TEXTS of Scripture, Chayning the holy Chronicle until the Sun lost his light, and the Son broke the Serpent's head: dying, rising, and ascending. Search the Scriptures: for in them ye think to have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me. john. 5. 39 Imprinted at London, for Gabriel Simson and W. White: and are to be sold at their house in Fleetelane. 1591. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER. IN human affairs (gentle Reader) of Prince's reign, the years wherein things fall out, are noted of common necessity for distinction and certainty arising by record of tyme. But this record hath not of ancienty continued to posterity. For the Lord, who altereth times and seasons, changeth states in such variety, that the true report of their memory perished with them. For Divine stories, times have more use than for human affairs: no less than heavenly things overmatch earthly. And as the work of God is perfect: so he beginneth and continueth times register, from the Creation to the Redemption. The golden Chain which Solomon drew before the door of the most holy Debyr, hath not so much admiration as this Chain: continued from since Paradise was shut to Adam, until the Lord opened the heavens unto the Thief, that craved remembrance in his kingdom. The Fathers in the noblest line, draw in their age these years, sliding by the suns course, from the promise made to Eve, until one of those Fathers fell once away from hope of that promise. Terah was he that fell away: after whose death the Promise is revived to Abraham. Thence the links of this holy Chain are fastened on other points: stately in story, to be sooner marked: few in number, to be easily remembered: deep in signification, to be carefully studied. These are, the Lamb and the Temple: fit stars to draw out the times, until the true Lamb buildeth the Temple, raising up the temple of his body. For the distance from the Promise unto the Lamb, even the very day is by Moses set down. Likewise the distance thence, until the building of the Temple by Solomon. Thence the whole years of salomon's reign: and from the departure of ten Tribes unto the burning of the Temble. Ezek 4. How long the Temple lay without any decree of building it again, we may certainly gather by the whole Captivity which judah suffered in Babylon. For Nebuchadnezars house was to reign seventy years: and judah so long to be in captivity. Wherhfore the beginning of that Captivity must needs be, when Nebuchad-nezar took jerusalem, in the first of his reign, and brought the noblest to Babylon. In the nineteenth year of Nebuchad-nezar the Temple was brent: and thereupon the third Captivity followed. Wherefore fifty full years are to finysh the Seventy, when Cyrus came up, and made a decree to build the Temple again. Cyrus was not moved so to do, until Daniel was taught by an Angel, when Christ the true Temple would consecrate himself. That he was taught: for the very hour, when he prayed, at the time of the evening offering, how long it should be until the Lord did make himself the evening Offering, when the veil of the Temple rent. For this last part, the Lord hath taken special care, so long before telling the matter plainly: and ceasing further particulars beyond that age, that men should rest in the plainness of his word, as his holy Prophets then taught of Redemption. Holy writings touching these points, I have joined together. The plainness whereof, if any strive to overthrow, I will no more yield to him, than job would to Eliphaz, Zophar, and Bildad. Although many differ in their Chronicles, yet these places only being noted, all strife ceaseth. One, that after Terah's death, Abraham at seventy and five years old, received the Promise: whereof I have disputed at large in the treatise of Melchisedek. An other, that three hundredth and ninety years. Ezek. 4. are from jeroboams drawing Israel away to the burning of the Temple, with the third captivity: which time, both in particulars, many have cast aright: and for the general sum these agree: john Caluin upon Ezek 4. Gerard Mercator, Clement Schubert, Math. Beroald, joseph Scaliger, Henry Bunting. An other is, that Nebuchadnezars house reigned but seventy years: which the Talmud, wherein lieth all Countrey-Iewes consent, expressly holdeth: also old Tatianus in Eusebius, and old Grecians commonly, no less of antiquity than the Apostles age: in him, and in Clemens, with late writers very many, from Dan. 1. and jer. 25. and the common rate of ages, in such as were carried captive: and saw both the first Temple, and the second builded. The fourth knot is, the sevens of Daniel: wherein the propriety, as Daniel understood it, and penned it, should suffice. These four places rightly holden, end the endless controversies. Read the texts, and understand them. The Lord teach us so to number our days, that we may bring the heart to wisdom. H. B. The chief points of the holy Chronicle. FRom the first Promise of Christ, to restore life upon death, brought in by the Serpent: unto the second Promise made to Abraham upon the death of Terah: whom first of the Fathers the Serpent drew to Idolatry, are years. 2083. That space is recorded by the particular Fathers. From the Promise unto the Lamb, appointed to express the Lamb of God, are years. 430. From the Lamb, to the beginning of the Temple: a shadow of the truer Temple, are years. 