Juda. 2 Chron. 13. He overcame Jeroboam in Battel with an Army of four hundred thousand notwithstanding the other had twice so many chosen and picked Men. Of the which Abia slew five hundred thousand and weakned the power of Jeroboam so sore that he was never able to recover his strength again so long as Abia raigned This King had xiv Wives by whom he had xxii Sons and xvi Daughters He raigned but three years and was buried in the City of David Abia 2 King 14. the Son of Jeroboam being sick on a time his Father called the Queen his Wife unto him and bad her disguise her self that in no wise she might be known what Woman she was And so go thy way quoth he to Silo and there shalt thou find the Prophet of God called Ahia which told me long before Solomon dyed that I should be King of Israel Make speed and take a Present with thee and learn of him what shall become of the Child The Queen did then as she was commanded but all was in vain For God had revealed the matter unto the Prophet before the woman came Insomuch that as soon as the blind old man heard the noise of her coming and entring in at the door he said Come in thou wife of Jeroboam why hast thou disguised and feigned thy self to be another woman Thou art come to receive some comfort for thy son which lyeth sick but I am commanded to tell thee heavy and sorrowful things It repenteth the Lord that he hath exalted Jeroboam and rent the Kingdom from the house of David and given it to him forasmuch as he hath forsaken the Lord and not followed him in his heart as David did but hath made him gods of his own therefore the Lord hath determined to bring such a plague upon the house and posterity of Jeroboam that he will not leave one alive to make water against the wall Wherefore now get thee home and as soon as thy foot shall enter into the City the child shall die and all Israel shall lament him and bring him to his Sepulcher And so shall none of the house of Jeroboam thy husband enjoy the honour of his burial but only this child because the Lord saw in him some goodness toward And so when the Prophet had done speaking the wife of Jeroboam rose up and returned home to her house and found her son dead as the Prophet had foretold Abia Father of the Sea Abia the Daughter of Zacharia 2 King 18. was wife to Ahaz King of Juda and Mother to Hezekia Which name signifieth thus Abia the will of the Lord. Abiathar the son of Ahimelech Priest of Nob 1 Sam. 22. seeing the great cruelty of Saul in putting his Father to death for refreshing of David escaped his hands and fled to the Forest of Hareth where David at that time lay declaring to him the great murder that Saul had done to Ahimelech his Father and to all the Priests of the Lord for his sake Then being comforted of David he abode with him and was his Priest and Counsellor so long as he reigned But in the end of Davids raign he consented with Adonijah who had exalted himself to stablish him in the Kingdom 1 King 2. after the death of David But Solomon being proclaimed and the other deposed as soon as he was possessed deprived Abiathar and placed Sadock in his room And so was the word of the Lord fulfilled which he had spoken before concerning the house of Eli for Abiathar was the last of that line Abiathar Father of the Remnant or excellent Father Abigail 1 Sam. 25. the wife of Nabal the Carmelite was a woman not only beautiful but of a singular wisdom withal For when her husbands denial to Davids men for sustenance in their masters necessity was told her she then considering the great displeasure that might arise of the occasion offered hasted to load her Asses with sundry kind of victuals sending them forth before her and following after with speed And as she was going the providence of God was so that she met David by the way upon the side of an hill coming to Carmel determined utterly to have destroyed her husband and all that he had by the dawning of the day following Then she perceiving the fury of David lighted down from her Asse falling flat on the ground before him and so began her petition which was so pithily framed and done that in the end she pacified his wrath and stayed his hands from sheding of bloud that day for the which she was highly commended and praised of David who gently receiving her present did clearly remit the churlish behaviour of Nabal her husband for her sake Which being granted she took her leave and returned again But when she came home and found Nabal her husband so far overcharged with wine that his wits were gone she thought it convenient to follow the wise mans counsel Eccl. 31. not to rebuke him in his wine but to let the matter rest till the drink were all out of his brain and his memory fresh And so on the next morrow she declared to Nabal the great and perilous danger he was in for his unkindness shewed to David which when he heard it did smite him so sore to the heart that he never enjoyed himself but dyed within ten days after And then in process this woman Abigail became David's wife 2 Sam. 3. and bare him a son called Chileab which in the first book of Chronicles chap. 3. is called Daniel Abigail The Fathers Joy There was another woman called Abigail 1 Chron. 2. which was Sister to David and wife to Jether an Ismaelite unto whom she bare a son called Amasa Abimelech King of the Philistines Gen. 20. was a man which had the fear of God before his eyes as it may appear in the story of Abraham by his godly entertainment of his wife whom he took to be his very sister and not his wife as they had both confessed unto him And having a mind to the woman he took her from Abraham intending to have joyned with her in marriage and not for any sinful desire But when by the voice of God he knew she was Abraham's wife indeed and he a Prophet and his house sore plagued for her sake he was right sorry for that he had done and also displeased with Abraham for so dissembling with him in so weighty a cause considering the dishonesty that might have happened unto his wife by some of his men and the peril of Gods indignation on him and on his kingdom for the same yet notwithstanding when he knew the cause of Abrahams dissembling he possest him with cattel servants and money and delivered Sarah his wife unto him again giving him also free liberty to dwell and inhabite where he would within the precinct of his dominion Then Abraham prayed unto God for Abimelech at whose petition the Lord removed his
be Captain over his Host in the room of Joab which office he did not long enjoy for when Sheba the Son of Bichri had begun a new commotion and that David had sent Amasa to gather the Men of Juda together 20. c. and to bring them to him by the third day it chanced Joab to meet Amasa by the way which was somewhat after the time the King had appointed and saluting him with all gentleness he took him by the Chin with one hand to kiss him and with the other hand he smote him under the short Ribs with his Dagger and killed him Amasa Sparing the people Amasiah 2 King 14. the Son of Joash King of Juda began his Reign at the Age of xxv 2 Chron. 25. Years in the beginning whereof he did indifferently well observe the Laws of God but in the end he became an Idolater He prepared an Host of thirty thousand Men to go against the Edomites and yet to make himself the stronger he hired an hundred thousand more out of the ten Tribes of Israel for an Hundred Talents of Silver But as he was going with both the Hosts of Juda and Israel he was commanded by the Lord's Prophet to send the Host of Israel home again forasmuch as the Lord was not with them or else he should not stand before his enemies How then said the King shall I do for the hundred Talents which I have given for them Take no thought for that quoth the Prophet for the Lord is able to give thee as much more And so he sent the Host of Israel home again who for anger they were dismissed fell upon the Cities of Juda as they went and did much harm Then Amasias with his own Men set upon his Enemies and slew ten thousand and discomfited the rest After which Victory whereas he ought to have given all praise unto God for the same he fell from God and most vilely dishonoured him in worshipping the Idols of the Edomites despising the * This was Amos the Prophet whom Amasiah caused many times to be beat His Son caused 2 Nail to be thrust into his temples and being half dead he was carried into his own country where he soon after dyed Cooper Prophet's admonition sent unto him from the Lord. And so persisting in his obstinate mind and proud heart he wrote to Joash King of Israel commanding Him and his People by a Parable of the Cedar-tree and Thistle to be under his subjection But Joash after defiance gathered an Army and went against Amasiah whose Host being discomfited Amasiah was taken and brought to Joash who carried him to Jerusalem where notwithstanding the Gates being opened to him he caused four hundred Cubits of the Wall to be beaten down and entred into the City that way leading Amasiah with him as a Prisoner and took all the treasure of the Temple and of the Kings house caused it to be brought into Samaria Afterward being delivered his own People slew him He reigned xxix years and Azariah his Son succeeded Amasiah the Strength of the Lord. Amnon the Eldest Son of David had a fair Sister called Thamar 2 Sam. 3.14 cap. with whom he was so far in love that he could eat no meat that did him good but pined himself away marvellously for her sake Then Jonadab his Fathers Brothers Son a friend and familiar of his and a worldly wise man perceiving Amnon to be sore changed and every day more and more went to him and said How happeneth this Amnon that thou being the King's Son consumest thy self so away and dost not tell me Oh said Amnon I am in love with Thamar my Brother * Thamar was Absalom's Sister both by Father and Mother and Amnons by the Fathers side only Absalom's sister and except I may have her company I shall surely die Now to further this wicked purpose of Amnon here was a counseller ready at hand I will tell thee said Jonadsb what thou shalt do lay thee down upon thy Bed and feign thy self sick and when David thy Father cometh to visit thee desire him to let Thamar thy Sister come and dress thee such meat as thou hast a lust unto Amnon did so and when Thamar was come and had dressed him meat and brought it into his Chamber he commanded all to avoid and never rested until he had by force gotten his pleasure which done he fell into such an exceeding hatred of Thamar that he could not suffer her to be in his sight but caused his servant to thrust her out of his house and to bolt the doors after her For this shameful incest of Amnon Absalom two years after at a Banquet slew Him Amnon A People Lot had a Son called Ammon Gen. 19. which was born him of his youngest daughter and of him came the Ammonites Amon 2 King 21. the Son of Manasses was xxii years old when he began his reign over Juda 2 Chron. 33. and walked not in the ways of the Lord but gave himself more to wicked Idolatry and worshipping of stinking Idols than ever his Father did and would never turn unto God Wherefore at last certain of his own Men conspired against him and slew him which Conspirators the People of the Land notwithstanding put to death and made Josiah his Son King in his stead Amon Faithful Amos Amos 1.2 3 c. was an Herdman or Shepherd of a poor Town called Tekoa and one of the Twelve Prophets which God raised up to admonish the Israelites of their wickedness and Idolatry and to threaten them with his Plagues and Punishments if they did not repent Read of his death in the story of Amasiah Amos a Burden The Father of Jesse Esay 1. David's Father was called Amos and there the word signifieth Strong Amram Exod. 6. Numb 26. the Son of Caath the Son of Levy took Jochebed his Fathers * This kind of marriage was after in the Law forbidden Levit 18. Sister to Wife who bare unto him two Sons Aaron and Moses and also a Daughter called Miriam He lived an hundred and thirty eight years Amram a mighty or an high people or a band of them Amraphel Gen. 14. was King of Shinar and one of the four Kings which fought against five other Kings in the Valley of Siddim where he and his party had the Victory Amraphel Speaking destruction or speaking secrets Amri 1 King 16. was the Chief Captain and Governour of the whole Army of Elah the Son of Baasha King of Israel And lying at the siege of Gibbethon a City of the Philistines the whole Host there hearing of the death of Elah constituted Amri King in his stead But the residue of the Israelites which abode at home and were not with Amri at the siege made Tibni the Son of Ginath King So that the People were divided and in great contention for their King which continued for the space of three years till Tibni
chanced to dye and then the whole multitude received Amri for their King who began his reign in the xxxi year of the reign of Asa King of Juda and reigned most wickedly of all others before him xii years and dyed leaving his Son Achab to succeed him Amri a Band or handful a power or a bitter and rebellious people Anah the Son of Zibeon Gen. 36. as he sed and kept his Fathers Asses in the Wilderness was the first that found out the monstrous generation of Mules between the Asse and the Mare He had a Sister also called Anah whose daughter Aholibamah was Wife to Esau the Son of Isaac Anah Afflicting answering or singing Ananias was a certain Man Act. 5. who to be counted one of the Christian Religion sold his possession with his Wives consent and notwithstanding kept away part of the price thereof and brought the rest and laid it down at the Apostles seet whose dissembling hypocrisie being revealed unto Peter he said unto him Ananias how is it that Satan hath filled thine heart that thou shouldest lye unto the Holy Ghost and keep away part of the price of the possession Pertained it not unto thee only and after it was sold was it not in thine own power how is it that thou hast conceived this thing in thine heart Thou hast not lyed unto Men but unto God And when Ananias heard these words he fell down and dyed Ananias the Cloud of the Lord. Ananias Act. 9. the Disciple of Christ dwelling at Damascus had a Vision appeared unto him saying Ananias arise and go into the street which is called Streight and seek in the house of Judas for one Saul of Tarsus for behold he prayeth and hath seen a Vision a Man named Ananias coming unto him and putting his hands on him that he might receive his sight Then said Ananias Lord I have heard by many of this Man how much evil he hath done to thy Saints at Jerusalem and that he hath authority from the High-Priests to bind all that call upon thy name Well said he go thy ways for he is a chosen Vessel unto me to bear my name before the Gentiles and Kings and the Children of Israel For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my names sake Then Ananias went to Saul and laid his hands on him and said Brother Saul the Lord that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest hath sent me that thou mightest receive thy sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost And so by the hands of Ananias Saul received his sight again There was another Ananias Aâ— 23. who being High-Priest commanded Paul to be smitten on the mouth as he was answering for himself before the Council Andrew Matth. 4. John 6. a poor Fisherman was called with his Brother Peter to be an Apostle When Christ demanded of his Disciples Andrew suffered Martyrdom in the City of Achaia where they might buy Bread to satisfie the People that followed him Andrew made answer and said There is a little Boy here which hath five Barly Loaves and two Fishes but what is that among so many Andrew Manly Andronicus being a Man of authority and in great favour with Antiochus King of Syria was left in Jewry 2 Mac. 4â— and made Lieutenant over the Jews until the return of the King who was gone to pacifie a certain commotion made by the Tharsians and Mallacians And in the mean time being corrupted with bribes rewards of that ungracious man Menelaus to dispatch the good and godly man Onias whom he so hated out of the way he went to Onias who for his safeguard had taken the benefit of Sanctuary and with fair words perswaded him to come forth binding himself with an oath he should have no harm And when he saw that Onias suspected him he fell upon him incontinently without any regard of righteousness slew him Whose innocent death so offended the People that they made a grievous complaint of Andronicus to the King at his coming home who caused that wicked murderer to be stripped out of his purple cloaths and led most villanously thorow the City to the place where he had committed his ungracious act and to suffer a most shameful death Andronicus a Conquerer or Victorer Andronicus the faithful Disciple of Christ Rom. 16.7 to whom Paul sendeth commendations on this wise Salute Andronicus and Junia my Kinsmen and Fellow-prisoners with me which are of note among the Apostles and were in Christ before me Aner Mamre and Eschol were three Brethren Gen. 14.13 c. which when Lot was taken Prisoner among the Sodomites and carried away by Kedorlaomer and other Kings that took his part joyned themselves with Abraham in the rescuing of Lot his Brothers Son for the which their saithful assistance at that present Abraham dealt liberally with them in the parting of the spoil won at that Expedition Aner an Answer or a song of the Candle or light or that which troubleth or hurteth the Candle Anna 1 Sam. 1 cap. the Wife of Elkanab was long barren and without Child which barrenness her Companion and Mate Peninnah did daily cast in her teeth to her great reproach Wherefore Anna was so full of heaviness that God had made her such a railing stock that she could eat no meat And being thus tormented and troubled in her mind she gat her into the Temple making there her hearty prayers to God to give her a Man child And as she prayed it fortuned Eli the Priest as he sat in the Temple to mark her mouth and perceiving her lips to move and no voice heard thought she had been drunken saying Thou Woman how long wilt thou be drunken put away thy drunkenness from thee Nay my Lord quoth she I am a Woman troubled in spirit and have drunken neither Wine nor strong Drink but pour out my Soul before the Lord count not thine Handmaid to be a Daughter of Belial for out of the abundance of my heaviness and grief have I spoken hitherto and so desiring Eli to pray for her she departed chearfully home to her House and shortly after conceived by Elkanah her Husband and bare him a Son whose Name she called Samuel And when she had brought up the Child and weaned it she prepared a sacrifice and went to the Temple presenting both it and her Child to Eli the Priest putting him also in remembrance that she was the same Woman which stood before him of late and prayed unto God for that Child and that now according to her promise she was come to dedicate him unto the Lord. And so after praise and thanksgiving she departed leaving the Child with Eli to minister in the Temple of God And every year after would Anna make a little Coat for Samuel her Son and bring it up when she * Once a year they accustomed to appear before the Lord with their Family came with her Husband
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
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
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
