A briefe discourse of the scriptures Declaring the seuerall stories, liues, and deaths, of the fathers, from the Creation of Adam, vnto the death of Ioseph: very necessarie to be read and practised, for easie vnderstanding of the Scriptures in a short time.

A briefe discourse of the scriptures Declaring the seuerall stories, liues, and deaths, of the fathers, from the Creation of Adam, vnto the death of Ioseph: very necessarie to be read and practised, for easie vnderstanding of the Scriptures in a short time.

Table of contents

Title page

THE PRINTER To the Reader.

A Briefe Diſcourſe of the Scriptures, declaring the ſeuerall Stories, Liues, and Deaths, of the Fathers, from the creation of Adam, vnto the death of Joſeph: very neceſſarie to be read and practiſed for eaſie vnderſtanding of the Scriptures in a ſhort time.

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His Wiſedome,

His Power.

His Eternitie.

Our God.

Iehouah, our God, Iehouah, is one.

God hath choſen vs in Chriſt, before the foundation of the World. &c. Epheſ. 1.4.

Now followeth the effect of Election, either in reſpect of the Elect, or Reiect. And firſt for the Elect.

That their Sinne is the cauſe of their Condemnation, and God not the author of it.

In the begining was the word, &c. Iohn. 1.1.

Now followeth Adams creation.

Now followeth the liues and deaths of the Fathers in particular: and firſt of Adam. There is a great doubt made of the time of the yeare of Adams Creation, and of the day of his fall: and is refuſed as a thing vnprofitable to be knowne, and Vnpoſsible to be prooued.

Firſt for the time of his Creation.

Now for the day of Adams fall.

Adam dieth.

Now compare Chriſt with Adam.

ONE.

THREE.

FOVRE.

FIVE.

SIXE.

SEVEN.

EIGHT.

TEN.

TWELVE.

Seth borne (Gen. 5.) when Adam is 130. yeares old.

Enoſh borne, when Seth is 105. yeares old.

Kenan borne, when Enoſh was 90. yeares old.

Mahalaleel borne, when Kenan was 70. yeares old.

Iared borne, when Mahalaleel was 65. yeares old.

7. Henoch (the ſeuenth) borne, when Iared was 162. yeares old.

Methuſhelah borne, when Henoch was 65. yeares old.

Lamech borne, when Methuſhela was 187. yeares old.

Noah borne, when Lamech was 182. yeares old.

In Noahs. 480. Cxx. Yeares begin Gen. 6.

Heere is a doubt to be diſcuſſed, concerning the wordes ſpoken in Gen. 6. The occaſion of the doubt ariſeth thus.

Cxx. yeares begin Gen. 6. In which the ſpirit of Chriſt preached while the Arke was in making.

Iaphet borne when Noah was 500. yeares old.

Sem borne, when Noah was 502. yeare old.

The Flood is brought vpon the old World. &c.

And firſt for the Arke.

The time of the continuance of the Flood, is thus deſcribed.

Now follow the Fathers after the Flood, whoſe Storie conteineth vnto the Promiſe giuen vnto Abraham. 427. yeares.

§

After the Flood.

And firſt for CHAM.

Now followeth for Iaphet.

Now for SEM.

Arphaxad borne, when his father Sem was 100. yeares old, Noah 602. and Iaphet 102.

Shelah borne, Arphaxad being 35. yeares old.

Heber borne, Shelah being 30. yeares old.

Peleg borne, Heber being 34. yeares old.

ABRAM borne, 352 yeares after the Flood.

Here is an other queſtion to be diſcuſſed of the age of Terah, when he begat Abram. Of Terah his age when he begat Abram.

SARAH borne.

The Promiſe is giuen to Abraham at his 75. yeare of age.

Melchiſedech King of Salem: a figure of the Sonne of God, meeteth Abraham.

Iſmael borne, his father Abram being 86. yeere old.

Iſaacke borne, Gen. 21.5. when Abraham is 100. yeares old, and Sara 90. yeares old, according to Gen. 17.17.

Selah died. Cen. 11.14.15. being 514. yeares old.

Sara died, being 127. yeayes old.

SEM died, Gen. 11.10. being 600. yeares old: borne 98. yeares before the Flood, and was taught by Methuſhelah and Lamech; who ſaw Adam many yeares.

Eſau, & Iacob, borne, Gen. 25.25. their grandfather Abraham bing 160 and their father Iſaacke 60. yeares old.

Iſmael died, being 137. yeares old.

Iacob goeth to Laban. Gen. 28.5.

Hee ſeeth a Ladder. &c.

Iuda borne, his father Iacob being 87. yeares old.

Iacob goeth from Laban. Gen. 31.17.

Ioſeph is ſode into Egipt when he is 17. yeares old: ſo long was he nouriſhed at home of Iacob.

Er and Onan died, Gen. 38.7.

Iſaacke died, Gen. 35.29. being 180. yeares old.

Iacob goeth into Egipt, Gen. 47.5. Hee is nouriſhed of Ioſeph 17. yeares.

This Famine ouer all the land of Canaan, may appeare to be a puniſhment on Iacobs ſamilie, for ſelling Ioſeph into Egipt.

Iacob died in Egipt, &c. Gen. 49.33.

Now followeth his Will. Gen. 49.2.

In placing them heere thus, their Dignitie is regarded, and not their prerogatiue of Birth: for then Reuben ſhould be firſt.

Ioſeph died, Gen. 50.26. being 110. yeares old.

The Table

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A Briefe Diſcourſe of the Scriptures: Declaring the ſeuerall Stories, Liues, and Deaths, of the Fathers, from the Creation of Adam, vnto the death of Ioſeph: Very neceſſarie to be read and practiſed, for eaſie vnderſtanding of the Scriptures in a ſhort time.

Imprinted at London by W. White, dwelling in Cow-lane. 1614.

THE PRINTER To the Reader.

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THis ſhort Treatiſe (Chriſtian Reader) of, The ſtorie of the Fathers from Adam to Ioſeph, comming to my hands, and beeing well approoued of by many godly and diſcreetly zealous men, for the worthineſſe of the ſubiect, I was, at the earneſt requeſt of ſundry my eſpeciall good Friendes, drawne to commit it (as thou ſeeſt) to the Preſſe, for the benefite of many. Of the Author hereof, I finde no mention; yet likely it is to haue been penned by an Attendaunt on that learned Diuine M. H. B. as a collection from his Notes or Readings. Peruſed it hath been, before the authorizing thereof for the print, by a Diuine of mature iudgement; who corrected ſuch thinges as he found faultie therein. Read it without preiudice or partialitie, and I doubt not but the profite, which thou ſhalt reape thereby for the increaſe of thy knowledge in holy Scripture, will preſerue thee from all repenting of thy paines.

W. W.

A Briefe Diſcourſe of the Scriptures, declaring the ſeuerall Stories, Liues, and Deaths, of the Fathers, from the creation of Adam, vnto the death of Joſeph: very neceſſarie to be read and practiſed for eaſie vnderſtanding of the Scriptures in a ſhort time.

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Jehouah, our God, Jehouah, is one.

Deut. 6.4.

IEHOVAH is a name of great force, to driue vs to the due reuerence of Gods eternall Maieſtie: for it conteyneth the Wiſedome, Power, and Eternitie, of God.

His Wiſedome,

In giuing a Name vnto himſelfe anſwerable to the glorie of his Maieſtie. This Name was had in ſuch reuerence among the Iewes, that they trembled to name or read it, but vſed the name Adonai, Lord. After their cōming frō Babel, they neuer vſed the name Jehouah; but a name of twelue letters, conteining Father, Sonne, and Holy ſpirit. Jehouah hath in it the fiue Vowels, which are the ſinnewes of all Tongues: And as without them no tongue can be expreſſed; ſo without the true knowledge [Page] of Iehouah, no fleſh can be ſaued. It ſignifieth, Prayſe mee the eternall God. It conteineth in it, Father, Sonne, and holy Ghoſt.

His Power.

In that from Iehouah all creatures haue their breathing and their being; which alſo in Iehouah is cloſely expreſſed: For as it conſiſteth of fiue vowels, ſo hath it two hh. which Sholers call Aſpirations or Breathings; which two Aſpirations make vp the number of 7. which is the number of the Sabboth. S. Paul cloſely alluding to the name of Iehouah, ſayth, that from him we haue our breathing, and our beeing: and in Eſay 57.16. the Lord ſayth: The blaſting goeth foorth from me, and is included in the body; I made the breath. So often therefore as we breath, we are to remember the Power and Maieſtie of Iehouah.

His Eternitie.

Is cloſely expreſſed in theſe three Letters.

י

ו

τ

Whoſe terminations are

Jod,

vavv,

be.

is a ſigne of the

Futertenſe.

Preſentenſe.

Preterperfectenſe.

This is made plaine in Apoc. 1.4. Who

was.

is.

wilbe to come.

Our God.

Herein is expreſſed the Humanitie of Chriſt: for it is neither added to the Father the firſt perſon in Trinitie, nor to the holy Ghoſt the third perſon; but to the Sonne the ſecond perſon, who was to become ours, by taking our nature vpon him. Some hold it not to be meant of the Humanitie of Chriſt, but for a word of ſeparation of the God of the Iewes from the Gods of the Gentiles.

To remooue ſuch abſurditie, the holy Ghoſt in Mark. 12.29. (when there was no difference betweene the Iew and the Gentile,) repeateth the very words of Moſes, Deut. [Page]6.4. The Lord, our God; The Lord, is one: Thriſe naming God, as commaunding vs thereby to vnderſtand Father, Sonne, and Holy ſpirit. For this is alwayes to be obſerued; Whatſoeuer God ſpeeketh of himſelfe, is to be taken in the heauenlieſt vnderſtanding that can be made of it.

Iehouah, our God, Iehouah, is one.

There be three in Heauen, The Father, the Worde, and the Holy Spirit: And theſe three are one.

1. Iohn. 5.7.

The Trinitie is heere deſcribed to be one vnited Godhead, diſtinguiſhable in perſons, but vndeuidable in coeternitie: one in three, and three in one. GOD, who Created, Redeemed, and Sanctified all. One onely wiſe God, who was ſhewed in the Fleſh, was iuſtified in the Spirit, was ſeene among Angels, was preached to the Gentiles, was beleeued on in the World, & receiued vp into Glorie. 1. Timo. 3.16. Which to know, is the firſt and chiefeſt poynt of all ſaluation, as Iohn 17.3. This is eternall life, to know the Father, and him whom he hath ſent, Ieſus Chriſt: Which muſt be obteined by the true vnderſtanding of the Bible, as Iohn 5.39. Search the Scriptures, and in them ye ſhall find eternall life. Some will ſay, it is enough to know Chriſt crucified. Pilate, Herod, and Iudas the traytor, knew that; yet went to eternall deſtruction. Wherefore ſaluation conſiſteth not in outward knowledge, but in renewing the ſpirit of our vnderſtanding; which ſtandeth firſt in the knowledge and feare of God; then in the knowing of our ſelues: which are the firſt two ſteps to ſaluation. For true Knowledge is the mother of Godlineſſe: and as the Eye is the light of the Body, ſo is Vnderſtanding the light of the Minde. This a man hauing truly learned, he is to meditate of the graces of Chriſt, offered vnto vs by his Word.

God hath choſen vs in Chriſt, before the foundation of the World. &c. Epheſ. 1.4.

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HErein we are to conſider the louing kindneſſe of God to exceed our deſertes, in louing vs to ſaluation, before we were. The Papiſtes hold merites of ſaluation; which cannot any way hold, ſeeing God of his vnſpeakable grace, hath elected vs vnto ſaluation before we knew him. This myſterie of Gods Election, is not fully receiued of all, becauſe men take not words of Scripture in their proper ſenſe, as they are layde downe.

Election, is the eternall counſell of God for the ſauing and reiecting of ſome, before the beginning of the world. The Heathen neuer receiued comfort by this; for being told before, of thinges afterward to come to paſſe, they could not know the reaſon, but thought that the actions of men were gouerned by the motions of Starres, and the courſe of Nature, and not by the decree or fore-purpoſe of God; who worketh euery thing according to the counſell of his owne will, & not according to our reaſon. Then ſome will ſay, if God decreeth euery thing, why puniſheth he any thing? It is anſwered, that puniſhment commeth from God, by the iuſt deſert of the rancor of mans minde. Election, of his free grace, which he beſtoweth vpon whō he will; as he ſaith, Rom. 9.15. I will haue mercie on whom I will haue mercie. Therefore the firſt thing we ought to know, is our Election: The laſt, is true Holines.

That this Election, or louing kindnes of God toward vs, is of the will of God, according to the counſell of his owne will, and not drawne from him by force, by helpe of Saintes, or as being by workes meritorious of the ſame, it may appeare.

Eſay. 63.16. Abraham knoweth vs not, neither is Iſrael acquainted with vs; but thou Lord art our Father, and Redeemer, and of very louing kindnes thou haſt redeemed vs: thy name is Euerlaiſtng. Rom. 8.34. It is Chriſt onely that maketh interceſsion [Page] for vs. Eſay. 43.25. I am hee onely, which for mine owne ſelfes ſake, doe away thine offences, and forget thy ſinnes: for what haſt thou to make thee righteous with? Thy firſt Father offended ſore, and thy Rulers haue ſinned againſt me. Thou art like a thing of naught, thy time paſſeth away like a ſhadow. Ier. I loue thee with an euerlaſting loue: therefore by my mercie haue I drawne thee to mee. And Iohn. 6.44. No man can come to me, except the Father draw him: as it is written, Eſay 54.13. They ſhall be all taught of God. Eſay 26.12. Lord, thou haſt wrought all our workes. Phil. 2.13. It is God that worketh in you both the will, and alſo the deed, euen of his good will. 2. Cor. 3.5. Wee are not ſufficient of our ſelues, to thinke any thing as of our ſelues; but if wee be able, the ſame commeth of God, which made vs able. Eſay 51.12. Yea I, euen I, am hee that in all thinges giueth you conſolation. Pſal. 130.7. For with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plentious redemption. 1. Pet. 1.2. Wee are elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the ſanctifying of the Spirit vnto obedience, and ſprinkling the blood of Ieſus Chriſt. Pſal. 90.2. Before the Mountaines were brought foorth, or euer the Earth and the World were made, thou art our God, from euerlaſting to euerlaſting: thou turneſt man vnto duſt, and ſayeſt, returne ye ſonnes of Adam. Rom. 9.11. Before the Children were borne, and when they had done neither good nor euill, that the purpoſe of God might ſtand, not by workes, but by the Caller: it was ſaid, The greater ſhall ſerue the leſſer; as it is written, Mala. 1.2.3. Iacob haue I loued, Eſau haue I hated. Iohn 13.18. I know whom I haue choſen. Pſal. 135.6. Whatſoeuer the Lord pleaſed, that did he in heauen and in earth, and in the ſea, & in all deepe places. Rom. 11.5.6. There is a remnant left according to the election of grace. If it be of grace, then it is not now of workes: for then grace is no more grace. But if it be of workes, then it is now no grace: What then? Iſrael hath not obtained that which he ſeeketh; but the Election hath obtained it. 2. Theſe. 2.13. We are bound to giue thankes alwayes to God, becauſe that God hath from the beginning choſen vs to ſaluation, [Page] through ſanctifying of the ſpirit: and through beleeuing of the truth, to obtaine the glory of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt. Rom. 8.30. Moreouer, whom he appointed before, them alſo hee called. And whom he hath called, them alſo hee iuſtified: and whom he iuſtified, them hee alſo glorified.

Now followeth the effect of Election, either in reſpect of the Elect, or Reiect.
And firſt for the Elect.

THE Elect, whom God in his mercie hath ſaued for his righteouſneſſe ſake, and not for their deſertes, he guideth by the grace of his holy Spirit, as Rom. 8.14. As many as are led by the ſpirit of God, they are the Sonnes of God. Eſay 43.7. All thoſe that are called by my name, I haue created, faſhioned, and made for my honour. Yet he leaueth them ſometimes vnto themſelues, that they may acknowledge the weakenes of their owne nature, as Noah, Lot, Iacob, Dauid, Salomon, Peter, and others; but neuer ſuffereth them to fall quite away: as appeareth Eſay 54.8. A little while haue I forſaken thee; but with great mercy will I take thee vp vnto mee. When I was angry with thee, I hid my face from thee for a little ſeaſon: but through euerlaſting mercy haue I redeemed thee, ſayth the Lord thy Redeemer. The Mountaines ſhall mooue, and the Hilles ſhall fall downe; but my Louing kindneſſe ſhall not mooue, and the bond of my peace ſhall not fall downe from thee, ſayth the Lord thy mercifull louer. Pſalm. 37.23. The Lord ordereth a good mans going, and maketh his way acceptable vnto himſelfe: Though he fall, he ſhall not be caſt away: for the Lord vpholdeth him with his hand. Pſal. 103.10. He dealeth not with them after their ſinnes, nor rewardeth them according to their wickednes: but looke how the Heauen is in compariſon of the Earth, ſo great is his mercy towards them that feare him: for he knoweth whereof they be made, and he remembreth that they are but duſt. He ſaueth their life from deſtruction, and crowneth them with mercy and louing kindneſſe. [Page] Eſay 54.17. Loe, this is the heritage of the Lords Seruants, and their righteouſnes commeth of mee, ſayth the Lord.

The Reiect, hee leaueth to their owne ſelues, hardning their owne heartes, that hee may haue occaſion of iudgement againſt them. Eſay 57.20. They are like to the raging Sea, that can not reſt, whoſe water fometh with the myre and grauell: for they haue no peace with God. The Winde ſhall blow them foorth, and Vanitie ſhall take them all away: they are like to Duſt before the Winde, and like to the Chaffe in a Sommer floore. Pſal. 73.4. The Lord ſuffereth them to come in no perill of death, but they are luſty and ſtrong: they come in no danger like other folke, neither are they plagued like other men: And this is the cauſe that they be ſo holden with pride, and overwhelmed with crueltie; their eyes ſwell with fatneſſe, and they doe euen what they luſt. They corrupt others, and ſpeake wicked blaſphemie: their talking is againſt the moſt higheſt. Tuſh (ſay they) how ſhall God perceiue it? is there knowledge in the moſt higheſt? Loe, theſe are the vngodly, and theſe haue riches in poſſeſſion. Such were Kaine, the wicked mockers before the floode, Cham, the builders of Babel, the vncleane Citties, Iſmael, Eſau, Pharaoh, Moab, Ammon: The wicked oppreſſers, Saul, Abſalon, the Kings of Iſrael, and the Kings of Babel, Antiochus the vild, Herod, Pilate, and Iudas the traytour; and many others, who brought vpon themſelues iuſt cauſe of eternall condemnation. Pſa. 73.18. The Lord hath ſet them in ſlipperie places, and caſteth them downe, and deſtroyeth them. Oh, how ſuddenly doe they conſume and periſh, and come to a fearefull end? Yea euen like as a dreame doth hee make their image to vaniſh. Some foliſhly diſpute, Why God hath not ſaued all things, ſeeing he made all? they are anſwered, Ier. 12.1. The Lord is more righteous then that he ſhould be diſputed with. Ier. 18.6. They are in the hand of the Lord, as the clay in the hand of the potter. Rom. 9.21. God maketh of one lumpe of clay, one veſſell to honour, & another to diſhonour. What if God, willing to ſhew his wrath, and to make his power knowen, ſuffer with long patience [Page] the veſſels of wrath appointed for deſtruction? What art thou that diſputeſt with God? Eſay 45.7. It is I that created the light and the darknes, I make peace and trouble: euen I the Lord doe all theſe thinges. Woe be vnto him that ſtriueth with his Maker, the Pot-ſoerd with the Potter. Sayth the Clay to the Potter, What makeſt thou? or, thy worke ſerueth for nothing? Woe be vnto him that ſayth vnto his Father, Why begatteſt thou; and to his Mother, Why bareſt thou? Thus ſayth the Lord, euen the holy one and maker of Iſrael.

That their Sinne is the cauſe of their Condemnation, and God not the author of it.

Prouerbs 29.6. The Sinne of the wicked, is their owne ſnare. Eſay 50.1. For your Offences, are you ſold: and becauſe of your Tranſgreſsion, is your Mother forſaken. Eſay 59.2. Their Miſdeedes haue ſeparated them from their God, and their Sinnes haue hid his face from them, that he heareth them not. They hope in vaine thinges, imagining deceit, and bringing foorth euill: they breed Cockatriſes egges, and weaue the Spiders webbe: who ſo eateth of their egges, dieth; but if one tread vpon them, there commeth vp a Serpent: Their deedes are the deedes of wickednes, and the worke of robberie is in their handes: Their feete runne to euill, they make haſte to ſhed innocent blood: All their counſels are wicked; harme and deſtruction are in their wayes, but the way of peace they haue not knowen. In their goinges there is no equitie, their wayes are ſo crooked, that whoſoeuer goeth therein, knoweth of no peace. And this is the cauſe: They looke for light, and loe it is darkneſſe: They grope like the blind vpon the wall; euen as one that hath no eyes: They roare like Beares, and mourne like Doues, looking for health, but it is farre from them; for their Offences are many, and their Sinnes teſtifie againſt the Lord. They will not confeſſe and acknowledge their Sinnes but doe amiſſe tranſgreſſe, and diſſemble againſt the Lord, and fall away from their God, vſing preſumptuous and traiterous imaginations in their hearts, caſting[Page]away equitie, truth, and righteouſneſſe: but the Lord holdeth him ſelfe by his owne power, and he ſuſteineth him by his owne righteouſneſſe. He putteth on wrath in ſtead of cloathing, and taketh Ielouſie about him for a cloake. Like as when aman goeth forth wrathfully to recompence his enimies, and to be auenged of his aduerſaries. But vnto Sion hee is a redeemer, and of Iacob, which turne from their wickedneſſe he is a ſauiour, and hee will giue them an euerlaſting name that ſhall not periſh. Eſay. 57.15. Thus ſayth the high and excellent, euen hee that dwelleth in eternitie, whoſe name is the Holy one: I dwell high aboue, and in the Sanctuarie; and with him alſo that is of a contrite & humble Spirit, doe I pitch my habitation. Pſal. 104.35. As for ſinners, they ſhall be conſumed out of the earth: and the vngodly ſhall come to an end. Pſal. 59.12. For the ſinne of their mouth, and for the wordes of their lippes, they ſhall be taken in their pride: And why? Their preaching is of curſing, and lyes. Pſal. 62.4. Their deuiſe is onely how to put him out, whom God hath exalted: their delight is in lyes; they giue good wordes with their mouth, but curſe with their heart. Pſalm. 69.26. For they perſecute him whom the Lord hath ſmitten: and they talke how they may vexe him, whom hee hath wounded. 2. Theſ. 2.11. Therefore ſhall the Lord ſend them ſtrong deluſions, that all they might be damned, which beleeued not the trueth, but had pleaſure in vnrighteouſnes, and obeyed not the Goſpell of our Lord Ieſus. With euerlaſting damnation ſhall they be puniſhed from the preſence of the Lord, and from the preſence of his power. Pſal. 51.4. That he may be iuſtified in his ſayinges, and cleare when he iudgeth.

That in the fulneſse of time, all ſhould be brought vnder one head.

Epheſ. 1.10.

FVlneſſe of time, is here taken for the time of Chriſts death, whoſe death ſhould accompliſh the ceremony and oblation, and breake downe the wall betweene the Iewe and [Page] the Gentile. When men ſhould looke no longer for ſaluation onely from Ieruſalem, but ſhould praiſe God euerie where, their hearts being aſſured, that they were members of Chriſt the head. The Heathen not taking notice of this, could neuer come to ſaluation. The blind Iewes not marking this, ioyned with Chittem in the ſecond degree (which are the Romanes) to crucifie Chriſt the King the moſt holy: becauſe hee teſtified of himſelfe, that he was that Day Starre which was to appeare: That Scepter that ſhould daſh all the ſons of Seth: The Ladder by whom the Angels of God aſcended and deſcended: Shiloh, Emmanuel: the Lyon of the tribe of Iuda: The Roote of Ieſſay: The ſtone which the builders refuſed: The true Manna: That Spirituall Rocke, that would giue wathers of Life: The True Bread that came downe from heauen: Hee vnto whom the crowne and Diademe did belong Michael, who thought it no robbery to be equal with God: The Stone that ſhould punne Nebuchadnetzars Image to duſte: Palmonie the ſecrete Numberer: Hee who wayeth, numbreth, and deuideth: the Great Sheepheard of his ſheepe: The True Ʋine, from whoſe ſides doth proceede wine of euerlaſting life: Hee that came to do the will of his Father: Iohn. 4.10. Hee that met with the woman of Samaria at Iacobs well, to whom he promiſed euerlaſting water: The Stumling blocke to the Iewes: The Light to the Gentiles: The Eye to the blind, and an Helpe to the lame: For that is his name God is my ſtrength & my righteouſnes, &c. Wherfore he hath made them Ʋagabonds ouer the whole earth, and hath brought that Abhomination of deſolation vpon them, whereby their Citie and Sanctuarie is deſtroyed: And why? becauſe they would not know the Fulneſſe of time, the day of ſaluation. The Crane, the Swallow, and the Turtle Doue, doe know their time, but my people will not know the time of my comming, ſaith the Lord. Alſo our Sauiour Chriſt ſaith, Woe be vnto you Scribes and Phariſes, Hipocrites, you can [Page]diſcerne the wind & the weather; but you know not the time of the comming of the ſonne of man: which they might haue knowen from Dan. 9.24. where the Angel Gabriel ſaith: 70 Seauens, or 490. yeeres are determined for the death of Chriſt the King the moſt holy, to finiſh ſinne, to reconcile iniquitie, to bring in Iuſtice, to ſeale the viſion & prophet, and to annoint the Moſt Holy. By which we are conſtrained highly to eſteeme of the knowledge of the times: for they are of as great force to the vnderſtanding of the Bible, as the ſtarres are in the heauens for giuing of light. No part of the Bible, but conſiſteth of time, place, or perſon. If of time, as one third part; then the knowledge thereof is to be imbraced, and in no reſpect to be deſpiſed, as lightly regarding the vſe thereof: leaſt ſtriuing for darknes, we become children of darknes, & ſo loſe the light of eternall life; as the Iewes and Romanes did, whoſe recompence hath followed: The one depriued of their earthly glorie; the other aduanced to glorie, to be a ſtaine of eternall damnation.

In the begining was the word, &c. Iohn. 1.1.

