Gen. xiv.

CHAPTER III.

BECAUSE this chapter standeth most in describing the building of the walls of Jerusalem, by whom they were done, and what part every one did repair, rehearsing the name both of the builders and of the portions of the walls that they took in hand to finish, (which thing seemeth strange, or rather unprofitable, to the people that understand not the mysteries of it, nor the fashion and situation of the city,) I shall in few words pass over things not so necessary for the edifying of the unlearned, and note only such things as may increase the faith of the simple unlearned, for whose profit chiefly this labour is taken; and also in reforming their lives may move and stir them to a more careful building of the spiritual Jerusalem; which thing is chiefly to be learned here, and to the which every one is bound with all his power to employ himself and all that he hath.

The Holy Ghost, who is the author of the holy scripture, hath not put down any one word in writing, whether in the new testament or in the old, that is either superstitious or unprofitable, though it seem so to many; but it hath his mystery and signification for our learning, and either for the plainness of it it may be understood of all men, or else for the deep mysteries that be hid in it is to be reverenced of all sorts of men, and with diligence and prayer is to be searched out, as far as we may. The new building of this old destroyed city by God's enemies putteth us in remembrance, how Satan by his members had overthrown God's city and chosen people; and where now all sorts of men lay on hands lustily to repair it again, it teacheth us our duty, how diligent every one should be in his degree to the restoring of God's city, his church, to his old beauty and strength again.

This city Jerusalem was first called Salem or Solyma, where Melchisedech was king, and met Abraham returning with the spoil which he recovered from the king of Sodom and his fellows. Melchisedech, by interpretation of his name, is first called "the king of righteousness," and after, "the king

of Salem, that is, of peace," who representeth unto us Christ Jesus, as the epistle to the Hebrews saith, which is the Heb. vil. king of all righteousness, and by whom all we are made righteous, as the apostle saith, and is "a priest for ever after 1 Cor. i. the order of Melchisedech," and offered up that sweet and saving sacrifice of his own body and heart's blood, to pacify the wrath of God against man, and make peace betwixt them both, as it is written to the Ephesians, ch. ii.

This city afterwards was called Jebus, where the Jebu- Josh. xv. sites, one of the nations, did dwell, whose land God gave to his people of Israel. These Jebusites came of the cursed Gen. ix. seed of Canaan, whom Noe his father cursed for mocking him in his drunkenness; and inhabited this country until that worthy king David recovered the strongest part of it from 2 Sam. v. them, called Sion, and named it the City of David after himself. That noble captain Josue indeed conquered the whole land, and divided it among the Israelites; but these Jebusites were partly so strong, dwelling in the mountains, that they could not be vanquished in short time, and partly the people so negligent, that they would not drive them out or destroy them, as they were commanded, but suffered them to dwell among them, to their great shame and harm: for they were ever like “thorns in their sides, to prick and hurt them," as it is written, Josue xxiii. Whereby we learn, that as the Jebusites, God's enemies, could not fully be conquered until David came, no more could the kingdom of Satan be clean overthrown, until Christ Jesus, the King of glory, was born of the seed of David, who conquered sin, hell, and the devil, and possessed the holy hill Sion, and made his people citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem. And like as they suffered the Jebusites to dwell amongst them to their great harm, so sin remaineth in our mortal bodies, conquered indeed that it doth not reign over those that serve the Lord, yet not clean taken away, but left for our exercise, who, having our mortal enemy dwelling within us, should fight against sin under the banner of faith in Christ Jesus, who only hath, can, and will continually defend his people, subdue their enemies, and give his children the victory.

How king David won this city from the Jebusites, is fully declared in the 2nd Samuel, v. chapter. And how Christ

Matt. iv.

Jesus, the Son of God, conquered the whole kingdom of Satan, sin, death, and hell, the whole history of the gospel declareth. And as king David, when he had reigned thirtythree years nobly in Jerusalem, died with great victory; so Christ Jesus, our Lord and grand Captain, after he had preached the kingdom of his Father, gat this noble victory against death and all his enemies in the thirty-third year of his age, by suffering death and triumphantly ascending into heaven, where he reigneth a glorious King for ever.

