sinne give mee grace to call timely unto thee yea to câ—me unto thee thou supream Judge of Israel even thou which dwelâ—est between the Cherubims and sits'â— under the Palm-tree thy blessed seate of mercie Look upon my distresse and deliver me from this sinne and that punishment that I so justly deserve for mine iniquity and deliver me from the powerfull enemy of my soul who seekes to corrupt destroy me either from the truth or power of thy word like Barak whose confidence was more in a fraile woman Deborah by her presence then in thy promises who art omnipotent Bring mee with the strength of thy grace to the holy mountaine of thy power and saving health strengthen my faith and confidence in thee to fight against this proud Sisera of sin my capitall enemie and send thy might from this thy holy mountaine of Tabor that by thy power graâ—â— I may be made able to overthrow and defeat all the disturbers of my soules health who lies so strongly in wait to destroy me with such worldly advantages by their River of Kishon Dissipate all the designes O Lord of all my spirituall enemies let them flie before thy wrath as Sisera did to the Tent of Jael and there let them perish in the snares of their own intended mischiefs to the innocent Retaine in mee a harmlesse and a pure conscience so shall I lie downe with safety and rest under thy happy protection with security to my soule and escape the like judgement that fâ—ll upon Sisera which is the reward of presumptuous and unrepentant sinners And for thy mercies let me praise thee in the innocency of a sincere soule for ever to serve and obey thee untill I shall be freed from this spirituall warfare here and be made happy to rejoyce with thee in that happinesse and bliss of eternity hereafter And let me magnifie thy Name with Deborah and Barak saying with them Praise yee the Lord for the avenging of Israel heare O ye Kings give eare O ye Princes I even I will sing unto the Lord I will sing praise unto the Lord God of Israel The mountaines melted from before the Lord even that Sinai from before the Lord God of Israel My heart is towards the Governours of Israel that offered themselves willingly among the people blesse ye the Lord. Awake awake Deborah awake awake utter a song Arise Barak and lead thy Captivity captive thou son of Abinoam The river of KishoÌ„ swept them way that ancient River that River of Kishon O my soule thou hast trodden down strength So let all thine enemies perish O Lord but let them that love him be as the Sun when he goeth forth in his might THE HISTORY OF RUTH IN the time that the Judges ruled in Israel there was a Dearth in the Land upon which Elimelech of Bethlehem Judah went to sojourn in the Countrie of Moah with his Wife Naomi with their two sonnes where continuing a while Elimelech died and she remained with her sonnes who tooke them Wives of the Moabites the one was named Orpah the other Ruth who lived thereabout ten yeares where both these sonnes died after whose death Naomi hearing the Lord had given them bread in her owne Countrie thither shee returned with her two Daughters in Law into the Land of Judah then Naomi perswaded these her two Daughters in Law to return to their own Motherâ— houses desiring the Lord would shew the like favour 〈◊〉 them as they had done to the Dead and to her wishing them comfort in the house of their husbands and when shee had kissed them they wept But they desired still to continue with her to whom shee answered turne again my daughters for I shall have no more sonnes to be your husbands and pleaded much with them to return so Orpâ—â— departed but Ruth staied with her but still Naomi perswaded Ruth to goe but Ruth told her whither she did goe she would goe and where she dwelt she would dwell saying moreover thy people shall be my people and thy God my God where thou diest I will die and there will I be buried the Lord doe so to me and more also if ought but death part thee and me So when Naomiâ—aw â—aw her love steadfastnesse she brought her along with her to Bethlehem and it was in the beginning of Barly Harvest where Naomies deceased husband had a Kinsman of great power whose name was Boaz. Now Ruth desired her Mother in Law that she might goe with others to gleane who giving of her leave she went and gleaned after the Reapers and it happened to be in the field of Boaz who coming from Bethlehem he said to the Reapers the Lord be with you and they bad the Lord blesse him and hee seeing Ruth he asked the servant that oversee the reapers who she was who told him she was the Moabitish Maide that came with Naomi and how shee desired to gleane there Then said Boaz unto Ruth my daughter goe not into any other field but abide by my Maides go after them I have charged the servants that they touch thee not when thou 〈◊〉 thirst drink such as the servants have then she fell on her face and bowed to the ground and said unto him how have I found favour in thine eyes that thou shouldest know me seeing I am a stranger But hee told heâ— he heard what shee was and what she had done for her Mother in Law having left her Father Mother and her Countrie to come amongst strangers so the Lord recompence thy worke and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel under whose wings thou art come to trust then she said let me finde favour in thy fight my Lord for thou hast comforted me Then Boaz bad her come at meal-times to eate bread and so shee sat by the Reapers and hee reached her parched Corne and she did eate and he commanded she should gleane amongst the sheaves and so returning in the Evening with plenty to her Mother in Law shee asked her