THeſe words, In the beginning, are the firſt wordes in the old Teſtament, whoſe firſt word in the Hebrew is Bara, which conſiſteth, according to the Hebrew, of three letters, which cloſely conteine in them Father, Sonne, and Holie Ghoſt: as [...] for Ben, which ſingnifieth Sonne; [...] for Abba, which is Father; and [...] for Ruach Hakodeſh, which is the Holy ſpirit. Thus the Trinity is cloſely contained in the firſt word; but in the firſt verſe, is expreſſed in open wordes. In the beginning, God made heauen and earth, and the ſpirit of God mooued vpon the waters: and God ſaid, Let there be light. This is expounded, Iohn 1.1. in theſe wordes. In the beginning was the Word, & the Word was with God, and that Word was God: ſhewing that Word, in this place, is taken for the Sonne of God, by whom he made the world: as [Page] Iohn. 1.3. By him were all things created. And Heb. 1.2. God made all things by his Sonne, who ruleth all things by his mightie power. Wherefore Chriſt in the dayes of his fleſh, choſe the trade of a Carpenter, Iohn 6.42. Math. 13.55. And in Eſay. 43.10. It is ſayd, This record you muſt beare me your ſelues, ſaith the Lord, that I am God, and euen he I am from the beginning. I doe the worke, & who ſhall let it. Thus ſaith the Lord the holy one, our redeemer- Wherein is diſtinctly expreſſed Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghoſt.

He was the Light, and that Light was the life of man.

Iohn 1.4.

LIfe and light, is not here carnally meant, but ſpiritually. To which two thinges, Aaarons Iewell of Ʋrim and Thummim, had a full relation: Ʋrim, ſignifying Light of the minde: Thummim, Perfection of vertue; which bringeth life to the ſoule. As Iohn. 1.9. Chriſt is the true light that lightneth euery man. And hee that abideth in this light hath euerlaſting life. 1. Iohn 1.5. God is light, and in him is no darknes at all. If wee walke in light euen as he is light then haue we fellowſhip with him, and the blood of Ieſus Chriſt ſhall giue vs life, and cleanſe vs from our ſinne. We the gentiles were darknes; but now are light in the Lord. Epheſ. 5.8. The vnderſtanding of the ſtories of the Bible doth giue a great light to the mind of man, and the practiſe giueth life vnto euery one that embraceth them: as Deut. 8.3. and Mat. 4.4. Man liueth not by bread onely, but by euery word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God. The deſpiſers of religion continue in darkneſſe, and light to them is death: as 1. Iohn 2.9. He that ſaith hee is in light, and hateth his brother, is in darkneſſe, and walketh in darkneſſe, and knoweth not whither he goeth; becauſe the darkneſſe hath blinded his eies, 1. Iohn 5.11. But God hath giuen vs eternall life, and that life is in his Sonne; who layed downe his life for his Sheepe, Iohn 10.15. Wherefore, while wee haue light, let vs walke & beleeue in the light, that we may be the children of the light. Iohn 12.36.

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The firſt Adam was made of the Earth, earthly. &c.

The ſecond was made a ſoule, giuing life. &c.

HEre, before the compariſon betweene Adam and Chriſt, we are to conſider the Creation, wherein we are to vnderſtand the Creation of the Heauen, Earth, and Sea, & all the hoaſt of them; which doe conſiſt of Wightes viſible and inuiſible: Inuiſible, as Angels: Viſible, as Sunne, Moone & Starres, Fiſhes, Fowles, Plants, Hearbs, Graſſe, Beaſtes, and ſuch like, which God created before he created Adam, by Chriſt for Adams ſake; becauſe he purpoſed not to take the nature of Angels, or of any other creature, but of Adam; and that he might be knowne in his power and louing kindneſſe to Adam by his workes. For he fore-purpoſing to make Adam both King and Father of all the Earth, would not haue his wittes entangled with cares for this life, but to haue his affections ſetled on heauenly things, that he might continue holy and blameleſſe before him: as Mat. 6.25. Take no care what you ſhall eate, or what you ſhall drinke; nor yet for your body, what rayment you ſhall put on. Behold, the Fowles neither ſow, nor reape, and your heauenly Father feedeth them. Are yee not much better then they? How much more then ſhall he doe the ſame for you? For he knoweth yee haue need of all theſe thinges, But firſt ſeeke the Kingdome of God, and his righteouſneſſe, Math 6.33. For no mans life ſtandeth in the aboundance of thinges which he poſſeſſeth.

Now followeth Adams creation.

HEe was made the ſixt day (as it is gathered in September) of the duſt of the earth vpon Mount Moriah; which is a Mountaine adioyning to the gates of the Garden of Eden; into which Garden hee was put to dreſſe it, [Page] about ſixe of the clocke in the morning, as we account, when men commonly goe to labour, as ſhould appeare by the Pſal. 104.23. where it is ſaid, Adam goeth foorth in the morning to his labour. This is not particularly meant of Adam, but generally of all men; no doubt alluding to the time of Adams creation. Hee had dominion giuen him ouer all things, and witte like to an Angell to giue names to all Beaſtes, & free libertie to eate of all the Trees in the Garden, The Tree of knowledge of good, and ill, onely excepted. As if God ſhould haue ſaid vnto him, (as Moſes afterwardes ſayd to the Children of Iſrael.) I ſet heere before you life and death, eate of the one, and liue; and eate of the other, and die eternally. Yet could not he be content with this glorious eſtate, but did eate of the forbidden Fruite (by the perſwaſion of the Woman which God framed out of Adams Ribbe, and ioyned to him to be an helpe for him) before they had continued in Paradice one day, (as it is written Pſal. 49.20. Adam being in honour, continueth not a night, but is like to the Beaſtes that periſh,) which Woman was deceiued by the ſubtiltie of a Serpent; that is, of the Deuill ſpeaking in a Serpent; which Beaſt was fitteſt to poſſeſſe to the deceiuing of her, becauſe he excelled all other Beaſtes in the Field in witte. For if an Aſſe had ſayd ſo much to her as did the Serpent, it is very likely ſhee would haue examined the cauſe further: But hee hauing once been an Angell of light, but not keeping his firſt originall, being throwne downe from Heauen, continuing his knowledge, though he loſt his vertue, was not to ſeeke either for meanes, matter, or oportunitie, enuying their eſtates, to bring his murtherous purpoſe to paſſe, (for ſo is he called the Serpent, Apoc. 12.11. Iohn 8. 44. the old Deuill, or Satan, who was a Murtherer from the beginning,) but knowing the prohibition, commeth to the Woman, ſaying: Yea, hath God ſaid, yee ſhall not eate of euery Tree in the Garden? To whom the Woman anſwereth, ſaying: Wee may eate freely of the fruite [Page]of the Trees of the Garden; but as for the Tree in the middeſt of the Garden, God hath ſayd, Yee ſhall not eate of it, nor touch it, leaſt happily you die. Out of which ſpeaches, the Serpent (being a Ramping and a roaring Lyon, going about ſeeking how he might deuoure her,) quickly ſucketh aduantage, finding her to haue digreſſed from the wordes of the Commandement, adding thereto a tricke of his owne head, ſayth to the Woman: Yee ſhall not die at all; but, you ſhall be as Gods, knowing good and euill. In that hee ſaith, Gods, hee meaneth not the true God, (for whatſoeuer hee ſpeaketh, is to be taken in the worſt meaning that can be made of it,) but he meaneth, you ſhall be in the ſtate of Damnation as Deuils, which are called Princes, Gods of the World: And likely enough that hee touched the Fruite, becauſe ſhee added to the commandement, the word touch.

Now the Woman beholding the fruite, that it was

Good to eate.

Pleaſaunt to the eyes.

A tree to be deſired to get knowledge.

She

tooke of the fruite,

did eate,

gaue alſo to her huſband, & he did eate.

Theſe 3. properties aboue, are expounded in Iohn,

Wantonnes of the eies.

Luſt of the fleſh.

The pride of life.

By reaſon of which ſinne, Adam and Eue ſeeing their owne nakedneſſe, ſowed figge-tree leaues together, and hidde themſelues from the preſence of God, among the Trees of the garden, their ſoules beeing then in the ſtate of Damnation, with a light ſhining in darkneſſe, but their Darkneſſe not comprehending the ſame, ſhewing thereby the weakneſſe of their nature, and of their poſteritie, God but a little leauing them to their ſelues, that when they had ſinned, they had rather hide themſelues in Darkneſſe, and ſeeke to ſtockes and trees that haue no helpe in them, than to God that made them. But Dauid afterwards being clothed with the ſpirit of wiſedome and vnderſtanding, acknowledgeth the power of God to ouer-reach the [Page] compaſſe of mans vaine imagination, when he ſayth: Whither ſhall I flie from thy preſence? If I take the winges of the Morning, and flie to the vttermoſt partes of the World, thou art there. If I climbe vp to Heauen, thou art there, If I goe downe to Hell, thou art there alſo. For God who made the eye, ſhall not he ſee all the dwellers vpon the earth? who hath weighed all men in a ballance, numbring the dayes & verie haires of the head, diuiding to euerie one their double portion according to the fore-purpoſe of his election, being a righteous Iudge, ſparing not the perſon of Adam, though he were a King, and the ſtatelieſt King that euer ſhould be, but calleth him to account in the coole of the ſame day wherein he was created and fell, puniſheth him, though not according to the deſert of his tranſgreſsion, like a mercifull Iudge that would ſaue, & as a Father that pittieth his owne child, knowing wherof he was made, and that he was but duſt, ſayth to Adam, What haſt thou done? and leauing him to conſider of his ſinne, goeth to the woman in like tenderneſſe, ſaying, What haſt thou done? as if he ſhould haue ſaid, Oh daughter, haue I made the heauens & the hoaſt therof; that is, Angels, Sun, Moone, and Starres, &c. to be thy ſeruants; and the earth, and all that therein is, to be obedient to thy call, breathing into thy noſtrils life, whereby thou becameſt a liuing ſoule in the image of God; that is, in righteouſneſſe and true holyneſſe to be a temple, and a Tabernacle for the holy of the holyeſt to dwell in; and haſt thou defiled the ſame with fond luſts, regarding the wordes of the Serpent the Father of lyes, not reſpecting my power and my ſeueritie, that as I made thy body and ſoule, ſo I could deſtroy the ſame; whereby thou haſt purchaſed the execution of my law eſtabliſhed at thy creation, to thee and thy husband: what haſt thou done? But God hauing examined the matters, and finding them both guiltie, and the malice of the Serpent to bee the cauſe of their guiltineſſe, neuer [Page] ſtayeth iudgement, nor vouchſafeth once to reaſon the matters with him, but preſently curſeth him, and puniſheth Adam, and the woman, and curſeth for their ſakes the earth, plants, and whole courſe of nature, and made them of obedient ſeruants, rebellious enemies to Adam, and his poſteritie. And becauſe Adam was not deceiued, but the woman became into the tranſgreſsion, he maketh her will ſubiect to the deſire of her husband, increaſing her ſorrowes & her conceptions. Thus he chaſtiſeth them, but giueth them not ouer, but pronounceth to the woman a ſhort, but a pithy ſentence, That the ſeede of the woman ſhould breake the head of the Serpent. That is to ſay, I will cauſe one to be borne of the Womans ſeede, which ſhall ſubdue the Diuell; and the Diuell ſhall doe his endeavour to trip vp his heeles, by tempting him.

The particulers wherof, Adam neglected not to examine: and the Woman likewiſe vnderſtanding from hence, duly marking and imbracing the ſame, that God had a purpoſe to ſaue her, gathereth from theſe wordes, matter enough to ſaue her, and all the world after her, which receiue like comfort of the ſame Promiſe: For ſhe rightly vnderſtood that this Seede muſt needs be Chriſt, who muſt come and take Adams nature vpon him, who ſhould be ſubiect to death, that hee might ouercome him that had power of death: For ſhe knew, and ſo did Adam, that if euer man, being but onely man, might worke his owne redemption, himſelfe was likelieſt to haue done it, becauſe he was the chiefeſt of all the men that euer ſhould be in the world. But Adam beeing the goodlieſt man, and not able to doe it him ſelfe, hee knew it muſt needs be God, who muſt appeare in the ſimilitude of Adams nature, and ſuffer death, that hee might riſe againe to ſit at the right hand of his Father, to make interceſsion for the Sonnes of Adam: They both, the Man and the Woman, embracing this, obtained the fauour of God; and [Page] Adam called his Wiues name Euah, that is, Life: to ſhew, that whoſoeuer beleeued as ſhe beleeued, ſhould be partakers of eternall life: as it is written Rom. 10.9. Whoſe confeſſeth with his mouth, and beleeueth with his heart, that Ieſus Chriſt is the Sonne of the liuing God, hee ſhall be ſaued.

But Adam and Euah were driuen out of Paradiſe, and Cherubines where ſet to keepe the way of the Tree of life: and they were cloathed with Skinnes, as it ſhould appeare with the Skinnes of Beaſtes, (to ſhew their beaſtlineſſe) which God for them had ſlaine, to offer for ſacrifice, to teach them the vſe thereof. For no doubt God would not deſtroy the beaſtes to haue them ſpoyled, ſeeing that Adam was not to eate any. And wee ſee that Kaine & Abel offered ſacrifices, as being taught from Adam: whoſe ſacrifices were of two ſortes. Abel offered (as appeareth) in ſinceritie of religion. The other for outward ceremonie voyd of true religion. Wherefore to Abel and his offering God had reſpect, but to Kaine and his offering hee had no regard. Wherefore Kaine, being poſſeſſed with the Poyſon of the Serpent, enuied Abel, becauſe his workes were good and his owne euill; and killed him; and being asked of God why hee had ſlaine his brother, in ſteede of asking pardon of God, hee ſaid, that his fault was greater then that Gods mercie could forgiue it. Againſt whom, Saint Auguſtine cryeth vehemently, that by how much leſſe the mercie of God could be inferiour to the fault of Kaine, ſeeing that to forgiue, is a thing proper to God; and to reuenge and puniſh, is farre eſtranged from his nature: by ſo much more great was the offence of Kaine in the wordes he ſaid, then in the murther he did; ſeeing that by the ſtroke of the Sword, hee tooke away but the life of his Brother; but by the blaſphemie of his tongue, he gaue death to his owne ſoule. To kill his Brother, was euill done; but to diſpaire in Gods mercie, was euen a tranſgreſsion of the Diuell: For more do we offend [Page] God to eſteeme him without mercie, then in any other ſinne we commit againſt Man. For which, God curſeth him, giuing him a marke of a guiltie Conſcience, alwayes accuſing him of ſinne againſt God, and inhumanitie againſt Nature. Wherevpon he goeth vp & downe wandring as one finding no reſt or peace, like an excommunicate perſon, from the place of true Religion, into the land of Nod, which ſignifieth, Fugitiue.

This Kaine was the eldeſt Sonne of Adam, whom hee named Poſſeſſion, for ſo doth Kaine ſignifie; as if he had gained a goodly Poſſeſsion. But ſeeing what might be the comfort of ſuch Poſſeſsion, he calleth his other Sonne Abel, that is, Vanitie; to ſhew, that if a man haue neuer ſo large Kingdomes or Poſſeſsions, or be neuer ſo nobly borne, as Kaine was, (except the Sonne of God) it is all but Ʋanitie, and vexation of minde. It is not to be vnderſtood that Adam had now no more Children but Kaine and Abel; for doubtleſſe Adam had many more Children, as may appeare by Kaines Storie: For it is ſayd, that Kaine departed into the land of Nod, and knew his Wife, which muſt needes be Adams Daughter, and married before the murder: for we are not to thinke that Adam would afterward haue beſtowed his Daughter vpon a Reprobate. The holy Ghoſt nameth onely three of Adams Sonnes, Kaine, Abel, and Seth, to make a proportionable number anſwerable to the number of the letters of the wordes of the Holy tongue, or the tongue of Adam: For vpon three letters, doth euery word in that tongue conſiſt.

Kaine doth repreſent the afflicters of ſuch as in this life eſteemed the World, and the pleaſures thereof, Vanitie; which is Abel. And Seth, whoſe name ſignifieth Setled, or Foundation, to ſhew the aſſurance of his Fayth in the Promiſes of God, to the confirming of our Fayth: which was, that from him muſt come that Seed of the Woman, that ſhould bruſe the head of the Serpent. This ſentence they and [Page] wee, and all the World, were and are bound to take notice of. For this we ought to know and beleeue ſo aſſuredly, that wee might ſhew our ſelues ſetled vpon a ſure Foundation, not vpon Sandes, where Sea and Wind may ouerthrow vs; but vpon the Rocke Chriſt Ieſus, that our building may remaine as the Mount Sion; and as the heauenly Ieruſalem, which is builded foure ſquare of three foures of precious Stones, that howſoeuer wee be toſſed with afflictions of this life, we may ſtand firme, acknowledging Iehouah to be the one true and euerlaſting God, Father, Sonne, and Holy ſpirit; and that his mercie is like to eternall Mountaines that cannot be remooued, wherewith he loued vs vnto ſaluation, before the foundation of the World.

Thus duely conſidering his Power and Wiſedome in the particular actions of the Creation, Adams fall, the Promiſe of eternall life; Adams Fayth, and his Sacrifices the ſhadowes of our Redemption; the Seauenth day, and the vſe thereof; wee ſhall ſpend our dayes in beholding our end, and neuer doe amiſſe: ſorrowing with a godly ſorrow as Enoſh (whoſe name ſignifieth Sorrow) did: For as in our dayes, ſo in his, men fell from the true Religion of Adam, of Seth, and other Godly men which were then aliue, turning the grace of God into wantonneſſe, marrying Wiues of Kaines poyſoned ſeed, reſpecting Beautie, and other outward giftes, rather then Vertue: not remembring their Grandmother Enah, that for beholding the Beautie of one forbidden Fruite, commending it to Adam for the pleaſantnes of the Taſte, and the vnlawfull deſire that ſhe had of diueliſh Knowledge, not long before was driuen out of Paradſe: whoſe bleſsing of Procreation, was ioyned with ſorrow of Conception: Whoſe innocent Soule by breaking but one Commandement, became guiltie of eternall death, & loſt the whole glorie of Paradiſe, and was driuen out into Mountaines, [Page] as not worthy to enioy the benefite of the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden. But Enoſh being a Godly man, and knowing that the fruites of worldly ſorrow are likewiſe eternall Death; and of Godly ſorrow Repentance (which word ſignifieth a changing of Iudgement from Ignorance to true Knowledge, to the renewing of the ſpirit) nameth his Sonne Kenan, Contrite, or Repenting, or a looking backe into their impieties, deteſting their vaine conuerſation, to the killing of ſinne in him ſelfe, and to the imbracing of righteouſnes. For it is not onely required of a man to eſchew euill, but withal to do good: to flie darkneſſe, if we will enioy the light: to follow the right way, if we will not erre: to auoy de the myre & durt, if we will be cleane and without ſpot: and forbeare to be euill, if we will begin to be good. For it is not enough for a Valiant man to doe what he may, but alſo he is bound to attempt nothing but what he ought. And as repentance is the fruit of godly ſorrow; ſo thankfulnes to God for deliuerances from like trials, proceedeth from Repentance: Therefore Kenan the Contrite, nameth his ſon, Mahalaleel, My praiſe God: which none can doe effectually, without a lowly minde, ſanctified firſt by Grace, by the ſubduing of the fleſh. Mahalaleel knowing that ſuch fruite is required of ſuch a tree, nameth his ſonne, Iared, the Lowly: which giftes of grace, God beſtoweth vpon ſuch onely as he accepteth vnto himſelf; as it is written: Bleſſed is the man vnto whom God imputeth not his ſin, &c. So that a man hauing thus purged himſelfe from the iniquitie of wicked men, marking the rules of Gods eternall Wiſedome, He ſhall be a veſſell ſanctified vnto honour, meete for the vſes of the Lord, 2. Tim. 2.21. Therefore Iared the lowly, nameth his ſonne, Henoch, the Holy. Now God commanding al men to direct their ſteps by the ſtraight line of his word, firſt layeth downe his will, what we ought to doe to pleaſe him: and then induceth vs thereunto, not onely by hope of eternall life, but [Page] promiſeth vs in this life long and happy dayes, as in the eternall Law is expreſſed: Loue God aboue all, and thy neighbour as thy ſelfe, that thy dayes may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee, &c. Henoch therefore being aſſured of the infinite mercies of God towards him and his ſeed, by fayth ſtill beholding (as in a glaſſe) the Redemption by the Sonne of God, the ſumme of all ſaluation, nameth his ſonne, Methuſhelah, Long life, or Speare-death: For euen as the poynt of a Speare keepeth off that which would otherwiſe deſtroy; euen ſo Methuſhelah kept away the Flood a long time from drowning the World. But becauſe men ſhould not thinke that any liueth without calamities, leaſt outward happines ſhould make men to forget God; Methuſhelah hauing heard his fathers, and himſelfe alſo (being a Prophet) preach of the deſtruction of the World by the Flood, calleth his ſonne, Lamech, that is, Stroken, or Heart-wounded: which is to be vnderſtood that in reſpect that he being neere thoſe times of dangers, many of his poſteritie were like to be drowned, not onely in the flood, but eternally tormented, for ioyning with the wicked mockers, which deſpiſed the preaching of the Fathers. But although God throweth mens conſciences downe for a while with griefe of other mens iuſt puniſhment, yet he rayſeth them vp againe, giuing them hope of his aſſured Promiſes, and a ſweete comfort of eternall life. Lamech being thus ſtrengthened with the fayth of his Fathers, ayming ſtill to the ſentence of Saluation pronounced in Paradiſe, calleth his ſonne, Noah, Reſtorer, or Comforter, ſaying: This Sonne ſhall comfort vs, concerning the ſorrow of our hands, and concerning the earth, which the Lord hath curſed. Wherein he ſheweth that he both looked backward to the Creation, & formard to the Redemption by Chriſt, The Seed of the Woman, that ſhould bruſe the head of the Serpent.

Thus much for the vſe of the names of the ten Fathers before the Food in generll.

[Page]Now followeth the liues and deaths of the Fathers in particular: and firſt of Adam.
There is a great doubt made of the time of the yeare of Adams Creation, and of the day of his fall: and is refuſed as a thing vnprofitable to be knowne, and Vnpoſsible to be prooued.

Firſt for the time of his Creation.

IT is certaine hee was created in September, at the time that Fruits be ripe; which is at the fall of the Leafe: And that was the fitteſt time, ſeeing in the courſe of Nature, there was no fitter time to expreſſe the nature of Adams fall. And as the fall of Adam was anſwerable to the fall of the Leafe, becauſe by his fall, death was brought vpon all: So the death of Chriſt, beeing contrary to Adams fall, becauſe it brought life to all; the fitteſt time to reſemble this life in the courſe of Nature, was the Spring: Therefore Chriſt dyed at the Spring, to deliuer vs out of the ſpirituall Priſon, when as all thinges ſhew them-ſelues to be deliuered out of this earthly Iayle.

Now for the day of Adams fall.

IT was on Fryday, the ſixt day; the day of Adams creation, at the time of eating: For we doe not read that euer Adam did eate, before he did eate of the forbidden fruite. Therefore when by the ſtorie, the time of eating cannot be ſeperated in time, reaſon ſheweth vs to ioyne them in time: For, Satan was a murderer from the beginning; and wee [Page] muſt bring it from the beginning as neare as can be, not croſsing any Scripture. The ſearching of this matter, is not of ſmall importance: For from the true vnderſtanding of the Creation, we ſee the clearenes of the Redemption; and not marking the Creation aright, is the cauſe of much folly: and they that miſſe of the lawes of Creation, are ſure to miſſe of the lawes of Redemption: and Moſes making mention of many Times, hee would not haue omitted the time of the Fall, except it had been done preſently after the Creation; therefore Adams fall, muſt needs be layd as neere the beginning as may be, not croſsing the Storie. The bare Narration ſheweth, that no famous action went betweene the Commandement and the Fall. And the ſhortneſſe of the time, doth ſhew the force of the Aduerſarie. Beſides, it is a great ſinne to ſay, that any man, except Chriſt, could fulfill perfectly any one poynt of the Law: for thereby we darken the glory of Chriſt, and prooue him not to haue performed the whole Law.

If Adam had continued vntill the Sabaoth in his innocencie, no doubt he would haue kept a perfect Sabaoth. And if he had kept a perfect Sabaoth, he had performed ſome part of the Law, and thereby been partaker with Chriſt in the worke of our Redemption.

Againe, if Adam had continued in the image of God, which is in righteouſneſſe and true holineſſe, vntill the Sabaoth, he would haue performed the ordinances of the Sabaoth; which was, to eate of the Tree of life: for God after his fall, ſetteth Cherubins to keepe the way of the Tree of life, leaſt Adam eating, ſhould liue for euer. Whereby it appeareth, that if he had eaten thereof before, he had not fallen. Therefore it cannot be, that Adam continued perfect vnto the Sabaoth.

And further it is written, Pſal. 49.20. Adam beeing in honour, continueth not one night, but is like to the Beaſtes that periſh.

[Page] Cedrenus a Greeke writer, ſayth; That Adam fell the ſixt day of the firſt weeke.

Saint Auguſtine ſayth; The Woman ſtraight way after her creation before ſhe accompanied with Adam, became into the tranſgreſsion: otherwiſe Kaine had been conceaued without ſinne.

Theophilact vpon Matthew, ſayth; That as Man was formed the ſixt day, and did eate of the Tree the ſixt houre: ſo Chriſt reforming Man, and healing the fall, was faſtned to the Tree the ſixt day, and the ſixt houre.

And in the ſtorie of the Creation in Geneſis, preſently after the fall, Moſes ſpeaketh of the Redemption. And without we compare the Creation with the Redemption, we miſſe of all: For Adam to be compared with Chriſt, is the ſumme of all. And wherefore ſhould all the actions of the Redemption be accompliſhed in ſuch rareneſſe, except to be anſwerable both to the fall, and to the time of the fall? Wherefore it is needfull we ſhould know our thraldome, if we will receiue comfort by the Redeemer, thus.

Firſt, Chriſt the Reſtorer, was borne of a Virgin: Why? Becauſe by a Virgin, deſtruction came to the world.

Chryſoſtome compareth Eue and Marie togeather thus. Eue being a Virgin, hearing the wordes of the Serpent, and beleeuing them, brought foorth Death. The Virgin Marie hearing the wordes of the Angel Gabriel, and beleeuing them, brought foorth Life.

Againe, why ſhould Chriſt die on the ſixt day, rather then on the fifth, or fourth? And why was there darkeneſſe vntill the coole of the day, rather then till the Sunne ſetting? But to make the Redemption anſwerable to euerie part of the Fall: becauſe God, according to the ſecret counſell of his owne will, before the foundations of the earth were layd, would make the art of Saluation ſo eaſie, and the harmonie of the Bible ſo tunable, that no muſicke [Page] in the world can be more pleaſant to the eare, then the meditation of the loue of God towardes vs in Chriſt, is comfortable to the heart of man. Therefore, the meditation of Adams fall, and the victorie of Chriſt, ought to be continually in our mindes.

930.Adam dieth.

