a fcroll, Ezekiel the third chapter and the fecond verfe, fo is the frame of the world called, a book or feroll, Ifaiah the thirty fourth chapter and the fourth verfe. God spake once and twice faith David, Pfalm the fixty fecond and the eleventh verfe. Once he spake to Fob by the view of his Creatures, Fob the thirty eighth chapter 3 and again he spake to Mofes on Mount Sinai, fhewing his will, Exodus 20. I.

These then being the two effectual means to attain to knowledge, there is no place in the Scripture, nor any book therein, that doth more lively expreffe them both than this book of Genefis, which we have in hand. For it fetteth out to us the word of God, by which all things were made, fiet; and the Word by which all things are increaled, exestite & muhiplicamini; and the word by which all men were corrupted, non moriemini, and the word whereby all are reftored, conteret caput Serpentis, which is the word of Promife and of Faith.

We are willed to enquire for the old and good way, Feremiah the fixt chapter and fixteenth verfe: Chrift warranteth that Mofes fheweth us both, Matthew the fixteenth chapter, the feveath and eighth verses. It is the ancienteft in time; for it beginneth with the very beginning: It is firft in order and in place, in the volumne of Gods book, and therefore I have thought it good to enquire of this way. Some doe give this reafon, why Fohn, of all other, is called the Divine, because he, of all others, began with the beginning of all, Fohn the first chapter. This order we fee he took of Mofes, who firft telleth of things paft, from the Creation till his death, and foretelleth of things which were to come to paffe in the latter end, and which the new Teftament doth fay is fulfilled.

The knowledge of both these things, paft, and to come, God promised to shew to his Church, and after it must we feck, Isaiah the fourty first chapter and the twenty fecond verfe: and thefe fecrets are no where fo fully fhewed as by Mofes in this book.

If then we intend to get knowledg,and with that key to openHeaven dores, and to fee the glorious Majeftie of God, let us take this book in hand, which hath in it both leaves at large, both the knowledge of the Creation of all Gods works, and the knowledge of the wildome and the true word of God.

But fome may demand, What will become of Chrift and of his Gofpel, all this while that we are meditating of Mofes and Gods works? Ianfwer,That if Mofes did not teftifie and teach us of Chrift, we would account the time loft which we spend in reading kim, PhìTippians the third chapter and the eighth verle, and we would leave Mofes learning, that we might only finde Chrift. But St. Paul doth affure us, Acts the third chapter and the eighteenth verfe, that all the Prophets, from the beginning of the world, did fpeak of him; and among all the Prophets it is faid, We have found him of whom Mofes fpake, Fohn the first chapter and the fourty fift verse, even Fefus the fonne of Fofeph And more plainly Chrift faith, Fehn the

4

filt chapter and the fourty fixth verfe, Mofes doth write and testifie of me. And this we shall fee plainly in all his books to be true, both ia evident and direct Prophefies, and alfo in dark and myfticall types and figures.

The fecond queftion is touching Mofes himself, How he being but a man, could come to the knowledge of fuch fecret things, which were hidden from other natural men befides, being fupernatural, and beyond mens reach? I answer, As we cannot have knowledg of a strange Country where we never were, but by report or by Letter, or relation fent from fome which dwell therein; fo we can have no notice or certain knowledge of God and his kingdome, unleffe God first by his letter written make relation thereof to us: Has quidem literas dedit Deus, Mofes attulit, God was the writer, Mofes the Meffenger of thele holy Writts; many things, no doubt, were taught by inftruction, and received by tradition from the Patriarchs before,as wee fee in the fift chapter of Genefis and the twenty ninth verfe; for fo Lamech knew from his fathers, that the Earth was accurfed by God, as it is in the eighteenth chapter of Genefis and the twenty feventh verle: Abraham knew from his Anceftors, that he was made of duft and afhes, Adam leaving it to his pofterity; as Abraham did teach his family, that God revealed to him, Genefis the eighteenth chapter and the ninteenth verfe: But though many things came to knowledge by this meanes, yet de eo tempore fcribere de quo non erat, is a strange matter, fome may lay, but wee anfwer, that this was done either knowing it by that pattern which hee saw in the Mount, or elfe by the voice and fpirit of God speaking and talking with him to teach him these things, that is, hee must needs come by it by the Eye, that is, by vifion, or clfe by the Eare, that is, by Revelation: For as all Scriptures came by inspiration, the firit of Peter and the first chapter, fo especially this booke of Mofes, who writ it not of his own privat motion, but by the heavenly direction of the fpirir of God: And therefore Mofes might fay as Daniel did. Daniel the fecond chapter and the twenty eighth verse, It is not I that can reveal fecrets, but there is a God of Heaven which declareth them. Mofes was but the pen of that God did fpeak. If any then shall move that question, Matthew the twenty first chapter and the twenty fift vetle, The Doctrine of Mofes, whether it is from Heaven or of men? We answer, That it is of God and from Heaven: It may hereby appear, because he was fo publickly and manifeftly familiar with God, and had often and long company and conference with him, all Ifrael feeing him to goe up to the Lord. If any object that Heathens have pretended as much of their Laws and Doctrins,they have delivered. Mofes is able to cleere himself from that fufpicion because this thing was not done in a corner, but in the view and before the face of all Ifrael; and that nor in a Cave or Den, as they, but in the top of Mount Sinay, which made that none of all Ifrael, in his time, ever made any doubt or question hereof, but still acknow ledged him the fervant of God; yea, though he called them stiff

