Observations Upon the First Ten Fathers, Text

Observations Upon the First Ten Fathers · Text

Obſeruations VponUpon The firſt ten FATHERS. By H. BROVGHTON.

Imprinted at London by W. White dwelling in Cow-lane. 1612.

p. 1OBSERVATIONS VponUpon Adam, Seth, Enoſh, Kenan, Mahalaleel, Iared, Enoch, Methuſelah, Lamech, Noah: the firſt ten Fathers. 1. Chro. 1.

1 IN that all men which hauehave beene ſince the Hood, come of thoſe tenne Patriarches, all may be counted faultie, that regarde not the Hiſtorie of ſuch their owne and moſt noble Anceſtors: all faythfull Chriſtians; all recorded thriſe in the Writ of trueth for their age. Gen. 5. and 6. And all recorded in three Bookes for their line. Gen. 3. 1. Chr. 1. Luk. 3.

2 Seeing Iewes and Gentiles both agree, that CHRIST is the glory of all men; all ſhould thinke that the Holy ſpirit would not begin his Line, to leaue it afterwarde vnperfect (as the wicked Iewes now know it not) but would continue it through vntounto himſelfe; as in S. Luke it is chayned from Ely Maries father, vp to Zorobabel, Nathan, Dauid, Adam.

p. 23 While theſe men liued in the world, there was but one Tongue, that in which Adam ſpake,What Tongue Adam & Eue palce. and was fit to argue his Angel-like witte; which the ſame, the holy Spirit vſed in all the Bookes of the old Teſtament, and hath not left it in any other Writer extant; but hath ended it with the old Teſtament. Their Language ſo wittie and ſo ſanctified, ſhould be knowen of all their (not baſtardly) race, what worthineſſe it hath, In ſome generalitie.

4 That Adams Tongue was the ſame which Moſes vſed, the Notations doe ſhew in Adams wordes: Hee calleth her which was taken out of his ſide, Iſha;(in the morning preſently vponupon her creation) becauſe ſhe was taken from Iſh. That Language helde vntounto**In Malachies age the old Teſtament ended, and authenticall Ebrew. The h…d Apocrypha is not in that tongue, nor penned by the holy ſpirit. Malachy: Iſh for Man, Iſha for Owman, or Of man.

5 The ſame appeareth in the name which he giueth to the woman in the euening of the ſame day, vponupon the promiſe of Life; Eua or Ch-Eua, Life: from a tearme of lyuing, Chaya, flowing out of the ſame ſpring.

6 Eua declareth the ſame Tongue to be her Tongue: For ſhe nameth her firſt ſonne Kain, Poſſeſſion; from the verbe Kanah to poſſeſſe: ſhewing that to be the reaſon of his name, becauſe ſhe poſſeſt a Sonne by the Eternall.

7 The other names,A digreſſion to Habel and Kayn. Adam, Earthie, of Adama Earth. Habel, Vanitie, are plaine of them ſelues, and often touched in glaunces; as p. 3Col Habel, Col Adam; the whole that commeth of Adam, is wholly Vanitie. Pſa. 39. 6. And all Adam, Man is Habel. Pſal. 39. 11. And, truely the ſonnes of Adam are Vanitie. Pſal. 6. 2. 11. Adam is like to Habel, Man to Vanitie. Wee may not thinke it a ſmall matter, when the matter is ſo often handled by the ſpirit of all Wiſedome perfect, that hath nothing ſuperfluous. Thus we may finde the …guage of our firſt Parents, what it was … and moreouer how it was moſt fit for perfect Wiſedome; and how the firſt perſons conteine all mans eſtate. Adam the earthy man, what poſſeſsion (Kynian) ſoeuer he gate; all is (Habel) vanitie. The Man (Chaya) liueth by the promiſe in CHRIST.