THe Hebrewes deſcant very ſtrangely vpon the Arithmeticke of Adams yeares which he liued; which were 930. vpon a ſentence in the 24. of Iob, where it is ſayd: All the dayes of man vpon earth, are but a ſhadow: as if hee ſhould ſay, All the dayes of Adam are but Abel; for, Adam in Hebrew ſignifieth Earth, and Abell ſignifieth ſhadow, or vanitie: Whereby we are taught, that from the Earth we came, and to the Earth we muſt returne againe, according to Gen. 3.19. Wee are alſo to vnderſtand from hence, that although God deferre his puniſhmentes, yet hee is mindfull of his promiſes: for not one tittle or iod of his Word ſhall paſſe; as appeareth in Adams death, which God before had promiſed, and was accompliſhed, though it were 930. yeares after. Wherefore, howſoeuer we be ſetled on the pleaſures of this life, or be aduanced to thrones of Maieſtie, as Adam was, we are to know, that it is but a Steward-ſhip beſtowed vpon vs for a ſeaſon; and that in this world, we are to looke for no abiding place: for we are but Graſſe, we are conſumed as Smoake, our dayes come to an end. A thouſand yeares in Gods ſight, is as yeſterday: He turneth Adam to duſt, and ſayth, Returne to duſt yee ſonnes of Adam. He bringeth our yeares to an end, as it were a tale that is told. Wherefore let vs pray to God with Moſes, To teach vs to number our dayes aright, that we may apply our heartes vnto Wiſedome.

Adam commeth ſhort of 1000. yeares ſo much, as is the dayes of mans life.

[Page] Iared, Methuſhelah, and Noah, ouer-reached Adam in long life, becauſe of the power of the word of God. Hee died about Mount Moriah, where he was made. He liued till he ſaw many Kings, he himſelfe the greateſt: and vntill he had erected a ſtately gouernement, & taught them humane artes: who was fitteſt to doe it, being a King to commaund whom he would, and what he would, and hauing witt excelling all the men in the world. And as in a Princes court it is requiſite to haue Noble men ſome higher and ſome lower, and men of all degrees; ſo Adam liued till he might haue a ſtately Court.

Now if a King ſhould commaunde a Diuine to make Adams Will from his Storie, he would make it in this ſort. O my Sonnes, gather you togeather, and harken vnto the wordes of your Father Adam, the laſt that euer he ſhall ſpeake vnto you. I was voyde of ſaluation, and enioyed not happineſſe, by diſobeying: which diſobedience I then practiſed, when I harkened to the perſwaſion of Heua, and did eate the forbidden Fruite. I then felt the heauie iudgementes of God againſt ſinne, and ſaw my nakedneſſe; whereof I was aſhamed. Thereby I brought death vpon all my poſteritie: which Curſe had continued, if the Mercie of God had not remooued it, by offering a Bleſsing in the Seede of the Woman. I haue ruled you all the dayes of my life as a Father, that you may learne to chooſe Gouernours, which reſemble Fathers in behauiour. I haue inſtructed you to loue & obey their gouernment: you muſt know, that as my ſaluation reſteth vpon beliefe in the Seede of the Woman, ſo muſt yours. But the houſe of Kaine deſpiſing this, and killing Abel, a figure of him who by dying ſhall ouercome the power of the Serpent, will cauſe the Flood to deſtroy the earth. Few ſhall embrace this Doctrine: for though eight be ſaued by the Arke, yet ſeuen onely ſhall keepe ſinceerely the beliefe in this Promiſe of the Seed of the Woman. My dayes haue been long, with the reſt of your Fathers; but the end of all fleſh is come vpon mee: for out of the Earth I came, and to the Earth I muſt returne.

Now compare Chriſt with Adam.

[Page]

The firſt Adam was made a ſoule hauing life, of earth, earthly: therfore by the earthly one, came

Diſobedience.

Sinne.

Iudgement.

Condemnation.

Death.

The ſecond Adam was wade a ſpirit giuing life from heauen, heauenly: Therefore by the heauenly one, came

Obedience.

Grace.

Forgiueneſſe

Iuſtification.

Life.

Adam

was created on the ſixt day, & did eate of the tree the ſixt houre.

Was made a man without a Father.

made not inferior to the Angelles [...] loſt all.

Was tempted.

loſt ſaluation at the time of eating.

Was made Ruler of the world, and did not hold it.

Did fall in the Garden.

His ſoule was in darknes from the ſixt houre vntill the ninth houre.

Chriſt

Reforming man, and healing the fall, is faſtened to the tree the ſixt day, and ſixt houre.

Was made a man without a Father.

Made lower then the Angels, is crowned with glory, & all the Angels worſhip him being man; whereby we may know the world was made ſubiect to man.

Was tempted.

Brought ſaluation to all, at the time of eating.

Was made Ruler of the World, and did hold it.

went into a garden to recouer Adams fall in the garden.

when he ſuffered, cauſed darkneſſe to couer the whole earth, from the ſixt houre, till the ninth houre.

Adam

By breaking one Commandement, loſt all.

Was called to accompt the ninth houre.

Was debarred of the Tree of life.

Was driuen out of Paradiſe.

Was the head of his Wife.

was a

King.

Prophet.

Sacrificer.

Liued 1000. yeares wanting 70.

Chriſt

By fulfilling all the Commandementes, brought life to all.

At the ninth houre yeeldeth vp the ghoſt, & goeth to giue accompt to his Father.

Is the true Tree of life.

on that day, openeth Paradiſe to the poore Theefe.

The Head of the Church.

was a

King.

Prophet.

Sacrificer.

Was borne 70. yeares before 4000.

Becauſe theſe two Tables conſiſt onely of Numbers, and that Numbers in the Scriptures are great helpes for the vnderſtanding of the ſame: before we come to ſpeake of Seth, it is not amiſſe to lay downe what Numbers are of moſt vſe in the Bible: namely, 1.3.4.5.6.7.8.10.12.

ONE.

One: Expreſsing the vnion of the God-head; and from thence, the vnitie of all Godly, as being members of one head Chriſt Ieſus: which is made plaine Pſal. 133.1. Behold how good and comely a thing it is, for Breathren to dwell togeather in vnitie.

THREE.

Three: Expreſsing the diſtinguiſhed Trinitie; within which number, many excellent things fall out ſtill, to put [Page] vs in minde of the vndeuidable coeternity of Father, Sonne, and Holy Spirit.

Adam

Kaine Of Adam, the eldeſt extreame wicked.

Abel

Seth

Noah

Iaphet

Sem

Cham Of Noah, the youngeſt wicked.

Terah

Haran

Nachor Of Terah, the middlemoſt was wicked.

Abram

To ſhew, that neither in eldeſt, youngeſt, or middlemoſt; but in Gods free election, ſtandeth our eternall happines.

Three Angels appeared to Abraham in his Tent.

Three foures of precious Stones were ſet in Aarons breſt.

Three thinges reſerued in the Arke,

The Booke of the Law.

The Potte of Manna.

Aarons Rodde, that did alwayes floriſh.

Three taken vp in the Old Teſtament, and three in the New.

Three partes was Ieruſalem deuided into.

Three Letters the roote of euery word in the Hebrew tongue.

Three Captiuities of the Iewes.

Three times was the Temple groſly polluted by the

Babylonians.

Antiochi.

Romanes.

Three times a yeare, were the Iewes bound to come to Ieruſalem to giue accompt of their Religion.

Three dayes & nightes was Ionas in the Whales belly.

Three nightes and dayes was Chriſt in the Graue.

Three Iohns, viz.

Iohn Baptiſt. Luke 1.60.

Iohn Euangeliſt. Mat. 4.21.

Iohn Marke. Act. 12.25.

Job ſaued three

Eliphaz.

Sophar.

Bildad.

Daniel ſaued three

Ananias.

Azarias.

Miſhael.

Noah ſaued three

Sem.

Cham.

Japhet.

In the third ſeauenth Iubilee, the Iewes fell away, and then Ieremie ſaid: O Earth, heare the worde of the Lord &c.

The Title ouer Chriſt on the Croſſe; was written in Three tongues,

Hebrew.

Greeke.

Latin.

Although it may not bee vrged, that all theſe Threes haue full relation to the Trinitie, ſeeing they fall not out by chaunce, yet 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.

FOVRE.

Foure: Is a ſquare number, and vſuall.

Heber, the fourth after the Flood.

Iuda, the fourth ſonne of Iacob.

Foure ſquare, ſignifieth true Religion.

Moſes fourth ſonne in the fourth age, was Sacrificer to the Tribe of Dan.

Foure times ſeuen Iubilees, the time of Chriſtes death.

Foure, The forme of the heauenly Ieruſalem.

FIVE.

[Page]

Fiue: the letters of Iehouah.

The fiue Vowels; the ſinewes of all Tongues.

Chriſt ſeedeth 5000. with Fiue Loaues.

SIXE.

Sixe: The day of Adams creation: which number is often times vſed in the Scripture, to put vs in minde of the Creation.

Sixe hundred thouſand fighting men came out of Egipt.

Sixe hundred yeares old was Noah at the flood.

Sixe times ſeuen Standinges, had the Children of Iſrael in the Wildernes.

Sixe yeares was the land of Canaan in conquering.

Sixe Cities of refuge, for one that killed a man by chance, and not of malice, had the Iewes to flie vnto.

Sixe times did the Children of Iſrael fall before Diuids time, in the time of the Iudges.

SEVEN.

Seuen: the number of the Sabaoth: which number of Seuen, as it is famous for the Creation; ſo God comtinueth the ſame proportion throughout the Bible, to the Redemption. For as God the Father made the World in ſixe dayes, and reſted the ſeuenth: ſo God the Sonne, hauing performed his Fathers will, reſteth the ſeuenth day in the Graue.

Seuen, is a yeare of Grace.

Seuen Planets in the Firmament, which Plato compareth to the number of ſeuen Starres in Apo. 1.16.

Seuen yeares was the land of Canaan plagued, for that Ioſeph the beloued of the Lord, ſhould haue been ſlaine by his Brethren.

Seuen Stones in the Temple: Gods ſeuenfold Wiſedome or Prouidence, in all his actions.

[Page]Seuen eyes to looke vpon the Building of euery Stone in in the Temple of Ieruſalem.

Seuen yeares the land of Canaan was ſetling in reſt.

Seuen yeares the Temple was in building.

Seuen yeares Nebuchadnetzar was a Beaſt, for deſtroying the Temple.

Seuen Gates in the Temple, before you come to the Holy of Holieſt.

Seuen Branches did the Candleſticke in the Temple ſtand vpon, which had 24. Knobbes; ſignifying the ſixe dayes worke, & the ſeuenth day of reſt in the Creation.

Seuen Moneths was the Tabernacle in building.

Seuen Iubilees was the Arke in the houſe of Ioſeph.

Seuen Trumpeters is a great number, that doe alwayes ſound Gods prayſe.

Henoch the ſeuenth from Adam. Heber the ſeuenth from Henoch. Iſaach 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 dayes before the Law was giuen.

Seuen times ſeuen dayes after Chriſtes reſurrection, deſcended the holy Ghoſt.

The ſtories of the Scriptures 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 Iudah, Seuen tennes for the Captiuity.

From the Captiuitie, to the death of Chriſt, ſeuen ſeuenties.

[Page] 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 plough, ſow, nor reape.

In the end of the ſeuen ſeuens, was the yeare of Iubilee.

In the ſeuenth ſeuen from Cyrus, the Walles of Ieruſalem were built.

Seuen times 7000. of the Iewes came from Captiuitie.

Ioakim endeth the ſeuenth ſeuentie, with affliction.

Seuen yeares plenty, ſeuen yeares dearth in the land of Egipt; figured by ſeuen eares of Corne, & ſeuen Kyne.

Noah liued ſeuen Iubilees after the flood.

Seuen thouſand in the booke of Kings mencioned, that neuer bowed their knees vnto Ball.

Kaines houſe cut off in the ſeuenth age.

How often ſhall I forgiue my Brother, till ſeuen times? I ſay vntill ſeuen times ſeuentie times: alluding vnto Daniels ſeuens.

EIGHT.

Eight: The number of the perſons ſaued in the Arke.

Eight: The day of circumciſion.

TEN.

Tenne: Is a full number, and the higheſt or laſt of ſimple numbers.

All Nations, after the number of 10. begin againe, for plaine teaching, and plainneſſe in reckoning.

Ten, is the yeare of Iudgement, or accompt.

You haue Ten words for the creation of the World: And Ten wordes for the gouernment of the world.

The Tenth is a holy number, as in Tythes: which is giuen to vs to acknowledge our dueties.

[Page]In the Tenth moneth, the Waters of the Flood abated.

Sem liued to ſee the Tenth age: a great bleſſing.

Tenne Plagues were the Egyptians plagued with, for afflicting Sems houſe.

Tenne Spies in the Wilderneſſe misbeleeued.

Tenne Tribes fell away at Roboams time.

Daniels Beaſt hath Tenne Hornes: which doe repreſent Ten cruell Kinges.

The Beaſt in the Reuelation, hath Tenne Hornes.

The Pope hath Tenne ſtately Kingdomes to aſsiſt him.

Noah is the Tenth from Adam. Abraham the tenth from Noah.

TWELVE.

Twelue Signes in the Zodiacke. Twelue Moneths in the yeare. Twelue Fathers from the Flood to Iacob. Twelue Sonnes of Iacob. Twelue Fountaines in the Wilderneſſe. Twelue Stones in Iordan. Twelue Stones in Aarons breſt.

Salomon had Twelue Stewards, and Dauid Twelue valiant Captaines.

Salomon at Twelue yeares of age, diſcided the controuerſie betweene the Women for the dead Child.

Chriſt at Twelue yeares of age, is found diſputing among the Doctors. He likewiſe ordained Twelue Apoſtles: and Twelue times did he appeare after his reſurrection.

In the Reuelation, of euery Tribe is ſealed Twelue thouſand. The heauenly Ieruſalem is deſcribed to haue Twelue Foundations of 12. precious Stones, Twelue Gates, and Twelue Angels, and the Names written of the Twelue Apoſtles; and through the Cittie there runneth a pure Riuer, and on either ſide of the Riuer, the Tree of Life; which beareth Twelue manner of Fruites, and beareth Fruite euery moneth in the yeare; [Page] and the leaues of the Tree, doe ſerue to heale the Nations with.

Now the reaſon why God in the beginning layde downe in cloſe ſignification, and ſuch eaſie proportions, the whole ſcope of his gouernment to the Worldes end, is to ſhew that his Wiſedome is infinite; and that nothing in the Scriptures doth fall out by chaunce, but by his forepurpoſe, according to the ſecret counſel of his owne will, to make vs ſtill looke backe vnto the Creation.

130. Seth borne (Gen. 5.) when Adam is 130. yeares old.

ADam was make in the image of God, Seth is begotten in the image of Adam: to ſhew that whatſoeuer is borne of the fleſh, is fleſh; and whatſoeuer is borne of the ſpirit, is ſpirit. When Adam was 130. yeares old, hee begetteth Seth, being (as may be gathered) not one day more, nor one day leſſe: And this rule ſerueth for all the Ten Fathers before the Flood. The holy Ghoſt keeping an exact Chronicle of the times, beginneth at Adam, and ſo goeth forward, laying downe the particular ages of the Fathers vnto the Flood, ſaying: When Adam is 130. yeares old, Seth is borne. Now if he had been one day more, the number had not been perfect; if one leſſe, it had not been exact. We may better therefore conclud, that all the ten Fathers were borne on the ſixt day, that is, the day of Adams creation, rather then on any other day, ſeeing it can not well be denied, and that it croſſeth neither Storie, nor rule of Religion.

Seth, ſignifieth Setled, or, Foundation. Hee knew the Creator, and that the world ſhould be founded vpon him.

Eſay 58.11. The Wicked haue no ſure foundation, but are like to the Chaffe in a Summer floore: But the Godly ſhall be like a [Page]freſh watred Garden, and like the Fountaine of water that neuer leaueth running; whoſe foundation is layde for many generations. For as a Tree that hath ſure rootes, will beare many Branches: ſo, to be ſetled in Religion, as Seth was, many things will appeare to be of ſingular force.

Seth died, being 912. yeares old.1042.

Now compare him with Chriſt, thus.

Seth

His name ſignifieth Foundation.

He was begotten in the image of Adam.

Chriſt

The Rocke, and ſure Foundation of his Church.

The very caracter of his Father.

Enoſh borne, when Seth is 105. yeares old.235.

In theſe numbers, you haue 10. multiplyed by 10. and 5. which is the number of the letters of Iehouah.

HIs name ſignifieth Sorowfull. Euery man is called ſorowfull Enoſh: and the Hebrew tongue ſometime calleth a man Enoſh: and ſometimes Adam. The Caldeans call a man Enoſh, but not Adam, becauſe they had not the antiquitie of the Creation of the world. In Enoſh his time, Religion decayed in the houſe of God: for which, the Flood came and drowned the World.

This Sorrow, is called a Godly ſorrow; to which, the Lord hath added a Bleſsing, as Mat. 5.4. Bleſſed are they that mourne, for they ſhall receiue comfort. And Eccleſiaſtes 7.5. Crauitie is better then laughter; for when the countenaunce is heauie, the heart is reformed. And Chriſt in Luk. 6.21. ſayth, Bleſſed are yee that weepe now, for yee ſhall laugh.

Chriſt being ſorrowfull for the negligence of the Iewes, knowing▪ that they ſhould be plagued for not embracing the Promiſe to Abraham, Iſaacke, and Iacob, weepeth ouer Ieruſalem, ſaying: O Ieruſalem, Ieruſalem, (O ſight of peace! [Page]O ſight of peace!) If thou haddeſt knowen thoſe thinges that belong to thy peace; And ſo with griefe and ſorrow of heart, he leaueth off, as not able to expreſſe the ſumme of his ſorrow. Againe, with like ſorrow he ſayth: How often would I haue gathered you togeather, as a Henne gathereth her Chickens, and you would not?

1140. Enoſh dyed, being 905. yeares old.

325. Kenan borne, when Enoſh was 90. yeares old.

HIs name ſignifieth Contrite, or ſmall ſtore. Mat. 5.3. Bleſſed are the poore in ſpirit, for theirs is the Kingdome of heauen. Eſay 57.15. Thus ſayth the High and Excellent, euen hee that dwelleth in Eternitie, whoſe name is the Holy one: I dwell high aboue, and in the Sanctuarie; and with him alſo that is of a Contrite ſpirit doe I dwell, that I may heale a troubled minde, and a Contrite heart. Pſal. 51.17. An humble and Contrite heart, the Lord doth not deſpiſe: Therefore ſhall euery godly man prayſe the Lord without ceaſing.

1235.Kenan dyed, being 910 yeares old.

395. Mahalaleel borne, when Kenan was 70. yeares old.

You haue in this number ten ſeuens, or ſeuen multiplyed by ten, which is 70: which is the number of his natiuitie; wherein you haue a ſweete reſemblance of the Creation: of which number, many excellent thinges are to be ſpoken, which I will handle afterwardes.

THis name ſignifieth, My prayſe God. Leah nameth her fourth ſonne Iuda, (the Father of Shiloh) Prayſe God, for ſo his name likewiſe ſignifieth. The vſe of this, ought [Page] to be imbraced of all, ſeeing it ſtretcheth to the ſaluation of all. It appeareth hereby, that the godly Fathers in auncient time, had wonderfull regard in naming their Children. For if you doe marke the whole Stories of the Bible, you ſhall finde very few notable men, whether they were godly or wicked, but they containe rare matter in their names.

From Mahalaleel we are taught, to Prayſe God aright; that is, in ſinceritie of ſpirit, with ſounde knowledge grounded vpon the trueth of his word. David knowing that prayſe giuing to God, is not onely required at our hands, but alſo at euery creatures in their kind: biddeth the whole courſe of Nature, Prayſe the Lord. And in Pſalm. 47.6. hee ſayth: O ſing prayſes, ſing prayſes vnto our God: O ſing prayſes, ſing prayſes vnto our King: for the Lord is high, and to be feared: Hee is the great King vpon all the earth, ſing prayſes therefore with vnderſtanding. Hee ſheweth vs a reaſon in the 19. Pſal. 1. when he ſayth: The Heauens declare the glory of God, and the Firmament ſheweth his handie worke. One day telleth another, & one night certifieth another, &c. Therefore, let the wordes of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be alway acceptable in thy ſight, O Lord my Locke, and my Redeemer. Whereby we are taught, that the true prayſe of God, conſiſteth not onely in outward acknowledging of his workes, and his iudgementes, (for that the wicked are often times compelled to confeſſe, as Pharaoh, Nebucadnetzar, and others;) but we muſt prayſe God ſo, as that all our thanks, and all our actions, may tende to the acknowledging of the Redemption by Chriſt. For ſo doth Dauid In this 19. Pſalme, hee beginneth with the Creation, and endeth with the Redemption. Let vs therefore with him alſo ſay, Pſal. 103.1. Prayſe the Lord, O my ſoule; and all that is within mee, prayſe his holy name; which forgiueth all thy ſinne, and healeth all thine infirmities: which ſaueth thy life from deſtruction, and crowneth thee with mercy and louing kindneſſe. And [Page] Pſalm. 105.1. O giue thankes vnto the Lord, and call vpon his holy name, tell the people what thinges hee hath done. O let your ſonges be of him, and prayſe him, and let your talking be of all his wondrous workes. Reioyce in his holy name: Let the heart of them reioyce, that ſeeke the Lord. O ſeeke the Lord and his ſtrength, ſeeke his face euermore.

1290. Mahalaleel died, being 895. yeares old.

460. Iared borne, when Mahalaleel was 65. yeares old.

For this number 65. it is the halfe of 130.

HIs name ſignifieth Lowly, or, Meeke. Hee was 162. yeares old before he marryed: becauſe, at that time he had knowledge of the Flood that it ſhould come: therefore he conſecrated his ſonne to God.

How precious a vertue this Meekeneſſe is, and how highly to be imbraced, wee may know by open experience, if wee examine how God from the beginning, hath gouerned the World: for God reſpecteth not the perſon of any man, that he ſhould feare him. Hee ouerthrew the rebellious Nimrod, and the reſt of the Nephewes of Noah, that would haue a Name; and turned their ſpeach into Babling. Hee plagued that flouting Iſmael, and quayled that doughtie Eſau. Hee drowned ſtout Pharaoh in the red Sea, and ouerthrew the iron Chariots of Siſera at the waters of Mageddon. Hee ſmote diuers Nations, and ſlew mightie Kinges: Schon King of the Amorites, and Ogg the King of Baſan, and all the Kingdomes of Canaan. Hee foyled the proud Philiſtine, and heawed the horne of Agag in peeces. Hee made Ieſabel a prey for Dogges, and wicked Achab to be ſlaine in the vallie of Ieſrael. Hee made king Ioakim to be buried like an Aſſe, and prophane Nebuchadnetzar [Page] to eate Graſſe like an Oxe. Hee made drunken Baltaſar to tremble like a Leafe, and Antiochus the vilde, to be deuowred of Wormes: to ſhew, that he regardeth not proud lookes, or feareth the Kinges diſpleaſure: For hee ſetteth vp Kinges, and pulleth downe Kings, as Luk. 1.48. Hee looked on the low degree of his Handmayde. Hee hath ſhewed ſtrength with his Arme: Hee hath ſcattered the proud in the imaginations of their heartes. Hee hath put downe the Mightie from their ſeates, and hath exalted the Humble and Meeke: As Ioſeph out of the Dungeon, Dauid from the Sheepcoates, Daniel from the Lyons denne, Peter and Iohn from mending their Nettes, and made them Rulers ouer mightie Nations, and Teachers to the Princes of the earth. Matth. 5.5. Therefore bleſſed are the meeke, for they ſhall receiue the inheritance of the earth.

Chriſt being meeke, was led as a Sheepe vnto the ſlaughter, not epening his mouth.

Iared died, being 962. yeares old. While hee liued,1422. there was no proclayming of the Flood, but preſently after there was.

7. Henoch (the ſeuenth) borne,622. when Iared was 162. yeares old.

HIs name ſignifieth Holy, or, Dedicated to God. The name ſheweth his fathers affection, in giuing him vnto God; anſwerable vnto Abraham in offering Iſaacke. 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, [Page] though indeed a rare man, yet was 65. yeares without anie 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 ſaluation 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 be holy and blameleſſe before God, not giuing our members ſubiectes vnto wantonneſſe or pleaſures of this life; but eſteeming the world, as though it were not; and poſſeſſe it, as though we 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 he is called in the Epiſtle of Iude. Hee was no doubt, a very rare man, ſeeing that he is commended of the Holy Ghoſt to haue Walked with God, to haue his yeares anſwerable to the dayes of the Sunne, & regiſtred to be the ſeuenth from Adam, a Sabaoth keeper; for his yeares do agree with the number of the Sabaoth: which number of Seuen, or of the Sabaoth, throughout the Bible, doth ſtill put vs in minde of the Creation, and ſo of the true keeping of the Sabaoth. For in the beginning, God made the World in ſixe dayes, and reſted the ſeuenth, and hallowed and ſactified the ſame, and commaunded it to be kept Holy throughout all generations: And to reſemble the ſame in his Creation before there was a Sabaoth, he made the ſeuen Starres in the Heauens, which the 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 Sabaoth, might haue the name thereof in their mouthes, although they made no vſe therof in their heartes.

987· Henoch is taken vp, being 365. yeares old.

[Page]His taking vp, did ſhew what ſhould be the ſtate of the Godly. Hee was taken vp in deſpight of the wicked, and in recompence of his owne fayth. Hee was taken vp 57. yeares after Adams death, all the Fathers being then aliue: And it may be the Fathers did ſee him taken vp, as a figure of Chriſtes aſcenſion. The wicked might then ſay, Where is the appearance of the Flood: for Adam is dead, and Henoch is taken vp, and all things continue as from the beginning? In that God beſtowed ſo ſhort life vpon Henoch, it ſheweth that hee would beſtow greater bleſſinges on him in an other kind.

His yeares are anſwerable to the dayes of the Sunne 365. yeares, a yeare for a day. And as the Sunne excelleth all other Starres in brightneſſe; ſo did his life excell all other men then aliue in the World, for vertue. Hee is alſo ſayd, to haue Walked with God, to be a preacher of Righteouſneſſe, to be taken vp.

Theſe foure ſpeciall commendations are of equall glorie: and wee may be aſſured by theſe teſtimonies, that his Godlyneſſe was verie rare. The Grecians ſay, that hee left a booke behind him of his preaching: But thereby (as much as in them lyeth) they call into queſtion the truth of the Scriptures. For firſt, by this opinion they derogate from the glorie of Moſes, that he ſhould not be the firſt writer. Secondly; from the wiſedome of God, which tooke order to lay downe the liues of the fathers in ſo ſhort Arithmatique, and would thereby haue his wiſedome wonderfull to thoſe which ſhould come after: which had been to ſmall purpoſe, if Henoch had left a booke of his preaching. But the Grecians thus being anſwered, it followeth that Henochs prophecie was againſt the wordes of the wicked, and againſt the contempt of religion, which wicked men ſhewed in not beleeuing the preaching of the flood. Saint Iude in his Epiſtle, from the circumſtances of the men and manners of the People to [Page] whom Henoch preached, gathered what might be the ſumme of Henochs preaching, in this ſort: Behold the Lord commeth, how? as at the giuing of the Law, With thouſands of his Angels, to giue iudgment againſt all men, and to rebuke all the vngodly among them, of all their wicked deeds which they haue vngodly committed, and of all their cruell ſpeakings which wicked ſinners haue ſpoken againſt him. Vpon which words, the Grecians not knowing the courſe of the Hebrewes, in their fained ſpeeches ſay, that Henoch left a booke of his preaching behind him.

