by drinking out of a cup made of an horses hoof supposed to be the device of Aristotle sometime his Master and Antipater Lieutenant of Macedonia the Son of Philip King of Macedonia slew Darius King of the Persians and Medes and conquered the most part of all the World in less than twelve years space whereof he became so proud that God was displeased with him And being visited with sickness so sore that he must needs die he called all his Lords and Princes before him and divided his kingdom among them So that they after his death were crowned and reigned as Kings every one severally in his own Dominion as was to them appointed He reigned xii years Alexander An aider or a helper manly or very valiant Alexander 1 Mac. 10. the Son of Noble Antiochus took the City of Ptolemais and after that moved War against Demetrius who to prevent Alexander sent Ambassadours to Jonathas Governour of the Jewes to have his friendship promising him as many fair and large offers as he could devise But forasmuch as Jonathas had experience of his deceitful dealings and how cruel an Enemy he had always been unto the Jews Nation he refused the offer of Demetrius and joyned in League with Alexander knowing him to be a faithful Prince and ever his friend And so Alexander having the Jews aid joyned Battail with Demetrius in the which conflict Alexander slew Demetrius and overcame all his Host Now when Alexander had conquered the Land and was set in the Throne of his Progenitors a marriage was concluded between Him and Cleopatra the Daughter of Ptolemy King of Egypt which was finished at the City of Ptolemais at the which triumph Alexander made Jonathas a Duke and Partner of his Dominion and after that for his worthiness gave him the City of Accaron 11 cap. Alexander now lying at Antioch and hearing how the Cilicians had rebelled against him marched toward them with a great power to suppress the Rebellion And being there busied with his enemies Ptolomy in the mean season defeated him of his kingdom and took his Daughter Cleopatra and gave her to Demetrius the Son of Demetrius in marriage Alexander hearing of this returned home with all his Host but Ptolomy being too strong for him chased Alexander out of his Realm who for succour fled into Arabia where the King of that Land against all Law of Arms smote off his head and sent it to Ptolomy for a present Alexander a Jew born and a Ruler at Ephesus Act. 19. what time as Demetrius the Silversmith moved Sedition in the City against Paul for the Goddess Diana was in the rage drawn out of the Common Hall and going forward beckoned with his hand to have spoken but till the Town-Clark had ceased the noise which lasted two hours he could not be heard And then to pacifie the people more by worldly wisdom than for any respect he had to Religion he said Ye Men of Ephesus what Man is he that knoweth not how that the City of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great Goddess Diana and of the Image which came from Jupiter Seeing then that no Man gain sayeth it ye ought to be content and to do nothing rashly For ye have brought hither these Men which are neither robbers of Churches neither yet despisers of your Goddess Wherefore if Demetrius and the Crafts-men which are with him have any matter against any Man the Law is open and there are Rulers let them accuse one another But if ye go about any other thing it may be determined in a lawful Assembly For we are in jeopardy to be accused of this days uproar forasmuch as there is no cause whereby we may give an account of this concourse of People And when he had thus spoken each Man departed Alexander the Coppersmith 1 Tim. 1. forsook the faith and became such an Enemy unto the Gospel 2 Tim. 4. that he withstood Paul's preaching and did him much displeasure for the which Paul delivered him unto Satan that is excommunicated him out of the Church desiring the Lord to reward him as he had deserved Alcimus was a Jew born 1 Mac. 7. and come of the Seed of Aaron who notwithstanding became so wicked a Man that he forsook the Laws of his own Nation to maintain the abominations of the Heathen And for the hatred he bare to Machabeus and the Jews he took unto him a sort of loofe and ungodly Persons and went to Demetrius unto whom he made a grievous complaint upon Judas Machabeus seigning that he had slain all the King's friends and driven him and his company out of their own Land wherefore he willed Demetrius to choose out some Noble Captain to go and avenge the King's quarrel on Judas Upon the which complaint of Alcimus the King sent Bachides against Judas and made Alcimus the High-Priest who was such an enemy unto the Jews as the like was not among the Heathen for all his study was how he might either by word or deed work their utter confusion And finally to manifest his great malice towards his own Country-men and the Laws of God he commanded the Walls of the inmost Sanctuary with the Monuments of the Prophets to be cast down and destroyed But as this wicked Apostate went about his devilish purpose the hand of God fell upon him and smote him with such an incurable Palsie that his mouth was shut up and so like a miserable wretch he dyed Alcimus Strong Amaleh was the Son of Eliphaz the Son of Esau Gen. 36. born unto him of Thymna his Concubine of whom came the Kinred of the Amalekites Exod. 17. This King when Moses had brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt and were come into the Wilderness of Raphidim where they both lacked water and were wearied with their long journey would not suffer them to pass quietly thorow his Land but came forth with weapon and waged Battel against them In the which Battel Joshua guided the Host of Israel while Moses went to pray And so long as Moses held up his hands and prayed so long had Israel the better but when he let them fall Amalek had the better Then Aaron and Hur perceiving Moses hands to be weary gat them up to Moses and staid his hands the one on the one side and the other on the other side so long till Joshua had discomfited Amalek with all his Host And for this cruelty of Amalek God sware unto Moses that he would utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under Heaven 1 Sam. 15. Which promise he performed in the days of King Saul Amalek a licking people Aman look Haman Amasa was the Son of Jether and Abigail 2 Sam. 17. David's sister was his Mother This Amasa what time as Absalom rose against his Father David was made Captain over Absalom's Host and after the death of Absalom David received him to favour 19. c. swearing he should
his Epistle Aristobulus The best Counseller or the best Counsel Arius 1 Mac. 12. was King of Sparta which People were come of the Generation of Abraham as the Jews were wherefore the Jews called them Brethren The Spartians came of Abrahams seed But in all the Wars the Jews had with the Heathen they never sought the Spartians help more than with Letters of Recommendation one from another of brotherly love glad of each others prosperity Arpharad Judith 1. cap. King of the Medes was so mighty a Prince Of Arphaxad the Son of Sem came the Chaldeans Lanquct that he subdued many People unto his Dominion He built a City called Ecbatane which for strength was thought unpossible to be won But at last he putting too much confidence in his own power was subdued of Nabuchodonosor King of the Assyrians in the X. Year of his reign Arphaxad That which healeth or saveth Arphaxad the Son of Shem Gen. 11.12 13. lived four hundred thirty eight years * This was a common name to the Kings of Persia as Pharaob was to the Kings of Egypt or Cesar to the Emperours Artaxerxes King of Persia 1 Esd 7. cap. licensed Esdras to take his Companions the Children of Israel with him 3 Esd 8. and to depart from Babylon to Jerusalem again commanding all his Officers in all places to aid Esdras not only with the King's Treasure but with whatsoever was needful to him for the re-edifying of the Lord's Temple Artaxerxes The light or maleaiction and curse He that causeth silence Also that maketh haste or speed also the earnestness of rejoycing Artaxerxes King of Persia 3 Esd 2. having a sore complaint made unto him by Belemus Mithridates Tabelius Rathumus Beeltethmus and Semellius the Secretary with other more against the Jews for building of the Temple wrote to them again on this wise I have read the Epistle which ye sent unto me therefore I commanded to make diligent search and have found that this City hath ever resisted Kings that the same People are disobedient and have caused much War and that mighty Kings have reigned in Jerusalem which also have raised up Taxes of Celosyria and Phenice wherefore I have commanded to forbid those Men that they shall not build up the City and heed to be taken that there be no more done in it and that they proceed no further in those wicked works for so much as it might be occasion of trouble unto Princes Artemas was one of Paul's Disciples Tit. 3.12 and lay with him at the City of Nicopolis what time as Paul sent to Crete for Titus to come unto him but not before he did send Artemas or Tychicus unto him to tarry in his stead lest that Crete should be destitute of an Overseer Asa 1. King 15.8 9. 2 Chron. 14 1 c. 15 cap. His Mother is called Maacha and is taken for his Grandmother was the Son of Abijah and began his reign over Juda in the xx year of the reign of Jeroboam He honoured God cleansed his Land of Whorekeepers Idols Images Groves and many other Abominations Yea he abhorred Idolatry so much that he would not suffer it unpunished in his own Mother but put her from her Estate because she had made an Idol in a Grove which he burnt and cast the Ashes into the Brook Cedron And for his upright heart the Lord sent peace and quietness in all his Land by the space of ten years In the which time of rest he built Cities and Holds and made his Realm very strong At last it fortuned the King of Ethiopia to come against him with an Host of ten hundred thousand and three hundred Chariots whereas the other had but half so many Then Asa putting his hope in God The Prayer of Asa made first his prayers to him on this wise O Lord it is no hard thing with thee to help either by many or by few help us therefore O Lord our God for we trust to thee and in thy name we go against this multitude thou art the Lord our God and no man shall prevail against thee And after he had ended his prayer he went and joyned battel with his enemies the Lord overthrew them and left not one undestroyed 2 Chron. 16. After this it chanced Baasha King of Israel to invade him of whom Asa was so afraid that he fetcht out of the House of the Lord much Treasure and sent it to Benhadad King of Syria desiring him to break his League with Baasha that he might depart out of his Land And when Baasha had broke up his Camp and was gone to resist Benhadad which had got divers of his Cities in Israel the Prophet Hanani came to Asa and said Forasmuch as thou hast trusted in the King of Syria and not in the Lord therefore is the Host of Syria escaped thee Had not the Ethiopians an exceeding great Host and yet because thou did'st put thy trust in God they were delivered into thy hand For the eyes of the Lord behold all the Earth to strengthen them that are of perfect heart towards him And now seeing thou hast done so foolishly thou shalt from henceforth have War The King hearing * Here we see that it is not enough for a man to begin well unless he continue to the end this was sore displeased with the Prophet and disdaining his admonition sent him to Prison He was before the Incarnation 973 years Cooper Wherefore the Lord to plague his rebellion smote him with a disease in his feet which could not be cured by any Physician whereof he dyed after he had reigned years forty one Asa a Physician Asahel was the Son of Zervia David's Sister 2 King 2. His Brethren were Joab and Abishai This man Asahel for his lightness on foot is compared to a Roe buck Read of his Death in the story of Abner Asahel God hath wrought Asaph the Son of Barachiah 1 Chron. 6.39.16.5 was one of the chief Singers among the Levites appointed by David in the House of the Lord. Asaph Gathering Ashur the Father of Tekoah was the Son of Hesron 1 Chron. 2.25.4.5 the Son of Phares the Son of Juda. His Mothers name was Abia he had two Wives and by them Children Asher was the Son of Jacob. Gen. 30.12 13 1 Chron. 7. Num. 1. His Mothers name was Silpah His brother of father and mother was Gad. He had four Sons and one Daughter of whom came many Noble men and Captains Asher Blessedness Asyncritus Rom. 16.14 was one of the faithful Congregation of Christ in Rome unto whom among other Paul sendeth salutations in his Epistle saying thus salute Asyncritus Asyncritus Peerless or without Comparison Assur was the Son of Sem. 1 Chron. 1.17 Lyra writeth upon Gen. x. That Assur because he would not rebel against God with Nimrod in the building of the Tower of Babel fled out of the Land
of Shinar into a far Country where he inhabited which Countrey took its name of him and was called Assyria and there he builded a City which afterwards was called Niniveh Assur Blessed or Travelling Asubah 1. King 22.42 was Mother to Jehosaphat King of Juda and daughter to Shilhi 2 Chron. 20. Asubah Forsaken Asubah 1 Chron. 2.18 Wife to Caleb the Son of Hesron bare unto him three Sons Jesher Shobab and Ardon Athalia 2 King 11. 2 Chron. 22. Athalia in the 2 King ca. 8. is called both the daughter of Achab and the daughter of Amri which saith Lyra is meant thus After the death of Amri her natural Father she was brought up with Achab her Brother and so in process called his daughter or else by immitating his manners in all kind of Idolatry was the daughter of Amri and wife to Joram King of Juda. When Joram died her Son Ahaziah succeeded whom she enticed to all wickedness and after his death she ruled and killed all the rest of the seed of Joram only Joash excepted which was stollen away and hid from her And when she had ruled the Land most cruelly vi years In the vii year Joash was brought forth by Jehojada the Priest and proclaimed King She hearing that ran into the Temple of the Lord with her cloaths rent crying out treason treason But at the commandment of Jehojada the Captains and Souldiers took her out of the Temple and slew her Athalia Time for the Lord. Azariah the Son * 2 King 15.1 c. of Amaziah King of Juda began his reign in the xxvii year of Jeroboam King of Israel and was 16. years old when he was made King And so long as he gave ear to Zacharias the Prophet and walked uprightly so long did the Lord prosper him with great Victories both of the Philistines and Arabians and made the Ammonites also tributaries unto him He ‖ Azariah is in the same Chapter called also Vzziah repaired Jerusalem He loved husbandry well and had great plenty of Cattel At length he became so mighty that in his strength his heart arose to his destruction For in his pride he went into the Temple of the Lord to burn Incense which although he seemed to do of a zeal and good intent yet forasmuch as he usurped the Priests Office he was justly resisted of Azariah the Priest and plagued of God who smote him with such a Leprosie that he went out of the Temple a Leper and so remained all the days of his life He raigned LII years and was buried in a part of the same Field where his Predecessors lay but not in the same Sepulchres because he was a Leper Azaria Help of the Lord. B. BAAL the Son of Reaia was a Prince of the Reubenites 1 Chron. 5.5 and * In the days of Pekab King of Israel carried away with other his Kinred into the Land of Assyria by Tiglath Pileser King of the Assyrians Baal an Idol or a Ruler 2 Kings 15. Baanah with his Brother Rechab 2 Sam. 4. cap. the Sons of Rimmon were two Captains in the Host of Ishbosheth King of Israel who when Abner their chief Captain was dead went into the House of Ishbosheth seeming saith Lyra they had gone to fetch Wheat for the King saith he had great store of Wheat which he sold to Merchants a-far off wherefore these two disguised themselves like Merchants that came to buy and so entring into the House they found where their Lord and Master lay upon his Bed in the heat of the day fast a-sleep * There is nothing so vile and dangerous which the wicked will not enterprise in hope of lucre and favour and slew him and took his head and carried it to David thinking for the same to have had a great reward But for their most shameful and trayterous act they were both put to death and their Quarters hanged over the Pool in Hebron Baanah In affliction Baasha the Son of Ahijah 1 King 15.27 c. 16.1 c. conspired against Nadab King of Israel and reigned in his stead In the third year of Asa King of Judah began Baasha to reign over Israel and walked most wickedly in all the ways of Jeroboam 1 King 10.14 whose House and Posterity notwithstanding * God stirred up one Tyrant to punish the wickedness of another he utterly destroyed and left not one alive for so it was prophesied that God would stir him up one which was this Baasha for that purpose And now for as much as Baasha whom God had exalted even out of the dust would still maintain Jeroboam's Idolatry and cause his People to sin he sent him word by the Prophet Jehu that as he had rooted out the whole Posterity of Jeroboam so should his be served likewise Great War was between Baasha and Asa King of Juda. 2 Chron. 16. And for to stop the passage of Juda that none should pass out nor in safely Baasha went to build a strong hold called Rama which he was fain at length to leave unfinished and to lose all his cost and pains to go against Benhadad which had broken covenant with him He reigned xxiv years and was buried in Thirza which was a place where the King remained leaving Ela his Son to succeed him in whose days the foresaid Prophecy of the rooting out his Posterity took place Baasha in folding together or pressing together or to search out and take away Bachides 1 Mac. 7.9 cap. was a Man of great power in the Dominion of Demetrius the Son of Seleucus And being the Kings faithful friend he sent him with a great Host against Judas Machabeus to revenge him of the injury he had done unto his People and in the end slew him After whose death many of the wicked Jews turned to Bachides whereof he made some Lords and Rulers of the Land which of envy outed the friends of Judas and brought them into great vexation and trouble When Bachides had given this overthrow to Judas he sought how he might kill Jonathas also whom the Jews had appointed in his Brothers room And meeting with Jonathas about the border of Jordan there was a great Battel fought between them in the which Bachides lost a thousand of his men After which conflict Bachides by occasion of Alcimus the wicked Priests death departed for that time so that Jonathas lay at rest two years after till a sort of ungodly men conspired against him how they might bring Bachides upon him unawares which matter being between them and him concluded Bachides returned with a great power but ere he came Jonathas had gotten knowledge of the Treason and put certain of the chiefest Conspirators to death Then when Bachides came and had besieged the City of Bethbessen long and saw he was not able to resist the power of Jonathas he was marvellously displeased with those wicked counsellers which had caused him to travail