he preferred * God preferreth that many times which Man despiseth and despiseth that which man alloweth Ephraim the younger before Manasses the elder yet putting Joseph their Father in comfort that Manasses should be great but Ephraim should be greater Of the Genealogy of Ephraim read 1 Chron. 7. Ephraim Fruitful or encreasing Ephron the Son of Zoar dwelt among the Hethites Gen. 23. cap. having a piece of Land which Abraham had a mind to buy to bury Sarah his Wife therein And when the matter was broken to Ephron by Abraham to sell his Ground for so much Money as it was worth Ephron willingly offered to give it him freely to bury his dead and to do withal what he would But notwithstanding Abraham forced him so much to know the price thereof that Ephron said My Lord the Land is worth four hundred * The common Sicle is about the value of twenty pence Sicles but what is that between thee and me take it freely I beseech thee and bury thy dead at thy pleasure And so he received of Abraham for his Land the Summ aforesaid Ephron Dust or low on the ground Er the Eldest Son of Judah the Son of Jacob Gen. 38.7 was married to a Woman called Thamar and for his great wickedness the Lord slew him Er VVatchful and making bare or pouring forth Erastus was the Chamberlain Act. 19.22 Rom. 16.23 2 Tim. 4.20 or Receiver of the City of Corinth and one of Paul's Ministers whom he sent from Ephesus into Macedonia with one Timotheus intending himself to follow after to gather Mens alms for the relieving of such as were needy and poor at Jerusalem Erastus Amiable Esay Esay 1.1.42.1.45 53. cap. the Son of * Amos the Father of Esay was Brother to Azariah King of Judab and Esay was Father-in-law to Manasses who put him to death Amos was an holy Prophet of the Tribe of Judah in whom was such abundance of the spirit of Prophecie that he prophesied so much of Christ that he seemed rather to be an Evangelist than a Prophet He was of such holiness that in the time of King Ezechias when a City was besieged he by his Prayer obtained of God that Water sprang up in little quantity so that the People did not perish for lack of Water and when the Enemies had won the City and besieged Seloum as often as the Jews came for Water the Water ran out of the Earth abundantly and they took Water But the strangers when they came could not find it This holy Man for his liberty of speech in rebuking of the sin of the Princes and the People and for the prophesying of the vengeance of God upon that Countrey and People was cut in two pieces with a Saw and buried under an Oke but asterward he was translated and buried by the Sepulchre of Kings He was before the coming of Christ 800. years Eliote Esay the health of the Lord. Esau Gen. 25.25 was the eldest Son of Isaac born with his Brother Jacob at one birth of their Mother Rebekah Jacob was smooth of body Of Esau came the Edomites Esau was called Edom that is red because he fold his birth-right for a mess of red Pottage and Esau rough and hairy who became a great hunter wherefore his Father loved him the better because now and then he did eat of his Venison On a time coming from hunting he was so weary and faint for hunger that he was almost dead And seeing his brother Jacob to have sod a Pot of Pottage he prayed him to give him a few thereof to eat Sell me now thy Birthright quoth he and I will Then Esau esteeming mere his Belly than the benefit of his Birth-right sold it to Jacob for a Mess of Pottage And when he had filled his Belly well he went his way and passed forth 26.34 till he came about the Age of Forty Years And then he took him two Wives the one Judith the Daughter of Beri and the other Bashemath the Daughter of Elon both which Women were disobedient to their Father and Mother-in-law 27. cap. After this his Father being old and blind for age he went out to kill some Venison for his Father that he might eat thereof and bless him before he died But when he had dressed it and brought it for his Father to eat Jacob had prevented Esau and gotten his blessing from him for the which he hated Jacob and threatned to kill him wherefore Jacob was sent away into Mesopotamia partly to avoid the malice of Esau 28.1 2 c. and partly to get him a Wife there because his Father would not have him marry with the Canaanites Then Esau perceiving that the Daughters of Canaan displeased Isaac he to please his Father took to Wife the Daughter of Ishmael Abraham's Son And so these two Brethren being thus separated the one from the other in process became both very rich And in the end when by the providence of God they met together again God had so altered and changed the mind of Esau that he most lovingly embraced his Brother Jacob ministring to him such kindness as though he had never born him any displeasure at all And so in fine departed as loving friends Jacob toward Succoth and Esau to Mount Seir his own possession Esau VVorking Eshcol was Brother to Mamre and Aner Gen. 14.13.24 which three were Abraham's confederates and his partakers in the rescuing of Lot his Brother out of the hands of Kedorlaomer Eshcol a Cluster Esdras the Son of Saraia 1 Esd 7.8 cap. was a notable Scribe in the Law of Moses and long in captivity at Babylon but at last by the licence of Artaxerxes he came from Babylon to Jerusalem again with the Jewes to repair the Law and City of God and to teach the People the right way of the Lord. He gathered and brought in order all the Books of the Laws of God which were by the Chaldees scattered and destroyed 9 and 10 cap. This Man's living was so upright and holy and so esteemed among the People that when they had offended the Lord in contracting themselves with the Gentiles at his godly preaching and counsel they repented and put away their strange Wives and turned to the Lord again Esdras an Helper Esther Esther 2 cap. the Daughter of Abian a Jew born was a goodly young Damosel and after the death of her Father and Mother nourished and brought up in the house of Mardocheus her Fathers Uncle During which time Vashti for her disobedience to Ahasuerus the King was deposed from her Princely state And then to have another placed in her room certain fair young Damosels and Virgins among which Esther was one were taken up by Commission and brought to the Court and there found at the King's charges for the space of xii Moneths with all manner of sumptuous Deckings to the end the King might choose one of them
Fathers house and sent away to shift for themselves But nevertheless the Lord which had promised Abraham to bless encrease and multiply his Son Ishmael so preserved him that he became a great Archer and dwelt in the Wilderness of Pharan 25.12 c. and took him a Wife out of the Land of Egypt and begat twelve Princes so that the Lord made of him a great Nation He lived 137. years Ishmael God hath heard Of Ishmael the Son of Nethaniah which slew Gedaliah read the stories of Johanan and Gedaliah Ittai was a Gittite born 2 Sam. 15. and bare such love to David that he left his own Countrey to come and see him and the fashion of his Court Lyra saith that Ittai was the Son of Achish King of Gath. and as he continued there and saw into what danger Absalom had brought his Father David either to flee his Realm or to have lost all he would take no part with Absalom but sollowed David and lest him not in this extremity And when David saw him he said unto him why comest thou with me Ittai return I pray thee and abide with the King for thou art a stranger and come but yesterday and therefore I would be loth to disquiet thee Therefore return and carry again thy Brethren and the Lord shall shew thee mercy and truth Nay said Ittai as truly as God liveth and my Lord the King liveth in what place my Lord the King shall be whether in life or death even there also will thy servant be And so he went forward with David and had rule over the third part of David's Host in the suppression of Absalom Ittai Strong Iudah was the fourth Son of Jacob and Leah Gen. 29 ult 37.26 who would not consent to the death of Joseph his Brother but gave counsel to sell him saying What shall it avail us my Brethren to slay our Brother and to keep his bloud secret let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands upon him for he is our Flesh and Bloud After this 38. cap. he departed from his Brethren to a place called Adullam where he remained with a friend of his called Hirah and in process fell in love with a Man's Daughter called Shuah a Canaanite born and married her who in time brought him forth three Sons The first Er The second Onan and the third Shelah The two first one after another he married to a certain Woman called Thamar but for their horrible sin and wickedness the Lord slew them both Then Judah fearing to marry the third Son unto her lest he should dye also said to his Daughter in law Remain a Widow at thy Father's house till Shelah my Son be grown she did so during which time the daughter of Shuah died and Judah became a Widower Now when the days of mourning were ended he went to a place called Timnath taking his friend Hirah with him to see his Sheep-shearers Then Thamar hearing thereof and seeing Shelah not given her in marriage laid away her Widows Garment and disguising her self like a common Harlot went and sat her down in an open place by the High-ways side going to Timnath And as Judah passed that way and saw one sit muffled like an Whore went unto her and said Come I pray thee let me lye with thee What wilt thou give me then quoth she I will quoth he send thee a Kid from the Flock Then leave me a pledge quoth she till thou send it What pledge shall I leave quoth Judah Thy Signet quoth she upon thy Finger thy Cloak and thy Staff He did so and lay with her And coming to his Flock he took a Kid and sent it by his friend Hirah to receive his pledges again Who being come to the place and not finding the Woman he asked of the Men thereabout where the Whore was which sat in the way as they came They made him answer again there was no Whore there Then he returned to Judah and told him Well said Judah let her take it to her lest we be ashamed Now was Thamar conceived with Child and when she had gone three Moneths the thing was espied and told to Judah that his Daughter-in-law had played the Whore and was with Child Then bring her forth quoth he that she may suffer according to the Law And as she was led to the fire she sent the pledges to Judah her Father in law saying By the same Man to whom these things do pertain am I with Child Then Judah knowing his pledges said she is more righteous than I for she hath done this deed because I gave her not to Shelah my Son And so was the Woman delivered and brought him forth two Sons at one birth Gen. 49.10 Pharez and Zarah Of this Man Judah it was prophesied that the Scepter should not depart from him nor a Law-giver from between his feet until * which was Christ Shilo came Judah a Praising or Confession Iudas Machabeus the third Son of Mattathias the Jew was a valiant Man in his Faith 1 Mac. 2. and of an invincible courage In so much that he overcame Apollonius and Seron two mighty Princes of Syria 3. cap. which came against him And with three thousand Men he put Gorgias to flight which stole upon him by night and vanquished Lysias the Lieutenant of King Antiochus and his Sons and with them Forty Thousand Foot-men 4. cap. and seven thousand Horsemen and slew of them five thousand Afterward in Galilee 5. cap. he slew of the Host of Timotheus another of the King's Captains first three thousand and afterward eight thousand 7. cap. After that by a Valley called Adarsa he with a thousand fought with Nicanor a Captain of King Demetrius and nine thousand with him at the which Battel Nicanor was slain and of the nine thousand almost none escaped Finally 9. cap. too much trusting in his prosperity in Wars in going against Bachides a Captain of King Demetrius who had a great Host and taking with him but two thousand of which at the last remained with him but only viii hundred he fought till it was night and made a wonderful slaughter of enemies But while he forced himself to come to Bachides the which was on the right Wing of the Battel he fought so nobly that he escaped that Wing slaying many about him Finally being environed with the left Wing and stricken with many wounds he was slain with much difficulty Judas A praising c. Iudas 1 Mac. 16. the Son of Symon the Son of Mattathias did manfully assist John his Brother against Cendebeus Captain of Anticchus's Host and was at the same time sore wounded and afterward most traiterously murdered with Symon his Father at a Banquet which Ptolomy made them at his Castle called Doche. Iudas Luk 6 14-16 the Son of Alpheus and Brother to James is called in the tenth of S. Matthew Lebbeus and is
he married to Jacob his Sisters Son as in the story of Jacob is at large set forth Laban White Lamech the Son of Methuselah Gen 4.19 c. came of the Generation of Cain and was the first Man that took him two Wives whereby the lawful Institution of Marriage which is that two should be one flesh was first in him corrupted His two Wives were called Adah and Zillah By Adah he had two Sons Jubal and Tubal By Zillah one Son called Tubal-Cain and a Daughter called Naamah He slew Cain but not willingly and told his Wives saying I have slain a Man unto the wounding of my self and a young Man unto mine own punishment If Cain shall be avenged seven fold truly Lamech seventy and seven fold 5.28 c. When Lamech had lived 182. years he begat a Son and called his name Noah of whom he prophesied saying This shall comfort us concerning the works and labours of our hands in the Earth which the Lord hath cursed He lived 777. years and dyed Lamech Poor or smitten Lazarus John 11. cap. was a certain Man dwelling in the Town of Bethanie which Town pertained to him and his Sisters called Martha and Mary Magdalene And being sick on a time his Sister Mary sent unto Jesus saying Oh Lord behold he whom thou lovest is sick At whose request Jesus when he saw his time took his journey into Jewry to visit his Friend Lazarus who was dead and buried four days before his coming Then Jesus who was not ignorant of that which was done went to his Grave wherein they had laid him and said Lazarus come forth And forthwith he came out of his Grave bound Hand and Foot with his Grave-cloaths upon him and a Napkin bound about his Face who being untied came forth of his Cloaths as whole and as lusty as ever he was in all his life For the which Miracle the Jews sought not only how they might put Jesus to death but Lazarus also upon whom the Miracle was done because that for his sake many of the Jews went away and believed on Jesus After this about six days before the Feast of Easter came Jesus to Bethanie again John 12.1 2. where they had prepared him a Supper at the which Martha served him but Lazarus sat at the Table with him as others did Lazarus the Help or succour of God or Gods Court Lazarus Luk. 16.20 c. the poor Begger which lay at the great Man's Gate full of botches and sores even ready to die for hunger could not be relieved with so much as one crum of the Scraps which fell from the Rich man's Board when he made his earnest petition for them whereas the Dogs were fed with great Lumps of good Bread yea he found more favour and gentleness with the Dogs than with the Rich man For whereas the rich Glutton would refresh the poor Begger with nothing of all his delicious and sumptuous fare yet the hungry Dogs came and licked his sores But when it chanced that this Begger died he was carried by the Angels into * Soâ—e do understand by Abraham's bosom the faith of Abraham And some the place where those do rest which die in the faith of Abraham Which place is not expressed in Scripture Abraham's bosom And contrariwise the rich Man then dying also and being sumptuously buried was carried into Hell where in his torments he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom unto whom he cryed saying O Father Abraham have mercy upon me and send Lazarus hither that he may but dip the tip of his finger in water to cool my Tongue for I am sore tormented in this Flame Nay said Abraham forasmuch as in thy lise time thou receivedst thy pleasure and hadst no pity on the poor now art thou punished And contrariwise Lazarus which received pain and took it patiently is now comforted Leah was the Eldest Daughter of Laban the Son of Nahor Abraham's Brother and somewhat blear-eyed Gen. 19.33 c. She prevented her Sister Rachel in marriage being brought to Jacob's Bed in her Sisters stead and so became Jacob's first Wife and bare unto him one after another these four Sons Reuben Simeon Levi and Judah 30.14 c. and so ceased till it chanced Reuben her Eldest Son in the time of wheat Harvest to go out into the fields and find * The Mandrake is a kind of Herb whose Root hath a certain likeness of the figure of 2 Man Mandrakes and brought them home to his Mother Then Rachel hearing thereof went to Leah her sister desiring to have her Sons Mandrakes who said to Rachel Is it not enough that thou hast taken away my Husband but wouldest take away my Son's Mandrakes also Well quoth Rachel let him sleep with thee this Night for thy Sons Mandrakes And so Jacob coming out of the Field at Even Leah met him and said Come in unto me for I have bought thee with my Sons Mandrakes and that night she conceived of Jacob and brought him forth the fifth Son and called his name Isachar After that she conceived again and brought him forth the sixth Son and called his name Zebulun Last of all she conceived and brought him forth a Daughter and called her name Dinah Leah Painful or wearied Levi Gen. 29.34.34 cap. the third Son of Jacob and Leah with his Brother Simeon slew Hemor and Sichem his Son for ravishing of their Sister Dinah And therefore were they called of Jacob their Father Cruel Instruments Levi had three Sons Gershon Kalath and Merari The Tribe of Levi Num. 18.20 c. Deut. 10.8 Joshua 13.33 the Lord chose unto himself and appointed them to serve in the Tabernacle of witness with Aaron to bear the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord to minister and bless in his name and had no Inheritance among their Brethren but the Lord who was their Inheritance He lived 137. years Exod. 6.16 Levi Joyned or coupled Levi Luke 5.27 c. Mar. 2.14 Matth. 9.9 otherwise called Matthew the Son of Alpheus was a Toll-gatherer or a receiver of Custome who at the voice of Jesus when he said Follow me left his office and all things behind him and followed the Lord. And became of a sinful Publican a true Disciple of Christ He invited Jesus to his house and made him a great Feast at the which were many Publicans beside other of his acquaintance which sat at Meat with Christ and his Disciples wherewith the Pharisees were much offended Levite and his Wife There was a certain Levite dwelling on this side of Mount Ephraim which took to Wife a Concubine out of Bethlehem Juda which Woman played the Whore by him and went away from him to her Fathers house where she remained four Moneths And at last her Husband being desirous to have her again went to intreat her friendly and to fetch her home and was gently entertained
five thousand of his Men. Finally as he lay with Antiochus the King 7. cap. at the City of Antioch Demetrius came upon them and slew them both Lysias Dissolving Lysias Act. 22.24 c. was a chief Captain under the Emperour and having Paul committed unto him as Prisoner was afraid to punish him because he was a Roman And therefore to know the certainty wherefore the Jews had accused him 25. cap. he brought him forth before the Council where in the end fell such dissention and debate among them that Lysias fearing lest Paul should have been pull'd asunder of the Jews took him and had him into the Castle And having knowledge how the Jews had conspired Paul's death he sent him away secretly by night to Felix being at that time the Emperour's Lieutenant to whom he wrote on this wise Claudius Lysias unto the most mighty Ruler Felix sendeth greeting As this Man was taken of the Jews and should have been killed of them I came upon them with Souldiers and rescued him perceiving he was a Roman And when I would have known the cause wherefore they accused him I brought him forth in their council There I perceived that he was accused of questions of their Law and had no crime worthy of death or of bonds And when it was shewed me how that the Jews laid wait for the Man I sent him straightway unto thee and commanded his Accusers if they had ought against him to tell it unto thee Farewel Lysimachus was made the High-Priest of the Jews Macc. 4. in the room of Menelaus his Brother by whose Counsel he robbed the Temple and did much mischief whose wickedness was so manifest unto the People that they rose up against him and made a great uproar in the City Whereupon Lysimachus perceiving whereabout they went got unto him three thousand unthrists well armed for his defence Against whom the Multitude fought so furiously with Club and Bats and with hurling of stones and such Weapons as they could get that they wounded many slew some and chased the rest away and at the last killed the wicked Church-robber himself beside the Treasury Lysimachus dissolving Battel Loammi Hosea 1.9 was the Second Son of Gomer the Daughter of Diblaim And when she brought him forth the Lord said Call his name Loammi For why ye are not my People therefore will not I be your God Loammi not my People Lois 2 Tim. 1.5 was a faithful godly Woman and Grandmother to Timothy who always brought up her Children and Family in the fear of God and knowledge of Christ's Doctrine Lois Better Lo-ruhama Hos 1.6 was the Daughter of Gomer the Daughter of Diblaim And when she brought him forth the Lord said Call his name Lo-ruhama for I will have no pity upon the house of Israel but forget them and put them clean out of remembrance Lo-ruhama not obtaining Mercy Lot Gen. 11.31 was the Son of Haran Brother to Abraham with whom he went out of Egypt toward the south Countrey to come into the Land of Canaan And when they were come to a place called Bethel they had such abundance of Sheep and Cattel between them that the Land not being able to receive them both their Herdmen began to strive together Whereupon Abraham to avoid contention desired that Lot and he might break companies And that he would take and occupy what part of all the Land he would and he to take the other Then Lot chose the Countrey about Jordan because it had plenty of Water and dwelt in Sodom till Chedorlaomer came and spoiled the City and carried Lot away Prisoner who being rescued by Abraham his Uncle was brought to Sodom again And as he remained among the filthy Sodomites the Lord sent his Angels to destroy the City and Countrey about which Angels Lot received into his house And before his guests and he were gone to rest the Men of the City replenished with all kind of wickedness had compassed the house round about and called to Lot saying Where are the Men which came in to thee this night bring them forth to us that we may know them Then Lot went out unto them and said I pray you my Brethren do not so wickedly yet rather than ye should so do I have two Daughters which never knew Man them will I bring out unto you and do with them as seemeth you good only to these men do nothing for therefore are they come under the shadow of my Roof And as the Sodomites threatned Lot and were pressing upon him to break open the Door the Angels within put forth their hands and pulled Lot into the House and shut fast the Door At the which instant the Sodomites without were so smitten with blindness that they groped for the Door and could not find it Then said the Angels to Lot If thou hast any Sons or Daughters or whatsoever thou hast in the City bring it out with thee for we are sent to destroy this place because their sins is great before the Lord. Then went Lot to his Sons in-law who had married his Daughters and told them but they thinking their Father had mocked tarried still And so as Lot made haste for the Angels could do nothing till he were gone with his Wife and two Daughters to the City of Zoar which he had requested of the Lord to flye unto his Wife looking behind her contrary to the Angels precept was turned into a Pillar of Salt Then Lot fearing to abide in the City of Zoar after the Cities were destroyed got him into the Mountains where he dwelt in a Cave with his two Daughters who forasmuch as their Father was old and not a Man left in the Country thereabout whereby they might have Children consulted together and agreed to make their Father drunk with Wine and so to lye with him that they might raise up Seed unto their Father Which matter being performed and they both with Child the eldest brought forth Moab which was the Father of the Moabites and the youngest Ben-Ammi which was the Father of the Ammonites both which Nations were most vile and wicked Lot Wrapped or Joyned Luke was a Physician born in the City of Antioch Col. 4.14 2 Tim. 4.1 and became Saint Paul's Disciple and Companion in all his travels Luke lived 84. years and was buried at Constantinople He wrote the Volume of his Gospel as he had learned of Paul and of the other Apostles as he reporteth himself in the beginning of the same work saying As they have delivered them to us which from the beginning saw them with their eyes and were Ministers of the things that they declared But the Volume called the Acts of the Apostles he composed as he had seen the story whereof came even to Paul's time being and tarrying two years at Rome where the Work was finished Luke his Resurrection M. MAACAH 2 Sam. 3.3 1 Chron. 3.2 1 King 15. â— 10 the