Now compare him with Chriſt.

Henoch

Was a Prophet: for hee prophecied of the deſtruction of the World by the Flood▪

Walked with God,

His dayes were as the dayes of the Sunne.

Was taken vp, being the ſeuenth from Adam.

Chriſt

Was a Prophet, & prophecied of the deſtruction of the world.

did the will of his father.

Is the bright Sonne of Iuſtice: whoſe dayes, in the Pſalmes are likoned to the dayes of the Sun.

In the Scriptures, is the ſeuenth that aſcended:

To weete,

1. The ſonne of the Widow of Sarepta. 1. King. 17.22.

2. The Shunamites ſonne, whom Eliſeus brought againe to life. 2. Kings 4.35.

3. The Souldier buried by Elizeus corps. 2. kin. 13.21

4. Iairus daughter. Math. 9.25.

5. The Widowes ſonne. Luke 7.15.

6. Lazarus. Iohn 11.44.

7. CHRIST.

That is, 3. in the

Old Teſtament,

New Teſtament,

and the Lord was the ſeuenth.

Methuſhelah borne, when Henoch was 65. yeares old.687.

[Page]

His name ſignifieth Long life, or, Speare death.

Methuſhelah died, being 969. yeares old, (Sem being 98.1656.) the ſeuenth that died after Adam, as his father Henoch was the ſeuenth that was borne after Adam. He died but a few daies before the Flood, to ſhew that hee being a iuſt man, kept away the Flood, and lacked but 31. yeares of 1000. Now it is not to be vnderſtoode that he liued full 969. yeares, for hee liued but a few dayes of his laſt yeare. For if his yeares be caſt, you ſhall ſee he dieth in the yeare of the Flood. The Flood came not in the firſt month, becauſe Methuſhelah thē liued. The tenth day of the ſecond month the Flood came, Methuſhelah was dead before that time. His dayes were the exact rule of the Flood, for ſo long as he liued the waters could not ouerflow the earth: hee beeing dead, the waters might aſke God whether they ſhould now worke vengeance to the wicked? No ſaith God, Noah ſhall mourne him a month, as the children of Iſrael mourned Iacobs death: afterwardes, this month of ſorrow beeing ended, then they demaund of God againe, whether now the wicked ſhould bee ouerwhelmed with waters? God anſwered, no: for Noah ſhall haue a Sabaoth of preparation. This being finiſhed, the Flood couereth the face of the earth.

Methuſhelah, spoyle death, or, Speare death.

Chriſt

Died, and roſe againe, and re [...]i [...]ed, that he might be Lord of quicke and dead.

Suffered death, that by his death, he might ouercome him that had the power of death.

874. Lamech borne, when Methuſhela was 187. yeares old.

[Page]

HIs name ſignifieth Striken, or, Heart-wounded. Hee is called ſo in reſpect of ſome inward griefes that hee ſhould beare for the afflictions of the world. You haue an other Lamech of Kaines houſe, but of contrary 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. yeares after Kaine, knew Kaines ſtorie. Hee 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. He ſaith to his Wiues, I will kill a man, &c. So that as the world began with killing, ſo it continued in wickedneſſe and violence. The other Lamech, doth make a confeſsion full of contrition, and in naming his Sonne Comforter 600. yeares before the Flood, ſheweth that he was a Prophet of very liuely skill.

1651. Lamech died fiue yeares before the Flood, being 777. yeare old, (and Sem 93.) His age runneth vpon ſeuens: for what he wanted in long life, hee had it in caſting a ſweete account. If Lamech had had the age of his Fathers, he might haue ſeene the Flood.

Compare him with Chriſt.

Chriſt is both outwardly ſtricken, and inwardly wounded. Outwardly, when in the open Hall he was buffeted, ſcourged, & ſpitted at, and vpon the Croſſe pierced both handes, feete, and ſides. Inwardly, when he was reuiled with blaſphemous ſpeaches at his death; and when in ſtead of Drinke to comfort him, they gaue him Gall and Myrre mingled togeather: but moſt eſpecially, when [Page] his gyltleſſe ſoule did ſuffer vnconceaueable torments, to redeeme our gyltie ſoules and bodyes from the thrall of Satan; as may appeare, when from his ſides iſſued Water and Blood.

Noah borne, when Lamech was 182. yeares old.1056.

HIs name ſignifieth Comforter, or, Reſtorer. The fayth of Lamech no doubt, was cleare concerning ſaluation, by the ſeede of the woman, in that hee named his ſonne Comforter, or, Reſtorer. As if he had ſaid, though for inpiety, all the world be deſtroyed; yet I am aſſured that the Promiſe made to Adam, muſt of neceſsitie be performed, or elſe no fleſh can be ſaued. In this fayth Adam, after hee had tranſgreſſed by eating of the forbidden Fruite, was ſaued. In this fayth, Abel offered vp a greater Sacrifice then Kaine. In this fayth, Henoch walked with God, and was no more ſeene; for he was taken vp. In this fayth, all the Fathers obtained eternall life. In this fayth, Noah became a Preacher of Righteouſneſſe, and an executor of true Iudgement, and prepared the Arke to the ſauing of his houſhold, &c. Heb. 11.

10. This ten is to ſhew that Noah is the tenth from Adam: Multiply Henoch by Noah, that is the number of the Sabaoth, by the full number 10. you haue the number 70. which throughout the Bible is famous, and of great force for light in the Sorie. In this tenth age, Gods iuſtice ouer all fleſh was extended.

Compare him with Cariſt.

Noah

Was a preacher of righteoſneſſe.

Found grace before God.

Chriſt

Was the true preacher of righteouſneſſe. Dan. 9.24.

Grew in fauour with God and man. Luke 2.52.

Noah was a

King.

Prophet.

Sacrificer.

Chriſt was a

King.

Prophet.

Sacrificer.

1535.In Noahs. 480. Cxx. Yeares begin Gen. 6.

WHerein Noah made the Arke: for ſo long was hee in making it; not becauſe hee could not haue made it ſooner (for God could haue commanded it to be made with a word, as well as he made all the world) but to ſhew the patience and long ſuffring of God, in ſparing his iudgementes, that they who would not heare the preaching of Noah, might iuſtly be condemned.

Many thinges fall out in the Bible, whoſe number are anſwerable to this of 120. yeares.

120. Nations payde tribute to bring the Iewes home from Captiuitie.

The gouernment of the Perſians was about 120. yeares.

120. Seuerall Nations, that is, ſome of euery Nation, were at Ieruſalem after Chriſtes Reſurrection.

The Hebrewes deſcant very ſtrangely with the letters of Iehouah, and the 120. yeares wherein the Arke was in making, thus. Multiply 120. by the letter — which is 5. then you haue 600. which is Noahs age at the Flood, with the letter, which is 10. then you haue 6000. The end of the world. This is the conſent of all the Hebrewes.

Heere is a doubt to be diſcuſſed, concerning the wordes ſpoken in Gen. 6. The occaſion of the doubt ariſeth thus.

God ſayth in Gen. 6.3. My ſpirit ſhall not alwayes ſtriue with man, his dayes ſhall be an hundred and twentie yeares. In Gen. 5.32. Noahs age is reckoned, and hee is then ſaid to be Fiue hundred yeares old, and begetteth Shem, Cham, and Iapheth. When his age is reckoned againe at the Flood, the ſumme is but Sixe hundreth yeares: So that if the ſixt Chapter be in time after the fifth, and in the fifth Noah is 500. yeares [Page] old, and that afterwards, God ſaith, The daies of all fleſh ſhalbe an hundreth & tweentie yeares, then Noah at the flood muſt be 620. yeares, for put 120. to 500 and you haue 620. but his age at the Flood is but 600. Therfore ſome thinke that either the Chronicle is falſe, or elſe the 20. yeares were ſhortened: like as it was in Ieruſalems ſtraytes, leaſt no fleſh ſhould be ſaued. To anſwere this doubt, we muſt obſerue, that it is no reaſon in diuinitie, that becauſe a matter commeth, or is made mention of in a Chapter afterwards, that the time therefore of that ſtorie or action followeth the Chapters or actions going before; for this is but a circumſtance of methode: For Moſes in penning the Scriptures, vſed this order. He layeth downe things of like nature together, as Genealogies together, & ſuch like, though they differ in time; becauſe elſe he ſhould make often repetion of the ſame thinges. The obſeruation of this, cauſed the Hebrewes to ſet downe this Rule, that Moſes in penning his Storie, doth not regard the circumſtance of firſt & latter. To weete, hee doth not ſet downe that in the firſt place, which is firſt in time; and ſo that which is latter in time, afterwardes; but ſometimes that which is latter, in the firſt place; and that which is firſt in time, in the laſt, as the neceſsitie of the narration giueth occaſion. This being thus made plaine, the doubt is eaſily diſcuſſed; for neither is Noah 620. yeares old at the Flood, neither are the yeares of the Flood any thing ſhortned, but the Chronicle is altogeather true. For if we referre the 120. yeares of the Flood, 20. yeares before that Chapter in which it was ſayd Noah was 500. yeares old, and begot Sem, Cham, and Iaphet, then doe we make all thinges agree, without croſſing one another: and this of neceſsitie wee muſt needes doe: For ſeeing God hath layde downe the generals in proper and plaine termes, we muſt ſo caſt the particulars, that they may make the generall true, and no way alter it. Beſides, we haue a like example: for although all the liues [Page] and deathes of the Fathers before the Flood, are reckoned and ſummed vp togeather in one Chapter, wee muſt not thinke that all their liues are precedent to the Chapters following. For the Chronicles ſheweth that Lamech liued 5. yeares before the Flood, and Methuſhelahs death and the beginning of the Flood, are very neare: Euen ſo heere this ſentence of the 120. yeares, is to be counted before the fifth Chapter wherein Noahs age is reckoned: and for the ſhortning of the dayes in Ieruſalems beſiedging, the holy Ghoſt ſayth, it ſhall be ſo; but for the ſhortning of the dayes at the Flood, we haue no ſuch warrant in Moſes: Therefore we are not to beleeue it.

1536.Cxx. yeares begin Gen. 6. In which the ſpirit of Chriſt preached while the Arke was in making.

VPon this ſentence, there dependeth a great queſtion, whether Chriſt deſcended into Hell in his humane ſoule. The cauſe why this queſtion is neceſſarie to be handled, is becauſe diuers of the auncient Fathers hold opinion of Chriſtes diſcent into Hell in his humane ſoule: Whoſe opinions hauing been ſo ſuperſtitiouſly receiued, haue drawen others of latter time, into the like errours. But if men would follow the plainnes laide downe in the Bible, and with humilitie ſearch it, auoyding curioſitie, they need not trouble themſelues with the errours of the Fathers. The wordes of the text. 1. Pet. 3.18. are theſe Chriſt was dead concerning the fleſh, but was quickned by the Spirit. By the which he alſo went and preached to the ſpirits in priſon, which in times paſt diſobeyed, when once the long ſuffering of God abode in the dayes of Noah, while the Arke was in making. Now the words whereupon this error is grounded, are theſe. Chriſt being dead as concerning the fleſh, went and preached to the ſpirits in priſon. Vpon this they gather, that the ſpirits mentioned there, are meant thoſe in Hell: and went and preached, [Page] that is, after hee was dead. But if wee compare theſe words with the reſidue, and conſider the time when this preaching was, we ſhall ſee Saint Peter meaneth nothing leſſe, than the deſcending of Chriſts ſoule into hell. For firſt, the text ſaith, Hee went and preached by the ſame ſpirit by which he was quickned. This ſpirit is of neceſsitie the Godhead▪ For what ſpirit was there that could looſen the ſorrowes of death that they ſhould not hold him, and raiſe Chriſt from the dead, but the Godhead of Chriſt? Then the ſoules of all men, Godly or vngodly, being immortall, cannot die; and therefore this quickning, cannot be meant of his humane ſoule, for it needed none. Beſides, we muſt conſider to whom Saint Peter wrote, to wit, to the Iewes. Now ſeeing Chriſt taught nothing but Moſes and the Prophets, and the Apoſtles nothing but what they learned of Chriſt; with what conſcience could Saint Peter write a ſtorie to the Iewes of the ſeueere iuſtice of God, which was neuer in Moſes? for Moſes neuer mentioneth Chriſts deſcent into Hel, there to cauſe the wicked to be more tormented. Therefore ſeeing this old opinion gathered out of the workes of the fathers, and bred by them, maintaineth manifeſt abſurdities, we muſt ſeeke for another expoſition. If we conſider the old Teſtament, we ſhall find that Eliphaz in the booke of Iob. preacheth the ſame doctrine that S. Peter doth, and therefore will ſerue for an expoſition. Eliphaz reſoneth with Iob thus: Haſt thou, O Iob, marked the way of the world wherein wicked men haue walked, which were cut off by time, and whoſe foundation was couered with waters, which ſaid vnto God, depart from vs? And yet what could he doe more for them? he filled their houſes with good thinges, yet they refuſed the way of the Almightie. So S. Peter ſpeaketh, that the ſpirit of God went in like manner, as he is ſaid to come downe at the ouerthrow of Babell by confounding their tongues, and when [Page] he deſtroyed Sodome and Gomorrah, & preached in Noah, to weete, the time while the Arke was in making. To whom? to the Spirits now in priſon: Why? becauſe they ſayd to God, Depart from vs, we will none of thy wayes. Thus we ſee the wordes of S. Peter made plaine.

This time of 120. yeares, Saint Peter calleth, The patience and long ſuffering of God. The Iewes in a Booke called Zoar, expound S. Peters wordes in this ſort. The Lord commeth to plague the Wicked for their vnbeliefe, ſixe monethes with Water, ſixe monethes with Fire; hotte and cold, and ſent them all to Gehenna, which is Hell: not that they meant ſo, (the ſtorie of the word by plaine eye-ſight controlling it) but that the anger of God was as grieuous to their ſoules, as the Waters of the flood which wrinckled their bodyes. Chriſt in the Goſpell compareth the Flood with the end of the World: for in the dayes of Noah, they had rich Iubal to feaſt them, and cunning Tubalkain to delight them in building, or ſuch like deuiſes; and faire Nahamah that they might marrie according as their eyes luſted, till the Waters of the flood ouerwhelmed them: ſo ſhall it be in the end of the World. Eliphaz. counſelleth Iob, that conſidering the end of theſe men, hee ſhould be at peace with God before our ſubſtance be cut off, and the fire conſumed the reſt of them.

1556. Iaphet borne when Noah was 500. yeares old.

HIs name ſignifieth Perſwaded. Hee was the eldeſt Sonne of Noah; whereof many ſeeme to doubt: which being examined by Scripture, will appeare moſt certaine. In Gen. 5.32. it is ſayd, Noah being 500. yeares old, hee begetteth Sem, Cham, and Iapheth. Now it is certaine, they were not borne all at once; for the plaine Storie croſſeth that. [Page] In Gen. 7.6. Noah is ſaid to be Sixe hundreth yeares old, and the Flood commeth. Then hee muſt needes haue a Sonne that is 100. yeares old: It could not be Sem, for he was but an hundreth yeare old, two yeare after the Flood, Gen. 11.10. Neither was it Cham, for hee was younger then Sem, for Noah ſaid, Hee knew what his youngeſt Sonne had done. The reaſon of this doubt ariſeth, becauſe Sem is named firſt in Gen. 5.32. whom Moſes (penning the Storie long after) placed firſt, to ſhew that Sem was the moſt worthie, and had the prerogatiue of firſt borne, becauſe Chriſt was to come from him, according to the Promiſe made to Euah in Paradiſe: The ſeede of the Woman, ſhall breake the head of the Serpent.

Sem borne, when Noah was 502. yeare old.1558.

HIs name ſignifieth, Name, or, Renowne. Whereby we are to vnderſtand, that Noah had a wonderfull aſſurance of the Promiſe in Chriſt in calling him Sem, or as we ſay, Name. And withall, we are to ſeeke by the like fayth to be renowned, that our Names may be written in the Booke of Life. For Salomon ſayth Pro. 22.1. & Eccle. 7.3. A good Name is more worth then a precious Oyntment: But God will put out their Names from vnder Heauen, that flatter themſelues in their wickedneſſe, and whoſe roote beareth Gall and Wormewood, as he commaunded. Deut. 25.19. Put out the Name of Amalecke from vnder Heauen, hee is the beginning of Nations, but his latter end ſhall periſh vtterly.

[Page] Theſe numbers, are the ſumme of the yeares from the Creation to the Flood; which are gathered by the particular Natiuities of the ten Fathers before the Flood.

Adam. 130.

Seth. 105.

Enoſh. 90.

Kenan. 70.

Mahalaleel. 65.

Iared. 162.

Henoch. 65.

Methuſhelah. 187.

Lamech. 182.

Noah. 600.

Theſe particulers being added, they make the yeares of the world at the Flood, 1656.

½ This halfe ſheweth that at the Flood, the dayes of man were ſhortned halfe in halfe, as Pſal. 89.45. The Lord hath ſhortened the dayes of youth.

1656.The Flood is brought vpon the old World. &c.

THe Flood is a reſemblance of the deſtruction of the world, and was the greateſt iudgement of the world, till the world ſhalbe conſumed with fire. Therefore the ſtory of the Flood doth cauſe vs to conſider of things paſt, and to haue iudgement of things to come. For in the Flood are rare examples concerning waighing, numbring, [Page] and diuiding. It was 40. dayes in rayning: the like time in abating. God hath numbred, waighed, and diuided. The ſecond day of the ſeuenth moneth. The times do ſhew, that God doth waigh and number wonderfully all the affaires of men: but men did not then know what God would doe, becauſe he had hardned their hearts; and ſcorning Noah all his life time, they were aſhamed then to fly vnto him; but the Flood came for the ſinnes of man; for the blood of Abell, came the Flood, and waſht them all away. Yea, the very waters that were vnder the earth aduanced themſelues aboue men.

Further, in this ſtorie of the Flood, theſe three thinges are chiefely to be conſidered, The

Arke.

Perſons that were ſaued.

Time of the continuance of the Flood.

And firſt for the Arke.

THe Arke was made about Mount Libanon, where the Cedars for Salomons Temple were had, and it was ſixe ſcore yeares in making: Which time, in S. Peter is called, The long ſuffering of God. The fourtie yeares in the Wilderneſſe was a famous thing; but the making of the Arke was more famous, and the time thriſe ſo long. Not any thing ſo famous as the Arke, except the Lords death. The proportion of height, depth, & breadth, are deſcribed Gen. 6.15. The height, is the tenth part of the length. The Beaſtes were in the middlemoſt place; the fodder aboue, the dung beneath. And God bids vs marke the quantitie of all the Beaſtes of the earth by the bulke of the Arke. There is much ſpeach taken from the Arke to the Church: but the conſequent of the one, followeth not in the other.

In the Arke were Beaſtes cleane and vncleane.

Some in the Arke did periſh.

They that were out of the Arke did periſh.

The Waters did hold vp the Arke.

In the Church are faythfull and vnfaythfull.

Some in the Church doe periſh.

So the Turke being out of the Church, doth periſh.

The Waters doth waſh them cleane away that are without.

The toſsing vpon the waters, doth repreſent the troubles which the Church of God is to endure in this life. Againe, no man of modeſtie but may know, that it was no pleaſant life for Noah & all his familie to dwell a whole yeere vpon the waters, and to abide the noyſomneſſe of all kindes of Beaſts in the Arke, which came to the Arke at the appointment of God, to the condemnation of all the world. For it appeareth, that the very bruite Beaſts had more regard to themſelues, than the wicked mockers which deſpiſed the preaching of Noah, and the making of the Arke, who ſayd, where is the appearance of his comming! Euer ſince the Fathers died, all things continue in one ſtate: Winter, Summer, Spring, Harueſt, &c. And while they were thus ſaying, the Flood comes and waſheth away their foundations. But ſaith S. Peter, in this they are willingly ignorant, for euen as before the Flood, they married, feaſted, builded goodlie houſes, &c. euen to the day that Noah entred into the Arke, and neuer thought the preaching of Noah true, becauſe all things continued ſtill in the ſame ſort, they thought it vnpoſſible that the waters which were beneath the valleyes could couer the higheſt mountaines fifteene cubits: and yet this they might haue knowen, that as the waters in the Creation couered the earth till God commaunded them to goe to their Channell; euen ſo againe at the commandement of God, they could returne to couer it. Saint [Page] Pteer therefore addeth, that theſe men were willinglie ignorant.

The Arke reſted vpon Mount Ararat, which is a Mountaine in Armenia, and ſignifieth, Take away feare. Whereby we are to note, that Whoſoeuer dwelleth vnder the defence of the moſt High, and ſhall ſay vnto the Lord, thou art my Hope, my ſtrong Hold, and my GOD in whom I put my truſt, ſhall not be afrayde for any Terrour by night, nor for the Arrow that flyeth by day, for the Peſtilence that walketh in darkneſſe, nor the Sickneſſe that deſtroyeth in the noone day. For a thouſand ſhall fall at their right hand, and ten thouſand at their left hand; but they ſhall not be touched. With their eyes ſhall they ſee the raward of the vngodly: for the Lord is their hope, and he hath ſet his houſe of defence very high. With long life will hee ſatisfie them, and through his louing kindneſſe, will hee ſhew them his ſaluation. Let euery one therefore ſay, The Lord is my Light and my Saluation; whom then ſhall I feare? The Lord is the ſtrength of my life, whereof then ſhould I be afraid? for in the time of trouble, he ſhall hide me in his Tabernacle, and ſet me vp vpon a Rocke of Stone.

Now compare Chriſt and the Arke togeather.

The Arke had a Dore, by the which Noah and his houſhold entred into it, to the ſauing of them.

Mount Ararat, take away feare.

Chriſt

Is the Dore by whom we enter into the Holy of Holieſt, to the ſauing of our ſoules.

Is that Mount Ararat, vpon whoſe ſhoulders if we reſt, we need not feare what man can doe vnto vs.

The perſons were

Noah,

Iaphet,

Sem,

Cham,

and their Wiues. Paſ. 30.3 The Lord hath brought my ſoule out of Hell, & kept my life from them that go downe to the pit.

[Page] By fayth Noah prepared the Arke, to the ſauing of his houſehold. Heb. 11.7.

Noah Walked with God; therefore it is certaine, that the ſpirit of Chriſt preached by him. For S. Peter giueth a rule. The ſpirit of Chriſt ſpake in all the Prophets. His calling was very glorious, being made a Preacher to declare ſaluation to all which would beleeue in Chriſt. How hee was receiued, it is manifeſt, ſeeing hee preuayled with a very few: yet the word of God is not in vaine. For ſeeing they refuſed the mercie of God offered in Chriſt, it is certaine Noah would preach the Iudgements of God, the other part of the Goſpell, which the Latines call Excommunication; the Hebrewes, The Lord commeth. The Hebrewes, and with them the Greeke Orators, doe vſe to feigne Proſopopeia, which is a Conference or Communication, when they meane to expreſſe thinges more at full. So we may imagine Tubalkaine to ſay; Surely Noah is an honeſt man, and payeth well for his worke, and hee hath with very great charges kept a great ſort of Labourers theſe ſixe ſcore yeares: What ſhould hee meane by this? Surely, anſwereth Iubal, I will tell you ſtrange thinges: Seuen of my beſt Rammes, and ſeuen of my beſt Ewes ranne from my flocke right-foorth to the Arke, & there they went in. And an other ſtanding by, replyeth: I am ſure I can tell (ſayth hee) as great a maruell as this: for comming by a Wood, I ſaw a fearefull Lyon and a fierce Lyoneſſe, and they went as gentlely by me as two Lambes, not offering to doe me any hurt, and came to the Arke, and there were Plankes ſet, and they went in. Yea ſayth an other, I ſaw a huge Beare doe the like. And ſo they might ſpeake of the reſt of the Beaſtes This might driue them to an amazedneſſe, but this could not ſaue them. And hereby it is apparant, that it is not in our power to repent when we liſt: for this is not repentance, to be ſorie for our ſinnes, (there is no man ſo wicked, but hath done ſo,) There muſt be [Page] alſo a turning to God; which is neuer, except we be lightned by his ſpirit. The Lord vſeth firſt to offer mercie; which if it be contemned, be hardeneth our heartes, that thereby we may be made more fit for his iudgments.

Cham was ſaued in the Arke, to be a ſcourge for all the reſt. And if you marke through the Bible, you ſhall finde that God dealeth in the like ſeueritie. For euery good Familie, hath one of Chams impietie to perſecute him.

ADAM had The Serpent, to tempt him.

Abel had Kaine, to kill him.

Iſaack had Iſmael, to floute him.

Iacob had Eſau, to purſue him.

Ioſeph had His owne brethren, to ſell him.

Iob had His Wife and Friends, to reprooue him.

The Iſraelites had Pharaoh, to afflict them.

Dauid had Saul and Abſolon, to perſecute him.

The Iewes had

The Babilonians,

The Medes & Perſians,

The Grecians,

The Syrogrecians,

to ſubdue them.

CHRIST had She Iewes, and Romanes, to Crucifie him.

The time of the continuance of the Flood, is thus deſcribed.

IN the dayes of the Flood, Moſes teacheth two thinges: the dayes of the Moneth, and the dayes of the whole Yeare. For he writeth that the Flood began the Seuenteenth day of the ſecond Moneth, & that the Waters preuayled 150 dayes; & that the next day after 150. was the Seuenteenth day of the ſeuenth Moneth. Sixe and fourty [Page] dayes had paſſed before the Flood: for the Seuen and Fortie day (I meane the Seuenteeth day of the Second moneth) the Flood began. Ioyne One Hundred and Fiftie with Sixe and Fortie, they make plainely One hundred nintie and Sixe dayes, which diuided by Thirite, leaue Sixe exact moneths, and the Seuenteenth dayes of the ſeuenth Moneth in which Moſes writeth, that the Arke reſted. Hereby it is moſt euident, that in auncient time they had 30. dayes to a Moneth. Moreouer, a moderate expounder of Moſes, ſhall find 365. dayes in the yeare of the Flood; thus. The firſt day of the tenth Moneth, 271. dayes from the beginning of the yeare, the toppes of the Mountaines were deſcouered: Noah tarried yet 40. dayes: When 311. daies were paſt, then he ſent foorth a Rauen, which houered a long time, he nameth not the time, but as 7. vpon 7. in the Doue is expreſſed: ſo 40. vpon 40. is here to be vnderſtood. So then there are daies 351. to which add the 14. laſt in which the Doue was twiſe ſent foorth, then you haue dayes 364. after the 14. daies in which the Doue returned not. Moſes reckneth the firſt day of the Moneth, in theſe wordes: In the 601. of the age of Noah, the firſt day of the firſt Moneth the waters were dried vp. Concerning the 5. dayes, euery ſixe yeares they make a leape Moneth, & the odde quarter of a day in 120. yeares, make a leape Moneth.