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
down the Hill altars and burnt the Bones of the Priests of Baal and left no wicked thing undestroyed nor Monument standing in the Cities of Manasses and Ephraim or other places of his Realm where any abomination had been committed He kept a Passeover in the eighteenth year of his raign the like never seen and repaired the Temple Finally he made War upon the King of Egypt in the which he was wounded with a Dart at a place called Magiddo whereof he dyed Whose death was much lamented for like unto him was never none before nor after Jehoahaz his Son succeeded him Josias the Lord's Fire or the Lord burning Iotham 2 King 15.32 2 Chron. 27. the Son of Azariah or Uzziah at the age of xxv years began his Reign over Juda in the second year of Pekah King of Israel and did that which was right in the sight of the Lord in all points as did his Father Azariah save that * He went not into the Temple of the Lord to burn Incense as his Father did contrary to the word of God which is spoken to the commendation of Jothan he came not into the Temple of the Lord neither caused the Hill-Altars to be taken away by which occasion the People ceased not to do wickedly He builded the sumptuous Gate of the Temple and many Cities Castles and Towers in the Mountains of Juda and other places He subdued the Ammonites who payed him three years together an hundred talents of silver ten thousand quarters of Wheat and so much of Barley He reigned xvi years and was buried in the City of David leaving Ahaz his Son to enjoy his place Jotham Perfect Ioshua Num. 27.18 c. the Son of Nun was first called Osea which name Moses changed and called him Joshua who was Moses Minister and ordained of God to rule and govern the People after him Exod. 17.9 c. He discomfited King Amalek while Moses held up his hands and prayed He was one of those Searchers which were sent by Moses to search the Land of Canaan Num. 13. cap. 14.6 c. and to bring the People word again what manner of Countrey it was at whose return the People were ready to stone both him and Caleb for well reporting of that Land wherefore the Lord being angry with the People sware that none of them all should see that good Land but Joshua and Caleb After the death of Moses Joshua 1. cap. the Lord encouraged Joshua to invade the Land of promise and gave him commandment to exercise himself continually in reading the Book of the Law called Deuteronomy Which he duly observed and read it to the People that they thereby might the better learn to love and fear God and to obey him the Lord's Minister He destroyed the City of Jericho only reserving Rahab and her Houshold He burnt the City of Lodi and hanged the five Kings of the Ammorites on five Trees at whose discomfiting it rained stones from Heaven by the which more were slain than with the Sword and the Sun also stood still in his place and prolonged the day till Joshua had utterly discomfited his enemies He slew in all first and last xxxi Kings and brought the Children of Israel into the Land of promise and divided the Land to the Tribes of Israel He dyed at the age of an hundred and ten years in whose stead Juda was made Governour of the Lord's Army Joshua the Lord Saviour Isaac was the Son of Abraham by his Wife Sarah and a figure of Christ Gen. 21.2 3.22 cap. for when his Father went to * 26. cap. offer him up in sacrifice and coming to the Altar and place where he should dye he willingly offered himself to death that his Father might in him fulfil the Lord's will But being preserved of God till he came to the age of forty years he then took to Wise ‖ 25.20 Rebekah the Daughter of Bethuel his Fathers Brother who being long barren at the last by the pleasure of God brought forth Esau and Jacob at one birth After this * Some say that Isaac was sacrificed of his Father in the xiii year of his age but Josephus affirmeth it to be done in the xxv year there fell such a Dearth and Famine in his Country that he departed into the Land of the Philistines where Abimelech was King And as he remained in Gerar the Lord appeared to Isaac bidding him to remain still in that place and not to remove into Egypt and he would multiply his Seed as the Stars of Heaven and bring it so to pass that all Nations of the Earth should be blessed therein And so Isaac removed not But for so much as he doubted of the fear of God to be in that place he durst not avouch Rebekah to be his Wife but said she was his Sister Read the story of Abimelech King of the Philistines for the plainer declaration of this matter And now while Isaac remained in the Country of Gerar God so encreased him with abundance of Cattel and Riches that the Philistines began to envy and hate him and stopped all the Wells which his Father Abraham had made that he should have no commodity thereby But notwithstanding he digged up the Wells again and called them by the same names that his Father had given them before and became so mighty that Abimelech made a League with Isaac who feasted the King and departed friends 27.1 c. Finally with Age he became blind and so was deceived in giving his blessing to Jacob which he thought to have first bestowed on Esau but both by the will of God being blessed of their Father Isaac he fell sick and dyed at the age of an hundred and lxxx years and was buried in Hebron Isaac Laughter Ishbosheth 2 Sam. 2.10.4 cap. the Son of King Saul at the Age of forty Years began his Reign over Israel Whose only stay and upholder of his Kingdom was Abner after whose death two of his own Captains slew Ishbosheth by treason in his own house after he had reigned two years Read the story of Baanah Ishbosheth a Man of shame Ishmael Gen. 16.12 was the Son of Abraham and Agar and had his name given him of the Angel before he was born Of Ishmael came the Nation of the Ishmaclites which after were called Saracens For when his Mother Agar fled from Sarah her Mistress an Angel found her saying Return to thy Mistress again for thou art with Child and shalt bear a Son and because the Lord hath heard thy tribulation thou shalt call his name Ishmael He will be a wild Man and his hand will be against every Man and every Man's hand against his And so she returned and brought forth Ishmael at whose birth Abraham his Father was lxxxvi 17.23 years old And at the Age of xiii years was Ishmael circumcised and the year following both he and his Mother cast out of his
other HOLY MEN. AARON was the Son of Amram Exod. 6. and Brother to Moses and of the Tribe of Levi. His Mothers Name was Jochebed Sister to Caath the Father of Amram He was appointed of God to be Moses Interpreter and also his Prophet what time as God sent Moses to Pharaoh to pour out his plagues upon him He took Elisaba the daughter of Aminadab of the Tribe of Juda to wife He was the first High-priest of the Jews Exod. 24. And left with Hur to govern the People in the absence of Moses while he was in the Mount with God 32. cap. And in the mean time the People being yet infected with the Idolatry of Egypt cried out against Aaron to make them gods to go before them Then Aaron perceiving the People inclined to Idolatry and also thinking they would rather forgo the same than to forsake their precious Jewels said unto them Pluck off the golden Ear-rings in the ears of your Wives your Sons and of your Daughters and bring them to me The people did so and Aaron made thereof a Calf Which when the people saw and beheld they were exceeding glad And began now to worship and honour the Calf as a god skipping and dancing for joy But the Lord above beholding their wickedness told it to Moses and sent him down post-hast to reform their wicked attempts Who then coming down from the Mount with the Tables of God in his hand and drawing near to the Host he saw the Calf and the people dancing before it Which sight so kindled the wrath of Moses and grieved his heart so sore that he threw the Tables out of his hands took the Calf and burnt it in the Fire and stampt it all into powder and ashes which he threw into the water and forced the People to drink it Then he demanded of Aaron what the people did to him that he had brought so great a sin upon them Aaron said Let not the wrath of my Lord wax fierce thou knowest the people that they are set on mischief For they said unto me make us gods to go before us for we wot not what is become of Moses the Man that brought us out of Egypt Then I required to have their Gold and Jewels which they brought unto me and I did cast them into the Fire Idolatry punished Nu. 12. cap. and thereof came out this Calf Moses then understanding the matter commanded the Children of Levi to fall upon the Idolaters and slew of them about three thousand persons After this it came to pass that Aaron and Miriam his Sister did grudge against their Brother Moses because he had taken an Ethiopian to Wife saying on this wise Hath the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses and hath he not spoken also by us Disobedience punished The Lord not content with this their contemning of Moses authority was sore displeased and stroke Miriam with a foul Leprosie Which so much discomforted Aaron to see his Sister so foully arrayed and disfigured that he humbled himself to Moses and said Alas my Lord I beseech thee put not the sin upon us which we have foolishly committed and sinned Oh let her not be as one dead of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his Mothers womb And so thorow Aaron's intreaty Moses prayed unto God 22.33 and Miriam was healed Finally when Aaron had lived one hundred twenty three Years he died in Mount Hor as the Lord had foretold And his Son Eleazar succeeded in his room Aaron a Teacher Abakuck the Prophet was of the Tribe of Simeon Dan. 14. He prophesied of the taking of Jerusalem by Nabuchodonosor This Prophet on a time had prepared pottage and other victuals for the Harvest-folks And going to the fields to bring the same to the Reapers an Angel of God spake unto him and said Go and carry the meat that thou hast prepared into Babylon and give it to Daniel which is in the Lyons Den. O Lord quoth he I never saw Babylon and as for the Den I know it not With that the Angel caught up the Prophet by the top of his head and bare him to Babylon and set him upon the Den. Then Abakuck cried to Daniel and said O Daniel thou servant of the Lord take here the breakfast that God hath sent thee Daniel hearing the voice of Abakuck rejoyced greatly and said O Lord Abakuck died six hundred years before the Incarnation of Christ Eliote hast thou thought upon me Well thou never failest them that love thee And so he rose up and did eat of such things as the Prophet had brought him And immediately after that Daniel had eaten the Angel set Abacuck in his place again Abakuck a Wrastler Abdy the Prophet prophesied destruction to the Idumeans which came of Esau Abdy 1. cap. and were utter enemies to the Israelites which came of Jacob as at the siege of Jerusalem it did most plainly appear whereas they joyned with Nabuchodonosor against their brethren whom they ought rather to have holpen and defended against the Heathen Abdy a servant of the Lord. Abedmelech was a Morian born Jerem. 38. and Chamberlain to Zedekia King of Juda. This Man had so great a confidence in God and love to his Prophets that when he saw Jeremy so evil intreated he went to the King and besought his Grace that Jeremy the Prophet might be taken out of the filthy Dungeon whereinto he was cast lest he there should perish and dye for hunger And so obtaining the Kings good will he took his Men and went to the Prison where Jeremy lay and threw down unto him old rags clowts which he had provided bidding him to put them under his Arm-holes to keep the Cords from hurting and fretting his Arms in pulling up Jerem. 39. Now for this his kindness shewed on Jeremy Kindness recompensed and trust that he had in the Lord he was delivered from captivity and saved from the hands of Nabuchodonosor at the destruction of Jerusalem when others perished Abel was the Son of Adam Gen. 4. born of his Mother Eve next after Cain He was a Keeper of Sheep and wholly dedicated to vertue and godliness Abel and Delbora his Sister were born both at one birth fifteen years after Cain Cooper In all his oblations he ever gave of the best things he had Which of the Lord was greatly accepted And therefore Cain perceiving his Brothers offerings to be regarded and his rejected envyed him to death And at the last by a subtile train slew him Abel Vanity Abia 1 King 15. the Son of Rehoboam began his raign over Juda in the xviii Year of Jeroboam King of Israel His Mothers Name was Maacha the Daughter of Abishalom He walked not in the steps of David but followed the ways of his Father before him Yet notwithstanding for David's sake God gave him a light that is to say a Son to Raign over
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
men believing her went after and sought and when they could not find them returned home again Then Ahimaaz and Jonathas were let out of the Well who went to David and did their message â—8 cap. as they were commanded After this when Absalom was slain Ahimaaz desired of Joab the Captain that he might bear news to the King of Absalom's death Nay said Joab thou shalt be no messenger this day because the King's Son is dead but Cushi shall go Then I pray thee quoth Ahimaaz let me go with Cushi And wherefore quoth Joab art thou so desirous to go seeing for thy tidings thou shalt have no reward whatsoever I have quoth he I pray thee let me go Then go said Joab And Ahimaaz ran a nearer way than Cushi and so got before him And as they were coming the Watch-man spied them and said to the King I see two men running hitherward and me-think the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the Son of Sadock Oh said the King he is a good man and bringeth good tidings And so Ahimaaz came to the King before Cushi and fell down before him and said Blessed be the Lord thy God which hath shut up the men that list up their hands against my Lord the King Is the young man Absalom safe said the King Ahimaaz answered When Joab sent Cushi and me thy servant I saw much a-do but I wot not what it was Well said the King stand still Then Cushi came and said Good tidings my Lord the King for the Lord hath delivered thee this day out of the hands of all that rose against thee Is the young man Absalom safe quoth the King The Enemies of my Lord the King said he and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt be as that young man is And so the King departed and mourned for his Son Ahimaaz Erother of Counsel Ahimelech the Son of Ahitob the Son of Phinehes 1 Sam. 21. the Son of Eli was Priest of the City of Nob in whose time it chanced David being persecuted of King Saul to flye unto him for succour at whose coming with so few waiting on him Ahimelech was fore astonied and asked him wherefore he came so alone Then David bearing him in hand that the King had sent him of a secret business which might not be known desired Ahimelech to give him of such things as he had in store that he and his men might be refreshed and go about the King's affairs Then Ahimelech believing that all had been well between the King and David gave him of the * The Hebrews had three kinds of Bread as Lyra writeth The first Shew-bread which was set before the Lord. upon the propitiatory seat and thereof might no man eat but the Priests only The second bread offered upon the Altar of Holocaust which was for the Levites to eat The third was common bread and of that might all men eat hallowed bread because he saw his necessity great and had no common Bread under his hand Then David desired Ahimelech to lend him either Spear or Sword for I brought quoth he neither weapon not harness the King's business required such hast and by and by he fetcht out the Sword of Goliah and gave it to him Now * 22. cap. for this great kindness which Ahimelech had shewed to David Doeg a Servant of King Sauls accused him to his Lord of Treason And being brought before the King with all the Priests of the Lord it was objected against him how he had conspired with David the King's enemy and asked counsel of God for him and aided him both with victual and weapon To the which Ahimelech answered and said Oh King who is so faithful among all thy servants as David is or had in more honour in all thy house Is he not the King's Son-in-law and doth whatsoever thou commandest him have I not at other times as well as now asked counsel of God for him Let not my Lord the King impute any such wickedness to me or to my Fathers house for truly thy servant knew nothing of all this that thou layest to my charge either less or more Well quoth the King thou shalt surely dye And so was this innocent Man put to death with lxxxiv Priests more and the City of Nob destroyed Ahimelech a Kings Brother Ahijah 2 King 11. was a Prophet born in Shilo and chancing to meet with Jeroboam the Son of Nebat without the City of Jerusalem in the plain Fields having a new Cloak upon his back he caught the Cloak from him and rent it in twelve pieces delivering ten pieces thereof to Jeroboam saying Thus will the Lord rent the Kingdom out of the hands of Solomon because he hath forsaken the Lord and served strange Gods and give ten Tribes unto thee Therefore take heed when thou art King that thou walk in the ways of the Lord thy God for so long as thou keepest his statutes and holy commandments so long will the Lord prosper thee in the Kingdom Read more of this Prophet in the story of Abia the Son of Jeroboam Ahijah Brother of the Lord. The Father of King Baasha was called Ahijah 1 King 15. of the house of Isachar Aholah and Aholibah were two Sisters Ezech. 23. under whose names is set forth the fornication that is to say the Idolatry of Samaria and Jerusalem * The Bible note Aholah signifieth a mansion or dwelling in it self meaning Samaria which was the royal City of Israel and Aholibah signifieth my Mansion in her whereby is meant Jerusalem where Gods Temple was Aholibama was the Daughter of Ana Gen. 36. and Wife to Esau who brought him forth Children which became great Men in the World Aioth the Son of Gera Judg. 3. was the second Judge of the Hebrews a Man of great strength and valiant of courage and had equal strength and aptness in both his hands He slew Eglon King of the Moabites on this wise When Eglon had long warred on the Jews and taken from them divers Cities and kept them in much misery this Aioth came to him to Jericho bringing unto him certain Presents which liked him well and desired to speak with him privily which was granted and all others being commanded to withdraw Aioth stroke Eglon to the heart twice The last time with such puissance that the Knife with the hilt remained in the wound and so leaving him dead departed without suspicion and came unto his People declaring what he had done who being glad armed them and fell upon the Moabites and slew of them ten thousand and drave all the residue out of their Country And so the Jews being delivered by the wisdome and vertue of Aioth after made him their Judge and Prince Who governed them lxxx years in peace and died a very old man in much honour Aioth Praising or confessing Alexander 1 Mac. 1. This King at 2 Sapper in Babylon was poysoned