0000 2

necked

Gen. 1. 5.

Novemb. 5. 1590.

necked and rebellious men, Deuteronomie the ninth chapter and the ninth verfe. And as none durft call his truth in question; so they which refifted, as Korah and Dathan did, were grievously punished by the hand of God. And fo were Appian and Fulian plagued for their blafphemy, which fcoff and deride thefe holy Books. For fo faith Mofes to his accufers, Numbers the fixteenth chapter, the twenty eigth and twenty ninth verles, Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath fent me to speak these words, if thefe dye not the death of all men, &c. Another reafonto prove that his writings came from Heaven, is his Rod, and the miracles which God caused him to doc, to confirm these things which he spake and wrote; which miracles, even the Heathen Chronicles doe conteffe to this day. Laft of all, Mens writings and books favour of paffions and imperfections incident to men. Mofes is not, of felf-love, partial to himself, nor vain-glorious, feeking any praife; For, in his writing, he fpareth not his own Father: Exodus the thirty fecond chapter and the twenty seventh verle, he spareth not Idolatry in his brother, nor his fifter Cozbies fault, no nor his own fault of unbelief; for which he confeffeth,that he could not enter into the promised Land, Deuteronomie the thirty fecond chapter. Seeing then all that is of the flesh and earth is flesh, and favoureth earthly things; this sheweth that Mofes writing came from Gods fpirit. For Mofes in all the warres he waged, and in all the Laws he wrote, he never afcribeth any thing but to the glory of God, which gave them by his means,exhorting to nothing but this, That by holy obedience we should feek his praife.

pag. 36. at the

mon upon em. 1. 5:

The conclufion therefore must be this, That seeing it is the infallible word of God fent from Heaven, and not invented by men, Why doe we not then, with all reverence hear him, and with all diligence beleeve him, as a Prophet fent from God? efpecially seeing it is threatned concerning him by name, That whofoever doth not hear him, but defpife him, He fhall be cut off from the people of God.

T

Sic fuit vefpera & fuit mane diei primi.

His is the conclufion of the first dayes work. After God,in the beginning, had made the World of nothing, the which was a Place this in groffe maffe, after he gave it a capacity, and because, as the Phiend of the Ser- lofophers day, Fruftra eft potentia, quæ non reducitur in actum, he gave it an actual being, which being was good. It is better for a man not to be born, than to be wicked, Matthew the twenty fixt chapter and the twenty fourth verfe. And then it had a perfection of goodneffe from order, having in the natures and the names a diftinction, the one for knowledge, the other for practise, he closeth up the first day with this, So the evening and the morning were the first day; which is the whole fumme and effect of the fift day, and of all whereof

hath

hath been spoken heretofore. This is the providence of God for man, who visiteth the earth and watereth it, who prepareth corn and things needfull for man, Pfalm the fixty fift and the ninth verse: Heturned the wheel of the great clock,that fo there might be Evening and Morning. As the light is the abftract of life everlasting, for the fire wrapped about the cloud, and brightnesse wrapped about the fire, Ezekiel the firit chapter and the fourth verfe; fo is time the abftra& of eternity. In that day began motion, time, and number and order: If there had been no motion, if the Heaven had stood still, it would have been continual day and no evening. The day is the time of the day, motion is in time,the day is time,the first day is the numbring oftime. This firft day was the true New-years-day, and the light was the great New-years-gift of the world,the like whereof no Prince no Porentate fhall for ever give. In the fourth day there was a publishing of this light, by the two great lights. Herein is a perpetual alternation, which may be perceived by a divifion, then by the parts, laftly by the whole. First, it importeth a divifion; before, the time of light is called the day, and here day and night, evening and morning are but one day. Whereupon fome Dies maturalis diftinguish the natural and civil day. artificialis,

The day in the firft acceptance, is called dies mercinariorum, for those that labour so long as it is light, fo long is their day. Which day is delivered in the fourth chapter of Nebemiah and the twenty first verse, We laboured in the work, and half of them held the pears, from the appearing of the morning, till the starres came forth, that is, till it was night.

