in a Book which is called Ecclesiasticus or the wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach Iesus otherwise called Justus was a Jew born Col. 4.11 and one of Paul's Workfellows in preaching and setting forth the Kingdom of God whom he commended to the Colossians desiring them that if he or any such did come unto them they should receive and entreat them with all gentleness Iethro the Priest of Midian had seven Daughters Exod. 4.18.18 cap. of the which one was called Zipporah whom he married to Moses And when that Jethro had heard of all the mighty deeds which God had done for Moses and how he had delivered the Children of Israel out of Egypt from the Bondage of Pharaoh and brought them thorow the red Sea he met Moses in the Wilderness and brought to him his Wife and two Children which he had sent back before at whose coming Moses was exceeding glad Then as Jethro abode with Moses and saw the great pains he took in judging the People from Morning to Night he said unto him What is this that thou dost unto the People Why sittest thou thy self alone and all the People stand about thee from morning unto even When the People quoth Moses have any matter they come unto me and I judge between one and another and declare unto them the Statutes and Laws of God Thou dost not well quoth Jethro for thou both weariest thy self The counsel of Jethro Moses Father-in-law and the People that is with thee The thing is of more weight than thou art able to perform alone Therefore hear my counsel and God shall prosper thee Be thou for the People to God-ward and report the causes to him Admonish them of the ordinances and laws and shew them the way wherein they must walk and the work that they must do Moreover seek out among the People men of courage and such as fear God true dealing men hating covetousness and appoint them to be Rulers over thousands over hundreds over fifties and over tens And let them judge the people at all seasons and every great matter let them bring it to thee but all small causes let them judge themselves and so shall it be easier for thee when they shall bear the burthen with thee If thou shalt do this thing and God so command thee thou shalt be able to endure and all the People shall go quietly to their place Jethro Excellent or remaining or searching forth or a little cord Ioab â— Sam. 2. cap. was the Son of Zerviah David's Sister and the chief Captain of all David's Host In the first Battel he made against Abner King Saul's Captain he was the Victor and put Abner to flight and of malice afterward by treason slew him for the which deed David was sore offended 3.27 23 c. that he besought God to avenge it on Joab and that his House and Posterity might always be plagued with the bloody-flux leprosie feebleness of Body the Sword or Famine for the death of Abner Joab also was the death of Absalom â— Sam. 38.15 and slew him as he hanged by the hair of his head upon the bough of a tree And when it was told him of the great lamentation the King made for Absalom his Son he went unto him and said Thou hast this day shamed the faces of all thy servants 19.5 c. which this day have saved thy life and the lives of all thy Sons and Daughters and the lives of thy Wives and Concubines in that thou lovest thine enemies and hatest thy friends For thou hast declared this day that thou regardest neither thy Princes nor servants Therefore I do perceive that if Absalom had lived and all we had been slain this day that then it had pleased thee well Now therefore up and come out and speak comfortably unto thy servants for I swear by the Lord except thou come out there will not tarry one Man with thee this Night and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that fell on thee from thy youth hitherto 20. cap. Also in persecuting of Sheba which had made a new insurrection against David he met Amasa his Aunts Son by the way and * Lyra supposeth that Joab slew Amasa of envy because David had made an oath in the Chapter before that Amasa should be his Captain in Joab's stead slew him and leaving him dead on the ground he followed Sheba and besieged him in a City called Abel where the Governess of the City being a wise Woman cried unto Joab demanding why he went about to destroy that City which was a Mother of Israel and to devour the Inheritance of the Lord before he had offered peace To whom he answered saying That he went about no such matter but I come quoth he for Sheba the Son of Bichri deliver me him and I will be gone and as soon as the head of Sheba was thrown over the Wall to Joab he departed Finally after the death of David who had ordained Solomon to Reign in his stead Joab took part with ddonijah Solomon's Brother which usurped the Kingdom and went about with all his power to stablish him in David's seat But when he heard Solomon proclaimed by David's authority he fled to the Tabernacle of the Lord out of the which he would not depart but catching hold on the * The holiness of the place ought not to save the wilful murtherer Exod. 21.14 corners of the Altar said he would even in that place dye Then Solomon hearing thereof commanded Benaiah to go and kill him even there for the bloud of Abner and Amasa which he had shed causlesly And so was Joab slain in the Tabernacle and carried out and buried in his own House in the Wilderness Joab willing or voluntary Joanna Luk. 8.3.24.10 the Wife of Chuza Herod's Steward was a godly Woman and ministred unto Christ of her substance while he lived And after he had suffered his Passion she went with other Women to seek him at his Sepulchre And being told by the Angels that he was not there returned to the Apostles to bring them tidings of his Resurrection which seemed to them but feigned things and therefore believed them not Joanna the grace of the Lord or the Lord's gift or the Lord's mercy Joash 2 King 11. 12. cap. the youngest Son of Ahaziah King of Juda was stollen away from the hands of Athaliah his Grandmother by his Sister Jehosheba Wife to Jehojadah the High-Priest and hid in the Lords house and brought up in the Chamber where the Priests and Levites lay the space of six years and in the seventh year Jehojadah brought him forth and proclaimed him King who in all things sought the Lord so long as Jehojadah lived He repaired the Temple He slew Mattan the Priest of Baal and brake down his Altars with many other good things 2 Chron. 24. But after the death of Jehojadah he fell so far
noble Isle of Crete And in every City within the Isle Titus ordained an Overseer which we call a Bishop for the which cause Paul prescribed unto him the true form of a Bishop or Shepherd of Christ's Flock Titus Honourable Toby was a godly Man of the Tribe and City of Nephtali And being brought into great captivity Tob. 1. in the days of Salmanasar King of Assyria yet would he not forsake the way of truth nor worship the golden Calves as others did neither yet defile himself with the Heathens meat but always kept his heart pure unto God For the which the Lord gave him such favour in the sight of Salmanasar the King that Toby had power to go where he would and to do whatsoever he listed Then Toby having this liberty went about comforting all those that were in Prison both with his goods and godly exhortations Such was his daily exercise to feed the hungry to cloath the naked and to bury the dead with such like deeds of Charity And when the time came that Sennacherib which hated the Children of Israel raigned in his Father's stead and in his wrath slew many of them Toby buried their bodies for the which the King commanded to slay him and to take away his goods who nevertheless through friendship escaped and fled And after the Kings death being slain of his own Sons within xlv days after Tob. 2. Toby returned and was restored to his goods again and called his kindred and friends together and made a great feast And sitting at the Table with his Guests one told him there lay an Israelite slain in the street who then immediately leapt from the Board and went fasting to the dead Corpse and brought him home to his house where he hid him privily until the Sun was down and then buried him For the which deed his friends reproved him because he had been in danger but a little before even for the like matter But nevertheless Toby fearing GOD more than the King would take the slain and hide them in his house and bury them at Midnight Insomuch that one time he was so weary with burying the dead that he got him home and laid him down beside a Wall for weariness where he fell asleep And so lying there fell down upon his eyes warm dung out of a Swallows Nest which took away his sight that he could not see against the which plague of blindness he never grudged but remained stedfast in the fear of God giving him thanks as well for that as other gifts of health And this temptation God suffered to fall on Toby for an example of patience to all that should come after Finally of his great patience deeds of charity and other godly exhortations Tob. 14.2 3. his book is full He lost his sight at the age of six and fifty years And was restored at three-score so that he remained blind about four years And lived after he had received his sight two and forty years and so he dyed at the age of an hundred and two years and was honourably buried in the City of Ninive Toby the Lord is good Toby Tob. 5. the Son of Toby being brought up in the fear of God followed the vertuous steps of his Father in all things He was sent to the City of Rages to one Gabael for certain Money which his Father had lent him And after many dangers by the way was 6. cap. by God's providence whose Angel was his guide 7. cap. married there to the Daughter of Raguel whose name was Sara And when he had tarried with his Father and Mother-in-law about fourteen days 8. cap. he returned home with much substance to the great consolation and comfort of old Toby his Father and Anna his Mother 11. cap. After whose death when he had remained at Ninive the space of two and forty years he departed with his Wife and seven Sons to the City of Rages 14. cap. where he found his Father and Mother-in law both living in great age on whom he took the care until they died and was Heir to all their Goods And when this Toby had lived xcix years he dyed and was buried After whose death his Posterity continued in such an holy conversation of life that they were beloved and accepted both of God and Man Toby the Ammonite