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
Curse was no sooner pronounced out of the Prophets mouth but two Bears came out of the Forest and ran upon the Children and tore in pieces 42. of them And so went he forth to Mount Carmel and from thence to the City of Samaria It came to pass that when Jehoram the King of Israel and Jehosaphat King of Juda with the King of Edom in their progress toward the King of Moab lacked Water for them and their People they went by the counsel of Jehosaphat King of Juda to Eliseus the Prophet beseeching him to make Intercession for them that they might have Water to sustain their Host which else were in jeopardy of perishing And when the Prophet saw the Kings he said to the King of Israel What have I to do with thee Get thee to the Prophets of Achab thy Father and to the prophets of Jezahel thy Mother as truly as the Lord of Hosts liveth in whose sight I stand if it were not that I regard the presence of Jehosaphat King of Juda I would not have looked toward thee nor seen thee But now bring me a * This was no such Minstrel as uses to fill the Peoples eares with Songs of ribauldry but one that sang Songs to God's glory and so stirred up the Prophets heart to prophesie Minstrel and when the Minstrel plaid the hand of the Lord came upon Eliseus that he began to prophesie of Water and of the overthrow of the Moabites which came to pass on the next morrow as the Prophet had said for the Moabites being deceived by the Sun 's shining upon the Water that fell which made it seem as red as bloud thinking it had been the Bloud of the Kings Host that had slain one another but when they came they found the Host of Israel ready who fell upon the Moabites and destroyed and put them to flight every one Eliseus God's salvation or a God which saveth There was a certain Woman 2 King 4.1 2 c. late Wife to one of the Prophets which came and complained to Eliseus that her Husband had left her so far in debt that her Creditors were come to fetch her two Sons away to be their Bondmen What hast thou in thy house said the Prophet Nothing quoth she but a little Pot of Oyl The Widow lest in debt Well said he go thy way home and borrow of thy Neighbours as many empty Vessels as thou canst get and pour out the Oyl of the Pot into the empty Vessels until thou hast â—illed them all And when the Woman had done all as the Prophet had commanded her she came back again and told him how mightily her Oyl was encreased Now go said the Prophet and sell so much of the Oyl as will pay thy Creditors and then live thou and thy Children of the rest There was a certain Woman of great estimation in the City of Shunem 2 King 4.8 9 c. who hearing tell that Eliseus was come to the City invited him home to her house and made him great chear And whensoever after that he came into that quarter which he haunted much he would ever take that Gentlewoman's house in his way Then she seeing that said unto her Husband I perceive that this is an holy Man that cometh so oft by our place let us make him a little Chamber with all things necessary for the same that when he cometh this way he may lodge there and be quiet therein And when the new Chamber was made and finished the Prophet at his next coming was brought into the same there to take his rest He then considering the great provision the Woman had made and how careful she had been for him said unto Gehazi his Man Go and ask of her what she will have me to do for her whether it be to speak unto the King or to the Captain of the Host or any thing else and I will do it The servant went and brought him word again Eliseus obtaineth a Son for the Sbunamite that she had no Child and her Husband was old Well said the Prophet she shall have a Son which in process she had indeed And when the Child was a few Years grown up it had a desire to go and see its Father and the Reapers in the Field and being there in the heat of the day it fell suddenly sick The Sbunamite's Son restored from death to life and was carried home to his Mother and dyed But for the Woman's sake the Prophet restored her Son to life again On a time Eliseus commanded his Cook to make a great Pot of Pottage for the Children of the Prophets which boarded with him 2 King 4.38 and as one went out for Herbs he gathered unawares his Lap full of wild Gourds and came and shred them into the Pot of Pottage He maketh the Pottage sweet And when the Children of the Prophets had tasted a little of the Pottage they fearing lest they had been poisoned cryed out saying O thou Man of God there is death in the Pot. Then the Prophet called for Meal and threw it into the Pot and all was well and no more harm in the Pot. A certain Man the dearth being great in the Land came from Baal Shalisa 2 King 4.42 and brought to Eliseus twenty Barley-loaves of the first fruits of his new Corn the which he commanded his Man to give to the People to satisfie their hunger The Loaves are multiplied How shall I said he set this before so many will it satisfie an hundred persons Well said Eliseus set it before them for thus faith the Lord they shall eat and there shall remain And so the Loaves were set before the People and they did eat and left over according to the Word of the Lord. Eliseus had so many of the Prophets children with him at Board and Bed 2 King 6.1 c. that his House was too little for them all wherefore they said to him that they would go to Jordan and build them a bigger House to dwell in desiring him to go with them And as a certain Man was felling down a Tree to serve for the building the Axe head slipt off the Helve and fell into the Water Then the Man cried to Eliseus and said Alas Master help me to have it again for it was lent me Where fell it in said the Prophet and when the Man had told him Eliseus cut down a piece of Wood Iron swimeth and cast it into the Water and immediately the Iron did swim And then the Man stretched forth his hand and took it up He prophesied unto the Shunamite whose Son he had raised from death of a great dearth which should come and continue upon the Land seven years 2 King 8.1 c. giving her counsel therefore to go and sojourn in some other plentiful Countrey till these years were expired whose counsel she followed and went with all her Houshold into the Philistines
besieged Jerusalem to whom Jehojakim yielded and served Nabuchodonosor three years and then rebelled against him into whose hand the Lord delivered him so that the King of Babylon took him and bound him in two Chains and carried him and all the Vessels of the Lord's house into Babylon This King reigned xi years Jehojakim the Rising or avenging of the Lord. * He is called also Jechonias Matth. 1.11 Iehojachin was the Son of Jehojakim 2 King 24.6 c. who at the age of xviii years began to reign over Juda and did evil in the sight of the Lord as his Fathers before him He had not reigned three moneths ere that the King of Babylon came and deposed him making Mattaniah his Fathers Brother King in his stead changing his Name from Mattaniah to Zedekiah and carried Jehojachin away into Babylon where he remained in Prison xxxviii years after even until the coming of Evilmerodach King of Babylon after Nabuchodonosor his Father who had such a mind to Jehojachin that he delivered him out of Prison and exalted him above all the Princes in Babylon and fed him at his own Table all the days of his life Jehojachin the Resurrection of the Lord. Iehoahaz the Son of Jehu 2 King 13.1 2 c. began his Reign over Israel in the xxiii year of the Reign of Joash the Son of Ahaziah King of Juda and walked so wickedly in the sins of Jeroboam by worshipping the Calves which he had erected that God delivered him into the hands of Hazael and his Son Benhadad Kings of Syria which destroyed the People of Israel and vexed them so sore that they made the Israelites like threshed dust yet nevertheless when Jehoahaz humbled himself and besought the Lord he heard him and had such pity and compassion on the misery of Israel that he delivered him out of the Syrians subjection which had brought him so low that they had left him but fifty Horsemen ten Chariots and ten thousand Footmen He reigned xvii years and then dyed and was buried in Samaria leaving behind him his Son Joash to Reign in his stead Jehoahaz Apprehending possessing or seeing Iehojada 2 King 11. was the High-Priest in the days of Ahaziah King of Juda whose Daughter he married named Jehosheba He preserved Joash the youngest Son of Ahaziah his Father-in-law six Years in the Lord's House and in the seventh Year he brought him forth and proclaimed him King And being his Governour and Protectour trained him up in all godliness and vertue 2 Chron. 24. So that so long as Jehojada lived the King walked in all the ways of the Lord from the which he swerved after the death of this good Priest Jehojada Who lived 130. Years and for his faithfulness towards God and his People was most honourably buried in the City of David among the Kings Jehojada the Knowledge of the Lord. Iehosheba 2 King 11.2 2 Chron. 22. was the Daughter of Ahaziah King of Juda and Wife to Jehojada the High-Priest of the Jews And when Athalia her Grandmother went about to destroy the King's seed she stole away Joash her youngest Brother from among the King's Sons and hid both him and his Nurse in her own Chamber with her Husbands consent the space of six years and so preserved him that he perished not with the rest of her Brethren Jehosheba the fulness of the Lord. Iehu 2 King 9. the Son of Nimshi was anointed King over Israel by Eliseus the Prophet for to destroy the House of Ahab his Master And being commanded to go about it with speed he began first with Joram which lay at Jezreel to be healed of his wounds which the Syrians had given him And as Jehu was coming thitherward the Watchman espying a company coming toward the City told the King who then sent out an Horseman to meet them and to know whether they came peaceably or no. And when the Messenger came to Jehu he said The King would know whether it be Peace or no What hast thou to do with Peace quoth Jehu turn thee behind me and so the Messenger turned behind Jehu and went back no more and likewise the second Then the Watchman told the King that he thought by the driving of the Chariot it should be Jehu that was coming for he driveth quoth he furiously The King hearing that made him ready to War and took Ahaziah King of Juda with him and went toward Jehu and met him in the portion of Naboth saying Is it peace Jehu or no There was a Prophet also called Jehu the Son of Hanam which prophesied of the destruction of Baasha King of Israel and his Posterity Read 1 King 16.1 c. 10. cap. What peace should it be quoth he so long as the whoredomes of thy Mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so great and so in the Battel Jehu shot Joram to the heart with an arrow and killed him And fell upon Ahaziah and slew him also And so proceeding forth to Jezreel he came thither and found Jezebel looking out at a Window And as he demanded of the company about her who was on his side and would for his sake cast her down two or three of her Chamberlains threw her out at the Window and brake her Neck notwithstanding because she was a King's Daughter he caused her to be buried Then he sent his Letters to Samaria commanding those which had the governance of Ahab's seventy Sons to kill them all and to bring their heads on the next morrow to Jezreel And when they for fear had fulfilled his commandment and brought their heads to him Jehu fell upon the Murtherers and slew them also And in the way to Samaria he slew the Brethren of Abaziah even forty and two which were going to visit Ahab's Sons Finally he trained all the Priests of Baal into the Temple of Baal and there slew them every one converted the Temple to a Jakes house And now when Jehu had left neither Priest Kinsman nor any that favoured Ahab alive the Lord for his well doing made him this promise that his seed should sit on the seat of Israel until the fourth Generation But notwithstanding that Jehu had thus severely punished the Vice of Idolatry in Ahab's Posterity yet he himself committed the same in worshipping the Golden Calves and caused Israel to sin as others before him had done He reigned xxviii years Jehu He himself or that which iâ— Iephtah Judg. 11. cap. was the Son of Gilead base born whose Brethren which were legitimate thrust him out of their company and so hated him that they would not suffer him to remain among them wherefore Jephtah departed and fled into the Land of Tob where resorted unto him all naughty and light persons Now in the mean time that Jephtah was thus a stranger from his Brethren the Ammonites made sore War against the Israelites so that they were in great jeopardy and fear to be overcome of them Then the Elders of
hearts turn to Rehoboam and seek to kill me Wherefore he by the advice of his Counsel made two golden Calves and set the one up at Dan and the other at Bethel perswading the People that they were the Gods which brought them out of Egypt and therefore they should not need any more to go up to Jerusalem and worship so far off but should do it nearer hand and with less travail and pain And when he perceived the People to incline to his purpose he made a Temple to build Hill Altars therein for Idolatry and placed a sort of ignorant Ministers which were not of the Sons of Levy in Dan and Bethel to train up the People in worshipping of these Calves And the more to stir up the Peoples devotion he commanded a solemn offering to be made in the honor of these Calves the xv day of the eighth Moneth and the same yearly to be observed in remembrance of this new kind of Idolatry which in continuance was so rooted in Israel that it could never be clean extinguished till it had brought all Israel to utter destruction 13. cap. Now as the King was standing beside the Altar at Bethel doing of sacrifice there came a Man of God which cryed out against the Altar saying O Altar Altar Thus saith the Lord behold a Child shall be born unto the house of David Josiah by name and upon thee shall he offer the Priests of the Hill-Altars that burn Incense upon thee and they shall burn Mens bones upon thee And this is the token that the Lord hath spoken it Behold the Altar shall rent and the ashes that are upon it shall fall out The King was so angry with this that he stretched out his hand against the Prophet commanding to lay hands on him and by and by the Kings hand was dried up so that he could not pull it to him again the Altar clave asunder and the ashes fell out as the Man of God had spoken The King seeing now God's judgment fallen upon him humbled himself to the Prophet by whose intercession to God his hand was restored again 2 Chron. 13. Great and continual War was between this King and Rehoboam King of Juda but this ever prevailed till Abijah the Son of Rehoboam reigned and then he lost as much honour and more than he wan before He reigned two and twenty years and dyed leaving Nadab his Son to succeed him Read more of this King in the story of Abijah King of Juda and in the story of Ahijah the Prophet and of Baasha King of Israel Ieroboam the Son of Joash King of Israel 2 King 14.23 began his Raign in the xv year of Amaziah King of Juda and worshipped the Golden Calves which Jeroboam the Son of Nebat had set up as others did before him He was a great Warrier and victorious He restored the Coasts of Israel from the entring of Hemath unto the Sea of the Wilderness according to Jonas Prophecie And was stirred up of the Lord to help Israel being exceedingly afflicted out of all their trouble He reigned xli years and dyed leaving Zacharias his Son to succeed him Jeroboam Increasing the People Iesebel the Daughter of Ethbaal King of the Sidonians 1 King 16.31.19.2 was a wicked Woman She enticed and pricked forward Ahab her Husband to all kind of Idolatry she slew the Prophets of the Lord and persecuted Elijah 21. cap. She caused Naboth to be stoned to death that her Husband might enjoy his Vineyard Finally as she lay at Jesreel and hearing of Jehu his coming 2 King 9.30 she trimmed her self in gorgeous attire and lay looking out at a Window and as he came in at the Gate she said unto him Had Zimri peace which slew his Master As who should say Can a Traytor or any that riseth against his Superiour have good success But forasmuch as this was even God's determination that she should be destroyed she was cast out at the Window with such violence that she was dashed all to pieces and so betrampled and trodden with the feet of Horses that when they came to take her up to be buried they found no more of her save the Scull the Feet and the Palms of her Hands And then was the Prophecie of Elijah fulfilled which said In the Field of Jesreel shall Dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel and the Carkass of Jezebel shall lye as dung upon the Earth so that none shall say this is Jezebel Jezebel an Island or an habitation Iesus Luk. 2. cap. the Son of God was born of the Virgin Marry in Bethlehem a City of Juda in the year after the Creation of the World 3962. Lanquet whose birth immediately was honored by the glorification of Angels the agnition of Shepheards the veneration of the wisemen and the Prophecies of holy Symeon and Anna. And at the age of xii years was had in admiration among the Doctors in the Temple at Jerusalem where his Parents found him and brought him to Nazareth but what he did from that time forth till he came to the age of thirty years the Evangelists make no mention He was then Baptised of John in Jordan And to witness that he was the very Messias sent of God 5. cap. the Holy Ghost descended down from Heaven in the likeness of a Dove and lighted upon him and also the voice of the Father was heard from Heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear Him And after he had finished the Legacy of his Father and opened the Doctrine of eternal lise to the People and confirmed the same with Miracles he was at the age of xxxiii years or thereabout betrayed of his own Disciple Judas and by the Jews his own peculiar People Matth. 26.14 most cruelly put to death at what time of his Passion was a great Earthquake and at six a Clock of the Day such a terrible Eclipse of the Sun that for Darkness it seemed to be very Night Matth. 28.6 The third day he arose again from Death to Life In token he conquered Sin Death and Satan Act. 1.9 And on the sortieth day to declare himself to be a mighty and a puissant Conqueror he ascended into Heaven where he sitteth at the right hand of the Father And the fiftieth day according to his promise he sent down the true Comforter the Holy Ghost which should lead the Apostles into all truth At the end and last day of the World he shall come again with glory to judge the quick and the dead He suffered his Passion in the year after the Creation of the World 3994. or thereabout Jesus a Saviour Iesus the Son of Sirach Ecclus 1. cap. being among the Captives in Egypt in the time of King Ptolomy Euergetes got liberty to read and write many good things which Jesus his Grandfather had gathered and left them with Sirach his Son which things this Jesus took and put in order