with whome she did gleane who told her it was in the Field of Boaz then said Naomi blessed be the Lord for hee ceaseth not to doe good to the living and to the dead telling Ruth hee was of her husbaÌ„ds kindred did wish her not to gleane in any other place but with the Maides of Boaz. Now Naomi did love Ruth exceedingly she finding her goodnesse and constancy and said unto her shall not I seek rest for thee my Daughter that thou maiest prosper saying is not Boaz out Kinsman and this night hee winnoeth Barly wash and anoint thy selfe and put on thy Raiment and get thee down thither let him not know of thee untill hee have left eating and drinking and when he shall sleep mark where he lyeth downe and uncover the place of his feete lie thee down and hee shall tell thee what thou shalt doe And Ruth did according to her directions Now when Boaz
and provender enough room to lodge in and the man bowed himselfe and worshipped the Lord saying blessed be the Lord God of my Master Abraham which hath not with-drawne his mercie and his truth from him for when I was in the way the Lord hath brought mee to my masters brothers house She then hearing this ran straight home and told her brother Laban therof who came presently to the man and said unto him come in thou blessed of the Lord wherefore standest thou without seeing I have prepared the roome for thy selfe and thy Camels so he unsadled the Camels giving them litter and provender Then hee and the men that came with him washed their feet and meat was set before him but he would not eate untill he had delivered his message Then hee related how hee was servant to Abraham and how God had blessed him exceedingly in goods money servants and how he had a sonne by Sarah in her old age to whom his Master had given all his estate with all such Circumstances as Abraham had commanded him as aforesaid with such passages as was between Rebecka and him at the Well and how he then gave her the Abiloments and Bracelets Then hee said further unto them if you will deale mercifully and truly with my Master tell me if not tell me that I may turn me to the right hand or to the left Then answered Laban ct Bethuel that this thing is provided of the Lord wee cannot therefore say unto thee neither evill or good Behold she is before thee take her and goe that she may be thy Masters sons wife as the Lord hath said Then hee bowed himself towards the earth unto the Lord and gave unto Rebecka jewels of gold and Raiments as likewise gifts unto her Mother and her Brother and then did eate tarrying there all night Now in the morning when he was ready to depart they desired Rebecka might stay only ten days with them but he said in regard God had prospered his journey hee desired forth-with to goe to his Master Then they desired to know Rebecka's minde and have her consent whose answer was she would goe and so when they had blessed her they let her goe and her Nurse likewise So this servant with Rebecka and her maid-servants tooke their journey riding upon the Camels Now Isaac being walking abroad in the fields to pray in the evening and looking about him see these Camels comming toward him and so soon as Rebecka see him she lighted from her Camell and asking the servant who it was that was comming toward them he said it was his Master so she tooke a vaile and covered her selfe Then the servant telling him what he had Isaac took her to his Mother Sarah's Tent and she was his Wife whom he loved After this Abraham dying Isaac and Ishmael buryed him with Sarah his wife after whose death Isaac dwelt in Beerlahai Roy and Ishmael dying at the age of one hundred thirty and seven years was gathered unto his people Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebecka who continued for a while barren but hee prayed to the Lord who heard him and she conceived and at the time of birth being with child of two they did strive in her womb and she prayed unto the Lord. And the Lord said unto her two Nations are in thy wombe and two manner of people shall bee divided out of thy bowels one people shal be mightier then the other and the elder shall serve the younger So at the time of the delivery the first that came out was red and all over rough him they called Esau and after came the other whose hand held Esau by the heele who was called Jacob and then was Isaac threescore years old Now these two growing into yeares Esau became a cunning Hunter and lived in the fields but Jacob was a plaine man and lived in Tents And Isaac loved Esau for Venison was his meate but Rebecka loved Jacob. Now Esau comming one day very hungry weary out of the fields Jacob had made some pottage of which Esau desired to eate for which Jacob desired Esau's birth-right who answered loe I am almost dead what is then this birth-right to mee so hee sware unto Jacob to give it him and contemning of it hee sold it then gave Jacob unto him some bread and Lentill Pottage and so went away And alter it came to pass that there was a Famine in the land and by the appointment of God Isaac he went to Gerar and there the Lord appeared unto him confirming his promise to Abraham his Father and to the seede of Isaac And being at Gerar Rebecka being very beautifull the men thereabouts did much look after her insomuch as Isaac being affraid he said she was his sister And it came to passe one day Isaac being sporting with her Abimilech King of the Philistines looking out of a window did espy it and called to Isaac said to him surely she is thy Wife and why dost thou say she is thy Sister to whom hee answered that he was affraid of his life Then said the King why hast thou done this If