and Son-in-law to Shecaniah 2 Esd 2 was one that conspired with Sanballat to hinder the building of Jerusalem For when Sanballat said in derision of the Jewes What do these weak Jewes will they fortifie themselves Will they sacrifice Will they finish it in a day Will they make the stones whole again out of the heaps of dust feeing they are burnt Then Toby which stood beside him said 6. cap. Although they build yet if a Fox go up he shall even break down their stone Wall This Toby wrought all the ways he could both by Letters and false Prophets hired for Money to fright Esdras from the work but could not prevail Tryphena and Tryphosa Rom. 16.12 were certain godly Women to whom Saint Paul for their diligent labour in the Gospel sendeth greetings saying Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa which Women laboured in the Lord. Tryphena a fine nice or delicate Woman Tryphon 1 Mac. 11. was a certain great Man which took part with King Alexander against King Ptolemy And when Alexander was dead Tryphon found the means to get his young Son Antiochus out of the hands of Emascuel the Arabian who had brought him up to reign in his Fathers stead And when he had got the government of the young King he conceived treason against him which he thought could never be well brought to pass so long as Jonathan whom the King had made High Priest was his friend wherefore he sought to kill Jonathan that he might come the easier by his wicked purpose 12.39.40 c. So Tryphon went to a place called Bethsan at the which place Jonathan met him with forty thousand Men. Then Tryphon perceiving the great Host that Jonathan brought was afraid and thought it not best to meddle with him at that time but to use some policy how to betray him And so commanding all his Souldiers to be as obedient to Jonathan in all things even as they would be unto himself he received him honourably with great rewards And being met together Tryphon said to Jonathan Why hast thou caused this People to take such travail seeing there is no War between us Therefore send them home again and chose certain Men to wait upon thee and come thou with me to Ptolemais for I will give it thee with other strong Holds for that is the only cause of my coming and so I must depart Then Jonathan believing Tryphon sent away his Host all save a thousand and so went with Tryphon to Ptolemais And assoon as Jonathan and his Men were entred the City the Gates were shut and Jonathan put in ward and all his
look if Toby were dead that he might bury him before day light And when it was told him they were both sound and fast asleep he praised God and caused his Men to fill up the Grave again and made a great Feast to all his Neighbours and Friends And gave to Toby the half of all his Goods and made him a sure writing for the other half that remained to be his also after his death And at the day of their departure delivered the Goods and taking his leave said The holy Angel of the Lord be with you in your Journey and bring you forth safe and sound that ye may find all things in good case with your Elders and that mine eyes may see your Children before I die and so kissed them and let them go Raguel a Shepherd of God Rathumus 3 Esd 2. cap. with other Officers under Artaxerxes King of Persia writeth unto him against the Jews on this wise Sir thy Servants Rathumus the story writer Sabellius the Scribe with other Judges of the Court in Celosyria and Phinehes Be it known and manifested to our Lord the King that the Jews which are come up from you to us into the rebellious and wicked City begin to build it again and the Walls about it and to set up the Temple a-new Now if this City and the Walls thereof be set up again they will not only refuse to give Tributes and Taxes but also rebel utterly against the King And for so much as they take this in hand now about the Temple we thought it not meet to pass over such a thing but to shew it unto our Lord the King And to certifie him thereof To the intent that if it might please the King to cause it to be sought in the Books of old and thou shalt find such warning written and shalt understand that this City hath always been rebellious and disobedient that it hath subdued Kings and Cities and that the Jews which dwelt therein have ever been a rebellious obstinate unfaithful and fighting People for the which cause this City is wasted Wherefore now we certifie our Lord the King that if this City be builded and occupied again and the Walls thereof set up a-new thou canst have no passage into Celosyria and Phenice And when Rathumus and the other had received the King's answer they got them to Jerusalem with an Host of Men and made the Jews cease from their building which was not begun again until the second year of King Darius Rebecca Gen. 24. cap. was the Daughter of Bethuel and Sister to Laban As she went on a time with a Pitcher upon her Head to the common Well without the City to draw Water it chanced Abraham's servant to stand by the Well with ten Camels lying thereabout And when the Maid had filled her Pot and set it upon her Head ready to go away the Man desired to drink a little of her Water who forthwith set down her Pot and gave him drink And when he had drunken she poured out the rest into the Water trough and ran again to the Well and drew Water for his Camels until they had all drunken their fill Then the Man in hope the Lord had made his Journey prosperous took out a Golden ear-ring and two Bracelets of Gold and gave them to the Maid demanding whose Daughter she was I am quoth she the Daughter of Bethuel the Son of Milcah which she bare unto Nahor Then tell me I pray thee is there room in thy Father's House for us to lodge in Yea quoth she there is both Room and Lodging and also Litter and Provender enough for your Beasts Blessed be God quoth he that hath dealt so mercifully with my Master and hath brought me the right way to my Master's Brothers House Then Rebecca hearing him speak of her Fathers Brother ran home and told all things what the Man had said And as Laban beheld his Sister and saw the Ear rings and Bracelets upon her Hands he ran out to the man and with gentle entertainment brought him into the House and saw his Camels drest and provided for and also set Meat before him to eat But the Man would not eat before he had declared the cause wherefore his Master had sent him which being done and his request granted he ate and made merry and tarried all night And on the morrow as the Man made haste to go his way the Damosel was called forth to know whether she would go with the Man or no and being content to go with the Man he would not tarry but took the Maid and had her to Isaac his Master's Son whose Wife she became And being twenty years without a Child at last she conceived with two and when she felt them strive within her womb she made her moan to God saying Seeing it is so why am I thus with child God made her answer saying There are two manner of People in thy womb two Nations shall be divided out of thy bowels And the one Nation shall be mightier than the other And the elder shall be servant to the younger And so when her time was come to be delivered she brought forth two Twins the one named Esau and the other Jacob. Which two became mighty Men but Rebecca loved Jacob better than Esau and to prefer him before the other she said Hear me my Son Jacob I have heard thy Father say to thy Brother go and kill some Venison and make me meat thereof that I may eat and bless thee before the Lord before I dye Now therefore my Son hear my Voice in that which I command thee Get thee to the Flock and bring me thence two good Kids that I may make meat of them for thy Father such as he loveth and thou shalt bring it him to eat that he may bless thee before his death Then said Jacob My Brother Esau is a rough Man and if my Father shall happen to feel me I shall seem unto him as if I went about to deceive him and so shall I bring a curse upon me and not a blessing Well said Rebecca upon me be thy curse my Son only hear my Voice and go and fetch me them And when he had brought the Kids and that she had drest the Meat and made it ready she fetcht out certain Raiment of Esau's and put it upon Jacob and covered his hands and the smooth of his Neck with Goat-skins and put the Meat in his hand to carry to his Father by which policy of Rebecca Jacob had his Brother's blessing And when she heard how his Brother threatned to kill him for stealing away his blessing she told it Jacob saying Thy Brother Esau threatneth to slay thee therefore my Son hear my voice Make thee ready and get thee to Laban my Brother at Haran and tarry with him a while until thy Brother's fierceness be asswaged and that his wrath be turned away from thee and he forget the things which thou
and slew thirty and six of the Israelites and chased the rest back again whereat Josua was so discomfited that he rent his clothes and called on God to know the cause of their overthrowing who made him answer that Israel could not stand before the men of Hai forasmuch as some of them had transgressed his commandment and told him the way and means how he should search it out which thing being done he found that Achan had taken of the spoil of Jericho a Babylonish garment two hundred sicles of silver and a wedge of gold which being tried and brought forth before the whole congregation Josua took Achan his sons and daughters cattel goods and all that he had and carried them out to the valley of Achor where they were stoned to death and consumed with fire Achan Troubling Achab the son of Amry 1 King 16. began his raign over Israel in the 39th year of the raign of Asa King of Juda. He took Jezabel the daughter of Ethbaal King of the Sydonites to wife by whose means he fell into all wicked and strange Idolatry and cruel persecution for the which God plagued him so 18. cap. that in three years space neither dew nor rain fell down from above to moisten the earth whereof ensued so great a Murren of men and beasts that innumerable dyed thereof and all the fault and cause of this plague he laid on Elia the Prophet and sought by all means how to destroy him 21. cap. This King was so wicked that Scripture saith he had even sold himself to work wickedness and yet notwithstanding God gave him a marvellous victory of Benhadad King of Syria who had in his company 20. cap. thirty two Kings with whom he fought twice and beat him and at the third time brought * Here God as he many times doth did punish one wicked by another him into so miserable a case that he was fain to humble himself to Achab with a rope about his neck who nevertheless had pity on that wicked King and made a bond with him and let him go Now for this mercy which Achab had shewed to Benhadad whom the Lord had cursed and put into Achabs hands to be slain God was angry with Achab and promised his utter destruction for the same 1 King 21. This greedy Cormorant was not content with his Kingdom and spoil of his victories which God had given him but caused Naboth that innocent man to be murdered only to have his vineyard which lay so nigh his nose whose bloud did cry for such vengeance of God that word was brought him by the Prophet Elia that in the same place where dogs had licked the bloud of Naboth should dogs lick his also and that he would do unto Achab and his posterity even as he had done to the house of Jeroboam and Baasha which terrible threatnings of God so frighted Achab that he * His repentance was not true but plain hypocrisie repented and humbled himself in sackcloth for the which the Lord deferred his plague and would not perform it in Achabs days but in the time of his sons reign Finally it came in the mind of Achab to go into Syria 22. cap. to recover the City of Ramoth which he claimed by inheritance And trusting more to the counsel of four hundred false Prophets than he did to Micajah the true Prophet of God he took his journey towards Ramoth and being in battel against his enemies the Syrians he was shot with an arrow standing in his Chariot of the which stroke he died And then when his Chariot was had to the pool of Samaria to be washed the dogs licked up the bloud that ran thorow the Chariot and so was the word of the Lord fulfilled which he had spoken before concerning the same He reigned twenty two years Achab The Fathers brother Achaicus 1 Cor. 16. was a faithful Christian brother whom St. Paul sent with Stephanus and Fortunatus from Philippi to the Corinthians with his Epistle Achaicus Mourning or sad Achaz look Ahaz Achior Judith 5. was Captain and governour of all the Ammonites under Holofernes and had the spirit of Prophecie so plentiful in him that when Holofernes demanded what manner of people the Jews were he stepped forth before him and said If it please thee O Prince I will tell thee of a truth what they be They are a people which came of the generation of the Chaldees and because they would not serve their gods nor yet follow their customs they went and dwelt first in Mesopotamia worshipping one God that made Heaven and Earth at whose commandment they went from thence and dwelt in the Land of Canaan where in process fell so great a Dearth that then from Canaan they went down to Egypt and dwelt among the Egyptians four hundred Years In the which space they grew to a mighty number and were sore oppressed of the King of that Land but assoon as they cryed to their God for help he sent down such Plagues upon the King and all his Land that he was fain to suffer them to depart yet when they were gone and the Plague ceased he then pursued to have brought them back again into bondage But GOD perceiving his People to be in a streight opened the Sea before them and brought them thorow on dry ground and closed the Sea upon their Enemies and so drowned Pharaoh with all his Host And now being passed the red Sea they came to the Wilderness of Mount Sinai where the Waters being bitter he made them sweet and fed them Forty Years with Meat from Heaven They had such power from their God that they cast out before them the Canaanites the Perisites the Jebusites and the Hittites with many great Nations more For so long as they stood in awe of their God and did not offend him so long was no Nation ever able to molest or hurt them But if at any time they declined from his will and Ordinance then were they quickly destroyed in Battel and brought to captivity and bondage Wherefore O Prince let inquisition now be made whether they have offended their God or no and if they have then let us go against them for God shall deliver them into thy hand But if they have not displeased their God he will so defend them that we shall not surely be able to stand before them but become a reproach unto all the World Judith 6. Now was Holofernes so mad with Achior that he commanded his Men to carry him to the Jews that he might perish with them in their destruction And as they went toward Bethulia with Achior and saw they might not come nigh the City without great peril of their lives they went to a Tree and bound him fast to the same and so leaving him went their ways Then came the Jews to Achior and loosed his Bands had him into the City and set him before the Senators who demanded
Host of Israel against whom Judah began his Conquest and slew the Canaanites and put Adonibeseck to flight but being sore pursued the Men of Judah took him and cut off both his thumbs and great toes which thing the Tyrant confessed himself by and by to be the just judgment of God for as he had done to others so had he worthily received again And so he was carried to Jerusalem and there dyed Adonibeseck the Lords Thunder Adramelech the Son of Senacherib King of Assyria 2 King 19â— with his Brother Saresa slew their Father in the Temple as he was worshipping his God Nisroch and fled into the Land of Armenia leaving Asarhaddon their other Brother to possess the Kingdom after their Father Adramelech the Kings Cloak or his Greatness or Power or the greatness of Counsel Aduram was Receiver of all Rehoboams Tribute and being sent in Commission to pacifie the People which were divided and fallen from the King 1 King 12. 2 Chron. 10. they for hatred they bare to Rehoboam took this Man and stoned him to death Aduram Their Cloak or their power or greatness Agag was a very fat Man 1 Sam. 15. and King of the Amalekites which Nation God had commanded to be utterly destroyed And because King Saul had reserved Agag alive and not killed him with the rest the Lord was grievously displeased with Saul and would not suffer Agag so to escape but sent Samuel to execute his judgment upon him who calling for Agag he came out unto him very pleasantly fearing nothing less but that all bitterness of death had been past but contrary to his expectation Samuel said unto him As thy sword hath made Women childless so shall thy Mother be childless among other women and with that he fell upon Agag and hewed him in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal Agag An House or cellar Agabus was a certain Prophet Act. 11.28 which came from Jerusalem to Antioch where he prophesied of a great dearth that should be thorowout all the World which came to pass as this Prophet had said in the Emperour Claudius's days Also while Paul lay at Cesarea in the House of Philip the Evangelist purposing to keep his Journey to Jerusalem Act. 21.10 this Prophet chancing to come thither took Pauls girdle and therewithall bound his own hands and feet saying Thus saith the Holy Ghost so shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the Man that oweth this girdle and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles Agabus A Grashopper Agar was Handmaid to Sarah Abraham's Wife Gen. 16. which Sarah being long barren and childless gave Agar her Maid unto Abraham to be his Wife who being conceived and feeling her self with Child began to despise and set light by Sarah her Mistress for the which Sarah complained to Abraham her Husband who giving her power to correct the Maid at her pleasure she began to deal so roughly with Agar that in no wise she would abide it but ran away into the Wilderness and sitting there beside a Fountain of Water not knowing whither to go an Angel appeared unto her and said Agar from whence comest thou and whither intendest thou to go I flee said Agar from Sarah my Mistress who dealeth so hardly with me that I am even weary of my life Well said the Angel return to thy Dame again and submit thy self under her hands for the Lord will so encrease thy seed that it shall not be numbred for multitude Thou art with child and shalt bear a Son whose Name shall be Ishmael Then Agar giving God thanks for his consolation in trouble returned home again to Sarah her Mistress submitting her self unto her and in process of time brought forth her son shmael as the Angel had said Gen. 21. But when it pleased God to visit Sarah that she conceived and brought forth Isaac a new contention arose between Sarah and Agar for their children for Sarah perceiving Ishmael to be a mocker and a despiser of Isaac would not suffer Ishmael to company with her Son Isaac but made her complaint to Abraham causing Him to put both Agar and her Son away which thing although it grieved Abraham so to do yet being comforted of God that he would multiply Ishmael because he was of his seed he obeyed the voice of Sarah his wife and with provision of victuals sent Agar away with her Son to shift for her self Then Agar being departed from Abraham gat her into the Forest of Beersheba where she wandred so long up and down till all her provision of Meat was spent and gone And when she saw no remedy but that both she and her child must needs perish for lack of sustenance she laid down the child behind a bush and went her self away because she would not see it dye and as she sat afar off mourning and weeping for her Son she was comforted again by the Angel of God who had so provided for her and her son that they were both relieved and lived together a long time after to her great joy and comfort Agar A Stranger Aggeus was one of the Twelve Prophets which prophesied in the time of Zorobabel 1 Esd 5. King of the Jews and rebuked them for that they were slack in the work of the Lord. Aggeus Solemn festival or winding and turning himself Agrippa was a certain King Act. 25. who as Paul reporteth had good knowledge in the Law and Prophets but understood not the true applying of the same Which King on a time came to Cesarea to see Festus and to welcome him into the Country who was then but newly entred into his office And being there a good while with Festus and hearing of him what a-do there was about Paul whom the Jews had accused unto him was much desirous to see the Man and to hear him speak Whereupon the next day following Paul was brought into the common Hall before Agrippa and other Magistrates of the City there assembled to hear his cause And when Festus had declared for what purpose he had brought forth Paul that after examination had he might have somewhat of certainty to write to Cesar 26 cap. to whom Paul had appealed Agrippa permitted the Prisoner to speak and to say what he could for himself Who then so approved his innocency by rehearsing his conversation before the audience that Agrippa interrupting him confessed and said unto Paul Thou hast almost perswaded me to become a Christian And when the Prisoner had ended his discourse the King arose and all the Court among whom was much secret talk of Paul and for a final sentence Agrippa said unto Festus I see no worthy cause of death or of bands in this Man but that he might have been loosed if he had not appealed to Cesar Agrippa is a Latine word and signifieth That which hardly laboureth or travelleth in childbearing or delivering Also he which at his birth cometh with his feet forward Ahaz the