480. From the building of it, unto the burning: or rather the captivity upon that, are years. 427. Thence to the end of the Captivity, where Cyrus mad a decree of building it again, are years full. 50. Thence, until the Temple of our Lord his body arose the third day, are years. 490. The whole sum is. 3960. Texts of Scripture, chaining the Chronicle until the Sun lost his light, and the Son broke the Serpent's head: dying, rising, and ascending. ADAM lived an hundredth Gen. 5. 3. and thirty years, and begat Seth. Seth lived an hundredth and five years, and begat Enosh. Enosh lived ninety years, and begat Kenan. Kenan lived seventy years, and begat Mahalaleel. Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat Iered. Iered lived an hundredth sixty and two years, and begat Henoch. Henoch lived sixty & five years, and begat Methuselah. Methuselah lived and hundredth eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech. Lamech lived an hundredth eighty and two years, and begat Noah. And Noah was five hundredth years old: and Noah begat Sem, Cham, and japheth. And Noah was six hundredth years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth. SEM was an hundredth years old, & begat Arphaxad Gen. 11. 10. two years after the Flood. Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and begat Selah. Selah lived thirty years, and begat Eber. Eber lived four and thirty years and begat Peleg. Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Regu. Regu liven two and thirty years, and begat Serug. Serug lived thirty years and begat Nahor. Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah. Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran. So the days of Terah were two hundredth and five years, and Terah died in Haran. The Promise made to Abram, when his Father was dead. Acts. 7. ANd God said to Abram, Get thee out of thy land, Gen. 12. 1. and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto the land that I will show thee. And I will bless them that bless thee, & curse them that curse thee, and in thee all the families of the earth shallbe blessed. And Abram went as the Lord commanded him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy and five years old, when he departed out of Haran. Then Abram took Sarai his wife, and Let his brother's son, and all their substance that they possessed, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Chanaan: and to the land of Chanaan they came. The departure from Egypt, or Passeover, and Law. SO the peregrination of the children of Israel, which Exod. 12. 40. 41. 42. were sojourners in Egypt, was four hundredth & thirty years. And when the four hundredth and thirty year were expired, even the self same day departed all the hosts of the Lord out of the land of Egypt. It is a night to be kept holy to the Lord, because he brought them out of the land of Egypt: this is that night of the Lord, which all the children of Israel must keep throughout their generations. This is the law of the Passeover. etc. The Law which was four hundredth and thirty years Gal. 3, 17. after, can not disannul the Covenant that was confirmed afore of God in respect of Christ, that it should make the Promise of none effect. The Temple of Solomon. ANd in the four hundredth and fourscore year (after 1. Kin. 6. 1. the childred of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt) and in the fourth year of the reign of Solomon over Israel, in the month Zif (which is the second month) he built the house of the Lord. The whole time of Solomon, and the division of the kingdom. THe time that Solomon reigned in jerusalem over 1. King. 11. 42. all Israel, was forty years. And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were 1 King. 12. 1. 2 20. 19 come to Shechem, to make him king. And when jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (who was yet in Egypt, whither jeroboam had fled from king Solomon, and dwelled in Egypt.) And when all Israel had heard that jeroboam was come again, they sent and called him unto the assembly, and made him king over all Israel: none followed the house of David, but the tribe of judah only. And Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day: and said. What portion have we in David? we 1. King. 12. 16. 17. have none inheritance in the son of Ishai. To your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents. Howbeit over the children of Israel, which dwelled in the cities of judah, did Rehoboam reign still. The Captivity of seventy years, nineteen years before the burning of the Temple. This captivity must needs begin with the first year of Nebuchad-nezar, seeing his house reigned but 70. years, and so the Hebrews continually, and most ancient Greeks have held it: Greeks, both the profane and Christians. IN the third year of the reign of jehoiakim king of Dan. 1. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 21. judah, came Nebuchad-nezar king of Babel unto jerusalem, & besieged it. And the Lord gave jehoiakim king of judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God, which he carried into the house of Shinar, to the house of his God, & he brought the vessels into his god's treasury. And the king spoke unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, of the kings seed, and of the princes: children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and instruct in all wisdom, and well seen in knowledge, and able to utter knowledge, and such as were able to stand in the kings Palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed them provision every day of a portion of the kings meat, and of the wine which he drank, so nourished them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. Now among these were certain of the children of judab. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. And Daniel was unto the first year of king Cyrus. The burning of the Temple showed in a vision, and performedin story: and the last captivity of. 50. years. 1 THou son of man, take thee a Brick, and lay it Ezek. 4▪ 1. 2. 3▪ 4. 5. 6 7. 8. 9▪ 10. 11, &. 12. verses. before thee, and pourtrey upon it the city, even jerusalem, and lay siege against it, & build a fort against it, and cast a mount against it: set the camp also against it, & lay engines of war against it round about. Moreover, take an iron pan, & set it for a wall of iron between thee and the city, and direct thy face toward it, and it shall be besieged, and thou shalt lay siege against it: this shallbe a sign unto the house of Israel. Sleep thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days, that thou shalt sleep upon it, thou shalt bear their iniquity. For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, even three hundredth 390. years from jeroboam. 427. from the foundation of the temple. 40. years since jeremy began in. 13. of josias.. and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. And when thou hast accomplished them, sleep again upon thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of judah forty days: I have appointed thee a day for a year, even a day for a year. Therefore thou shalt direct thy face toward the siege of jerusalem, and thine arm shallbe uncovered, and thou shalt prophecy against it. And behold, I will lay bands upon thee, and thou shalt not turn thee from one side to another, till thou hast ended the days of thy siege. Thou shalt take also unto thee Wheat, and Barley, & Beans, and lentils, and Miller, and Fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof according to the number of the days, that thou shalt sleep upon thy side: even three hundredth and ninetic days shalt thou eat thereof. And the meat whereof thou shalt eat, shallbe by weight, even twenty fhekelles a day: and from time to time shalt thou eat thereof. Thou shalt drink also water by measure, even the sixth part of an Hin: from time to time shalt thou drink. And thou shalt eat it as Barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it in the dung that cometh out of man, in their sight. The story of the Vision. 2 ANd in the ninth year of Zedekiahs' reign, the 2. King, 25. 1, 2. 3, 4. 5, 6 7. 8 9 10. & 11 ver. tenth month and tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezer king of Babel came, he & all his host against jerusalem and pitched against it, and they built forts against it round about it. So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. And the ninth day of the month the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land. Then the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night, by the way of the gate, which is between the two walls that was by the kings garden: now the Caldees were by the city round about: and the king went by the way of the wilderness. But the army of the Caldees pursued after the king, and took him in the deserts of jericho, and all his host was scattered from him. Then they took the king, and carried him up to the king of Babel to Riblah, where they gave judgement upon him. And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in chains, & carried him to Babel. And in the fift month, and seventh day of the month, which was the ninteinth year of king Nebuchadnezer king of Babel, came Nebuzaradan chief steward and servant of the king of Babel to jerusalem, and burned the house of the Lord, and the kings house, and all the houses of jerusalem, and all the great houses burnt he with fire. And all the army of the Caldees that were with the chief steward, broke down the walls of jerusalem round about. And the rest of the people that were left in the city, and those that were fled & fallen to the king of Babel, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan chief steward carry away captive. The last captivity of. 50. years, complete. 3 THey that were left by the sword, carried he away to 2. Chro 36. 20. to the end. Babel, and they were servants to him and to his sons, until the kingdom of the Persians had rule, to fulfil the word of the Lord by the mouth of jeremiah, until the land had her fill of her Sabbaths: for all the days that she lay desolate, she kept Sabbath, to fulfil seventy years. The Babylonians fall by Cyrus, who sendeth the jews home, after Daniel was taught, the year of our Lord, his death, and the decree for building the Temple. 1 IN the first year of Cyrus' king of Persia (when the jer. 25. woroe of the Lord, spoken by the mouth of jeremiah, was finished) the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus' king of Persia, and he made a Proclamation through all his kingdom, and also by writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus' king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me, and he hath commanded me to build him an house in jerusalem, that is in judah. Who is among you of all his people, with whom the Lord his God is? let him go up. For when King Belshazzar made a great feast to a Dan. 5. 