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. LII. Israels affliction in Egypt. (Book 52)

OF Israels being in Egypt, many Heathen Authors do touch, though every one a several way, and all of them the wrong. Josephus against Appion is angry at their fables about it. Of the famine that brought them thither (if we take the want of Nilus flowing to be the natural cause, as most like it was) there* 1.1 seems then to be some remembrance of those seven years in Sene∣ca, in his natural questions; where he saith, Per novem annos Nilum non ascendisse superioribus saeculis, Callimachus est Author: that is, Callimachus writes, that in old time Nilus flowed not of nine years together: where he outstrips but two of the number. But of Israels affliction in Egypt, I find the Heathens silent. God had told Abraham of this their hardship long before, and shew∣ed him a token of it, by the fowls lighting upon his carcasses, Gen. 15. A type of Israels being in Egypt, and of Pharoahs be∣ing plagued for their sakes, was, when Pharoah suffered, for taking Sarah from her husband, and keeping her in his house: as it is, Gen. 12. How long they were in that land, few there be but know: but how long their affliction lasted, is uncertain. Pro∣bable it is, that it was about an hundred and twenty years, the time of the old Worlds repentance, and Moses his age: This is to be searched by Levi his age, which within a little one may find certain. All the generation of Josephs time die, before they are afflicted: as all the generation of Joshuahs time die, before they fall to Idolatry, Judges 2. 10. The reasons why God should thus suffer them to suffer: whether it were to fit them for the receiving of him and his Law, or whether it were to whip them for their Idolatry: or for some other cause, I dare not enter too near to search: this I see, that when the foundation (as it were) of the visible Church is laid thus in affliction, the Church cannot but look for affliction, whilest it lives in the Egypt of this World. But as Israel increased under persecution: so does the Church, for even when sparsum est semen sanguinis Martyrum, surrexit seges Ecclesiae: Nec frustra oravit Ecclesia pro inimicis suis crediderunt, & qui persequebantur: Aust. Ser. de Temp. 109. To omit the Jews fancy, that the Israelitish women bare six at a birth, and to omit questi∣oning whether faetifer Nilus, the drinking of the water of Nilus, which (as some say is good for generation) did conduce to the increasing of Israel, I can only look at God, and his work, which did thus multiply and sustain them in the furnace of affliction. Si Deus nobiscum quis contra nos? God had promised this increase to Jacob, as he fled to Ha∣ran, Gen. 28. in a dream from the top of Jacobs ladder. And here he proves faithful who had promised.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Nilus the wonder of Affrick the river of Egypt flows every year once over his banks: and if it flow not at all, or not to his right height, it causeth famine, for Egypt hath no rain. From this river, under God comes their plenty or famine: and it is remarkable that the fat and lean kine in Pharoah his dream (which betokened the plenty or scarsity of the Country) came out of the River. Of the reason of the flowing of this River, Pigaffetra especially is large. And I wonder that Jordan was not as much wondred at, for it did so also, Josh. 1.