26And Mathusala liued, after he begat Lamech, seuen hundred eightie two yeares, and begat sonnes and daughters. 27And al the dayes of Mathusala came to [1] nine hundred sixtie nine yeares, and he died. 28And Lamech liued an hundred eightie two yeares, & begat a sonne: 29and he called his name Noe, saying: This sonne shal comfort vs from the workes & labours of our hands on the earth, which our Lord cursed. 30And Lamech liued, after he begat Noe, fiue hundred nintie fiue yeares, and begat sonnes and daughters. 31And al the dayes of Lamech came to seuen hundred seuentie seuen yeares, and he died. And [2] Noe when he was fiue hundred yeares olde, begat Sem, Cham, and Iaphet.
ANNOTATIONS.
CHAP. V.
S. Aug. l. 15. ciuit. c. 20.The continual succession of Gods Church, & interruption of other communities.4. Begat sonnes and daughters.) Moyses in this genealogie reciteth not alwayes the first-begotten, nor the whole progenie by their names (for then he should haue repeated Cain and Abel, and haue named many others) but those onlie by whom the Church of God continued, signifying the rest in general, whose succession was cut off by the floud.
5. And he died.) By this Gods word is verified saying, that Adam should dye, if he should eate of the forbidden tree. And the diuel is proued a lyer, saying, they should not dye. It is also most true that Adam dyed that day in which he did eate. 2 Reg. 14.How man died the day that he sinned.For he began that very day to decline to death; and so doth al mankind euer since as truly said the woman of Thecua to King Dauid: we doe al die, and as waters that returne not, we fal downe on the earth. ho. 37. in Euang. Psa. 89. S. Ire. l. 5. adver. Heret. Cicero li. de Senec. & q 1. Tuscul.And what els (sayth S. Gregorie) is this daylie decaying of our corruption, but a lingring death? And none of al these that liued longest reaching to a thousand yeares (which with God is as one day) man dyed in that day in which he transgressed.
Al time is short in respect of eternitie.Morally ancient Fathers here note, that albeit the life of the Patriarks seemeth long to vs, yet if we compare the same to eternitie it is nothing. Neither by the iudgement of Philosophers may aniething be counted long, that hath an end: as Tullie bringing Cato wisely disputing, sheweth the longest life to be but a short moment. Whereby againe we may see what losse we sustaine by sinne: seeing if sinne had not been, we should al haue been translated from earth to heauen, and neuer haue dyed.
l. 20. ciuit. c 29. li. 2. de gratia Christic. c. 23. tract. 4. in Jo.Enoch and Elias yet liuing in bodie.24. Was seene no more.) That Enoch and Elias are yet aliue is a constant knowne truth in the harts and mouths of the faithful, saith S. Augustin in his first booke, de peccat. merit. & remiss. c. 3. and confirmeth the same in diuers other place. And it is testified by very many both Greeke and Latin Doctours: S. Ireneus li. 5. S. Iustinus Martyr, q. 85. ad Orthodoxos, S. Hippolitus li. de Antichristo, S. Damascen, li. 4. de Orthodoxa fide, S. Hierom. epist. 61. ad Panach. c. 11. S. Ambrose in Psalm 45. Manifest Scripture that Elias yet liueth, and shall be slaine, & another with him.S. Chrysostom. ho. 21. in Gen. ho. 58. in Mat. ho. 4. in Epist. 2. ad Thess. ho. 22. in ep. ad Heb. S. Greg. li. 14. Moral. c. 11, ho. 12. in Ezech. S. Prosp. li. vlt. de promis. S. Bede in c. 9. Marc. Theophilact and Oecumenius in cap. 17. Mat. and others innumerable. Malac. 4 Apo. 11.Touching Elias it is manifest in Scriptures, that he shal come, and preach, & be slaine with an other witnes of Christ, before the terrible day of Iudge-
- ↑ This is the longest life of al here recited. But if we consider that Adam was as strong of body the first day he was created, as these others were at the age of 60. yeares (before which, none are said to haue begot children) & so subtract 60. yeares from Mathusala, then Adam liued in mans state longer then he by 21. yeares.
- ↑ The second prophecie before Masse on Easter Eve.
