That Judas bezat Pharez and Zarah ( they were Twins begor of Thamar his Daughter-in-law, the Reli& of his Son Er, whom God ſlew, Gen. 38.7.) appcareth from Gen. 38. 27,28,29,30. Thar Pharez bezat Exrom, appeareth from Ruth 4. 18. and 1 Chron. 2. 5. and from the ſame Texts appears alſo that Ezrm begar Aram. Ruth 4-19. 1 Chron. 2.9. where he is called Ram. Some may poſfibly be offended, that amongſt all the Anceſtors of Cl:rift, rhere are bur four Wamen named, and three of them ſuch as had a great ftain and blot upon their Reputatim. This Thamar, the Mother of Pharez and Zarah was blotted wirh Inceſt, and Pharcz was one of the Chil- dren begor in that Inceſt. Rahab alſo 1s mentioned, v. 5. whom rhe Scripture calleth an Harlot, Foſh. 2.1. and Bathſheba was ſtained with Adultery. But we ought to conſider, 1. That (abaring Ori- ginal Corruption , which we indecd all derive trom our Parents) no man deriveth any intrinfick badneſs from the Vice of his Pa- rents, tho' he may derive a bloc apon his Hon and Repuration, from it. 2. Thar this was one degree of our Saviour's Humiliation, 3- Fhar it was no way incongruous, that he who came 1nto the World to die for great Sinners, ſhould be born of ſome that were fucn,
4 And Aram begat Aminadab,and Aminadab begat Naaſſon, 2nd Naafſon b2gat Salmon.
This exa&y agreeth with tne Old Teſtament, Ruth 4. 19, 20. 1 Chron, 2. 10, 11. only it is there faid, that Naaſſm, was Prince of the Children of Judah , Numb. 1.7. (5 2. 3- and Salmon 15 there called Salma.
s And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab, and Booz begat Obed of Ruth, and Obed begat Jefle.
6 And * Jeſſe begnt David the King ----—-
This agrecth with Ruth 2.4.2.and 1 Sam.16.2, 2.15 Here now ariſerh the firſt DiFiculty we meer with in this Genealogy , and it is rather an appcarance of a Ditficulty, than a real one. Salmon be-
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SS MATTHEW.
Ahab, 2 Chron. 21. 2,6. He reigned bur eight years, lived, and died
ariſech another Dithculty from what is faid, Forom begat Oxi It 1s certain that he did nor beger him immediately, for Uzziah wat the fourth from Foram. Febwam or Joram begat Abaziah, lie wa: his youngeſt Son, he lived bur one year as King, 2 Chron. 21. 1,7 Then Athaliah uſurped the Kingdem fer 1:x years, {not counting her Uſurpation.) Foafh, the Son of Abazian, reigned forty years 2 Chron. 24.1. He dies, 2 £Xiig. 12. 21. and Amaziah his Son reigned in his ſtead , 2 Chron, 26. 1. He was the Father of Utxiih, called Azariah, 2 King. 14.21. $9 that when ir is ſaid, That 7* ram begat Oziah, we muſt only underſtand, that Uzziah lincally deſcended from Foram, thus, v. 1. Chriſt is called the Sm David, the Son of Abraham. Thus the Fews ſaid, We have Abrchait to our Father, and #lizabeth 1s ſaid to be of the Daughters of 4iiM, Luk. 1.5. Bur ir 15a greater Queſtion, why the Evangeliſt leaves out Ahaziah, 7oaſh, and Amaziah, who were all three Jawful Prin- ces, and rightly deſcended from the Family of David. To pak I) various Conjettures, rhe beſt Account I find given of ic 15 ith I. Ir 1s manifeſt the Evanz/ift had a defign to divide all the Gene- rations from Abraham to Chriſt into three Periods. The firſt of which ſhould contain the. Growing State of the Jewiſh Commit- wealth, till it came at the heighth which was in David's time. Tie ſecond ſhould contain irs Flouriſhing State ; which was from D:* vid's time rill the firſt carrying into Captivity. The third ſhou! contain 1t Declining State, from the firſt carrying them into Cap- tivicy to the coming of Chriſt, 2. He defigned to reduce all tte Generations in each Period to fourteen ; this appeareth from 7. 17: Now altho' cite firſt Period contained exattly fourteen Deſcents © Generations, yet in the ſecond there was manifeſtly ſeventeen, {9 as the Evangeliſt was obliged to leave our three to bring chem © the number of fourteen: Now tho? it be a little roo Curious [0 inquire why the Evangeliſt choſe co leave ouc theſe three, 422" Foaſh, and Amaziah, rather than any other three, yer there 15:
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