hinder or lett that work a Beam should be taken from that Man's house and he hanged thereon and his House made a Dunghill And so the building went forward with speed and was perfectly finished in the sixth year of his reign Darius Requiring or inquiring for Dathan and Abiram Num. 16.1 c. were the Sons of Eliab and two of the chief Captains with Chore in the Insurrection against Moses on whom God took such vengeance that he caused the Earth to open and swallow them up quick Read the story of Chore. Dathan Statute or Law David was the youngest Son of Jesse 1 Sam. 16.11 and by God's commandment anointed King of Israel Saul yet reigning by the Prophet Samuel Wherefore Saul fearing that David would defeat him of his Kingdom vexed him with continual persecution during the which time David shewed notable examples both of patience and true obedient service to Saul his Soveraign Lord. And first 17. cap. to shew his obedient and faithful heart to his Prince and love he bare to his Country he put himself in danger to fight with that great Monster Goliah and slew him of whom the King and all the Host of Israel stood in great fear And after this act also 18.6.11 when Saul of envy that the Women in their dance had given to David more praise than to him threw his Javelin at David as he stood and played on his Harp before him to have nailed him fast to the wall David avoided and armed himself with patience and never sought other means of revenge In so much 24.3 that when Saul by the providence of God came into the Cave to ease himself in the which Cave David lay hid for fear of Saul he would not being provoked put forth his hand to hurt his Master But cut off a piece of the Hem of his Coat in token that he might have killed him And yet after that it sore repented him that he had done so much injury unto his Soveraign Lord and Master although he was his mâ—st grievous enemy and every hour sought his death Also 26.7.12 when he came into the Host of Saul and found the King and his Man fast asleep he would not for his own private cause though Jehu slew two Kings at God's commandment lay his hand upon the Lord 's anointed but only that he should know that David was there and might have been revenged took his Spear and Pot of Water which stood at his Head 2 Sam. 1. cap. and went his way Finally when it pleased God to rid him of his enemy in Battel against the Philistines one to get thanks of David brought unto him Saul's Crown and the Bracelet that he wore on his Arm certifying him of the King's death and that he with his own hands had killed him whose act David did so much abhor that he thought the Man not worthy to live but put him to death out of hand Read more of David's patient suffering and obedient service in the story of Michol Jonathas Ahimelech Achish and Absalom his Son Now when Saul was dead 2 Sam. 2.11 David was admitted King and reigned over Juda vii years after which time expired he reigned both over Israel and Juda xxxiii years And did that which was good in the sight of God and put his trust and confidence in the Lord God of Israel so that before nor after him was not his like He cleaved so unto the Lord that God bare witness of him that he had found a Man according to his hearts desire To him God made a promise that Christ should come of his Seed for the which cause 〈…〉 Christ of the Prophets is called the Son of David To this holy Prophet God gave many victories and excellent gifts which are touched in other stories and yet â—mong all his vertues he suffered him to fall into the abominable Vice of Adultery and Murder â—1 cap. and most grievously punished him for the same who notwithstanding after 〈…〉 repentance was received again into the favour of God and never after offended in that sin more â— King â— 10 11. 〈◊〉 after many conflicts with his Enemies he died 〈◊〉 had reigned xl years leaving Solomon his Son to succeed him David Beloved Deborah Judg 4. cap. the Wife 〈◊〉 Lapidoth was a Prophetess and the fourth Judâ—â— and Governour of the People of Israel who by the power and pleasure of God and help of Barak the Captain of her Army delivered them from the Tyranny of King Jabia and of Sisera his Captain General putting the King to a great foil in slaying of his Captain Sisera Thorow the which victory the Israelites were restored to liberty and their enemies the Canaanites utterly confounded She judâ—â— Israel xl years Deborah 〈…〉 Bee Demas Col. 4.14 Philem. 24. 2 Tim. 4 10. was Christ's Disciple a great while and a faithful Minister to Paul and never shrank from him nor his Doctrine so long as all things prospered well with Paul But when he saw Paul cast in Prison and in danger of his life for the Gospels sake He forsook both him and his doctrine and imbracing the World conveighed himself to Thessalonica Such there be that so long as pleasure profit favour honour glory or riches do follow the Word of God so long will they favour the same But when affliction persecution loss of goods riches lands possessions or such like adversities do come then they do as Demas did forsake the Gospel and follow the World Demas Favouring the People Demetrius 1 Mac. 7. cap. the Son of Seleucus came from Rome with a small company of Men to a certain City of his own lying upon the Sea-coasâ— and prepared an Army to go to Antioch the City of his Progenitors where he found Antiochus and Lysias 〈…〉 he caused to be slain and being stablished in his Kingdom he began through the wicked commer of â—â—cimus 9. cap. whom he had made High Priest to seel 〈◊〉 obstruction of the Jews sending forth divers â—â—â—mies againâ—â— them in the which he sped diversly â—â—â—â—ally 10. cap. the Son of Noble Antiochus moved War again 〈…〉 and in Battel slew him Demetrius coming of 〈◊〉 whom the Heathen thought the Goddess of Gorn Demetrius the Son of Demetrius 1 Mac. 10. being in the Land of Creta at his Fathers death made haste homeward to take possession of his Kingdom And being stablished therein he began to Wax mighty by reason 〈◊〉 Ptolomy King of Egypt had withdrawn his favour from Alexander 〈◊〉 in law and taken his Daughter Cleopatre from him and given her to Demetrius And also for as much as Prolomy and Alexander lived not long after the strife begun between them Demetrius for a space had great rest The Captain of Demetrius's Host was Apollonius a great enemy of the Jews whom Jonathas discomfited at the first conflict between them Upon the which Demetrius perceiving Jonathas power to be strong
or Couch whereon the Queen fate and besought her grace for his life And when the King came in again and found him with the Queen he said Will he force the Queen also before me in the house Which word was no sooner gone out of the Kings mouth but Haman's * It was the manner of the Persians when one was out of the Kings favour to cover his face face was covered and so had out and hanged upon the Gallows which he had prepared in his own house for Mardocheus Read the story of Esther and of Mardocheus Haman Troubling or making burly burly or preparing Hanani was a Prophet sent of God to Asa King of Juda declaring unto him 2 Chron. 16 7 c. how greatly he had displeased the Lord for making a Covenant with Benhadad King of Syria and for doing his message was cast into Prison Read the story of Asa Hanani Gracious or Merciful or Giving Hananiah the Son of Azur was a false Prophet Jer. 28. cap. which prophesied unto the People of Israel that God would break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon from the neck of all Nations within the space of two years and in token thereof took the yoke from the Prophet Jeremies neck and brake it But Jeremy the true Prophet of God reproved the false prophecie of Hananiah saying That in stead of the yoke of wood which he had taken from his neck the Lord would put a yoke of Iron upon the necks of all these Nations that they should serve the King of Babylon and that the false Prophet Hananiah himself should dye the same year which things came truly to pass as Jeremy had spoken Hananiah Grace of the Lord. Hanun was the Son of Nahash King of the Ammonites 2 Sam. 10.1 unto whom David most gently sent to comfort him upon the death of his Father which gentleness was most ungently and unthankfully taken of the Lords and Councellors of the young King Hanun Who perswaded the young King that David had not sent to comfort him upon the death of his Father But had rather sent a sort of spies under the colour of friendship to seek the means how to destroy his Cities and whole Realm Upon the which false and unhonest surmise of his wicked Counsellers Hanun caused the one half of every Mans Beard to be shaven and their Garments to be cut off hard by the Buttocks and so sent them home again to David with much shame and disgrace Ingratitude punished Upon which occasion David became his utter enemy and made such sore War against him that in conclusion Hanun was taken and lost his Regal Crown which David put upon his own Head and wore it before Hanun's face and carried away all his Treasure and Jewels took his People whereof some he sawed in two pieces over other some he caused Carts new and sharp shod with Iron to be driven some he took and shred their flesh as Cooks do Pye-meat and cast other some in hot burning Ovens Thus was Hanun rewarded for his ingratitude Hanun Faithful or true a Schoolmaster and the Mothers Son or Child Hazael 2 King 8 8 c. was a certain great Man which served Benhadad King of Syria which Benhadad fortuning to fall sick sent Hazael to Eliseus the Prophet to know whether he should recover of his disease or no. And when the Prophet saw Hazael he could not look him in the face for shame but cast his Head aside and wept Then Hazael marvelling at the Prophets behaviour towards him demanded of Eliseus wherefore he wept I weep quoth the Prophet to see the great evils that thou shalt do to the Children of Israel Thou shalt break down their strong Cities and set them on fire and slay their young Men with the Sword and dash the brains out of the sucking Children and rent in pieces the Women with Child Then said Hazael dost thou make thy Servant a Dog that I should lack so much humanity and pity to do these things Well said the Prophet thou shalt do as I have said for the Lord hath shewed me that thou shalt be King of Syria And so Hazael departed home to the King his Master and told him that he should recover for so the Prophet had said unto him But on the next morrow when Hazael saw his time he took a thick * Under the pretence to refresh or ease him he stifled him with this cloth 2 King 8. 