The words of Rabbi Bochai touching Kain and Habel, are in mine opinion worthy citing: and the enemies owne teſtimonie for a trueth, ſhould be not the worſt. Thus Bochai ſayth. In a wittie ſenſe Kain & Habel conteyne in their names aduertiſementes, & cloſe glaunſes for matter of true continuance, and corruption▪ Kain, betokeneth Poſſesſion in this world: & Habel betokeneth one humbled in minde, and holding ſuch poſſesſion vayne. Such was his offering, Sheepe kinde; the gentleſt of all lyuing beaſtes: and therefore the fauour of God folowed him. And the offering of Kain was of the fruict of the Earth, as he loued the poſſesſion of this worlde, and the ſeruice of the body (which yet can hauehave no continuance) and followed after body luſtes: p. 4Therfore the bleſsed God fauoured him not. This the Rabbin ſpeaketh, glauncing at their names. Diuiner matter from their perſones & doing, we are taught: That Kain was of the Serpent, and hated his brother, becauſe of good workes. Alſo iuſt Habels ſlaughter, the firſt that dyed, was an effectuall proofe, that for beng iuſt, the beſt ſhould die: as our Lord telleth the Iewes how Habels blood ſhou… be required at them, murhterers of him. And the faythles Hebrew Docters are at their wits ende, as touching what Gods counſell was, in that good Habel ſhould ſo be kilde. The Apoſtles compare them with Cain; Habel with Chriſt, ſuffering for goodnes. But my degresſion, drawing vntounto the ten Fathers to collateral men, may not be long; I will go to the right lyne.

1 Seth commeteh Adams heyre. His name in Adam tongue and ours, falleth a like; Set, or ſetled ſure. Eue named him Seth, becauſe God hath Set mee an other-gates Seede in ſtead of Habel, for Kain ſlue him, and prooued his dayes to be Habel, Vanuie. Gen. 3. 25. Adam approoued the ſame name, as knowing that hee ſhould be the ſure-ſetled, when all other Familyes ſhould ende by the Flood.

2 Therefore Balaam ſpeaketh, that all the Sonnes of Seth, that is, all Nations (all come of him) ſh…lbe vnwalled by Chriſt; and taught by doctrine or experience, that all their ſtrength is nothing Num. 24.

3 It is a good meditation to thinke of Adam, p. 5Habel, and Seth; how the Scripture conferreth all three with our Lordes caſes: Adam the earthy, with the heauenly: Habels blood, with our Sauiours: and Seths families, with his conqueſtes.

4 Adam and Eue both agreeing for the name Seth, gaue a doble witneſſed warning to the world, that as Kain was curſed, ſo other families ioyning with his, ſhould feele in the Flood, the curſe of all the earth, that they ſhould better regard Seths right line.

5 The Scripture telleth in Seth onelyonly in plaine ſort, that after Adams image and likeneſſe he was borne, becauſe hee was the fitteſt to ſhew what all Adams …ace was, beeing the firſt in the line continued ſtill: and as hee was, ſo muſt all be.

6 The Iewes commonly **Some Iewe… of malice ſtudie to perue… all Chriſtians doctrine: as this man, Abrabbaneel, or, Barbinel, a Rabbine of great paines and witte, bu… not of grace: and only to b… folowed whe… he clearely is on our ſide. Without then our age can not fear… … thinges: and much they … the vnacquainted with them.peruert the meaning of the tearmes: The Image and likenes of Adam. Thus Abrabbaneel expoundeth it. pag. 39. Becauſe Adam was excellent in his likeneſſe and Image intellectiue, God like; Seth came foorth like vntounto him in that image and likeneſſe which God made in him: For he was a wiſe ſonne, & in his wiſedome and vnderſtanding, hee was like his Father; which was wiſer then all men, being the frame of the handes of God. And hereupon it is ſayd; And hee beg…t according to his owne likeneſse, according to his owne image: That is, hee begot a Sonne which ſhould iſſue in the likeneſſe and wi…te of Adam: the wit…e, and of knowledge; and therefore his name was called Seth, by a tearme of ſtabliſhment and ſetling: p. 6becauſe he ſaw by his Wiſedome, that his ſeede ſhould be ſetled in the world. And therefore it was not ſpoken ſo of Kain or Habel, becauſe they were not after the likeneſſe of Adam, and ſhould not hauehave continuance in the World, but their end ſhould faile. This doctrine is badde. EueryEvery man is borne the Foale of a wild Aſſe, and conceaued in ſinne, and dead in ſinne, and a child of wrath naturally. Kain, Habel, and Seth, were all three borne after the image of the earthly: Kain continued therein; Habel and Seth were borne againe. The mention of naturall corruption, or Adams image and likeneſſe in Kain or Habel, had not touched vsus ſo much as in our owne Father: So the name of Seth is frowardly applyed by him to Adam likeneſſe; for all Adams, is all Habel: His continuance and ſetled ſtate was by Gods fauour, not by his witte or wiſedome. His other Families prooued that.

