The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

CHAP. XXVI.

THE time that Esau sold his birth-right, and that Isaac went [Ismael 98] [Isaac 84] [Iacob 24] to Gerar, are both undated, but it seemeth by [Ismael 99] [Isaac 85] [Iacob 25] the Text that they were near together; and that the famine [Ismael 100] [Isaac 86] [Iacob 26] that caused Esau to part with his birth-right, caused Isaac [Ismael 101] [Isaac 87] [Iacob 27] to depart out of his own residence, to go elsewhere to seek [Ismael 102] [Isaac 88] [Iacob 28] for sustenance. It appeareth that there was great scarcity of [Ismael 103] [Isaac 89] [Iacob 29] victuals, when Jacob is brought to his lentil pottage, and [Ismael 104] [Isaac 90] [Iacob 30] when Esau, if he got not some of these pottage, is like to [Ismael 105] [Isaac 91] [Iacob 31] famish. Many precious things were wrapped up in the [Ismael 106] [Isaac 92] [Iacob 32] birth-right: as, the Priority, the Promise, the Priest-hood, [Ismael 107] [Isaac 93] [Iacob 33] and excellent priviledges; and Esau for a mess of pottage [Ismael 108] [Isaac 94] [Iacob 34] despiseth them all. Compare this with Adams losing his [Ismael 109] [Isaac 95] [Iacob 35] own and his posterities happiness, for a morsel of meat. [Ismael 110] [Isaac 96] [Iacob 36] Isaac as his father had done, denyeth his wife: A Philistim [Ismael 111] [Isaac 97] [Iacob 37] King sheweth here more conscience then he; he prospereth [Ismael 112] [Isaac 98] [Iacob 38] exceedingly in the land of the Philistims, to the envy of the [Ismael 113] [Isaac 99] [Iacob 39] inhabitants there.

[World 2208] [Ismael 114] [Isaac 100] [Iacob 40] ESAU marrieth Canaanitish wives; a vexation to his [Ismael 115] [Isaac 101] [Iacob 41] holy parents; for this his impious Polygamy he is called a for∣nicator, [Ismael 116] [Isaac 102] [Iacob 42] Heb. 12. 16. for Polygamy is called fornication [Ismael 117] [Isaac 103] [Iacob 43] or whoredom, Hos. 4. 11. and upon this it seemeth that the Holy [Ismael 118] [Isaac 104] [Iacob 44] Ghost giveth one of his wives the name of Adah, the wife [Ismael 119] [Isaac 105] [Iacob 45] of the first Polygamist in the world: see Gen. 36. 2. and Gen. [Ismael 120] [Isaac 106] [Iacob 46] 4. 19. Esau here lay under a double offence, namely for Po∣lygamy, [Ismael 121] [Isaac 107] [Iacob 47] and for marrying in the stock of cursed Canaan; [Ismael 122] [Isaac 108] [Iacob 48] Polygamy in the men of the holy generation: as, Jacob, Da∣vid [Ismael 123] [Isaac 109] [Iacob 49] and Solomon, &c. was of a more tolerable nature, and [Ismael 124] [Isaac 110] [Iacob 50] of more dispensableness; because they sought to multiply [Ismael 125] [Isaac 111] [Iacob 51] the holy seed, which Esau was out of capacity to do.

[Ismael 126] [Isaac 112] [Iacob 52] Was not Esau Jacobs brother, saith the Lord? Yet I loved [Ismael 127] [Isaac 113] [Iacob 53] Jacob, and hated Esau, Mal. 1. ver. 2, 3. What shall we say then? [Ismael 128] [Isaac 114] [Iacob 54] Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith [Ismael 129] [Isaac 115] [Iacob 55] to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I [Ismael 130] [Isaac 116] [Iacob 56] will have compassion on whom I will have compassion, Rom. 9. [Ismael 131] [Isaac 117] [Iacob 57] 14, 15. Both the Prophet and the Apostle do rather take [Ismael 132] [Isaac 118] [Iacob 58] their example for election and reprobation in Jacob and [Ismael 133] [Isaac 119] [Iacob 59] Esau, then in Cain and Abel, at the beginning of the old [Ismael 134] [Isaac 120] [Iacob 60] world, or in Sem and Ham in the beginning of the new; [Ismael 135] [Isaac 121] [Iacob 61] partly because the free acting and disposing of God is the [Ismael 136] [Isaac 122] [Iacob 62] better shewed, in the contrary disposal of these two that were known to be born at one birth; and partly, because in Jacob there began to be a distinguished people from all the world, and the foundation of a distinct visible Church laid: and partly since both were born of parents under the Pro∣mise, that the spiritual and temporal vertue of the Promise might be differenced.

ISMAEL dieth; 137 years old: here read Gen. 25. from verse 12. to verse 19. and 1 Chron. 1. verse 28, 29, 30, 31. There may be some argument that he was saved, though once he persecu∣ted [World 2231] [Ismael 137] [Isaac 123] [Iacob 63] and mocked, and was expelled Abrahams house: as Abrahams [Isaac 124] [Iacob 64] prayer for him, and Gods promise towards him, Gen. 17. 18, 20. [Isaac 125] [Iacob 65] the reckoning of his age, and using the very same expression of his [Isaac 126] [Iacob 66] death, as are used of Abrahams; Esau going to marry in his stock, [Isaac 127] [Iacob 67] when his Canaanitish matches displeased his parents, &c. But how∣soever [Isaac 128] [Iacob 68] it was with Ismael himself in matter of piety, it is certain his [Isaac 129] [Iacob 69] posterity grew impious, and were constant enemies to Israel: they [Isaac 130] [Iacob 70] and the rest of the seed of Abraham by Keturah, lived together in [Isaac 131] [Iacob 71] Arabiah, and were brethren in evil. The Turks are held by some to [Isaac 132] [Iacob 72] be of the seed of Ismael, and their using Circumcision is used as an [Isaac 133] [Iacob 73] argument to confirm it: but that may speak them as well, if not ra∣ther, [Isaac 134] [Iacob 74] the off-spring of the Jews captivated into the Northern parts [Isaac 135] [Iacob 75] of the world, by Assyria and Babylon, and now increased into these [Isaac 136] [Iacob 76] vast multitudes; and poured out toward the western parts.