any one of my people had lyen with her thou shouldst have brought sin upon us Then Abimilech charged all his people saying he that toucheth this man or his Wife shall dye the death After this Isaac living in this Land and sowing Corne the encrease was a hundred fold and his Cattell did encrease exceedingly So having a mighty houshold and growing so great the Philistines did envy him insomuch as they filled up the wels which were digged in his Father Abraham's time And being grown so rich and potent Abimilech bade him be gone saying Thou art mightier then wee a great deal Therefore Isaac departed and pitched his Tent in the valley at Gerar and there dwelt and opened the Wells again that the Philistines had stopped calling them by the names that Abraham his Father had given them and his servants digging in the valley found there a Well of living water for which there was strife betweene them and the Herdmen of Gerer they saying it was theirs After this they digged another Well and there was strife for that likewise After this they digged another for which there was no strife So from thence hee went to Beersheba where the Lord appeared unto him the same night and confirmed unto him the blessings and promise to Abraham his Father and his seede and there he built an Altar calling upon the name of the Lord. Then came unto him Abimilech with his friend and a Captaine of his Army to whom Isaac said why come ye to me seeing you put mee out from you who answered him wee saw the Lord was with thee and we used thee kindly and sent thee away in peace and therefore let there be now a Covenant betweene us and let it be done the blessed of the Lord doe this Then hee feasted them and they arose betimes in the
had eat drunk and cheared his heart he lay down by the heap of corn she came softly and uncovering his feet lay downe and he awaking about midnight and feeling one he was affraid Then he said who art thou she answered Ruth thy hand-maid spread therefore the wing of thy garment over me for thou art the Kinsman Then said hee Blessed be thou of the Lord my daughter thou hast shewed more goodnesse in the latter end then at the beginning inasmuch as thou followedst not young men were they poore or rich And now my daughter fear not I will doe what thou requirest for all the City of my people know thee that thou art a vertuous woman Telling her that true it was he was her kinsman but there was one nearer so bade her lye there all night and if in the morning hee would doe the duty of a Kinsman to marry her well and good but if he would not he would then doe the duty of a Kinsman himselfe So she lying at his feet untill the morning she arose early he desiring that none should know that any woman had been there so he calling for her sheet giving her fix measures of barley and returning to the Citie she came to her Mother in law and gave her the corne telling her all the passages betweene Boaz and her selfe So shee bade Ruth sit still untill shee heard further of the thing telling her how hee would not rest untill the thing were done Then without delay Boaz went up to the gate of the City to whom came this Kinsman named to Ruth Boaz desiring him to sit down likewise ten Elders of the City came and sate downe with them Then said Boaz to this Kinsman Naomi is come out of the country of Moab who will sell a parcell of land that was our brother Elemelicks and so proffered it unto him being of nearest in kindred to redeem it before them Elders If he would not that himselfe being the next he would Then he said he would redeem it Then said Boaz if thou buyest it of Naomi thou must also buy it of Ruth the Moabitis the wife of the dead to stirre up the name of the dead upon his inheritance the which this Kinsman refused saying if hee did so he should destroy his owne and so put off that his right to Boaz and to confirme it according to the custome then he put off his shooe and gave it to him which confirmed the agreement Then Boaz called them all to witnesse of this contract wherein he likewise did buy Ruth the Wife of Mahlon to be his Wife to stir up the name of the dead All which the Elders did witnes who prayed unto God that Ruth might be to him like Rachel and Leah which two did build the house of Israel and that he might be famous in Bethlehem and that by the seede of Ruth his house might be like Pharez whom Thamer bare unto Judah So Boaz took Ruth to his wife and the Lord gave her a son and the women said to Naomi blessed be the Lord which hath not lest thee this day without a kinsman And his name shall be continued in Israel and this shall bring thy life again and cherish thine old age for thy daughter in law which loveth thee hath born unto him she is better unto thee then seven sons And Naomi tooke the child and laid it in her lap and became nurse unto it and the women gave it a name calling it Obed which after was the father of Ishai the father of David the King PRAYERS UPON THE History of RUTH O Lord in the prosperities adversities of this world thou hast thy waies of mercie unto us as it befell unto the children of Israel even in their famines what blessings diddest thou give theÌ„ by their perigrinations into other Lands and how diddest thou from time to time not only provide for their bodily sustinance but likewise for their spirituall welfare both in Aegypt and other places And O Lord no less was thy extraordinary mercy unto Naomi by her journey in the time of famine unto Moab with her husband and children whom though by the course of nature death deprived her of theÌ„ yet thou diddest raise up unto her a most happy daughter in law even Ruth O Lord