An exposition of the lawes of Moses: Viz. Morall. Ceremoniall. Iudiciall. The second volume. Containing an explanation of diverse questions and positions for the right understanding thereof. Wherein also are opened divers ancient rites & customes of the Iewes, and also of the Gentiles, as they haue relation to the Iewish. Together with an explication of sundry difficult texts of Scripture, which depend upon, or belong unto every one of the Commandements, as also upon the ceremoniall and iudiciall lawes. Which texts are set downe in the tables before each particular booke. All which are cleered out of the originall languages, the Hebrew and Greeke, and out of the distinctions of the schoolemen and cases of the casuists. / By Iohn Weemse, of Lathocker in Scotland, preacher of Gods Word.

EXERCITAT. VI. Of the situation of the Citie of Jerusalem. A ceremoniall appendix of Command 2.

Psal. 48. Beautifull for situation, the joy of the whole earth is mount Sion, on the sides of the north the City of the great king.

IErusalem was compassed about with Hils and Val∣leyes, the Hiles were Gareb, Calvarie, Gihon, Aceldamae, Olivet, the Valleyes were the Valley of dead Carkases, Tyropaeum, the Valley of Iehosophat or hinnon, or the Kings dale.

The Citie it selfe stood upon foure Hils, Sion to∣wards the south; Akra towards the north, upon which Salem stood; Moriah betwixt Sion and Akra; and Beze∣tha betwixt Akra and Moriah; and betwixt Sion and Moriah lay the great gulfe of Millo.

Vpon every one of these hills there is some notable thing to be observed: upon mount Gareb all the Lepers were put, therefore it is called, the hill of Scabbes, Iere. 31.39. upon mount Calvarie Christ was crucified; up∣on Gihon Salomon was anoynted King; In Aceldama was the potters field which was bought with the price of the just one, for the buriall of strangers, Amos 2.6. Act. 1.19. upon mount Olivet Christ was taken up to Hea∣ven.

Vpon mount Sion stood the fort of the Iebusites, which David taking in afterwards, called it the Citie of David, there he built his house. In mount Akra stood the old Citie Salem, where Melchizedeck dwelt, and it is called

Akra from hakkara, obviam venit, because there hee met Abraham and blessed him when he returned from the slaughter of the Kings, Gen. 14.19. Vpon mount Moriah Abraham would have offered his sonne Isaac, Gen. 22 and here the Angell stood with a drawne sword in his hand above the threshing floore of Arauna the Ie∣busite; and upon this mount afterwards was the Temple of Salomon builded.

In Bezetha was builded the new towne of Ierusalem, called forum inferius, in respect of forum superius that was in Sion. To the north of Bezetha and Akra stood the new towne builded by Hezekiah which he compas∣sed round about with a wall called murus tertius, for the first wall was builded by David round about Sion, even to the Sheep-gate; the second wall was builded by Salomon round about Bezetha, and joyned with the first wall at the Sheepe-gate; the third wall was buil∣ded by Hezekiah joyning it to the old wall of the City Salem, and compassed round about mount Akra to the water gate, where it joyned with the second wall.

Millo was a deepe gulfe lying to the north of Sion, & to the south of Moriah; this gulfe Salomon filled up when he builded his owne house, the Queenes house and the house of Lebanon.

Mount Sion in which the City of David stood, was called the upper towne, and the rest that were towards, the north of it, Salem and Bezetha, were called the nether towne, and to this the Apostle alludeth, Gal. 4.25. Ierusalem which is beneath, and Ierusalem which is above; Ierusalem which is above signified anogogical∣lie the triumphant Church, but allegorically the free children begotten within the covenant of grace; and Ierusalem below signified the children of the bond wo∣man; and for this cause it is put in the duall number

Ierusalaijm; because it consisteth of two Cities which the Greekes call 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. So Iacobs armie is called mahanaijm, consisting of two armies, one hea∣venly, another earthly; to these two Salomon compa∣reth the Church, Cant 6.13. what will yee see in the Shu¦lamite; as it were the company of Manaham, or two armies, shee consisted partly of Citizens in the triumphant Church, and partly of Citizens in the militant.

Ierusalem is sometimes called Sion, and sometimes Moriah, and Sion is called, the hill of God, Psal. 68.15. that is, an excellent hill; for the Hebrewes wanting the superlative, they supply it by adding the name God, by which they understand that which is most excellent and great in that kind, Psal. 80.11. The trees of it were like the Cedars of God, that is, excellent Cedars, So 1 Sam. 18.10. the evill spirit of the Lord came upon Saul, that is, a very evill spirit. So Ierusalem is called the daughter of Sion, that is, Sion herselfe, as the Sonne of man, that is, a man.

