing in the Bible contrary or to confute this And seeing it is yet to come it may verie well be so Christ was answerable to these figures for he died at Easter though before the Iewes would haue killed him yet they could not lay handes on him for his houre was not yet come Hereby we are now occasioned to returne to the Passeouer The Pascall was killed on a Fryday Codomanus saith that name signifieth a passing ouer because God that night passing ouer the Hebrewes did kill the first borne in Egypt This Pascall was a Kidde or a Lambe figuring Christ the Lambe of God which should take away the sinne of the world Iohn 1. It ought to bee without blemish because that wee are redeemed from our vaine conuersation giuen from our fathers not with corruptible things gold or siluer but with the precious blood of Christ the Lambe vnblemished and vnspotted appointed from the beginning of the world shewed in the last times 1. Pet. 1.18 No bone of the Lambe might bee broken Because of Christ no bone should be broken and when Christ was crucified the theeues legges were broken but into Christ his side a speare was thrust Ioh 19. It was eaten in the euening at that time the promise was giuen to Abraham At that time came the Iewes from Babell at that time Christ celebrated his last Supper It was eaten of the circumcised onely because Christians should bee all circumcised in heart for they doe eat his flesh and drinke his blood The loynes of the bodie should bee girded because the loynes of our minds should be gyrded not setting our mindes vppon treasure in Raamsees where wormes corrupt and rage but should be as men looking for their Lord when hee shall returne from the marriage At that time for Seuen dayes they did eat vnleauened bread as their mindes should take heed of the sower leauen of pharisey call doctrine Mat. 16. for a little leauen sowreth the whole lumpe of dowe So we must remooue away the old leauen that wee may become a newe lumpe as wee are vnleauened Therefore let vs keepe the old feast not with the old leauen of wickednesse and maliciousnesse but with the vnleauened bread of sinceritie and truth for Christ our paschall is offered for vs 1. Cor. 5.7 It was to be killed and his blood sprinkled and to bee eaten all saue the fat and the kidneys Thereby to teach vs that the naturall man sauoureth not the things which are of God This Saint Paul expounds Heb. 9. The blood of Christ purge your consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God It was eaten with bitter hearbs to shew that such is the practise of Religion The time of this was when the Moone was at the full and in the Spring of the yeare This time is the pleasure of the whole yeare so is Christ to those who haue grace to thinke on him aright The agreement of all these must needes make a Turke a Christian for it is impossible that either by the wit of man or by chaunce these things could haue so come to passe The Iewes had in their Passeouer the Lambe Bread and Wine Christ instituting his last Supper endeth the eating of the Lambe because he offered vp his owne bodie as a full bodie of all shadowing Sacrifices and kept Bread and Wine to bee a remembrance hereof Hee was the true Lambe as hee saith Ioh. 1. Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinne of the world So hee testifieth of himselfe and altereth it because now the full and whole Sacrifice being offered vp all Sacrifices were to cease according to Dan. 9. where it is sayd Christ the King the Holy of Holyest shal be killed and shall end the Sacrifice and Oblation and seale euerie vision and prophesie Neither shall the blood of Buls or Goats any more auaile to the clensing of sinne But the blood of Christ onely that Lambe vnspotted whose blood shall purge our consciences from dead workes to bee sanctified by his righteousnesse to the seruing of the liuing Lord who hath layd downe his life for his sheepe and being dead raised himselfe vp again as one hauing power ouer death hell and victorie NOw for the popes Transubstantiation besides that it is repugnant to sence it cannot be spoken in Hebrew and in Greeke onely by fayning and inuenting of new termes Reall is no word seeing it comprehends many things as well as a bodie Yet Christ is truely present to those which embrace
Chams house and yet God of his especiall grace gaue her the light of his countenance and was mercifull vnto her because she beholding the impieties of the vncleane Cities of Canaan and their reward and the Storie of Lots wife which no doubt was famous the loathsome life of the Egyptians and their plagues embraced the Couenant to Abraham and the oath that hee sware vnto Isaack The manners of these Egyptians are expressed by the woman in the Gospell which had her daughter possessed with a Deuill Christ telleth her that it is not lawfull to take the Childrens bread and to cast it to Dogges As if Christ should say Moses in his lawes and religion hath cut you off like Dogges to whome precious things must not bee throwne and therefore I am not in mercie to regard you She answereth It is true Lord that wee are cursed and by Moses law cut off from saluation and it is likewise true that wee are not the Children yet wee see that the little Dogs eat of the crummes which fall from the Childrens table And Moses himselfe hath a law that if any will learne the Religion of Iuda hee shall be admitted so that yet there is some hope for the Dogs