he set two Crowns upon his Head the Crown of Egypt and Asia Then Alexander who at that time lay in the Countrey of Cilicia hearing of all that his Father-in-law had done returned home and made War against him But Ptolomy being the stronger chased him into the Countrey of Arabia where the King of that Land smote off his Head and sent it to Ptolomy which pleasure he did not long enjoy for within three days after Ptolomy dyed himself After whose death his Men of War which he had left in the Cities were all slain Ptolomy 1 Mac. 16. the Son of Abobus married with the Daughter of Symon Brother to Machabeus And being made Captain of the Host at Jericho he began thorow his great abundance of Gold and Silver to wax proud and high-minded imagining how he might destroy Symon his Father-in-law and his Sons and so to conquer the Land And being in this mind it chanced Symon as he was going thorow the Cities of Jewry and caring for them to come down to Jericho with Mattathias and Judas his Sons where this Ptolomy received him under the colour of great friendship into a strong Castle of his named Douch and in the same made him a great Banquet at the which he most traiterously slew Symon his Father-in-law with both his Sons This done he wrote to Antiochus to send him an Host of Men and he would deliver the Land of Jewry into his hand And further he sent certain Men to Gaza to kill John the third Son of Symon and wrote to the Captains to come unto him and he would reward them with Silver and Gold But John having knowledge of all the Treason slew the Messengers which came from Ptolomy and so disappointed him of all his purpose Ptolomie sirnamed Macron being made a Ruler 2 Mac. 10. purposed to do Justice unto the Jews for the wrongs that had been done unto them and went about to behave himself peaceably with them for the which he was accused of his friends to Eupator and was called oft-times Traytour because he had left Cyprus that Philometor had committed unto him and came to Antiochus Epiphanes Therefore seeing that he was no more in estimation he was discouraged and poisoned himself and dyed Publius Act. 28.7 8 c. was a certain Man dwelling in the Isle called Melitus and the chiefest Man in all the Isle who received Paul with all the rest that had escaped the Seas very gently and lodged them three days in his House whose Father which lay sick of an Ague and of a bloudy flux Paul healed Publius a Latine word Putiphar Gen. 39.1 c. was a great Lord in the Land of Egypt and Steward of King Pharaoh's house He bought Joseph of the Ishmaelites and found him a lucky Man And when he saw that God did prosper all things under his hand he made him Ruler and Governour of all that he had and God did bless his house for Joseph's sake But in the end thorow the false accusation of his Wife he cast Joseph in Prison R. RACHEL Gen. 30.22 c. 31.19 c. the youngest Daughter of Laban the Son of Nahor was a beautiful young Woman and Jacob's Wife She being long barren at the last brought forth a Son and called his Name Joseph And at her departing from Laban her Father with Jacob her Husband into the Land of Canaan she stole away her Fathers * Not to worship them but to withdraw her Father from Idolatry Images from him for the which he made no little ado with Jacob whom he followed and overtook at Mount Gilead And when her Father had searched Jacob's Tents and could not find his Idols he came into Rachel his Daughters Tent who had hid them in the Camels litter and sat upon them And as her Father was rifling about the place where she sat she said O my Lord be not angry that I cannot rise up before thee for the custome of Women is come upon me and so the thing was not known Finally Rachel in travailling of her second Son whom she called Ben-Oni the Son of my sorrow dyed and was buried in the way to Ephrath which is Bethlchem where Jacob caused a stone to be set upon her Grave which was called Rachels grave-stone Rachel a Sheep Raguel Tob. 6 7. was a certain Man dwelling at Rages a City of the Medes whose Sister was Wife to old Toby This Raguel had a Daughter called Sarah which had been married to seven Men one after another which Men were all slain the first Night of their marriage by the Devil dsmodius To this Sarah God had appointed young Toby which feared God to be her Husband and made his holy Angel Raphael to bring him to Rages and so to Raguel's house his Mother's Brother where they were joyfully received And when Raguel had looked upon young Toby and beheld him well he said unto his Wife how like is this young Man to my Sisters Son And then to know who they were he said whence be ye my good Brethren We be said they of the Tribe of Nephtali and of the captivity of Niniveh Know ye said he Tobias our Kinsman Yea said they we know him well and this young man said the Angel is his Son With that Raguel bowed himself and with weeping eyes took him about the Neck and kissed him and bad his Wife prepare in all hast for Dinner Nay said Toby I will neither eat nor drink here this day except thou grant me my Petition and promise to give me thy Daughter Sarah Then was Raguel fore astonied and began to fear lest it should happen unto him as it did to the other seven And while he stood in doubt what answer to make the Angel said Fear not to give him thy Daughter for unto this Man that feareth God belongeth she and to none other I doubt not said Raguel but God hath accepted my prayers and tears in his sight and I trust he hath caused you to come unto me for the same intent that this Daughter of mine might be married in her own Kindred according to the Law of Moses And now doubt thou not my Son but I will give her unto thee And with that he took the right hand of his Daughter and gave her into the right hand of Toby saying the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob be with you joyn you together and fulfil his blessing in you And when the Marriage all was ended Raguel brought his Daughter into her Chamber and said Be of good cheer my Daughter the Lord of Heaven give thee joy for the heaviness that thou hast suffered and so went to rest Then in the morning about the Cock-crowing Raguel supposing all things to have happened to Toby as it did to the other seven before called up his Men and went and made ready his Grave which being done he bad his Wife send one of her Maidens to
threw it over the Wall to Joab and so the commotion ceased Sheba vanity or little accounted of or uproar Sceva Act. 19.14 was a Jew born and the chief Priest among the Jews This Man had seven Sons who for lucre sake and to purchase unto themselves a great name thereby attempted to cast out evil spirits by invocation of the name of the Lord Jesus as Paul did saying unto the Man possessed We conjure you in the name of Jesus whom Paul preacheth that ye depart out of the man To whom the spirit answered and said Jesus I know and Paul I know but who are ye And as soon as he had spoken these words the man in whom the evil spirit was ran upon them and got the upper hand on them In so much that they had much ado to escape with their lives and scarce got at the last naked and wounded out of the house And this example of the Sons of Sceva being bruted abroad among the Jews and Gentiles many which believed came to Paul and confessed their offences And beside that divers other which had used such curious crafts of Conjurations brought their books and burned them before all men the price whereof were counted at fifty thousand * A silverling was in value about a groat sterling or more Silverlings Shelah the youngest Son of Judah Gen. 38.5 11. being grown to perfect age and not given to Thamar in marriage according to his Father's promise was the occasion of Thamar's playing the Harlot with Judah her Father-in-law Shelah dissolving Selah Gen. 11.12 c. the Son of Arphaxad of the generation of Shem was the Father of Eber whom he begot when he was thirty years of age and lived after the birth of Eber four hundred and three years Which make in the whole four hundred and xxxiii years Shem Gen. 9.18 23.11.10 He is called also Melchisedeck And did first build the City of Salem which after was called Jerusalem the eldest Son of Noah received praise of his Father because he covered his nakedness as he lay uncovered in his Tent. Shem at the age of an hundred years begot Arphaxad two years after the Flood and lived after five hundred years Shimei the Son of * 2 Sam. 16.5 c. Gera of the kindred and house of Saul dwelt in a City called Bahurim And as it chanced David to flee thither for fear of his Son Absalom this man came out against him cursing and railing out of measure with such spiteful words as these Come forth come forth thou bloud shedder and man of Belial The Lord hath brought upon thee now all the bloud of the house of Saul in whose stead thou hast raigned The Lord hath delivered the Kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy Son And behold thou art come to thy mischief because thou art a murtherer And for all this would David suffer no man to do him harm So that Shimei went on still cursing and railing and hurling of stones and dirt at David like a mad-man But when the time came that David should be restored to his Kingdom again then Shimei that in his adversity was his most cruel enemy was now in his prosperity one of the first that met him to bring him home again And being passed over Jordan he fell down flat before David saying Oh let not my Lord impute wickedness unto me nor remember the thing that thy servant did wickedly when my Lord the King departed out of Jerusalem that the King should take it to heart for thy servant doth know how that I have done amiss And therefore behold I am the first this day of all the house of Joseph that am come to go down to meet my Lord the King So David forgave him Here he saith he was of the house of Joseph and before he saith he was of the house of Saul Of the Fathers side saith Lyra he was of the house of Joseph that is to say of the tribe of Ephraim but of the mothers side he was of the house of Saul But when the time of Davids departure out of this world drew nigh among all things which he spake to Solomon his Son he remembred Shimei saying Behold thou hast here with thee Shimei the Son of Gera the Son of Gemini of Bahurim which cursed me with an horrible curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim but he came to me at Jordan and I swre unto him by the Lord that he should not dye But thou shalt not count him as unguilty for thou art a Man of wisdom and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him His hoar head shalt thou bring to the grave with bloud And so Solomon being set in his Kingdom called Shimei and said Build thee an house in Jerusalem and dwell there And see thou pass not from thence any whither for be thou sure that the day thou goest out and passest over the River of Kidron thou shalt dye and thy bloud shall be upon thine own head Shimei thanked the King and dwelt in Jerusalem the space of three years and then it chanced two of his servants to run from him to Achish King of Gath whereupon Shimei sadled his Ass and went for his servants and brought them home again Then Solomon hearing of his doings commanded Benajah to put him to death for the wickedness he had done to his Father David Shimei bearing or obedient Sennacherib King of Assyria was a mighty Prince 2 King 18.13 which seeing that Salmanasar his Predecessor had conquered the King of Israel and made them Tributaries thought it good to set upon the King of Juda who at that time was the godly and most noble Ezechias And when Sennacherib had gotten into his hands all the chief Cities of Juda and Benjamin save only Jerusalem he besieged that also with such might and power that Ezechias was fain to submit himself to the mercy of Sennacherib offering him tribute so much as he would demand Upon which offer Sennacherib promised Ezechias that if he would pay him three hundred talents of silver and one of gold his land should be safe and in quiet which promise he kept truly till the mony were payed But as soon as he had received the money he sent back again three of the greatest Captains he had to make fresh War against Ezechias And when they had pitched their Tents about Jerusalem they sent for Ezechias to come and speak with them who fearing his own life sent three of his Noble-men unto them to know the matter And when they had heard all the blasphemous words of Rabshekah 2 King 19. they returned and told them to Ezechias Who hearing those evil news rent his cloaths and put on sackcloth and fell prostrate upon his face and prayed unto the Lord to help him and to have mercy upon his people and beside that he sent to Esay the Prophet desiring him to pray unto the Lord for them whose Prayer the Lord
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
that curse thee and in thee shall all the Families of the Earth be blessed Abraham now having this promise made him of God departed out of Haran he and Sara his wife with Lot his Nephew and with all their substance that they had to go and to sojourn in the Land of Canaan And being there the Lord made a promise to Abraham that his Seed should possess that Land Whereupon soon after and in the same place where God spake thus unto him he made an Altar and offered Sacrifices thereon to the Lord. And so remaining in the Land there fell at the last so great a Famine that he was constrained to flie into Egypt where he fearing the Egyptians to be ungodly and vicious men feigned Sara to be his Sister Abraham taught the Egyptians Astronomy and Geometry Josephâ—â— thinking that if she were known to be his Wife they would for her beauty take her from him and put him in hazard of his life Then was it told to King Pharaoh what a beautiful Woman Abraham had brought with him into Egypt The King now knowing thereof commanded the Woman to be brought unto him and with all gentle entertainment received her into his house and intreated Abraham well for her sake But when he saw so many plagues fall on him and on all his hous-hold understanding that it was for with-holding another Mans wife from him he restored the Woman without dishonesty to Abraham her Husband again Giving also his Men a great charge concerning the Man and his Wife 13. cap. Then soon after Abraham returned from Egypt into the Country of Canaan where he had been afore And when he had lived some space in the Land there fell such a strife between the Herdmen of Abrahams Cattel and the Herdmen of Lots Cattel that Abraham was fain to divide the Land between his Nephew Lot and him and so they removed the one from the other Abraham had now been so long without issue 16. cap. that he took by consent and advice of Sarah one of his Maids named Agar to Wife who conceived and brought him forth a Son which was called Ishmael Abraham then being at the age of fourscore years and six 17. cap. And when he was come to the number of ninety and nine God gave unto him the covenant of Circumcision which he received first in himself and then made Ishmael and all the rest of his houshold to receive the same 21. cap. The next year after when Abraham was just an hundred years old Sarah conceived brought him forth his long promised Son named Isaac whom he circumcised the eighth day following would after that have offered him up in sacrifice 22. cap. but that God seeing his ready obedience staid his hand Finally after the death of Sarah 25. cap. Abraham took him another Wife called Keturah who bare unto him six Sons Which Children he would not suffer to remain and company with his Son Isaac Abrabam dyed before the Incarnation of Christ 1838. years but before he died sent them away with great Rewards and Gifts and made Isaac Heir of all his Goods He died at the age of an hundred seventy and five and was buried beside Sarah his Wife in the double Gave which he bought of Ephron the Hittite Look more in the histories of Lot Sarah and Melchisedeck Abraham a Father of a great multitude Absalom the son of David 2 Sam. 3. whom he begat on his wife Maacha the daughter