Thus much for the vſe of the Fathers before the Flood.

Now follow the Fathers after the Flood, whoſe Storie conteineth vnto the Promiſe giuen vnto Abraham. 427. yeares.

[Page]

§

Some thing will I ſpeake of the generall vſe of them both togeather.

WEe haue two ſtayes, the Fathers before the Flood, and the Fathers after the Flood. The ſumme of all, is nothing elſe, but to know God, and him whom he ſent Ieſus Chriſt: For ſurely, the ſpirit of God hath in ſuch plainneſſe penned downe the Storie of the Scriptures, that all the world muſt wonder at the wiſedome of God layde downe ſo ſhortly, and plainly. Before the Flood he taught nothing but the Goſpell, adding to the doctrine thereof, Kaines Murther, and Lameches Adulterie. And after the Flood, we haue not ten notable Fathers as before: For Terah the father of Abraham fell away, and worſhipped ſtrange Gods. And ſurely, as the Sunne, Moone, and Starres, are glorious and excellent for the diſtinguiſhing of times: ſo are the Numbers of the ages of the Fathers. And through the Scripture for the clearenes of the Word, Times are generall, or perticular: Generall, from Adam to the Flood, and from thence to Abrahams promiſe, from thence to the comming out of Egypt, then to the building of Salomons Temple, then to the burning thereof by the Babilonians, and then to the end of the Captiuitie, and from thence to the death of Chriſt. Theſe are the ſumme of all the Times: the proofe of theſe, is ſcattered through the Scriptures.

Thus much for the two Tables in generall.

After the Flood.

[Page]

Noah and Sem be heere handled againe, becauſe their ſtorie continued through and after the Flood.

Compare Noah with Adam, and you ſhall ſee that Noah is another Adam.

Adam

Was an husbandman.

Became into tranſgreſsion by eating vnlawfully.

And Euah after their tranſgreſsion, ſeeing their nakedneſſe, ſewed Fig-tree leaues to couer them: and the very ſame wordes that God ſpake to Adam in Paradiſe for ruling and increaſing, the very ſame he reneweth to Noah.

Had the tree of Life in Paradiſe, for a ſeale of conſeruation.

Had two younger Sonnes good, & the elder wicked.

Noah

was an husbandman.

Became into tranſgresſion by drinking vnlawfully.

After his tranſgreſſion hauing his nakednes vncouered, is couered by Sem and Japhet.

Had the Rainebow as a couenant of preſeruation.

Had two eldeſt Sonne good, and the younger wicked.

Kaine the eldeſt ſonne of Adam was curſed.

Cham the youngeſt ſonne of Noah, euen to Canaan his youngeſt ſon, was curſed.

The one againſt nature, killed his Brother: The other againſt humanitie, vncouered his Fathers nakednes.

Adam before the Flood, might eate no Fleſh. Noah after the Flood, might eate Fleſh, the Blood onely excepted; [Page] becauſe in the Blood of euery thing is the life; and the life of euery thing will God require at euery creatures hand: from the ſeueritie of which, a commandement againſt Murther was giuen to Noah.

The reaſon why they might eate Fleſh after the Flood, and not before, may be, becauſe the dayes of man being ſhortened at the Flood halfe in halfe, the bodyes of men were afterwards of a more weake conſtitution: and then you read firſt of planting of Vines for Wine, which was added to be an helpe in digeſtion, to the ſtrengthning of the body, and quickning of the vitall ſpirits, as in Pſalm. 104.15. Wine doth make the heart glad, and Oyle doth cauſe a chearefull countenance.

Noah was drunke, and vncouered in the midſt of his Tent; and awaking from his Wine, hee knew what his youngeſt Sonne had done, and ſayd, Curſed be Canaan: a ſlaue of ſlaules ſhall he be. (Now Noah would not curſe Cham, becauſe God bleſſed him, but hee curſed Canaan his Nephew the Sonne of Cham: who as ſome ſuppoſe derided alſo his Grandfather.) Bleſſed be the God Sem. And, God will perſwade Iaphet to dwell in the Tents of Sem. Vpon theſe three ſentences doe the chiefe Stories of the Bible depend. For whatſoeuer plagues doth befall the Egiptians, the Canaanites, Ethiopians, Blackemores, Babylonians, and ſuch like, is contained within Chams curſe. Whatſoeuer bleſſing is promiſed or performed to the Iewes, is comprehended within Sems bleſſing. Whatſoeuer promiſes of mercie and ſauing health, was prophecied of to the Gentiles, is vnderſtood vnder theſe words, And God will perſwade Iaphet to dwell in the Tents of Sem.

The Prophet Noah ſpake not at random, when he ſaid: Bleſſed be the God of Sem. But what is there ſpoken ſhort, in due time is drawen out longer; and the not regarding the bleſsing to Sem, doth make many thinges in the new Teſtament, to be neglected.

And firſt for CHAM.

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HIs name ſignifieth, Hotte, or, Cholericke: And thoſe Countries did his Sonnes (after the confuſion of Tongues) poſſeſſe; namely, in Africa in the South countrie. Cham the Prince of Affricke, (the ſpreader of wickedneſſe) inhabited the fourth part of the World with his Families. His Houſe neuer got any victorie, but for ſome eſpeciall puniſhment to be ſhewed vpon Sems houſe. Cham had a curſe in this world, and doubtleſſe in the world to come.

He had foure Sonnes: The firſt, Cuſh, of whom came the Ethiopians, or in our tongue, Burnt-faces: The ſecond, Mitzraijm, of whom the Egiptians come, for Mitzraijm doth ſignifie Egypt: The third, Put, of whom the Lybians and Blackamores come: And the fourth, Canaan, of whom the Canaanites come, in whom the curſe of Cham was pronounced; notwithſtanding it falleth out alſo in all his other Sonnes. And as Canaan was a ſlaue of ſlaues; ſo are they that are of the like infidelitie: ſo that oftentimes for the horrible impietie of one man, the whole Nation fareth the worſe.

This Canaan had eleuen Sonnes, and himſelfe made the twelfe; and his Countrie was called Canaan, which once was Paradiſe. And as Paradiſe to Adam reſembled the ſtate of Heauen: ſo did the land of Canaan, to the Iſraelites, and the Iewes: for it was a Land abounding with all good thinges. In Paradiſe was the Tree of life: in Canaan, CHRIST was borne the true Tree of life. Adam neglecting the true ſeruice of God in Paradice, was driuen from thence. The Iewes neglecting their Sabaothes, and finally the knowledge of Chriſt, were likewiſe driuen out of Canaan. But as notwithſtanding Adams fall, ſaluation [Page] in Paradiſe was promiſed to all the world: ſo notwithſtanding the ſinne of the Iewes, Chriſt in Canaan, wrought the full ſaluation of all the world.

Theſe eleuen ſonnes of Canaan were ſetled in one ſoyle, that is, in Canaan (which is about 160. myles from North to South, and 60. myles from Eaſt to Weſt.) Their names are Zidon who built Tyrus, the glory of the world for trafique of Marchandize Heth Gebuſi, who after Sems death, (as it ſhould appeare) poſſeſſed Ieruſalem. Amori Girgaſhi, of whom there were ſome left till Chriſtes time, as Matt. 8. 28; Hiuits, of whom Abraham bought his burying place, of whoſe kindred alſo Eſau tooke him Wiues. Arkite, Siuite, Aruadite, Zemathite, Hemathite. It is ſuppoſed there were ſo many Tongues as there were Nations: but it was no otherwiſe then our Corniſh and Northerne men differ in their tongues. Theſe were Lordes of the whole ſoyle to plant, buyld, and repleniſh it againſt time to come, that the twelue Trybes of Iſrael might haue Vineyardes that they neuer planted, and Houſes they neuer builded. Whereupon Moſes ſayth Deut. 32.8. When the moſt high God deuided to the Nations their Inheritance, hee appoynted the borders of a people according to the number of the Sonnes of Iſrael. And when God promiſeth to Abraham Gen. 15.18. that he will giue his ſeed a Land that ſhall flow with Mylke and Hony, hee bordereth it from Egipt to the great Riuer Euphrates; within which borders, are contained the ſeuerall Lordſhips of Canaan and his Sonnes, namely, the Kenites, the Keneſites, the Cadmonites, the Hithites, the Phereſites, the Gyaunts, the Amorites, the Cananites, the Girgaſhites, and the Gebuſites.

Becauſe Cham ſcorned his father, who was the reſtorer of all the world, therefore his Countrie was to be giuen to Sems Houſe the Iewes; and they were driuen out of their Land by the Sword of Ioſhua, except ſome few, who were left in the Land to be Spurres in the ſides, and Thornes [Page] in the eyes of the Iſraelites, who were to poſſeſſe it; that when through the aboundance of wealth they grew to forget God, they might be chaſtened with his rod of correction. Thus Shams curſe is extended euen vnto Canaan his youngeſt ſonne, and he is made a Seruant of ſeruantes to Sem, that the bleſsing of Sem might appeare, and the open curſed ſhould ſerue the open bleſſed, although it be nine hundred yeares after Noahs Prophecie, to ſhew that although God ſuffer the wicked a while, and doth deferre his puniſhmentes vntill the ſinne of the Amorites come to a full ripeneſſe, that yet he is a righteous Iudge, and ſitteth vpon a firie Throne, from whoſe preſence doth iſſue Ryuers of fire, to conſume all ſuch as will not learne to know The Seed of the Woman to be able to breake the head of the Serpent; nor deſire to dwell in the Tentes of Sem, acknowledging the God of Abraham, the God of Iſaacke, and the God of Iacob, to be the true GOD, that keepeth couenant with all, whoſe Garments were waſhed in Wine, and his Mantell in the blood of Grapes: nor marke that Shiloh is that Emmanuel, God with Vs; who is that Stone that can grind the mightieſt Gyant in the land of Canaan to powder: Who haue eyes, and will not ſee how God with fire from Heauen conſumed their Cities, turned Lots wiſe into a Piller of Salt, ouerthew their kinſmen Pharaoh in the read Sea, and made the Walles of Iericho to fall downe without violent handes?

Chams Houſe was not plagued for building Babel onely, but for falling from the Religion of Sem; and his poſteritie had a deadly minde againſt true Religion. And as Cham & the reſt are in Gehenna in darkneſſe, ſo in Scripture, they are left in darkneſſe; for there is no time of any mentioned when they died, but are left in darkneſſe.

The wicked men of Canaan would neuer yeeld to the trueth, but prayſed Gods of Gold, Braſſe, and Stone.

Now followeth for Iaphet.

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HIs name ſignifieth, Perſwaded. He had ſeuen Sonnes, Gomer, Magog, Madai, of whom came the Meedes. Jauan, of whom the Grecians and Romanes come: And Tubal, and Meſech, of whom the Muſcouites come: And Tiras, of whom the Thracians come. Of theſe, were the Iſles of the Gentiles diuided in their Landes.

Iaphet, hee was pertaker with Sem in the action of couering thier Father, but Sem had the prerogatiue of the Promiſe concerning Chriſt, notwithſtanding Iaphet was the elder. And if you marke through al the Bible, you ſhal not finde the firſt borne of any of Chriſtes aunceſtors to haue the Promiſe pronounced to them in open tearmes, becauſe Chriſt the firſt begotten of his Father, would not come according to the luſt of the fleſh, or courſe of nature, but by grace. Sem in regard of that, had the glory of God preached in his Tentes, vntill the acceptable Child did come, in whom all Nations ſhould be bleſſed. And when the glory of Sems houſe, which were the Iewes, was extinct, Iohn was baniſhed into Patmos, & is commanded 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 Spirites expreſſed in Eſay 11.7. which are before his throne, & from Ieſus Chriſt, which is a faythfull witnes, and firſt begotten of the dead, Alpha, and Omega, the firſt and the laſt, who was dead; but is aliue, and behold he liues for euer & euer, and hath the keyes of Hell and of Death: & giueth light & life to Iaphet the Gentile, who was in darknes and in the ſhadow of death, perſwading him to dwell in the tentes 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.

[Page]

SEM being an hundred yeares old, begetteth Arphaxad two yeares after the Flood. So old was Abraham when he begat Iſaacke.

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 they ſhould looke to him in whom Sem, and the whole world ſhould be bleſſed.

He had fiue Sonnes,

Elam.

Aſhur.

Arphaxad.

Lud.

Aram.

Elam, of whom the Perſians. Aſhur, of whom the Aſsirians. Arphaxad, of whom CHRIST. Aram, of whom the Aramites. Lud, of whom the Lidians.

There be diuers which condemne Genealogies, warranted thereby (as they ſay) by Saint Paules Councell to Thimothie: Neither that they giue heed to Fables and Genealogies, Endleſſe, which breede rather queſtions, then godly edifying by Fayth. 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, & 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 [Page] laide downe by the Heathen, we do obſcure the euidence of the Scriptures. Thus much for the anſwere of this obiection.

Arphaxad borne, when his father Sem was 100.1658. yeares old, Noah 602. and Iaphet 102.

HIs name ſignifieth, Healíng. Some hold that the Caldeans come from him.

CHRIST healeth all our infirmities.

Shelah borne, Arphaxad being 35. yeares old.1693.

HIs name ſignifieth, a Branch, or, Twigge. Hee was the Eather of the Shelanites.

Heber borne, Shelah being 30. yeares old.1723.

HEber a repreſenter of the Sonne of God; who beginning to be thirtie yeares old, buildeth vp the decayed walles of the Gentiles.

Thirtie yeares after the promiſe giuen to Abram, was it before his ſeede began to be afflicted. Ioſeph being thirtie yeares old, expoundeth Pharaohs Dreame.

Heber ſignifieth, Pilgrime, or, Stranger: So his faythfull ſeede confeſſed themſelues to be. Saith Abraham, I am a Stranger and Pilgrime, Giue mee a place for money to burie my dead. So ſaith Saint Peter, repeating the ſame Storie. I beſeech you as Pilgrimes and Strangers, to abſtaine from fleſhy luſtes, which fight againſt the ſoule. And Chriſt the chiefeſt of Heber, ſaid. The Foxes haue holes, and the Birdes of the ayre haue [Page]neſtes; but the Sonne of man hath not whereon to lay his head. Hebers poſteritie went as ſtrangers flitting from Land to Land, Looking for a Citie, whereof GOD was the builder. Heb. 11.10.

This Heber is from the Creation, the fourteenth, two ſeuens, a double Henoch. He is the fourth after the flood, as Iudah is the fourth ſonne of Iacob, of whom Chriſt came. He is the ſeuenth from Henoch, a man for rare bleſsinges to be compared with Henoch, and is the ſame in force that Henoch is, although you would thinke them cleane contrary: and ſo they are in ſignification, but in effect of diuinitie all one: For Henoch ſignifieth Dedicated to God; and Heber, Pilgrime, or, Stranger: and hee that is a ſtranger vpon earth, deſpiſing the ſtate of worldly pompe, is a Citizen with God: therefore whoſoeuer will be a true Henoch, muſt alſo be a true Heber.

And if we will be holy before God, & acceptable veſſels for the vſe of his Temple, wee muſt beare Palme boughes in our handes, that is, ſing Hoſanna to the higheſt, and be eſtranged from the vaine conuerſation of this earthly Paradiſe: ſo ſhall our names continue famous through many Generations, as Hebers did, and we ſhall ſpeake the prayſes of God in our owne tongues; for wee will not conſent with Nimrod to the building of our owne Confuſion, whereby wee might be ſhaken off from the fauour of God, as hee and his adherents were.

Hebers glory is further enlarged, in that the Hebrew tongue taketh the name from him. The Iewes kept this ſinceerely, till they went into Captiuitie into Babylon: but when they came from thence, they began to ſtammer; for they learned the tongue of the Babylonians. Malachy endeth the old Teſtament, & the Hebrew tongue: for though Schollers write Hebrew, yet vpon the firſt ſight it is apparant to be the writing of man, ſo farre it differeth from the ſtile of the holy Spirit.

[Page]There be one thouſand ſeauen hundred fifty and eight rootes in the Hebrew tongue. And this is a wonderfull thing, that the bare actions of the Creatures ſhould expreſſe Hebrew wordet, as a horſe runninig vpon a cawſey, the ſound of his feete is much expreſſing this noyſe Ratſat, which in Hebrew is, to run: the noiſe which birds make by clapping their wings when they flie is of this ſound Goth, which in Hebrew ſignifieth a Fowle. The Grecians cannot find out the roots of their tongue. The Lord tooke ſuch order in penning of the old Teſtament, that one skilfull in the Hebrew tongue will eaſily know if there be a ſentence or a word put in, nay; if there be but a letter added, ſo that they are very vnwiſe, that perſwade others, or beleeue themſelues that the bookes of Iudith and Tobie are Canonicall ſcriptures: for they are not Hebrew, neither were they receiued at any time by the auncient Hebrewes, who where ſo perfect and ready in the text of the old Teſtament, that they could tell how many times the letter Aleph was vſed in the Byble: ſo that to beleeue theſe bookes to bee Scriptures, is to croſſe the teſtimony of the Iewes for their owne ſtory: and if they knew our opinions herein, they would condemne vs for miſſing of Religion.

This Heber was a varie happie man, and his happineſſe made manifeſt, in that none that liued after him came to his daies: for he being a Prophet, knew how heauy the curſe of God would be vpon the ſonnes of men for building the tower of Babel: therefore hee nameth his ſonne Peleg, Diuided. The Hebrew name is halfe the abridgment of the ſtory, as it falleth out for the moſt part.

He had alſo great cauſe of ſorrow and heauineſſe, in that thirteene families of Ioctaines ſonnes, to whom Heber was Graundfather, went quite away, and were farre from Ieruſalem; and being out of the fauour of God, were bereaued of ſaluation: ſo that Chams houſe might ſeeme to haue [Page] greater bleſsinges, for they dwelt neere to Ieruſalem, and Iacobs ſonnes in Egypt,, married with Chams daughters. Iacobs ſonnes called themſelues Hebrewes, becauſe the ſtorie of Heber is the moſt famous of all the Fathers,

1757. Peleg borne, Heber being 34. yeares old.

HIs name ſignifieth, Diuiſion. In his dayes the tongues of thoſe that built the Tower of Babel, were confounded. In the conſideration of which ſtorie,

Time,

Place,

Perſons.

are to be vnderſtood:

Time, at or a litle before Pelegs birth.

Place, a Plaine in the land of Shinear.

Perſons 70. of

Sem. 27.

Iaphet. 14.

Cham. 29.

Theſe 70. ſpake one language, the tongue of Heber, and going from the Eaſt, they found a plaine in the land of Shinear, where they abode and made bricke in ſtead of ſtone, and ſlime in ſtead of morter, and ioyning with Nimrod, ſayd, Let vs make vs a Sem, that is, a name, euen in deſpight of the bleſsing of Noah beſtowed vpon Sem. But God ſcattered them from that place, into the vpper face of all the earth, and they left off to build the Citie, therefore the name of it is called Ba-bell (that is Come confuſion) becauſe there the Lord confounded the language of all the earth. Babell is, Babling, both in Hebrew, and in Engliſh.

1 This halfe ſheweth, that as the dayes of men at the

2 Flood were cut off halfe in halfe; ſo likewiſe at the confuſion of Tongues: for none after Peleg, commeth to halfe Hebers yeares.

[Page]As at the confuſion of tongues, there was great falling out about words, becauſe one could not vnderſtand another: ſo hitherto all the world is at variance for the vnderſtanding of words. And as the builders of Babell fell to Babling; ſo the deſpiſers of diuinity ſhall fall to Babling. Therefore it were to be wiſhed, that euery man in the world vnderſtood the Hebrew tongue.

All nations in the earth are compelled to take notice of this ſtory, whenſoeuer they heare any man ſpeake in an other tongue, which they vnderſtand not; For entring into the conſideration thereof, they are driuen preſently to examine the ſtorie of the Gen. [...]0. in which they may ſee the iuſt and ſeuere dealing of God to ſuch as enuie the bleſſing of their brother: for going from ſinne to ſinne, they had their tongues diuided, and their dwellings ſcattered.

It appeareth by this ſtory that the dealinges of Cham and his ſonnes were in the ſame kinde that Kaines were.

Kaine after his Curſe, wandring like a Vagabond from the place of true Religion, into the land of Nod, which ſignifieth, Fugitiue, buildeth a Citie, and calleth it after the name of his Sonne Henoch.

Cham after his curſe goeth wandring about from the place that Noah liued, and Sem ſacrificed at, vnto the land of Shinear, which ſignifieth Shake off, and there hee built a Cittie of Confuſion.

From which ſtory alſo we may obſerue the iudgments of God, that wherein a man offendeth, hee or his ſeede is commonly puniſhed; for it is certaine that all the actions of wicked are a harmony with Gods dealings, though in reſpect of the wicked, they agree not with vertue.

The ſonnes of Sem for ioyning with rebellious Nimrod of Cham, as it were flouting their Fathers bleſsing to furniſh vp the number of 70. made Bricke for the buylding of the Tower of Confuſion. 70. of Sems poſteritie 600. [Page] yeares after, were forced to goe into the land of Cham, and there compelled to be Brickmakers vnder Pharaoh King of Egipt, becauſe they deſpiſed the bleſsing of Sem, and remembred not the ſtorie of the 70. Families that buylt the Tower of Babel. To ſhew that when in proſperie men forget God, turning his Graces into Wantonnes, and his Bleſsinges into foliſh Pleaſures; that he will take his bleſſinges of Bread and Wine and Oyle from vs, and driue vs into forraine Nations amongſt Egiptian Dogges, to ſeeke reliefe: Whoſe ſuccour ſhall be yokes of heauie bondage, to puniſh vs in the ſame pleaſure wherein we offended.

All the 70. Families doe afflict Sem for this, before hee hath his ful renowne: and in ſcattering of Iocktanes ſonnes, they are placed fartheſt off Ieruſalem, of any.

Peleg, Diuided, Chriſt is Palmoni, the ſecret numberer, that weghieth, numbreth, and diuideth.

Vnto the building of the Tower of Babel, we haue,

Sem, Name.

Arphaxad, Healing.

Sale, Spoyling

Heber, Pilgrime.

Peleg, Diuided.

Put theſe togeather, and you haue a short ſentēce.

A good Name like precious Oyntment to heale & bind vp the ruined branches of poore Pilgrimes, walking in & out here on earth like ſtrangers, as hauing no abyding place: for God will diuide to euery one according to his workes.

1787. Regu borne, A breaking a ſunder, or, euill.

1819. Serug borne, Bough, Plant, or, principal Vine

1849. Nachor borne, Dry.

1878. Terah borne, Smelling.

Theſe like a principall Vine, moyſtned with good ſap, and healed by grace, gaue a good ſmell, though Terah falling to Idolatrie, had almoſt extinguiſhed the heate thereof.

[Page]AN euill Plant that hath loſt his ſappe, and is become dry, being not watered with the deaw 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 Graundfather to open ſhame of eternall memorie, ſcattering them vp and downelike vagabonds ouer all the earth, figuring the calamities of their latter ages, (the puniſhment whereof chiefly was to be performed in his owne kinred) became an Idolater, as Ioſhua. 24.15. Your Fathers in old time, worſhiped 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 Vagabondes ouer all the earth, for not imbracing the couenant of Abraham, Iſaacke, and Iacob: But in mercie gathered togeather againe to the Mountaine of grace, to Iacobs Well, that giueth euer-liuing Water to ſo many as would acknowledge Chriſt the Rocke, to the Land that flowed with Milke and Hony: To Bethel, the houſe of Iehouah, where they might ſee a Lather reaching from Heauen to Earth, with Angels aſcending and deſcending. To that freſh ſpringing hill of Sion, which is watered with the deaw of Hermon: from whence it runneth like the precious Oyntment that ran downe from Aarons beard, to waſh away their former vncleannes, and ſo purge their filthy leproſie, that they might be a ſweete 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 & ſpirituall Babel. But euen as the Dogge returneth to his vomit, and the Hogge to his wallowing in the Mire, ſo theſe Iewes of vncircumciſed handes and [Page] heartes, forgetting all thoſe, and many more benefites of God beſtowed vpon them, crucifying Chriſt the King of glory, the God of Sem: and not remembring their former puniſhmentes, are once againe ſo ſcattered ouer the face of the earth, that while the world endureth, they ſhall be vagabondes, and neuer gathered togeather againe: to teach vs, that if God ſpared not them, nor ſuffered them to continue in their tranſgreſsions, beeing his peculiar people, that wee are to looke for no other recompence then they had, if we deſpiſe the knowledge of Chriſt, as they did.

Terah hath three Sonnes,

Haran,

Nachor,

Abraham,

as Adam and Noah had.

1996.Peleg died, being 229. yeares old.

Hee had not halfe the yeares of his father Heber: the moſt aged man after the Flood liued not to halfe Methuſhelahs yeares; 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.

Hee liued after the Flood 350. yeares, that is, 7. Fifties, or 7. Iubilees of yeares, 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 hee onely ſaued.

Noah died, two yeares after Abram was borne. So God ſtirs vp one good man after another, oftentimes.

ABRAM borne, 352 yeares after the Flood. 2008.

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HIs name ſignifieth, Hie father, being the tenth from Noah: An other 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 Abrams, hee being the tenth from Noah, Gods mercie to all the world is pronounced.

When Terah is 130. yeares old, Abram is borne. So old was Adam when he begat Seth, a foundation of Religion: Iacob a bringer of Religion into Egipt, is 130. yeares old when he ſtandeth before Pharoh. 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, Joas 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 whom Zacharias the Sonne of Barachias ſaid, Is this the reward of all my Fathers paines, that as ſoone 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 betweene the Alter 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 how Torah being an Idolater, could name Abram, Hie Father; ſon ſo doth the word ſignifie. Hee 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 Idolater to ſet foorth and preach his glory, though his life had no ſhew of vertue.

Here is an other queſtion to be diſcuſſed of the age of Terah, when he begat Abram.
Of Terah his age when he begat Abram.

