commanded them but saved the Children alive and the more they afflicted them the more they grew and multiplied Thus you see how kindly the Lord hath dealt with the seed of his promise and Covenant and how often he hath renewed his Promises and his Blessings and Mercies unto them hereafter you may see also how he took care all along of his seed that his Promise remained upon and how he committed them afterwards to the hand of Moses whom he preserved by his power who was nursed up by Pharaohs Daughter as you may read at large in Exod. 2. And when this cruel King of Egypt died the Children of Israel sighed and groaned under their bondage and the Lord heard their cry and God heard their groaning and God remembred his Covenant with Abraham with Isaac and with Jacob and God looked upon the Children of Israel and God had respect unto them and the Lord sent his Angel unto Moses to the Mount of God even to Horeb and he appeared to him in a flame of Fire out of the midst of a Bush and he looked and behold the bush burnt with fire and the bush was not consumed And Moses said I will now turn aside and see this great sight why the bush is not burned And when God saw he turned aside to see God called unto him out of the bush and said Moses Moses and he said here am I and he said draw not nigh hither put off thy shoes from thy feet for the place where thou standest is holy ground Moreover he said I am the God of thy Fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob and Moses hid his face for he was afraid to look upon God and the Lord said I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt and have heard their cry by reason of their Task-Masters for I know their sorrows and I am come down to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that Land into a good Land come now therefore I will send thee unto Pharaoh that thou mayest bring my people the Children of Israel out of Egypt for I have heard their cries and seen their oppressions Here the Lord committed his seed into the hand of Moses a faithful Servant who came of Lavi both by Father and Mother which was Jacobs third Son So how Moses went unto Pharaoh with the Elders of Israel and wrought the Wonders of the Lord and his miracles before him and how Moses and Aaron brought them from under the Egyptian Bondage and the many Plagues that the Lord brought upon Pharaoh we shall shew hereafter And Moses said unto God who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh and the Lord said certainly I will be with thee and this shall be a token unto thee that when thou hast brought the people out of Egypt ye shall serve God in this Mount c. as you may read in Exod. Chap. 4.5 And thou shalt say unto Pharaph thus saith the Lord Israel is my Son even my first-born I say unto thee Let my Son go that he may serve me if thou refuse to let him go behold I will smite thy Son even thy first-born ver 23. Thus Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh saying thus saith the Lord God of Israel let my people go that they may hold a Feast unto me in the Wilderness And Pharaoh said who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to let Israel go I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go Chap. 5. So he caused the greater Tasks to be laid upon them that they should make their tale of Bricks without straw as you may read and the Lord said unto Moses Now thou shalt see what I will do unto Pharaoh And God spake unto Moses and said I am the Lord and I appeared unto Abraham unto Isaac and unto Jacob by the name of God Almighty but by my name Iehovah was I not known to them and have also established my Covenant with them to give them the Land of Canaan the Land of their Pilgrimage wherein they were strangers and I have also heard the groaning of the Children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage and I remember my Covenant wherefore say unto the Children of Israel I am the Lord and I will bring you from under the burdens of the Egyptians and I will rid you out of their bondage and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm and with great Judgments and I will take you to me for a people and I will be to you for a God and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God which bringeth you out from under the bondage of the Egyptians and I will bring you into the Land concerning the which I sware to give it to Abraham to Isaac and to Iacob and I will give it to you for an heritage I am the Lord Chap. 6.8 So Moses spake to the Children of Israel as you may read to the end of the Chapter And the Lord said unto Moses see I have made thee a God unto Pharaoh and Aaron thy brother a Prophet and thou shalt speak all that I command and Aaron thy Brother shall speak unto Pharaoh that he send the children of Israel out of his Land and I will harden Pharaohs heart c. Chap. 7. And so the Lord wrought his 12 miracles upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians as you may read from the 7. Chapter to the 14. where Pharaoh and his Hoste were overwhelmed in the red Sea 1. The first of his wonders was Aarons Rod that became a Serpent and swallowed up all the Egyptians Serpents 2. Moses smote the Waters with his Rod and they became blood and all the Fish in the River died Chap. 7.20.21 and the Magitians did so 3. He smote all the borders with Frogs and Aaron stretched forth his hand over the Waters and Frogs came up and covered the Land of Egypt and the Egyptians did so Chap. 8.6 7. 