Goe thy way saith Christ thy faith hath saued thee And no doubt as this poore womans daughter was possessed with a Deuill in bodie so the mindes of the Egyptians had many Deuils seeing they were full of superstition witchcraft and coniuring They worshipped one Ammon a Deuill yet there were many of Chams house saued This I inferre because Rahab was of Cham. And this opinion is confirmed by her Storie who was saued when Iericho was destroyed Shee telleth the Spies I knowe that the Lord hath giuen you the Land for we haue heard how the Lord dryed vp the Redde Sea before you for the Lord your God hee is the God in heauen aboue and in the earth beneath thereby shewing that she embraced the promise made to Abraham that in his seede all Nations in the earth should bee blessed It is testified of both these women that their faith did saue them The Lord likewise in the dayes of his flesh went into Iericho the Citie of Rahab long agoe accursed 2610. The first Iubilee IT hath his name from Iobal a Horne because in the beginning of the Feast trumpets of Rammes hornes were to bee blowne and thereby the yeare was proclaimed It was the Fiftieth yeare after the setling the people in the Land as Leuit. 25. You shall reckon to you seuen Seuens of yeares and the Fiftieth shall be a yeare of Iubilee c. And it was to be kept solemnely vntill the death of Christ The cause of keeping it was to put them in minde of the great victories which God had giuen them ouer their enemies in the Land of Canaan so that by this ceremonie likewise the Redemption by the conquest of Christ ouer our spirituall enemie which the yeare of Iubilee signified was also proclaymed For if they considered the promise made to Abraham concerning this Land and their deliuerance out of Egypt being in bondage and how they were placed in the Land by Iesus their Captaine the death of Christ which deliuered them from the snares and bondage of the Deuill must needes bee made plaine vnto them Iobal doth signifie Ioyfull In it all Lands that were bought of any of the Tribes was to returne to the old Possessor then all prisoners were set at libertie Figuring that ioyfull yeare of the Lord wherein we should be freed from the bondage of Satan wherof Esay speaketh He shall heale the broken heart and bring the gladsome tidings of the Lord Iustice shal be the girdle of his loynes and faithfulnesse the girdle of his reynes then the Woolfe shall dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard shall lye with the Kidde and the Calfe and the Lion and the fatte beast and a little Chila shall lead them the sucking Child shall play vppon the hole of the Aspe and the wayned Child shall lay his hand vppon the Cockatrice hole then shall none hurt nor destroy in the mountaine of mine holynesse for the earth shall bee full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters that couer the Sea Es 11. The meaning is that the prophane beasts of the world which nowe know not Christ shall in this ioyfull yere be lightned with the brightnesse of his glorie and shall reioyce and be glad for so great saluation and shall be members of one head Christ Iesus louing one another as Christians whose ioy is expressed verie largely in the 35. of Esay The desert and the Wildernesse shall reioyce and the wast ground shall flourish as a Rose it shall flourish aboundantly and shall greatly reioyce also and ioy the glorie of Lebanon shall be giuen vnto it the beautie of Charmell and of Sharon they shall see the glory of the Lord and the excellencie of our God strengthen the weake hands and comfort the feeble knees say vnto them that are fearefull Be stronge feare not behold your God commeth euen God with a recompence will come and saue you then shall the eyes of the blinde be lightned and the eares of the deafe be opened then shall the lame man leape as an Hart and the dumbe mans tongue shall singe for in the Wildernesse shall water breake out and riuers in the desart and euerlasting ioy shall bee vppon their heads they shall obtaine ioy and gladnesse and sorrow and mourning shall flye away To returne to the obseruation of the time of the Iubilee Moses saith You shall reckon to you seuen Seuens of yeares and the Fiftiet◠shall bee a Iubilee Leuit. 25. Wherein wee may behold the wonderfull prouidence of God for them so long as they kept his Sabbaths for the Nine and fortieth yeare did yeeld corne for three yeares No doubt this must needs make the Nations astonished to see that the Children of Israel had such a God as could in one yeare giue them corne for three yeares so that they should neither sowe nor reape when themselues had scarce corne with great labour for one yeare Amos in his prophecie findeth great fault with those which hoard vp corne and pronounceth a woe vnto them for so doing But wee are to vnderstand that when the Israelites neglected their Sabbaths and forgot the great benefites they had receiued becomming Idolatrers and polluted with the abhominations of the land into which they came their ioy was turned into sadnesse and their Iubilees vnto their destructiō For in the seuenteenth Iubilee they hauing despised the prouidēce of God they haue Sedechias a most wicked King set ouer them and in Iehoiakims time they are carried quite away into Babylon and there are as dead bones for Seuentie yeares vntill the land had payd her owne Sabbaths which they had omitted when they dwelt vpon it Therefore wee are to note that wee shall neuer keepe our religion easie and plaine but by casting the Iubilees right which we