this is the generall current of thy continuall mercy unto us and nothing makes us so unhappy as the want of the fight consideration of that which daily befalls us through the course of our fraile life Therefore open thou mine eyes that I may see these thy mercies unto me for ever praise thee for thy goodness The constant resolution and charity of Ruth unto her Mother in law is for our imitation as the very true example of love and pitty it being the more full of goodness and rarity they being of two severall Nations and Religions O Lord give me such happy love and pitty as was in this thy servant Ruth with her resolution in the pursute of all good things which may tend to thy glory and worship let no worldly perswasions or reasons draw me from my way to Bethlehem in the land of thy promised happinesse but with the good and vertuous let me follow their steps as Ruth did Naomi that thou their God mayst be my God and that I may turne from my worldly and Moabitish affections attain to the happy serving of thee in Judah so shall I live and dye amongst the righteous by this thy mercie and help unto my weakenesse And as nothing but death could part Ruth from Naomi so good Lord let my soule so love and feare thee as to my last breath my hope comfort and confidence may rest in thee alone undividable O Lord furnish me with such happines as was in Ruth by her charity and humble deportment for which as thy blessing was upon this thy own gift of mercy unto her so she had the happinesse of a good esteem in the world shee being so full of modesty and vertue Give me O Lord such piety as may bee pleasing unto thee with such humility harmless courtesie as may gaine the love and good opinion of my neighbours O Lord grant unto mee such perfect frendship with my friend as was between Naomi Ruth with such loving and plain intentions so by thy goodnesse and mercie shall I enjoy such love comfort content as was between them to their dying daies O Lord all thy works are so full of wonder as wee cannot sufficiently admire them as it was by thy provideÌ„ce to bring Ruth unto Judah not only through so many stops by confirming her good purpose so now so strangely to bring her to glean in the field of Boaz whereby such a happiness did befall her not only for worldly respects â—ut likewise even in a heavenly happiness by the marriage and issue she had by Boaz. O Lord my God my ingratitude would cast me even into hell without recovery if I
Creation of Heaven and Earth and the life of ADAM IN the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth the Earth being a meere Chaos without forme and darkenesse was upon the deepe and the Spirit of God moved upon the waters And God commanded there should bee light and separated the light from darknesse which was day and night Then God commanded a Firmament which was made and called it Heaven After by his power hee made â—he herbs and trees to bud and beare fruit Then hee commanded to be made the two great Lights in the Firmament the Sunne and the Moone and it was so and there was Morning and Evening After God caused the waters to bring forth abundance of Creatures of all kinds with feathered Fowles Moreover he made the Earth to bring forth Creatures of his kind After these great workes God created Man even according to his owne Image to rule over the Earth and all these Creatures This wonderfull worke by Gods power was done in sixe dayes and God rested the seventh day and sanctified it The Lord made this Man of the dust of the ground and breathed in him life and then was he a living soule Then the Lord planting a Garden in Eden put therein the man whom he had thus created that place being planted with all sorts of trees of pleasure and for meat the tree of Life and the tree of Knowledge of good and evill being in the midst of that Garden And out of Eden went a river to water the Garden Then was the man put into the Garden by God to dresse and keep it giving him leave to eate of every tree only forbad him to eat of the Tree of Knowledge the which if he did he should die the death Then the Lord for his comfort formed of the Earth the Beasts of the field and the Fowles of Heaven and brought them to the man who named them But besides for Adam he created one of greater comfort and helpe for the Lord causing a heavy sleepe to fall upon him took out of his side one of his Ribs of which hee made Woman and brought her to Adam who called her Woman And they were both naked but were not ashamed Now in this Garden was a Serpent who was more crafty then any beast of the field who said to the Woman hath god said that yee shall not eate of every tree of the Garden Yes said the Woman of every tree but that in the middest of the Garden God hath commanded we should not touch it lest we dye Then the Serpent said to the Woman ye shall not die at all but God doth know that when you shall eat thereof your eyes shall be opened and yee shall be as Gods to know both good and evill So the Woman seeing the tree was good to eate pleasant to the eye and a tree to get knowledg took of the fruit thereof and gave likewise to her Husband then both their eyes were opened and finding themselves naked they sewed fig-leaves together and made themselves breeches After this in the coole of the day hearing of the voyce of God they hidde themselves amongst the trees from his presence but the Lord called the man who answered I heard thy voyce in the Garden and was affraid being naked Then the Lord said unto him hast thou eaten of the tree I forbad thee And the man said the woman thou gavest me she gave it me and I did eate thereof Then said the Lord to the