7 Againſt the Iewes**Yet in all other of Seth, they held the nature of all men, corrupt. But that point was very needfull to be cleared to the full. common errour, our Lord teacheth Nicode…s, that the Sonnes of Seth, and all of Adam, muſt be borne from abone, or they enter not into the kingdome of Heauen: and ſo much… …oſes meant, to tell of Adams corrupt image in Seths birth; not of that which he firſt had, and loſt.

8 Enoſh is next Seth, his Sonne, much to be conſidered. The letters of his name in the appellatiue, ſignifie Sorrowfull, Grieuous, and the like; and that very often in Scripture. Moſes giueth cloſely a reaſon of Seths counſell at the p. 7naming of him ſo,Tremellius, Tum caeptum eſt profana…i in inuocando nomine Jehouae. ſaying: Azhuchal, Then ſprang Corruption, touching the calling vponupon the name of God.

9 Men not acquainted very much with Scripture, would maruell why any would cite the Text ſo, ſeeing it is commonly tranſlated thus;Gen. 4. 26.Gen 4:26 Then men began to call vponupon the name of the Lord. So Moſes may be tranſlated; AZ huchal, Then was a Beginning. The Greeke draweth neare vntounto that. The Latine tranſlation called S. Ieromes, followeth that, and many others.

10 This poynt cannot be well weighed,A digreſsion for a matter of ſome difficultie. without iudgement of a rule generall through Moſes and the Prophets, and the later Iewes their tranſlaters from Adams tongue into Greeke, how all theſe hide their minde, when matters come to be ſpoken of, which to prophane men would ſeeme ſtrange.Life eternall plainly meant, but neuer named in Moſes: and why? Moſes neuer nameth life eternall in the plaine and vſuall phraſe, but by ſtrong conſequentes; as how the Lord is the God of Abraham, Iſaak, & Iacob; and not of the dead, but of the liuing: whereby they muſt be holden to liue. So Life in his Law, ſignifieth often Life eternall: and Death, Death eternall. So by this place, Deut. 32. 39. I kill, and I make aliue; Aben Ezra noteth, that Death, and life after it, is cloſely taught. And this reaſon is rendred of many Rabbines, why Moſes neuer nameth Life eternall, though all his doctrine tendeth thyther; euen becauſe the world then all prophane, which p. 8skant heard of one God, and hardly beleeued the Creation, was to be allured by open and plaine thinges, firſt vntounto the worſhip of the one God: and that being done for Earthly bleſsinges, they might afterwardes be drawen eaſily vntounto the Eternall: VntoUnto which, if directly they were called, the ſtrangeneſſe would make them reiect all. So, Moſes hideth his minde in the Paradox of Adams preſent fall, with manifold turnings of the Narration: and likewiſe of the ages of Iapheth and Sem, Gen. 11.Gen 11Haran and Abraham: and with doubtfull tearmes for the Peregrination of the Children of Iſrael, as though they had been 430. yeares in Egypt: But he had relation to Abrahams Peregrination and Promiſe of Chriſt: Galat. 3. 17.Gal 3:17which the eſtranged could not conceiue. From diſputing whereof, he minded to bridle men vnskilfull, by doubtfull ſpeaches; yet giueth rules thyther, to vnderſtand him**As in Exod. 6. 18. ſhewing that his grandfather, who was of their number who came into Egypt, ivued 133. yeares, his ſonne Amram 137. Moſes 80 there: all 350.Exod 6:18 rightly. So heere, the tearme Huchal may be taken for a Beginnig, or for Corruption: But the matter telleth, that God was called vponupon long before that, in the firſt Sabbath; and therefore, Beginning could not be then: wherefore, Corruption muſt be meant there, by Huchal. So Dauid Kymchi the King of Grammarians, doth take it in his Rootes, for Corruption. So in Breſhith Rabba, the fallinges away from God, are reckoned in the dayes of Enoſh, of the Deluge, and of Babel. The Zoar, and others, the moſt of Iudahs name, hold the ſame: Arias Montanus hath both. The Greek-Hebrewes p. 9knowing why Moſes hid his minde, they turned it fit for Heathen, Then men hoped to call vponupon Gods name. All who incline that way, hauehave great defence by Grammer, and much authority; ſome of Hebrewes, more of others. But the matter will require Corruption; not a Beginning of Religion, to be meant there: As in the ſpeach continuing the Narration (after the Catalogue of the Fathers) it is manifeſt; how the Sonnes of God, ſaw the Daughters of Adams Sonnes, and ſo choſe Wiues of a ſtrange God: Otherwiſe, Moſes telleth not when apoſtacie from Religion ſhould fall.