and made Baal Berith their God and they remembred not the Lord their God which had deliuered them out of the hands of all their enemies on euery side neither shewed they mercie on the house of Ierubbaal or Gedeon according vnto all the goodnes which he had shewed vnto Israell Then Abimelech went vnto his fathers house and slue his brethren the sonnes of Ierubbaal or Gedeon about seauentie persons vpon one stone so Abimelech raigned three yeares ouer Israel But God sent an euill spirit betweene Abimelech and the men of Sechem and they brake their promise to him that the cruelty toward the seauentie persons and their bloud might come and be laid vpon Abimelech their brother And a certaine woman cast a peece of a mil-stone vpon Abimelechs head brake his braine panne And when the men of Israel saw he was dead they departed euery one vnto his owne place Thus God rendred the wickednesse of Abimelech which he did vnto his father in slaying his seauentie brethren To shew that God by vntimely and miserable death taketh vengeance on tyrants euen in this life Iud. 9. After Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Thola of the tribe of Isachar and he iudged Israel twentie three yeares and died and was buried in Shamir And after him arose Iair of the tribe of Manasses and iudged Israel two and twentie yeares and he had thirtie sonnes that rode on Asse-coltes signifying they were men of authority They had thirtie Cities which are called Hauoth Iair vnto this day and are in the land of Gilead And Iair died and was buried in Chamon And the children of Israel wrought wickednes againe in the sight of the Lord and serued Baalim and Ashtarath and the Gods of Aram and the Gods of Sidon and the Gods of Moab and the Gods of the children of Ammon and the Gods of the Philistines and forsooke the Lord and serued him not And in processe of time the children of Ammon made warre with Israel and they said vnto Iephte of the tribe of Ephraim Come be our Captaine and the spirit of the Lord came vpon Iephte he went to the children of Ammon to fight against them and the Lord deliuered them into his hands Whereupon he according to a foolish vow being ouercome with blinde zeale not considering whether the vow were lawfull or no offred vp his onely daughter in sacrifice and Iephte iudged Israel six yeares Iud. 11. and 12. Chap. Iessai borne ALthough he was but an obscure man in respect of worldly glory yet no doubt he was a very godly man and taught his sonnes the religion of God in that the holy Ghost doth so often repeate his name in the Scripture In the Reuelation chap. 5. Christ is calâ—ed the Lion of the tribe of Iuda and the roote of Iessay And Esay chap. 11. prophecying of the graces of Christ saith There shal come a rodde sorth of the stock of Iessay and a branch shall growe out of his rootes and the spirit of the Lord shall rest vpon him the spirit of wisdome and vnderstanding the spirit of counsell and strength the spirit of knowledge and of the feare of God c. To shew that as Dauid who in diuers respects figured Christ came out of Iessay a man without dignity so Christ shoulde come of a poore Carpenters house as out of a dead stocke as Esay 53.2 He shall growe vp before him as a branch and as a roote out of a dry ground he hath neither forme nor beautie when we shall see him there shal be no forme that we should desire him Againe with the very same skorne that the Iewes despised Christ vpbrayding him by the basenesse of his kindred Is not this the Carpenters sonne doe the Israelites obiect against the house of Iuda when the ten Tribes ioyned with Ieroboam 1. King 12. saying What haue wee to doe with Iessay what haue we to doe with the house of Dauid As if they should say why Iessay was but an husbandman and Dauid was but a sheepheard we will not be subiect to so base kindred nor suffer such a foole as Roboam of their bloud to raigne ouer vs for we be noble and vnfitte to be gouerned by such a poore stocke but we will worship Ieroboam of the house of Ioseph for he is a noble man and diuers valiant and worthy men came of his kindred in the time of the Iudges And so they indeede vtterly forsooke the house of Iuda the stocke of Iessay and walked in the waies of Ieroboam choosing rather for outward dignity to goe to destruction than embracing vertue depend vpon the promises of God to obtaine eternall life Therefore our Sauiour Christ saith in the Gospell Whosoeuer denyeth me before men I will denie him before my Father which is in heauen Luke 9. AFter Iephte Abesan of Bethleem of the tribe of Iuda iudged Israel seauen yeares He had Thirtie sonnes and thirtie daughters He died and was buried at Bethleem And after him iudged Israel Elon of the tribe of Zabulon and hee iudged Israel ten yeares Tthen he died and after him Abdon of the tribe of Ephâ—aim iudged Israel eight yeares and he had 40. sons and thirtie Nephewes that rode on seauentie asse-coltes and he died Iud. 12. But the Children of Israel continued to commit wickednesse in the sight of the Lord and the Lord deliuered them into the handes of the Philistines Fortie yeares Then the spirite of the Lord came vpon Sampson of the Tribe of Dan and with the iawe-bone of an Asse hee slue a Thousand of the Philistines and he iudged Israel Twentie yeares The Philistines in