woman why hast thou done this who answered the Serpent did beguile me and I did eate And then the Lord said unto the Serpent because thou hast done this thou art accursed above all Cattell upon thy belly shalt thou goe and dust shalt thou eate all thy dayes I will also put enmity betweene thy seede and her seede shee shall break thine head and thou shalt bruise his heel And to the woman he said he would encrease her sorrows and that in sorrow should she bring â—orth her children and be subject to her Husband And to Adam for his disobedience he cursed the earth for his sake that thorns and thistles should it bring forth and that in sorrow hee should eate his meat all the dayes of his life and in the sweate of his face hee should eate his bread till he returned to the earth from wheÌ„ce hee was taken and as hee came from dust thither he should returne and Adam called his Wife Hevah The Lord made them coates of skins and cloathed them then the Lord sent him forth from the Garden of Eden least hee should eaâ—e likewise of the tree fo Life sending him to till the earth from wheÌ„ce he was taken And being so cast out at the East side of the Garden of Eden hee set the Cherubims with the blade of a sword to keepe them from the tree of Life After this Adam knew Hevah his Wife who conceived bare Cain who became a tiller of the ground and againe shee brought forth Abel who was after a keeper of sheep After this when hee was one hundred and thirty years old he begat another child calling him Seth and hee lived after that eight hundred yeares and begat sonnes and daughters So al the dayes of Adam were nine hundred and thirty yeares and then he dyed Meditations prayers upon the Creation and life of Adam O Thou incomprehensible God who wast from all beginning even before the Creation of this Heaven and this Earth and who for all Eternity wilt continue after the dissolution of this thy great workmanship the world which thou hast created O Lord I that am thy Creature and composed of this Earth by reason of sinne and ingratitude doe finde my selfe most deformed and ful of darknesse even as that Chaos the world it was before thou O Lord diddest looke upon it and give it light Now my God being in this depraved condition and sitting in this darknesse In thy mercy looke thou upon me enlighten my soule and create a new heart in me and let thy blessed Spirit move upon the waters and troublesome waves of my vast unbridled concupiscence vaine affections whose floods are uncessant in this deepe and darkesome Sea which is so full of danger to my distressed soule O thou fructifier of the Earth which by thy wonderful and unsearchable power and comfort to mankinde created the trees and herbs and by making them to bud and bring forth both blossomb and fruit in their due time Looke mercifully O Lord upon this lump of earth I am composed of and so refresh mee with the dew of thy grace as that timely me from this thy Plant growing from this earth there may spring out the tender buds of contrition the blossome of Charity and the fruit of good workes and piety And let the holy Sun-beames of thy goodnesse which thou hast set in the Firmament of thy mercy preserve me from the bitter cold and frosts of Afflictions the mildewes and
morning and sware one to another departing in peace and amity Now when Esau was forty yeares old hee took to wife Judeth a Hittite and Beshemath another Hittite likewise who were a griefe of minde to Isaac and Rebecka Now Isaac growing old and his sight failing of him he called for Esau his eldest sonne who came unto him to whom he said I am now old and know not the day of my death wherefore I pray thee take thy bow and goe into the field and kill mee some Venison and make me some savory meate and bring it me that I may blesse thee before I dye the which accordingly Esau went about to doe Now Rebecka hearing what Isaac had said after Esau was gone into the field she told Jacob what Isaac had said and pointed Esau to doe and how he intended to blesse him before his death So she commanded him saying goe to the flocke and from thence bring two Goat-kids to make pleasant meate for thy Father that hee may blesse thee then said Jacob to his Mother that his brother Esau was rough and himselfe smooth by which if his Father should feel he should seeme to mock him so should he bring a curse upon himselfe in stead of a blessing but shee said let the curse be upon me So he went and brought them to his Mother who made pleasant meat thereof such as Isaac loved then she put upon him furre cloath's of Esau's which were in the house and covered his hands and the smooth of his necke with the skins of the Kids and so putting the meat bread into his hands he comming to his Father said my Father who answered I am here who art thou my sonne and Jacob said I am Esau thy first borne I have done as thou bid'st mee arise I pray thee sit up and eate of my Venison that thy soul may blesse mee to whom Isaac said how hast thou found it so quickly my sonne who answered because the Lord thy God brought it to my hand Then said Isaac unto him come neare that I may feele thee my sonne whether thou be my sonne Esau or not then Jacob came near him who felt him and said the voyce is Jacob's but the hands Esau's wherefore he blessed him Then he again asked him if he were Esau who answered him hee was then hee called for the Venison to eate that he might blesse him the which was brought by Jacob who did eat as likewise he drank wine After which hee called Jacob unto him to kisse him who did so then he smelled the savour of his garment and blessed him saying the smell of my sonne