28 2 Chron. 22. cloth and dipt it in Water and spread it so on the King's face that he dyed After whose death Hazael raigned in his stead And being stablished in his Kingdom he made War with Joram King Ahab's Son and was a cruel adversary to Israel all the days of his life Hazael seeing God Helkiah was the High-Priest in the days of Josias 2 King 22.8 who in repairing the Temple of the Lord chanced by the providence of God to find the Book of the Law * The Copy that Moses left them as appeareth 2 Chron. 34.14 the which he sent to the King by Shaphan the Scribe which he read unto him Helkiah the Lords portion or part the Lords lenity or gentleness Heliodorus being in great favour with Seleucus 2 Mac. 3. cap. King of Asia and Steward of his House was sent to Jerusalem to fetch away the treasure out of the Temple which one Symon the Governour thereof had betrayed unto the King And being come to Jerusalem he was lovingly received of Onias the High-Priest into the City But when Heliodorus had uttered the cause of his coming and that his Commission was to bring the Money unto the King there was no small fear thorowout the whole City For then all men from the highest to the lowest were so oppressed with sorrow and heaviness that they knew not what to do but fell to prayer lifting up their eyes to Heaven and calling upon him which had made a Law concerning stuff given to keep that he would safely preserve the same which was there committed in custody And while the Priests and People were thus lamenting and crying upon God and on the other side Heliodorus personally with his Men of War about the Treasury There appeared an Horse with a terrible Man sitting upon him deck'd in Harness of Gold which Horse smote at Heliodorus with his fore-feet to beat him from the place Also there appeared two fair and beautiful young Men in goodly apparel which stood on each side of Heliodorus and scourged him so long that he fell down to the ground as dead and so was carried out of the Temple without speech or hope of life whereby the great power of God was manifest and known Then certain of Heliodorus friends besought Onias to call upon God to give him his life who was even at that time giving up the ghost Then Onias lest the King should suspect the Jews had done him some harm called upon God and obtained his life
thine own Person For so shall we come upon him in one place or other where we shall find him and fall upon him as thick as the dew falleth upon the ground and of all the Men that are with him we shall not leave him one Moreover if he be gotten into a Town then shall all the Men of Israel bring Ropes to that Town or City and we will draw it into the River until there be not one stone sound there This Counsel of Hushai pleased Absalom and the People better than Achitophel's which was even the Lord's determination to destroy the good counsel of Achitophel that the Lord might bring evil upon Absalom And so when Hushai had done according to David's request he caused Sadoc and Abiathar the Priests to send David word of all that was done whereby he escaped Hushai Sense or making hast or holding his peace I. JABES 1 Chron 4.9 was so named * This was Othonicl Caleb's Brother as Lyra reporteth of his Mother because she bare him in sorrow He being more honorable than the rest of his Brethren made a conditional Vow unto God saying ‖ Jacob made the like vow Read his story If thou wilt bless me indeed and inlarge my Coasts and if thine hand be with me and thou wilt cause me to be delivered from evil that I be not hurt Thus far goeth his request which was granted Jabes Sorrow Iabyn was the King of Canaan Judg. 4.2 whose Captain of War was Sisera Twenty Years he troubled Israel very sore But at the last he was overcome of the Israelites and brought to nought There was another King called Jabyn also whom Joshua slew and destroyed his City called * Which City being burnt of Joshua was afterward built again of the Canaanites Hazor as ye shall read in Joshua Chap. 11. Jabyn Understanding Iacob was the youngest Son of Isaac Gen. 25.26.27 cap. and Brother to Esau whose Birth right he bought for a Mess of Pottage and afterward by the counsel of Rebekah his Mother got away his blessing And then to avoid his Brothers displeasure Gen. 28. cap. he was sent into Mesopotamia to Laban his Mother Brother to get him a Wife And chancing to come to a place where he was benighted he took a stone and laid it under his Head and fell asleep And in his Dream he saw a * Christ is the Ladder whereby God and man are joyned together and by whom the Angels minister unto us all graces by him are given unto us and we by him ascend into Heaven Ladder stand upon the Earth reaching up to Heaven and the Angels of God ascending and descending upon it and God himself standing upon the Ladder said I am the Lord God of Abraham thy Father and the God of Isaac the Land which thou sleepest upon will I give to thee and thy seed and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth thou shalt spread abroad to the West to the East to the North and to the South And thorow thee and in thy seed shall all the Kinreds of the earth be blessed Behold I am with thee and will be thy keeper in all places where thou goest and will bring thee again into this Land neither will I leave thee until I have made good all that I have promised Then Jacob awaking out of sleep said Surely the Lord is in this place and I was not aware Oh how fearful is this place it is none other but the house of God and the gate of heaven Then Jacob gat him up early in the Morning and took the stone which he slept upon and set it up as a Pillar to be a remembrance of that Vision and poured oyl upon it and called the place Bethel which before was called Luz And before his departing he vowed saying If God will be with me and keep me in this Journey which I go and will give me Bread to eat and Cloaths to cover me so that I come again to my Fathers house in safety then shall the Lord be my God and this stone which I have set up for a Pillar shall be God's house and of all that thou givest me 29. cap. will I give the tenth unto thee And so Jacob going on his Journey came into the East Countrey where in beholding the Land he saw certain Herdmen lying with their Flocks of Sheep beside a Well at the which they commonly used to water their Sheep to whom he went demanded whence they were They said of Haran Do ye not know quoth he one Laban the Son of Nahor Yea said they we know him well He is in health And behold yonder cometh his Daughter Rachel to water her Father's sheep who was no sooner come but Jacob went to the Well and rolled away the stone from the Wells mouth and watered all her sheep Which done he kissed the Damosel and wept for joy And when the Maid had knowledge what he was she ran to her Father and told him who being joyful thereof went to the Man and brought him into his house Now when Jacob had opened the cause of his coming to Laban it was agreed that Jacob should serve Laban seven years for Rachel his Daughter But when the day of Marriage came Leah the elder was * The cause why Jacob was deceived was that in old time the Wife was covered with a Vail when she was brought to her Husband in sign of chastity and shamefastness Gen. 30 25 c. put in her stead for so much as it was not the custome that the younger should be first married as Laban alledged Then Jacob tarried seven days and took Rachel upon condition that he would serve other seven years for her which being fulfilled he desired Laban that he might depart with his Wives and Children into his own Country again Nay tarry said Laban for I perceive that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake appoint thy wages and I will give it thee Thou knowest quoth Jacob what service I have done thee and in what taking thy Cattel hath been under me for the little that thou hadst before my coming is now increased to a Multitude But when shall I make provision for mine own House also Well what shall I give thee said Laban Then Jacob having knowledge aforehand by the Angel of the Lord what his wages should be said Thou shalt give me nothing at all if thou wilt do this thing for me I will go again and feed thy sheep and keep them and will separate all the sheep of thy Flock one from another and so many as be black speckled or of party colour let that be my wages and whatsoever I take of the rest unspotted let that be counted theft with me Content quoth Laban Then went Jacob and took out all the Males and Females of the Sheep and Goats that were black spotted or of party colour and put them in the keeping of his Sons which lay