reuenge of this put out both his eyes but the Lord strengthned Sampson against them and hee slue at the time of his death three Thousand more of them Here is perfourmed Iacobs Will in Gen. 49. Where hee saith Dan shall be a Serpent by the way and an Adder by the path byting the Horse heeles so that his Rider shall fall backeward And in Iudg. 16. Hee ouerthroweth the house where the Princes of the Philistines were so that he slue more at his death than in all his life and notwithstanding he died with them yet hee looked for saluation in Christ of whom he himselfe was a figure Now compare him with Christ Sampson Christ was a Nazarite vnto God to the time of his death and saued Israel from the handes of the Philistines was brought before the Princes and mocked at his death ouercame more than in his life was a Nazarite vnto the time of his death and deliuered vs from the spiritual Philistins Sathan and his Angels was brought before the Magistrates and was mocked at his death ouercommeth him that had the power of death The Ceremonie of the Nazarites is prescribed in Numb 6. They were such as vowed themselues to God and from the vaine desires of the world 2870. Heli of the Tribe of Leui iudged Israel Fortie yeares THis Heli
though he speaketh good things of him and knewe he should succeed him in the Kingdome yet hee persecuteth him This is to runne headlong against the light of Gods truth So the Deuill tempted Christ though he knew thereby he encreased his damnation Sauls punishment was verie great for he is slaine at Easter by himselfe then vndertaking battailes when he should haue celebrated the Lords feasts That it was at Easter it may be gathered by the Witch preparing him vnleauened bread Ionathan the Sonne of Saul loued Dauid as his soule therefore it may be concluded he was saued for hee loued Dauid the beloued of the Lord and therefore beleeued in Christ of whome Dauid was a figure This may be prooued by the new Testament for in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Chap. 11. the Battailes of Gedeon Baracke Sampson and of others are rehearsed of whome this is added that they all by faith subdued Kingdomes and receiued the promise and in these Ionathan is included This testimonie of the holy spirite is of no small glorie Saul goeth to a Witch called Ob which had a Hobgoblin Herein he sinned greatly against the gouernment of God layd downe in Moses The hid things for God those reuealed for you and your children to doe them He fell to this wickednesse because hee killed those which ware the Ephod and therefore God answered him not by Vrim and Thummim God suffereth him to take reuenge of himselfe for being a King hee was the highest Magistrate and not to be put to death by his inferiours His posteritie was likewise plagued because they kept not the Couenant with the Gibeonites which Iosua had made Thus much for Saul Dauid borne in Bethlehem Which the Prophet Micheas Cap. 5. calleth Little because it was a little Village and little in quantitie The Euangelist Math. 2. calleth it not little because it was famous in that Christ and Dauid were borne there His name signifieth The beloued of God so is Christ called in Hoseas and Ezechiel by this name and oftentimes in the song of songs So that after the heart of God and this name Dauid is all one Bethlehem is as much to say as the House of Bread there Dauid the Shepheard the feeder of Israel was borne as a figure and token that Christ the great Shepheard and true bread of life should bee borne there Dauid raigneth Forty yeres Seuen yeares and a halfe in Hebron and Thirtie two yeares and a halfe in Ierusalem HErein is a comparison with Christ for as Dauid was King proclaimed at Easter ouer Iuda so Christ by his resurrection at Easter was prooued King ouer the whole world Dauid after the death of Saul asketh God whether hee shall goe God answereth To Hebron This is not without speciall obseruation that God should commaund him to goe thether The monuments of places are of great force to bring Stories into remembrance For in Hebron Sara was buried being the first purchase which Abraham made Isaacke and Rebecka were buried there Iacob and Leah there there Caleb challenged his inheritance So that Dauid being King there is ioyned in a kind of purchase with these Fathers and their glorie herein matched So the Hebrewes apply it Hebron is called Consociation The Seuen yeares King is a comparison with the Seuen yeares of conquering the Land so that looke what glorie is reaped in the conquest thereof the same you may gather in the time of Dauids gouernement in Hebron Further it was requisite there should be proofe of the sufficiencie of his gouernment by gouerning Hebron before hee should rule so stately a kingdome as Ierusalem was His Two and thirtie yeares and sixe Moneths haue a comparison with Christs liuing on earth He began his gouernment there exactly One thousand yeares before Christ was baptized at the verie same time that Christ began so you see all Gods dealings cast in a fine and sweet proportion Dauid commeth of Iessai in this respect Christ is called the roote of Iessai The ages of Dauids Auncestors calleth in minde Abrahams yeares at the birth of Isaacke and so remembreth his Storie About Seuen yeares before he was King he fights with Goliah the Philistine who came of Mitzraijm which filled Egypt the cursed Nation of Cham. Dauid is hereunto encouraged by a miracle