of Thalmai King of Geshur was the goodliest personage in all Israel for as Scripture witnesseth God had so framed the form and ornaments of his body that from the soal of the foot to the crown of the head was no member amiss And yet among all the hair of his head excelled which so increased daily that the weight thereof compelled him at every years end to shave it off This Absalom had a brother named Amnon 2 Sam. 13. to whom he bare a privie grudge for defiling his sister Thamar And to be reveng'd on him for the same he invited all his brethren unto a banket made in the time of his sheep-shearing to the which banket Amnon came with the rest of his brethren and in the midst of their cheer Absalom killed Amnon and fled to the King of Geshur his Grandfather with whom he abode three years In the which space by mediation of friends 14. cap. he was at the last call'd home again and brought by Joab his Aunts son to Jerusalem where he remained two years after Then Absalom marvailing why Joab had not brought him to the King his Father in all that space sent once or twice for him to come and speak with him and when he saw that he came not he commanded his men to go and burn up the field of Barley which pertained to Joab and lay joyning to his ground Then Joab hearing thereof went to Absalom demanding wherefore his men had destroyed his Corn Because quoth Absalom I sent for thee twice and thou wouldest not come wherefore didst thou bring me from Geshur had it not been as good for me and better to have continued there still than here to lye so nigh the King my Father and cannot be suffered to see him then Joab considering the matter had him to the King where he was joyfully received After all this 15. cap. Absalom began certain practices to aspire to the kingdom wherein he prospered so far that at length he proclaimed himself King in Hebron Causing his Father for fear to flie out of his Realm against whom he called his counsel to devise what way he might best overcome his Father But God by whose providence all things are staid so wrought with his Counsellors 17. cap. that the success of his enterprise turned to his own destruction For when it came so to pass 18. cap. that both the armies were joyned in battel together Absaloms men had the worst and he himself a sudden mischance for as he rode on his Mule through the wood to have escaped Rebellion never escapeth Gods punishment a twist of an Oak caught him so fast in the hair of his head that it took him quite out of his Saddle And so he hang'd on the tree till Joab came with his spear and slew him whose Carcass after was taken down and cast into a pit and covered with an heap of stones Absalom A Father of Peace or the Fathers Peace or Reward Achan Josua 7. was the son of Charmy and of the Tribe of Juda who being at the winning of the City of Jericho and hearing Josua pronounce the City and all things therein to be excommunicate and accursed of the Lord took not withstanding certain jewels of the same and hid them privily under the ground in his tent Then after when Josua went about the taking of Hai and had sent three thousand souldiers to win it the men of Hai issued out of the city
and laid it forth in an upper chamber to be anointed they sent for Peter to come unto them who being come â— Act. 9. they had him up to the Chamber where the dead Corpse lay where the Widows came about him weeping and laying forth the Coats and other Garments which she had prepared in her life time for the poor before him Then Peter put them all forth of the Chamber And being alone kneeled down and prayed and turning him to the body said Tabitha arise at the which word she arose and looked upon Peter who then gave her his hand and lift her up and called the Saints and Widows and restored Dorcas unto them alive Dorccas a Do. Dositheus 2 Mac. 12. was a certain Noble Captain with Judas Machabeus who by the help of Sosipater another Captain defended the Jews manfully against Timotheus and slew Ten Thousand of his Men which were left in a strong hold and after that took Timothy himself in Battel and notwithstanding let him go again upon his promise made unto them that he would restore all the Jews home again which he had in Prison thinking that the best and most surest way to save the Lives of their Captive brethren After this it chanced that Dositheus a mighty Man on Horseback encountred with Gorgias another great Captain and enemy of the Jews and took him intending to have carried him away alive But an Horseman of Thracia fell upon him and smote off his Arm and so Gorgias escaped and fled into Moresa Dositheus Given to God Drusilla Act. 24.24 was a Jew and Wife to Felix by whose counsel saith the Note in Geneva's Bible he called for Paul and heard him of the Faith in Christ Drusilla Bedewed or sprinkled with bloud E. EBER Gen. 10.21.11.14 c. was the Son of Salah of the Generation of Shem. He had two Sons the one Peleg in whose days the Earth was divided and the other Joktan This Eber lived before and after he begat Peleg 464. years Eber Passing or passage Of Eber came the Ebrews which were afterward called Israelites of Israel which was Jacob and Jews of Juda because of the excellency of that Tribe Elah â— King 16.8 the Son of Baasha began his reign over Israel in the xxvi year of Asa King of Juda and walked in all the wicked ways of his Father before him In the second year of his reign or thereabout Zimri his servant and Captain of his Chariots conspired against him and finding him drunken in the house of * Drinking as some say till he was drunken in the Temple of Arza the Idol by his House in Tirza Arza the King's Steward he fell upon him and slew him Ela an Oke Elam was the Son of Shem. Elam a young Man 1 Chron. 1.17 or he that is hid or the world Eleazar the Son of Aaron Exod. 6.25 Num. 20.25 c. was constituted High Priest after the decease of his Father and so was the second High Priest over the Jews He took to Wife one of the Daughters of Putiel Josh 24.33 which bare him a Son called Phinehas Finally he dyed and was buried in a Hill that pertained to Phinehas his Son which Hill was given him in Mount Ephraim Eleazar the help of God Eleazar the Son of Saura 1 Mac. 6. was a worthy Captain with Judas Machabeus what time as Antiochus Eupator came into Jewry with a mighty strong Army both of Men and Elephants which Beasts being xxxii in number were strongly fenced and surely harnessed and well exercised to Battel And when the Hosts were joyned together Eleazar beholding one of the Elephants deckt with royal Harness and far excelling all the other Beasts he supposed the King himself had been upon him wherefore he jeoparded himself to deliver his People and with a good courage ran to the Elephant in the middest of the Host slaying all about him as he went and at last came unto the Beast and gat himself under his feet and smote him in the belly and slew the Elephant The weight of whose dead body crushed Eleazar in pieces and so he dyed Eleazar 2 Mac. 6. was one of the principal Scribes among the Jews and an aged Man of a well favoured countenance who when that cruel King Antiochus had sent his Commissioners to compel the Jews to transgress the Laws of their God was constrained to gape with open mouth and to eat Swines slesh but he desiring rather to dye grievously than to live with hatred offered himself willingly to the torment and spit it out Then they that had the charge of the Kings wicked act for the old friendship of the Man took him aside privily and prayed him that he would take such flesh as was lawful to eat and dissemble as though he had eaten even of the things appointed by the King even the flesh of the Sacrifice that in so doing he might be delivered from death and that for the old friendship that was among them he would receive this favour But he began to consider discreetly and as became his age and the excellency of his ancient years and the honor of his gray hairs whereunto he was come and his most honest conversation from his childhood but chiefly the holy Law made and given by God therefore he answered them accordingly and willed them straightways to send him to the grave for it becometh not our age said he to dissemble whereby many young Persons might think that Eleazar being 90. years old were now gone to another manner of life And so thorow mine hypocrisie for a little time of a transitory life they might be deceived by me and I should procure malediction and reproach to mine old age For though I were now delivered from the torments of Men yet could I not escape the hand of the Almighty neither alive nor dead Wherefore I will now change this life manfully and will shew my self such as mine age requireth And so will leave a notable example for such as be young to die willingly couragiously for the honorable holy laws and when he had said these words immediately he went to torment And as he was ready to give up the ghost he sighed and said The Lord that hath the holy knowledge knoweth manifestly that whereas I might have been delivered from death I am scourged and suffer these sore pains of my Body but in my mind I suffer them gladly for his religion Thus this Man ended his life leaving his death for an example of a noble courage and a memorial of vertue not only unto young Men but unto all his Nation Eli was the next Judge after Sampson 1 Sam. 1.9.2.12.27 c. that judged Israel and the High-Priest descended from Aaron He had two Sons the one called Hophni the other Phinehas which were so wicked that every Man complained of them And because that Eli did not punish them according to their deserts God sent him word by
pretence of friendship to slay him Murder committed under pretence of friendship the Captains of the Jews having knowledge thereof were so sore afraid of Gedaliah lest any misfortune should chance him that they told him of Ishmael's conspiracy And one among the rest named Johanan offered himself to dispatch Ishmael out of the way so secretly that the deed should never be known But Gedaliah not crediting their words neither yet mistrusting Ishmael would suffer nothing to be done unto him Jer. 41.2 And so forsaking the counsel and admonition of his friends and trusting too much to Ishmael he was of him in fine most treacherously slain in his own house Gedaliah the Greatness of the Lord the hem or skirt of the Lord. Gedeon the Son of Joash Judg 6. cap. was of the Tribe of Manasses To whom the Angel of the Lord appeared as he was threshing of Wheat saying The Lord is with thee thou valiant man Then said Gedeon If the Lord be with us why is all this evil come upon us We have heard by our Fathers of all the miracles which the Lord did for his People in Egypt and now hath he forsaken us and given us over into the hands of the Midianites Well said the Angel go thy way in this thy might and strength which I have given thee for thou shalt deliver Israel out of the hand of their enemies Oh Lord quoth Gedeon wherewith shall I save Israel seeing my Kindred is but poor and I the least of all my Fathers house With my help saith the Lord shalt thou save Israel for I will be with thee and thou shalt smite the Midianites as if they were but one man Then I beseech thee O Lord quoth Gedeon shew me a sign that thou talkest with me depart not hence till I come again with mine offering Which offering being brought and dressed accordingly the Angel had no sooner touched it with the end of his Rod but fire came out of the stone whereon the Sacrifice lay and consumed it altogether and so the Angel vanished out of sight The same Night following at the Lords commandment Gedeon went and destroyed the Altar of Baal which his Father had made and cut down all the Grove about it for the which deed the People having knowledge thereof would have stoned him to death Then * By this example of Joash we ought to justifie them that are zealous of God's cause though all the multitude be against us Joash to save Gedeon his Son said unto them what will ye do will ye plead Baal's cause or will ye be his defenders If Baal be a god let him revenge his own cause upon him that hath done the deed And from that day forth Gedeon was called Jerubbaal that is let Baal plead for himself because he hath broken down his Altar At this time the Midianites and the Amalekites had pitched themselves in the Valley of Jezreel and the spirit of the Lord came upon Gedeon so that he called his People together to go against them Judg. 7. cap. And to be the better confirmed in his Vocation he took a fleece of wool and laid it in the threshing place and made his request unto God saying Oh Lord if thou wilt let the dew this night fall upon the fleece only and be dry on all the ground beside then shall I be sure that thou wilt save Israel by my hands as thou hast said And on the morrow when Gedeon came to take up the fleece it was full of dew and the ground dry all about Then said Gedeon O Lord be not angry if I prove thee once more let now the fleece be dry only and dew upon all the earth and so in the morning the fleece was dry and the ground all dewy Gedeon now being thus confirmed pitched his Host to fight with his enemies But when the Lord saw the number of his Army he said to Gedeon The People that thou hast with thee are too many therefore make a proclamation thorowout all thine Host that whosoever is timorous or fearful let him depart home again and there returned XXII thousand and ten thousand remained Then said the Lord to Gedeon the People are yet too many Bring them down to the water side and I will appoint them that shall go with thee So many as do lap the Water with their Tongues as Dogs do shalt thou take with thee and the rest that kneel down upon their Knees to drink shalt thou refuse as men unmeet for this purpose And when it came to tryal all kneeled down to drink saving 300. which lapped * This story here of Gedcon and Jonathan 1 Sam. 14. and of Scnnacherib 2 King 19. doth manifestly shew that no King as the Prophet David saith is preserved by the multitude of his Men or strength of his Armies but is staid and holden up by the providence of God water with their hands and those Gedeon took with him and sent the rest away Then the Lord to strengthen Gedeon lest he should faint in so great an enterprise bad him take Phara his servant with him and go down that Night to the Host of the Midianites and hearken what they did say And when they came near to the Host they heard one Man say to another I have dreamed a dream and methought a loaf of Barley bread tumbled into the Host of Midian and came unto a Tent and smote it that it fell and lay along on the ground This is nothing else quoth his fellow save the Sword of Gedeon the Son of Joash a man of Israel for into his hands hath God delivered Midian and all the Host Then Gedeon hearing this praised God and returned to his men who were so animated with his joyful tydings that most couragiously they fell upon the infinite number of the Midianites and overthrew them and put them to flight every one in the which flight the Ephraimites on the other side of Jordan took Oreb and Zeeb two mighty Captains of the Midianites sent their heads to Gedeon Judg. 8. cap. who was following the chase after Zeba and Zalmunna Kings of Midian which two at the last he took and led them back to the Men of Succoth Phanuel who had denied him sustenance before and said unto them Behold here be the men by whom ye upbraided me saying Are the hands of Zeba and Zalmunna already in thine hands that we should give bread unto thy weary People I told you then that when the Lord had delivered them into my hands I would return and tear your flesh with Thorns and Briers of the Wilderness and break down the Tower of Phanuel And so to perform his promise he fell upon the Men of Succoth and Phanuel and put them to most painful torments and death and slew Zeba and Zalmunna with his own hands Thus he delivered Israel out of the hands of the Midianites which had kept them seven years in subjection And when he