When Ierusalem and Sion are set together, they are so to be understood, as a repetition of the selfe-same thing for the more earnest expression, as Zach. 9.9. O daughter of Sion, O daughter of Ierusalem, here the explaining of the one word by the other, carieth a great weight with it. So Psal. 92.9. For loe thine enemies, O Lord, for loe, thine enemies, O Lord, shall perish, that is, they shall surely perish.

Moriah is also taken for all the hils whereupon the City stood, Gen. 22.2. Goe to the Land of vision, that is, to the land of Moriah, but Abraham seeing that excel∣lent vision, vers. 14. of which Christ spake, Ioh. 8.56. Abraham rejoyced to see my day, he appropriated the ge∣nerall name, particularly to this mountaine, and called it Moriah.

[Quest.] How is David sayd to bring the head of Goliah to

Ierusalem, 1 Sam. 17.54. seeing he had not taken in Ieru∣salem a long time after?

[Answ.] That part of Ierusalem which stood in the tribe of Benjamin was taken in by Saul before, and to this part David brought the head of Goliah; but the other part was possessed still by the Iebusites untill David was crowned King both over Israel and Iuda, and the first victory that he got after he was crowned King over both Israel and Iuda, was over the Iebusites.

Ierusalem is called the midst of the earth, Ezek. 38.12. in the originall Tabbur, umbilicus, because it stood upon the hils, as the Navell doth in the Bodie; by this is un∣derstood that parable of Gaal, Iudg. 9.37. Behold people came downe from the Navell of the earth, that is, from Ie∣rusalem, hence all the Regions round about Ierusalem take their denomination from the situation of it, Psal. 89.12. the north and the sea thou hast created them, and it is called the north in respect of Ierusalem. So Psalm. 107.3. From the East, and from the West, and from the North, & from the sea. Here the mediterranean Sea in the Scriptures is put for the South in respect of Ierusalem; therefore the situation of the heavens is not taken from the body of man in the Scripture, as the Philosophers say, but from the Lord dwelling betwixt the Cherubims in the west end of the Temple of Ierusalem; who sitteth be∣twixt the Cherubims, looking alwayes towards the East, and then his right hand was to the South, and his left hand to the North, Psal. 68.4. extoll him, qui equi∣tat super ad occ••sum, who rideth upon the West; because the Cherubims stood in the west end of the Temple.

The Conclusion of this is, Ierusalem being in the center of the earth, and the line of the Gospel going out from it to be preached through the whole earth, to gather in the Church of the Gentiles to the Iewes, whereby they might make a compacted Citie; therefore glorious

things are spoken of it. So Ier. 3.17. All the Nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord to Ierusalem, in the originall it is, Venikevu, They shall run in a line; for the Gospel went out from Ierusalem, the sound there∣of went to the ends of the earth, Psal. 19.5. in the originall it is, the line thereof: for Ierusalem was as the center, and the lines went from the center to the ends of the whole earth, and the same way that the lines went out from it: So shall all Nations returne by the same lines, and bee gathered in to Ierusalem which is above.

Notes

• The Hils compassed Ierusalem.
• The Hils upon which Ierusalem stood.
• Some memorable things done on every one of the Hils.
• The Citie of David stood in Sion.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 obviam veniens.
• In mount Moriah Abra¦ham would have offe∣red his sonne.
• The new towne of Ierusalem stood in Be∣zetha called the upper Mercat.
• The gulfe Millo.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Ierusalem superior. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Ierusalem inferior.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• Ierusalem is sometimes called Sion, and some∣times Moriah.
• Ierusalem and Sion put together for the more earnest expression.
• Moriah taken largely for all the hils in Ierusalem.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 vmbilicus, me∣taphorice Locus editus. why Ierusalem is called the midst or the navil of the earth
• Other countries take their denominations from the situation of Ierusalem.
• The situation of the heavens is taken from the Lord dwelling be∣twixt the Cherubims.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 est vespera occa∣sus 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 est locus campest••is, et pluraliter 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Coeli: hinc est quod quidam verte∣runt Equitat super ad Occasum: Alii, Insidet amoenitatibus: Alii, E∣quitat super Coelos.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 linea corum.