being made Victor ouer a Lion and a Beare and thereupon hee concludeth This vncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them Goliah challengeth all Israel and defieth them Dauid trusting in the strength of the Lord vnarmed onely with stones in his bagge and his sling slayeth the Philistine He was about this time Three and Twentie yeares old This is the vse Looke what this Goliah and the Philistines were to the state of Israel so is the Deuill and his Angels to the children of God And as Dauid the beloued by trusting in the beloued Sonne of God ouercame so shall we if we beleeue as he did putting on the armor of God The summe in regard of the Iewes is this that as he being of Iuda subdued this Philistine so likewise in all other battailes they should couragiously follow him seeing he of Iuda should come after the flesh which fought for them from heauen Saul giueth Dauid his Daughter to wife it hath been a receiued opinion that the Iewes might not marrie out of their Tribes This is onely to be vnderstood of the heires because inheritance might not goe from one Tribe to another but if they were not heires they might As we see Dauid of Iuda marrieth one of Beniamin Now for his Victories THe 60. and 108. Psalme speaketh shortly of them in this sort Giliad is mine Manasses is mine Ephraim the strength of my head Iuda is my Law-giuer Moab is my Washpot ouer Edom will I cast out my shooe vppon the Philistines will I triumph The meaning of it is Christ will come and subdue all Nations vnto himselfe and erect his kingdome for euer And yet as all these Nations Moab and Ammon and Edom striue against Dauid so will the Gentiles against Christ And yet why doe the Gentiles rage and the people imagine a vaine thing The Kings of the earth stand vp and the Rulers counsell together against the Lord and against his annointed and yet all in vaine for hee will bruse them with a rodde of yron for hee hath giuen him the ends of the world for his Dominion therefore are the heathen fooles In the Reuelation you haue the like striuing by the Emperours against Christ but the Mountaine is cast into the fire In the Acts of the Apostles Pontius Pilate and the rest did that which the Lord decreed In these battailes of Dauid Saint Paules rule taketh place the sound of them was heard to the ends of the world For Dauids victories being gained not in one but being fortie yeares allotted to the accomplishment of them no doubt were an astonishment vnto the nations and by them to be greatly obserued Here wee haue the like comparison of the Fortie yeares
Machabeus celebrated the restoring of the Altar eight dayes and maketh a decree of this to bee obserued yearely Christ celebrateth this Ioh. 10.22 The feast of dedication then was in Ierusalem and it was winter and Iesus walked in the Temple in Salomons porch Here is accomplished Dan. 7. 25. of changing the Ceremonies for a time two times and halfe a time also of the One thousand and three hundred dayes iustly compleat since a prophane Schoole was erected in Ierusalem The beast ouerthrowne is the subuersion of the kingdome of Syria Kings of Leuj PResently after vpon the successe of Iudas Machabeus victories after his death the Leuites tooke vpon them kingly authoritie contrarie to the lawe of Moses Exod. 28. where their office was only to attend vpon the sacrificers of the Tabernacle and the Temple Now to colour this to be lawfull they raise vp diuers sects of religion Then came vp the Saduces and Pharisees these Saduces hold that the soule of man or woman dieth with the bodie as a beast denying the resurrection So likewise after Christ when the Bishops tooke vpon them imperiall authoritie and the supremacie was graunted to Bonifacius by Phocas then to colour the lawfulnesse thereof they frame new sects and heresies in religion Of the rest that succeede in that order vntill Herod as Aristobulus Alexander Ianneus Alexandra Hircanus Aristobulus and Antigonus because they are not spoken of in Daniel haue small vse in religion I referre you to the reading of their Stories in the bookes of the Machabees 3883. Iulius Caesar Fiue yeares  3887. Augustus Six and fiftie yeares HE was Emperour of all the world and appointeth Herod an Idumean of the kindred of Esau King ouer the Iewes he was the first Aliant that raigned in Iudea Now the Romanes kingdome flourished six and fortie yeares before the Incarnation of our Lord and here the Greeke writers ceased Now the Latine tongue grew to be famous ouer the whole world Now Daniels foure beasts are quite consumed and a more monstrous beast hauing property of all them that is with seauen heads and tenne hornes ariseth out of the earth This beast is fullie handled in the Reuelation In this place he hath not his full power giuen vnto him The beast is Rome the seauen heads are seauen hilles whereupon Rome standeth namely Palatinus Capitolinus Auentinus Exquilinus Coeluis Viminalis and Quirinalis The tenne hornes are ten seuerall kindes of gouernments vnder which the Romanes were gouerned Marie borne HEr name signifieth Exalted This shee vseth in her song Luke 1. He hath put downe the mighty from their seat and hath exalted the humble and meeke She was the naturall daughter of Eli as Luke 3. She had a sister whose name was Marie Cleophas or Marie Iames because she was the wife of Cleophas and mother of Iames. She was likewise a very godly woman and bestowed great labour