1. 5. 9 27. 25. thousand of his Princes, and drank Wine before the thousand: At the same hour appeared fingers of a man's hand, which wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the kings palace, and the king saw the palm of the hand that wrote. Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his Princes were astonished. Then Daniel said before king Belshazzar, This is the writing that God hath written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL VPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of the thing, MENE, God hath numbered thy kingdom, and hath finished it. TEKEL, thou art weighed in the balance, and art found too light. PERES, thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. Then at the commandment of Belshazzar, they clothed Daniel with purple, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. The same night was Belshazzar the king of the Caldees slain: and Darius of the Medes cook the kingdom, being threescore and two year old. But not alone: for the Persians and they had a fellowship in the division: as expressed. words show. daniel's sevens. 2 IN the first year of Darius the son of Ahashuerosh, of the seed of the Medes, which was made Dan. 9 1. 2. 3. 20. to the end. king over the realm of the Chaldeans, even in the first year of his reign, I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the Lord had spoken unto jeremiah the Prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolation of jerusalem. And I turned my face unto the Lord God, and sought by prayer and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. And while I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sin, and the sin of my people Israel, and did present my supplication before the Lord my God, for the holy Mountain of my God: yea, while I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen before in a vision, came flying, and touched me about the time of the evening oblation: and he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee knowledge and understanding. At the beginuing of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to show thee, for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter and consider the vision. seventy sevens (of years) are cut out for thy people, and for thy holy City, to consume wickedness, and to abolish sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in righteousness everlasting, and to seal vision and prophet, and to show Christ the Holy of Holy. Know then and mark: From the outgoing of the word, to return and to build jerusalem, unto Christ the governor, shallbe seven sevens (of years) and sixty and two sevens: in the other, it shallbe restored and builded, street and wall: and troublous shall these times be. In that after the sixty and two seven Christ shallbe killed: and not for himself: thereupon the City and holy place shall he destroy, the Governors own people to come, and their end shallbe with a Flood: and at the end of war, it shall have a final judgement to desolation. But he shall confirm the Testament for many the last seven, when in Half that Seven he shall end the Sacrifice and Oblation. Afterwards by an army abominable he shall make a desoliation, even till utter destruction and final judgement flow upon the desolate. The decree of building the Temple. 3 ANd there was found in a coffer (in the palace that Ezra 6. 2. 3. 4. 5. was in the province of the Medes) a volume, and therein was it thus written, as a memorial: In the first year of king Cyrus, king Cyrus made a decree for the house of God in jerusalem, Let the house be built, even the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the walls thereof be joined together: let the height thereof be threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof three score cubits, three orders of great stones, and one order of timber: and let the expenses be given of the king's house. And also let them render the vessels of the house of God (of gold and silver, which Nebuchadnezar took out of the Temple which was in jerusalem, and brought unto Babel) and let him go unto the Temple that is in jerusalem to his place, and put them in the house of God. The jews Temples fall, an others arising. Jesus went out, and departed from the Temple, and Math. 24. 1. 2. 3. 15. his Disciples came to him, to show him the building of the Temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, there shall not be here left a stone upon a stone, that shall not be cast down. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, his Disciples came to him a part, saying, Tell us when these things shallbe, & what sign shallbe of thy coming, and of the end of the world. When ye shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet, standing in the Holy place: (let him that readeth, consider it. Therefore, when ye see jerusalem besieged with Soldiers, Luk. 21. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. then understand that the desolation thereof is near. Then let them which are in judea, flee to the Mountains: and let them which are in the mids thereof, depart out: and let not them that are in the country, enter therein. For these be the days of vengeance, to fulfil all things that are written. But woe be to them that be with child, and to them that give suck in those days: for there shallbe great distress in this land, and wrath ever this people. And they shall fall on the edge of the sword, and shall be led captive into all nations, and jerusalem shall be trodden under foot of the Gentiles, until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled. Jesus said unto them, Destroy this Temple, and in john. 2. 