/////dlilo-t äi; 1W,/V % the holy 1erufalem, the Bride the Lambs wife, (which is faid to have theglory of God, and her wals garnifhed with all manlier of Precious filones , and many other like excellencies, Rev. z r. 9. ro.19. &c.)to be inferióur in glory to Mofes SanEtuary,& the earthly Jerufalem,&thole that mìniftred in the fame ; which a man of found judgement will not eafily beleeve. And wh.tCoever Nitric faith of the precioufneffe of the vtdamant,we are allured from God that the Sardonix is precious, Revel.z r.r9.zo. & Plinie himfelfe confirmeth ir,by the example s oftheTyrant Polycrates,who`fogreatly e(leemedthe Sardonix in his ring, that he valued the loffe thereof, with all his wealth and felicity , which hee confeffed to be exceeding great, Nat. Hill 1.37.c.r. And Claudius the Romane Emperour ufedto weareEmeraldsandsar- donyches, Plin. ihidem c. 6. fo that the Latine Poets when they noted men for their h atcli.- neffe, fpake of their hands garni(hed with Sardonyches , Martial.l. 3. luvenal. Sat. 6. and (hew of what eke= they were,infaying,gemmaq princepsSardónychus, loculisquacuflo- ditur eburnis, luvenal. Sat. t 3. The reafon from Rev. 7.5 -8. that the tribes are there reckoned sip by the Holy Ghofi, with omiifion of Dan, otherwife then they are reckoned in any place of the oldTeftament ; weakneth not, but rather coufirmeth that which I have Paid. For as there is no new perfon put in stead of any tribe, or new name given to any tribe, but fuch as was given before in the old Tefta- ment : fo neither is it likely that in Rev.z 1. any other new (tone (hould be placed, than fuch ° asagreeth with the defcription of Mofes ; fo that the S rdonyx ( hould be looked for in Exo. 28. among the refit. Againe the omiffion of Dan in Rev. 7. accordeth very well with the old Teftament ; for though Jofephs fonnes Ephraim and Mana(fes made two tribes, Genet; 48.5.6. Num.i to. 33.35. fo that aftera fort here were thirteens ; yet the Scripture ufu- ally nameth and reckoneth them but twelve, that the name of the twelve tribes is famous alfoin the new Teftament,-2uk.za .3o.AH.z6.7.Iaw.1.i.Rev.z1.52. And when they are -reckoned bythe Prophets,oae commonly is omitted; for either Jofeph is named in ít ad of his two fonnes,as in Gen. 49. or if theytwo be mentioned, Leviffor his feparation to the Lords fervice in the Tabernacle) is omitted,as in Num. r3. and often ; or if both he & they be expreffed,fome one of the other is let pafle, as SimeodTs unnamed in the bleffing of the tribes, Dent.31. Accordingly the Spirit of God in Rev.7. naming Levi, and Manafles, and Jofeph -Fo Tiis fine Ephraim, was to omit the name of force other ; unlefle hee ( hould have counted 13. tribes, contrary to the conrfe of the Scripares,and fcope of the matter therein hand. Why Dan is not named in hev.7. or Simeon in Deut. 33. belongeth not to this queuion; it fufficeth that there is no new praEtife in Reve1.7. differing from the Pro- phets ; neither needwe looke for any innovation among the precious hones, Rev z r Thus have I, according to the meafure of knowledge which God bath given me, and as the extreme infirmity of my body would permit, made anfwer to the chiefe matters obje- lied, ?penally fuch as concerne the Scriptures , and may by them be decided. Other things wherein I have (hewed either nîtñe owne, or other mens judgement, I will not con. te}}tdd about. Let not any thing which I have written be accepted without triall , or further -íhanitagree h with the troth. The learned which have interpreted and opened-the Scrip- tures,have had their fecond thoughts,&altered both their verfions & Expofitions in fundry places,as al men know but in part. For things wherein I have miffed, I humbly crave par. /ee Jai don of God?& of his people; to fuch as have the fpirit in them -that lufheth after envie, iw'c I with a better mind; to fuch as love the truth,encreafeof knowledge & grace : , /-' and for ought that is good and profitable in my labours,thepraife there- t fore be unto him that is Author of every good gift and worke ; the benefit thereof unto thufe t hat love his Name, which be ble(fed forever, Amen. r IIP7 1111 f1AhI IIII110111'i
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