An explication of the iudiciall lawes of Moses. Plainely discovering divers of their ancient rites and customes. As in their governours, government, synedrion, punishments, civill accompts, contracts, marriages, warres, and burialls. Also their oeconomicks, (vizt.) their dwellings, feasting, clothing, and husbandrie. Together with two treatises, the one shewing the different estate of the godly and wicked in this life, and in the life to come. The other, declaring how the wicked may be inlightned by the preaching of the gospel, and yet become worse after they be illuminated. All which are cleered out of the originall languages, and doe serue as a speciall helpe for the true understanding of divers difficult texts of scriptures. ... / By Iohn Weemse, of Lathocker in Scotland, preacher of Gods word.

CHAPTER XLIIII. Of their Burials.

GEN. 49. 29. And he charged them and said unto them, I am to be gathered to my people, burie me with my Fathers.

IN their burials, first, we are to consider the place where they buried them; secondly, the ceremonies which they used at their Burials; thirdly, the forme of their Tombes; fourthly, the great charges that they were at in their burials; and lastly, how they comforted the living after the dead were buried.

First, the place where they buried them, it was com∣monly without the Citie; In Ierusalem they were buri∣ed without the Citie neare the brooke Kedron, Mat. 27. 53. And many arose, and came out of the graues, and went into the holy Citie, and appeared there: so the widowes sonne of Naim was buried without the Citie, Luk. 7. 12. so the possessed men walked amongst the graues in so∣litarie places, Mark. 4. 37. And Christ was buried in a Garden without the Citie.

They buried all of one familie together, 1 Sam. 3. 1. they buried the bones of Saul and Ionathan in the buriall of their Fathers: so Gen. 33. 2. therefore they were said to be gathered to their fathers; and David alludeth to this forme when he saith, gather me not with the wicked. Psal. 30. For all the bodies of the faithfull were laid toge∣ther, so are their soules gathered together, & this is cal∣led, the bundle of life, 1 Sam. 25. The Greeks called those who were not buried with their Fathers, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, out∣buried.

They buried the man and the wife together, as Abra∣ham and Sara in the field of Ephron, Gen. 25. so Iacob and Leah, Isaac and Rebecca, so Tobias and his wife were bu∣ried together, Tob. 4. 4. And hereby they signified the constancie and loue which should be betwixt the man and the wife, and that they died in the same faith, there∣fore the Orthodoxe Church when they died they would not be buried besides Heretickes; Sophronius said, Noli me tangere haeretice neque vivum neque mor∣tuum.

They buried strangers in a part by themselues, Act. 1. 18. this place they called it Kebher galaja, sepulchrum exterorum: when the strangers were converted to the faith, they desired to be buried with the faithfull; as Ruth said to Naomi, where thou diest there will I die and be buried, Ruth 1. 17.

Secondly, they used many Ceremonies in their bu∣riall, first, they fasted, 1 Sam. 31. 13. 2 Sam. 1. 12. and they mourned and wept and fasted while even; so 2 Sam. 3. 34. David fasted for Abner till the Sunne was set.

Secondly, they wept, as for Aar••n thirtie dayes, Num. 20. 29. so for Moses, Deut. 34. 8. so for Saul and Iona∣than, 2 Sam 1. 12. so for Iosia did all Israel mourne, 2 Chron. 35. 24. Families lamented, the men by themselues and the women by themselues, Zach. 1••. 12. so Luk. 23. and the women followed after weeping. They mourned and la∣mented chiefly for their Kings, Iere. 34. 5. and they will lament thee, saying ah Lord; they lamented for their King as the widow doth for her husband, for the King is the husband of the Common-wealth, and when shee wan∣teth him she is a widow, Lament. 1.

Such was the lamentation which David made for Saul and Ionathan, 2 Sam. 1. 18. it is called there the la∣mentation of the Bow, he commanded to teach the chil∣dren of Israel the Bow, it is commonly translated, he

taught them the use of the bow, or to shoot with the bow, but this is impertinently cast in, in the midst of Davids lamentations, that he taught them the use of the bow, but it should be this way translated, he taught them this lamentation, intituled the Bow, for it was the man∣ner in old times to giue sundry titles to these lamentati∣ons, as, Fistula, Scutum, Ovum, Ala, Securis; so Psal. 45. to the chiefe Musitian upon Shonannim, as yee would say upon the lillies, the song of the marriage is intituled the lillie. Christ is, the lillie of the valleyes, and his Church is as the lillie among thornes, therefore this marriage-Psalme is intituled the lillie; so the title of this lamenta∣tion was Arcus, the Seventie translated it well David e∣didit threnum hunc, & it is subjoyned that he made this lamentation, that he might teach it the children of Isra∣el; and Iosephus addeth, that the Iewes did diligently learne these Lamentations even unto his time, the rest of this Lamentation is set downe in the Booke of the just, vers. 18. and to translate it he taught them to shoot with the bow, were not pertinent, for they had skill in the use of the bow alreadie, 1 Par. 12. and it was not for vn∣skilfulnesse in the use of the Bow that the Philistims o∣vercame them. When Iosias was killed in the battaile, Ieremie made his Lamentations or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for him. When they buried their dead they had Minstrels, Mat. 9. 23. who sang the praises of the dead, this the Greekes called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and when the corps were to be carried out, they cryed Conclamatum est; and they hyred Praeficas, mour∣ning women. Iere. 9. 17. and when these women did sing the dolefull song, she that was the chiefe mourner sung over carmen 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 at every rest; the like wee see in Psal. 136. for his mercie endureth for ever: so Iere. 9. 18. the chiefe mourner repeated these words in the Lamen∣tation, that our eyes may run downe with teares, and our eye∣lids g••sh out with waters: so Ezek. 26. 7. how art thou de∣stroyed