4. And again the Lord said unto Moses stretch forth thy Rod and smite the dust of the Land that it may become Lice and Aaron did so So that the dust of the Land became Lice throughout all the Land of Egypt and the Magitians would have done so but they could not then the Magitians said unto Pharaoh this is the finger of God but Pharaohs heart was hardned that he would not hear them as the Lord had said 5. The Lord said unto Moses rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh and say unto him thus saith the Lord let my people go and serve me else I will send swarms of Flies upon thee and upon thy Servants and upon thy people so that all the Houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of Flies and also the ground and I will sever in that day the Land of Goshen in the which my people dwell so that none of the swarms of Flies
shall be there and I will put a Division between my people and thy people and the Lord did so and on the morrow there came grievous swarms of Flies into the House of Pharaoh and into all the Houses of the Egyptians nevertheless Pharaohs heart was hardened again as the Lord said 6. The Lord said unto Moses go unto Pharaoh and say thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews let my people go that they may serve me if thou wilt not behold the hand of the Lord is upon thy Cattel upon thy Horses upon thy Asses upon thy Camels upon thy Oxen and upon thy Sheep there shall be a very grievous murrain And the Lord did sever between the Cattel of Israel and the Cattel of the Egyptians so that nothing did die of all the Childrens of Israel Chap. 9. 7. And the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron take a handful of Ashes of the Furnace and let Moses sprinkle it towards Heaven in the sight of Pharaoh and it shall become a Boil breaking forth with Blains upon man and upon beast and Moses and Aaron did so And Boils came throughout all the Land of Egypt so that the Magitians could not stand before Moses because of the Boils but the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh that he would not hearken 8. And the Lord said unto Moses rise up early his the morning and stand before Pharaoh and say unto him thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews Let my people go that they may serve me for I will at this time send all my Plagues upon thy heart and upon thy servants and upon thy people that thou mayest know there is none like me in all the earth for now I will stretch out mine hand that I may smite thee and thy people with Pestilence and thou shalt be cut off from the earth in very deed for this very cause have I raised thee up for to shew on thee my power that my name may be declared throughout all the earth behold to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof send therefore and gather thy Cattel and those that feared the word of the Lord among Pharaohs servants sent and gathered their Cattel but those that did not regard let them abide in the fields And the Lord said unto Moses stretch forth thine hand and Moses stretched forth his hand towards Heaven and the Lord sent Thunder and Hail and the fire ran along upon the ground and the Lord rained hail upon the Land of Egypt and fire mingled with hail very grievous such as there was none like it in all the Land of Egypt since it became a Nation and the hail smote man and beast all that was in the field and every herb in the field and brake down all the trees in the field only in the Land of Goshen where the Children of Israel were there was no hail 9. And the Lord said unto Moses go unto Pharaoh for I have hardned his heart and Moses and Aaron came unto Pharaoh and said thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews how long wilt thou refuse to humble thy self before me let my people go that they may serve me else behold to morrow I will bring the Locusts in thy Coasts and they shall cover the face of the earth that one cannot be able to see the earth and they shall eat the residue of that which remaineth from the hail and they shall fill all the houses of thee and thy servants and all the Egyptians and they did so So that Pharaohs servants said how long shall this man be a snare unto us Let the men go that they may serve the Lord their God knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed So Moses stretched forth his Rod over the Land of Egypt and the Lord brought an East-wind which brought in the Locusts so that they covered the face of the whole earth and the Land was darkned and they eat every herb of the Land and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left and there remained not any green thing on the trees throughout all the Land of Egypt Then Pharaoh called for Aaron and Moses in haste and he said I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you and now therefore forgive I pray you my sin this once and entreat the Lord your God that he may take from me this death only and Moses went and entreated the Lord and the Lord sent a strong West-wind and took away the Locusts yet the heart of Pharaoh was hardened that he would not let Israel go 10. And the Lord said unto Moses stretch forth thy hands towards Heaven that there may be darkness over the Land of Egypt even darkness that may be felt and Moses stretched forth his hands towards Heaven and there was a thick darkness in all the Land of Egypt for three days they saw not one another neither any rose from his place for three days but all the Children of Israel