Daughter of Talmai King of Geshur was King David's Wife and Mother to Absalom Maacah the Daughter of Absalom was Wife to Rehoboam and Mother to Abijam which Abijam his Father Rehoboam ordained to raign after him for the love that he bare to Maacah his Mother above all the rest of his Wives Read the story of Asa Maacah a Woman pressed or bruised Machabeus 1 Mac. 2 3. was the third Son of Mattathias and after his Fathers death he was made Ruler over the Jews Who in the defence of the holy Laws fought most manfully against God's enemies during his Life Machabeus a Striker a Fighter Read Judas Machabeus Machir 2 Sam. 9.4 Ammiel was Father to Bathshebah King David's Wife was the Son of Ammiel of Lodebar and a great friend to Mephibosheth the Son of Jonathan who kept him in his House till King David sent for him to his preferment Machir Selling or knowing Manahem 2 King 15.14 c. the Son of Gadi besieged Shallum King of Israel in Samaria and slew him whose Kingdome he possessed and began his Raign in the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah King of Juda. And because the City of Tiphsah would not receive him as theirs he destroyed the City and all that was within it And for this great wickedness and tyranny God stirred up Pul King of Assyria against him unto whom Manahem gave a thousand Talents of Silver to break up his Wars which Money he exacted of his People taking of every Man of substance fifty Sicles He raigned ten years leaving Pekahiah his Son to succeed him Manahem a Comforter or Leader of them or a preparing of heat Manaen Act. 13.1 which was brought up of a Child with Herod at the last forsook him and followed Christ Manasses the Son of Hezekiah 2 King 21. 2 Chron. 33. was twelve years old when he began his raign over Juda and wrought much evil before the Lord. Manasses put Esay the Prophet who was his Father-in-law to death For he built up the high places again which his Father had destroyed He erected up Altars for Baal and made Groves as Ahab did and worshipped all the Host of Heaven and served them He offered his Children in fire Read the annotation in the story of Esay as the manner of the Gentiles was and gave himself to Witcheraft and Sorcery and favoured Soothsayers and such as used familiar spirits He set the Image of the Grove in the House where the Lord said he would put his Name for ever Over and beyond all these evils he shed so much innocent bloud that all Jerusalem was replenished from corner to corner and he wrought more wickedness than did all the Amorites Wherefore the Lord gave him over into the hands of the King of Assyria who took Manasses and bound him with two Chains and carried him to Babylon Where at the last he so humbled himself to the Lord that he had compassion upon him and restored him to his Kingdom again Who after that became a good Man and put down all such abominations as he before had maintained and reigned five and fifty years leaving Amon his Son to succeed Manasses Eorgetful or forgetfulness Mardocheus Esther 2. cap. the Son of Jair was a Jew born dwelling in the City of Shusan and one of them which were carried away from Jerusalem with Jechonia King of Juda by Nabuchodonosor into Babylon This Man had a fair Damosel in his house named Esther his Uncles Daughter whose Father and Mother being dead he brought up as his own Daughter so long till at last for her beauty and fairness she was taken up by the King's Commission with other more and had to the Court there to be brought up at the Kings charges in an house appointed for that purpose the King had called them for And every day would Mardocheus walk before the Womens house to hear and know how Esther did and what should become of her whose Lot in process was to be made Queen in the stead of Vasthi late deposed And on a time as Mardocheus sat in the King's Gate he heard an inkling of certain Treasons conspired against the King 's own Person by two of his Privy-Chamber Bigthan and There 's which treason he caused Esther to open unto the King and to certifie his grace thereof in his name Upon whose certification inquiry being made and found true the Conspirators were put to death and the matter Registred in Chronicle for a remembrance of their act After this because Mardocheus would do no reverence to Haman both he and the Jews should all have been slain in one day Whereof Mardocheus having knowledge he rent his Cloaths and put on mourning Apparel and so ran thorow the City of Shusan where their destruction was devised Crying out until he came to the King's Gate where he might not be suffered to enter in that array Then Esther hearing thereof was sore astonished and sent him other Rayment to put on But he refusing the Rayment declared unto the Messenger the whole effect of Haman's commission and working and took him a Copy of the same to give to Esther charging her to go unto the King for the Lives and safeguard of her People For who can tell quoth he whether God hath called her to the Kingdom for that purpose or no it may be that he hath And therefore if she now hold her peace the Jews shall have help from some other place and so shall she and her Fathers house be utterly destroyed And so while Esther went about the deliverance of the Jews Mardocheus was exalted into the King's favour Mardocheus lived 1 98. years as Philo witnesseth to the great rejoycing of all the Jews whose Wealth he sought so long as he lived Read the story of Esther and Haman Mardocheus a bitter contrition or repentance Mary the Virgin Matth. 1.161 Luk. 1.27 c. and Mother of God whose Parents are not expressed in Scripture was affianced to a certain good Man of her own stock and Tribe which was of Juda named Joseph And before she came to dwell with him the Angel Gabriel being sent of God came and saluted her saying Hail full of Grace the Lord is with thee blessed art thou among Women The Virgin seeing the Angel was sore abashed at his words and mused much in her mind what salutation that should be Then said the Angel Fear not Mary for thou hast found favour with God for lo thou shalt conceive in thy Womb and bear a Son and shalt call his Name Jesus c. Then Mary because she would be resolved of all doubts to the end she might the more surely embrace the promise of God said How shall this be seeing I know no Man The Holy Ghost quoth the Angel shall come upon thee and the power of the Most Highest shall overshadow thee Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God
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
plague from the house of Abimelech so that the women conceived and brought forth children as before they had done The like story is of Isaac Chap. xxvi Abimelech The Kings Father or a Father of Counsel or the chief King Abimelech Judg. 9. the son of Jerubbaal otherwise Gedeon was a wicked Tyrant and a proud ambitious covetous man For when his Father was dead he to be King of Israel consulted with all his mothers kindred to perswade the people that it was better to have one man to reign over them than all the sons of Jerubbaal which were lxx persons in number And also to consider that he was of their flesh and bloud as well as the other were which matter being moved to the people they all consented to cleave to Abimelech and to make him their King and Governour And that he should be the better assured of their good wills and obedient hearts they gave unto him a great sum of money with the which he hired a sort of light brain'd fellows And first of all went to his fathers house and slew all his brethren save Jothan the youngest who escaped his bloudy hands and fled But by that he had raign'd two or three years the fire of hatred began so to kindle between him and the Sichemites with the house of Mello who had preferr'd him before to the Kingdom that at length it burst out into so great a flame that it could not be quenched till chance of war made an end of the Tyrant for in the end after divers victories he forced the Sichemites to take the strong Tower of Thebez for their refuge and coming nigh to the same to have set it on fire a certain woman threw down a piece of a Milstone upon his head and brake his Skull to the brain who then feeling himself sore wounded called his servant and bad him draw out his Sword and rid him out of his life that it should not hereafter be reported that a Woman had killed him and so his servant slew him Abinadab was a Man of Gibeah 2 Sam. 6. out of whose House David took the Ark of God and had it from thence to the house of Obed. Jesse the Father of David had also a Son called Abinadab 1 Sam. 16. and King Saul another of the same Name which was slain with him in Battel Abinadab A Father of a Vow or of a free mind or Prince Abishag was a goodly fair young Damosel 1 King 1. brought up in the City of Sunem And for her beauty and manners chosen to keep and nourish King David in his extreme age 1 King 2. After whose death being still a pure Maid She might not be suffer'd to marry with Adonijah the Kings Brother Abisag The Fathers ignorance Abishai was David's Sisters Son and Brother to Joab 1 Chron. 2. His Mothers name was Zarviah He consented not with Absalom 2 Sam. 16. but stuck to David his Unkle in all his troubles He was so grieved with the spiteful rebukes and railings of Shimei which he made against his Unkle David in his adversity that if David had not staid him he would have made Shimei shorter by the head than he was 2 Sam. 21. By his great strength and hardiness he rescued David out of the hands of a monstrous Gyant the Iron of whose Spear weighed three hundred Sicles and slew the Giant 2 Sam. 23. with three hundred Philistines more for the which he is counted as chief among the three Worthies belonging to David Abishai The Fathers Reward Abner the Son of Ner 1 Sam. 14. was Captain-General over the Host of King Saul by whose wisdome manhood and fidelity the House of Saul was chiefly held up and strengthned not only in the time of Saul's reign but so long also as he served Ishbosheth his Son â— Sam. 2. whom he set up and made King in his Fathers stead and governed his Host as he had done his Fathers before But in the first Battel he made against Joab David's Captain fortune went so much against him that he was put to the worse and fain to flie In the which flight Asahel Brother to Joab followed Abner and overtook him with whom Abner was loth to meddle for fear of Joabs displeasure and therefore intreated him gently to go his way not to force him against his will But when he saw his words would nothing prevail he fell upon Asahel and smote him thorow the short Ribs with his Spear and so departed leaving him dead on the ground Not long after this it fortuned the King to fall out with Abner 2. Sam. 3. and to taunt and check him for that he was so familiar with Rizpa his Fathers Concubine which check and taunt of the King so grieved Abner that he forsook him and went to David with whom he made a secret bond to stablish him in the Kingdom And so departing secretly from David again he came to the people which served Ishbosheth spake so much unto them in the praise and commendation of David that he wan their hearts and turned them quite from Isboseth to David And when he had thus framed the people somewhat according to his mind he came again to David to counsel farther with him how the People might now be brought together and be sworn unto him which matter being determined Abner returned from David thinking to have been as faithful to him as ever he was to Saul But Joab who bare grudge and malice to Abner for the death of his Brother Asahel hearing how Abner had been with David and let go again and nothing done unto him sent privily for Abner to come and speak with the King who being come Joab was ready to receive him and under pretence of friendship had him a little aside as though he would have talked with him about the secret affairs of the King and suddenly smote him with his Dagger and slew him Abner The Fathers Candle Abraham was the Son of Terah born in Ur Gen. 11. Abraham was the Son of Terah begotten of his second wife and because of his dignity is counted before Nahor and Aran born of the first Wife a Town in Chaldee A man so endued with faith and vertue that when he saw the true religion and honouring of God to cease in the Land of Chalda he departed from thence with Terah his Father Sara his Wife and Lot his Brothers Son to go into the Land of Canaan And * 12 cap. being come to Haran which is a Town of Mesopotamia he remained there until the death of his Father Terah Then God commanded Abraham saying Get thee out of thy Countrey and from thy Kindred and from thy Fathers House unto the Land which I will shew thee and I will make of thee a great Nation and will bless thee and make thy Name great and thou shalt be a blessing and I will bless them that bless thee and curse them
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
the cause wherefore the Assyrians had so cruelly used him to whom he declared the matter in order as he had spoke it before to the Prince Holofernes which being done the whole Assembly gave praises and thanks to God which had given to Achior being an Heathen man such boldness of spirit to set forth his power and glory And from that time forth they comforted Achior and had him in great estimation who fell from his Heathenish belief Judith 14. and put all his trust in the living God and became a Jew and was circumcised and numbred among the People of Israel he and all his Posterity for ever Achior the Brothers light Achish was the Son of Maoth King of Gath 1 Sam. 21. who on a time when David feigned himself to be mad * Here it is said that David feigned himself mad before Achish and in the 34 Psaim before Abimclech which two were both one man for here he is called by his proper name Achise and in the other place by his general name Abimelech before him said unto his servants that brought him on this wise What mean you Sirs to bring this mad fellow before me have I so great need of mad men that ye have brought this man to play the mad Bedlam in my presence Away with him I say out of my House At this time Achish despised David and would not receive him but the next time * 27 cap. he came again with his Band of Men and their Housholds he retained them all and gave unto David the City of Ziklag to dwell in and had him in such estimation that when he himself should go with the Philistines to Battel against the Israelites he then took David with him and made him the Keeper * 29 cap. of his Person for the which the Philistines were sore offended with Achish and would not suffer him to go in their company so long as David was with him wherefore Achish for fear of the Philistines displeasure intreated David to go home again and so went Achish forth with the Philistines against King Saul Achish Even so it is Ada Gen. 4. There be two Women of this Name in the Bible The one was Lamech's Wife and Mother to Jaball The other was the Daughter of Elom the Hittite Gen. 36. and Wife to Esau Jacob's Brother Ada a Company or Congregation Adam was the first Man that God created Gen. 1. and had dominion of all the Beasts and Fowls of the Earth and to every Beast and Fowl he gave his proper Name God set him at the first in a place of passing joy full of all manner of fruitful Trees pleasant both to the eye and in tast whereof he might eat at will and was not prohibited save only from the tree of knowledg of good and evil for whensoever he tasted of that Tree God told him he should surely dye Now Adam being in this goodly Paradise of Pleasure God thought it good to make him a Companion to bear him company And so casting Adam into a sound sleep he took out a Rib of his side whereof he made the Woman and brought her to Adam who by and by confessed her to be of his Bone and Flesh and from that time forth they lived together as Man and Wife in all pureness and innocency of life till that by the subtilty of old Satan the Serpent who had deceived the Woman he was inticed by his Wife to eat of the forbidden Tree Which thing he had no sooner done but both their eyes were opened to see in what case they were And when they saw themselves all naked and bare they were so ashamed that they made them Garments to cover their privities and hid themselves that the Lord should not see them But Adam being found out of God and demanded wherefore he had hid himself alledged because he was naked And also to excuse his transgression he burdened God with his fault because he had given him the Woman which had allured him to eat of the Tree But nevertheless for as much as Adam had obeyed the voice of his Wife and neglected the Lords precept God cursed the Earth for his sake drove him forth of that wealthy place for to live in sorrow and care and be subject to death and all other calamities and miseries of the World both he and all his off-spring for ever In the Bible is mention made both of Sons and Daughters which Adam had of Eve his Wife but none of their Names be rehearsed save only Cain Abel and Seth. He lived nine hundred and thirty years Adam Man Earthly Adonijah 2 Sam. 3. was a goodly young Man the Son of David born unto him in Hebron of his Wife Agith When Adonijah perceived his Father to be feeble and weak thorow extreme age 1 King 1. he began to exalt himself saying he would be King And gat him both Horses and Chariots and also Foot men to run before him even like a King to the which his Father said nothing nor would displease him but let him alone and do what he would And so Adonijah proceeded in his purpose and by the counsel of Joab the Captain and Abiathar the Priest who took his part he made a great sacrifice of Sheep and Oxen whereunto he called his Brethren and also the Kings servants who eating and drinking before him with great rejoycing said God save King Adonijah But assoon as David had knowledge of Bathsheba Solomon's Mother and Nathan the Prophet how all the case stood he commanded Sadock the Priest and Nathan to anoint Solomon and to set Him upon his own Mule and so to go forth and proclaim him King Which news was no sooner come into the new Kings Court but every Man shrunk away for fear leaving Adonijah all alone Who then for his own safeguard fled to the Tabernacle of the Lord and would not go from thence till Solomon granted him his pardon upon condition that hereafter he would be quiet and a good Man And so being pardoned he departed quietly home to his house But after this when David his Father was dead 1 King 2. Adonijah casting his favour upon Abishag the Shunamite went to Bathshcha Solomon's Mother requesting Her to speak unto the King that he would give him Abishag to Wife Then Solomon hearing his Mothers request perceived that Adonijah being the Elder brother went about to aspire to the Kingdom wherefore to prevent his purpose he put him to death Adonijah the Lord is the ruler Adonibeseck King of the Canaanites Judg. 1â— was of such might and power that he subdued seventy Kings who being all brought into his Court He cut off their Thumbs and great Toes and made them gather their meat under his Table which great cruelty he shewed unto them being puft up with pride and ostentation of his victory This wicked King chanced to reign over the Canaanites when Judah had the governing of the
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