that wast inhabited of Sea-faring men.

They lamented not for their wicked Kings when they died; Herod fearing that he should not haue this honour done to him when he died, commanded when he was a∣bout to giue up the Ghost, that a number of his wisest Counsellours should be gathered together, and that his Guard should inviron him about, and put them all to the sword, that there might be a lamentatiō at his death, which they were purposed to haue done, unlesse that Salome the sister of Herod had prevented it, and disco∣vered to them the plot, and then they kept a feast of joy in remembrance of that deliverance, as they did at Ha∣mans death.

Thirdly, they used to wash the bodies of the dead, this was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and so they washed the body of Dorcas and laid i•• in an upper chamber, there was also 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Ecclus 31. 25 that is, a washing of themselues for touching of the dead; and the third was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, baptized for the dead, that is, counted as dead men, 1 Cor. 15. 29. for when they were baptized they went downe into the water, and were baptized all over the body.

They embalmed the bodies 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 & 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 differ. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is to prepare all those things which serue for the embalming of the body, and this was called a bury∣ing among the Iewes, they used much this emb••lming of the bodies before they buried them, but now because the doctrine of the Resurrection is so cleare, this cere∣mony of embalming should not be used.

When they embalmed the bodies of their Kings, they burnt sweet odours for them, as for Asa and for Zedekiah, Iere. 34. 5. Thou shalt die in peace, and with the burnings of thy fathers the former Kings, so shall they burne Odours for thee: Although Zedekiahs eyes were pulled out of his head, and carried captiue to Babylon; yet he

is said to die in peace, because he had all these solemni∣ties performed to him in his funerals. Those of Iabesh Gilead tooke the bodies of Saul & his sonnes and burnt them, and buried their bones under a tree, 1 Sam. 31. 13. To burne their bodies here is not meant, that they burnt them to ashes, and then buried their bones, but they burnt odours upon their bodies untill they were buried; for these speeches are all one, comburent te, as the L••tines say, comburent tibi, as the Hebrewes say, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as the Greekes say, et aromatizare, as the E∣vangelists say, for every one of these phrases signifie the great pompe which was used at their burials. And where it is said, they buried their bones, it is to be under∣stood by the figure Synecdoche, their bodies, 2 Sam. 1. Are we not all of his bone: so Gen. 2. She is flesh of my flesh, and bone of my bone, and this last part here is but an ex∣planation of the first. Iechonias wanted this honorable buriall, and therefore is said, to be buried with the buriall of an Asse, Iere. 22. which was, insepulta sepultura.

The heathen burnt the bodies to ashes before they buried them, because that they thought, that the fire purged the bodie, but the greatest abuse of all in bur∣ning of the dead, was when the King of Moab tooke the King of Ammons sonne, and burnt him to Lyme, and then, (as the Iewes say) with that incrustârunt muros, they plaisterd their wals.

By this we may understand why the Scripture brin∣geth in Og the King of Bashans b••d, saying, is it not in Rabbath of Ammon unto this day? Deut. 3. 11. this was not his sleeping bed, but his funerall bed, for when they were dead, they laid them upon a rich bed, and burnt odours over them, untill their friends carri••d them to the graue, and then they came home and burnt the bed and things belonging unto it. Now the reason why this bed of Og burnt not, was because it was made of yron,

so say Rabbi Isaac Abrabaneel, and Arrias Montanus.

They had funerall feasts called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, therefore Ezek. 24. 17. when his wife died he was forbidden to eat of that bread, eat not the bread of men; Enoshim, that is, the bread of mourning men; these feasts they called afterwards, feralia & silicernia, and they used to set the meat upon the graues of the dead, Iob. 4. 17. poure out thy bread upon the buriall of the just: so Eccles. 30. 18 as mes∣ses of meat set upon the graue.

The third thing to be considered in their burials, is the forme of their Tombes, the Kings were buried in stately Tombes together in the Citie of David, and those Kings who were not buried there, were thought to be basely buried, if they were not buried in the buri∣all of David, or in the buriall of the Kings in Mount Sion.

The nobler sort some of them had Caues hewed out of a rocke, which had severall burials within them, and Christ was buried in such a buriall, Esa. 53. 9. He made his graue with the wicked, and with the rich, [Bamathau] in excelsis, that is, although he was crucified with the wic∣ked, yet he was buried in the Tombe of Ioseph, not in a base buriall but an honourable buriall, which was Io∣sephs owne buriall, who was an honorable man.