is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed and when Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob hee departed from his Father After which Esau comming from hunting came to his Father who asking whom hee was told him it was Esau his first borne sonne whereat Isaac was struck with great feare then hee told Esau of what had been done and how hee had blessed his brother that brought meat unto him and that hee should be blessed then Esau hearing this cryed bitterly Then Isaac 〈…〉 behold I have made 〈◊〉 Lord and all his Brethren 〈◊〉 made his servants Also 〈◊〉 wheat wine have I furnished him and unto thee now 〈◊〉 what shall I doe Then 〈◊〉 said unto him hast thou 〈◊〉 blessing my father blesse 〈◊〉 me also my Father and 〈◊〉 lift up his voice and wept 〈◊〉 Isaac said unto him that 〈…〉 of the land should be his â—welling place and to have the 〈◊〉 of heaven from above and 〈◊〉 time hee should break off 〈◊〉 others yoak from off his 〈◊〉 After this Esau hated Jacob intended afterwards to kill him of which â—â—â—becka hearing did forewaâ—â— Jacob and wished him to flye 〈◊〉 Haran to her brother 〈◊〉 for safety untill Esau's 〈◊〉 was over After this Isaac called for Jaâ—â—◠〈◊〉 when he had blessed him gave him a châ—â—ge not to marry any of the daughters of Canaan but presently 〈◊〉 to the house of Bethuel his â—â—â—hers Father and take to 〈◊〉 of the daughters of Laban 〈◊〉 others brother and so after he had blessed him with a 〈…〉 blessing he sent him 〈…〉 Laban Many yeares after this Jacob came unto his â—ather Isaac who was at Mamre which is Hebron where in the hundred and fourescore yeare of his 〈◊〉 he gave up the Ghost and was gathered unto to his people his sons Esau and Jacob burying him PRAYERS upon the History of ISAAC O Lord in thy mercy direct assist and prepare for mee through the passages of this world and in all my journeyes as thou diddest for that faithfull servant and Steward of Abraham's Make me carefull discreet and honest in all my actions and deportments as this good Steward was unto Abraham in his undertakings So concerning my soule and that so certaine a passage to eternity prepare me O Lord and let my care therein transcend all thought of earthly cares in this journey which so nearely concernes eternall happinesse or woe Guide me in what I goe about grant O God that I may take nothing in hand but what may please thee and give unto me O Lord thy blessing in the prosecution with a thankefull heart unto thee for thy goodnesse with this good servant whose prayers and praises thou did'st heare Oh let me admire thy providence and power in this thy worke at the Well to this servant and by it let mee consider how mercifully and strangely thou bringst things to pass even amongst us though not so pointed out by thy holy immediate finger as this particular O bring mee to thy happy Wel-spring of thy happinesse O Lord the comfort of thy holy grace to refresh direct me even that which so farre exceeds all transitory consolations And if this Steward did so much pray for his Master and praise thee O God for thy goodnesse to him how ought I who am thy humble but most unworthy servant even to exceede him in many degrees both in my humiliation for my sins and thankesgiving for all thy manifold mercies for infinite have they been to me beyond desert and expectation Therefore open thou mine eyes which are so dull and raise up my heart which is so dead that the one may see thy goodnesse and the other may praise thee that this my heart may mourne for my sins my eyes may flow into a fountain of tears for my offences With this servant make mee to be carefull in what I shall undertake for others as he was who would eate no meate till hee had delivered his message so O Lord in things which concerne thy service Let me neither eate nor sleepe untill I have paid my vowes and devoted my selfe unto thee for to be continued confirmed in thy feare and favour is happinesse indeed for beyond all earthly hopes whose budd is barrennesse and fruit strife Give me this good Stewards care to be gone
he did so And all the Elders of Israel followed him and he spake unto them saying Depart I pray you from the tents of these wicked men and touch nothing of theirs lest ye be consumed And so they departed and stood in the doores of their Tents their wives and their children and Moses said Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to doe all those workes for I have not done them of my owne minde if these men die the common death of all men or if they be visited after the visitation of all men then the Lord hath not sent me but if the Lord make a new thing and the earth open her mouth and swallow them up with all that appertaine to them and they goe downe quicke into the pit then shall ye understand that these men have provoked the â—ord And it came to passe as he had made an end of speaking all these words that the ground clave asunder that was under them and swallowed them up their houses and their goods and the earth closed upon them and they perished from among the congregation and there came a fire out from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense and as God commanded Eleazer the sonne of Aaron tooke the censers out of the fire and made of them broad plates to cover the Altar because they were formerly hallowed and to be a memoriall to all the children of Israel that no stranger which is not of the seed of Aaron come neare to offer incense before the Lord that he be not as Korah and as his company But on the morrow after this great judgement fell upon Korah the congregation murmured against Moses and Aaron saying They had killed