vpon Gods preachers as Rom. 16.6 There was also Marie Magdalen the sister of Lazarus and Martha out of whome Christ cast seauen Deuils And she followed him ministring to him of her substance Shee annointed the Lord and wiped his feete with her haire Shee was the first to whome Christ appeared after his resurrection The Virgin Marie being told by the Angel Gabriel that shee should conceaue a sonne whome she should call Sauiour beleeueth that he was that seede of the woman that should breake the head of the serpent therefore is she called Happie aboue other women By this faith the Virgin which God made vnto Adam is called Euah that is Life By this faith all the righteous that euer were or shall be are saued The Papists attribute this power to the Virgin Marie saying Shee shall breake thy head and thou shalt bruse her heele and thereupon they make an Idoll of her offering their prayers vnto her derogating from Christ his glorie whereas they are commanded Mat. 6. When you pray pray vnto your Father which is in heauen The Tabernacle did represent the dwelling of God with men so the Virgin Marie is compared vnto the Tabernacle A cloud ouershadowed the Tabernacle so the power of the highest ouershadwed her shewing that Iesus Christ should take flesh and haue his Tabernacle amongst vs. She is betrothed to Ioseph therefore is Ioseph called the sonne of Ely not that he was so naturally for he was the sonne of Iacob answerable in godlinesse to Ioseph the sonne of Iacob in Genesis so by supputation he is the sonne of Ely and by nature the sonne of Iacob She is that Virgin of whome Esay fore-tolde Esay 7. Behold a Virgin shall conceaue a sonne and he shall be called Emanuel God with vs. She goeth to her Cousin Elizabeth the wife of Zacharias mother of Iohn Baptist to Hebrō the inheritance of Caleb saluteth her And as Elizab heard the salutation of Mary the Babe that is Iohn Baptist sprang in her womb Eliz was filled with the holy Ghost and she cried with a loud voice said Blessed art thou among women because the fruit of thy wombe is blessed Vpon this place one of the fathers of the church saith that more blessed was the Virgin Marie for retayning the faith of Christ than in conceiuing the body of Christ for to haue all happines and knowledge and not to knowe Christ is neither to be happie nor to knowe any thing For in the true knowledge of Christ that is knowing him to be God and Man and one Christ and truely to embrace the same consisteth the highest point of all saluation Then Marie singeth a song of thanksgiuing vnto God Luke 1. In the olde Testament you haue Marie a Prophetesse the sister of Aaron who likewise singeth a song of thanksgiuing for the deliuerance of Israell out of Egipt and for the ouerthrowe of Pharaoh in the red Sea Exod. 15. Sing yee vnto the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriouslie the horse and the rider hath he ouerthrowne in the sea And to the same effect are the Virgin Maries wordes Luke 1. Hee hath shewed strength with his arme he hath scattered the prowde in the imaginations of their hearts c. Notwithstanding that Elizabeth was married to one of Leuies tribe yet she was of the tribe of Iuda Maries Cousin For the law which forbadde marriage out of their owne tribe was onely that the tribes should not be mixt and confounded which could not be with marriing with the Leuites for they had no portion assigned to them In the old Testament you haue Marie and Elizabeth both of one kindred both rare for godlinesse Whereas the Papists hold inuocation to the Virgin Mary and to Saints and call her the Queene of heauen therefore greater than her sonne Christ therein they commit open blasphemy against the holy Ghost For saith the prophet Esay Shall the axe boast himselfe against the hewer or the saw against him that vseth it Therefore whosoeuer wittingly holdeth it there is no hope of saluation left for them but a fearefull
because it did not see those things that touched the the peace of it and sheweth how it shall no more be Ierusalem but Iebus that is troden vnder foot for now Melchisedech vnder whome it was first called Salem is to bee acknowledged a figure of the Lord. Now Isaacke offered not offred is knowne whereof he was a figure which Isaack gaue Abraham occasion to augment that name Salem with Iire before Salem where the Lord will prouide for euerlasting peace 3960. Iesus Christ the King the most holy is betrayed by Iudas Iscarioth that is which falleth away for reward CHrist is crucified according to Daniel 9. Pontius Pilate being then Lieutenant of Iurie for Tiberius Caesar then Emperour of Rome after that he had preached three yeares and a halfe For comparison with this three yeares and an halfe you haue Elias in praying it might not raine and it rained not in three yeares and sixe moneths Our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell remembreth this Storie when he maketh comparison with his comming to the Iewes with that of Elias In the dayes of Elias sayth Christ many widdowes were in Israel when the heauens were shut three yeares and sixe Moneths but vnto none was Elias sent saue vnto the widdow of Sarepta Further the Iewes vnder Antiochus Epiphanes had the like storie of three yeares and sixe moneths when the Idoll was set in the Temple of God Moses layd downe a law that when they came into the Land what tree they planted good for meat they should the three first