had light in their dwellings but the Lord yet hardened Pharaohs heart that he would not let them go and Pharaoh said unto Moses get thee from me take heed to thy self see my face no more for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die and Moses said unto him thou hast said well I will see thy face no more 11. And the Lord said unto Moses I will yet bring one Plague more upon Pharaoh afterwards he will let you go hence about midnight will I go into the midst of Egypt and all the first-born in the Land of Egypt shall die from the first-born of Pharaoh that sitteth upon the Throne even to the first of the Maid-servant that is behind the Miâ—l and all the first-born of the beasts and there shall be a great cry through the Land of Egypt such as there hath been none like it neither shall be like it any more but against any of the Children of Israel shall not a Dog move his tongue that ye may know the Lord hath put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel Chap. 11. Then the Lord commanded the Children of Israel to keep the Passover and to offer a Lamb without blemish a male of the first year and to take the blood of it and strike the Posts of the Houses of the Children of Israel as you may read Chap. 12. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the Houses where you are saith the Lord and when I see the bloud I will pass over you and the Plague shall not be upon you to destroy you when I smite the Land of Egypt ver 13 And at midnight the Lord smote all the first-born of the Land of Egypt from the first-born of Pharaoh that sat on the Throne to the first-born of the Captive that sat in the Dungeon and all the first-born of the Cattel And Pharaoh rose up in the night he and all his
servants and all the Egyptians and there was a great cry in Egypt for there was not a house in which there was not one dead And he called for Moses and Aaron by night and said arise and get ye forth from among my people both you and all the Children of Israel go serve the Lord as ye have said and bless me also And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people that they might send them out of the Land in haste for they said we be all dead men So the Children of Israel journied from Rameses to Succoth about six hundred thousand on foot that were men besides Children as you may read in this 12. Chapter And it came to pass at the end of 430 years even the self same day that all the Hosts of the Lord went out from the Land of Egypt it is a night much to be observed unto the Lord for bringing them up from the Land of Egypt this is that night to the Lord to be observed by all the Children of Israel ver 42. And they went up harnessed out of the Land of Egypt And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him for the Children of Israel had strictly sworn unto him and he said God will surely visit you and ye shall carry my bones away from hence ver 18 19. And the Lord said unto Moses sanctifie unto me all the first-born whatsoever openeth the Womb of man or beast among the Children of Israel it is mine as you may read at large Chap. 13. And it came to pass when Pharaoh let the People go that God led them not through the Land of the Philistines although that was neer but God led them about through the wilderness of the Red Sea and the Lord spake unto Moses saying speak unto the Children of Israel that they turn and encamp before Pi-habiroth between Migdol and the Sea over against Baal-Zephon for Pharaoh will say of the Children of Israel they are entangled in the Land the Wilderness hath shut them in and I will harden Pharaohs heart and he shall follow after them And it was told Pharaoh that the People were fled and his heart was hardned and the hearts of his Servants and they said why have we done this that we should let the People go from serving us And the King made ready his Chariots and he took 600 chosen Charlots of all the Chariots of Egypt and made Captains over every one of them And the Lord hardned the heart of the King of Egypt and he pursued after the Children of Israel but the Lord carried them out with a high hand but the Egyptians pursued after them all the Horses and Charlots of Pharaoh and his Horsemen and his Army and overtook them encamped by the Sea and when Pharaoh drew nigh the Children of Israel lift up their eyes and behold the Egyptians marched after them and they were sore afraid and the Children of Israel cryed unto the Lord and Moses said unto them fear ye not stand stil and see the salvation of the Lord which he will shew you this day for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day ye shall see them no more for ever the Lord shall fight for you and hold your peace And the Lord said unto Moses speak unto the Children of Israel that they go forward but lift up thy Rod and stretch forth thy hand over the Sea and divide it and the Children of Israel shall go on dry ground in the midst of the Sea and I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians and they shall follow them And the Angel of God which went before the Camp of Israel removed and went behind them and the Pillar of a cloud which went before their face stood behind them and it came between the Camp of the Egyptians and the Camp of Israel and it was a cloud and darkness to them but it gave light by night to the Children of Israel so that one came not neer the other all the night and Moses stretched out his hand over the Sea and the Lord caused the Sea to go