the people of the Lord. And they being gathered together Moses and Aaron looked towards the Tabernacle and the cloud covered it and the glory of the Lord appeared And Moses and Aaron came before the Tabernacle of the congregation and the Lord spake unto Moses saying Get you up from among this congregation that I may consume them in a moment and they fell upon their faces and Moses bade Aaron to take a Censer and put fire therein from of the Altar and put on incense and go quickly unto the congregation and make an attonement for them for that wrath was gone out from the Lord and the plague was begun and Aaron did as Moses commanded and ran into the middest of the congregation but the plague was begun among the people and then he put on incense and made an attonement for the people and stood betweene the dead and the living and the plague ceased Now they that died of the plague were foureteene thousand and seven hundred besides them that died about the matter of Korah and Aaron returned unto Moses to the doore of the Tabernacle and the plague stayed And the Lord commanded Moses to speake unto the children of Israel to bring twelve rods for every Tribe one and thereon to write their names and to write Aarons name upon the rod of Levi and to lay them up in the Tabernacle before the Testimony and the Lord said That the mans rod whom he shall chuse shall be the chiefe and shall blossome thereby to make the children of Israel cease from murmuring against Moses and Aaron and Moses did as the Lord commanded and every one of the Princes gave him a rod according to their fathers houses Aarons rod being amongst them and Moses laid the rods before the Lord in the Tabernacle of witnesse and going on the morrow into the Tabernacle the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded brought forth buds bloomed and yielded Almonds and Moses brought them forth and they tooke every man his rod but the Lord bade Moses to bring back Aarons rod before the Testimony to be kept for a token against the Rebels and take away their murmurings lest they die and Moses did so as God commanded and the children of Israel spake unto Moses saying Behold we dye we perish we all perish Shall we be consumed with dying And the Lord commanded the Tribe of Levi to be joyned unto Aaron to minister unto him and onely that Aaron and his sonnes should minister before the Tabernacle of the witnesse and that the Levites should keepe the charge of the Tabernacle but they should not come nigh the vessels of the Sanctuary and the Altar lest Aaron and they should die and that no stranger should come near them and gave them many other Ordinances to observe Then came the children of Israel unto Zin and abode in Kadesh where Miriam died and was there buried and in that place was no water in so much as they gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron and the people did chide with Moses and wished they had died with their brethren Then Moses and Aaron went from them unto the doore of the Tabernacle and fell upon their faces and the Lord bade Moses and Aaron take the Rod and assemble the people together and speake unto the Rock before them and it should give forth water and they gathered the congregation together before the Rock and Moses said unto them Heare now ye Rebels must we fetch you water out of this Rock Then Moses lift up his hand and with his Rod he smote the Rock twice and the water came out abundantly and the congregation dranke and their beasts also And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron Because ye beleeve me not to sanctifie me in the eyes of the children of Israel therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them After this Moses sent messengers to Kadesh to the King of Edom letting him know of all their passages in Egypt and of the wonders that God had done desiring to passe through his Countrey onely to goe by the Kings high way and pay for what they tooke but the King of Edom refused it wherefore Israel turned another way and came to mouÌ„t Hor where the Lord spoke unto Moses and Aaron saying Aaron shall be gathered to hâ— people for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah take Aaron and his sonne Eleazar and bring them up unto mount Hor and Moses brought them up and as the Lord commanded Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them upon Eleazar his sonne and Aaron died there in the top of the mount and Moses and Eleazar came downe from thence and when the congregation of Israel saw that Aaron was dead even all the house of Israel mourned for him thirty dayes And they journied from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea and compassed the land of Edom but they were much discouraged because of the way and the people spake against God and Moses then the Lord sent fiery serpents amongst the people who bit them whereof many died