And being revived to health again the two young Men which had scourged him before appeared and said Thank Onias the High Priest for thy life at whose prayer the Lord hath restored thee and now that God hath scourged thee for thine offences give him praise and thanks and make his might and power manifest and open to all Men. And when the Men had spoken these words and were vanished away Heliodorus made his Oblation to God and gave hearty thanks to Onias for his life and so returned home again to the King declaring unto him the great and manifest works of God that were done upon him The King after this being yet desirous of the treasure that was in the Temple asked of Heliodorus whom he thought meet to send once again to Jerusalem for the money He answered saying Oh King if thou hast any enemy or Traitor unto thy Realm send him thither and thou shalt be sure to have him well punished and hardly to escape with his life For doubtless said he In that place there is a special power and working of God for he that dwelleth in Heaven visiteth and defendeth deth that place and none escapeth unpunished or plagued that cometh to do it harm Thus did Heliodorus magnifie the power of God and would no more enter into such danger Heliodorus the Gift of the Son Henoch the Son of Jared at the age of 65. Gen. 5.18 years begat Mathusaleh and after that he lived 300. years and begat both Sons and Daughters and walked always before the Lord in an upright and godly life And when he had lived 365. years the Lord * To inquire where Henoch became is meer curiosity took him away that he was no more seen Henoch Taught or dedicate Hermas was a faithful Christian Rom. 16.14 unto whom Paul sent commendations from Corinth to Rome Herman A prop or upholder or an earing Hermogenes 2 Tim. 1.15 was a faint hollow-hearted Gospeller of the Country of Asia which forsook Paul and gave him over whose unfaithfulness Paul pronounceth to Timothy Hermogenes Begotten by Mercury or the generation or increase of lucre or the refuge Herod was an Idumean born Matth. 2. cap. and the first stranger that reigned over the Jews In whose time Christ the Saviour of the World by the will of God came into this World of whose birth he had first knowledge of the Magi or wise men which came from the East to Jerusalem demanding there for him that was born King of the Jews saying that they had seen his Star and were come to worship before him Which news troubled Herod so sore that he sent for all the chief Priests and Scribes of the People to know of them where Christ should be born And being of them perfectly informed that he should be born in the City of * For there is another Bethlchem in the Tribe of Zabulon Bethlehem in Jewry he sent for the Wise men and after inquisition made what time the star appeared unto them he bad them go to Bethlehem and make diligent search for the Child and when they had found him to bring him word again that he might go and worship him also But when they had found the Child and had made their offering they were warned of God to break their promise with Herod and to return home another way Which thing being * Eusebius saith that Herod for this slaughter done would have killed himself but being lett by his servant he dyed within five days when he had reigned 37. years told to Herod he fell into such a rage for being so mocked that in his madness he sent forth Ministers to Bethlehem which killed all the Infants that were in the City and in the coasts thereof of the age of two years or under for whose great cruelty shewed upon those Innocents God payed him home soon after Herod the glory of the skin or boasting and glorying in skins Herod Mattb. 14.1 c. Luke 3.1 the Tetrarch of Galilee was Brother to Philip Tetrarch of Iturea and being reproved of John Baptist for keeping his Brother Philip's Wife he cast John in Prison where he remained until Herod's birth-day was come in the which solemn Festival day it chanced that the Daughter of Philip and Herodias danced before Herod and pleased the King so well that he sware unto her that whatsoever she would ask him it should be granted not thinking she would have asked John Baptist's Head Mar. 6. cap. for as Saint Mark saith Herod knowing John to be a just and an holy Man did both fear and reverence him and heard his preaching and did many things thereafter and was very sorry the Maid had asked none other thing But nevertheless for keeping his Oath which he had made before so many Noble-men he caused the innocent Man's head to be cut off and given to the Damosel This Herod and Pilate Lieutenant of Jewry had been long at variance And for the pleasure that Pilate shewed to Herod in sending Jesus bound unto him to be examined he was at one with him again For Herod had long desired to see Jesus And hoping now to have seen some Miracles done by him he demanded many questions of Jesus to the which he would make no answer at all Then Herod perceiving that Jesus would neither speak nor do any thing at his pleasure he began to despise and revile him and in mockery arrayed him in a long white Garment and sent him to Pilate again Herod Act. 12. cap. This Man was a great Persecutor of the Apostles He beheaded James the Brother of John and seeing that deed to content and please the Jews well This Herod was called Agrippa the Son of Aristobulus he was nephew unto Herod the great and Brother of Herodias he took Peter also and cast him into Prison intending after Easter which was at hand to have him put to death also Finally upon a certain day appointed to shew himself in his pomp and glory he made such an Oration before the Assembly that for the pleasantness of his speech the common people at the end thereof gave a mighty shout saying it was the voice of a God and not of a Man And because he gloried in their boasting and took that honour unto himself which he ought to have given to God he was immediately smitten by the Angel of God and eaten of Worms whereof he most miserably dyed Herodion was Paul's Kinsman Rom. 16 1â— unto whom he sent commendations from Corinth on this wise Salute Herodion my Kinsman Herodion the Song of a young Virgin or of a Woman conquering Herodias was Wife to Philip Herod's Brother Matth. 14.3 to whom she brought forth a * Which Daughter as Josephus writeth was called Salomon Daughter This Woman being more familiar with Herod than honesty required grew into such favour with him that he contrary to the Law of Moses married her his Brother being alive Against
Israel that he stirred up a Man one Jephtah who by the power of God saved them Jair Lightened Iames the Son of Zebedee and Brother to John Matth. 4.21 Mark 3.17 He was put to death by Agrippa who was also called Herod Act. 12.2 Cooper was a poor Fisherman and being in the Ship with his Father mending of his Net Jesus came by and called him who immediately left his Ship his Father and all and went after Jesus and was one of his Apostles and received with his Brother the Name of Boanerges which is to say The Sons of Thunder James a Tripper or Deceiver An heel the sole of the foot a foot-step Iames the less Matth. 16.3 He suffered martyrdom in the vi year of Nero. was the Son of Alpheus and Mary Sister to Mary the Lord's Mother And being Bishop of Jerusalem he wrote to the Jews that were scattered abroad after the Persecution and death of Stephen Instructing them with sundry Precepts how to order their Lives Iannes 2 Tim. 3.8 Exod. 7.11 and Jambres were two false Soreerers of Egypt who in the time of Moses with their enchantments went about to put those miraculous wonders out of credence that Moses by the power of God did And even as they withstood Moses so do the Adversaries of the Gospel at this day and ever will resist the truth under a certain false pretence of godliness Iapheth Gen. 9. The Nations that came of his children Of Gomer came the Italians Of Magog the Scythians and of them the Turks Of Madai the Medes Of Javan the Greeks Of Tubal the Spaniards Of Mosoch the Moscovites and of Tiras the Thracians Lanquet was the youngest of Noah's three-Sons who being informed of his Fathers unseemly lying asleep in his Tent took a Garment and bare it between him and Shem on their shoulders and coming toward their Father ashamed to look on his nakedness turned their Faces backward and so covered their Father's privities For the which deed Noah having knowledge thereof blessed them saying to Japheth on this wise God shall enlarge Japheth and he shall dwell in the Tents of Shem and Canaan shall be their servant Japheth perswading or enticing Iairus was * Mark 5.22 one of the Rulers of the Synagogue among the Jews whose Daughter of the Age of twelve years lay sick and at the point of death And hearing of the fame of Jesus he went and fell down at his feet beseeching him that he would come home to his house lay his hand upon his Daughter that by the touching thereof she might be safe and live â— Luk 8 41. And while there was an occasion given whereby to strengthen the unperfect faith of the Ruler and that by the ensample of a Woman diseased with an issue of blood xii years there came certain Messengers from the Ruler's-House which said unto Him that his Daughter was dead wherefore it should not need to trouble the Master any further Then Jesus perceiving the Ruler to be as a Man in despair said unto him Be not afraid for although thy Daughter be dead indeed only believe and thy Daughter shall live And so Jesus went home to the Ruler's house and raised up his Daughter from death to life Jairus Lightning or being lightned Iared Gen. 5.15 c. was the Son of Mahalaleel who lived an hundred sixty and two years and then begat Henoch and lived after that eight hundred years and begat Sons and Daughters And when he had lived in all nine hundred sixty and two years he dyed Jared Commanding or descending Iason was a wicked Man and so desirous of honour 2 Mac. 4 cap. that he wrought his own Brother Onias out of the High Priest's office promising Antiochus the King to give him for the same three hundred and three-score Talents of Silver and of another rent four-score And also if the King would license him to set up a place for exercise and a place for the youth and to name them of Jerusalem Antiochians he promised an hundred and fifty Talents And when these things were granted to Jason and that he had got the superiority he began immediately to draw his Kinsmen to the customes of the Heathen abolishing the Laws and Priviledges of the Jews he brought in new statutes contrary to the Law of God So that thorow the exceeding wickedness of this ungodly man Jason the People had a great desire to follow the manners of the Gentiles The Priests also had no delight in serving the Lord but in casting the stone and such wanton sports Now after three years when Jason should pay the King his money which he had promised for his Brother's office he sent it by one whom he most trusted called Menelaus who gat the office from Jason as appeareth more plainly in his story Then Jason being thus deceived by Menelaus was fain to flie into the Land of the Ammonites remaining there till he might spy a time to be revenged And when he heard the rumour that went abroad of Antiochus death he gat him a Band of Men to the number of a Thousand or more and came suddenly upon the City killing and slaying his own Citizens without mercy regarding neither Kin nor Friend But nevertheless when he could not speed of his purpose he fled into the Land of the Ammonites again Where in the end it came to this point that he was accused to Areta King of the Arabians and so abhorred of all Men that he was pursued from City to City and driven into Egypt And going from thence to the Lacedemonians thinking by reason of Kinred to have had some succour of them he was not regarded but suffered to perish in a strange Land no Man mourning for him nor putting him into his Grave Jason He that maketh whole a Physician Jecksan look Jocsan Iehoahaz 2 King 23.31 c. the Son of Josias was xxiii years old when he began to reign over Juda and had not reigned three Moneths before Pharaoh Necho King of Egypt came and put him down and set up his Brother in his stead And put the Land to a tribute of an hundred Talents of Silver and one of Gold and carried Jehoahaz away into Egypt where he dyed Jehoahaz The possession of the Lord. Iehojakim 2 King 23.36.24.1 c. the Son of Josias was xxv years of age when he began to reign over Juda and did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. His name was changed from Eliakim to Jehojakim by Pharaoh Necho King of Egypt which came and deposed his Brother Jehoahaz and made him King in his stead and taxed the Land This King dyed in the way as they led him Prisoner into Babylon Read Jeremy 22.18 as before is said in Jehoahaz For the payment of which money Jehojakim taxed the Land and levied of every Man according to his ability and paid the money to Pharaoh After this came Nabuchodonosor King of Babylon and
from God that no admonition of the Prophets which were daily sent him could turn him And last of all when Zacharia the Son of Jehojadah came unto him to call him again unto the Lord he notwithstanding the great kindness and faithfulness of Jehojadah his Father before him caused Zacharia to be put to death for the which cause the Lord stirred up the Syrians against him which slew a great number of his People and in the end his own Servants conspired against him for his ingratitude and slew him upon his own Bed after he had reigned forty years and buried him in the City of David but not among the Kings Joash the Lords fire or the Lords oblation Joash 2 King 13.9 10 c. the Son of Jehoahas began his Reign over Israel in the xxxvii year of Joash King of Juda and did evil in the sight of the Lord grieving him with the sins of Jeroboam the Son of Nebat 2 Chron. 25.17 18 c. Of the great Victory the Lord gave Joash against Amasiah King of Juda read his story And how he visited Elizeus the Prophet in his sickness read the last end of his story also This King reigned xvi years and dyed leaving Jeroboam his Son to take his place Job Job 1. cap. was a perfect just Man dwelling in the Land of Hus and one that feared God who gave unto him seven Sons and three Daughters and also endued him with great riches His substance was 7000. sheep 3000. Camels 500. yoak of Oxen 500. she-Camels and a very great Houshold So that he was one of the most principal Men among all them of the East-Country He was so careful over his Sons lest in their banquetting they had committed some offence or been unthankful to God in their hearts that he daily would sanctifie them and offer for every one a burnt-offering unto the Lord he was a Man also replenished with such patience that Satan with all his temptations could not move him out of the same for when word was brought him how that the Sabeans had taken away his Oxen and slain his Servants and that the Lord had consumed all his Sheep with fire and that the Chaldees had taken away his Camels and how that all his Children were slain in their eldest Brother's house which the wind blew down upon them he made no more a do but said Naked came I out of my Mothers Womb and naked shall I return again The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away even as it hath pleased the Lord so is it come to pass 2. cap. blessed be the name of the Lord. Also when Satan by the permission of God had plagued Job with extreme sores even from the sole of the Foot to the crown of his Head so that he sat upon the ground in dust and ashes scraping off the filth of his sores with a Potsherd and being also inwardly afflicted with the sharp temptation of his Wife which tempted him to blaspheme God he took all in good part reproving his Wife for her foolish talking for shall we quoth he receive good at the hand of God and not receive evil not so I am as well content to suffer this adversity sent of the Lord as I was to receive the prosperity he gave me before And so Job continued in his uprightness Job 42. and was at the last restored to as many Children as he had before and to double riches He lived an hundred and forty years and saw his Childrens children to the fourth generation before he dyed Job Sorrowful or hated Jochebed Exod. 6.20 Num. 26.59 was the Daughter of Levy and * She was Amram's Father's Sister which kind of marriage was after in the Law forbidden Levit 18. born in Egypt Her Husband 's name was Amram to whom she bare three Children Aaron Moses and a Daughter called Miriam Jochebed Glorious Jokshan was the Son ‖ Gen. 25.2 1 Chron. 1.32 of Abraham begotten of his Wife Keturah his two Children were called the one Sheba and the other Dedan Jokshan Hardness or Offence Joel the Son of Phatuel was * Joel 1 2 3. cap. an holy Prophet and prophesied against the Jews exhorting the Priests to prayer and fasting for the misery that was coming at hand And giving them warning of the coming and cruelty of their enemies moved them to turn and convert And last of all he setteth out the Judgment of God against the enemies of his People Joel willing or beginning Johanan Jer. 40.13 the Son of Kareah Prophesied to Gedaliah whom Nabuchodonosor King of Babylon had made Governour over the People that he left at Jerusalem that Ishmael the Son of Nethaniah by the procurement of Baalis King of the Ammonites should kill him which came so to pass indeed as ye shall read in the story of Gedaliah After whose death 41. cap. 42. cap. Johanan with the rest of the Captains over the Jews persecuted Ishmael and recovered from him all the People which he had carried away and put Ishamael to flight Then Johanan fearing the Chaldees because of the death of Gedaliah consulted with the rest of the Captains and agreed to conveigh themselves all the People into Egypt and asked counsel of Jeremy the Prophet who had dwelt quietly in the Land under Gedaliah whether it were best so to do or no who made them answer that if they went into Egypt they should perish but if they tarried still in the Land God would surely so defend them 43.5 6 c. that the Chaldees should not hurt them yet they of a proud mind despising the counsel of Jeremy and taking his words for lies led the People away into Egypt to their utter destruction John Baptist the Son of Zachary Luk. 1. cap. was sanctified in the womb of Elizabeth his Mother and ordained of God to be an abstainer and to go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elias to prepare his way and make ready a perfect People unto him thorow preaching the amendment of life Luk. 3.3 4 c. and baptizing in the water of repentance And was a Man of so great perfection and holiness of life that the People stood in a doubt whether that he were Christ or no. And being asked the question denied plainly that he was not Christ nor Elias neither that Prophet whom they dreamed so much upon but only the voice of a cryer in the Wilderness to make streight the way of the Lord. For I do Baptise saith John in water only but there is one now come among you who although he came after me was before me whose Shoo latchet I am not worthy to unloose and he it is that shall Baptise you with the Holy Ghost John was a constant Man and lived austerely His Garment was course Cloth made of Camels hair His Meat was Locusts and wild Hony He was a Prophet and as Christ reporteth more than a Prophet