Antioch to Preach and to stablish them in the Faith of Christ From thence he departed to Tarsus to seek Saul and brought him to Antioch where they two continued together one year And because of a great dearth which was prophesied to be thorow out all the World the Antiochians made a Collection for the poor Brethren in Jewry which they sent by the hands of Barnabas and Paul at whose return to Antioch again they brought a Disciple with them called John Mark. 13.5 After this by the mind of the Holy Ghost they were sent to preach among the Heathen where by the power of God they did wonders and turned many to Christ And being taken at Lystra for Gods 14.11 c. because God working in them they had made a Lame man to go they rent their cloaths and would not suffer themselves to be called by that Name Finally 15.37 c. when Barnabas and Paul had been long Companions together and Workers in the Lord's Vineyard they chanced to fall at variance about one John Mark who had been their Minister before And because Barnabas would now in this Journey going to visit their Brethren again have had him with them and Paul refused him because he forsook them at Pamphilia the dissention was so sharp that the one brake from the other And so Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed into Cyprus his own Native-Country Barnabas the Son of Consolation Barabbas was a notable Robber Matth. 27.16 Matth. 15.7 Luk 23.18 19. John 18. ult which for a certain Insurrection he had made and in the same committed Murther was cast in Prison It was a custome among the Jews to have a Prisoner delivered unto them at the Feast of Easter wherefore when Pilate sat in Judgment upon Jesus he asked of the Jews whether they would have Barabbas or Jesus and they by the counsel of the High Priests said Barabbas And so was the Thief and Murtherer delivered and the Innocent put to death Barabbas the Son of Confusion Barsabas Act. 1.29 sirnamed Justus was one of the two Disciples appointed to be chosen in the room of Judas the Apostle And when the lots were cast the lot fell on Matthias his fellow Barsabas the Son of Returning or of Converting Bartholomew Matth. 10.3 Mar. 3.18 Luk. 6.14 was one of the twelve Apostles Bartholomew the Son of him that suspendeth waters * The other Evangelists mention two but Mark nameth him that was most known Bartimeus Mar. 10.46 the Son of Timeus was a certain blind begger which sate begging by the high-way side of the people as they went by And when he heard Jesus of Nazareth pass that way he began to cry and say Jesus the Son of David have mercy upon me and the People spoke to him to hold his peace but the more he was rebuked the more he cryed Then being called and comforted of the Apostles he threw away his Cloak for joy and came to Jesus who demanded of him what he would have him to do Master said he that I may have my sight and see Go thy way said Jesus thy faith hath saved thee and by and by this blind Bartimeus received his sight and followed Jesus Bartimeus a Blind son or the son of blindness Baruch Jer. 36. cap. the Son of Neriah wrote in a Book at the mouth of Jeremy the Prophet as he did indite all the curses against Juda and Israel which Book he read first to the Common-people and after to the Rulers who being astonied at the words thereof caused Baruch to hide himself out of the way till they had shewed the Book unto Jehojakim the King who when he had heard three or four Leaves thereof caused the Book to be cut in pieces notwithstanding the great intreaty that * The godly among the Princes gave this counsel certain of his Lords made for the preservation of the same and cast it in the fire and burnt it Then Baruch wrote another Book at the mouth of Jeremy wherein was much more added than was before Baruch Blessed Bathuel Gen. 22.23.28.2 was the Son of Nahor his Mothers name was Milca the Daughter of Aran Brother to Nahor and Abraham This Bathuel was Father to Rebecca and Laban Bathuel the Son begetting of God the Measure of God Bela the Son of Beor reigned in Edom Gen. 36.33 1 Chron. 1.44 after whose death Jobab the Son of Serah succeeded him Bela Swallowing down or destroying Bela the Son of Benjamin whose Sons were Num. 26.40 Ard and Naaman and in the first Book of Chronicles 7. these are said to be the Sons of Bela Ozban Ozi Oziel Jerimoth and Iri And in the 8. Chapter these Adar Gera Abiud Belemus Mithridates Tabelius Rathumus Beeltethmus 3 Esd 2. and Semellius the Secretary with other more wrote a sore complaint to Artaxerxes King of Persia against the Jews which were a building of the Temple at Jerusalem through the which they were commanded to cease and to build no more Read Artaxerxes and Rathumus Benhadad the Son of Tabrimon King of Syria 1 King 15.18 c. made a covenant with Baasha King of Israel which for lucre sake he brake at the request of Asa King of Juda and turned his Host against the Cities of Israel to the great displeasure of Baasha This Benhadad was a mighty Prince and glorying much in his own power sent messengers to Achab King of Israel commanding him to send his Silver Gold Wives Children and all that he had unto him or else he would come and destroy him which thing being denyed him he came against Achab with xxxii Kings in his company and besieged him in Samaria And while he trusted too much in his great strength and multitude and was banquetting with the Kings that came with him in their Pavilions without any regard of the small power of the Israelites the Host of Samaria issued suddenly out of the City and came so couragiously against the Syrians that they put them all to flight and slew a great number of them Then the Syrians which were escaped said to Benhadad The Gods of the Hills be their Gods and therefore have they now gotten the better of us But let us sight once more with them in the Plain and thou shalt see us have the better of them Then Benhadad gathered his Host together so many as filled the whole Country and Israel pitched before them like two little Flocks of Kids and so stood the two Hosts one against the other vii days and in the seventh day they joyned Battel in the which an hundred thousand of the Syrians were slain and the rest fled to the City of Aphek where they began to make a Wall without the City for their defence which building fell upon them and killed xxvii thousand more whereof the King was in such a fear that he fled from Chamber to Chamber to find out a secret place to hide himself in to whom
his servants went and said O King we have heard say that the Kings of Israel be merciful Kings let us therefore put Sackcloth about our Loins and Ropes about our Necks and go and humble our selves before Achab and see if he will save thy life Benhadad did so and was pardoned and never troubled Israel more in Achab's days But afterward in another King's days he came again and besieged Samaria so long till an Asses head was sold for fourscore silver pence and the fourth part of a Cab of Doves dung for five sicles and till Women were constrained to eat their own Children Finally Benhadad fell sick and sent his servant Hasael to Elizeus the Prophet which was come to Damascus to know whether he should recover his Disease or no and having his answer of the Prophet he returned and slew his Master Benhadad as in the story of Hazael ye shall see how Benhadad the Son of a Sound or of Noise and Crying Benjamin was the youngest Son of Jacob Gen. 35.18 c. Of the Sons of Benjamin Read Gen. 46.21 his Mother was Rachel who dyed in travail and therefore called his name Benoni the Son of sorrow But Jacob his Father called him Benjamin Son of the right hand 1 Chron. 7 8. His Brothers name of Father and Mother was Joseph who loved Benjamin above all the rest of his other Brethren as in his story appeareth Benjamin Son of the right hand Berjesus Act. 13.8 which by interpretation is as much to say as the Son of Jesus was a Jew born and a great Sorcerer which Name he had taken upon him to deceive the People whereas his right name was Elymas which word in the Syrians Language betokeneth an Enchanter and a false Prophet also This false Sorcerer was got into the City of Paphos and there being crept into favour with Sergius Paulus Ruler of the Countrey withstood the Doctrine of Barnabas and Paul seeking by all means to turn the Rulers heart from the Faith in Christ But Paul being full of the Holy Ghost perceiving the devilish and subtile craft of this Sorcerer looked stedfastly upon him and said O full of all subtilty and mischief the child of the Devil and enemy of all righteousness wilt thou not cease to pervert the streight ways of the Lord Now therefore behold the hand of the Lord is upon thee and thou shalt be blind and not able to see the Sun for a season And when Paul had pronounced these words the Enchanter was stricken with blindness so that he as one amazed wandred up and down seeking for some Man to lead him by the hand Berjesus a Sorcerer or Conjurer Berzillai was a Gileadite born 2 Sam. 17.27 who considered the necessity of David so much being fled out of his own Realm for fear of his own Son Absalom into the Wilderness of Mahanaim that he brought all things necessary for Beds Meat Drink and Cloth out of Roglim to refresh him and his Men and provided so for him all the while he lay there that he lacked nothing and at his return again he helped also to convey both the King and all his Men over Jordan Then David seeing the great kindness of Berzillai was much desirous to have him home with him to Jerusalem promising that all the days of his life he should eat and drink with him at his own Board and fare no worse than he fared To whom Berzillai being a very old Man said O my Lord I am a Man of four-score years of age and cannot discern between good and evil neither yet tast any thing that I do eat or drink wherefore if I should then go with my Lord the King I should be but a burthen unto him Therefore I beseech thee let thy servant turn back again that I may dye in mine own Country and be buried in the Grave of my Father But here is thy servant Chimeam my Son let him go with my Lord and do unto him whatsoever it shall please thee And so David and Berzillai kissed each other and departed but Chimeam went with David who did not only recompence his Fathers kindness in him so long as he lived but at the day of his death declared to Solomon his Son the great fidelity he had found with Berzillai in the time of his exile charging him therefore to shew no less favour to the Sons of Berzillai for their Fathers sake than ever he himself had done Berzillai Made of Iron or as hard as Iron Bethsheba was the Daughter of Eliam 2. Sam. 11.3 and Wife to Urias which was with Joab in the King's Wars On a time as Bethsheba was washing her self in her privy Garden alone it chanced King David to look out at a Window in his Palace and saw her whose beauty so ravished the King that forthwith he sent for the Woman and committed adultery with her and so sent her home again Then shortly after she perceiving her self with child sent the King word thereof who then partly to hide his own fault and partly to save the Woman from danger of the Law sent for Urias to come home But when David saw that Urias would not company with his Wife Bethsheba he returned him back again to Joab with a Letter which caused Urias quickly to be dispatched out of his life after whose death Bethsheba became David's Wife and brought forth the child conceived in adultery which lived not long but dyed After that 12.24 she conceived again and brought forth Solomon Lastly when David was fallen into extreme age and that she saw Adonijah the Son of Agith begin to aspire to the Kingdom of his Father yet living she went by the counsel of Nathan the Prophet who had taught her her Lesson unto David her husband And making her humble obeysance unto the King as he sate in his Chamber and Abishag the Shunamite ministring unto him he said unto her what is the matter She answered my Lord thou swarest by the Lord thy God unto thine Handmaid saying assuredly Solomon thy Son shall reign after me and he shall sit upon my Seat And behold now is Adonijah King and thou my Lord the King knowest it not He hath offered Oxen fat Cattel and many Sheep and hath called all the Kings Sons and Abiathar the Priest and Joab the Captain of the Host But Solomon thy servant hath he not bidden And now my Lord O King the eyes of all Israel wait on thee that thou shouldest tell them who ought to sit on the Seat of my Lord the King after him for else when my Lord the King shall sleep with his Fathers I and my Son Solomon shall be sinners The Queen had no sooner done speaking but the Prophet Nathan came and confirmed her words Whereupon the King assured Bethsheba that Solomon her Son should be that day proclaimed to reign in his stead The Queen then humbling her self with thanks desired of God that her Lord King David might live
for ever Look more in the history of Adonijah Bethsheba The seventh daughter or the daughter of an Oath Bezaleel Exo. 31.2.35.30.36 37. 38. cap. the Son of Uri of the Tribe of Juda and Aholiab of the Tribe of Dan were two cunning Workmen most specially endued with the Spirit of God to work all manner of curious work that was to be wrought in Gold Silver Brass Wood Stone or with Needle-work so that by these two the Tabernacle of witness with all things pertaining thereunto was most artificially made Bezaleel in the shadow of God Bilha Gen. 29.29.30.3.35.25 was a young Damosel which served Laben the Father of Rachel and when Rachel should be married to Jacob Laban gave Bilha his Maid to Rachel his Daughter to be her servant And when Rachel perceived she could bear Jacob no children she gave Bilba her Maid unto him to be his Wife who conceived by Jacob and brought him forth two Sons the one Dan and the other Naphtali Bilha Old or fading Birsha Gen. 14.2 was one of the four Kings that fought against five other Kings in the Vale of Siddim Birtha in evil or in iniquity or condemned or a son that looketh back Read Arioch Boaz Ruth 2 3 4. the Son of Salmon was a great rich Man dwelling in a City called Bethleem within the Land of Juda. Who on a time going to the Fields to look upon his Reapers and finding there a young Damosel a gleaning demanded of his Workmen what she was To whom answer was made she was a stranger come with Naomi out of the Country of Moab Then went Boaz to the Maid and said Hearest thou my Daughter Here is a notable example for all rich Farmers which be so unmerciful that they will not suffer their needy neighbour to glean in their ground whereas Boaz was so merciful to this stranger whose Nation were enemies to God's People go to no other Field a gleaning I charge thee so long as Harvest time endureth but to mine tarry here by my Maidens and gather as much as thou wilt and spare not for no Man shall lett thee neither hurt thee And when thou art hungry and a thirst go with my Maidens and eat and drink such as they have for they shall not deny thee And so departing from her he went to his Men servants commanding them to intreat her gently and to let fall some handfuls on the ground for the nonce for her to take up without shame Now after this it chanced Boaz to have knowledge that this young Damosel was his Kinswoman and that it was his lot to marry her which he was well content to do considering her to be a Woman of good report and of much vertue But yet for as much as he knew another to be more near of Kin to her than he he could not defraud him of his right therefore to know what he would do in this matter he went and called his Kinsman before the Congregation and said Sir we have here a Kinswoman lately returned out of the Land of Moab one Naomi and she will sell a piece of Land which was our Brother Elimelech's If thou be disposed to buy it do if not then tell me for there is none to challenge it save thou and I next unto thee Then said he to Boaz I will purchase it Well said Boaz look what day thou buyest the Land of Naomi thou must also take * He would have the Land but not the Woman Ruth the Moabite to Wife to raise up the Name of the dead upon his Inheritance Then he revoking his word again said that he could not purchase it for marring of his own Inheritance Therefore take thou my right and purchase it and so drew off his * The manner of purchasing Shoo and gave it to Boaz for that was the custome of old in Israel concerning purchasing and changing of Inheritance to pluck off his Shoo and give it to his Neighbour in witness that the thing between them was truly bought and sold Then Boaz having his Kinsman's shooe said unto the People ye are witnesses all this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech's and all that pertained to his two Sons * Chilion perfect or all like a Dove Chilion and Mahlon of the hand of Naomi and also have purchased Ruth the Maobite the late Wife of Mahlon to be my Wife to raise up the Name of the dead upon his Inheritance that his Name be not put out among his Brethren And all the People witnessed the same praying unto the Lord for Ruth to make her as fruitful as he did both Rachel Leah and Thamar And so Boaz married Ruth who in process conceived and bare him a Son called Obed. Boaz in Power or strength C. CAATH was the Son of Levi Exod. 6.18 1 Chron. 6.1 2. and had four Sons whereof the Eldest was Amram the Father of Moses and Aaron He lived 133. Years Caath A Congregation Cain was the first Son that Adam and Eve brought forth between them Gen. 4.1 c. and of an unhappy disposition given to all ungraciousness He was the first tiller of the ground and would always offer the worst and the vilest of the fruits of the Earth unto God Wherefore the Lord had no respect to his offering And because God preferred his Brother Abel's offering before his he was so stirred with malice and envy against him that he fell upon him in the Fields and slew him Wherefore the Lord promised to withdraw the increase of the Ground from Gain and so being in desperation he wandred about like a Vagabond in every corner with much fear and trembling lest any Man should kill him and at last * Lyra saith that as Lamech was hunting in the fields his servant spyed Cain where he lay hid in a bush and thinking it had been a beast pointed his Master unto him who shot off his Arrow and slew him Lamech slew him Cain A possession Caiaphas was Son-in-law to Annas John 18 cap. and the High-Priest in the time of Christ's apprehension of whom he prophesied that it was expedient for one Man to dye rather than all the People should perish Which thing he spake not of himself but God made him at that time even as he made Balaam to be an Instrument of the Holy Ghost And Christ being sent from Annas to him bound to be examined was so carried from him to Pilate that he by the Temporal Laws might judge him to death Caiaphas a Searcher Caleb was the Son of Jephunneh otherwise called Kenes of the Tribe of Juda and one of those whom Moses sent out to search the Land of Canaan Numb 13. and 14 cap. what manner of Country it was at the which time of going out he was about the age of xl years And when he and his company had viewed the Land and were returned home again certain of the Explorators made an evil
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
Land where she remained these seven years of dearth which being ended she returned home again And when she came to her House another having possession thereof withheld it from her wherefore she went to the King to make her complaint at which time it happened the King to be talking with Gehazi the servant of Eliseus the Prophet The Sbunamite is restored to her house and Land again who was declating unto the King what great and notable deeds his Master Eliseus had done and among all declared of a dead Body which he had raised up from death to life and as he was telling of these things unto the King the Woman came with her Son and required her House and Land again And when Gehazi saw the Woman he said O my Lord and King this same is the Woman that I told your Grace of even now and this is her Son that was raised from death Then the King commanded her House and Land to be restored her again with all the Rent and Profits thereof from the first day she left it till that present time Finally when the time drew nigh 2 King 13.14 c. that Eliseus the Prophet should dye Joash King of Israel came to visit him and as he stood before him and considered what a loss he should have of that good Man which had been so great a defence unto his Realm the tears ran down his cheeks and he said O my Father my Father the Chariot of Israel and the Horsemen of the same And when the Prophet saw the King he bad him take his Bow and Arrows in his hand and make him ready to shoot The Prophet put his hands upon the King's hand and caused a Window to be opened Eastward which was toward Syria and bad the King shoot and he shot The Arrow of the Lord's deliverance said Eliseus and the Arrow of deliverance from Syria For thou shalt smite Syria in Aphck till thou have made an end of them Now take thine Arrows in thine hand said the Prophet and smite the ground and he smote thrice and ceased Then was the Prophet angry that he had smitten the ground no oftner for if said he thou hadst smitten five or six times thou hadst smitten Syria until thou hadst made an end of them whereas now thou shalt smite them but thrice and so Eliseus dyed and was buried The same year came the Moabites into the Land of Israel and as some of the Israelites were burying of a Man and had spied the Souldiers they cast the Man into the Sepulchre where Eliseus the Prophet was buried and when the dead Man was let down and touched the Body of Eliseus he revived and stood up upon his Feet as lively as ever he was Elizabeth Luk. 1.24 c. was the Wife of Zachary the Priest and came of the Daughters and Posterity of Aaron She was long barren but at last she conceived by Zachary her Husband according as the Angel of God had said unto him And being great with Child Mary the Wife of Joseph which was also conceived by the Holy Ghost came to visit Elizabeth her Cousin who had no sooner heard the salutation of Mary the Mother of God but the Babe sprang in her Belly whereupon she was filled with the Holy Ghost and cried out with a loud voice saying Blessed art thou among Women and blessed is the fruit of thy Womb And whence happeneth this to me that the Mother of my Lord should come to me For behold as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears the Babe sprang in my Belly for joy And blessed is she that believed for those things shall be performed which were told her from the Lord. And when the time was come that Elizabeth should be delivered she brought forth a Son which her Neighbours and Kinsfolks would have named Zachary after his Father but Elizabeth would none of that but said his Name should be John Elizabeth the Oath of God or the fulness of God Elkanah the Son of Jeroham an Ephraite born 1 Sam. cap. 1. had two Wives the one named Hannah and the other Peninnah By his Wife Peninnah he had Children But by Hannah he had none It was his manner every Festival day to go up and pray and to offer unto the Lord of Hosts in Shilo where the Ark of the Lord was at that time And in one solemn Feast day among all other as he offered unto the Lord he gave unto Peninnah his Wife and to her Sons and Daughters portions but unto Hannah whom he loved he gave a worthy Portion And on a time when he saw his Wife Hannah weep in the House of the Lord for sorrow she could have no child he said Hannah why weepest thou and why is thy heart so troubled that thou canst not eat Am not I better to thee than ten Sons as though he should say Is it not enough for thee that I love thee no less than if thou hadst children This he said to comfort her And at the last God gave him a Son by her named Samuel after whose birth he went up to offer unto the Lord and to give him thanks But Hannah would not go with him until she had weaned her Son Elkanah the Zeal of God and the possession of God Epaphroditus Phil. 2.25 was a certain godly Brother whom the Philippians sent to Paul being in Bonds at Rome with their charitable relief Who being there ministred unto him in his need and was so faithful a fellow-souldier with Paul in setting forth the Gospel of Christ and put himself in such hazard that he fell sick and was like to have dyed Now Paul to comfort the Philippians which were full of sorrow and heaviness for Epaphroditus their Apostle because they heard he was sick was the more desirous after his recovery to send him home again in the company of Timotheus with his Epistle that they might be the less sorrowful and rejoyce the more at his coming willing them to receive him with a loving Christian affection in all joyfulness and not to make much on him only but on all such as were like unto him Epaphroditus Pleasant Epaphras Col. 4.12 was a faithful Servant by whose labour and preaching the Colossians heard the Gospel and believed it and being in Prison with Paul at Rome prayed for those Colossians that they might be perfect and filled in all the will of God after true knowledge He bare a fervent mind to them of Laodicea and them of Hierapolis Epaphras Frothing Epenetus Rom. 16.5 was the first that Paul brought to the Christian Religion among them of Achaia unto whom Paul had him saluted Epenetus Worthy of praise Ephraim Gen. 48. 〈◊〉 c. was the youngest Son of Joseph and born in Egypt His Mothers Name was Asuath the Daughter of Potipher Priest of On and his eldest Brother was Manasses which two being brought before their Grandfather Jacob to receive his blessing