Gilead considering Jephtah to be a strong and a valiant Man went to Tob where he lay to intreat him to be their Captain against the Ammonites How cometh this quoth Jephtah that ye come to me in the time of your trouble did ye not hate me and * Oftentimes those things which men reject God chooseth to do greater enterpriâ—es by expel me out of my Father's house Therefore said they are we turned to thee that thou mayest go with us and be our head and Ruler But will ye promise now quoth Jephtah that when the Lord shall deliver the Ammonites into my hand ye will make me then your Head and Governour They said yea And so he went with the Elders who brought him to Mizpah and being there made and confirmed their Head and Ruler he sent his Messengers to the King of Ammon demanding what cause he had to strive with Israel who answered and said Because they took away my Country when they came from Egypt which if they will now restore again I will cease from War Then Jephtah sent him word again that Israel took not his Land from him but coming from Egypt and passing through the Wilderness even to the red Sea they remained at Cadesh and sent to Sehon King of the Amorites to suffer them quietly to pass thorow his Country And because he would not shew them this kindness the Lord delivered both him and his Land into their hands and shall they dispossess themselves of that which the Lord hath given them Nay not so Look what People Chemosh thy God driveth out that Land possess thou whatsoever Nation the Lord our God expelleth that will we enjoy Art thou better than Balac King of Moab did he not strive with Israel and fight against them all the while they lay in Heshbon and thereabout 300. years and why didst thou not recover thy Land in all that space Thou dost me wrong to War against me for I have not offended thee and therefore the Lord be Judge between thee and me But when Jephtah perceived the Ammonites not to regard his words he prepared his Army to set upon them And before his going made this Vow unto the Lord That if he did deliver the Ammonites into his hand the first thing that met Him out of his Doors at his return home again should be the Lords and he would offer it up unto him for a burnt-offering And when he had subdued the Ammonites and was coming homeward to his house the first thing that met him out at his Doors was his own Daughter who for joy of her Father's Victory came to meet him with Timbrels and Dances Then Jephtab seeing his only Child come toward him with a company of Women after her he rent his Cloaths and said Alas my Daughter thou hast brought me low and art one of them that do trouble me for I have opened my mouth unto the Lord and cannot go back To whom she said Oh my Father if thou hast promised to the Lord then forasmuch as the Lord hath avenged thee and given thee victory over thine enemies do with me according to thy promise But yet this one thing I shall desire of thee to spare me for two Moneths that I may go down to the Mountains and there with my fellows * For it was counted as a shame in Israel to dye without children bewail my Virginity Which done she returned to her Father who did with her according as he had vowed unto the Lord. After this the Ephraimites fell at defiance with Jephtah because he had not called them to take his part against the Ammonites and for this matter was a Field pitched between them and the Gileadites and a great Battail fought in the which the Ephraimites were put to flight and seeking to have escaped over Jordan the Gileadites had prevented them and stopped the passage that no Ephraimite should escape that way And to know who was an Ephraimite and who was not the Gileadites used this policy if any pressed to go over the Water they would bid him say * Schibboleth signifieth the fall of waters or an car of corn Schibboleth and as many as could not say Schibboleth they slew him for by that they knew he was an Ephraimite for the Ephraimites could not sound nor say Schibboleth but Sibboleth And so were slain of the Ephraimites that Day two and twenty thousand Jephtah ruled Israel vi years and dyed Jephtah Opening Ieremy Jer. 1.1 was the Son of Hilkiah whom some think to be he that found out the Book of the Law and gave it to Josiah He was born in a City called Anathoth in the Country of Benjamin Epiphanius writeth that this Prophet Jeremy was slain of his People at a City in Egypt called Taphâ—â— and by the commandment of God began very young to prophesie that is in the xiii year of Josias and continued xviii years under the said King and three moneths under Jehoahaz and under Jehojakim xi years and three moneths under Jehojachin and under Zedekiah xi years unto the time they were carried away into Babylon So that the time amounteth to above forty years beside the time that he prophesied after the Captivity This story is drawn out of the Geneva Bible in the Argument before the Book of Jeremy the Prophet Jeremy the Majesty or highness of the Lord. Jerubbaal Judg. 6.32 is a Name which was given to Gedeon the Son of Joash after he had broken down the Altar of Baal and cut down all the Grove about it Jerubbaal That which resisteth an Idol a destroyer of Idols Read Gedeon Ieroboam was the Son of * Some say that Nebat and Shimei whom Solomon put to death were one person of whose death Zervah the Mother of Jeroboam put him oft in remembrance Nebat 1 King 11.26 c. and of the Tribe of Ephraim who being nourished and brought up of Zervah his Mother in her Widowhood after the death of his Father became King Solomon's Servant and was made Overseer of Solomon's Works for the Tribe of Ephraim and Manasses And on a time as he walked abroad in the Field alone the Prophet Ahijah came to him and said that after the death of Solomon he should Reign and be King over Ten Tribes of Israel which words of the Prophet did so animate Jeroboam that he began to murmur against King Solomon his Master who therefore sought to kill him but Jeroboam fled into Egypt where he remained with Shishak King of that Country until the death of Solomon Then being sent for he returned home again 12. cap. and had so much favour of the People that they all forsook Rehoboam save the Tribe of Juda and Benjamin and made Jeroboam their King Who being surely stablished in his Kingdom began to think thus in his heart If this People go up and do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem as they were wont to do then shall their
the King of Juda and the King of Edom by whose help and chiefly Eliseus read the place in his story he overcame the Moabites Also the Syrians could lye no where but Joram had knowledge by Eliseus who told him of all their secret lurking places by which means Joram ever saved himself Wherefore the King of Syria sent and besieged the Town round about where the Prophet Eliseus lay And as his Servant was going forth in the Morning about his Master's business and saw the Town so compassed with enemies he ran ‖ in again crying Alas Master what shall we do for the Syrians are come upon us Fear not quoth Eliseus for they that be with us are more than they that be with them And by and by the eyes of his Servant were so opened that he saw the Mountains lye full of Horses and fiery Chariots to defend his Master And now when the Syrians were come to Eliseus and thought themselves surest of him they were at his prayer smitten with such blindness that they could not know the Prophet when he spake unto them saying that that was not the Town where the Man lay which they sought but follow me quoth he and I will bring you to the place where he is and so he led them forth and brought them into the City of Samaria where Joram lay who seeing now his Enemies to be in his power said to Eliseus Father shall I smite them No said he Smite those which thou takest with thine own Sword and Bow but rather set Bread and Water before them that they may eat and drink and so depart to their Master Then the King prepared a great refection for the Syrians and filled their Bellies well and sent them home again for the which gentle intreaty of Joram the King of Syria never troubled him more After this when Benhadad King of Syria had besieged Samaria so long till Women were constrained to eat their own Children Joram took such displeasure with Eliseus laying the cause upon him that in his fury he sent to take away his Head Which thing being revealed to the Prophet he said to his Friends that were with him in his House See ye not how this Mutherer's Son hath sent to take away my Head Take heed and be circumspect when the Messenger cometh and keep him at the Door for the sound of his Masters feet is behind him which was even so for the King's mind altered he followed the Messenger and came to the Prophet himself saying This evil is of the Lord and what more shall I look for of him 2 King 7 1 c. No more said the Prophet For to morrow this time shall a Bushel of fine Flowre be sold for a shekel and two Bushels of Barley for another shekel in the Gate of Samaria which came so to pass the next day for the great Host of the Syrians at the sound of the feet of four Lepers were run away and had left all their Tents behind them 9.24 c. Finally to fulfil the word of the Lord concerning the destruction of Ahab's Posterity Joram was slain with an Arrow shot by Jehu and his Body cast into a Plat of Ground that was Naboth the Jesraelite's after he had reigned twelve years Joram 2 King 8.16 2 Chron. 21. the Son of Jehosaphat was two and thirty years old when he began to reign over Juda. He married King Ahab's Daughter whose wicked steps he followed He slew all his own Brethren with divers of his Nobles The Edomites which had been subject from David's time hitherto rebelled now against Joram Also Libna which was a certain City in Juda given to the Levites Josh 21.13 would no more be under his hand because he had forsaken the Lord God of their Fathers Finally The Prophet's Letter the Prophet Eliseus to admonish him of his wickedness wrote to Joram on this wise The Lord saith because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehosaphat thy Father nor in the ways of Asae thy Grandfather but in the ways of the Kings of Israel and hast made Juda to go a whoring after the House of Ahab and hast also slain thy Brethren even thy Fathers house who were better Men than thy self Therefore with a great Plague will the Lord smite thy Folk thy Children thy Wives and all thy Goods And thou shalt be diseased in thy Bowels which day by day shall fall out of thy Body And so the Lord stirred up against Joram the Philistines the Arabians with the Ethiopians which wasted his Countrey and carried away his substance his Wives and all his Sons save Ahaziah the youngest and smote him with an incurable Disease in his Bowels which held him two years till all his Guts fell out and so he died after he had reigned eight years Joram the highness of the Lord. Jehosaphat the Son of Asa 1 King 15.24 began his Reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab King of Israel and walked in the old ways of his Father David and in the Commandments of God and not in the ways of Israel This godly King to have the fear of the Lord renewed among his People in the third