11 If at Enoſh birth, men began to call vponupon God; Seth vponupon that occaſion, would not euer hauehave named his ſonne Sorrowfull Enoſh; nor Moſes hauehave ioyned preſently thereupon (after naming the Fathers) the falling away. The Prophets likewiſe name Life. My digreſsion would be too long, if I tooke examples of the like concealing the minde, from the Prophets, and from the Greeke tranſlaters. I will now proceed vntounto the next.

12 Kenan is hee: Konen, To Lament, might be the roote, for his name. Twiſe ſpeaking of one thing is vſuall, for vehemencie; as in Dan. 5. Mene, Mene: So theſe two names, Sorrow, and Lamentation, teach, that they lamented the ſorrowes of their Workes, and of the Earth, which God hath curſed.

13 Ma-hahal-El, a prayſer of God; teacheth p. 10what comfort ought to be in ſorrow; the ſeeking of Gods prayſe, and glory for the world to come. An other Notation, Mahal-Le-El, God bringeth a Confuſion (by water,) is well agreeable to the Argument. So, thy Wine, is Mahul, Confuſed (with water.) That is fitteſt for the continuall threatning of the Flood; to ſhew the curſe vponupon the Flood. So that this name comprehendeth the drift of all the Scripture.

14 Iared, is in the playnneſſe (caſting away no letter) Deſcending: as betokening a downefall in the behauiour of men, without hope of goodneſſe to any bettering. Such as deriue this name from Radah, to Rule, go twiſe further then they neede: The Argument calleth for no ſuch matter; and, that Etymologie ſhould firſt be admitted, which hath beſt agreement in the Letters, when nothing for the matter diſagreeth; and not any farre off ſought out, when one at home is fit onelyonly.

15 Enoch ſignifieth, Dedicated, Appoynted vntounto. If Kain had called him ſo, the name had been of no praiſe; but as in one appoynted for the wicked world; now it is the beſt as in one Conſecrated vntounto God. Hee is in number, the ſeuenth (as any may reckon) from Adam: and alſo, as the Holy ghoſt noteth, for an higher purpoſe. The prouidence of God may be ſweetly conſidered, in continuall calling of vsus to conſider the Sabbath, by his diſpoſing of great matter gracious p. 11moſt often by ſeauens. So Moſes was from Abraham, the ſeuenth. The time of his life is wonderfull, matching in yeares the dayes of the Sunnes yere. 365. A matter moſt pleaſaut to teach, what recompence commeth by walking with God. If his aſſumption had not been recorded; yet the number of his yeares would hauehave cauſed celeſtiall admiration, what kind of man he ſhould be. Hee walking with God, was doubleſſe a moſt zealous Preacher of righteouſneſſe, and told of the Flood to come. S. Iude eloquently frameth an Oration for him, by the matter, as Oratours may lawfully doe: thus it ſtandeth, Iude 14. Behold, the Lord commeth with his holy thouſandes, to execute iudgement againſt all men, and to reproue all the wicked of them, for all their workes which they hauehave committed; and for all their hard words which wicked ſinners ſpake againſt him. This is a moſt ſweete Oration, framed from Moſes, for this our holy Father. In the Flood God ſhewed iudgement: and as on Sinai hee came with thouſandes of his Holy-ones; ſo doubtleſſe at the Deluge, againſt men that caſt oft, and ſcorned trueth of Religion, and holy Patriarchs admonitions, and liued wallowing in all badneſſe. Alſo, the tearme Behold, may hauehave a cloſe glaunce at the notation of Methuſelah: Then firſt, Enoch walked with God, as a Prophet and holy Teacher.