yeares hold it vncleane and those three yeares they should not eat the fruit thereof So Christ in the Gospell handleth it thus in a parable A man had a figge-tree planted in his Vineyard and finding no fruite thereon hee sayd to the dresser of this Vineyard Behold these three yeres haue I come and sought fruit but I finde none cut it downe why keepeth it the ground barren and hee answered Lord let it alone this yeare till I digge it round about and dunge it and if then it beare not fruit you shall cut it downe We haue the like comparison of three yeres and an halfe in the Reuelation For all the persecution vnder the Romane Emperours being about three hundred yeres is alluded to this time of Christs preaching being called fortie and two Moneths which makes three yeres and sixe moneths The Papists vpon this dreame that Antichrist when hee comes shall raigne but three yeares and a halfe and therefore the Pope cannot be Antichrist seeing he hath raigned many hundred yeres But to what purpose should the holy spirite speake of him so long before if his tyrannie should bee of no longer continuance Besides seeing by the two and fortie moneths which are the same in account with One thousand three hundred and sixtie dayes the whole time of the tyrannie executed by the prophane Emperours is meant It must needs be that the Popes gouernment which commeth vp in their stead must be signified by One thousand three hundred and sixtie daies To this Carthusianus and Beda expound this time of One thousand three hundred and sixty dayes to cōprehend the whole continuance of the preaching of the Gospel to the end of the world This their own side vse for an exposition and seeing it is true wee embrace it It is further to bee demaunded of them how it can bee possible that the Antichrist should be able in three yeares and a halfe to subdue all the world Before Christ this time was spoken in proper termes but since in a metaphor because there ensueth the like dealings The Two and thirtie and a halfe are the yeares of Christs gouernment vpon the earth and haue comparison with Dauids two and thirtie yeares and sixe moneths gouernment in Ierusalem This Seuentie is to shew that this is the last Seuen of the 70 Seuens or Foure hundred and ninetie yeres expressed Dan. 9. wherein Christ should end the sacrifice and oblation The Fifty is to shew that it is the last Iubilee of the eight twenty His humilitie his life his death the cause and manner of his death was told before by the Prophets In Esay Ieremie and Daniel In Esay 53. it is sayd of him Who will beleeue our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed hee hath neither forme nor beautie when wee shall see him there shall bee no fourme that wee should desire him Hee is despised and reiected of men hee is a man full of sorrowes and hath experience of infirmities He was despised and wee esteemed him not Surely he hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrowes yet we did iudge him as plagued and smitten of God and humbled but hee was wounded for our transgressions hee was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes wee are healed He was oppressed and afflicted yet did hee not open his mouth He is brought as a sheepe to the slaughter and as a sheepe before his shearer is dumbe so hee openeth not his mouth Hee was taken out of prison and from iudgment and who will declare his age for he was cut out of the land of the liuing for the transgression of my people was he plagued And he made his graue with the wicked and with the rich in his death though he had done no wickednesse neither was any deceite in his mouth By his knowledge shall hee iustifie many for hee shall beare their iniquities He was counted with the transgressors and he bare the sinne of many and prayed for the transgressors And againe he sayth Esay 50. I gaue my backe vnto the smiters and my cheekes to the nippers I hid not my face from shame and spitting And againe Psal 22. As for me I am a worme and no man a verie scorne of men and the out-cast of the people All they that see mee laugh me to scorne they shoot out their lippes and shake their heads saying He trusted in God that hee would deliuer him let him deliuer him if hee will haue him Many Oxen are come about mee fatte Bulles of Basan enclose me in on euerie side they gape vpon me with their mouthes as it were a ramping and roaring Lion I am powred out like water and all my bones are out of ioynt my heart also in the midst of me is euen like melting waxe They pierced my hands and my feete I may tell all my bones they stand staring and looking vpon me They part my garments among them and cast lots vpon my vesture Yea the verie abiects came together against me vnawares making mowes at me and ceased not With the flatterers were busie mockers which gnashed vppon me with their teeth they gaped on me with their mouthes and sayd Fie on thee fie on thee we saw it with our eyes They that sit in the gate speake against me and the drunkards make song vpon me they gaue mee gall to eate and when I was thirstie they gaue