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SOme will haue Abram to be borne at Terahs Seuentieth yeare, becauſe in Gen. 11.26. it is ſayd, Terah liued ſeuentie yeares, and begat Abram, Nachor, and Haran. Wherevpon 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 reckoned, not according to their age, but according to their dignitie, as Gen. 5. The ſonnes of Noah; Sem, Cham, and 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, fith two yeares after the Flood in which yeare he begat Arphaxad; hee was but an hundreth yeares old. Now the firſt of this opinon whom I follow, was Caluine, that famous Doctor of the Church of Geneua, who in his Commentaries vpon Gen. 11.27. expreſſeth it in plaine wordes. Him followed Beroaldus, who did much in the illuſtrating of time, and Mangoldus. This demonſtration is ſet downe, Act. 7. Abraham is ſaid to goe out of Haran after his father Terah died. Now Terah liued 205. yeares. And Abraham went out of Haran in the 75. yeare of his age: which yeares if you ſubtract from, Terahs age, there remaine 130. 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 yeares: whereupon 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 [Page] Peregrination in the 2084. yeare of the world, the very ſame day that his poſteritie went out of Egipt, namely, the 15. 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 foorth, and deliuered out of Egipt by many and ſtrange Miracles. This containeth 430. yeares, which is confirmed by the teſtimonie of S. Paul, who expreſly ſayth, Gal. 3.17. That the Law began 430. 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. hee 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. Hitherto 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 Egipt, was Foure hundred and thirtie yeares. Which ſurely the Seuenty 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 Seede of Abrham to be afflicted 400. yeares, hinder it. For Abrahams Peregrination, is to be deriued frō his Calling, and his Seed began to be afflicted when Iſaacke the Sonne of Promiſe borne 25. yeares after his Calling, being a Child peraduenture of fiue yeares old, ſuffered the ſcoffinges of Iſmael borne of the Hand-mayde: which ſurely the Apoſtle Gal. 4.29. expreſſely nameth Perſecution. Adde hereunto the reſt which Iſaacke and Iacob ſuffered among Strangers. Now that time wherein the Iſraelites [Page] abode in Egipt, that it is farre wide of 400. yeares, is clearer then the light at noone day, to them which conſider that Koath the Sonne of Leui went downe into Egipt, and liued 133. yeares, and that his Sonne Amram liued 137. yeares, Exod. 6. and that Moſes his Sonne was 80. yeares old when he went out of Egipt: All which make but 350. yeares; and if from theſe, thoſe yeares be ſubduced, which they liued after their Sonnes were borne, the yeares remayning, would be few. But theſe thinges Doctor Beroaldus, and others, haue learnedly ſet foorth. Thoſe notable men, Bullinger, Phlinſpachius, Scalinger, and others, agree vnto it.

It is ſaid, that Terah being 70. yeares old, begetteth

Abram.

Haran.

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 yeeres younger than Abram, and then Abram being elder than Haran, and yet married his daughter but Ten yeares younger then 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 then 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. 7.2. by which it appereth, that Terah was dead before Abram had the promiſe, or elſe the promiſe might haue had reference to Terah as well as to Abram, we ſhall by good Arithmetique caſt Terah at the birth of Abram to be 130. yeares: for take 75. yeares out of 205. which is the time that Tenah liued, and there remaineth 130, the age of Terah when he begat Abram.

To inlarge this further.

If Abram had beene the eldeſt, Sem would not haue [Page] giuen him the bleſſing; for then he ſhould haue died before Sem: and men doe not giue their inheritance to their ſonnes which die in their life; but he would rather haue kept it for Iſaack, with whom he liued 50. yeares: this may be made plaine by another of the ſame ſort. Rebecca being with child, and they both ſtriuing in her wombe, asketh counſell what ſhould become of her? The queſtion is of whom? Sem beeing dead, it is manifeſt either of Heber or of Abraham. Thus you may ſee that without the knowledge of the times, wee could not auoide theſe errours.

SARAH borne.20

SArah 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.

Shee is thought to bee Iiſcah the Daughter of Haran, and ſo ſhee is, for Abraham calleth Lot Brother, which could not be but in reſpect of marriage: for Lot was the ſonne of Haran, and brother to Iiſcah; therefore in that meaning Abram, ſpeaketh truely.

You haue a verie eaſie reckoning of the times, if you begin at Sarahs fifteenth yeare of age, when ſhe was fit as is were to bee a Tabernacle for Abraham.

From Sarahs 15. yeare of age to the building of Moſes Tabernacle, 480. Theſe compariſons prooue the Prouidence of god to be plaine, and his counſell eaſie.

Frō thence to the

Building of Salomons temple. 480.

Third of Cyrus; when the Proclamation went forth for building the ſeconde Temple. 480.

Gouernment of Pontius Pilate, in whoſe time Chriſt built his ſpirituall Temple. 480.

Theſe compariſons prooue the Prouidence of god to be plaine, and his counſell eaſie.

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2026.

Regu died, being 239. yeares old.

2049.

Serug died, being 230. yeares old.

2083.The Promiſe is giuen to Abraham at his 75. yeare of age.

430.THat is, Chriſt is promiſed to Abraham after the fleſh, Gen. 12.3. 430. yeares before the giuing of the Law. The Promiſe to Adam in Paradiſe, and to Sem after the Flood, is heere renewed to Abraham, when hee is 75. yeares old: ſo many yeares olde, as there bee Fathers of Chriſt from Adam to Ioſepth.

Saint Matthew beginning at Abraham, reckoneth them but 42. that is, three Fourteenes, or ſix Seuens: but Saint Luke reckoning them, bringeth Chriſt from Adam, and ſheweth their number to be 75. Saint Matthews meaning was, to prooue him King of the Iewes: and Saint Luke, to ſhew, that he is the Seede of the woman.

Seuentie fiue hath in it, Ten Seuens: and Fiue, the number of the letters of Iebouah.

God changeth Abrams name from Abram, to Abraham of Haman, a Multitude, becauſe in him all the Nations and multituds of the earth ſhould bee bleſſed, like vnto Noah, a new Comforter.

Hee left his Countrey, and his fathers houſe, and went to a Land which God would ſhew him: ſo Saint Paul teacheth ſaying, By fayth Abraham when he was called, obeyed God, to got into a place which he ſhould after receiue for an inheritance: and he went out not knowing whither he went. In this faith, Moſes a high Sonne, refuſed to be called the Sonne of Pharaohs Daughter. Saint Luke teſtifieth of him, Act. 7.2. That the God of glorie appeared to our Father Abraham when hee was in Meſopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, and ſayd [Page]vnto him, Get the out of thy Country, & frō thy kindred, & come into a Land that I ſhall ſhew thee. Then came he out of the Land of Chaldea, and dwelt in Charran, and from thence when his Father was dead, hee brought him into the Land of Canaan: but he had no inheritance in it, no not the breadth of a foote. Yet God promiſed, that hee would giue it him to poſſeſſe, and to his ſeede after him, when as yet he had no Childe. Wherefore, Beleeuing in God, it was counted to him, for righteouſneſſe. For the promiſe to Abraham that hee ſhould bee the heire of the world, was not giuen him or his ſeede through the law, but through the righteouſneſſe of fayth, Rom. 4. In Nehem. 9.7.8. You haue there in the prayer of Nehemiah, an abridgement of all this Storie, how the Lord choſe Abram, and brought him out of Vr of the Chaldees, and called him Abraham, and found his heart faithfull, and made a couenant with him to giue his ſeede, the Land, &c.

S. Paul in Act. 17. reaſoneth with the men of Athens thus. You Grecians, you are of Iapheth, & that your Countrey is Ionia; and yee are the Sonnes of the earth. Be it knowne vnto you, that God at the firſt, made all mankind of one blood, to dwell on all the face of the earth, and aſsigned the ſeaſons which were ordained before, and the boundes of their habitations: for he deuided vnto them the Land, according to the number of the Sonnes of Iſrael: Now ye Heathen, your owne Poets ſay, yee are the generation of God: and wee may obſerue that in all the Ceremonies of Moſes, there is a great preuiledge laid downe for the Heathen: and it is ſayd by ſaint Paul, God which iuſtifieth the wicked euen Abram being an Idolater, The Gentiles are no worſe, therefore they haue no cauſe to deſpaire, And where it is ſaid in this ſtorie of Abraham, that he forſooke his father & his fathers houſe: Saint Steuen Act. 7.4. ſheweth, that it was at the time his father was dead, for otherwiſe it had been an hard example, and Gods actions muſt bee ſo wiſely diſpoſed, that the verie Heathen [Page] muſt acknowledge them to be iuſt, which they would not haue done if he had left his father, he being aliue.

It is further added, that Abraham was rich, hee was of behauiour quiet: for to auoide ſtrife and contention betwixt his Shepheards & the Shepheards of Lot, he willed him to chooſe whether he would take to the right hand or to the left. Lot choſeth the beſt for eie ſight, though by the cloſe counſell of God ordering his choiſe, it prooued farre contrarie

Abraham was politique, for he had 318. Souldiers of his owne family: which he himſelfe had inſtructed: and he vſed recreation, and in curioſitie did not contemne it; for otherwiſe he could not haue made his men ſo expert warriours and ſurely there is nothing diſturbeth religion more then curioſitie.

Hee was a ſtately man, and couragious, and had authoritie of life and death, els could hee not haue kept ſo many in good order. His moderation appeareth alſo in that he ſuffered Sara to rule at home: he was politique in chooſing the night to ſet on his enemies: for ſeeing hee was in the fauour of God, he was ſure he could not walke in darkeneſſe, and it was the fitteſt time to make his enemies afraid.

2090.Melchiſedech King of Salem: a figure of the Sonne of God, meeteth Abraham.

IT is a queſtion who this Melchiſedech ſhould bee. It is moſt certaine it is Sem the ſonne of Noah: Which may be gathered from the circumſtance of the Storie, being modeſtly expounded. Heb. 7.1. This Melchiſedech king of Salem, mette Abraham as he returned from the ſlaughter of the Kings, to whom alſo Abraham gaue tithes of all thinges:[Page]firſt he is called by interpretation, King of Righteouſneſſe: and after that, King of Salem, that is to ſay, King of Peace: without Father, without Mother, without kindred; and hath neither beginning of dayes, nor end of life, but is likened to the Sonne of God.

Hee was Without Father, without Mother, when Abraham met him, fiue ages after Babels building, Abraham being aliue; he was vnknowne of his owne kindred. Hee had no end of life in the old world, for hee liued through the Flood: and no beginnig of dayes in the new world.

Chriſt in reſpect of his Godhead, had no Mother: and in regard of his Manhead, he had no Father.

Surely our men be very vnaduiſed, that becauſe Caluin, and a few Gretians, doe ſtagger in this opinion whether Sem ſhould bee Melchiſedech, therefore they will not admit the truth hereof, as though they ſhould be a rule of truth vnto them. But to anſwere them: firſt the conſent of all the Iewes is, that Sem is Melchiſedech: and if he be not, then let vs ſee what inconueniences will follow.

Firſt, hee muſt be a godlier man then Sem, that croſſeth Sems bleſſing, Bleſſed be the God of Sem. Beſides, it ſtands not with Religion, that any man ſhould bee rare in the higheſt degree, no prophecie going before it to warrant his rareneſſe. But this is the cauſe why men be deceiued. The Grecians erre in this, and are the cauſe why others haue erred. It was not poſsible for them to know the truth thereof: for the Iewes appoynted by Ptolomeus Philodelphus to tranſlate the Bible, ſeeing there was ſuch difference of the birth of men after the Flood, both in compariſon with thoſe before the Flood, and thoſe after, that their ſtory might not be flouted of the Egiptians, adde of purpoſe 1500. yeares to the Fathers after the Flood; for ſeeing Terah begot Abraham at 130. And becauſe Sem begot Arphaxad at 100. yeares old, to euery one where wanteth an hundred, they put in an hundred: as, Arphaxad liued [Page] 35. yeares, and begot Selah, They tranſlate, Arphaxad liued 135. yeares, and begot Selah; and ſo in the reſt: by which reckoning, Sem is dead before the time hee ſhould meete with Abraham.

Saint Ierom, accquainted with the Hebrewes dealings, knew that their conſent was, that Sem was Melchiſedech, and ſo he affirmeth. Beſides, it is not likely that any of Chams houſe ſhould be like to the Sonne of God, being a curſed generation. Againe, if it be obiected that Moſes doth not call Melchiſedech Sem, and therefore it is likely hee was not Sem: this obiection is thus anſwered. Moſes penneth his ſtorie ſhort, becauſe he knew all the Iewes were acquainted therewith. And as for the Author to the Hebrewes, ſetting him downe to bee without Father, without Mother, we muſt conſider in what ſence & meaning he ſpeaketh: for ſeeing it is added by Moſes in Melchiſedechs ſtorie, that he was king of Salem; and it is not poſſible for a king to be borne without Father, without Mother; and it was neuer the meaing of the holy Ghoſt, to croſſe the courſe of the creation: therefore we muſt looke for ſome other expoſition, then that which the bare litterall ſence will afford vpon the firſt ſight. This therefore is the Author to the Hebrews meaning: He was now to call to the Iewes minde, one who in their ſtorie was a figure of the Meſsias. Now ſeeing Chriſt the Sauiour of the world, as he was God, had no Mother, and as he was man, no Father; therefore to make this plaine, that is, to make Melchiſedech a figure anſwerable to this truth, he ſo ſpeaketh of him, as if he were without Father or Mother, becauſe he reſembled the Sonne of God. Now the author to the Hebrewes might verie ſafely vſe this kind of ſpeaking: For Sem being borne before the Flood, and in Abrahams time being a Grandfather of eight degrees, muſt needes be thought to Abrahams Souldiers, to bee without Father, without Mother, who had neither beginnig of [Page] daies, nor end of life. So that a ſouldier of Abrahams campe might aske ſome one of Canaan: Good-man of Canaan, who is this goodly Old man with a hoarie beard? Hee would anſwer thus: Hee is called the Iuſt King, and his Towne is named the Quiet towne: For when all the other Kings his neighbours are at variance, he onely liueth in peace. And when Elam ouercame fiue Kings, no man offered him any violence. We haue in euery Village a ſeuerall God: but he ſacrificeth to the God (as he ſayth) that made vs, & them. And marke what I ſhal tell you: When he offereth an Oxe or a Ramme to his God, which (he ſaith) made the heauens and the earth, fire commeth from heauen to conſume it: and hee ſeemeth to be ſo ſtrong, that none of vs ſhall liue to ſee his dayes. In this reſpect therfore the Author to the Hebrewes affirmeth that he was without father, without mother, who hath neither beginning of dayes, nor end of life. For in proper ſence it cannot be true.

Iſmael borne, his father Abram being 86. yeere old.2094.

HEe was borne of Hager an Egiptian, whom Sara gaue to Abraham, becauſe her ſelfe was barren.

When Iſmael was thirteene yeares old, as Gen. 17.25. Abraham tooke Iſmael, and euery man child among the men of his houſe, and circumciſed the fore-skin of their fleſh the ſame day as God had commanded: which ceremonie of Circumciſion continued vnto Chriſt: but ſince his death, it is abrogated with the reſt of the Ceremonies of the Law, and is of no force vnto ſaluation; as Gal. 5.3. I Paul teſtifie, that if yee be Circumciſed, Chriſt ſhall profite you nothing at all: for whoſoeuer is Circumciſed, is bound to keepe the whole Law: And, as many as are iuſtified by the Law, are fallen from Grace: for in Ieſus Chriſt, neither is Circumciſion any thing worth, nor vncircumciſion; but Fayth, which worketh by loue, as Abok. 2.4. The iuſt ſhall liue by his Fayth.

[Page] The day of Circumciſion was the eight day: the ſeale was anſwerable to Baptiſme. Wee haue no ſpeciall ſtorie of eight to bee compared with this, but the eight that were ſaued in the Arke. The ceremonie of the day is anſwerable to the number of the perſons; and the ſeale it ſelfe, anſwerable to the waters of the Flood: to the which anſwereth Baptiſme, which now ſaueth vs.

Iſmael had twelue ſonnes and one daughter. Iacob had twelue ſonnes and one daughter. Iſmael was anſwerable in outward bleſſinges to Iſaack and Iacob, but not in ſpirituall; for hee was borne after the fleſh: and although he were the ſonne of Abraham, he was not the ſonne of Abraham as it is written, They are not all children becauſe they are the ſeed of Abraham, But in Iſaacke ſhall thy Seede bee called: that is, they which are the children of the fleſh, are not the children of God: but the children of the promiſe, are counted for the ſeede.

In the Bible there are two Iſmaels, the one an Egiptian by the mother: the other, by the father. The one of Abraham by the mother: the other, of Abraham by the father: Both theſe, were enemies to the true ſeede of Abraham. This Iſmael, flouted the promiſe in Iſaack: the other Jſmael, killeth Godoliah, he being left a Gouerner of the ſeed of Iſaacke, Iſmael was vpon euerie mans head, and euerie man vpon his head, ſeeing he perſecuted Iſaacke.

2096. Arphaxad died, being 438. yeares old. Gen. 11.12.13.

Iſaacke borne, Gen. 21.5. when Abraham is 100.2108. yeares old, and Sara 90. yeares old, according to Gen. 17.17.

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HIs name ſignifieth, Laughter. When Iſaacke is promiſed, Sara laughed, ſo did Abraham; ſo did Iſmael laugh at Iſaacke. Theſe three laughters in Hebrew are expreſſed by one word, but there is great difference. Sara Laughed as at a thing vnlooked for: for ſhe ſayd, I am now nintie yeares old, and my Lord an hundred, ſhall I now giue my ſelfe vnto luſt, ſeeing it ceaſeth to bee with mee as with other Women? And the Lord ſayd, Is any thing vnposſible with God? Abraham laughed as reioycing thereat: for it is ſayd, Abraham beleeued in God, and it was reckoned to him for righteouſneſſe. Jſmael laughed, as flouting at Iſaacke, as though hee were ſuch a goodly fellow in whom the Promiſe ſhould be eſtabliſhed. You haue this Storie renewed againe in the New Teſtament: For the Angell Gabriel ſayth vnto Marie; For with God nothing is impoſsible. Elizabeth commeth to ſalute Marie, and ſhe ſayth, Bleſſed is ſhe that beleeueth: for thoſe thinges ſhalbe performed, which are told thee from the Lord.

It is ſayd of Abraham, that hee laughed when the Angell promiſed he ſhould haue a Sonne; thereby ſignifying his reioycing. Iſaacks life was anſwerable to this ioy: for he had no affliction in Canaan; onely he was driuen to goe to Abimelech King of the Philiſtines, and dwelt in Gerar, where he was ſomewhat iniured.

Abraham praying for Iſmael that God would bleſſe him, he ſayth, I will make of him a mightie Nation: but in Iſaacke ſhall thy ſeed be called.

It is written, that Abraham had two Sonnes: one by a Seruant, and one by a Free woman: But he which was of the Seruant,[Page]was after the Fleſh; and he which was of the Free woman, was by Promiſe: which thinges are ſpoken by an allegorie. For theſe Mothers are the two Teſtaments; the one which is Hagar of Mount Sinay, for Hagar or Mount Sinay, is a Mountaine in Arabia, which gendreth vnto bondage, and it anſwereth to Ieruſalem which now is, and ſhe is in bondage, with her Children. But Ieruſalem which is aboue, is free, which is the Mother of vs all: for we are after the maner of Iſaacke, children of the Promiſe. But as then hee which was borne after the fleſh, perſecuted him that was borne after the ſpirit: euen ſo is it now. But what ſaith the Scripture? Put out the Seruant & her Sonne: for the Sonne of the Seruant ſhall not be heire with the Sonne of the Free woman. Then we are not Children of the Seruant, but of the Free woman. Gal. 4.21.

2113. Iſmael, and Hagar, are expelled Abrahams houſe. Gen. 21.10.

It was ſayd vnto Abraham, that his Seed ſhould be afflicted in a Land that is not theirs 400. yeares, and ſhould ſerue them, and they ſhould intreat them euill. Now if we reckon the time of the abode of the Children of Iſrael in Egipt, wee ſhall finde it but 215. yeares; for Iacob goeth into Egipt 185. yeares after the Promiſe of the 400. yeares: So that they were not in Egipt full 400. yeares; but they were afflicted firſt and laſt 400. yeares: For Iſmael the Egiptian flouteth Iſaacke, and beginneth the 400. yeare. And Pharaoh the Egiptian in the end of 400. yeares, afflicteth the Seed of Iſaacke. And as the Seed of Sem were afflicted by Cam 400. yeares; ſo afterwardes about that time, were they alſo afflicted by Iaphets ſeede ruling in Egipt.

It may be obiected, How is Iſmael an Egiptian, ſeeing hee is of Abraham? Hee is by the Mothers ſide an Egiptian, for Hagar was of that Countrie: and by this expoſition, [Page] it falleth out to be true. We haue for to warrant this, the like in the Storie of the Kinges, where one beeing an Egiptian, is called of the Kinges ſeede, becauſe one of his Aunceſtors marryed with a wife of Iuda. This Storie is mentioned in 1. Chro. 2 34. it is thus ſayd: Sheſan had no Sonnes but Daughters, and Sheſan had a ſeruant an Egiptian named Iarchthang, & Sheſan gaue him his Daughter to wife. In 2. King. 25.22. after that the King of Babel had ouerthrowne Ieruſalem, he left people in the land of Iuda to till the ground, and to exerciſe manuall trades, which were made tributaries, and he ſet Gedoliah ruler ouer them. Then came Iſmael the ſonne of Nethaniah to Gedoliah to Mizpah, and Gedoliah ſware vnto them, that they ſhould not feare to ſerue the King: for by that meanes it ſhould be well with them, & they ſhould dwel with them in the Land: But in the ſeuenth moneth, Iſmael the ſonne of Nethaniah the ſonne of Eliſhama of the Kinges ſeede, came and ſlew Gedoliah, and he died. Heere Iſmael which was by his Fathers ſide Iarchthange an Egiptian, is called of the Kinges ſeede, ſixteene ages after; becauſe his aunceſtor Iarchthange married one of Iuda. And ſurely it is likely by this, that the Kings ſeede was wonderfully decayed,1. Chro. 2.35 Ier. 41.2. when as one by an Egiptian (his great Grandfather, hauing onely married in Iuda) ſhould be called of the blood Royall. And without queſtion, Sheſan was very wicked in deſpiſing the glorie of the Tribe of Juda, which he openly ſhewed when he married his Daughter to an Egiptian. His name in Hebrew anſwereth to Iſmaels manners afterwards: for the Hebrewes affirme, that Iarchthange is ſo harſh and lothſome to be pronounced, as no word of like tediouſneſſe in all the Hebrew tongue. So likwiſe Iſmaels manners are as deteſtable as the earth can afford. Thus you ſee how Iſmael Abrahams ſonne, may rightly be called an Egiptian.

Sara reaſoneth with Abraham, concerning the ſending away of Hager and Iſmael: ſhe might haue great cauſe to be grieued at the flouting of Iſmael; for we may imagine [Page] her to haue vſed ſuch like ſpeaches as theſe; I haue been content to haue gone with you from Ʋr of the Chaldeans, from my Fathers houſe, and mine owne kindred: Beſides the tediouſneſſe of the trauell, I haue ſuſteined great vexation and diſquietneſſe, by the feare which I might haue, when you went to fight with the foure Kinges. For my behauiour towardes you, it hath alwayes been pleaſing: My ſelfe being barren, I gaue you my Mayde, that yet by her I might haue children: for this, euen Hagar deſpiſeth mee. It had been better forme to let Eliazar of Damaſcus haue enioyed the Bleſsing: Now God hath ſent me a Sonne, ſee how he is flouted. Surely, if you doe mee right, and that which appertaineth to iuſtice, you muſt driue out this Bondwoman and her Sonne: for this Sonne of the Bondwoman ſhall not be heire with my Sonne Iſaacke. This dealing of Sara, God approoueth, and willeth Abraham to heare her voyce, though it ſeeme grieuous to him.

Heere we may ſee by the mocking of Iſmael, that the wicked euer perſecuteth the godly. Aſa maketh a Law, that whoſoeuer will not ſeeke the Lord God of Iſrael, ſhall be ſlaine. The wicked make as ſeueere Lawes. But heere is the difference; the Lawes of the godly are ſo reaſonable, that euery one may ſee preſently the equitie of them: on the contrarie, it is enough in the Lawes of the wicked, That it is the Kinges pleaſure; or, that it ſatisfies their Humors.

To returne, wee may geſſe that Iſaacke was fiue yeares old when Iſmael mocked him: for otherwiſe Iſaacke could not haue perceiued it. Iſmaels flouting might be after this ſort; Is this hee that ſhall haue the Promiſe, in whom the Nations ſhall be bleſſed? a goodly one, I warrant you: What continuance or ſtrength can there be in him, ſeeing at the time of his birth, his father and mother were very old, and decayed in ſtrength; and yet when hee is weaned, [Page] there muſt be great Feſting and iolly cheare? If we conſider what an offence it is eſteemed, if one being a Subiect, or otherwiſe inferiour, ſhould contumeliouſly and deſpightfully taunt and vpbraide the Heire apparant to a Kingdome, wee will thinke this an iniurie not ſufferable. If we obſerue the time when the Children of Iſrael came out of Egipt, which was about Eaſter; and that this time of flouting, & that time, maketh 400. yeares, we ſhall find that this mocking was likewiſe about Eaſter.

Selah died. Cen. 11.14.15. being 514. yeares old. 2126.

Ioſephus thinketh, that Jſaacke was appoynted to be ſacrificed at 35. yeares. Codomanus is of opinion,2140. that Iſaacke at this time was offered being now 32. yeares old and three quarters, anſwerable to the death of Chriſt at his death, ſeeing his death was a figure of the death of Chriſt. There is nothing preciſely determined by the Scriptures: and therefore it is left for vs to follow which we will.

This Iſaacke, in reſpect of the commandement of God, that he ſhould be offered vp; and the obedience of Abraham in offering him, was dead, and was reſtored to Abraham as if he had been riſen from the dead. He was offered on Mount Moriab, a part of the Mountaine of Sion, called afterwardes Ieruſalem. Of this Chriſt ſpeaketh: O Ieruſalem, Ieruſalem, thou that ſaweſt thoſe thinges that concerne thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes; therefore thou art Iebus, that is, troden downe. God altereth the name Moriah, to Ieruſalem, becauſe he would haue kept in memorie Abrahams Obedience, & Sems Religion; and therefore giueth it a name comprehending both: for in reſpect of Abraham, he calleth it Iirie, Abraham giuing it the name Iehouah Iirie, that is, In the Mount will the Lord be ſeene. In reſpect of Sem, he keepeth the name of Salem ſtill; and ſo it is called Iirie Salem, The ſight of Peace.

[Page]From this Storie, the Iewes might haue knowne the death of Chriſt, ſeeing Chriſt compareth them togeather; and yet by putting Chriſt to death, haue ſaued the world, though not heaped condemnation on their owne heads: for as it was prophecied, that one man muſt die for all the people; ſo they might haue thus reaſoned: we know this is the Meſſias, and that he muſt die for the ſinnes of the people. Iſaacke being a figure, and this time wherein hee now is on the earth agreeth with Daniels ſeauens. Therfore as Abraham offered vp Iſaacke; ſo let the high Sacrificer according to the law, put him to death: but then as Saint Peter ſpeaketh, if they had knowne this, they would not haue crucified the Lord of glorie. But as the windows of Salomons Temple bee narrow without & wide within; ſo Chriſt ſpeaketh of parables, that they are therefore ſpoken, that in hearing they ſhould not heare; and, in ſeeing they ſhould not ſee, leaſt they ſhould repent and be ſaued. The author to the Hebrewes ſayth, By Fayth, Abraham offered vp Iſaacke, and hee that receiued the promiſe, offered his onelie begotten Sonne; to whom it was ſayd, In Iſaacke ſhall thy ſeede bee called; for hee conſidered that GOD was able to raiſe him vp euen from the dead, from whence he receiued him alſo after a ſort. Chriſt in the Goſpell affirmeth, that Abraham ſaw my dayes (That is, in Iſaacke) and reioyced. God ſpeaketh from heauen to Abraham in this ſort; By my ſelfe haue I ſworne, becauſe thou haſt done this thing, and haſt not ſpared thine onlie Sonne, therfore will I ſurely bleſſe thee. In Rom. 8.32. Saint Paul ſpeaketh thus, What ſhal we then ſay to theſe things, if God be on our ſide, who can be againſt vs, who ſpared not his owne Sonne, but gaue him to death for vs? How ſhall hee not with him giue vs all thinges alſo?