which unlawful marriage John Baptist spake so much to Herod's reproof that she fearing lest John would make Herod break off the incestuous marriage counselled her Daughter which danced before him to ask the Head of John Baptist And so by the wicked device of this unchast Woman John lost his Head Herodias signifieth that that the word Herod before doth Hesron Gen. 46.9 Num. 26.6 was the Son of Reuben and of him came the Kindred of the Hesronites Hesron the Arrow of rejoycing Hesron 1 Chron. 2.9 the Father of Caleb being come to the age of threescore years took to Wife the Daughter of Machir who bare unto him a Son called Segub Hezekiah 2 King 18. and 19. cap. the Son of Ahaz was xxv years of age when he began his reign over Juda. He was the godliest Prince that ever reigned before or after among the Kings of Juda. He cleansed his Country from all Idolatry and brake down the brasen Serpent which Moses had set up as soon as he saw it abused He brought in again the true honouring of God and renewed the Passeover He had such a sure trust and confidence in God that at his Prayer the Angel of the Lord slew in one Night of the Assyrians which were come to destroy Jerusalem an hundred fourscore and five thousand and smote the rest into such a fear 20. cap. that they ran away After this he fell sick and was admonished by the Prophet Esay to set his house in order for he should surely dye Then he turned his face to the wall and made his petition to God saying Oh Lord remember I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart have done that which is good in thy sight and speaking these words he * He wept not so much for his own death as for fear that Idolatry should be restored which he had destroyed wept very sore The Lord then moved with his tears returned the Prophet again to comfort him with these news that he should receive his health and be able the third day to go up to the House of the Lord and that he had added to his days xv years more and to assure him of this his promise he would cause the Sun to return his course ten degrees backward At this time Berodach sirnamed Baladad King of Babylon sent to Hezekiah Ambassadours to signifie unto him how glad and joyful he was of his recovery which kindness was so greatly esteemed of Hezekiah that he thought he could not do them too much pleasure but made them privy to all his treasure silver and gold and whatsoever he had in his House or in any other part of his Realm he * Because he was moved with ambition and vain glory and seemed also to rejoyce in the friendship of him that was God's enemy the Lord was displeased shewed it freely unto them Wherefore the Lord not content there with commanded Esay the Prophet to go and tell Hezekiah That forasmuch as he had made the messengers of Babylon privy to all the commodities of his Land The days should come that all things which he had in his House and whatsoever his Fathers had layed up in store before him should be carried to Babylon Then Hezekiah knowing the Prophet to be the true messenger of God humbled himself and said Thy word O Lord is welcome unto me but yet I shall desire thee not to send those evils in my days but rather peace and truth He raigned xxix years and died Hezekiah the strength of the Lord or the Lords holding Hymeneus 1 Tim. 1.20 after he had tasted of the word of God and been a Professor of the same he fell away and became an utter enemy and a spiteful railer against the Doctrine of the Gospel of Christ denying the chiefest point and foundation of the Gospel which is 2 Tim. 2.17 that the Resurrection is past wherewith he destroyed the Faith of many Persons For the which errour and other his railing and jestings against the truth of GOD's Word Paul excommunicated him that he thorow correction might be ashamed of his fault and turn again to Christ Hymeneus a Marriage-song or Bride-song Hiram 2 Sam. 5.11 King of Tyre favoured David so much that he hearing that David went about to build him an House sent him both Timber and Workmen to finish the same Also when Solomon after the death of David his Father sent to this King for Wood and Timber to build the Lord's Temple 1 King 5 cap. cap. 9.11 c. he praised God that had sent David so wise a Son to sit in his Seat and granted him Timber of Cedar Firr and other precious Wood so much as he would desire Wherefore Solemon to gratifie Hiram again sent him twenty thousand Quarters of Wheat and twenty Butts of Oyl and gave him also twenty goodly Cities which Cities Hiram called the Land of Cabul forasmuch as when he saw them they pleased him not After this Hiram gave to Solomon six-score Talents of Gold and sent him Ships and Men who had knowledge of the Sea to go with his Navy into the Countrey of Ophir which Ships brought unto Solomon * In the 2 Chron. 8.18 is mention made of 30. Talents more which seem to have been employed for their charges four hundred and twenty Talents of Gold Hiram The height of Life Hiram 1 King 7.13 This Man was a certain Widow's Son dwelling in the Countrey of Tyre and of the Tribe of Nepthali and did so excel in all manner of Workmanship that Hiram King of Tyre sent him to Solomon to work and finish all things that pertained to the Temple of the Lord which Solomon went about to edifie Hobab Num. 10 10. was the Son of Raguel whose * Some think that Raguel Jethro Hobab and Keni were all one Kimehi saith that Raguel was Jethro 's Father So Hobab was Moses Father in-law Company Moses his Father-in-law would so fain have had into the Land of Canaan that he intreated him on this wise saying We are now going to the place which the Lord said that he would give us therefore I pray thee go with us and we will do thee good for the Lord hath promised good unto Israel Then Hobab made answer saying I will not go but I will depart to mine own Countrey and Kindred Nay quoth Moses I pray thee forsake us not but go with us and be our guide for thou knowest our camping places in the Wilderness and whatsoever goodness the Lord shall shew unto us the same will we shew unto thee But all this could not move Hobab but that he would depart And so returned home into his own Countrey again Hobab Beloved Holofernes Jaâ—… 2. cap. was the Chief and most terrible Captain of all Nabuchodonosor's Host sent of him to subdue all the World Jaâ—â— 14 cap. And coming to the City of Bethulia where all
thine own Person For so shall we come upon him in one place or other where we shall find him and fall upon him as thick as the dew falleth upon the ground and of all the Men that are with him we shall not leave him one Moreover if he be gotten into a Town then shall all the Men of Israel bring Ropes to that Town or City and we will draw it into the River until there be not one stone sound there This Counsel of Hushai pleased Absalom and the People better than Achitophel's which was even the Lord's determination to destroy the good counsel of Achitophel that the Lord might bring evil upon Absalom And so when Hushai had done according to David's request he caused Sadoc and Abiathar the Priests to send David word of all that was done whereby he escaped Hushai Sense or making hast or holding his peace I. JABES 1 Chron 4.9 was so named * This was Othonicl Caleb's Brother as Lyra reporteth of his Mother because she bare him in sorrow He being more honorable than the rest of his Brethren made a conditional Vow unto God saying ‖ Jacob made the like vow Read his story If thou wilt bless me indeed and inlarge my Coasts and if thine hand be with me and thou wilt cause me to be delivered from evil that I be not hurt Thus far goeth his request which was granted Jabes Sorrow Iabyn was the King of Canaan Judg. 4.2 whose Captain of War was Sisera Twenty Years he troubled Israel very sore But at the last he was overcome of the Israelites and brought to nought There was another King called Jabyn also whom Joshua slew and destroyed his City called * Which City being burnt of Joshua was afterward built again of the Canaanites Hazor as ye shall read in Joshua Chap. 11. Jabyn Understanding Iacob was the youngest Son of Isaac Gen. 25.26.27 cap. and Brother to Esau whose Birth right he bought for a Mess of Pottage and afterward by the counsel of Rebekah his Mother got away his blessing And then to avoid his Brothers displeasure Gen. 28. cap. he was sent into Mesopotamia to Laban his Mother Brother to get him a Wife And chancing to come to a place where he was benighted he took a stone and laid it under his Head and fell asleep And in his Dream he saw a * Christ is the Ladder whereby God and man are joyned together and by whom the Angels minister unto us all graces by him are given unto us and we by him ascend into Heaven Ladder stand upon the Earth reaching up to Heaven and the Angels of God ascending and descending upon it and God himself standing upon the Ladder said I am the Lord God of Abraham thy Father and the God of Isaac the Land which thou sleepest upon will I give to thee and thy seed and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth thou shalt spread abroad to the West to the East to the North and to the South And thorow thee and in thy seed shall all the Kinreds of the earth be blessed Behold I am with thee and will be thy keeper in all places where thou goest and will bring thee again into this Land neither will I leave thee until I have made good all that I have promised Then Jacob awaking out of sleep said Surely the Lord is in this place and I was not aware Oh how fearful is this place it is none other but the house of God and the gate of heaven Then Jacob gat him up early in the Morning and took the stone which he slept upon and set it up as a Pillar to be a remembrance of that Vision and poured oyl upon it and called the place Bethel which before was called Luz And before his departing he vowed saying If God will be with me and keep me in this Journey which I go and will give me Bread to eat and Cloaths to cover me so that I come again to my Fathers house in safety then shall the Lord be my God and this stone which I have set up for a Pillar shall be God's house and of all that thou givest me 29. cap. will I give the tenth unto thee And so Jacob going on his Journey came into the East Countrey where in beholding the Land he saw certain Herdmen lying with their Flocks of Sheep beside a Well at the which they commonly used to water their Sheep to whom he went demanded whence they were They said of Haran Do ye not know quoth he one Laban the Son of Nahor Yea said they we know him well He is in health And behold yonder cometh his Daughter Rachel to water her Father's sheep who was no sooner come but Jacob went to the Well and rolled away the stone from the Wells mouth and watered all her sheep Which done he kissed the Damosel and wept for joy And when the Maid had knowledge what he was she ran to her Father and told him who being joyful thereof went to the Man and brought him into his house Now when Jacob had opened the cause of his coming to Laban it was agreed that Jacob should serve Laban seven years for Rachel his Daughter But when the day of Marriage came Leah the elder was * The cause why Jacob was deceived was that in old time the Wife was covered with a Vail when she was brought to her Husband in sign of chastity and shamefastness Gen. 30 25 c. put in her stead for so much as it was not the custome that the younger should be first married as Laban alledged Then Jacob tarried seven days and took Rachel upon condition that he would serve other seven years for her which being fulfilled he desired Laban that he might depart with his Wives and Children into his own Country again Nay tarry said Laban for I perceive that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake appoint thy wages and I will give it thee Thou knowest quoth Jacob what service I have done thee and in what taking thy Cattel hath been under me for the little that thou hadst before my coming is now increased to a Multitude But when shall I make provision for mine own House also Well what shall I give thee said Laban Then Jacob having knowledge aforehand by the Angel of the Lord what his wages should be said Thou shalt give me nothing at all if thou wilt do this thing for me I will go again and feed thy sheep and keep them and will separate all the sheep of thy Flock one from another and so many as be black speckled or of party colour let that be my wages and whatsoever I take of the rest unspotted let that be counted theft with me Content quoth Laban Then went Jacob and took out all the Males and Females of the Sheep and Goats that were black spotted or of party colour and put them in the keeping of his Sons which lay
three days Journey off from Jacob and the rest which were white and of one colour Jacob * Jacob herein used no deceit for so much as he did it at God's commandment kept himself And when he had made this division of Laban's sheep he took Rods of green Poplar of Hasel and of Chesnut-trees and pilled white strakes in them Which Rods in the conceiving time he laid before the Sheep in the gutters and Watering-troughs when they came to drink And the sheep that conceived before the Rods brought forth Lambs straked spotted and party-coloured so that Jacob's Flock increased exceedingly whereat the Sons of Laban grudged 31. cap. and made so heinous a complaint to their Father of Jacob that Laban began to disfavour him Then Jacob perceiving Laban's countenance to be changed he sent for his Wives and said I see your Fathers countenance that it is not towards me as it was wont and yet ye know that I have served your Father truly which hath deceived me and changed my wages ten times but God suffered him not to hurt me For when he said the spotted should be my wages then the sheep brought forth spotted And when he said the party-coloured should be my reward then the sheep brought forth party-coloured And thus hath God taken away your Fathers sheep and given them to me which thing he shewed me in a Dream should even so come to pass and hath now commanded me to depart out of this Country into the Land where I was born The Women said we have no portion in our Fathers house seeing he counteth us but even as strangers and hath sold us and eaten up our money And now that God hath taken away our Fathers riches and made it ours and our Childrens do whatsoever God hath said unto thee Then Jacob assoon as he had prepared all things for his Journey fled from Laban his Father-in-law towards the Land of Canaan to Isaac his Father and being pursued of Laban seven days and at last overtaken at Mount Gilead he laid many things to Jacob's charge whereof he discharged himself of all and in the end said This twenty years have I served thee xiv Years for thy Daughters and six Years for thy sheep which have not been barren and yet in all that space have I not eaten one Ram of thy Flock but whatsoever was stolen or torn of Beasts I made it good unto thee Thou changedst my wages ten times and wouldst surely have sent me away with nothing if God which saw my tribulation and the labour of my hands had not been the better unto me which rebuked thee yesterday Then Laban made a covenant with Jacob and so departed Gen. 32. cap Jacob then going forth on his Journey came into the Land of Seir and hearing of his Brother Esau's being there was sore afraid of him lest he had continued still in his malice towards him wherefore he sent Messengers before unto him with three great Droves of Cattel for a present trusting thereby to mitigate his wrath And as Jacob himself tarried behind to set his Wives and Children in order to meet his Brother Esau an Angel wrastled with him all Night and at last smote him under the Thigh and brake the sinew of his Leg whereon he halted ever after Yet nevertheless Jacob which had wrastled with the Angel until the breaking of the day would not let the Angel depart before he had blessed him who called his Name Israel for as a Prince said he to Jacob hast thou wrastled with God and with Man and prevailed And so after the brotherly meeting of Jacob and Esau Gen. 33. cap. and great amity shewed by one to the other Jacob took his Journey into the Land of Canaan where he remained until he was of the age of an 130. years And then went down into Egypt with all his Houshold which were three-score and six souls to see his Son Joseph Gen. 46. cap. where he continued xvii years And then dyed Gen. 49. ult being 147. years of age and from thence was conveighed to the Land of Canaan Gen. 50 1 2 c. where he was by his Children sumptuously buried Jacob a Supplanter Iaktan Gen. 10.25 was the Son of Heber and his Brothers name was Peleg Jaktan a little one or loathsomness or contention Iael Judg 4 11-18 c. was the Wife of one Heber the Kenite which was of the Children of Hobab Moses Father-in-law And when she had heard of the great overthrow of Sisera and how he fled she went and met him saying Turn in my Lord turn in to me and fear not And being come into her House he asked her a little water to quench his thirst and she brought him a Bottle full of Milk and when he had well drunk thereof he laid him down to sleep and as she was covering him with cloaths he prayed her to go and stand at the door of her Tent and whosoever doth come and * Now was the prophecie of Deborah fulfilled which she prophesied to Barak saying this journey that thou takest upon thee now shall not be for thine honour for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a Woman ask for any man say there is no man here And so when Sisera was fast asleep Jael went softly unto him with an Hammer in the one hand and a Nail in the other and smote him thorow the Temples of his head and nailed him fast to the ground Which done she went and stood in her Tent-door and seeing Barak pursuing Sisera she went and met him saying Come and go with me and I will shew thee the Man whom thou seekest and so he followed Jael who brought him into her Tent where Sisera lay dead Jael a Doe or ascending Iair Iudg. 10. cap. was a Gileadite born He had xxx Sons which were Men of Authority for they rode upon xxx Asses colts And they had xxx Cities lying in the Land of Gilead which Cities were called the Towns of Jair He reigned xxii years After whose death the Children of Israel fell to wickedness again and served Baalim and Astharoth the gods of Syria and other strange gods for the which the Lord was wroth with Israel and sold them into the hands of the Philistines and Ammonites which oppressed them so sore by the space of xviii years that they were sain to cry for help of the Lord. Who then said unto them Did not I when ye cryed unto me deliver you from the Egyptians the Amorites the Ammonites the Philistines the Sidonians the Amalekites and the Moabites which Nations had oppressed you And yet have ye now forsaken me and serve their gods Therefore cry unto these gods whom ye have chosen and let them help you in your tribulation for I will deliver you no more Oh Lord said they we have sinned do unto us whatsoever pleaseth thee Then had the Lord so great compassion and pity on the misery of
Gilead considering Jephtah to be a strong and a valiant Man went to Tob where he lay to intreat him to be their Captain against the Ammonites How cometh this quoth Jephtah that ye come to me in the time of your trouble did ye not hate me and * Oftentimes those things which men reject God chooseth to do greater enterpriâ—es by expel me out of my Father's house Therefore said they are we turned to thee that thou mayest go with us and be our head and Ruler But will ye promise now quoth Jephtah that when the Lord shall deliver the Ammonites into my hand ye will make me then your Head and Governour They said yea And so he went with the Elders who brought him to Mizpah and being there made and confirmed their Head and Ruler he sent his Messengers to the King of Ammon demanding what cause he had to strive with Israel who answered and said Because they took away my Country when they came from Egypt which if they will now restore again I will cease from War Then Jephtah sent him word again that Israel took not his Land from him but coming from Egypt and passing through the Wilderness even to the red Sea they remained at Cadesh and sent to Sehon King of the Amorites to suffer them quietly to pass thorow his Country And because he would not shew them this kindness the Lord delivered both him and his Land into their hands and shall they dispossess themselves of that which the Lord hath given them Nay not so Look what People Chemosh thy God driveth out that Land possess thou whatsoever Nation the Lord our God expelleth that will we enjoy Art thou better than Balac King of Moab did he not strive with Israel and fight against them all the while they lay in Heshbon and thereabout 300. years and why didst thou not recover thy Land in all that space Thou dost me wrong to War against me for I have not offended thee and therefore the Lord be Judge between thee and me But when Jephtah perceived the Ammonites not to regard his words he prepared his Army to set upon them And before his going made this Vow unto the Lord That if he did deliver the Ammonites into his hand the first thing that met Him out of his Doors at his return home again should be the Lords and he would offer it up unto him for a burnt-offering And when he had subdued the Ammonites and was coming homeward to his house the first thing that met him out at his Doors was his own Daughter who for joy of her Father's Victory came to meet him with Timbrels and Dances Then Jephtab seeing his only Child come toward him with a company of Women after her he rent his Cloaths and said Alas my Daughter thou hast brought me low and art one of them that do trouble me for I have opened my mouth unto the Lord and cannot go back To whom she said Oh my Father if thou hast promised to the Lord then forasmuch as the Lord hath avenged thee and given thee victory over thine enemies do with me according to thy promise But yet this one thing I shall desire of thee to spare me for two Moneths that I may go down to the Mountains and there with my fellows * For it was counted as a shame in Israel to dye without children bewail my Virginity Which done she returned to her Father who did with her according as he had vowed unto the Lord. After this the Ephraimites fell at defiance with Jephtah because he had not called them to take his part against the Ammonites and for this matter was a Field pitched between them and the Gileadites and a great Battail fought in the which the Ephraimites were put to flight and seeking to have escaped over Jordan the Gileadites had prevented them and stopped the passage that no Ephraimite should escape that way And to know who was an Ephraimite and who was not the Gileadites used this policy if any pressed to go over the Water they would bid him say * Schibboleth signifieth the fall of waters or an car of corn Schibboleth and as many as could not say Schibboleth they slew him for by that they knew he was an Ephraimite for the Ephraimites could not sound nor say Schibboleth but Sibboleth And so were slain of the Ephraimites that Day two and twenty thousand Jephtah ruled Israel vi years and dyed Jephtah Opening Ieremy Jer. 1.1 was the Son of Hilkiah whom some think to be he that found out the Book of the Law and gave it to Josiah He was born in a City called Anathoth in the Country of Benjamin Epiphanius writeth that this Prophet Jeremy was slain of his People at a City in Egypt called Taphâ—â— and by the commandment of God began very young to prophesie that is in the xiii year of Josias and continued xviii years under the said King and three moneths under Jehoahaz and under Jehojakim xi years and three moneths under Jehojachin and under Zedekiah xi years unto the time they were carried away into Babylon So that the time amounteth to above forty years beside the time that he prophesied after the Captivity This story is drawn out of the Geneva Bible in the Argument before the Book of Jeremy the Prophet Jeremy the Majesty or highness of the Lord. Jerubbaal Judg. 6.32 is a Name which was given to Gedeon the Son of Joash after he had broken down the Altar of Baal and cut down all the Grove about it Jerubbaal That which resisteth an Idol a destroyer of Idols Read Gedeon Ieroboam was the Son of * Some say that Nebat and Shimei whom Solomon put to death were one person of whose death Zervah the Mother of Jeroboam put him oft in remembrance Nebat 1 King 11.26 c. and of the Tribe of Ephraim who being nourished and brought up of Zervah his Mother in her Widowhood after the death of his Father became King Solomon's Servant and was made Overseer of Solomon's Works for the Tribe of Ephraim and Manasses And on a time as he walked abroad in the Field alone the Prophet Ahijah came to him and said that after the death of Solomon he should Reign and be King over Ten Tribes of Israel which words of the Prophet did so animate Jeroboam that he began to murmur against King Solomon his Master who therefore sought to kill him but Jeroboam fled into Egypt where he remained with Shishak King of that Country until the death of Solomon Then being sent for he returned home again 12. cap. and had so much favour of the People that they all forsook Rehoboam save the Tribe of Juda and Benjamin and made Jeroboam their King Who being surely stablished in his Kingdom began to think thus in his heart If this People go up and do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem as they were wont to do then shall their