19 three days, I will raise it up again. Then said the jews, Forty and six years was this Temple a building (from the third of Cyrus, Dan. 3. Ezra. 4. until Nehemias' obtained the kings letters to Asaph for timber, to build the gates of the Cloister Palace, hard by the house of God) and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spoke of the Temple of his body. Then there arose certain, and bare false witness against Mark. 14. 57 58. 59 him, saying, We heard him say, I will destroy this Temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another, made without hands: But their witness yet agreed not together. At the dispensation of the fullness of time, when the time of the promise was come, than spoke jesus, & said. Father, the hour is come: glorify thy Son. etc. john. 17. 1. john. 19 14. 15. 16. 17. Then Pilate on the preparation of the Passeover, about the sixth hour, said unto the jews, Behold your king. But they cried, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate said unto them, Shall I crucify your king? The high Priests answered, We have no king, but Cesar. Then delivered he him unto them, to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away. And he bore his cross, and came into a place named of dead men's skulls, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha: where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the mids. It was (I say) about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour: and the Sun was darkened. The time of the evening offering. Dan. 9 ABout the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, Math 27. 46. 47. 48 49. 50 51. 52 53. saying, Eli, Eli, lamasabachtani? that is, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And some of them that stood there, when they heard it, said, This man calleth Elias. And strait way one of them ran, and took a Spondge, and filled it with Vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. Other said, Let be: let us see if Elias will come and save him. Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice, & yielded up the ghost. And behold, the vail of the Temple was rend in twain, from the top to the bottom, and the earth did quake, and the stones were cloven, and the graves did open themselves, and many bodies of the Saints which slept, arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Christ is king Dan. 9 ANd Pilate wrote also a title, and put it on the Cross, joh. 19 19 20. 21 22 38. and it was written, jesus of Nazaret the king of the jews. This title then read many of the jews, for the place where Jesus was crucified, was near to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Then said the high Priests of the jews to Pilate, Writ not, The king of the jews, but that he said, I am king of the jews. Pilate answered, What I have written, I have written. And after these things, joseph of Arimathea (who was a Disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the jews) besought Pilate that he might take down the body of Jesus. And Pilate gave him licence. He came then and took Jesus body. And there came also Nicodemus (which first came to Jesus by night) and brought of Myrrh and Aloes mingled together, about an hundredth pound. Then took they the body of Jesus, and wrapped it in linen clothes with the odours, as the manner of the jews is to bury. And in that place where Jesus was crucified, was a Garden, and in the Garden a new Sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid: there than laid they Jesus, because of the jews preparation day, for the Sepulchre was near. Now the first day of the week came Marie Magdalene john. 20. 1. 16. 17. early while it was yet dark, unto the Sepulchre, and saw the stone taken away from the Tomb. Jesus saith unto her, Marry. She turned herself, and said unto him, Master. Jesus said unto her, Fasten not so upon me: for I go not yet up to my Father, etc. Also he presented himself alive after that he had suffered, Act. 1. 3. 4. 5. to the. 13. verse by many infallible tokens, being seen of them by the space of forty days, and speaking of those things which appertain to the kingdom of God. And when he had gathered them together, he commanded them, that they should not departed from jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, said he, ye have heard of me. For john in deed baptised with water, but ye shall be baptised with the holy Ghost within these few days. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? And he said, It is not for you to know the times, or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power: but ye shall receive power of the holy Ghost, when he shall come on you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in jerusalem, and in all judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up: for a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven, as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee, Why stand ye gazing into heaven? This Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come as ye have seen him go into heaven. FINIS.