After that David had recovered this city from the Jebusites, it was continually called Jerusalem, (which is, by interpretation, The Lord he will see Salem,) alluding to both the old names joined together, Jebus, Salem, and changing one letter only. In the gospel it is called "the holy city," as when the devil tempted Christ, he "took him into the holy city, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple;" which name it gat rather of the holy law, word, and sacrifices, that were taught there and offered, than of that wicked and unholy people that "denied the Lord of life, and required Barabbas to be delivered." But when it was destroyed by the Romans, and not one stone left standing on another, as Christ foretold it should be, Ælius Adrianus, the emperor, for vain glory builded a new city, and called it after his own name, Ælia or Capitolina. And when the heathen had gotten it from the Christians, pope Urban the second kept a council in France, and by his flattering friars stirred up all princes to recover the holy land again, more like a superstitious Jew, putting holiness in the place which then was inhabited with wicked people, than like a true preacher of true holiness. But it cost many princes their lives, lands, and goods, and yet not recovered; whereof England felt his part, when king Richard the first went thither, and was taken prisoner, paid a great ransom to the impoverishing of the realm. As God gave this city and people, falling from him, into his enemies' hands; so will he cast us up, if we frowardly forsake him.

This city Jerusalem', after that it was recovered from the Jebusites, was enlarged and fortified by David, Salomon, Ozias, and Ezechias, and other good kings, and had within it two chief hills,-Sion, where the king's palace was built, [See before, pp. 87, 88. ED.]

and Moria, where the temple was. And after, when the people increased, other two hills were taken into it, Acra and Bethera, as Josephus writeth. It had three wards and walls. within it. Within the innermost wall was the king's palace, and temple, and the priests' lodging: in the middle ward were the prophets and noblemen, their schools, Levites and doctors. By which we are taught how to place and esteem learning and learned men, schools, universities and preachers, which are not now much regarded. In the uttermost dwell the citizens, merchants and artificers. It was then four miles about, and after enlarged to six. It was most glorious in the time of our Saviour Christ; for Herod and Agrippa had made great cost on it: and Christ wept for it. David in the forty-eighth psalm describeth the beauty and strength of this city, and biddeth them "go round about it, mark and behold it, and count the towers of it," that were many, that the Lord might be praised for it. The uttermost wall had towers ninety; the middle wall had towers fourteen; and the innermost wall had towers sixty in the whole a hundred and sixty four towers, as Josephus and others do write. But I take it, that it was so rather in the time of Christ than of David, or of this building now: for as it increased in wealth, beauty and strength, so it did in pride, riotousness, superstition, contempt of God, and all wickedness; so that this last and utter destruction was at hand, for refusing, crucifying and condemning the Son of God, their Saviour.

Whensoever the scripture speaketh of any going to this city, it saith commonly "they went up to Jerusalem," because it was built so on hills, that on what side soever thou camest in, thou shouldst go up an hill; which though it seem a small matter to be noted, yet God, which doeth nothing in vain, as he did by other outward things teach that gross people heavenly things, as here in this climbing up to this earthly city they left worldly things beneath them in the valleys; so they that would pray unto the Lord or seek the heavenly Jerusalem, must climb up by faith into heaven to the mercy-seat and throne of grace, casting away all worldly cares, and leaving that behind.

The common opinion is that Adam, our first father, dwelt and was buried here in this city. And the scripture teacheth, Gen. xxii.

that good father Abraham offered his son Isaac on the mount Moria, where Salomon built the temple. Which all were figures that Christ Jesus, the new Adam, should be buried in the same place, where the old Adam was, to restore to us that life which old Adam had lost; and should offer his precious body on the tree for our redemption, a sweeter sacrifice than Isaac, or any bloody sacrifice that was offered in the temple of Salomon.

It is comfortable to consider, and wonderful to behold, how the wisdom of God hath made the circumstances of our destruction by Adam, and salvation by Christ Jesus, to agree. Adam in paradise, a garden of pleasure, offended God, and was cast out for his disobedience, and we all his posterity: Christ Jesus was buried in a garden, and hath by his death restored to us life again. By the enticing of a woman man fell from God; and by a woman that blessed seed, Christ Jesus, was born, and reconciled us to his Father again. By a pleasant apple was man deceived; but by Christ having bitter gall given him to drink man was saved. In that garden had Adam all pleasant things freely given him: and in this garden without the city had Christ our Lord all cruel and spiteful torments that could be devised; that we should go forth to suffer with him, forsaking the dainty pleasures of this city. In the temple no sin could be forgiven without shedding of the blood of some sacrifice; and in this world is no pardon of our wickedness without the blood of Christ Jesus, the innocent Lamb of God. And as by the fall of one man, Adam, we all were condemned, so by the rising from death of one man, Christ Jesus, we are justified. By the corruption of our father Adam we all did perish, and by the innocency of our brother, the Lord Christ, we all be sanctified. Why should not the goodness of the one profit us as much as the illness of the other did hurt us; or rather, much more bless us, being the immortal Son of the living God, and the other being but a mortal man made of the earth?

And as they that had any suit to the king, or sacrifice to be offered by the priest, first entered in at the uttermost gate, where the common sort of citizens dwelt; and then through the second, where the Levites and learned men were;