GENESIS IV. David Cith, that every man is Vanille, [ Abel ] though ljtkd,us men may. thinkc, Pfal. 39.6. feeder : ] or, thepheard, P. floc and Governor of a flock: which tiocke (in the originali ) comprehended/ both Jheepe and goats, as is explained in Lev. t. i O. The NewTeftanle't tranflateth it into Grecite, fontetfnte fbee9e, as Rom. 8. 36. from Pîä1.44.23 fometime flocke.,as t Coa9.7. anctfom_ time bout together, as , theJbeepe of the flock, Matth. 26.31. from Zich.t3.7,for which in Mar.14.s7.is writ- ten only, the Pepe. Abel in Ihepherdy, as in fa- criacing and n artyrdome,was a figure of Chrid; Joli t o.11. Of this trade alfo ware the Patriarks of Ifras1, Gen. 46.32,.34. and Mofes,David, and many other men of note c Exod.3. I. PCaln1.78. 70, 7E. Verte 3. at the end of daye,: ] that is , at the enfle 3 of tbeyeare. Some underttand it to mcane,afier ma- ny dyes, that is, in proeef i oftime. But a full yeare, is calledayeareofdayes,Jen. 45.1. a Sam. t4 a8. becaule of certaine dales that are in the ycare,be- fides the maneths. And for fhortneffe of fpeech (which the Hebrew tongue affeð), dayer, are taled for a yeare of dajes,that is, a whole yeare : as in Lev. 25.29. layes, is in vert: 3o. expounded to be a perfeli (or full)yeare : and the revolution of dayer, 1 Sam. t. zoo is that which Moles talleth the revo- lution of theyeare , Exod.34. a Z. And in Numn.9. 22. or two dyes, or a moneth, or dyer, that is, ayeare. And in Amos 4 4. after three ¿oyes, nleaneth three Jura, Deut.i4.28. and inExoI. t;.10.1 Sam t. 3. tom dyes to kites ; is, fromyeare toyeare : and the facrifceof dyer, I Sani. 2. 19. was theyesre) facri- Tice. Whereupon in prophch es, often times, dayes aréufed for yeares,Revel.r1 0,11. At the yeare.s end, men were wont in ni aft lòlemne manner to facrifice unto God, with thanks for his bletlags, having gathered in their fruits : fo the law of Mores did contmand,Exod. 23.16. whichorder (as by this appeareth)the Fathers oblèrved from the beginning : and it was fo accultomed among the Gentiles ; for the ancient faerificer, and afmblier tonto that end,were after thegathering in of the fiuits,f r (an oblation of) the firfl fruits ; fayth Ariflatle in E- thicks, book 8. brought: ] in Greece, Bred. It is likely , that the Connes brought their offrings unto God, by Adam their Father, who was high Priell,(as after,all the firft borne in families were Prtefls,Exod.19.22.) and upon onAltar he offred their gifts.The Hebrew Do&ors fay; le is a tradi- tion by the handof all, that the place wherein David tad Solomon built an Altar, in the pore of Armonk, ( iChron,21.zz.a6, and 22.1. 2Chron.3.t.) ram the place where Abraham ',gilded an Altar and bound Ifsskuponit, (Gen.22.9.) and that was the place where Noe bttilded , after he came out of the Ark, (Gen.8.ao..) and that wen the Altar upon which Kain and Abel died : and on it, Adam the firft manobled an offrin; after he war created , and out of that place he was created. Our wife mm havefay ¿, Adam was cre- ated out of the place of his Atonement. Maimony, in Mifn.book.8, treat. of the Temple, chap,2.S.2. an ofing.] or, oblation , called in Hebrew , a Mucha'', by which name the Meat -orivg is called in theLaw,Lev.z.which commonly was of wheat flower. Although the word is fometime uCed ge- nerally for any gift or prrfint, Gen.; 3. But Kain brought of tbefruit of the gamed , which eu- ftome continued ; fo that in Iliad nieta might eat neither bread nor corne,till they had brought an offringunto God,Lev.23.14.Among the Greekes alfo they ulèd to facritice the fruits of theearth, Harter Iliad.i.and Numa ordained the likeamong the Romans, who tailed not new corneor wine , before the'Priepr badficrificed thefirfl. fruits faith Plinie la booker chap.z. and in the Roman lawes of the twelve Tables,the fame oblation ofcorne is com- manded: De reliq. tit. t.lex.4. The like was for fa- crificing of beans, as Abel did : which was ufed oflliael, and of all Nations till the conning of Chrift : fee Lev. t. Verl4.the fat ofthem : ] As the firft fruits ofthe earth, of bcafts, ofmen, were given inthankeful- neffe to the Lord,that all the reif might be fan&i- fled and blelfed, Exod.2 2.29,3o. and23.t9. fó God challenged the fat of all facrifices peculiarly to himfelfe, Lev.3. 16,17. and7.25. which fat, Corned= figured mans nnbeleefe, hardneffe of heart, and want of fence, Praia s 9.7o, AfI 28.27. which was to be confumed by the fire of Gods fpirit: fometime it íignilied the be(} ofall Oings, Numb. 18. 12. in which fence R feemeth to bee fpoken here of Abel. From whale exampple, the Hebrew Do&ors teach , that a man (hould inbtrgt bis hand, and bring hit (ring of thefaireft and mofe laudable among fl ibsp knde of thing! Whereof be bring- etb. Behold it is written in the law , And Abel bee alfa, brought, of the ftrflüngs of hoa peke, and of the fat of th m, And this is a common law , in every thing which is for the name of the good God , tbstitbeof the goodlieft and bell. If one build a boufe of prayer let it bee fayrer then hisowne dwellinghoufe; ifhefeedthe hungry, let him feed him with the bete and fweetefi that ie on his Tab!e: Ifhecloatbe the naked let it be with thefayrefi of 'hie eloatbe., ; if he fang' fie any thing, let himfan/S/fe of the fayreft of hisgoodr ; and fa bee fyth, (Lev.3. i 6. ) All the fat it the Lord!. Maimony inMila.tom.3. in Muni naizbeach, chap.7.S.i t. By the facrifi- ces of old, there was (befides a thanfulneffe to God,)a yearely remembrance alto of their Tones, Heb. 10.3. and hopeof the forgiveneffe of them by Chris to come, Heb.to r.io,I4. Andleeing the godly offred infaith , Hcb. i 1.14. and faith is by bearing the Word of God, Rom. i o. 7. Abel and the reft were taught of God thus for to worfhip him: for all wil- worfhip devifèd by mends vaine: Mat. t 5.9. Co1.2.22,23. bad rclea: ] to weet , with deligbr, as the Hebrew word imply= eth ; (and fo one Greeke veriton tranflateth lt,War delighted :) and with favourable acaptatimt, as the Chaldee paraphrafe explaineth it. So GOD corn- manded every man to offer facrifice for his f you et bee acceptation, Lev.1.3. that he and it , might bee accepted of the Lord. Tisis gracious relpe£l unto Abel,was feene of Kain , for which he was grie- ved;and the Apoftle noteth it to be a tefdflcation of Abets juflice by faith, Heb. 1.1. It is likely therfore thatGod (hewed it by Come vìfiblc ligne; as 4
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