7.24 c. For John prophesied Christ to be come pointing him with his finger unto the People saying Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the Sins of the World whereas all the other Prophets did but prophesie of his coming long before he came Matth. 14.3 Finally John using his liberty in rebuking Vice without any accepting of Persons reproved King Herod for keeping his Brother Philip's Wife for the which he was cast into Prison and soon after lost his Head Read the story of Herod the Tetrarch and of Herodias John the Evangelist Matth. 4.21 was the Son of Zebedee and Brother to James and called from his Fisher-boat to be an Apostle of Christ John 13.23.19.26.21.20 and was of all other most entirely beloved of Jesus who commended his Mother unto him at the hour of his death He wrote his Gospel against Cerinthus and other Hereticks and chiefly against the Ebionites which did affirm that Christ was not before Mary whereby he was constrained to set forth the Divine Birth of Christ In the time of the Emperor Domitian he was exiled into an Isle called Patmos where he wrote the Revelation and after the death of Domitian in the time of Pertinax he returned to Ephesus remaining there till the time of Trajanus and did raise up and set in order many Churches in Asia and did three-score years after the death of Christ and was buried at Ephesus John Mark Act. 12. ult When Paul and Barnabas had been at Jerusalem to distribute the Alms sent by the Antiochians in their return they brought this Man John sirnamed Mark with them to Antioch And when the Holy Ghost had separated Paul and Barnabas from the other Disciples to the intent that they should go and spread abroad the Gospel among the Gentiles and those that were far off they took this John Mark with them to be their Minister and Companion who bare them company from Antioch until they came to Pamphilia Act. 13.5 c. and farther would he not go but left them there and returned to Jerusalem again notwithstanding the Apostes went forth and fulfilled their office And when it came in their minds to go and visit these places again wherein they had sowed the Word of God Barnabas gave counsel to take John with them which had been their Minister before to whose mind Paul would not consent forasmuch as John of his own accord had forsaken them at Pamphilia before they had finished their work And so reasoning and disputing about this matter the contention was so sharp between these two Holy-men that the one forsook the others company And so Barnabas taking John Mark with him sailed into Cyprus Jonadab was the Son of Shimeah David's Brother 2 Sam. 13.3 and a very subtil Man He loved Amnon his Unkle David's Son above the rest of all his Brethren Of the counsel he gave to Amnon concerning his Sister Thamar Read the story of Amnon Jonadab Voluntary or Willing Jonas the Son of Amittai was an holy Prophet Jonas 1. cap. 2 King 14.25 commanded of God to go to Niniveh that great City to tell the People of their wickedness who * The Mother of this Prophet was the poor Widow of Sarepta whose Meal and Oil Elias encreased and restored her Son from death to life again notwithstanding perswaded himself by his own reason that he should nothing profit there seeing he had so long Prophesied among his own Country-men the Jews and done no good at all Wherefore he minding to flye to Tarsus got him to Joppa where he found a Ship ready payed his fare and went with them And being on the Sea a tempest rose so vehemently that the Mariners were sore afraid crying every Man unto his God and to lighten the Ship they cast all the Wares into the Sea which nothing availed Then went the Master of the Ship down under the hatches and finding Jonas fast asleep awoke him saying O thou sleeper what meanest thou arise and call upon thy God that we perish not And when no remedy could be had they agreed to cast Lots that thereby they might know for whose cause they were troubled and so doing the Lot fell on Jonas They seeing that said Tell us for whose cause we are thus troubled And what thine occupation is And what thou art And whence thou comest and whither thou goest And what Country-man thou art of what Nation I am said Jonas an Hebrew born and fear the Lord God of Heaven which made both the Sea and dry Land and am fled from his presence And when they heard that they were more afraid than before and said what shall we do unto thee that the Sea may cease from troubling of us Take me quoth Jonas and cast me into the Sea and ye shall have rest for I wot it is for my sake that this evil is come upon you Nevertheless the Men being loth to commit such a deed assayed with rowing to bring the Ship to Land And when they saw the Sea so troublous against them that it would not be they cryed unto the Lord and said O Lord let us not perish for this Man's death neither lay thou innocent bloud unto our charge For thou O Lord hast done even as thy pleasure was And so they took Jonas and cast him into the Sea which incontinent was calm and still And a certain great Fish prepared of the Lord received Jonas and swallowed him up into his body where he lay in prayer three Days and three Nights And being then cast out again on dry Land The Lord commanded him straight-way to go to Niniveh and do as he had charged him And when he came to the City was entered a days Journey in the same he cryed out saying There are yet forty days and then shall Niniveh be overthrown But when his Prophecie came to none effect by reason of the Peoples great repentance he was sore displeased and in his prayer said O Lord was not this my saying I pray thee when I was yet in my Countrey and the cause of my flying to Tarsus that thou wast a merciful God full of compassion long suffering and of great goodness and wouldest repent thee of the evil And now O Lord forasmuch as I am found false in my sayings take I beseech thee my life from me for I had rather dye than live And so Jonas got him out of the City and made him a Booth on the East side thereof And as he sat under the shadow of his Booth to see what should become of the City the Lord caused a wild Vine to spring over his Head to give him more shadow to defend the heat of the Sun from him whereof Jonas was very glad But on the next morrow when he perceived the Vine withered away and that for lack of the shadow thereof he waxed faint thorow the fervent heat of the Sun which burned him so sore he wished in himself that he
might die Then said the Lord to Jonas dost thou well to be angry for the wild Vine Yea said he very well even unto death If thou then quoth the Lord hast had pity upon the wild Vine whereon thou bestowedst no labour nor madest it grow which sprang up in one Night and perished in another how much more ought I to have pity upon Niniveh that great City wherein are six score thousand Persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left beside much Cattel And thus was Jonas reproved of God for his disobedience Jonas a Dove Jonathan 1 Sam. 13.2.14 cap. the Son of King Saul was a valiant Man in all his acts who helped his Father so mightily against the Philistines that at the first brunt he beat down the strongest hold they had And after that the Philistines being pitched in Michmash into the which passage lay two sharp Rocks He said to his Armour-bearer Come and let us go over toward the Philistines Garrison peradventure the Lord will work with us for it is no hard thing with him to save with many or with few we will go over and shew our seleves to these uncircumcised * Jonathan spake this by the spirit of Prophecie And if they say on this wise unto us Tarry until we come unto you then will we stand still and not remove But if they say come up unto us then will we go up for the Lord hath surely delivered them into our hands and this shall be a sign unto us So they went without the knowledge of Saul and shewed themselves unto the Philistines who when they saw them said in derision See how the Hebrews are crept out of the holes wherein they had hid themselves but the Watchmen said unto them Come up unto us and we will shew you a thing Then said Jonathan to his Armour-bearer come up after me for the Lord hath delivered them into the hands of Israel And so Jonathan climbed up the Rock upon his Hands and Feet and his Armour-bearer after him And when the Philistines saw the face of Jonathan they were so suddenly smitten with fear that they fell down before him so that Jonathan and his Man slew twenty of them and put all the rest to flight And when the Watchmen of Saul saw the Philistines scattered abroad and smitten down as they went they told it to the King who caused a search to be made to know who was gone out of the Host and not a Man was found lacking save Jonathan and his Armour-bearer Then Saul with all his Host followed after the Philistines charging the People which had long been without sustenance on pain of death not to touch any food until he were that day avenged on his enemies And so the People being sore opprest with hunger and coming into a Wood where much Hony lay upon the ground durst not for their lives comfort themselves with one drop thereof Then Jonathan being faint and not knowing the charge of his Father tasted a little Hony with the end of his Rod and was greatly comforted and refreshed therewith And being told what-danger he had incurred for breaking his Fathers commandment he said My Father hath troubled the Land in making such an extreme Law for seeing that I have received my strength again by tasting a little of this Hony how much more should the People if they had eaten of the spoil of their enemies which they found have been the stronger and more able to have made a greater slaughter among the Philistines than they have done But nevertheless for this offence of Jonathan Lots were cast and Jonathan judged to suffer death whereupon the People cryed out to Saul saying Shall Jonathan dye which hath so mightily defended Israel God forbid as truly as the Lord liveth there shall not one hair of his head fall unto the ground for he hath wrought with God this day And so the People delivered Jonathan After this Jonathan fell into such love and amity with David whom Saul his Father persecuted that he made a Bond with him which was never dissolved between them And at his first acquaintance with David he put off his Robe and gave it to him with his other Garments even to his Sword Bowe and Girdle And whatsoever from that day forth was said done or wrought by Saul his Father against David that would Jonathan find the means to stay and pacifie whereby many times he saved David from the cruelty of Saul and so continued his faithful friend during his life Finally in Battel with his Father against the Philistines he was slain Jonathan the gift of the Pigcon or Dove Jonathas 1 Mac. 2.9 cap. the youngest Son of Mattathias and Brother to Judas Machabeus did so valiantly behave himself in the Wars that the Jews after the death of Judas his Brother made him their chief Governor who at length vanquished Bachides 10. cap. Whereby his fame so encreased that both Demetrius and Alexander sought to be in League with him But for so much as Demetrius had vexed Israel before Jonathas mistrusting Demetrius forsook his offer and agreed to Alexander who had always been his friend and so continued as his story declareth After this he vanquished Apollonius Captain of Demetrius Host burnt the City of Azotus with the Temple of Dagon subdued Ascalon and with great Victory returned to Jerusalem where for his worthy prowess he received a Coller of Gold from Alexander 12. cap. 13. cap. Finally after long prosperity in Wars he was betrayed by one Triphon in the City of Ptolemais and afterward most piteously put to death Of Jonathas Son of Abiathar the Priest look in the story of Ahimaaz the Son of Sadoch Jonathan 2 Sam. 21.20 21. the Son of Shimea David's Brother encountred with a mighty Gyant who had on every hand six fingers and on every foot so many toes and slew him Joram 2 Kings 3. cap. the Son of Ahab began his Raign over Israel after his Brother Ahaziah in the eighteenth * In the first Chapter of the fourth Book of Kings it is said that this Man began his reign in the second year of Jchoram the Son of Jchosaphat which is thus to be understood Jchosaphat going to Battel against the Syrians made his Son Jchoram King in the xvii year of his reign and in the xviii year which was the second year of his Son this Man began his reign 6. cap. year of Jehosaphat King of Juda and wrought evil in the sight of the Lord but not like unto his Father for he took away the Image of Baal which his Father had made nevertheless he sacrificed to the golden Calves still which Jeroboam had made The King of Moab was wont yearly to render to the King of Israel an hundred thousand Lambs and so many Rams with the wool and because he now refused to pay this tribute to Joram he warred against him having to take his part Jehosaphat
that thou art Christ the Son of God which should come into the World After this when Jesus came to the place where Lazarus was buried and had commanded the stone of his Grave to be taken away Martha said Lord by this time he stinketh for he hath been dead four days Said not I unto thee quoth Jesus that if thou didst believe thou shouldst see the glory of God And so she saw her Brother Lazarus restored from death to life to the glory of God and her great comfort Martha Bitter or Provoking Mattathias the Son of Simeon the Priest 1 Mac. 2. which was of the stock and kinred of Joaris had five valiant Men to his Sons and dwelt in Modin remaining stedfast in the Laws of God notwithstanding the great calamities that were come upon the People of Juda and Jerusalem for the which Mattathias made piteous lamentation crying upon God to strengthen him and his Sons against the Heathen that had so wasted the People and defiled his Sanctuary And while he and his Sons were thus mourning in Sackcloth for the destruction of the holy City Antiochus the King sent certain Commissioners to the City of Modin to compel such Jews as were fled thither to forsake their own Laws and to serve the Idols of the Heathen Who after they had turned the heart of many spake to Mattathias on this wise Thou art said they a Noble man of high reputation and great in this City and hast many Children and Brethren Come thou first of all and fulfil the King's commandment like as the Heathen have done and the Men of Juda with such as remain at Jerusalem and so shalt thou and thy Sons be in favour with the King and greatly enriched Nay said Mattathias Though all Nations under the King's Dominion fall away every Man from the Law of their Fathers yet will I my Sons and my Brethren walk in the Laws of our Fathers God forbid we should forsake the Laws and Ordinances of God we will not for no Man's pleasure transgress our Religion or break the Statutes of our Law And as he had spoken these words a certain Jew came forth and openly in the sight of all Men did sacrifice unto the Idols upon the Altar in the City of Modin according to the King's commandment which thing so grieved Mattathias that for very Zeal he had to the Laws of God he started him up and ran upon the Jew and killed both him the Commissioner that compelled him so to do and ran his way crying thorow the City and saying to the People whosoever is fervent in the Law and will keep and stand by the Covenant let him follow me So he and his Sons fled into the Mountains and many other godly Men with their Wives and Children and all that they had got them into the Wilderness And being there the Heathen went against them on the Sabbath day and slew Man Woman and Child for on that day the Jews would make no resistance but would dye in their innocency Then Mattathias hearing of this was very sorry and counselling with his friends said If we do as our Brethren have done and do not fight for our Lives and our Laws the Heathen will soon root us all out of the Earth whereupon they concluded that whosoever did bid them battel on the Sabbath day that they would rather manfully fight for their Laws than dye as their Brethren had done before Upon the which conclusion came the whole Synagogue of the Jews with all such as were fled for Persecution to Mattathias And being gathered together they were so great an Host that they feared not their enemies but fell upon them and slew a great number And by their force and strength they went about the Coasts of Israel and destroyed the Altars and circumcised their Children and kept their Laws in spight of them all Finally when the time of his death drew nigh he called all his Sons before him exhorting them to prefer the Laws and wealth of their Countrey before their own Lives and ordained Simon his eldest Son to be as it were their Father and Judas Machabeus to be their Captain and so giving them his blessing he dyed and was buried in his Fathers Sepulchre in the City of Modin Mattathias the gift of the Lord. Mattathias the Son of Simon 1 Mac. 16. was killed with his Father at a Banquet which Ptolomy his Brother-in-law had prepared for them in a Castle of his called Doche. Mathattias the Son of Absalemus stuck by Jonathas 1 Mac. 11. when all his Men forsook him and fled the Field save Judas the Son of Galphi Matthew the Evangelist Read the Story of Levi. Matthew Given Matthias Act. 1.23 was a faithful Disciple of Christ and one that had his conversation always among the Apostles even from the beginning of Christ's preaching to the last end And now for as much as Judas the Traytor was fallen from Christ he with another godly Man called Joseph or Barsabas was appointed to stand in election which of them two should succeed in the place of Judas And when the Apostles had made their prayers to God Lots and given forth their lots the lot fell on Matthias and so he was counted with the eleven Apostles Matthias the Lords Gift Methuselah Gen. 5.21 c. was the Son of Henoch and lived an hundred eighty and seven years and begot Lamech And after that he lived seven hundred and eighty two years and begot Sons and Daughters and when he had lived in all nine hundred three-score and nine years he died Methuselah be sent his death or the weapons of his death Melchisedek Gen. 14.18 Heb. 7.1 is called King of Salem and the High Priest of the most High God When Abraham had rescued Lot his Nephew out of the hands of the Assyrians and was returned from the slaughter of the Kings Melchisedek met him with Bread and Wine to refresh Abraham and his Souldiers and blessed him saying Blessed be Abraham of the most High God possessor of heaven and earth and blessed be the most High God which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand And Abraham gave him tythes of all things The Scripture reporteth Melchisedek to be without Father without Mother without Kin and hath neither beginning of his days neither yet end of his life but is likened unto the Son of God and continueth a Priest for ever Melchisedek King of Righteousness Menelaus 2 Mac. 4. was Brother to Simon and Lysimachus two as ungracious as himself This ambitious Man by deceit got the High-Priest's Office from Jason on this wise When that good and godly Man Onias had the superiority Jason his Brother found the means to corrupt Antiochus the King with Money and so got the Office out of his Brother's hands And when the time came that Jason should pay the Money to Antiochus he sent it by the hand of Menelaus in whom he had great confidence But when