the King of Juda and the King of Edom by whose help and chiefly Eliseus read the place in his story he overcame the Moabites Also the Syrians could lye no where but Joram had knowledge by Eliseus who told him of all their secret lurking places by which means Joram ever saved himself Wherefore the King of Syria sent and besieged the Town round about where the Prophet Eliseus lay And as his Servant was going forth in the Morning about his Master's business and saw the Town so compassed with enemies he ran ‖ in again crying Alas Master what shall we do for the Syrians are come upon us Fear not quoth Eliseus for they that be with us are more than they that be with them And by and by the eyes of his Servant were so opened that he saw the Mountains lye full of Horses and fiery Chariots to defend his Master And now when the Syrians were come to Eliseus and thought themselves surest of him they were at his prayer smitten with such blindness that they could not know the Prophet when he spake unto them saying that that was not the Town where the Man lay which they sought but follow me quoth he and I will bring you to the place where he is and so he led them forth and brought them into the City of Samaria where Joram lay who seeing now his Enemies to be in his power said to Eliseus Father shall I smite them No said he Smite those which thou takest with thine own Sword and Bow but rather set Bread and Water before them that they may eat and drink and so depart to their Master Then the King prepared a great refection for the Syrians and filled their Bellies well and sent them home again for the which gentle intreaty of Joram the King of Syria never troubled him more After this when Benhadad King of Syria had besieged Samaria so long till Women were constrained to eat their own Children Joram took such displeasure with Eliseus laying the cause upon him that in his fury he sent to take away his Head Which thing being revealed to the Prophet he said to his Friends that were with him in his House See ye not how this Mutherer's Son hath sent to take away my Head Take heed and be circumspect when the Messenger cometh and keep him at the Door for the sound of his Masters feet is behind him which was even so for the King's mind altered he followed the Messenger and came to the Prophet himself saying This evil is of the Lord and what more shall I look for of him 2 King 7 1 c. No more said the Prophet For to morrow this time shall a Bushel of fine Flowre be sold for a shekel and two Bushels of Barley for another shekel in the Gate of Samaria which came so to pass the next day for the great Host of the Syrians at the sound of the feet of four Lepers were run away and had left all their Tents behind them 9.24 c. Finally to fulfil the word of the Lord concerning the destruction of Ahab's Posterity Joram was slain with an Arrow shot by Jehu and his Body cast into a Plat of Ground that was Naboth the Jesraelite's after he had reigned twelve years Joram 2 King 8.16 2 Chron. 21. the Son of Jehosaphat was two and thirty years old when he began to reign over Juda. He married King Ahab's Daughter whose wicked steps he followed He slew all his own Brethren with divers of his Nobles The Edomites which had been subject from David's time hitherto rebelled now against Joram Also Libna which was a certain City in Juda given to the Levites Josh 21.13 would no more be under his hand because he had forsaken the Lord God of their Fathers Finally The Prophet's Letter the Prophet Eliseus to admonish him of his wickedness wrote to Joram on this wise The Lord saith because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehosaphat thy Father nor in the ways of Asae thy Grandfather but in the ways of the Kings of Israel and hast made Juda to go a whoring after the House of Ahab and hast also slain thy Brethren even thy Fathers house who were better Men than thy self Therefore with a great Plague will the Lord smite thy Folk thy Children thy Wives and all thy Goods And thou shalt be diseased in thy Bowels which day by day shall fall out of thy Body And so the Lord stirred up against Joram the Philistines the Arabians with the Ethiopians which wasted his Countrey and carried away his substance his Wives and all his Sons save Ahaziah the youngest and smote him with an incurable Disease in his Bowels which held him two years till all his Guts fell out and so he died after he had reigned eight years Joram the highness of the Lord. Jehosaphat the Son of Asa 1 King 15.24 began his Reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab King of Israel and walked in the old ways of his Father David and in the Commandments of God and not in the ways of Israel This godly King to have the fear of the Lord renewed among his People in the third year of his Reign sent certain of his Lords thorowout all his Realm and with them godly learned and ancient Fathers of the Levites with the Book of the Law whose Commission was to see all Idolatry and superstition suppressed and the Laws of God purely and sincerely taught and followed which was so diligently done that the fear of the Lord fell so upon all the Kingdoms round about him that no Man troubled him but presented him with gifts The Philistines with Tribute-money the Arabians with Cattel so that within a while he grew into great riches and honor And being thus endued with abundance of treasure and substance he joyned affinity with Ahab taking his part against the Syrians where notwithstanding the Lord preserved him and brought him safe home again But forsomuch as in his absence the People were somewhat swerved from the Lord the Prophet John came to him and said Because thou hast helped the ungodly and loved them whom the Lord doth hate the wrath of God is come upon thee nevertheless good things are found in thee because thou hast taken away the Groves out of the Land and hast prepared thine heart to seek God Then Jehosaphat fearing the Lord went about all his Realm to bring the People again unto the Lord And when he had set godly Judges and Levites in every City the one to judge in temporal causes and the other in matters of the Lord he gave to either of them his charge saying first to the Judges on this wise Take heed ye Judges what ye do for ye execute not the judgment of Man but of God which is with you in judgment wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you and take heed and be doing the thing that pleaseth him for there is no unrighteousness
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
Matth. 14.28 29. that he went upon the Water which was too great an enterprise for him to perform without the help of Christ his Master who seeing him thorow weakness of faith in danger of drowning Matt. 16.21 saved him Again when Christ did shew unto his Disciples how that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things of the Elders and of the Priests and Scribes and be put to death and the third day rise again which thing he spake to remove out of their hearts that false opinion they had of his temporal Kingdom Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him saying Master look to thy self this shall not be unto thee With whose rash zeal Christ was so offended that he called him Sathan laying to his charge that he savoured not the things that were of God but of Men. Also when Peter saw Christ being transfigured talk with Moses and Elias 17.1 2 c. he was so ravished with that sight that he said unto him Lord here is good being for us If thou wilt let us make here three Tabernacles One for thee and one for Moses and one for Elias Matth. 26.31 c. Furthermore when Christ said unto his Disciples the night he knew he should be apprehended that all they should be offended because of him Peter trusting too much to his own strength said Though all Men be offended because of thee yet will not I forsake thee Nay I will suffer death rather than I will deny thee And to perform this promise when Judas came with a multitude of the High-Priests servants with Swords and Staves to take Christ John 18 10. Peter drew out his Sword and smote off the ear of one of the High-Priests servants For whose foolish hardiness Christ rebuked him sharply and bad him put up his Sword Then Peter seeing his Master led away and all his Fellows fled and gone would not seem utterly to forsake his Master but followed afar off and at length in the dark as unknown entered into the Court of Caiaphas And sitting among the Servants warming him by the Fire a Wench came to him and said Art not thou one of this Man's Disciples No said he Yes but thou art quoth another for I did see thee with him in the Garden Peter denied again saying that he did not know him Then certain which stood by knowing Peter said Surely thou art one of them for thy speech doth bewray thee Then began Peter to curse and swear denying that ever he knew him And immediately the Cock did crow Peter now remembring the words of Christ which had said unto him that before the Cock did crow he should deny Him thrice was touched with inward repentance and went out and wept bitterly And after he had lost the presence of his Master 21. cap. he went to his old occupation of fishing again And as he with other his companions had laboured all the night long in vain and were coming to Land Jesus which stood on the shore asked if they had any meat who not knowing what he was said they had none Then cast out your Net quoth he on the right side of the Ship and ye shall speed and so they cast out their Net and were not able to draw it to Land again for the multitude of Fishes that were caught in it And as Peter was haling up the Net and heard John say it was Jesus which stood upon the shore he left the Net and cast himself into the Sea to Jesus This is that Peter upon whose confession Christ when Peter acknowledged him to be the Son of the living God did build his Church Finally Matth. 16.18 to stablish Peter in the office of an Apostle Christ commanded him earnestly three times to feed his sheep Giving him also forewarning of his death Peter a Stone or Rock Phaltiel the Son of Laish 1 Sam. 25. ult would not seem to disobey the will of King Saul when of hatred he had taken 〈◊〉 Daughter Michol from David Lyra saith that Phaltiel was a learnned man And knowing Michol to be David's lawful Wife he reserved her as his Sister and wept for joy that she was without dishonesty restored to David again and gave her to him 〈◊〉 thankfully received her and gently entertained 〈◊〉 so long as the King her Father lived who being dead then David required to have his Wife Michol again And at the day of her deliverance to Abner to be restored to David he brought her on the way and came behind her weeping till they came to a place called Bahurim And there at Abner's commandment he returned home again Pharaoh There be divers * Gen. 12.14 15 c. Kings of this name expressed in Scripture What time as Abraham came into Egypt with Sarah his Wife who was reported to Pharaoh to be a Woman of an excellent beauty he took her home to his house and gently entertained the Woman without any spot of dishonesty and also entreated Abraham well for her sake But when he perceived that God had plagued his house Pharaoh was a general name given to the Kings of Egypt for keeping the Woman from her Husband he called Abraham unto him and said Why hast thou done this unto me Wherefore didst thou not tell me that she was thy Wife Why saidst thou she is my Sister that I should take her to be my Wife Now therefore behold thy Wife take her and go thy way and he gave a commandment that no Man should hurt them either in Person or Goods Another Pharaoh there was 41. cap. 47. cap. that delivered Joseph out of Prison to expound his Dreams And for the excellent wisdom and knowledge that he saw to be in Joseph he made him Ruler and Governour of all the Land of Egypt and shewed much kindness to his Father and to all his Kinred After this Pharaoh Exod. 1. cap. rose there up another which knew not Joseph And he without all measure vexed the Children of Israel And thinking by his humane wisdom to have lett their increase he commanded the Midwives to destroy the Men Children of the Hebrews assoon as they were born Whose policy took no effect for Moses notwithstanding was preserved and brought up even in his own house forty years And after the death of this Pharaoh there came another Exod. 5. cap. 7.8.10.14 whose heart God did harden and plagued him with ten marvellous Plagues before he would let the Israelites depart out of his Land And persisting in his obstinacy and froward heart God at the last drowned him and all his Host in the red Sea There was yet another mighty Prince of this Name 1 King 3.1.9.16 whose Kingdom joyned so nigh to Solomon's that Solomon to make himself the stronger made affinity with him and married his Daughter And this Pharaoh took the City of Gaza from the Canaanites and gave it with the Countrey thereabout to Solomon for his Daughters
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
look if Toby were dead that he might bury him before day light And when it was told him they were both sound and fast asleep he praised God and caused his Men to fill up the Grave again and made a great Feast to all his Neighbours and Friends And gave to Toby the half of all his Goods and made him a sure writing for the other half that remained to be his also after his death And at the day of their departure delivered the Goods and taking his leave said The holy Angel of the Lord be with you in your Journey and bring you forth safe and sound that ye may find all things in good case with your Elders and that mine eyes may see your Children before I die and so kissed them and let them go Raguel a Shepherd of God Rathumus 3 Esd 2. cap. with other Officers under Artaxerxes King of Persia writeth unto him against the Jews on this wise Sir thy Servants Rathumus the story writer Sabellius the Scribe with other Judges of the Court in Celosyria and Phinehes Be it known and manifested to our Lord the King that the Jews which are come up from you to us into the rebellious and wicked City begin to build it again and the Walls about it and to set up the Temple a-new Now if this City and the Walls thereof be set up again they will not only refuse to give Tributes and Taxes but also rebel utterly against the King And for so much as they take this in hand now about the Temple we thought it not meet to pass over such a thing but to shew it unto our Lord the King And to certifie him thereof To the intent that if it might please the King to cause it to be sought in the Books of old and thou shalt find such warning written and shalt understand that this City hath always been rebellious and disobedient that it hath subdued Kings and Cities and that the Jews which dwelt therein have ever been a rebellious obstinate unfaithful and fighting People for the which cause this City is wasted Wherefore now we certifie our Lord the King that if this City be builded and occupied again and the Walls thereof set up a-new thou canst have no passage into Celosyria and Phenice And when Rathumus and the other had received the King's answer they got them to Jerusalem with an Host of Men and made the Jews cease from their building which was not begun again until the second year of King Darius Rebecca Gen. 24. cap. was the Daughter of Bethuel and Sister to Laban As she went on a time with a Pitcher upon her Head to the common Well without the City to draw Water it chanced Abraham's servant to stand by the Well with ten Camels lying thereabout And when the Maid had filled her Pot and set it upon her Head ready to go away the Man desired to drink a little of her Water who forthwith set down her Pot and gave him drink And when he had drunken she poured out the rest into the Water trough and ran again to the Well and drew Water for his Camels until they had all drunken their fill Then the Man in hope the Lord had made his Journey prosperous took out a Golden ear-ring and two Bracelets of Gold and gave them to the Maid demanding whose Daughter she was I am quoth she the Daughter of Bethuel the Son of Milcah which she bare unto Nahor Then tell me I pray thee is there room in thy Father's House for us to lodge in Yea quoth she there is both Room and Lodging and also Litter and Provender enough for your Beasts Blessed be God quoth he that hath dealt so mercifully with my Master and hath brought me the right way to my Master's Brothers House Then Rebecca hearing him speak of her Fathers Brother ran home and told all things what the Man had said And as Laban beheld his Sister and saw the Ear rings and Bracelets upon her Hands he ran out to the man and with gentle entertainment brought him into the House and saw his Camels drest and provided for and also set Meat before him to eat But the Man would not eat before he had declared the cause wherefore his Master had sent him which being done and his request granted he ate and made merry and tarried all night And on the morrow as the Man made haste to go his way the Damosel was called forth to know whether she would go with the Man or no and being content to go with the Man he would not tarry but took the Maid and had her to Isaac his Master's Son whose Wife she became And being twenty years without a Child at last she conceived with two and when she felt them strive within her womb she made her moan to God saying Seeing it is so why am I thus with child God made her answer saying There are two manner of People in thy womb two Nations shall be divided out of thy bowels And the one Nation shall be mightier than the other And the elder shall be servant to the younger And so when her time was come to be delivered she brought forth two Twins the one named Esau and the other Jacob. Which two became mighty Men but Rebecca loved Jacob better than Esau and to prefer him before the other she said Hear me my Son Jacob I have heard thy Father say to thy Brother go and kill some Venison and make me meat thereof that I may eat and bless thee before the Lord before I dye Now therefore my Son hear my Voice in that which I command thee Get thee to the Flock and bring me thence two good Kids that I may make meat of them for thy Father such as he loveth and thou shalt bring it him to eat that he may bless thee before his death Then said Jacob My Brother Esau is a rough Man and if my Father shall happen to feel me I shall seem unto him as if I went about to deceive him and so shall I bring a curse upon me and not a blessing Well said Rebecca upon me be thy curse my Son only hear my Voice and go and fetch me them And when he had brought the Kids and that she had drest the Meat and made it ready she fetcht out certain Raiment of Esau's and put it upon Jacob and covered his hands and the smooth of his Neck with Goat-skins and put the Meat in his hand to carry to his Father by which policy of Rebecca Jacob had his Brother's blessing And when she heard how his Brother threatned to kill him for stealing away his blessing she told it Jacob saying Thy Brother Esau threatneth to slay thee therefore my Son hear my voice Make thee ready and get thee to Laban my Brother at Haran and tarry with him a while until thy Brother's fierceness be asswaged and that his wrath be turned away from thee and he forget the things which thou