Compare Iſaacke with Chriſt.

Was not Abraham our Father, iuſtified by Workes, when he offered his Sonne Iſaacke vpō the Altar? Iam. 2.

Iſaacke was bound.

Iſaacke after three daies, was offered vp to death, and after a ſort reuiued to life.

God ſpared not his owne Sonne, but gaue him for vs all to death.

Chriſt was bound.

Chriſt hauing ſuffered death, riſeth vp againe the third day to life.

Sara died, being 127. yeayes old.2145.

She was buried in Canaan in the Fielde of Machpelah, which Abraham hought of the Hittits. This place they would haue giuen Abraham freelie; for they confeſſed that he was a Prince of God amongſt them, but he would buy it, becauſe they ſhould not ſay, that they had made Abraham rich: wherefore we muſt know, if we will be godly, that all our life is but a Pilgrimage, and that wee are but Strangers; and that all our Inheritance is nothing elſe but a place for Buriall. The Hebrewes expound Sarahs death, a mortification and dying vnto ſinne.

Rebecca is married to Iſaacke. Gen. 24.47. when he is 40. yeares old.2148.

SHee is the Daughter of Bethuel the Sonne of Nachor the Sonne of Terah, and Brother of Abraham: her Grandfather Nachor was an Idolater; but her Grandmother [Page] Milka is thought to be of a good Religion, in that two of her Sonnes, Bethuel and Kemuel haue El, the mighty God, in their names. Iſaacke goeth to Meſopotamia for a Wife of his owne kindred, for in Canaan there were none of his owne kindred; and of the women of the Land, he might not marrie. Iacob his Sonne, likewiſe goeth to Meſopotamia to Laban the brother of Rebecca, and there taketh him Wiues of the ſame kindred.

2158. SEM died, Gen. 11.10. being 600. yeares old: borne 98. yeares before the Flood, and was taught by Methuſhelah and Lamech; who ſaw Adam many yeares.

THis Sem was a great King, and liued ſixe hundred yeares, as Noah before the Flood. He is called Melchiſedech, the King of Peace. He dwelt at Salem, where his name continued 65. ages, halfe one hundred and thirtie; anſwerable to Seth, till that the Apoſtles receiued the holy Ghoſt after the aſcention of Chriſt. Hee is reſembled to the Sonne of God.

Sems houſe beleeued that Chriſt ſhould come, till hee came: and when he came, they denied him, and were cut off.

2168.Eſau, & Iacob, borne, Gen. 25.25. their grandfather Abraham bing 160 and their father Iſaacke 60. yeares old.

THe firſt matter in this Storie to be conſidered, is, how the two Twinnes in Rebeckahs wombe are called two Nations. Malachi ſpeaking in the perſon of God, ſayth: I haue loued Iacob, and hated Eſau. So Saint Paul ſayth to the Romanes. Ere they were borne, it was ſayd, the elder ſhall ſerue the younger; as it is written, Eſau haue I hated, and Iacob [Page] haue I loued. Rom. 9.13.

Eſaus deſcription is thus layde downe in the Scriptures. Firſt, that he was Hayrie, that he was of great courage; and at his birth, Iacob holdeth him by the heele: God thereby ſhewing at their birth, what ſhould be the courſe of their liues afterwards. Homer maketh mention, that Ʋl [...]ſſes ouerthrew Aiax by ſtriking him on the Leg. The Greeke tranſlators handle it ſo, and call him Thermiſtes, that is to ſay, a Heeler.

Eſau was a Hunter, liuing like the Ruffians and Royſters of our time: Hee ſelleth his Birth-right for a meſſe of Pottage; for Iacob would not giue it vnto him, except Eſau would firſt ſweare to ſell him his Birth-right. Sayth Eſau, I am contented; for it will be ſo long ere it will be enioyed, that I, and my Sonnes Sonne, ſhall be dead firſt: So with an Oath he ſold Iacob his Birth-right: therefore he was called Edom, Redde Pottage.

No doubt Jſaacks men knew this to be a rare Bleſsing: and ſeeing he had deſpiſed it, they muſt needes, when ſoeuer they called him Edom, keepe his wickedneſſe in memorie: for by this ſale, he deſpiſed Noah, Som, Heber, and Abraham, and all his victories; in the fayth of which Bleſſing, Abraham ouercame ſo gloriouſly. This is the firſt combat by which Iacob, a Heeler, ſupplanteth Eſau.

The whole poſteritie of Eſau bare the name of this infidelitie: hee thought it a long time to the performance of a Promiſe to be accompliſhed almoſt 400. yeares after; ayming (like a prophane worldling) at the outward Inheritance of the Land of Canaan, and not reſpecting the Bleſsing of the ſpirituall Salem. Hee was the eldeſt, and extreame wicked; notwithſtanding he was the Sonne of a righteous Father; to ſhew that the ſinceereſt nature of the godlieſt men, is extreame wicked. Hee was to Iacob, as Kain to Abel, and as Iſmael to Iſaacke. And as in his owne perſon hee perſecuted and ſought the death of his [Page] brother Iacob, ſo his poſteritie were continuall enemies to the ſeed of Iacob.

Ameleck of Eſau lay in waite for the children of Iſrael, when they went out of Egipt, to deſtroy them: but God commaunded them to put out his name from vnder Heauen. Wicked Haman would at once haue deſtroyed all the Jewes: but hee, and his ten Sonnes were hanged.

Haman was of Agag the Amalekite of Eſau. In him is performed a Prophecie in Numb. 24.20. Amaleck is the beginning of Nations, but his latter ende ſhall periſh vtterly. Herod of Edom, likwiſe ſeeketh to put Chriſt the true Iſrael, to death: wherein you may ſee the malice of Eſau to continue euen till Chriſt.

Eſau was hated of God before he was borne: therefore whatſoeuer he did, it turned ſtill into a curſe vnto him. Hee prepareth Veniſon for his Father, and the whiles loſeth the bleſsing of eternall Life. Hee would pleaſe his Father by marrying into Abrahams ſtocke, and marryeth Iſmaels Daughter: Hee wept for the Bleſsing, but found no place of repentance, though hee ſought the Bleſsing with teares. In like ſort is the repentance of euery wicked man, when hee is touched with the conſcience for ſinne, hee will then acknowledge his ſinne, and with teares ſhew foorth ſorrow for his tranſgreſsions; but through the hardneſſe of his heart which can not repent, hee returneth (like to Eſau) to his vomite againe.

And further, we are to note in this Storie, how Eſau by haſte, not willing to ſtay for the Promiſe till the time appoynted, felt the heauie iudgement of God: wee haue the like example of this haſte. & the like puniſhment, in Saul. Samuel annoynted Saul King, and willed him to goe before him to Gilgal, and to ſtay for him ſeauen dayes till hee come. Saul tarryeth ſeauen dayes according to the time appoynted, but Samuel came not; therefore the people were ſcattered: Saul ſeeing the peoples mindes ſeuered, [Page] that he might vnite them againe, offered a burnt Offering. Then came Samuel, and rebuked him, ſaying: Thou haſt done fooliſhly, thy Kingdome ſhall not continue: the Lord hath ſought him a man after his owne heart. Thus haue you the like example, both for ſtorie, and prophecie.

IAcobs Storie will appeare the better, by declaring Eſaus, euen as contraries are ſet togeather, that thereby euery one may ſhew the clearer.

His name ſignifieth Supplanter, or Heeler; and all his life ſheweth him to be contrary to Eſau. The one an image of al Impietie: the other, a mirrour of al Godlineſſe. The one, a Perſecutor: the other, perſecuted: The one, a deſpiſer of Grace; the other, an imbracer of Vertue.

You haue from the Creation to Iacob, two and twentie Fathers; anſwerable to the two and twentie Letters in the Hebrew tongue: So Epiphanius in Ankorato handleth them.

Thus by compariſons, God maketh his dealinges eaſie to be kept in memorie. Iacob, though the two and twenty from Adam, yet the third Seuenth of thoſe that were borne after Adams creation.

Now the Chronicle is ended for particular liues: for after Iacobs Storie, the Scripture containes whole Stories of whole States and Kingdomes.

Noah is the tenth from Adam, Abraham the tenth from Noah, Iacob the twelfe: ſo you haue the two and twentie. The Hebrewes admire the patience of God, that ten whole ages God gaue them to repent; and yet Eſay ſayth, That the Lord looked about, and ſaw that there was none good vpon the earth.

The ſeuentie Interpreters tranſlating the old Teſtament into Greeke, thruſt in one Kenan, whoſe name is not in the Hebrew. If the reaſon be demaunded why they did ſo? this may be anſwered. The 70. Interpreters knew, [Page] that a great deale of wiſedome was contained in the compariſon betweene the two & Twentie Letters of the Hebrew tongue, and the two and Twentie Fathers. Now becauſe they enuied the Egiptians, and were loth they ſhould gaine any wiſedome by them, of purpoſe they adde Kenan, to diſturbe this proportion, and ſo they make Iacob the twentie three. S. Luke ſetting downe the Genealogie of Chriſt, alleadgeth Kenan, following the Genealogie penned by the Seuentie Interpretors: for S. Luke was to take it as he found it, & he knew that all the Iewes were well acquainted with the reaſon why Kenan was added: Therfore there could no danger grow in his time, though Kenan were kept ſtill in the Genealogie. Beza tranſlating the new Teſtament, leaueth him out; for the which the Ieſuites accuſe him. Now Beza, to the end ignorant men ſhould not ſtagger by finding him in Luke which is not in Moſes, leaueth him out: and this may Beza do wel enough; for any one may know, that S. Luke neuer meant, that Arphaxad begat Kenan, ſeeing that hee addeth, being, as men ſuppoſed, the ſonne of Arphaxad, to wit, of thoſe men that knew not the meaning of the Tranſlators. Beſides, Epiphanius being a Grecian, and being acquainted with the Greeke Tranſlation, yet concludeth the Fathers vnder the number of Two and twentie.

Iacob is called, The beloued of the Lord, before hee was borne: in which he is anſwerable to Dauid, whoſe name ſignifieth Beloued: and to our Sauiour Chriſt, of whom it was ſaid, This is my beloued Sonne, in whom I am well pleaſed.

ISaacke is blinde, Sem, Heber, and Abraham, being dead, onely Eſau and Iacob aliue to enioy the Bleſsing after Iſaacks death. Now if we examine the ſequell, we ſhall ſee that if Iſaacke had not been blinde, hee would for his part, haue brought deſtruction vpon the whole eart; for hee would haue bleſſed Eſau, who vpon any occaſion would [Page] haue ſould it; and beſides, being verie wicked in deſpiſing it, would haue brought the heauy wrath of God vpon his poſteritie for diſobedience. Therefore his blindneſſe was a great bleſsing, euen as Saint Paul ſpeaketh, Eueriething turneth to the beſt, to the children of God.

Iſaacke willeth Eſau to goe and kill him ſome Veniſion, that his ſoule may bleſſe him before he die. So the Prophets vſe to deſire meate before they prophecie, that being refreſhed, they may be the fuller of ſpirite and cheerefulneſſe. The Hebrewes diſpute from this place, whether Iſaacke was growne into pouertie: Some thinke hee was, by reaſon of the famine which fell in Canaan, and becauſe the Philiſtines kept not couenant with him, for which cauſe, Sampſon afterwards taketh occaſion to plague them, and that iuſtly: Aben Ezra is of this opinion. Rebecca ſhe heareth this Commandement of Iſaacke, & knowing that ſpeedineſſe in deſpatching, is oftentimes a great cauſe of aduantage, willeth Iacob to goe and fetch a Kid, that therof ſhe might make pleaſant meate for Iſaacke. Iacob is affraid, ſhe comforteth him: for ſhe had her warrant from God, that the elder ſhould ſerue the younger; and therefore ſhee boldly aduentureth. Hee commeth to Iſaacke, who ſuppoſeth him to bee Iacob by his voyce, but feeling the roughneſſe of his handes and necke, is perſwaded that it is Eſau, and bleſſeth him. When he was bleſſed, in commeth Eſau with his veniſon, and prayeth his Father to bleſſe him. Iſaacke was now aſtonied to thinke of this ſubtiltie. His ſpirite muſt needs be full of feare, to thinke how hee whom he would haue bleſſed, the Lord would not chooſe. Iſaacke therefore ſeeing the euent, acknowledgeth the election of God in Iacob, and concludeth that he ſhall be bleſſed.

Now heere is a queſtion to be handled; when Iacob ſayth: I am thy ſonne Eſau: and Iſaacke anſwereth: It is Iacobs voyce: Whether Iacob doth lie or noe. This anſwere [Page] of Iacobs, if we expound in the beſt ſence, is no lie: for then it is no more but a kind of ſpeach, called Ironia. So God ſpeaketh in Gen. 3.22. Behold, the man is become as one of vs, to know good and euill. So Chriſt in the Goſpell commeth to his Diſciples, and finding them aſleepe, ſayth, Sleepe hencefoorth. Wee may anſwere it further, thus: Iacob in reſpect of the purpoſe of God, which choſe him for the bleſſed, might very well be called the onely Sonne. Beſides, in regard of ciuil right, now he was his eldeſt Sonne, ſeeing he had bought the Birth-right of Eſau. Whether it were a lye or no, we will leaue it to God: and we can not altogeather condemne this anſwere, ſeeing God approoueth it by giuing Iacob the bleſsing.

Plato ſayth, When men are dead, we cannot aske them what they meant: Therefore wee muſt expounde their ſpeaches and their actions, to the beſt meaning. And further, wordes are not alwayes to be taken in proper kind of ſpeaking; for Abram defendeth himſelfe, that Sara was his Siſter, to wit, the Daughter of his Father, but not the Daughter of his Mother. Joſeph ſweareth, By the life of Pharaoh: if you take the words as they lie in proper ſence, he ſinned greatly, and was euen for his oath, the worſt of all Iacobs Sonnes. But Salamo-Iirkie expoundeth him thus: By the life of Pharaoh you are Spies, that is, Pharaohs life is a Wormes life, which in account is no life: euen ſo are ye no Spies in truth, though you may ſeeme ſo to be. So likewiſe Huſhas anſwereth Abſalom; for when Abſalom ſaw Huſhai Dauids Counſeller, he asketh him, Is this thy kindneſſe to thy friend? Why wenteſt thou not with thy friend? meaning Dauid. Huſhai anſwereth, Nay, but whom the Lord and his people, and all the men of Iſrael choſe, his will I bee, and with him will I dwell. This ſentence hath a double meaning; either that he meant to ſerue Abſalom, or King Dauid. Therefore, when things are ſpoken doubtfully, we muſt marke how men may in wit expound them.

[Page] Abraham died, Gen. 25.78. being 175. yeares old.2183. Hee was buried in Hebron.

Heber died, Gen. 11.16.17. being 464. yeares old.2188. Hee was the longeſt liuer of any that was borne after the Flood.

Iſmael died, being 137. yeares old.2231.

THe Prophet Eſay cap. 60.7. prophecying of the calling of the Gentiles, nameth the two eldeſt Sonnes of Iſmael, Nebaioth and Kedar, ſaying, The Rammes of Nebaioth, ſhall ſerue thee: and the Sheepe of Kedar, ſhall be gathered vnto thee.

Againe, he nameth two of Abraham by Ketura, Sheba and Seba: which two names, doe alſo containe the Gentiles by Cham, and the Gentiles of Sem by Iocktan: So that vnder the names of the moſt worthy Gentiles, which are the Gentiles by Abraham, hee ſheweth the calling of all the Gentiles in the World. Whereby we are taught, that Iſraels poſteritie was not wholly rooted out of the fauour of God, as Ameleckes was.

Iacob goeth to Laban. Gen. 28.5.2245.

HEe goeth into the Countrie of Meſopotamia to Laban, there he ſerueth twentie yeares.20. This Laban was the ſonne of Bethuel, and brother to Rebecca, and of the houſe of Nachor the brother of Abraham and Haran, who remayned in the land of the Caldies after Abrahams departure: ſo that Laban, though of Meſopotamia, yet is neere kinſman [Page] to Iacob.

Iacob in this Iourney, goeth ouer Iordan with his Staffe and Scrippe, as cloſely and ſecretly as he could, that thereby Eſau might not know of his departure: for Eſau was mighty; and, as it appeareth afterwardes, had a band of foure hundred men.

Iacob going to Haran, ſtayeth by the way all night, becauſe the Sunne was downe, and layde of the Stones of the place vnder his head, and ſlept. There hee ſeeth the viſion of the Ladder; and when he awaketh, he ſayth, Surely the Lord was in this place, and I was not ware of it. Then he roſe and tooke vp the Stones, and made a Piller, and called it Bethel: for he ſayd, this is no other, but the Houſe of Iehouah, and the Gate of Heauen.

Hee ſeeth a Ladder. &c.

THis Ladder repreſenteth Chriſt: the foote on the Earth, his Humanitie: and the toppe reaching to Heau enhis Deitie: the Angels of God aſcending and deſcending, the Mediations betwixt God and vs: and the Lord ſtanding aboue vpon it, the readineſſe of the Father, to receiue our Prayers. This is expounded, Iohn 1.51. Yee ſhall ſee the Heauens open, and the Angels of God aſcending and deſcending vpon the Sonne of man.

In this viſion of the Ladder, we ſee the whole Mediation of Chriſt is ſhewed to Jacob: And if we duely conſider it, there could not be a fitter Similitude in the whole courſe of Nature to repreſent the Mediation, then the Ladder: for euen as in a Ladder, if two or three Steppes be broken, the Ladder is to no vſe, ſeeing we can neither aſcend nor goe downe by it: euen ſo the whole Mediation is ſo vnited & knit togeather, that by deſpiſing any one part, wee bereaue our ſelues of the benefite of the whole.

[Page]After that Iacob was come to Haran, hee ſerued Seauen yeares for Rachel. Laban giueth him Leah, and deceiueth him, and vſeth this excuſe, That it was not the vſe of the Countrie, that the younger ſhould be ſerued before the elder. Leah is ſayd to be Contrite. Heere we may ſee what it is to enioy the truth of Gods Religion, and to worſhip him truely. Leah committeth a great ſinne: and though God make her fruitfull, yet this euent excuſeth not the fault before committed. Shee knew very well, that ſhe could not enioy ſaluation by ſtaying with her Father: and we are to make the beſt collection of the actions of the beſt Women; and therefore (no doubt) the zeale that ſhe had to know God, made her to venture ſo farre. No doubt, this was a great ſinne, and yet a farre greater to haue been marryed to an vnfaythfull Husband: for thereby there was no hope left for ſaluation. And wee ſee that Chriſt chooſeth to come of Leah by Iuda, rather then of Rachel. God himſelfe onely knoweth how farre he will pardon ſo great offences.

Then hee ſerueth Seauen yeares for Rachel. Leah is fruitfull; ſhee hath Reuben, and ſaith, The Lord hath Looked on my tribulation. Then ſhe conceiued, and bare Simeon, and ſaith, Becauſe the Lord Heard that I was hated, therefore he hath giuen me this Sonne. Shee conceiued againe, and bare Leui, and ſayth, Now my Husband will be Ioyned vnto mee, therefore ſhe named him Leui (Ioyned.) Then ſhe bare Iuda, and ſayd, Now will I Prayſe the Lord. The Heathen by the light of Nature will confeſſe, that the Lord looketh on their tribulation, and helpeth them; that he heareth their hatred, and reuengeth it: But they cannot for all theſe benefites, prayſe the Lord: Therefore ſhe as a Prophet, knowing that Chriſt ſhould come of Iuda, Pray ſeth God for ſo glorious a bleſsing. Then ſhee left bearing for a time.

Rachel giueth Bilha to Jacob, ſhe beareth Dan (Iudgement,) [Page] and ſayth, God hath giuen Sentence on my ſide: Afterwardes, Nepthali, (Wraftling.)

Leah doth the like, and giueth Iacob, Zilpha, who beareth Gad (a Companie,) and Aſher (Happy.) Leah after beareth Iſachar (Wages or Reward;) then Zebulon (God hath giuen me a goodly Dowrie;) and laſt, Dina, a Daughter (Iudgement.) So God ſhewed iudgements to the Sichemites, for rauiſhing of her.

2260.Fourteene yeares after, Ioſeph (Encreaſe) is borne. A rare man: and we commonly ſee, that rare men haue great expectation before their birth.

After this, Iacob like a good Philoſopher, enricheth himſelfe by vſing Roddes of diuers colours. Ioſeph in Egipt vſeth a kind of pollicie to take away the Landes from the people, and to bring them to the King. Theſe actions at the firſt, might ſeeme vnlawfull, becauſe the cauſe is hid from vs; though afterwardes the purpoſe of God appearing, they are approoued

2255. Iuda borne, his father Iacob being 87. yeares old.

HEe was the fourth Sonne of Iacob; his mother nameth him, Prayſe God: Whereby it appeareth, that ſhe looked for Redemption by Chriſt, reſpecting the Promiſe concerning the Seed of the Woman, to be accompliſhed in him. It could not ſo haue appeared by naming Ruben, Simeon, or Leui; for a wiſe Philoſopher might haue giuen thoſe names: But Iuda, contayning a name of heauenly comfort, ſheweth a ſpirit gouerned by the holy Ghoſt.

2264.Iacob goeth from Laban. Gen. 31.17.

WHere he had bin twentie yeares, two ſeuens & a ſixe; in which number, is contained the Creation, and the Sabaoth: And as any one may gather, cloſely expreſſed [Page] ſeuen yeares plentie, and ſeuen yeares dearth.

As he returned from Laban, he feared his brother Eſau: But the Angell of God met him to comfort him; therefore he calleth the name of the place Mahanaim, that is, Gods Hoſte. This Campe of Angels is repeated in the Song of Songes, and applyed to Chriſt, as the companie of an Armie. So Dauid likewiſe affirmeth, that the Angels of God doe pitch their Tentes about them that feare him. When Abſolom is deſtroyed, Dauid and his Campe were at Mahanaim, the place where the Angel mette Iacob. Wherein we are to learne, that God ſo diſpoſeth the actions of his elect, that hee regardeth their goinges out and their commings in, and marketh all their Paths; that whether they be at home with their Father, or abroad among Strangers, they are ſhadowed vnder the defence of the moſt High, whoſe dwelling is in eternitie,

After this, he wraſtleth with the Sonne of God, (that is, in likeneſſe of the ſame nature, which he afterward tooke vpon him) vntill the breake of the day, and would not let him goe till he had bleſſed him. Therefore hee called him. Iſrael, a Conquerour. This is expounded in Oſeas: By his ſtrength, he had power with God. To ſhew, that as he had power with God, ſo he ſhould preuaile with men. Then hee erected an Altar there, and called it Penuel; for ſayth hee, I haue ſeene Ged, face to face.

This ſtorie of Iacob, is repeated in Iohn 1.47. where Chriſt ſayth to Nathaniel, Behold a true Iſraelite, in whom there is no guile. Nathaniel is called the true Iſraelite, in that hee acknowledged Chriſt to be the Sonne of God: which hee might know by caſting Daniels Seauens.

Afterwardes hee is reconciled to his brother Eſau, and beyond Iordan hee dwelt, neere Sichem; where Dina is deflowred.

[Page]

Er

Onan

Selah

borne. Er & Onan were married to Thamar, & committed grieuous ſins before God, and therfore he deſtroyeth them.

2276.17. Ioſeph is ſode into Egipt when he is 17. yeares old: ſo long was he nouriſhed at home of Iacob.

IOſeph Dreameth that the Sunne, Moone, and eleuen Starres, worſhiped him. Gen. 37.9. meaning his Father, Mother, and his eleuen Brethren; of whom in the creation, the twelue Signes in the Zodiacke had a full reference: ſhewing thereby, that God in his Counſell at the Creation, had a great regard to the number of the Sonnes of Iacob, which were to be borne more then two thouſand yeares after. He hath the like regard at the confuſion of Tongues, in ſetling Canaan and his eleuen Sonnes in a ſoyle which Iacobs ſonnes ſhould afterwards poſſeſſe.

For declaring this Dreame, the poyſon of the Serpent poſſeſsing his Brethrens heartes, they were mooued with enuie, and ſold Joſeph into Egipt. Iuda cauſed him to be ſold, to ſaue his life: but Iudas Iſcariot, (that is, which falleth away for reward) ſold Chriſt, to looſe his life. Math. 26.15,

Iacob deceiued his father Iſaacke with a Kidd. Gen. 37.31. When Ioſeph is ſold, his Brethren ſprinkleth the blood of a Kidde vpon his partie coloured Coate, and brought it home to their Father, and ſaid, a wilde Beaſt had ſlaine him.

Jacob was 20. yeares from his father Iſaacke, and did not ſee his face.

Ioſeph was 20 yeares from his father Iacob, before he ſeeth his face.

To ſhew, that wherein a man offendeth, therein he ſhall be puniſhed.

Joſeph the ſonne of Jacob, fedde Iſrael in Egipt, as putting meat into the mouth of a Child.

Joſeth the ſonne of Jacoh, taketh the child Jeſus, and his Mother Mary, & fleeth into Egipt Mat. 2.14. and properly putteth meate into the Childes mouth.

Er and Onan died, Gen. 38.7.2280.

ER and Onan hauing committed a horrible ſinne before God, are ſlaine, and no ſeed left vnto them. Then according to the cuſtome, Thamar thought to haue had the third ſonne Selah, to haue rayſed vp ſeed: but Iuda neglecting it, ſhee attyred her ſelfe like a light woman, and lay in the way as Iuda ſhould goe to the Sheepſhearing: Whom Iuda knew, and at the time, ſhee bare two Children, Phares and Serah: For which fact, Iuda would haue burt her. Whereby we may know, that before the Law giuen by Moſes, they had the ſame equitie of Iuſtice for puniſhing of ſinne, that they had afterwards.

In Moſes Law, a Magiſtrate might not be condemned vnder three witneſſes.

Thamar condemneth Iuda by three witneſſes: his

Seale.

Bracelet.

Staffe.

From this deed of Iuda wee may vnderſtand, the prerogatiue that his Brethren ſhould prayſe him, could not be meant of himſelfe: but herein is manifeſt the giftes of God to be of Grace, and not of Nature: for if Iuda had been rare of godlineſſe, the prerogatiue of Nature might ſeeme to haue cauſed Chriſt to haue come of him.