16 Meth, He dying, V, then; Shelah, He (God) ſendeth: what? the matter ſpoken of, iudgement vponupon the wicked. The Scripture is p. 12full of cloſe glaunſes: And well might Enoch name his Sonne ſo, as Iared gaue him a name fitted to his euent. While Methuselah liued, the Flood came not; few dayes after his death it came, when he had skant begun his laſt yeare of 969. For memory of the phraſe, the Iewes ſay, that he lay vponupon the Arke: For, being iuſt, he periſhed not; onelyonly eight were in the Arke; and he could not hauehave his full yeares 187. to Lameches birth, & 182. thence to Noahs, & his 600. compleat, but as vponupon the Arke. This is the meaning of their fable, the ſhewing how his age reached into the Flood. And I thinke that the mockers which S. Peter ſpeaketh of, skoffed the prophecie conteined vnderunder his name, when they ſaid, Where is the appearance of his comming? For ſince the Fathers dyed, the world continueth in the ſame ſtate. Now the Fathers all, and his Sonne, dyed before the Flood: and for the ſadneſſe of that, hee gaue to his Sonne the name Lamech.

17 La-Mech, of Mach, Striking. Tubalcayns father, that would kill a man in his wounde, had the ſame name, as a Striker: but this man was ſtroken with all calamities: Hee ſaw Adam turned to duſt, Seth ſet in his reſt, Enoſh taken with ſorrowes of death, Kenan lamented by mourners in the ſtreete, Mahalaleel depart thyther where Angels prayſe God, Iared deſcend to the low partes of the earth, Enoch taken vp; and knew that he ſhould die before his Father, when he named Noah, the Comforter. Whereas ſeeing his p. 13Father liued vntounto the Flood, without propheticall knowledge, that he ſhould die before his Father, hee, not Noah, ſhould hauehave been thought the Comforter. And the ſaddeſt Oration that could proceed from a broken heart, is that which hee maketh at Noahs birth, ſaying: This is hee that ſhall comfort vsus, concerning our workes, and concerning the ſorrowes of our handes, and concerning the earth which GOD hath curſed. So Lamech giueth ſadneſſe; as his Sonne, a remedie to ſorrow.

18 Noah, the tenth, hath his name arguing that Lamech ſpake Hebrew; as Moſes in the Notation, Noah and Naham. Great matters are to be conſidered in him: Hee was long a ſingle man. When hee was 480. the ſpirit of Chriſt, not recorded euer ſince the firſt day of man, to hauehave ſpoken to any (ſauing to the curſed Kain,) neuer to any for effectuall Saluation, ſpeaketh to Noah. Therefore S. Peter talking of Chriſt his Diuinitie, had not an auncienter open record ſince the ſpeach to Adam, to talke of, for Chriſt his open full ſpeach ſpeaking vntounto men, though the other nine were illuminated with propheticall knowledge. Noah is 500. before he was a Father, or maried; as we may gather: That argueth his great feare of Gods iudgementes; farre vnlike his ſonnes now adayes, giuen as Horſes, to all voluptuouſneſſe, and not caring for their owne moſt certaine deſtruction. Twentie yeares before hee was maried, hee p. 14had a warrant, that his houſe ſhould not periſh. His breathren and ſiſters yet would not take that warning, for all that Lamech and Methuſelah both could doe, beholders of the Arke, and witneſſes doubtleſſe of the wtath no come. Lamech lyued not out the whole to 120. yeares, as Methuſelah; but dying before his Father, gaue a further warning, that he ſpake as a Prophet, touching the Flood. The three witneſſes, were a full condemnation of the wicked world. The further Stories of Noah, may better be fetched from the fountaine of Geneſis, then abridged by any mans wit. This much I thought good to ſpeake ſeuerally of theſe ten Fathers: ſome thinges common to them all, may well heere be ioyned; as their Religion, & long life: and neare the ſame, commeth the compariſion of their ages togeather.