clothes rent and with earth upon his head and when he came Eli sate upon a seat by the way side watching for his heart trembled for the Ark of God and when it was told unto the city they all cryed out and the man came to Eli telling him hee came out of the Army then said Eli what is done there my sonne the messenger answered Israel is fled before the Philistines and there hath been a great slaughter thy two sonnes Hophni and Phineas are dead and the Ark of God is taken and when Eli heard mention of the Ark of God he fell backward from his seat by the side of the gate and brake his neck and died he was then 98 yeares old and blind and heavy of body and he had judged Israel forty yeares and his daughter in law the wife of Phineas being with child and near her time hearing the Ark of God was taken fell into travaile and being delivered of a sonne a little before her death they would have comforted her herewith but she did not regard it but she named the child Jehabod saying the glory is departed from Israel for the Ark of God is taken And the Philistines took the Ark of God and brought it to Ashdod and set it in the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon and when they came in the morning into the house they found Dagon fallen uppon his face to the earth before the Ark of the Lord and they set him up in his place again coming the next morning early Dagon was fallen upon his face againe to the ground before the Arke of the Lord and was broken upon the threshold onely the stumpe of Dagon was left for which the Priests of Dagon nor the people ever after did tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod but the hand of the Lord was heavy upon them of Ashdod and all the coastes thereabout and they were destroyed and smote with Emrods and when they saw the judgement upon them they said the Ark of the God Israel shall not abide with us for his hand is sore upon us and upon Dagon our God and they assembled themselves together and concluded to carry the Ark of the Lord unto Gath and they carried it about thither and that city was likewise smitten with the hand of God with a great destruction and they had Emrods in their secret parts therefore they sent the Ark of God to Ekron and they cryed out saying you have brought the Ark of the God of Israel to us to destroy us and our people and all the Lords people of the Philistines gathered together said send away the Ark of the God of Israel and let it goe again to his own place that we be not utterly destoyed for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city and the men that died not were smitten with Emrods and the cry of the city went up to heaven and the Ark of the Lord was with the Philistines 7 months and they called their Priests and Divines together to conclude how they should send the Ark away and they said send it not empty but in any wise return unto the God of Israel a trespasse offering then yee shall be healed then said they what shall be the trespasse offering which we shall return to him they answered five golden Emrods and five golden mice according to the number of the Philistine Lords for one plague was on you all and on your Lords and you shall make Images of your Emrods and Images of the mice that hurt the land and give glory unto the God of Israel to take his hand off you your Gods and your land and doe not you harden your hearts as the Aegyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts when he wrought wonderfully among them did they not let the people goe and they departed Now therefore make a new cart and take two milch kine on which there hath come no yoke tye the kine to the cart and bring the claves home from them and take the Ark of the Lord and lay it upon the cart and put the jewels of gold which ye return for a trespasse offering in a coffer and tye by the side thereof and send it away and see if it goe by the way of his own coaste to Bethshemesh if so then he hath done us the great evill But if not and that it goe another way we will take it as a chance that happened to us and they did do what was commanded them and laid the Ark upon the cart and the coffer with the Jewels and the kine took the streight way of Bethshemesh and went lowing along the high way and turned not aside the Lords of the Philistines went after them and they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat and seeing the Ark they rejoyced to see it and the cart came into the field of Joshuah a Bethshemite and stood there where there was a great stone and they clave the wood of the cart and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the Lord and the Levites took downe the Ark of the Lord and the coffer with the Jewels and put them on a great stone and the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed the same day unto the Lord. And when the Lords of the Philistines had seen those things they returned to Ekron and the stone whereon they set the Ark is called the great stone of Abell which is in the field of Joshuah the Bethshemite and the Lord smote the men of Bethshemesh because they had looked into the Ark of the Lord even fifty thousand men and the people lamented and they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim to fetch up the Ark unto them and they came and fetched the Ark of the Lord unto them and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hil and sanctified Eleazer his sonne to keep the Ark of the Lord and there it continued twenty yeares and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord. And long after twenty yeares David gathered all the chosen men of Israel and went with them from Baal of Judah to bring up the Ark of the Lord of hosts that dwelleth between the Cherubins and they set the Ark of God upon a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab and Uzzah and Ahio the sonnes of Abinadab drove the cart and Ahio went before the Ark and David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments made of firre wood on Harps and Psalters Timbrels Cornets and Cimbals and when they came to Nachons threshing floore Uzzah put forth his hand to the Ark of God and took hold of it for the Oxen shook it and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Vzzah and God smote him there for his error and he died by the Ark of God and David was afraid of the Lord upon the death of Uzzah and would not remove the Ark of the Lord unto