2288.Iſaacke died, Gen. 35.29. being 180. yeares old.

[Page]

HEe is the longeſt liuer after Heber, and liueth longer then Abraham: to ſhew, that he was a Child of Promiſe; for if Abraham begetting him when he was old, he ſhould haue died quickly, what rare bleſsing had it been to Abraham? And therefore, that the power of God might be ſeene euen in the weakneſſe of man, Iſaacke hath a longer life then Abraham, or any after him. Herevpon it may be concluded, the Booke of Tobias to be falſe, becauſe it maketh Tobias life ſo long, and thereby ſeemeth to croſſe Iacobs Bleſsing. Beſides, wee ſhall finde that in Nehemias time, they which came out of Captiuitie do outliue any in the Scriptures that come after; and theſe men were accounted old. The longeſt liuer of them, commeth ſhort of Iſaackes age.

Ezrom borne: of him nothing is ſpoken.

2298.17.Iacob goeth into Egipt, Gen. 47.5. Hee is nouriſhed of Ioſeph 17. yeares.

215. NOw for this number of 215. how is that performed, Gen. 15.13. where God ſayth to Abraham, Thy ſeed ſhall be euill intreated in a Land that is not theirs 400. yeares, ſeeing they continue in Egipt but 215. yeares? They were afflicted by ſome of Egipt, 400. yeares; for Iſmael the Egiptian by Hagar, mocketh Iſaacke in the beginning of the 400. yeares, and that Mocking, in the Scripture is called Perſecution: And in the end of the 400. yeares, they were afflicted vnto the comming out of Egipt: ſo that they were not in Egipt 400. yeares; but they were afflicted firſt and laſt, 400. yeares.

[Page] Pſal. 105.23. Iſrael came into Egypt, and Iacob was a Stranger in the land of Cham; to confirme the couenant that hee made with Abraham, and the oath that he ſware vnto Iſaacke; which he appoynted to Iacob for a Law, and to Iſrael for an euerlaſting Teſtament, ſaying: Vnto thee will I giue the Land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance: when as yet there were but a few of them, and they Strangers in the Land, what time as they went from one Nation to another, and from one Kingdome to another people. Hee ſuffered no man to doe them wrong, but reprooued euen Kinges for their ſakes, ſaying: Touch not mine Annoynted, and doe my Prophets no harme. Yet hee called for a Dearth vpon the Land, and deſtroyed all the prouiſion of Bread. But hee had ſent a man before them, (Gen. 39.1.) euen Ioſeph which was ſold to be a Bond-ſeruant; whoſe feete were hurt in the Stockes, and the Iron entered into his ſoule, vntill the time that his cauſe was knowne. The word of the Lord tryed him.

This Famine ouer all the land of Canaan, may appeare to be a puniſhment on Iacobs ſamilie, for ſelling Ioſeph into Egipt.

IAcob goeth into Egipt, and there telleth Pharaoh, 1298. that hee was 130. yeares old: though Pharaoh in his demaunde, meant no more then a Heathen man would, to wit, to know his yeares, and the age of his life; ye [...] God ſo diſpoſeth Jacobs anſwere, that he ſignifieth vnto him, that his comming into Egipt with Seauentie ſoules, is anſwerable in a contrarie degree, to the firſt ſcattering of the Seauentie Families at the building of the Tower of Babel. In fourtie eight yeares, there came three diſcentes from Iacob. Whereby it appeareth, that Iuda and Pharez could not be much elder when they begot children, then Salomon was when he begot Roboam; which was about twelue yeares of age. By meanes of which ſpeedy increaſe, there were of theſe Seauentie, in two hundred and fifteene yeares, Six hundred thouſand fighting Men, beſides Women and [Page] Children, godly, and of the houſehold of fayth: to ſhew, how God could performe his Promiſe to Abraham, that Hee would make his ſeede as the Starres of Heauen, and as the Sand of the Sea-ſhore. Heereupon Abacucke ſayth, that the Councels of God are eternall: thereby teaching vs to marke diligently the time wherein God performeth his Promiſes: which may be made familiar by examples in this ſort. It is ſayd, Gen. 3.15. The Seede of the Woman ſhall breake the head of the Serpent.

This was not performed, till Chriſt tooke fleſh of the Virgin, and became Man; which was 4000. yeares wanting but 70. after the Promiſe made to Adam. Satan, to try this, tempteth Chriſt, and is ouerthrowne. Abraham goeth foorth of his Countrey, to imbrace the Promiſe, that God would giue him a Land, 430. yeares before his Seede ſhould enioy it. But the true performance was long after, that is to ſay, in Chriſt: as Zacharias ſpeaketh, Luk. 1. To performe the oath which he ſware to our forefather Abraham, that he would giue vs. God ſpeaketh as though preſently it ſhould fall out; but ſeeing one thouſand yeares in his ſight, a [...] one day, we muſt marke how his Counſels are eternall. It was ſpoken in King Achaz, daies by Eſay. 7.14. Behold, a Virgine ſhall conceaue a Sonne. Hee, nor his ſeede, ſaw the performance thereof: So was Iſaacke a figure of Chriſt; and the Lambe kept it in memorie. Daniel in his time propheſieth of 70. Seauens, or 490. yeares before Chriſt the King ſhould be killed, to performe euery Viſion and Prophecie.

2315.Iacob died in Egipt, &c. Gen. 49.33.

HEe is brought from Egipt to Canaan, to be buried in Hebron with Abraham and Iſaacke, as a ſigne that hee looked for the Reſurrection, and inioying of the ſpiriturll [Page] Canaan. This place Caleb afterwardes claymeth for an Inheritance, when he commeth into the Land: for it was the firſt Purchaſe, and a ſignification of our Pilgrimage in this life, hauing heere no abiding place.

Now let vs compare the Iourneyes of Abraham, Iacob, Iacobs ſonnes, and Chriſt, together.

Abraham

Was borne in Meſopotamia.

He goeth to Canaan.

He returneth to Egipt.

He dieth in Canaan.

Iacob

Was borne in Canaan.

He goeth to Meſopotamia.

He returneth to Canaan.

He goeth into Egipt.

He is brought to Canaan.

Iacobs ſonnes

Are borne in Meſopotamia.

They dwell in Canaan.

They multiply in Egipt.

They returne to Canaan; and after that, are carried into Babel, an other Egipt.

CHRIST

Is borne in Canaan.

He goeth to Egipt.

He returneth to Canaan, and there he dieth, and bringeth a new Babel or Egipt; the Romanes on the Iewes, to deſtroy them.

Rambam, an old Hebrew, maketh another compariſon in the euents thus. Iacob himſelfe was vſed well in Egipt: but his poſteritie was plagued by the Kings, which liued [Page] after him in Egipt.

In Babylon thoſe that went into captiuitie, were plagued, as Sidrack, Miſack, Abednago; but their poſteritie found reliefe in Cirus and Darius, conquering the Babilonians.

Now it is neceſſarie to ſpeake of the place where Iacob died.

This place was Egipt, Chams Countrie, long agoe accurſed. Where it is ſpoken in the Prophets, that in Egipt men ſpake with the tongue of Canaan: The meaning of it is thus much. That when Chriſt ſhall come to preach, his teaching ſhall be of ſuch power, that it ſhall conuert (in all Countries, as well Egipt; as Grecia, Barbaria, and all other the Countries of the Gentiles which knew not God) ſoules vnto God; which being conuerted, ſhall ſpeake the tongue of Canaan, that is, their tongues ſhall prayſe God for their Redemption by Chriſt, which is the tongue of Canaan. This continueth yet true: for there it no Countrie, nor Nation, where God hath not had, or hath thoſe which vnfaignedly beleeue the Goſpell. Yet if it be obiected, that the tongue of Canaan was Hebrew, how then ſhall a ſimple Ploughman vnderſtand it? This obiection is thus taken away. It is not neceſſarie for a ſimple Ploughman or trades-man to be a skilfull Hebrecian; for hee may be ſaued without the knowledge of the tongue, ſeeing by the Bible tranſlated, hee may learne the Religion of Canaan; and that learning, will teach him the tongue of Canaan. If they reply further, that the Papiſtes ſay, the Tranſlations be corrupted, and therefore it is neceſſarie he ſhould be cunning in the originall. For anſwere to this reply made from the Papiſtes argument: If any doubt of the trueth of the Tranſlations, he may reſort to learned Preachers, which can eaſily reſolue him. And for the Papiſtes, if the controuerſie be betweene them and vs, the originall muſt determine it.

[Page]It is ſayd, that Iacobs ſonnes were of Cham. It is not meant his twelue Sonnes, for they were borne before hee came into Egipt: but that place of Scripture hath ſpeciall referrence to the two ſonnes of Ioſeph, Ephraim and Manaſſes, who are recconed to be Iacobs Children: For Ioſeph marrying an Egiptian, by whom he had them, they by the Mothers ſide, are of Cham; and ſo Iacobs Children in this ſenſe, are of Cham.

Thus much for the place.

Now followeth his Will. Gen. 49.2.

HEare yee Sonnes of Iacob, and hearken to Iſrael your Father.

Heere hee repeateth his owne name, Iſrael, that is, Mightie with God. The occompliſhment of this ſtrength was fulfilled when they came from Egipt.

As there is no Common-wealth but ſtandes of thoſe that be Wanton, of men ouerreached with Choller, of Iudges, of Husbandmen, of Merchants, of men of Trade, of Warriours to defende from forraine inuaſion: ſo are Iacobs twelue Sonnes of all degrees in life.

In placing them heere thus, their Dignitie is regarded, and not their prerogatiue of Birth: for then Reuben ſhould be firſt.

IVD A hath the prerogatiue, that His Brethren ſhall prayſe him: Yet if wee looke into his life, this could not be meant of him; for who looſer then hee, who lay with his daughter Thamar? But herein is manifeſt the giftes of God to be of Grace, and not of Nature. For if Iuda had been rare for godlineſſe, then the prerogatiue of Nature might ſeeme to haue cauſed Chriſt to haue come of him. Iuda his Storie of Prayſe God, is repeated by S. Paul, Rom. 2.25. where he ſayth, Whoſe prayſe is not of men, but of God. So euery [Page] man that knoweth the birth of Chriſt, and imbraceth the truth thereof with conſtancie, not turning for the loue of reward, his prayſe is of God, though the world hate him.

JOSEPH, hee Exceedes in vertue, and therefore hath woonderfull bleſsinges; for among the thirteene Iudges, ſixe are of his Tribe: By which glory, his poſteritie began to deſpiſe the Tribe of Iuda; for at Roboams time, they ſay, 1 Kin. 12. What haue we to doe with the houſe of Ieſſai? What haue we to doe with the houſe of Dauid? to your Tentes O Iſrael, to your Tentes. But the Lord plagued them with a Plague euer to be kept in memorie, as the Prophet Ieremie ſayth, Ier. 7.12. Marke what I haue done to Siloh: (which was a Citie in the Tribe of Ephraim.) And in Pſal 78.67. He forſooke the Tabernacle of Siloh, euen the Tent that hee had pitched among them. He refuſed the Tabernacle of Ioſeph, and chooſe not the Tribe of Ephraim; but chooſe the Tribe of Iuda, euen the hill of Sion, which he loued. Concerning the proſperitie of Ioſephs houſe, Nazeanzenus noteth, that hee himſelfe was more afrayde of the ſubtleties of Satan in his proſperitie, then in his aduerſities.

NEPHTALI, Of him this onely is ſpoked, Gen 49. Hee is a Hinde let goe, giuing goodly wordes: Which was performed when Barack of Nephtali, and Debora of Ephraim, ſang for the ouerthrow of Siſera at the waters of Mageddon. Iudg. 5.1. &c. Now, whereas you haue Abacuck to bring a meſſe of Pottage to Daniel in the Lions denne, ſome Iew that made that, neuer meant ſo: but from that place of Abacuck, The iuſt ſhall liue by his Fayth. Abac. 2. fayneth a compariſon, that as Pottage preſerueth this naturall life from periſhing; ſo the meditating by Fayth on the Promiſes of God in Chriſt, kept our ſoules from wauering by diſtruſt: and by that confidence, Daniel was ſaued from the mouth of the Lions.

[Page] BENIAMIN, A child very vertuous; Rachel calleth him Ben-oni, Sonne of my ſorrow, but Iſrael calleth him Beniamin, Sonne of my right hand. Moſes in Deut. 33.12. in his bleſsing, ſayth, The beloued of the Lord ſhall dwell in ſafetie by him; and God ſhall dwell betweene his ſhoulders. And ſo he did; for the Temple was afterwardes built in the Tribe of Beniamin. His Tribe hath the firſt King, though he be the meaneſt of the Tribes. Beniamin continueth till the euening: When the other Tribes fell away, hee onely with Iuda at Roboams time: hee onely with Iuda in Cyrus time, ioyned for the building of the Temple. Heſter of Beniamin, ſaued all Iuda from the practiſe of Haman. Paul of Beniamin, was one of the laſt Builders of the ſpirituall Temple.

DAN: Moſes in his bleſsing in numbring the Tribes, leaues out Simeon. And in the Reuelation when the Tribes are ſealed, Dan is left out. Therevpon the Grecians thinke, that Antichriſt ſhall come of the Tribe of Dan. That is not ſo; but Moſes being of Leui, in bleſsing the Tribes, putteth in Leui, and ſpeaketh largely of his ſpirituall bleſſinges. Ioſephs Sonnes are not to be left out, becauſe they were adopted: therefore to keepe the number of Twelue, he muſt leaue out ſome. Simeon was the fitteſt, becauſe he was without repentance. Leui muſt be reckoned, ſeeing his was a ſpirituall inheritance, and the Lord promiſed to be his inheritance: therefore Dan muſt be omitted. And this may be the reaſon; When the children of Iſrael came into the land of Canaan, the Tribe of Dan cauſeth the firſt Idolatrie, and therefore that Tribe was iuſtly plagued: And in this Tribe Idolatrie continued till the remoouing of the Arke from Siloh. But yet this wee muſt vnderſtand, that though Dan is not named, yet in reſpect his Tribe are Iacobs Sonnes, the Tribe is comprehended in the generall Bleſsing: And Moſes concludeth, that ſeeing [Page] that the eternall God is his refuge; Iſrael the Fountaine of water ſhall dwell in ſafetie.

ISACHAR, Was content to liue vnder tribute, or labour like a Merchaunt, or like to an Aſſe couching downe betweene two Burdens, rather then to ſeeke glorie by leading Bandes of men.

REVBEN, Hee loſt his prerogatiue, becauſe hee Went vp to his Fathers bedde; therefore hee is light as Water, hee ſhall not excell. Reuben hath one of Dauids Captaines of his Tribe: but it is preſently added therewith, Thirtie better then hee. Reuben ſheweth ſome compaſsion to Ioſeph, and would not haue him killed, but caſt him into ſome Pitte. Iuda thought that might be too long ere hee would be piſpatched, and therefore ſelleth him.

SIMEON and LEVI, Their wrath was fierce; yet becauſe Leui afterwardes repented, and ſhewed tender affection to Ioſeph, and was zelous in deſtroying Idolaters, therefore he had a Bleſsing in Moſes Will. Simeon neuer ſhewed any tender affection to Ioſeph; and therefore when his Brethreh come into Egipt, and Ioſeph accuſeth them for ſpies, he keepeth Simeon in priſon till they come downe againe, as a kind of puniſhment for his former malice. His ſinne againſt the Sichemites was exceeding great: and ſeeing hee neuer ſhewed any ſigne of repentance, hee was iuſtly cut off from the hope of a Bleſsing. By this wee may learne to reiect the authoritie of the Booke of Iudith: Firſt, becauſe ſhee is ſayd to be of the Tribe of Simeon. If wee marke this well, wee ſhall ſee how this Booke can not be Scripture; for wee muſt note, that it is no ſmall glory, to haue the ſpirit of God penne a Booke of ones actions. If there be but a ſentence ſpoken in the commendation of any in the Scripture, it is a great weght [Page] of glory. Now if we looke to Iacobs Will, and ſee that hee hath a Curſe and not a Bleſsing: and in the courſe of Scripture afterward, no mention of any repentance that Simeon and his Tribe ſhewed, nor any zeale of Religion expreſſed, how can this ſtand with Iacobs Prophecie▪ nay, it cleane croſſeth it, and maketh it fruſtrate. For ſeeing Jacob as a Prophet, telleth all his Sonnes what ſhould befall them in the laſt dayes, to euery one and his Tribe, ſo long as the Kingdome of the Iewes, and their pollicie ſtood; and in his Will maketh no mention of the Booke of Iudith, Wee muſt by admitting this Booke, accuſe the ſpirit of God of ignorance. Beſides, it is a Storie: and yet the time thereof doth not fall out within the compaſſe of any time, neither before the Captiuitie, neither after: and therefore to be reiected. And for my opinion, I make as much account of Ouid Metamorphoſis, as of Iudith: for Plato ſayth, That in Fables, there a Truth reuealed ſecretly. Thus we are to thinke likewiſe of the booke of Tobie.

LEVI, Hee repented, when Amram of the Tribe of Leui ſaued Moſes.

ZABVLON, Was a Merchaunt, and Delighted in Shippes. In Greeke, Canaan is called Phenicea, and the men of Canaan, Phenices. Ariſtotle, a thouſand yeares after Moſes, maketh mention of a Riuer Tarteſus; he meant the Sea Tharſis: and the Phenices brought Gold, and had ſuch plentie, that their Ankers were thereof. No doubt he had heard of Salomons time, wherein Gold and Siluer was no more eſteemed then Stone. This trauayling of Iacobs Sonnes into farre Countries, muſt needes make the Heathen haue a taſte of Religion: And Moſes hee willed the Heathen to reſort to the Mountaine where the Temple was built.

ASER, Was a Farmour, To prouide pleaſures for a [Page]King. You haue in the old Teſtament, little ſpoken of him; but becauſe his Tribe ſhould not thinke themſelues excluded the fauour of God, you haue in the new Teſtament Anna, that is, Grace (a very rare Woman for godlineſſe) the daughter of Phanuell (that is, ſee God,) of the happie Tribe of Aſer: for Aſer ſignifieth Happie.

GAD, Hee ſhall Lead an Hoſt of men. This was performed when Reuben, Gad, and halfe of Manaſſes, gaue a great ouer throw to the Haggarines, about the time that Saul was annoynted King.

Thus we may ſee that whatſoeuer is requiſite in palicie for the maintenance of a Common-weale, you ſhall finde expreſſed in the liues and behauiour of the Sonnes of Iſrael.

2369Ioſeph died, Gen. 50.26. being 110. yeares old.

BY Fayth, Ioſeph when hee died, made mention of the departing of the Children of Iſrael out of Egipt, and gaue commandement of his bones. Heb. 11.22.

Now becauſe many excellent thinges are to be ſaid of Ioſeph before his death, when he was in Egipt, & in the Sinay ſight no yeares layde downe, I will heere handle them togeather.

God proſpered him in Egipt in all his actions. And euen as God bleſſed Lahan for Jacobs ſake; ſo he bleſſed Ioſephs Maiſter▪ for Ioſephs ſake.

Ioſeph was a goodly perſon, and well fauoured: which commendation in the ſame wordes is beſtowed vpon Dauid, Sam. 16. [...]3▪ the ſame of Daniel, and the ſame of Chriſt.

Ioſeph would not bee defiled with the fornication of Egipt: Daniel would not be defiled with the vncleane diet of Babel.

[Page] Ioſeph expoundeth Pharaohs Dreame: Daniel expoundeth Nebuchadnetzars Dreame.

Ioſeph was made Ruler ouer Egipt: Daniel was made Ruler ouer Babel.

Ioſeph being in Priſon, found fauour with the Maiſter of the Priſon. Daniel found fauour with the Kings Chamberlaine.

Ioſephs name was changed by Pharaoh: Daniels name was changed by Nebuchadnetzar.

Ioſeph was falſely accuſed: Chriſt was falſely accuſed.

Ioſeph was thirtie yeares old when he ſtood before Pharaoh: Ieſus is baptized beginning to be thirtie yeares old.

Ioſeph was in Priſon betweene two Theeues; the one of them was ſaued, the other condemned: Chriſt was crucified betweene two Theeues; the one of them was ſaued, the other condemned. Yet notwithſtanding all theſe Bleſsinges of God vpon Ioſeph, (to ſhew that euen the beſt haue their infirmities) his Vertues were darkened very much, in that he marrieth an Egiptian woman. Gen. 41.50. Which was altogeather vnlawfull. For Eſau before doing the like, is blamed; and Rebecca hauing an ſpeciall care ouer Iacob, leaſt hee ſhould commit the like wickedneſſe, ſendeth him to Laban to chooſe a Wife of his owne kindred. Abraham had the like care for Iſaacke. And Moſes afterwards forbids it by a Law; thereby confirming the vnlawfulneſſe thereof. Seauen hundred yeares after, is this ſinne puniſhed in Iſrael: for Ieroboam receiued Religion of Egipt, and maketh two Calues, whereby all Iſrael became Ipolaters.

FINIS.

The Table

[Page]

[Page]

Page.

IEhouah, The ſignification and efficacie. Page. 1.

The Wiſedome, Power, and eternitie of God. Page. 1.2.

Our God, Page. 2.

The Trinitie deſcribed. Page. 3.

Of Election. Page. 4.5.

The effect of Election. Page. 6.7.

In the fulneſſe of time all ſhall be brought vnder one head. Page. 9.10.

In the beginning was the word, &c. expounded. Page. 11.

Hee was the Light, &c. what is meant by it. Page. 12.

The Creation of the World Page. 13.

Adams creation, the day, the houre, and place: with the time, and continuance in Paradiſe. &c. Page. 14.15.

What is meant by the Seede of the Woman, &c. Page. 17.

Adam and Eue driuen out of Paradiſe. Page. 18.

Of Kaine and Abels offeringes, with the ſignification of their names, agreeing with their conditions. Page. 18.19.

Alſo the interpretation & vſe of the names of the Fathers from Adam to Noah. Page. 19.20.21.22.

The time of the yeare and day of Adams creation. Page. 23.24.25.

Adams death, and the place where. Page. 26.27.

Chriſt compared with Adam. Page. 28.29.

Of the number one. Page. 29.

Of three. Page. 30.

Of foure. Page. 31.

Of fiue. Page. 32.

Of ſixe. Page. 32.

Of ſeuen. Page. 32.33.34.

Of eight. Page. 34.

Of ten. Page. 34.35.

Of twelue. Page. 35.

Of Seth borne, and what vſe of him. Page. 36.

Seth compared with Chriſt. Page. 37.

Of Eno [...]h, and what of him. Page. 37.

Of Kenan. Page. 38.

Of Mahalaleel. Page. 38.39.

Of Jared. Page. 40.41.

Of Henoch. Page. 41.42.43.

Of Henoch compared with Chriſt. Page. 44.

Of Methu [...]helah. Page. 45.

Of Lamech. Page. 46.

Of Noah. Page. 47.

[Page]Of Noah compared with Chriſt. Page. 47▪ 48.

When Noah began the Arke, the place, and how long in building. Page. 48.

Of Japhet, and the ſignification of his name. Page. 52. & 67.

Of Sem, and his name. Page. 53. & 68.

Of the Flood, and the thinges to be conſidered thereby. Page. 54.55.56.

Chriſt and the Arke compared togeather. Page. 57.

The time of the continuance of the Flood. Page. 59.

Adam and Noah compared togeather. Page. 62.

Of Cham, and his iſſue. Page. 64.65.66.

Of Heber and his name: with the rare vſe of his Storie. Page. 69.70.71

Of Peleg, and the rare vſe of him. Page. 72.73.74.

Of the birth of Abraham, and his name. Page. 77.

A queſtion diſcuſſed about Terabs age when he begat Abraham. Page. 78.79.

Of Sarah, and the ſignification of her name. Page. 81.

The Promiſe giuen to Abraham. Page. 82.

Melchiſedech ſhewed to be Sem. Page. 84.85.

Of Iſmael and his Storie. Page. 87.88.

Of Jſaacks birth, and name. Page. 89.

Of Jſaacks age when Jſmael flouted him. Page. 92.

Of Jſaacks age when he was to be ſacrificed, anſwerable to Chriſts death. Page. 93.

Jſaacks compared with Chriſt. Page. 95.

Eſau and Jacob borne, with their ſtories depending. Page. 96.97, &c.

Jſaacks blindneſſe: a great bleſsing to the children of God. Page. 100.101.

Jacob goeth to Laban. Page. 103.

Jacob in his iourney ſeeth a Ladder: the interpretation thereof. Page. 104.

Jacobs Wiues and Children, with the interpretation of their names. Page. 105.106.

Jacobs departure from Laban: and his wreſtling with God. Page. 106.107.

Joſephs Dreame, and his ſelling into Egypt. Page. 108.

Iacobs iourney into Egypt. Page. 110.111.

Iacob dieth in Egypt. Page. 112.

The Iournies of Abraham, Iacob, Iocobs ſonnes, and Chriſt, compared togeather. Page. 113.

Of the place where Jacob died. Page. 114.

Of Iacobs Will, & the bleſsing of his Children according to the worthineſſe of their tribes, and poſteritie to come. Page. 115.116.117 118.119.120.

Of Ioſephs death, and of his excellent worthineſſe. Page. 120.121.

The Figures in the margent, are the yeares of the world.

FINIS.

[Page]

Information about this book

Title statement

A briefe discourse of the scriptures Declaring the seuerall stories, liues, and deaths, of the fathers, from the Creation of Adam, vnto the death of Ioseph: very necessarie to be read and practised, for easie vnderstanding of the Scriptures in a short time.

Edition statement

1614

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Text Creation Partnership,

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Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2009-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A68150

ID [STC]

STC 12975

ID [STC]

ESTC S115174

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99850393

ID [PROQUEST]

99850393

ID [VID]

15591

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A68150)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 15591)

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— A briefe discourse of the scriptures Declaring the seuerall stories, liues, and deaths, of the fathers, from the Creation of Adam, vnto the death of Ioseph: very necessarie to be read and practised, for easie vnderstanding of the Scriptures in a short time., Hayne, Thomas, 1582-1645, attributed name. aut.

Extent

[4], 121, [3] p.

By W. White dwelling in Cow-lane,. Imprinted at London :: 1614.. (Erroneously attributed to Thomas Hayne.) (In the preface, White who printed several of H. Broughtons's works, says this is likely "by an attendaunt on that learned Diuine M.H.B. as a collection from his notes or readings."--STC.) (The text, with a few alterations, follows the first part of STC 12981 very closely but may derive from an independent manuscript--STC.) (Running title reads: The stories of the fathers, from Adam to Ioseph.) (Formerly identified as STC 12982.) (Identified as STC 12982 on UMI microfilm, reel 1381.) (Reproductions of the original in the Bodleian Library.) (Appears at reel 1274 and at reel 1381.)

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