The other is called dies aftronomicus by the Heathen, and dies fanitus by the Scripture, including the time of light and darknesse. The Law given to the Jews was, That the ninth day of the moneth, Even, from Even to Even, they fhould celebrate their Sabbath, or reft, Leviticus the twenty third chapter and the thirty fecond verse.

Secondly, The partition, by Evening and Morning, whereinto this day is parted. Light and Darkneffe, Evening and Morning are both coupled, and yet feparated; the end of the night parts the beginning of the day, and the end of the day parts the beginning of the night And these two, Evening and Morning, are the two excellent Mark-ftones of Time. He flasheth not the thining light prefently after darkneffe, but the light appeareth by degrees: the afcending of light is the morning, the defcending is the even ig; from Sunne to Sunne is counted a day; but in the Hebrew names the natures are expreffed. The Evening in Hebrew fignifieth a binding up, a mixture of all colours; the night tolls all up, and then all colours feem as one black colour. Bochar in Hebrew is the morning, and doth fignifie to difcern colours, and to unbinde the knot knit by darkneffe. God hath caused the morning to know his place, and it is turned as clay to fashion, Fob the thirty eighth chap ter and the fourteenth verfe. As the evening leads us to confufion, fo doth the morning to discerning.

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Now

The older of

time,

Now as touching their order, The Evening is first, then the MorEvening and ning. This computation is according to the Hebrews, who reckonMorning. ed from Even to Even; fo did the Athenians, or the Grecians: the Chaldees and Affyrians reckoned from Sunne rifing to the Sun Diveife commentations of fet; the Romans and Egyptians from midnight; the Aftronomians and people called Humbriæ, from noon or mid-day. To each Nation their own computation may be allowed. Too curious there. fore are they, which will not call the day es of the weeks, nor call the names of the moneths according as the cuftom of the Country hath received,because Heathen men have given thofe names. Zenas gave one day to fupiter, Hermes to Mercury, Phœbus to Phebe; another to Æfculapius, to Venus, to Saturnus, which names we doe ule. Api is their imitation, who will follow the naming of dayes according to their own fantafies: yet is there no neceffity we should reckon as the Hebrews or Chaldeans, but the order of moneths, of hours, of dayes, may be according to the custom of the Country.

Some fay he beginneth from the Evening, to infinuate our beginning from nothing, from darkneffe and confufion : and it sheweth the proceeding of the Creation, from nothing to darkneffe, fo to light, and fo the perfection of the fame, from the night to the morning it is light, it goeth from the morning to broad day. God ordained the night to guard the day: He made the night for the day, not the day for the night, laith Bafil and Fob calleth the night cunabulum mundi. The matter of weight is the day, the evening is but a parenthefis. The Heathen fay, that motion is from the evening. Touching the Starres, the evening is the beginning of the Queft. Whe- day and the end of the night. It is a question, doubted by many, ther the day or Whether the day or night were fift? Paul, in the thirteenth chap ter to the Romans and the twelfth verfe, faith, The night is past, the day is at hand; fo that mox rather procesit than praceßit lucem. The Pocts have their beginning,ab Erebo, from the night. But St.Auftins opinion is, That the day was firft, counting it to the morning of the next day, alledging the thirty eighth chapter of Ifaiah and the twelfth verfe, From day to night thou wilt make an end of me. All Gods things end in light, then he begins in the morning in the light. The end of the morning is the diftinction from the be ginning of the evening.

night first.

Morning and

Jy.

Now of the whole. These two make one day, he faith not one Evening joint- night, yet is there as much time, fomtime more, in the night than in the day, but noctes non veniunt in numerum; therefore we say a day hath twenty four hours, a week hath seven dayes, a moneth thirty dayes; a week likewife hath feven nights, a moneth thirty nights, but evening and morning are all one day. And the first day as the first day of the week, of moneths, of time; this was a day by it felf, as the other fix were dayes by themselves. God faith at the inftitution of the Paffover, Exodus the twelfth chapter and the fecond verse, This moneth shall be unto you the beginning of moneths, it shall be to you the first moneth of the year. But by Bafill this reckoning

had