year of his Reign sent certain of his Lords thorowout all his Realm and with them godly learned and ancient Fathers of the Levites with the Book of the Law whose Commission was to see all Idolatry and superstition suppressed and the Laws of God purely and sincerely taught and followed which was so diligently done that the fear of the Lord fell so upon all the Kingdoms round about him that no Man troubled him but presented him with gifts The Philistines with Tribute-money the Arabians with Cattel so that within a while he grew into great riches and honor And being thus endued with abundance of treasure and substance he joyned affinity with Ahab taking his part against the Syrians where notwithstanding the Lord preserved him and brought him safe home again But forsomuch as in his absence the People were somewhat swerved from the Lord the Prophet John came to him and said Because thou hast helped the ungodly and loved them whom the Lord doth hate the wrath of God is come upon thee nevertheless good things are found in thee because thou hast taken away the Groves out of the Land and hast prepared thine heart to seek God Then Jehosaphat fearing the Lord went about all his Realm to bring the People again unto the Lord And when he had set godly Judges and Levites in every City the one to judge in temporal causes and the other in matters of the Lord he gave to either of them his charge saying first to the Judges on this wise Take heed ye Judges what ye do for ye execute not the judgment of Man but of God which is with you in judgment wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you and take heed and be doing the thing that pleaseth him for there is no unrighteousness
sirnamed Thaddeus John 14.12 When Christ said unto his Disciples that he would shew himself unto them and not unto the World Judas asked him the cause why he would shew himself unto them Jude 1. cap. and not unto the World He made an Epistle in the which he admonsheth all Churches generally to take heed of Deceivers The last part of this history I find in the arguâ—ent before the Episde of Jâ—de Geneva which went about to draw the hearts of the simple People from the truth of God whom he setteth forth in their lively colours shewing by divers examples of the Scriptures that horrible vengeance is prepared for them Finally he comforteth the faithful and exhorteth them to continue in the Doctrine of the Apostles of Jesus Christ Iudas Iscariot Matth. 10.4 the Son of Simon of Canaan one of the Apostles of whom it was afore-hand written to be the Son of perdition had a great conscience in the precious Ointment that Mary poured upon Christ's Head John 12.4 that it was not sold for three hundred pence and given to the poor but to sell his Master for thirty pence Matth. 26.14 c. and to be guide to them that took him and to betray him with a kiss he had no conscience at all until he saw his Master condemned and then he repented and had the thirty pence again unto the High Priests and Elders cap. 27.3 c. saying that he had sinned in betraying the innocent bloud and so departed in great desperation and hanged himself Act. 1.18 whose Body burst asunder in the midst so that all his Bowels gushed out Iudas of Galilee rose up after Theudas Act. 5.37 what time the whole World was taxed by the commandment of Augustus Caesar and taught the People that for as much as they were dedicated unto God they ought not to pay Tribute to Emperours which were worshippers of false Gods whereby he drew to his faction a great part of the Commons who at the last were all brought to nought and Judas himself slain Iudas a Citizen of Damascus Act. 9. to whose house the Lord sent Ananias to seek Saul of Tharsus who was hosted there Iudith the Daughter of Merari Judith 8. cap. was a beautiful Woman unto the which was joyned such vertue and godliness that all Men spake good of her Her Husbands name was Manasses who at the day of his death left her great riches She dwelt in the City of Bethulia and was a Woman of great Chastity Now during the time of her Widowhood it chanced Holofernes to come and besiege the City of Bethulia of whom the Jews were so afraid that they wist not what to do but commit themselves to God for he had destroyed all their water Conduits so that they must either be forced to starve or yield Then ran the People to Osias the High-priest crying upon him to yield and give over the City to Holofernes lest they should all perish who exhorted them to tarry five days longer for the mercy of God and if he helped them not in that space he would do as they had said Then Judith who all this while had kept her house in prayer and fasting hearing what promise Osias had made to the People sent for him and all the Elders of Bethulia and said How happeneth this that ye have promised to deliver the City to the Assyrians unless within these five days the Lord turn to help you what Men are ye that ye tempt the Lord your device obtaineth no mercy of God but rather provoketh him to wrath and displeasure Will ye set the mercy of the Lord a time and appoint him a day at your will exhort the People to repentance and prayer and put them in remembrance of this That with much tribulation the Friends of God are tryed and that all these things which we now suffer are far less than our sins have deserved And that this correction is come upon us as to the servants of God for the amendment of our lives and not for our destruction Now hear my device I pray you and beseech the Lord to bring it to good end Ye shall stand this Night in the Gate of Bethulia and I will go out with Abra my Maiden Pray ye unto the Lord that within the days that ye have promised to deliver up the City he will visit Israel by my hand But inquire not of me the thing I have taken in hand for I will not declare it till God have finished the act Then every Man went their ways and Judith departed home to her secret closet where she made her hearty prayers unto God for the Peoples deliverance Which being done she cast off her mourning Garments and decked her self most bravely to allure the eyes of all Men that should behold her which she did not for any voluptuousness or pleasure of the flesh but of a right diseretion and vertue And so going out of her house with Abra her Maid she came to the Gate of the City where the Elders stood waiting her coming And as they beheld her wonderful beauty which God at that present had given her they were marvellously astonished She then commanding the Gates to be open took her leave of the People who most heartily besought the Lord to be her defence and well to perform the device of her heart that they might safely and joyfully receive her presence again And so committing her to God shut the Gates and looked over the Walls after her so long as they could see her And as she was going down the Mountains the first Watch of the Assyrians took her demanding what she was and whither she went I am quoth she a Daughter of the Hebrews and am fled from them because I know that they shall be given unto you to be spoiled Wherefore I am going to the Prince Holofernes to tell him all their secrets and how he shall win the City without the loss of one Man And when the Men had pondered her words and considered well her beauty they put her in good comfort of her life brought her to Holofernes whose Majesty so abashed Judith that she fell down as one almost dead for fear But being revived again Holofernes demanded the cause of her coming to whom she made answer on this wise saying O my Lord if thou wilt receive the words of thine Handmaiden and do thereafter the Lord shall bring thy matter to a prosperous effect For as thy servant Achior gave counsel unto my Lord to make search whether they had sinned against their God or no It is manifest and plain that their God is so angry with them for their sins that he hath shewed by his Prophets that he will give them over into the enemies hand Wherefore they are sore afraid and suffer great hunger and at this present for lack of water are in a manner as dead Men and in this extremity brought to kill their Cattel
took her from David and gave her to * Look in the history of Psaltei how he used Michal David's Wise Psaltei the Son of Lais to Wife with whom she remained till the death of Saul and then was restored again to David by Abner's means Finally when David came dancing before the Ark of God in his shirt to the City of David it chanced Michal to look out at a Window and beholding the King how he leaped and danced before the Ark she began to despise him in her heart and meeting him after all things were done she said O how glorious was the King of Israel this day which was uncovered to day in the eyes of the Maidens of his Servants as a Fool uncovereth himself And for thus despising of David the Servant of God the Lord plagued her with Barrenness that she never had Child Michal who is perfect Mephibosheth 2 Sam. 4.4 the Son of Jonathan was lame in his Feet by reason his Nurse by misfortune in his infancy let him fall to the Ground out of her Arms and was brought up and nourished after the death of his Father in the House of Machir 9. cap. 4 c. till David coming to his Kingdom took him from thence and restored him to all the Land of King Saul making Ziba his Servant chief Overseer and Receiver of the Lands and to see Micah his Master's Son well brought up and cherished for so much as Mephibosheth should remain with him and eat and drink at his own Board Now after this when David was brought into so great affliction trouble by reason of Absalom his Son Mephibosheth remained still at Jerusalem and never removed 2 Sam. 16.1 2 c. But Ziba his Servant went after David with a present and by false report of Mephibosheth his Master got his Land from him And when the King was returned and come to Jerusalem again 19.24 c. then Mephibosheth who had neither washed his Feet nor dressed his Beard nor washed his Cloaths from the time the King departed until he returned in peace went out to meet him and when the King saw him he said Wherefore wentest thou not with me Mephibosheth He answered My Lord O King my Servant deceived me for thy Servant said I would have mine Ass sadled to ride thereon for to go with the King because thy Servant is lame Therefore Ziba hath falsly accused thy Servant to my Lord the King but my Lord the King is as an Angel of God Do therefore what it pleaseth thee for all my Fathers House were but dead Men before