hast done unto him and then will I send and fetch thee away from thence for why should I be deprived of you both in one day And when she had given her Son this counsel she went to Isaac her Husband and said I am weary of my life for fear of the Daughters of Heth. If Jacob take a Wife of the Daughters of Heth such a one as these are or of the Daughters of the Land what good shall my life do me And so by the counsel of Rebecca Jacob was sent to Laban his Mother's Brother where in process he got him a Wise and purchased the love of Esau his Brother again Rebecca Fed. Rechab Jer. 35.6 was the Father of Jonadab Which Jonadab made a Law that the Rechabites should never drink Wine their Wives nor their Children neither yet build House nor sow Seed nor plant Vineyards but should always dwell in Tents Which commandment they kept and obeyed truly And this their obedience Jeremy layeth before the Jews to their great reproach for that they were not so ready to obey the will and commandment of God their heavenly Father as the Rechabites were to obey their Father Jonadab Rechab a Rider Of Rechab the Son of Rimmon read the story of Baanah his Brother Rezin 2 Ring 16.5 c. King of Syria went with Pekah King of Israel to fight against Ahaz King of Juda but could not overcome him At which time Rezin took the City of Elath and drove out the Jews therein and peopled the City with Syrians But in fine the King of Assyria came against him in the defence of Ahaz King of Juda and at Damascus slew him Rezin will or willing to a thing Rezon 1. King 11.23 the Son of Eliadah was a great Captain under Hadadezer King of Zobah which Hadadezer David had overcome in Battel And when Rezon saw his Lord and Master discomfited he fled from him and gathered a Band of Men and went to Damascus where he reigned as King and became a great adversary to Solomon for the which purpose the Lord had stirred him up Rezon a Secretary or leave Rizpah 2 Sam. 22.8 c. the Daughter of Ahia was Saul's Concubine and had by him two Sons the one named Armoni and the other Mephibosheth which two with the Sons of Merob David delivered to the Gibeonites who for the offence of Saul hanged them up upon an Hill before the Lord. Then Rizpah perceiving their Carkasses to remain upon the Gibbet longer than the Law required made provision to save their Bodies that neither Birds should fall upon them by day nor Beast by night And when it was told to David what Rizpah had done he caused their bones with the bones of Saul and Jonathan to be carried into the Country of Benjamin and there buried in the Sepulchre of Kish Saul's Father's Rehoboam 1 King 12. the Son of Solomon was xli years old when he began to reign and his Mothers name was Naamah In this Man's time began the Kingdom of Israel to be divided For when the People came to him and said Thy Father laid a grievous Yoak upon us now therefore remit thou somewhat of the grievous service of thy Father and of his heavy Yoak that he put upon us and we will serve thee He answered as his young Counsellers had counselled him saying My little Finger shall be heavier than all my Father's Loins And whereas my Father put an heavy yoak upon you I will add more unto it And whereas he chastened you with Whips I will chasten you with Scorpions The People hearing this they forsook him all save the Tribe of Juda and * The Tribe of Benjamin was given to Nathan the Brother of Solomon who nevertheless aided the Tribe of Juda as often as they needed Benjamin Then Rehoboam seeing his Kingdom divided gathered an Host of Men out of the house of Juda and Benjamin to the number of nine score thousand to fight with Israel and to bring the Kingdom again unto himself But while he was thus minded the Prophet Shemajah came to him and bad him cease from his purpose for the thing that was done was the Lord's doing Whereupon every Man departed according to the words of the Lord which the Prophet had spoken Then Rehoboam fell to building of Cities 2 Chron. 11.5 c. and repairing of strong holds which he furnished both with Men and Victuals 12. cap. So that his Kingdom was mighty and strong by the space of three years for so long walked he and his People in the ways of David but when they had once forsaken the Law of the Lord in making Hill-altars Images Groves and were become Sodomites and workers of all abominations then God forsook them and gave them into the hands of Shishack King of Egypt who in the fifth year of Rehoboam's raign came to Jerusalem and spoiled both the house of the Lord and the King's house and carried away the shields of Gold which Solomon had made in stead whereof Rehoboam made shields of brass And so for a while God made the Tribe of Juda and Benjamin servants to Shishack although they humbled themselves to the intent they should know the difference between his service and the service of the Kingdomes of the World This King Rehoboam had eighteen Wives and three-score Concubines on whom he begot eight and twenty Sons and three-score Daughters But among all his Wives and Concubines he loved Maacha the Daughter of Absalom best And made Abijah her Son chief Ruler over all his Brethren and to have the Kingdom after him And when by his wisdom and policy he had dispersed his Children abroad and had raigned seventeen Years he dyed Rehoboam inlarging or spreading abroad the people Reuben Gen. 29.32 was the eldest Son of Jacob and Leah He brought the Mandrakes which he found in the Field to his Mother Gen. 30.14 He saved Joseph from his Brethren which went about to kill him Gen. 37.21 22. giving counsel to cast him into an empty Pit because he would rid him out of their hands But when he came afterward unto the Pit and found him not there he rent his Cloaths and made great mone for his Brother Joseph Long after this when Joseph was thought to be dead they went into Egypt for Corn and when they were taken for Spyes and hardly intreated and cast in Prison Gen. 42.22 Reuben said unto them Did not I warn you and say that ye should not sin against the Child and ye would not hear me and now ye may see how his bloud is required at our hands All this notwithstanding it was his chance to lye with Bilha his Father's Concubine Gen. 49.4 which deed sore displeased his Father wherefore before his death he declared the unstableness of Reuben saying That although he were the eldest yet should he not be the chiefest His birth right was taken from him 1 Chron. 5.1 and given to
men in wisdom and understanding 4. cap. doth manifestly appear by the wise sentence he gave upon the living Child that the two Harlots strove for before him And also by his three thousand Parables and his thousand and fifty Songs wherein were declared such wise and grave sentences that all the world hearing thereof came to see his presence and to hear his wisdome which did so far exceed the wisdome of Ethan Heman Chalcal and Darda four of the notablest men then living in all the world that they fell a wondering and said that the great fame that was bruted of his wisdome and royalty before they came forth was nothing to be compared with that they had now both heard and seen And as he did exceed all men in wisdom so he did all other in riches For he had xii Officers which provided Victuals for his houshold every Moneth in a year And his ordinary expences every day was thirty quarters of Manchet flour and sixty quarters of Meal ten stalled Oxen and twenty out of the Pasture and an hundred Sheep beside Harts Bucks wild Goats Capons and Fowls He had forty thousand Horses and xii thousand Horsemen to keep them 10. cap. The weight of Gold that came every year out of Ophir to Solomon was six hundred three-score and six talents of Gold beside that which Merchants and other Men brought him Whereof he had so great abundance that he made the Furniture of the Lord's Temple all of clean Gold Yea there was not so much as a drinking-Pot in all his own House but it was of Gold And as for Silver he made it as plentiful as stones in the street 11.1 c. But notwithstanding all this his wisdom and riches which God had given him yet at the last he fell to loving of outlandish Women contrary to the Law of Moses whereof he took so many that he had seven hundred Queens and three hundred Concubines which turned his heart to strange gods and made him of a wise King a stark fool and great Idolater for the which his horrible offence he lost the favour of God And when he had reigned forty years he dyed and was buried in the City of David and his Son Rehoboam succeeded Solomon peaceable Nathan the Prophet called him Jedidiah beloved Shamgar Judg. 3. ult the Son of Anath delivered Israel from the Philistines and flew six hundred of them with an Oxe goade Samgar desolation of the stranger Samson Judg. 13.24 the Son of Manoah of the Tribe of Dan was born in the City of Zorah and became a mighty strong man Judg. 14. cap. On a time as he went to the City of Timnath and saw a Woman of the Philistines which liked him well he intreated his Parents to have her to his Wife Who not contented therewith reproved him saying Is there never a Wife among the Daughters of thine own People and Brethren but thou must take a Wife among the uncircumcised Philistines Well said Samson let me have her for she pleaseth me well Then his Parents not knowing it was the Lord's doing that he should seek an occasion against the Philistines went with their Son to Timnath to see the Woman And by the way going Samson unknown to his Parents slew a Lyon which came ramping upon him and so went forth with them and talked with the Woman And a few days after as he came again to receive his Wife he turned aside to see the Carkase of the Lyon and found in the Belly thereof a swarm of Bees and Hony whereof he took in his hand and went eating to his Father and Mother and gave them part of the Hony And when the Feast-day of his marriage was come he said to thirty young Men of his Guests I will put forth a Riddle unto you and if ye can declare it me within the seventh day of the Feast I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of Rayment and if ye cannot then shall you give me the like The Riddle is this Out of the eater came meat A Riddle and out of the strong came sweetness And when the seventh day was come and the Men had not yet found out the Riddle they perswaded Samson's Wife to get it out of her Husband and tell it them who never rested flattering of Samson and weeping before him till he had told her Then they being taught of her went to Samson before the Sun was down and said What is sweeter than hony and what is stronger than a Lyon Then said Samson If ye had not plowed with my Heifer ye had not found out my Riddle And so he went out to the City of Askelon one of the chiefest Cities of the Philistines and slew thirty men and gave the spoil of them to those that had expounded his Riddle and so got him home to his Father's house half displeased with his Wife After a while Judg. 15. cap. he went to visit his Wife with a Kid but when he came his Father in law had given her to another thinking that Samson had hated her and bad him take the younger which was fairer in her stead Then Samson having good occasion given him against the Philistines went out and caught three hundred Foxes and fastened tail to tail and put a Firebrand between the two tails which he set on fire and so sent them into the Philistines Corn and burnt it up with their Vineyards Olives and all The Philistines knowing that Samson had done it went and set fire on his Father-in-law's house and burnt both him and Samson's wife with all that ever they had And sent three thousand men of Juda who were then under the Philistines to Samson to bind him and to bring him to them And when by his sufferance they had bound him and brought him to the Philistines they gave a great shout when they saw him whereat Samson brake asunder his bands as though they had been but flax And took up a rotten Jawbone of an Ass and laid so about him that he slew a thousand Philistines ere he rested And being sore athirst God made water come out of a tooth in the Jawbone and so refreshed him After this Judg. 16. cap. he got him to the City of Gaza and lodged in a Womans house that sold victuals And when he perceived the Citizens to watch and to go about to kill him he got him up about midnight and went to the gates of the City which he rent off bars and all and laid them upon his shoulders carried them up to the top of an high hill before Hebron Finally through his inordinate affection to Dalilah his Wife he lost God's excellent gift and so was betrayed to the Philistines who took and put out his eyes and cast him in Prison where they made him to grinde like a slave And when the great day of the Philistines came that they should hold their Feast to their god Dagon they sent for
the feet of them which have buried thy Husband are at the door and shall carry thee out And with that she fell down and gave up the ghost And the Officers came and carried her out and buried her beside her husband Sapphira telling or numbring Saul the Son of Kish of the Tribe of Benjamin 1 Sam. 9. cap. was a goodly tall young man who on a time as he was seeking his Fathers Asses and could not find them happened by the provision of God to go and seek out Samuel to know of him some tidings of his Asses And as he was going toward the City it was told him of a great offering that should be there and how the People waited for Samuel's coming to bless the same And when Saul was come into the midst of the City he met Samuel coming toward him going up to the Hill And as Samuel beheld Saul the Lord said unto him this is the Man which I told thee yesterday I would send this day unto thee to be King of Israel Then Samuel took him up with him to the Hill and set him in the chiefest Seat among his Guests and made him eat with them And the Feast being done he went and anointed Saul King 1 Sam. 10. and told him what he should do after his departure from him And going from Samuel the Lord gave him another manner of heart than he had before So that he prophesied among the Prophets and was so greatly honoured of all men that after he had delivered the City of Jabesh out of the hands of Nahash King of the Ammonites the People renewed his Kingdom 11. cap. which God would have stablished for ever if he had not disobeyed his commandment in taking upon him to offer burnt-sacrifice before Samuel came 15. cap. and also to save Agag whom he was commanded to destroy And for this his disobedience the Lord took his spirit from Saul and gave it to David and gave unto Saul an evil spirit to vex him withal 16.14 Then Saul seeing the spirit of the Lord departed from him and gone to David he sought by all means to destroy him but never could come to his purpose Finally Saul being sore cumbred with the Philistines 28. cap. he went to an Enchanter notwithstanding he had expelled all of that Art before to raise him up Samuel who being raised up told him that for as much as he had disobeyed the Lord and not executed his fierce wrath upon the Amalekites therefore had God forsaken him and rent his Kingdom out of his hand and given it to David And moreover saith he to Saul the Lord will deliver the Israelites into the hands of the Philistines and to morrow shalt thou and thy Sons be with me 31. cap. And on the next day Saul being overcome of the Philistines and his three Sons slain for anguish of heart fell upon his own Sword and killed himself after he had reigned forty years Saul Required or commended Sarai the Daughter of Aram was Abraham's Wife Gen. 11.29 And perceiving that the Lord had restrained her from bearing of children she gave Abraham leave to take Hagar her Maiden to Wife 16. cap. But when she saw her self despised of her Maid which had conceived she began to be so sharp and quick with Hagar that she made her run away Nevertheless at the humble submission of Hagar Sarai received her again Then Sarai passing forth till she came to the age of four-score and ten years it chanced she heard the Angel of the Lord as she stood in her Tent say unto Abraham 18.10 that Sarai his Wife should have a child which words seemed so impossible unto her that she laughed within her self and said Is it of a surety that I shall bear a Son Shall I now have pleasure being old and my Lord old also And when she had talked thus to her self the Angel of the Lord demanded of Abraham wherefore his Wife did laugh as though it were quoth he too hard a thing for God to perform his promise Then she being asked the question denyed it for she was afraid saying that she laughed not And so Sarai judging him faithful which had promised 21.1 2 3 c. brought forth a Son at the time appointed of God and called his name Isaac And when the Child was born she said GOD hath made me to laugh and all that hear will laugh with me Who would have said to Abraham that Sarai should have given Children suck for I have born him a Son in his old age After this when Sarai perceived Ishmael the Son of Hagar as he played with Isaac to be a mocker she said unto Abraham put away this Bond-maid and her Son for the Son of this Bond-woman shall not be Heir with my Son Isaac 23. cap. Finally when Sarai had lived one hundred and seven and twenty years she died in Kiriath-Arba Which is also called Hebron And was buried in the double Cave which Abraham had bought of the Sons of Heth. Sarah Tob. 3. the Daughter of Raguel had seven husbands one after another which men before they had lain with her were all slain of the Devil Asmodius to the great discomfort and heaviness of the young Woman And yet the more to aggravate her sorrow her Father's Maidens when she did correct them for their faults would slander her on this wise saying God let us never see Son nor Daughter of thee more upon earth thou killer of thy Husbands wilt thou kill us also as thou hast done them Which words were so grievous to Sarah that she got her up to an high Chamber of her House where she continued three Days and three Nights in prayer beseeching God that he would vouchsafe to loose her out of that rebuke or else to take her out of the earth For thou knowest O Lord that I never had desire unto man and that I have kept my soul clean from all uncleanly lust I have not kept company with those that pass their time in sport neither have I made my self partaker with them that walk in light behaviour nevertheless an Husband have I consented to take not for my pleasure but in thy fear Now peradventure either I have been unworthy of them or else were they unmeet for me for thou happily hast kept me for another Husband And thus making her prayers to God he heard her and sent young Toby to be her husband who being joyned together in Matrimony lived all their days an holy life in the fear and laws of God Sheba 2 Sam. 20. the Son of Bichri assoon as David was restored to his Kingdom again begun a new insurrection and got all Israel to follow him save only the men of Juda which stuck fast by David and as he came into the City of Abel to the which Joab followed him the Governess of the City being a Woman of wisdom smote off the head of Sheba and
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
be now shut that no man can see us and we burn in lust towards thee therefore consent and lye with us if thou wilt not we will bear witness against thee that a young Man was in the Orchard with thee and therefore thou sentest away thy Maidens Then Susanna sighed and said If I do follow your minds it will be my death and if I consent not unto you I cannot escape your hands It is better for me to fall into your hands without the deed doing than to sin in the sight of the Lord. And with that cryed out with a loud voice and the Elders cryed out against her which clamour on both parties was so great that it was heard among the Servants without which ran to the Orchard door and burst it open to see what the matter was And when the Servants had heard the Elders report of Susanna they were greatly ashamed for there was never such a report made of Susanna before And so on the next morrow the two Elders full of mischievous imaginations declared the matter to Joachim her husband to bring her to death And when she was come with her Father and Mother her Children and all her kinred to be judged according to the law she stood before the two wicked Judges with her Face covered who commanded to take the Cloth from her face that at the least they might be satisfied with her beauty which thing being done the Judges stood up and laid their hands upon the head of Susanna saying As we were walking in the Orchard alone this Woman came in with her two Maidens whom she sent away from her making fast the Orchard door after them Then started there up a young Fellow which lay hid in the Garden and went unto her lay with her Then we which stood in a corner seeing this wickedness ran unto them and saw them as they were together but we could not hold the fellow for he was stronger than we and got open the door and leaped out And when we demanded of her what fellow it was she would not tell us This is the matter and we be witnesses of the same Then Susanna cryed out and said O everlasting God thou searcher of hearts thou that knowest all things before they come to pass thou wotest that they have born false witness against me And behold I must dye whereas I never intended any such thing as these Men have maliciously imagined against me And as she was led toward the place of execution the Lord of Heaven which heard her prayer raised up the spirit of a little Child called Daniel who cryed with a loud voice saying I am clean from the blood of this Woman And when the People heard that they stayed to know of the Child what he meant by his words O ye Children of Israel said he are ye such fools that without examination and knowledge of the truth ye have condemned a Daughter of Israel return again to Judgment for they have born false witness against her Then the People went back again and the Elders took Daniel and set him among them in Judgment Who when he had commanded the two false witnesses to be severed that he might examine them he called the one before him and said O thou that art old in a wicked life now thy sins which thou hast committed afore time are come to light Tell me under what Tree thou sawest this Woman and the young fellow together he said under a Mulberry Tree Now verily quoth Daniel thou hast lied and art worthy of death in that thou hast oppressed the innocent and hast let the guilty go free contrary to the words of the Lord which saith The innocent and righteous see thou slay not Then he called the other and said O thou seed of Canaan but not of Juda Beauty hath deceived thee and lust hath subverted thine heart Thus have ye dealt with the Daughters of Israel and they for fear consented unto you but the Daughters of Juda would not abide your wickedness Now tell me under what Tree didst thou take them companying together He answered under a Pine Tree Now verily said Daniel thou hast lied also against thine head The Messenger of the Lord standeth waiting with the Sword to cut thee in two and so to destroy ye both And with that the whole Assembly cryed with a loud voice and praised God which so miraculously had preserved Susanna that day And so fell upon the two wicked Judges and according to the law of Moses put them both to death Susanna one of those godly Women which followed Christ and his Apostles relieving them with her substance as much as lay in her power T. THADDAEUS Matth. 10.3 was one of the twelve Apostles Thaddaeus praising or confessing Tertullus Act. 14.1 2 c. was a certain Oratour which Ananias the High-Priest had brought with him to inform Felix the Ruler against Paul And when Paul was brought forth Tertullus began to accuse him saying Seeing that we live in great quietness by the means of thee and that many good things are done unto this Nation through thy providence we acknowledge it wholly and in all places most mighty Felix with all thanks Notwithstanding that I be-not tedious unto thee I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy courtesie a few words For we have found this man a Pestilent fellow and a mover of debate unto all the Jewes throughout the World and a maintainer of the Sect of the Nazarites And hath alsogone about to pollute the Temple whom we took and would have judged according to our law But the chief Captain Lysias came upon us and with great violence took him away out of our hands commanding his Accusers to come unto thee Of whom thou mayst if thou wilt inquire know the certainty of all these things whereof we accuse him Tertullus a false reporter or a teller of tails a lyar Terah was the Son of Nahor the Son of Serug Gen. 11.24 25 26 c. He at the age of seventy years begot Abraham but he had before by another Wife Nahor and Haran All the days that Terah lived were two hundred and five years Terah Smelling Look in the story of Abraham Tertius was the name of him that wrote the Epistle of S. Paul to the Romans while Paul indited it Rom. 16.22 saying on this wise I Tertius salute you which wrote this Epistle in the Lord. Tertius a Latine word Thamar 2 Sam. 13.1 2 c. the Daughter of David was so beautiful a young Woman that Amnon her Brother fell sick for her love And when she had visited Amnon at her Fathers commandment and drest him certain meat and brought it into his Chamber he began to force her to lye with him Then she seeing that said Nay my Brother do not force me for no such thing ought to be done in Israel commit not this folly For whither shall I be able to go with my shame