Their Religion was perfect and ſinceere. They knew the Creator to be**Gen. ver. 1, 3. one GOD; and that the Sonne ſhould bruſe Satans power; and that the Spirit was a perſon coequall and coeternall. All that Moſes recordeth for vsus, touching thoſe times, wee may know that they knew, by the ſpeaches vttered in Iob before the Law: Eliphaz, Zohar, Bildad, and Elthu, ſpake no otherwiſe then the Fathers:**For they had not the Law to reach them, but were taught from the fathers, as they had bin. For they ſpake ſoundly of all Religion; whereby wee may be ſure, that the firſt, came not ſhort of them, in knowledge. Adam knew the natures of all thinges, the creation of the viſible thinges, and the vnuiſible; the fall of Angels, and their eternall condemnation: p. 15the corruption of mankind, being the ſeed of the Serpent, and a generation of Vipers. And as Moſes telleth, that Elohim ſayd; Let VsUs make man: So hee knew that, and why Elohim was a forme plurall, for GOD. It were groſſe to thinke that the Cabaliſtes (which expound Elo him, El-hem, They be one God, in Bachai vponupon Gen. 1.) ſhould know more then Adam, for names. And the Hebrews vponupon Middras Tillim, bring in God talking with Adam as he gaue names, & asking; What is my name? To whom Adam ſayd: Thou art Elohim, and Iehouah. Whether God by expreſſed word named himſelfe Iehouah and Elohim, or gaue Adam wiſedome ſo to doe; we ſee that the names were knowen from the beginning: For the Serpent nameth Elohim to Euah, and turneth preſently the forme plurall vntounto Gods prophanely, ſaying: Yee ſhalbe like vntounto Gods, that know good and euill. Which pluralitie, Adam and Euah referred to the holy Trinitie. There the Greekes in the Serpents word Elohim, the ſecond time tranſlate very learnedly, Gods. And ſo doe the Talmudiſtes hold it meant, in Maſſeceth Sopherim, Perk. 4. And we may be ſure, that Adam and Euah were not ignorant of Satans thoughts, when by experience they found him out. Now when Euah bare a Sonne, ſhe ſpake voyde of all doubt, to the Vnitie, I hauehave poſſeſſed a Sonne by Iehouah, by the one Eternall: yet we may be ſure that ſhe remembred the ſpeach of the Trinitie, Adam wilbe like p. 16to one of VSUS now. The late Iews hauehave Satans darkneſſe, which will hauehave that tearme VSUS, to be ſpoken of Angels. The Angels were not yet ſpoken of in all Moſes ſtyle, and therefore they could not be meant by any of his tearmes; but as Elohim was vſed for the Creator onelyonly, ſo common natiue logique would ſtretch it no further there: and VSUS the plurall, to be as Boreica, Thy Creators in Eccle. 12. 1. a miſticall ſpeach, marked and cited euen of Rabbi Bochai the Iew: a witneſſe ſtrong againſt his owne ſide.

Moreouer, as Moſes knew a difference in ſignification betwixt Elohim the tearme of Might, and Iehouah named of Beeing ſimply by him ſelfe, and giuing a Beeing to all his workes and wordes; and therefore neuer vſeth the tearme Iehouah, before the Creation had his full beeing, Gen. 2. 4: So wet may be ſure, that Adam and Euah knew the difference betwixt Iehouah and Elohim. The Serpent nameth not Iehouah, but onelyonly Elohim, as a name of bare Might, and the forme whereof her might peruert to Gods: Hee trembled to conſider the eternall trueth, conſtant to giuegive performance of MercieMercy and Wrath, noted by the tearme Iehouah Now, whereas in Sems time, EL was Gods name; it is all one as Elohim, Mightie: onelyonly a forme ſingular.

And this ſeemeth to be the reaſon, that Satan had corrupted the world to vnderſtand Gods by the tearme Elohim; as in Nachors religion, Elohim is Gods in Labans wordes: Therefore p. 17Sem might vſe EL, Almightie, in the frame ſingular.

Abraham firſt nameth God Adonai; that is, My Pillers; with a miſticall note of the trinitie. Adam, who knew not vponupon what Pillers the Earth could be faſtened in the middeſt of the liquid Ayre and Water, but by Gods power, knew him to be Adonai, though occaſion was not offered to vſe the word, vntill God and his prouidence became vnknowen, and denied almoſt of all the world.

IAH, an abridgement of Iehouah, vſed firſt in tearme by Moſes, Exod. 15. ſubſtaunce could not be vnknowen to Adam, though in later times more names to expreſſe Gods nature were ſeene needfull by the eternall Spirit. The Vnitie and Trinitie being thus knowen to Adam, hee would deliuer it ouer equally to his Sonnes, to Methuſela and Lamech.