The Prophets were usually buried in stately Tombes, Iere. 26. 23. And Iehojakim sent for Vrias the Prophet out of Egypt, and caused to s••ay him with the sword, and cast his dead bodie in the graues of the common people: the Prophets were not usually buried in the burials of the common people; so Mat. 23. 29. Woe be to you, because yee build the Tombes of the Prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous.

For the common people they were but laid in the ground, without any Tombe, Luk. 11. 4. Yee are like graues which appeare not, and the men that walke over them are not aware of them.

They had some markes of distinction to discerne the Tombes of the better sort; example we haue of this in Ioshua 24. 30. it is said there, that they buried him in Tim∣nath-herah, but Iudg. 2. 9. they buried him in Timnath∣heres; Heres is called the Citie of the Sunne, and they changed the name of the Towne, because Ioshua was bu∣ried there, whose sepulchre had the picture of the Sun drawne upon it, as the Iewes write, and the sepulchre of Elisha was knowne by it selfe in the fields, 2 King. 13. 21.

Fourthly, they were at great charges in burying of their dead, it was so great that many times their friends refused to bury them, therefore Gamaliel who was a man of power and credit amongst them, restrained this. Nicodemus sent for an hūdreth pound weight of Myrrhe and Aloes, to embalme Christ, Ioh. 19. 39. and Christ alloweth the fact of Marie, Mat. 26. 10. when she pou∣red the boxe of precious oyntment upon his head, Why trouble ye the woman, for she hath wrought a good worke up∣on me: and Gamaliel ordained that none should be wrap∣ped in silke, but all in linnen, and no gold put upon them. So amongst the Romans they were glad to dimi∣nish these charges, tria si velit recinia & vincula purpu∣rea, & decem tibicines plus ne adhibeto.

Lastly, after the buriall was ended they used to com∣fort the living after this manner; first, sit consolatio tua in Caelis; secondly, quis audet d••o dicere, quid secisti? thirdly, they repeated these words of Esay. chap. 25. 8. he will swallow up death in victorie, and wipe away all teares from their faces; and Psal. 72. 16 they shall flourish and spring againe as the grasse on the earth: they b••leeved the resurrection of the bodie, therefore they called the Church-yard [Beth chaijm,] domus viventium, and as our soules lodge but a while in the bodie as in a taber∣nacle, 2 Cor. 5. 1. so our bodies lodge but a while in the

graue as in a tabernacle, Act. 2. 26. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, my flesh resteth in hope as in a tabernacle, and then they cryed, Zacor••ki gnapher anachnu, remember that we are but dust, and they conclude with this of Iob 1. the Lord hath gi∣ven & the Lord hath taken, blessed be the name of the Lord. When their little children died, they used not many speeches of consolation, but onely said, the Lord recom∣pence thy losse; Iob hath a notable saying, I came naked out of my mothers wombe, and I shall goe naked thither a∣gaine; How shall I goe thither againe? it is not taken for the same place, but for the same condition; hence it is that the inferior parts of the earth are called both the mothers wombe and the graue, Psal. 139. 15. I was curiously wrought in the lower parts of the earth; that is, in my mothers wombe, Ephes. 4. 9. Christ is said to des∣cend into the lower parts of the earth, that is, into his mothers wombe, and see the affinitie betwixt the belly and the graue, Christ joyneth them together, Mat. 12. As Ionas was three dayes and three nights in the belly of the Whale, so shall the sonne of man be in the heart of the earth: and Salomon, Prov. 30. joyneth them together, there are three things that are not satisfied, the graue, and the barren wombe, &c.

The conclusion of this is, let us remember, Iob 30. [Conclusion.] 23. that the graue is, domus constitutionis omni vivo, that is, the house in which we are all appointed to meet, and it is domus saeculi, the house of our age in which we dwell a long time, therefore we should often thinke of it, and not put the evill day farre from us, and make a covenant with death.

Notes

• The circumstances that were used in Buriall.
• The place where they used to bury.
• With whom they were buried.
• Th〈…〉〈…〉full were bu∣ri〈…〉〈…〉ther.
• The strangers conver∣ted, desired ••o be buri∣ed with the faithfull.
• The Ceremonies in buriall.
• How these words are to be understood, he taught them the use of the Bow.
• Eustatius lib. 4.
• Alexander ab Alexandro lib. 3. Genialium.
• Iosephus: The stratageme that Herod used that men might lament for his death.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

  • ... 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
  • ... 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
  • ... 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• They embalmed the dead.
• They bu••ned sweet O. dours for them.
• How these phrases are to be understood, Com∣burent te & comburent tibi.
• The Heathen burned them to ashes.
• Of the feasts at their Burials.
• Their burials were hewed out of a rocke.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Excelsa eiu••.
• The Prophets were al∣so buried in stately bu∣rials.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Sol.
• Cic••rolib. 2. de ll.
• They comforted the living after the dead were buried.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Domus viventium.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Dominus penset jacturam tuam.