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
to speak until the day that these things be performed And so Zachary remained speechless until the time came that his Wife brought him forth a Son And when the Child should be circumcised great controversie was there about his name Some would have him called Zachary some by one name some by another and his Mother would have him called John but to that would none agree because there was none of the kindred so named Then they made signs to Zachary how he would have his Son called And he calling by signs for writing tables wrote therein His name is John Whereat they all marvelled And immediately the mouth of Zachary was opened so that he spake and said Praised be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his People c. Zachariah the Son of Jeroboam King of Israel 2 King 15.8 began his Raign in the eight and thirtieth year of Azariah King of Juda and walked in the sins of Jeroboam the Son of Nebat as did others before him He had not raigned six Months ere that Shallum conspired against him and slew him even in the face of the people raigned in his stead This Zachariah was the fourth and the last King of the generation of Jehu which the Lord had promised should sit on his seat after him when he said Thy Children unto the fourth generation after thee 10. cap. 30. shall sit on the seat of Israel Zarah Gen. 38.29.30 was one of the two Twins which Thamar bare unto Juda at one birth who proffering to come forth before his Brother put forth his hand and when the Midwife had tyed a red thread about it he pluckt in his hand again and then his Brother came out first whom they called Pharez and then he with the red thread about his hand whom they called Zarah Zachariah the Son of Jehojada 2 Chron. 24.20 was an holy Prophet This Prophet is also called the Son of Barachias Matth. 23.35 because his Progenitors were Iddo Barachiah and Jehosala And when he saw Joash King of Juda whom his Father had trained from his youth up in the fear of God with all his People declined from the Lord to the worshipping of Idols and would not hear the Lord's admonition sent by his Prophets to call them home again he stood up before the People and said Why transgress ye the Commandments of the Lord Surely it shall not prosper because ye have forsaken the Lord he also hath forsaken you For the which the King not regarding the kindness of Jehojada his Father commanded the People to stone him to death in the court of the house of the Lord. And as he suffered his Martyrdom he desired the Lord to revenge his death and to require his bloud at their hands Zaccheus Luke 19.2 3 c. was a Publican and chief receiver of the King's Tribute among them He was a very low man of stature And being much desirous to see Jesus what manner a Man he should be made great means to see him And when he saw the prease so great that he could not he ran before knowing which way he would come and climbed up into a wilde Figg-Tree And when Jesus saw him in the Tree he said Zaccheus come down quickly for to day I must abide at thy house And Zaccheus came down received him joyfully And shewing forth the true fruits of repentance said Behold Lord the half of my goods I give to the poor and if I have done any man wrong I restore him four-fold To whom Jesus said again This day is salvation come to this house forasmuch as thou art also become the Son of Abraham Zaccheus pure neat or clean Zerbiah 1 Chron. 2.16 was David's Sister Her three Sons were Joab Abishai and Asahel Zedekiah 2 King 24 17. cap. 25. the fourth Son of Josiah was one and twenty years old when Nabuchodonosor made him King of Juda in the stead of Jehojachin his Brother's Son And made him take an oath of the Lord faithfully and truly to serve the Chaldeans in token whereof he changed his name from Mataniah to Zedekiah This King suffered sin and wickedness so much to raign in his Land as well among the Head-Rulers and Priests as among the common sort that God was forgotten his Word despised and his Prophets misused Jer. 37. cap. Wherefore the Lord stirred up the Chaldeans with whom he had broke his League which came and destroyed the City of Jerusalem and the holy Temple of God with fire as the Prophet Jeremy had said and took Zedekiah the King his Army being dispersed in the plain of Jericho and brought him to the King of Babylon who first destroyed both his Sons before his face and then pulled out the eyes of Zedekiah and so carried him to Babylon bound with two Chains where he dyed his People remaining in bondage until the days of Cyrus which was about three-score and ten years Zedekiah the Justice of the Lord or the Lord's judgment Zedekiah 1 King 22.24 the Son of Chenaanah was one of the false Prophets which deceived Ahab And when Michajah the true Prophet of God spake against them this Zedekiah smote him on the Cheek saying When went the spirit of the Lord from me to speak unto thee Well said Michajah Thou shalt see in that day when thou shalt go from Chamber to Chamber to hide thee Zelophehad the Son of Hepher the Son of Gilead Numb 26.33 the Son of Machir the Son of Manasses the Son of Joseph had five Daughters who forasmuch as their Father dyed in the Wilderness without Male-issue and was none of those that rebelled against the Lord in the Congregation of Chore 27. cap. they required of Moses to have a possession among their Fathers brethren lest the name of their Father should be utterly taken away from among his kindred Whose request God allowed and bad Moses give them a possession among their brethren and to make a law that whosoever dyed without a Son his Inheritance should turn to his Daughter If he have no daughter to his brethren If he have no brethren to his Fathers brethren If his Father have no brethren then it should turn to the next of the kin Two of sundry Tribes And also to stablish their inheritance that it should not be removed through marriage into another Tribe should not marry together an order was taken that no Tribe should marry with another Tribe but every Tribe should marry with whom he list among his own Tribe and Kindred And so the Daughters of Zelophehad were married to their Father's Brothers Sons which were of the kindred of Manasses the Son of Joseph by which means their inheritance remained still in the Tribe and kindred of their Father Zenas was first an Interpreter of Moses Law Tit. 3.13 and afterward became an earnest Preacher of the Gospel of Christ Of whom Paul writeth to Titus Bishop of Crete
Menelaus was come to the King he so craftily handled the matter with flattery and fair promises that he both defrauded the King of his Money and Jason of his Office which when he had obtained he return'd with an high stomach more like a cruel tyrant and the wrath of a wild brute beast than any thing that beseemed a Priest But when the King had knowledge of all his deceit and falshood he discharged him again putting Lysimachus his Brother in his room Then Menelaus being thus thrust out of Office waited his time to be revenged And when he had spied the King about his weighty affairs as in the suppression of certain Rebels leaving Andronicus behind him to be his Lieutenant and supposing then to have a convenient time he went and stole out of the Temple certain Vessels of Gold and gave them to Andronicus And after he had made him his assured friend he ministred such wicked counsel both to Andronicus and Lysimachus his Brother that the one murdered Onias and the other spoiled and robbed the Temple of God Wherefore the King at his return again caused Andronicus to be put to death and the other the People furiously fell upon him and killed him And forsomuch as Menelaus was greatly suspected to be the chief causer of all this murther a Court was called and many sore complaints laid against him The Menelaus perceiving himself in the King's displeasure and danger of his Laws went to Ptolomy one of the three Ambassadours and with Money made him his friend who went to the King and so laboured the matter that he brought Menelaus into such favour with the King again that he was quite discharged from all accusations and his Accusers condemned to death Thus through covetous Magistrates Menelaus remained still in Authority being now more malicious unto the Jews his own Nation than ever he was as it appeared afterward what time as he aided Antiochus and was his guide to the spoiling of the Temple But at the last his falshood came to a foul end for Lysias which was Lord-Steward to Antiochus and Chief Ruler of all his matters so informed the King of his ungraciousness that he commanded Menelaus who had done so much mischief against the Altar of God whose fire and ashes were holy to be cast into a tower of fifty cubits high heaped up with ashes and so miserably ended his life Menelaus Strength of the people Merab 1 Sam. 18.17 was the Eldest Daughter of King Saul who promised her in marriage to David But ere the time came that David should enjoy her Saul gave her to another Man named Adriel by whom she conceived and bare him five Sons 2 Sam. 21.8 Merab Fighting or chiding or multiplying Mesa 2 King 3. cap. the King of Moab was a great Lord of Sheep And whereas the Moabites had of long time payed Tribute unto the Kings of Israel every year one hundred thousand Lambs with so many Rams or Weathers in the Wool with their Fleece upon their backs this King would pay none to Joram the Son of Ahab for the which Joram made War against him and overcame him Mesa Health or the water of health or looking upon the Water Micah Judg. 17. cap. was a certain Man dwelling in Mount Ephraim whose Mother made him an Idol of Silver which he set up in the House of his Gods and made an Ephod and consecrated one of his own Sons to be his Priest and so continued until it chanced a young Levite came from Bethlehem Juda to seek service Which Levite Micah hired for ten silverlings by the year two garments and meat and drink And when he had hired the Levite he was glad saying Now am I sure that God will love me seeing I have a Levite to my Priest At this time 18. cap. the Tribe of Dan forasmuch as the portion which Joshua gave them was not sufficient for all their Tribe went to seek them a place to dwell in And as they were going to the City of Laish they came by the house of Micah And being enformed by those Men whom they had sent before to spie out the Land how there was in the house of Micah a graven and a molten Image they turned in thither and saluted him peaceably but at their departing they took his Idols against the Levite's will perswading him that it was not so good to be a Priest unto the house of one Man as it was to be a Priest unto a whole Tribe or Kinred in Israel and so took him away with them also And being gone Micah made a great out-cry and followed after the Children of Dan with all the power he could make to rescue his Gods but being perswaded to be content and to get him home lest a worse thing did happen he then perceiving he was not able to make his Party good returned back again Read the Story of Dan. Micah who like our God or poverty or the lowliness of the Lord or the Lord striking Michael the Son of Israhia Michael who is like the Lord. 1 Chron. 7. Michael Dan. 10.13 one of the chief Princes that was sent to comfort Daniel Michael Judc the Arch angel which strove against the Devil and disputed about the Body of Moses Michael Rev. 12.7 and his Angels that fought against the Dragon Micajah 1 King 22. the Son of Imlah was a Prophet in the days of King Ahab and because he would not flatter the King This was not that Prophet that wrote the Book of Prophecies but another of that name 1 Sam. 18.20 c. as the four hundred false Prophets had done but prophesied plainly of the King's death he was smitten and cast in Prison Micajah Poor or low and base Michal was the second Daughter of King Saul whom he gave to David to be his Wise that she might be a snare to bring him into the hands of the Philistines But Michal loved David so well that he could not have his purpose that way For when he sent Men to watch his House and to slay him 19.11 c. Michal told David saying Except thou save thy self this Night to morrow thou wilt be slain Wherefore to save the life of David she let him down at a Back-window and layed an Image in his Bed with a Pillow under his Head stuffed with Goats hair and covered it with a Cloth And when the Men came into the House in the Morning and asked for David Michal said he was sick The Messengers then thinking to have carried him Bed and all to the King as he had commanded went into David's Chamber and when they came there and found nothing else in the Bed but a block they were ashamed and so returned to Saul and told him Then Michal being demanded wherefore she had so derided him and sent his enemy away made her excuse that if she had not let him go he would have killed her After this her Father
took her from David and gave her to * Look in the history of Psaltei how he used Michal David's Wise Psaltei the Son of Lais to Wife with whom she remained till the death of Saul and then was restored again to David by Abner's means Finally when David came dancing before the Ark of God in his shirt to the City of David it chanced Michal to look out at a Window and beholding the King how he leaped and danced before the Ark she began to despise him in her heart and meeting him after all things were done she said O how glorious was the King of Israel this day which was uncovered to day in the eyes of the Maidens of his Servants as a Fool uncovereth himself And for thus despising of David the Servant of God the Lord plagued her with Barrenness that she never had Child Michal who is perfect Mephibosheth 2 Sam. 4.4 the Son of Jonathan was lame in his Feet by reason his Nurse by misfortune in his infancy let him fall to the Ground out of her Arms and was brought up and nourished after the death of his Father in the House of Machir 9. cap. 4 c. till David coming to his Kingdom took him from thence and restored him to all the Land of King Saul making Ziba his Servant chief Overseer and Receiver of the Lands and to see Micah his Master's Son well brought up and cherished for so much as Mephibosheth should remain with him and eat and drink at his own Board Now after this when David was brought into so great affliction trouble by reason of Absalom his Son Mephibosheth remained still at Jerusalem and never removed 2 Sam. 16.1 2 c. But Ziba his Servant went after David with a present and by false report of Mephibosheth his Master got his Land from him And when the King was returned and come to Jerusalem again 19.24 c. then Mephibosheth who had neither washed his Feet nor dressed his Beard nor washed his Cloaths from the time the King departed until he returned in peace went out to meet him and when the King saw him he said Wherefore wentest thou not with me Mephibosheth He answered My Lord O King my Servant deceived me for thy Servant said I would have mine Ass sadled to ride thereon for to go with the King because thy Servant is lame Therefore Ziba hath falsly accused thy Servant to my Lord the King but my Lord the King is as an Angel of God Do therefore what it pleaseth thee for all my Fathers House were but dead Men before my Lord the King and yet didst thou set thy Servant among them that did eat at thine own Table What right have I to cry any more unto the King Then said David why speakest thou yet in thine own cause I have said Thou and Ziba divide the Land between you Yea said Mephibosheth let him take all seeing my Lord the King is come home in peace Mephibosheth shame or confusion from the mouth Mephibosheth 2 Sam. 21.8 the Son of Rizpah King Saul's Concubine was by the Gibeonites with his Brother Armoni hanged for their Father's offence Miriam Exo. 6.20 was the Daughter of Amram and Jochebed and Sister to Aaron and Moses When her Brother Moses had brought the Children of Israel thorow the red Sea Exo. 15.20 Miriam the Prophetess took a Timbrel in her hand with other Women following in like sort and began joyfully to sing and dance Their Song was this Sing ye unto the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously The Horse and his Rider hath he overthrown in the Sea After this she grudged against Moses Num. 12.1 10. because he had taken an Ethiopian Woman to his Wife wherefore the Lord smore her with Leprosie Then Moses partly for pity and partly at the intercession of Aaron his Brother besought the Lord to heal her who made him answer saying If her Father in anger had spit in her Face should she not have been ashamed seven days Let her be shut out of the Host seven days which being done she was restored and received in again Finally when Moses and the Children of Israel were come to Kadesh Num. 20.1 there she died and was buried Miriam exalted or reaching Meshach first called Mishael Dan. 1.7.3 cap. was one of Daniel's Companions and one of the three which was cast into the hot burning Furnace and miraculously preserved Meshach prolonging or drawing to him or compassing the waters or hedging Mithridates was King Cyrus's Treasurer 3 Esd 2. at whose commandment he delivered all the holy Vessels of Gold and Silver pertaining to the House of the Lord to Salmanassar the Deputy in Jewry The number of which Vessels was five thousand eight hundred and three score Mithridates dissolving the law Mnason was a certain godly Man Act. 21.16 and a Cyprian born who had of long time believed the Gospel in whose House Paul was lodged at Jerusalem Mnason a searcher out or promising or remembring Moses the Son of Amram and Jochebed Exod. 2. cap. was miraculously preserved at his birth For whereas Pharaoh the King of Egypt had straitly commanded the Midwives Moses signifieth preserved from the water that whensoever they saw an Hebrew bring forth a Man-child they should cast it into the River yet Moses being born and a proper Child was notwithstanding the King's Commandment kept secretly three Months And when his Parents could hide him no longer they closed him in a Basket made of Reed or Bulrushes dawbed with slime and pitch and laid him in the River And as the Child's sister stood looking what should become of him it came to pass that King Pharaoh's * Her name was Termuth Daughter came a walking by the River side who seeing the Basket floating upon the River caused one of her Folks to take it up And when she had opened the Basket and saw the Child she had pity upon it and caused the Maid his sister to fetch her a Nurse who went and brought his own Mother And so the Child being nursed and brought up in Pharaoh's house was instructed from his Childhood in all manner of cunning and wisdom of the Egyptians and became mighty in words and deeds saving in his speech he had an impediment And when he was full forty years old it came in his heart to go and visit his Brethren the Children of Israel whom Pharaoh vexed without all measure And as he saw an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew How that Moscs's impedment of speech came The King on a time for his Daughter's sake took the Child in his arms and set the Crown upon his Head which Moses as it were childishly playing hurled to the ground and with his Foot spurned it At the which the Priest cried out saying that this was he of whom it was prophesied that he should destroy Egypt Then Termuth excused the Child alledging his infancy and lack of