remaine in cloysters and secret places as women and crowns vpon their heads declaring their imperiousnesse and winges like the wheeles of chariots prepared for warre their speedinesse to bloodshed and tayles like Scorpions out of the which proceeedeth poyson to fill the cup of the strumpet which sitteth vpon the scarlet colored beast out of the which the Princes of the earth doe drinke and are drunke with the abhomination of her fornications These are as we call them Abbots Monkes and Friers and Nunnes which like Locusts destroy the fruites of the earth liuing by the sweat of other mens labours who receiue wages of the beast and the false prophet bearing his marke in their foreheads whose name is Abadâ—on that is Destruction He is also called Antichrist that is contrarie to Christs figured before Christs byrth in Antiochus the vild the little horne who prophaned the Temple of God erecting the Idoll of Iouis Olympi in the temple of God changing the lawes that Moses gaue speaking presumptuous words against the God of gods and exalting himselfe aboue all that is called God But hee went to Geheana So shall the Antichrist and the beast be destroyed according to Numbers 24 but hee shall perish in the end because hee prophaneth the temple of God changing times and seasons forbidding marriages sitting in the temple exalting himselfe aboue all that is called God speaking blasphemously I am God vpon earth perswading Gog and Magog the foure quarters of the earth to goe fight for the holy Crosse at Ierusalem for which there were nine mischieuous voiages made to the great bloodshed of many And as his mischieuous prankes were figured in Antiochus so the time of his gouernment which shall bee to the end of the world was in Antiochus likewise figured One thousand two hundred and sixtie daies two and fortie moneths a time two times and halfe a time Vnto this proper time of three yeres and a halfe of Antiochus rage is the whole time of the rage of the Antiochian Antichrist alluded as Beda and diuers godly men doe expound the place the storie compelling them so to vnderstand it And power was giuen to him ouer all kindreds and people and tongues and nations and all that dwâ—lled on the earth worshipped him whose names are not written in the booke of life of the Lambe which was killed from the beginning of the world which Lambe only was found worthy to open the booke and the Seales Ap. 5. 6. Vnto whome thousand thousands cryed with a loud voice saying Worthy is the Lambe that was killed to receaue power and riches and wisedome and strength and honour and glorie and blessing who standing vpon mount Syon had with him One hundred fortie and foure thousand hauing his name and his fathers name written in their fore-heads and they sang the song of Moses the seruant of God and the song of the Lambe saying Great and maruailous are thy works Lord God Almightie iust and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints Who shall not feare O Lord and glorify thy name For thou onely art holy and all Gentiles shall come and worshippe before thee for thy iudgements are made manifest Ap. 17. 18. Chapters Where the woman that maketh drunke with her fornications the Kinges of the earth with her beastly corporation is sayd to goe into perdition whose destruction was figured in the fall of Babilon and in the destruction of Tyrus in Iere. 51. Ezech. 27. For the Gospell of saluation appearing againe in the world men fall away from the throne and the beast so that Kings eate his flesh in denying his power and refusing to beare his marke whereat both Heauens and holy Apostles and Prophets reioyce saying Halleluiah Saluation and glorie and honor and power be ascribed to the Lord our God for true and righteous are his iudgements for hee hath iudged the great whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornication and hath auenged the bloud of his seruants of her hand And againe they sayd Halleluiah and smoake rose vp for euermore And the Heauens opened and behold A white Horse and hee that sat vpon him was faithfull and true and in righteousnes doth hee iudge and make battaile his eyes were as a flame of fire and on his head were many crownes and he had a name written that no man knewe but hee himselfe and hee was cloathed in a vesture dipt in bloud and his name is called The Word of God and he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords and the beast and the Kings of the earth and their warriours gathered together to make battaile against him that sat on the Horse and against his souldiers and the beast was taken with him that false Prophet that is to say the Popes or Antichrist that wrought miracles before him with which he deceaued them that receaued the beasts marke that is the Popes Bulls and them that worshipped his image These both shal be cast into a lake of fire burning with brimstone Hee that testifieth these things saith bee it I come quickly Amen Euen so come Lord Iesus FINIS Deut. 6.4 Rom. 8.34 Esay 43.25 Ioh. 6.44 Phil. 2.13 2. Cor. 3.5 Esay 51.12 Psal 130.7 1. Pet. 1.2 Psal 90.2.3 Rom. 9.11 Malach. 1.2.3 Iohn-13 18 Psal 135.6 Rom. 11.5.6 2. Thes 2.13 Rom. 8.30 Rom. 8.14 Esay 5 4.7.8.10 Psal 37.33.34 Psalm 103.10.11 Psal 103.14 Esay 54.17 Esay 57.20 Psal 73.4.5.6 Psal 73.18.19.20 Iere. 12.1 Iere. 18.6 Ro. 9.21.22 Esay 45.7.8.9.10 Prou-29 6 Esay 50.1 Psal 104.35 Psal 59.12 Psal 62.4 2. Thes 2.11.12 Psal 51.4 Iohn 1.9 1. Iohn 1.5 Mercurius Tresmegists Eight Ten. Twelue 2083. 430. 2140. 20. 215 2513. 430. 400. Exod. 17. Numb 20. Numb 24. 50. 7. 45. Deut. 33. 339. 450. 2774. 2797 2801 2819 2825. 2833. 2843. 2850. 490. 3368. 3401. 70. 490. 390. Ezech 40 Esay 21. Esay 46. 70. 490. 49. 2519. 3691. 3704. 3706. 3710. 3743. 3757. 3764. Dan. 9. 3942. 12. Luke 3. 236. 70. 490.