the Sons of Joseph Reuben seeing his son or the sight of his son Rufus was a vertuous and a Religious man Rom. 16.13 whom Paul remembred in his Epistle saying Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord and his Mother and mine Ruth Ruth 1. cap. and Orpah were two fair young Damosels born in the Countrey of Moab where by chance they married with the Sons of Elimelech and Naomi who were strangers come out of the Land of Juda there to inhabit and when both their Husbands were dead and their Mother-in-law a Widow also they forsook their own Countrey to go home with their Mother into the Land of Juda. And when they had gone a good way together Orpah not without great intreaty of her Mother-in-law turned home again but Ruth abode still Then said Naomi to Ruth Oh see my Daughter thy Sister-in-law is gone back again to her People and Goods return and go after her I pray thee said Ruth intreat me not to leave thee For whithersoever thou goest I will go with thee And where thou dwellest there will I dwell also Thy People shall be my People And thy God my God look where thou dyest there will I dye also and there will I be buried The Lord do so and so unto me if ought but death only part thee and me asunder And so went they forth till they came to Bethlehem Juda which was in the beginning of Barley Harvest Ruth 2. cap. And as Ruth went one day out a leasing among the Harvest folks she happened by the providence of God upon the Fields pertaining to Boaz who shewed her such kindness that she neither lacked Meat nor Drink neither yet Corn so long as Harvest lasted And when all Harvest was done Naomi said unto Ruth This Man in whose Field thou hast leased all this while Ruth 3. cap. is our nigh Kinsman therefore do now by my counsel This Night he winnoweth Barley in the Barn wash thy self therefore and anoint thee and put thy Raiment upon thee and get thee to the Barn and keep thy self close until he have left eating and drinking And when he goeth to sleep mark the place where he layeth him down And when he is a-sleep go and lift up the Cloaths softly at his Feet and lay thee down and he shall tell thee what thou shalt do So when Ruth had done all things according to her Mother-in-laws teaching Boaz about Midnight waked out of his sleep and feeling one lye at his Feet was afraid and groping with his Hand he asked who it was I am Ruth quoth she thine Handmaid spread therefore the Wing of thy Garment over thine Handmaiden for thou art next of my Kin. Now blessed art thou quoth Boaz for thou hast shewed more goodness in the latter end than at the beginning inasmuch as thou followedst not young Men were they poor or rich And now my Daughter fear not I will do unto thee all that thou requirest For thou art well known to be a Woman of vertue Howbeit there is one nearer of Kin to thee than I if he will do the Kinsman's part unto thee well let him do it If he will not then will I. And so in the Morning he gave her so much Corn as she could carry home And shortly after she became his Wife Ruth 4.13 and in process brought him forth a Son called Obed which was the Father of Jesse the Father of David Read the story of Boaz and Naomi Ruth watered or filled S. SADOK the Son of Ahitub 2 Sam. 8.17 was Father to Shallum and Ahimaaz and one of the Priests that governed the Ark of GOD which he carried out of Jerusalem with David what time as he fled from his Son Absalom 2 Sam. 15.24 c. And when Zadok had brought the King over the Brook Kidron he desired him to return again with the Ark into the City that from him and dbiathar he might have word of all things that Absalom and Achitophel determined against him And so he returned with the Ark to Jerusalem and there remained David's faithful man in all things that he had commanded him And when he had knowledge of Absalom's overthrow 2 Sam. 19.11 he then exhorted all Israel and Juda to remember the kindness of David their Soveraign Lord and King who had so many times delivered them out of the hands of their enemies that now like true faithful and obedient subjects they would fetch him home again and restore him to his kingdom By whose godly exhortation the hearts of all Juda were bowed to David even as the heart of one man 1 King 1.8 38 c. This Sadok was ever a faithful Priest and never swerved from David For in the end when Adonijah took upon him to reign as King his Father David being old and alive Zadok consented not unto him but according to David's will and commandment anointed Solomon King who afterward promoted him into the room of Abiathar which had the High Priests office Sadoch or Zadok 2.35 Justified or just Shallum the Son of Jabesh conspired against Zachariah 2 King 15.10 13. There is another of this name the Husband of Hulda the Propheress 2 King 22.14 and slew him and raigned in his stead In the xxxix year of Azariah King of Juda began Shallum his raign over Israel and had not raigned one Month but Menahem rose up against him and slew him in Samaria and reigned in his stead Shallum Peaceable Salmanasar 2 King 18.9 c. King of Assyria came in the seventh year of Hoshea King of Israel and besieged Samaria and in the third year which was the ninth year of Hoshea he wan it and took Heshea prisoner and carried him away into Assyria Salmanasar Peace bound Solomon 2 Sam. 12.24 the Son of Bathsheba was ordained to reign after his Father David and anointed King over Israel 1 King 1.30 39. by Sadok the Priest and Nathan the Prophet Who being stablished in his Kingdom began to minister Justice 2. cap. 25. first upon Adonijah his Brother which had aspired to the Kingdom ver 34. Secondly upon Joab which had slain Abner and Amasa and conspired with Adonijah ver ult Thirdly upon Shimei which had cursed David his Father 3. cap. This King was so dearly beloved of God that in a dream he appeared to him and bad him ask whatsoever he would and he should have it Then Solomon considering in himself that he was but young and that being called to the office of a King how hard a thing it was to govern the whole multitude of the People well desired of God to give him an understanding heart to judge the People and to discern between good and evil Which thing pleased the Lord so well that he gave him not only a wise and an understanding heart but also riches and honour wherein he excelled all other Kings that ever were before or after him And that he passed all
heard and bad him go tell Ezechias that the blasphemous railing of Rabshekah should turn to his great shame for he should go home again without victory and never a stroke stricken And so Almighty God sent his Angel which plagued the whole Army of the Assyrians with such a Pestilence that in one Night there dyed 185. thousand At the which suddain death Rabshekah and all his Host that were left ran away And then Sennacherib got him to Niniveh where at the last being in the Temple worshipping his God Nisroch his own Sons slew him Sennacherib the bush of destruction Sehon was King of the Amorites Numb 21.21 22 c. whose Land bordered so upon the Land of Canaan that Moses could not pass from the Desart of Cadesh to Canaan but he must needs go thorow it wherefore Moses sent Messengers to King Sehon beseeching him of licence to pass thorow his land by the Kings highway and he would neither hurt his Fields nor Vineyards neither yet take so much as one drop of water for him and his Cattel to drink but he would pay for it Which reasonable request Sehon refused And thinking to have overcome Moses and all his People because they were strangers sore laboured and wearied and knew not the Coast of his Countrey neither the shifts of the Realm he made out two great Armies against Moses Who hearing thereof was so afraid that he asked counsel of God what he should do And God bad him not fear but fight manfully and boldly with them for the victory should be his And so was Sehon with all his power and policy overthrown Sehon a rooting out or treading under foot Sephora and Phua Exod. 1 1â— were two of the Chiefest Midwives in all Egypt unto whom King Pharaoh gave a commandment that whensoever they did execute their office among the Women of the Hebrews and saw in the birth a Man-child they should kill it But they fearing God more than man brake his commandment and saved all the Men-children laying for their excuse unto the King that the Women of the Hebrews were not as the Women of Egypt but so strong and lively Women that they were delivered before the Midwives came And for this deed God dealt mercifully with the Midwives because they feared him and made them to prosper Sephora Fair. Look Zephora Sergius Paulus Act. 13.7 the Lieutenant or Lord Deputy of Cyprus was a prudent man who nevertheless had been sore seduced by one Barjesus the great Sorcerer And now hearing the Gospel to be sowen thoroughout all the Country by Paul and Barnabas was desirous to hear it whereupon he sent for them By whose preaching and great miracles that they did before him he was at the last turned to the faith of Christ Seth Gen. 4.25.5.3 was the third Son of Adam and gave himself all to vertue and godliness His Father was at the age of an hundred and thirty years before he begot Seth. Seth was an hundred and five years old before he begot Enos He lived after the birth of Enos eight hundred and seven years So that all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years Seth set or put Sichem Gen. 34. cap. the Son of Hemor the Hivite ravished Dinah the Daughter of Jacob. For the which deed Simeon and Levi the Brothers of Dinah slew both Sichem and his Father Hemor with many more Sidrach Dan. 3. cap. Meshach and Abednego were three of Danicl's companions and of the Children Juda. Which three young men Nabuchodonosor at Daniel's intercession made Rulers over all the Officers in the Land of Babylon And because they would not fall down to the King 's golden Image which he had made and set up to be worshipped they were accused to the King as transgressors of his commandment And being brought before the King he straitly charged them to be ready the next day when they heard the noise of Trumpets and other Instruments of Musick to fall down and worship his Image as others did or else they should be cast into the hot burning Furnace and then let see quoth he what god is able to deliver you out of my hands They answered and said Oh Nabuchodonosor we ought not to consent to thee in this matter For why our God whom we serve is able to keep us from the hot burning Furnace O King and can right well deliver us out of thy hands And though he will not yet shalt thou know O King that we will not serve thy gods nor do reverence to that Image which thou hast set up The King hearing this was so full of indignation that he caused the strongest men that were in all his Host to bind them hand and foot and cast them into the Furnace which Furnace was made so exceeding hot that the flame of the fire destroyed those men that cast them in And as the King looked into the Furnace after the men he saw four walking at liberty in the midst of the Furnace the fourth man was like unto the Son of God to look upon And being sore astonied thereat he went to the Furnace mouth and said O ye servants of God come out of the Furnace And when they were come forth it could not be perceived neither by the hair of their Heads nor by the smell of their Garments that ever any fire had touched them And so the King praised the God of Sidrach Meshach and Abednego and promoted them to honour Silas Act. 15.27 32 40. was a certain Disciple sent with Paul and Barnabas and other chosen brethren to Antioch to pacifie the variance which was there happened about circumcision And after the salling out of Paul and Barnabas about John Mark Silas became Paul's companion and fellow-labourer in the Gospel a great while 16.19 25 38. and was in bonds with him at Philippi where they converted the Jayler and all Prisoners and were delivered as Romans From thence they departed to Thessalonica 17.1 14. where the Jewes set the City in such an uproar against them that Paul was fain to flye to Athens leaving Silas behind him with a precept to make speed after him Act. 18.5 who came to Paul at Corinth Silpah Gen. 30.9 c. was Hand maid or Servant to Leah who being given by her Mistress consent to Jacob to Wife brought him forth two Sons Gad and Asher Silpah a Rheum or distillation at the mouth or vileness Silvanus 2 Cor. 1.19 was a great setter forth of the Gospel with Paul and Timotheus as is mentioned in the first and second Epistle to the Thessalonians first Chapters Simeon Luk. 2.25 c. was a blessed old man dwelling in Jerusalem which longed sore for the coming of the Messias And whereas he had prayed unto God to give him the gift that he might but once see him with his bodily eyes before he departed out of this world he received an answer of the Holy Ghost that
Men were slain 1 Mac. 13. After this Tryphon went into the Land of Judah with a great Host having Jonathan with him in ward And when he had knowledge that Simon stood up in the stead of his Brother Jonathan and that he would come against him he sent word to Simon that whereas he kept Jonathan his Brother in ward it was but for mony he ought in the King's account and other business he had in hand Therefore if he would send him an hundred Talents of Silver and the two Sons of Jonathan to be their Father's surety he would send him home again But Simon knew his dissembling heart well enough Yet nevertheless lest he should be a greater enemy to the People of Israel and say another day that because he sent him not the Money and the Children therefore is Jonathan dead he sent him both the Money and the Children Then Tryphon having the Money and Children kept Jonathan still and shortly after put both the Father and his Children to death Now Tryphon to bring his long intended purpose about on a time as he walked abroad with the young King he most traiterously slew him and possessed the Realm and crowned himself King of Asia and did much hurt in the Land Finally 15. cap. Tryphon was so hated of all men that when Antiochus the Son of Demetrius came upon him the most part of his own Host forsook him and went to Antiochus who never left persecuting of Tryphon till he made him flee by Ship where he was never seen more Tryphon a delicate and fine man Trophimus was an Ephesian born Act. 20.4 who went with Tychicus out of Asia to Troas to make all things ready against Paul's coming and abode there till Paul came from thence they went with Paul to Jerusalem where certain Jews which were of Asia moved the People against Paul complaining of him 21.28 c. that he had brought Greeks with him to pollute the Temple because they saw Trophimus with him in the City whom they supposed Paul had brought into the Temple Tubal Gen. 4. was the Son of Lamech by his Wife Adah And was the first that invented the Science of Musick by the strokes and noise of the hammers of his brother Tubalcain which was a Smith and the first finder out of Mettal and the working thereof Jubal was his brother by Father and Mother and Tubalcain only by the Father for Zillah was his Mother Tubal born or brought or worldly Tubalcain Worldly possession V. VASHTI Estter 1. was a very fair Woman and Wife to Ahashuerus otherwise called Artaxerxes King of Persia And because she would not come to the King when he sent for her a Law was devised and made by the seven Princes of Persia and Media That forasmuch as it could not be chosen but that this deed of Queen Vashti must needs come abroad into the ears of all Women both Princes and others and so despise their Husbands and say Thus and thus did Vashti to Ahashuerus by which occasion much despitefulness and wrath should arise The King should therefore put her away and take another to the end that all other Women great and small should hold their Husbands in more honour And so she was divorced from the King and Esther received in her place Vashti Drinking Vrban Rom. 16.9 was a certain faithful Christian Brother to whom Paul sent greetings saying Salute Urban our helper in Christ Vriah 2 Sam. 11. the Hittite was a Man always for the most part imployed in the Kings Wars with Joab the King 's Captain-General This Uriah had a fair Woman to his Wife called Bathsheba whom King David in his absence had got with Child And when the King had knowledge that the Woman was conceived he sent for Urias to come home Who being come to the King and had told him of all things concerning Joab and his Men of War The King bad him go home to his house and repose himself there a while with his Wife And so Urias being departed from the King went not home to his Wife but lay without the King's Gate he and all his Men that night And when on the morrow the King had knowledge thereof he sent for Urias and demanded why he went not home To whom he said The Ark of Israel and Juda dwell in Tents and my Lord Joab and the servants of my Lord abide in the open Fields shall I then go into mine house to eat and drink and lye with my Wife By thy life and by the life of thy soul I will not do this thing Then he was commanded to tarry a day or two more and the King wrote a Letter to Joab the Tenour whereof was this That he should set Urias in the fore front of the Battel where it was sharpest to the intent he might be slain And so Urias departed from the King carrying his own death with him and was soon dispatched out of his life Urias the light of the Lord. Vriah 2 King 16.10 11 c. was the High-Priest in the time of Abaz King of Juda. And having the pattern of an Altar sent unto him by the King from Damascus to make him the like against his coming home Uriah consented to the King 's wicked mind and made the Altar and did whatsoever the King would have him to do without any regard to the Laws of God Vzzah and Ahio were the Sons of Abinadab which waited upon the new Cart whereon the Ark of God 2 Sam. 6.3 4 c. which was taken out of their Fathers house to be carried to the house of Obed was laid And forasmuch as Uzzah of a good intent put forth his hand to stay the Ark when the Oxen stumbled the Lord smote him for his fault that he dyed even before the Ark. Z. ZABULON Gen. 30.19.49.13 was the sixth Son of Jacob and Leab Of whom his Father prophelied before his death saying Zabulon shall dwell by the Sea side and he shall be an haven for ships his border shall be unto Zidon Zabulon a dwelling Zachary Luke 1. cap. was a certain godly Priest in the days of Herod King of Jewry which came of the course or Family of Abiah And walked so perfectly in the Ordinances and Laws of the Lord that no Man could justly complain of him But he had no Child by his Wife Elizabeth for she was barren And when his course came to burn incense evening and morning according to the law he went into the Temple And as he was in prayer an Angel appeared unto him saying Fear not Zachary for thy Prayer is heard And thy Wife Elizabech shall bear thee a Son and thou shalt call his name John c. Whereby said Zachary shall I know this for I am old and my Wife old also I am Gabriel quoth the Angel which am sent unto thee to shew thee these glad tidings And behold thou shalt be dumb and not able