my Lord the King and yet didst thou set thy Servant among them that did eat at thine own Table What right have I to cry any more unto the King Then said David why speakest thou yet in thine own cause I have said Thou and Ziba divide the Land between you Yea said Mephibosheth let him take all seeing my Lord the King is come home in peace Mephibosheth shame or confusion from the mouth Mephibosheth 2 Sam. 21.8 the Son of Rizpah King Saul's Concubine was by the Gibeonites with his Brother Armoni hanged for their Father's offence Miriam Exo. 6.20 was the Daughter of Amram and Jochebed and Sister to Aaron and Moses When her Brother Moses had brought the Children of Israel thorow the red Sea Exo. 15.20 Miriam the Prophetess took a Timbrel in her hand with other Women following in like sort and began joyfully to sing and dance Their Song was this Sing ye unto the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously The Horse and his Rider hath he overthrown in the Sea After this she grudged against Moses Num. 12.1 10. because he had taken an Ethiopian Woman to his Wife wherefore the Lord smore her with Leprosie Then Moses partly for pity and partly at the intercession of Aaron his Brother besought the Lord to heal her who made him answer saying If her Father in anger had spit in her Face should she not have been ashamed seven days Let her be shut out of the Host seven days which being done she was restored and received in again Finally when Moses and the Children of Israel were come to Kadesh Num. 20.1 there she died and was buried Miriam exalted or reaching Meshach first called Mishael Dan. 1.7.3 cap. was one of Daniel's Companions and one of the three which was cast into the hot burning Furnace and miraculously preserved Meshach prolonging or drawing to him or compassing the waters or hedging Mithridates was King Cyrus's Treasurer 3 Esd 2. at whose commandment he delivered all the holy Vessels of Gold and Silver pertaining to the House of the Lord to Salmanassar the Deputy in Jewry The number of which Vessels was five thousand eight hundred and three score Mithridates dissolving the law Mnason was a certain godly Man Act. 21.16 and a Cyprian born who had of long time believed the Gospel in whose House Paul was lodged at Jerusalem Mnason a searcher out or promising or remembring Moses the Son of Amram and Jochebed Exod. 2. cap. was miraculously preserved at his birth For whereas Pharaoh the King of Egypt had straitly commanded the Midwives Moses signifieth preserved from the water that whensoever they saw an Hebrew bring forth a Man-child they should cast it into the River yet Moses being born and a proper Child was notwithstanding the King's Commandment kept secretly three Months And when his Parents could hide him no longer they closed him in a Basket made of Reed or Bulrushes dawbed with slime and pitch and laid him in the River And as the Child's sister stood looking what should become of him it came to pass that King Pharaoh's * Her name was Termuth Daughter came a walking by the River side who seeing the Basket floating upon the River caused one of her Folks to take it up And when she had opened the Basket and saw the Child she had pity upon it and caused the Maid his sister to fetch her a Nurse who went and brought his own Mother And so the Child being nursed and brought up in Pharaoh's house was instructed from his Childhood in all manner of cunning and wisdom of the Egyptians and became mighty in words and deeds saving in his speech he had an impediment And when he was full forty years old it came in his heart to go and visit his Brethren the Children of Israel whom Pharaoh vexed without all measure And as he saw an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew How that Moscs's impedment of speech came The King on a time for his Daughter's sake took the Child in his arms and set the Crown upon his Head which Moses as it were childishly playing hurled to the ground and with his Foot spurned it At the which the Priest cried out saying that this was he of whom it was prophesied that he should destroy Egypt Then Termuth excused the Child alledging his infancy and lack of
of Israel and Juda and would if that had been too little have given thee much more Wherefore then hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight Thou hast kill'd Urias the Hittite with the Sword and hast taken his Wife to be thy Wife and hast slain him with the Sword of the Children of Ammon Now therefore the Sword shall never depart from thine house because thou hast despised me and taken the Wife of Urias the Hittite to be thy Wife Wherefore thus saith the Lord Behold I will stir up evil against thee even out of thine own house and will take thy Wives before thine eyes and give them unto thy Neighbour and he shall lye with thy Wives in the sight of the Sun For thou didst it secretly but I will do this thing before all Israel and in the open Sun-light Then said David I have sinned against the Lord. Well said Nathan the Lord hath also put away thy sin thou shalt not dye Howbeit because of doing this deed thou hast given the enemies of the Lord a cause to blaspheme the Child that is born unto thee shall surely dye And so Nathan departed Finally at what time Adonijah had taken upon him to rule the Kingdom unknown to his Father David Nathan came to the King and said My Lord O King hast thou said Adonijah shall reign after me and he shall sit upon my Seat For he is gone down this day and hath slain many Oxen David had a Son called Nathan also 2 Sam. 5.14 and fat Sheep and hath called all the King's Sons and the Captain of the Host and Abiathar the Priest and behold they eat and drink before him and say God save King Adonijah But me thy Servant and Sadock the Priest and Benajah and thy Servant Solomon hath he not called Is this thing done by my Lord the King and thou hast not shewed it unto thy Servant who should sit on the Seat of my Lord the King after him And when the King had declared his mind and will Nathan and Sadock the Priest went and anointed Solomon King Nathan Given or giving Nathanael John 1.45 c. which was a Man wonderful desirous of Messias coming was brought to Christ by Philip who finding him under a Figg-Tree said O Nathanael I can tell thee tidings we have found him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write even Jesus the Son of Joseph of Nazareth Is that true quoth he can there any good thing come out of Nazareth If thou dost not believe me quoth Philip come and see thy self And as Nathanael was coming with Philip to Jesus he saith of him thus Behold an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile Nathanael perceiving that Jesus knew him said How knowest thou me I knew thee said Jesus before that Philip called thee I saw thee when thou wast under the Figg-Tree Then said Nathanael Rabbi thou art the Son of God thou art the King of Israel Nathanael the gift of God Nehemiah a Jew born 2 Esd 1. cap. was Cupbearer to Artaxerxes King of Persia a Man of great Learning and Holiness who being in great favour with the said King obtained both Licence and Aid to re-edifie the City of Jerusalem Nehemiah the comfort or rest of the Lord the Lords direction Nicanor being a great Prince under Demetrius 1 Mac. 7. cap. and an utter enemy unto the Jews was sent with a mighty Host against Judas Machabeus who notwithstanding the hatred that he had to the Jews yet unto Judas himself he bare a secret good will and love in his heart 2 Mac. 14. cap. and counselled him when they met together to talk of Peace to take a Wife and to beget Children But for all that his malice was so great against the rest of the Jews and his heart so puft up with pride thorow his invincible power and strength that he held up his hand against the House of God making an Oath that-he would destroy it and break down the Altar and consecrate the Temple of God to Bacchus And thinking all this but a trifle to bring to pass 8 cap. sold the Jews before he came at them promising to every one that would buy them four-score and ten Jews for one Talent But this Blasphemer who had brought a thousand Merchants with him to buy the Jews was by the help and power of God for all his stout brags shortly overthrown and so discomfited that he himself was fain to change his Apparel and to flie alone to Antioch 1 Mac 7. cap. 2 Mac. 15. cap. with great dishonour and shame Finally attempting to fight again with Judas upon the Sabbath day he was at last by the mighty hand of God slain Nicanor which was one of the seven Deacons Act. 6.5 Whose Head Judas commanded to be set upon the Castle at Jerusalem and his threatning hand to be hanged against the Temple and his blasphemous Tongue cut in pieces and cast to the Birds to be devoured Nicanor a Conqueror Valiant Nicodemus Joh. 3.1 2 c. was one of the head Men among the Sect of the Pharisees but not the best Learned although his mind were lesser corrupt than the other This Man favoured Christ but durst not be known thereof for fear of the Jews wherefore he came to Jesus by Night secretly saying Rabbi we know that thou art a Teacher come from God for no Man could do such Miracles as thou dost except God were with him Jesus answered Verily verily I say unto thee except a Man be born from above he cannot see the Kingdom of God Nicodemus How can a Man be born when he is old can he enter into his Mother's Womb and be born again Jesus Verily verily I say unto thee except a Man be born of the Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God that which is born of the Flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit Marvel not thou that I said unto thee ye must be born from above The Wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh or whither it goeth So is every one that is born of the spirit Nicodemus How can these things be Jesus Art thou a Master in Israel and knowest not these things Verily verily I say unto thee we speak that we know and testifie that we have seen and ye receive not our witness If I have told you earthly things and ye believe not how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things c. This Man afterward answered for Jesus and said to the Pharisees 7.50 what time as they had sent Ministers to apprehend him doth our Law judge any Man before it hear him Finally at the Death of Christ to honour his Burial he bought of Myrrhe and Aloes mingled together about an hundred pound weight 19.39 and came with Joseph of