Now for the Redemption: Hee confeſſed that hee was naked, and was afraide; hid himſelfe, as needing one to bring him into fauour: and knew that hee who ſhould ouercome Satan, being in mans nature, was to die, as all of Adam: and muſt recouer himſelfe from death, and muſt reuiue Adam, and muſt reſtore all, fallen once to corruption: and know that none but God, could doe this much: And this hee beleeued, and therevpon named the Woman Life. And for the moſt vnlikely part, of death, hee had Sacrifice to ſeale p. 18aſſurance of that; and requiring an open profeſſion of that eueryevery Sabbath, that day being ordeyned for that vſe: Whereby wee muſt needes know, that when that was performed, which in that day was repreſented, the day muſt be altered. And as the Skinnes of the Beaſtes couered his body; ſo the Carkaſes burnt, repreſented whoſe Death ſhould couer his Soule with Iuſtice, taking away the giltineſſe of ſinne. Moſes was to ſpeake ſhort or theſe matters, that the prophane ſhould not trouble them ſelues with that, which they would neuer beleeue. Doubtleſſe Adam knew that the moſt Holy ſhould annoynt the Humanitie, with the dwelling of the Godhead in it, and ſanctifie himſelfe for Adam and his faythfull Sonnes; and muſt be called by the name fitteſt Meſsiah: And hee that knew the whoſe courſe of Nature, could not but know, that the liquor of Spices was the fitteſt to repreſent Deuine thinges by an Oyntment made of it. And ſeeing it was moſt needfull that hee ſhould be a great Prophet, wee may ſay well with the Iewes; that hee ſaw the lot of his Sonnes through all ages: And God would hide nothing good for the Vineyard; nor would doe any thing, but hee would reueale it to his Prophets. And although hee liued not to ſee Henoch taken vp, hee might well know it; and Iared might vſe his counſell in giuing Heno…h the name Conſecrated, or, Dedicated to God. And as Noah in his three Sonnes names conteined their Storie for Religion, p. 19in Deuine Sem: in Iapheth, that the new Teſtament ſhould be written in Greeke, as the Iewes well gather in Thal. Ieruſalemi, in Megilah, by the aluſion Iapheth, and Iapheth will perſwade: So, Hotte Countries dwelling, by Chams houſe, by his name Hotte. And as Noah ſaw their whole ſtate; ſo no doubt Adam did as well as hee: and they all beheld the dayes of Chriſt, and knew that hee ſhould redeeme them on Mount Sion. And Rambam recordeth that, which no reaſon can denie, how the Iewes euer held by tradition, that Adam, Habel, and Kain, offered where Abraham offered Iſaac, where both Temples were built: on which Mountaine our Lord taught, and on that alſo he died.

All that, Moſes figured at large: and that the new Teſtament openeth in ſubſtaunee they knew. And ſeeing they be our Fathers, and Mirrours of Wiſedome in their names, fayth, feare of God, and yeares; wee ſhould in our meditation bring backe the Ghoſpell vntounto them, as they foreſaw it, and forbade to ſay, Who can goe vp to Heauen to bring Chriſt downe? or who can goe into the deepe of the Earth, to bring Chriſt from the dead? But they knew (as I touched both, in the Incarnation) that the Sauiour in Hebrew Ioſhuang, in Greeke Ieſus, was God dwelling in Chriſt: and iuſt Habel ſhewed his death, and Henoch his aſcenſion. And in theſe few poyntes, Deuinitie ſtandeth; in the Trinitie, and Redemption: that all iuſt went hence vp to ioy at Gods p. 20Throne. All this the Heathen heard of, and the Scribes held it ſure: But, that God was to dwell in Chriſt; and that hee ſhould by death ouer-him that had the power of death, they deſpiſed to hold that in knowledge, bending their mindes to earthly benefites.

Theſe meditations I hold profitable for all, who by ſtudie will of them ſelues multiply them: and a Child knowing theſe Stories, ſhall paſſe Ariſtotle in ſound Wiſedome, to feare God, till the Body returne to the earth, and the Soule to God that gaue it: To whom with the Sonne, and Holy ſpirit, be all prayſe, honour, & glory, both now and henceforth for euermore. Amen.

For conference of ages,Concluſion. I thought good to place heere, the Table printed in the Concent: where eueryevery Patriarches yeares be ſet vnderneath him, at what age he is a father, or dieth; and with how many others he liued, and how long.

Meditations herein, will bring great knowledge, comfort, and delight.

ADAM falleth before the woman is called EVE. And CHRIST is promiſed a deſtroyer of the Deuils workes. Sacrifice is a ſeale of iuſtice, giuen by Fayth.

FINIS.

End of the text · Hugh Broughton, Observations Upon the First Ten Fathers (1612)