back by a strong East-wind all that night and the Children of Israel went into the midst of the Sea upon dry ground and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left 12. And the Egyptians pursued and went after them to the midst of the Sea all Pharaohs Chariots his Horses and his Horsemen and in the morning watch the Lord looked on the Host of the Egyptians through the Pillar of fire and the Cloud and troubled their Host and took off their Chariot-Wheels that they drove heavily so that the Egyptians said let us fly from the face of Israel for the Lord sighteth for them and against us and the Lord said unto Moses stretch out thy hand over the Sea that the waters may come upon the Egyptians upon their Chariots and upon their Horsemen and Moses stretched forth his hand over the Sea and the Sea returned to its strength and when the morning appeared the Egyptians fled against it and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the Sea and the waters returned and covered their Chariots and their Horsemen and all the Host of Pharaoh that came into the Sea after them there remained not so much as one of them thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hands of the Egyptians and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the Sea shore Then sang Moses and the Children of Israel this Song unto the Lord c. Exod. 15. Thus the Lord wrought these 12 wonders upon Pharaâ—h and the Egyptians all which made them harder and harder notwithstanding they could not with hold the Israelites when the Lord would deliver them for he brought them forth with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and led them through the Wilderness where they met with many tryals and hardships it being a place not affording outward necessaries and they wanted Faith to trust in the arm and power of the Almighty which had so graciously and mercifully heard their cryes under their oppression and seen their sorrows and had delivered them out of their heavy bondage and darkness that they were in under the Egyptians and though he had shewed his mighty and wonderful works upon Pharaoh and his Host yet when they came to want what they desired they murmured exceedingly against the Lord and the Children of Israel said would to God we had dyed by the hand of the Lord in the Land of Egypt when we sat by the flesh-pots and when we did eat bread to the full for ye have brought us forth into this Wilderness to kill this whole Assembly with hunger then the Lord rained Manna from Heaven And it grieved the Lord that they murmured against him and the Lord said I have heard your murmurings at even ye shall eat flesh and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God Exod. 16.12
Israel gave the Kingdom of Israel to David for ever by a Covenant of Salt and yet Jeroboam is risen up and rebelled against his Lord and now do ye think to withstand the Kingdom of the Lord in the hands of the Sons of David and ye be a great multitude and there be with you goldeâ— Calves which Jeroboam hath made for Gods and behold God himself is with us for our Captain and his Priests with sounding Trumpets to cry aloud against you O Children of Israel sight not against the Lord God of your Fathers ye shall not prosper but Jeroboam caused an ambushment to be set before the Children of Judah and behind them and they cryed unto the Lord and the Priests sounded with Trumpets then the men of Iudah gave a shout and as they shouted God smote Ieroboam and all Israel and the Children of Israel fled before Iudah and God delivered them into their hands 2 Chron. 13. 1 Kings 12.28 After this Abijah waxed mighty and married 14 Wives and had twenty two Sons and sixteen Daughters and the rest of the acts that he did are written in the Story of the Prophet Iddo and the Prophets that prophesied in his days were Shemaiah and Iddo and Abijah slept with his Fathers and Asa his Son reigned in his stead So now you may read iâ— the remaining Chapters of this Book how Israel was divided and rent asunder and how they served other Gods and wrought abomination before the Lord and the Lord spake unto them by his Prophets but they would not hear but hardened their hearts and wrought wickedness and killed the Lords Prophets but Baals Prophets were 450. and the Lord plagued them and sent them Famine and Drought as you may read Chap. 18.22 And in the twentieth year of Ieroboam Asa reigned over Iudah and Asa did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and he gathered all Judah and Benjamin together and they entred into a Covenant with the Lord God of their Fathers that they would seek him with all their hearts he took away the Altars of the strange Gods and the Images and took away the Sodomites out of the Land and he removed away the Idols which his Father had made and the Lord cut off the Ethiopians before Asa Judah and Benjamin and he removed his Mother from being Queen because she had made an Idol in a Grove and he destroyed her Idol and burnt it 2 Chr. 15. 1 Kings 15.13 In the 36 year of the reign of Asa Baasha King of Israel came up against Judah and built Ramah to the intent he might let none go out nor come in to Asa King of Judah then Asa brought out Silver and Gold out of the Treasury of the House of the Lord and sent it to Benhadad King of Syria that dwelt in Damascus that he might join with him against the King of Israel and the King of Syria harkened unto him and they smote Jion and Dan and Abel-Beth-Maâ—chab and all the Cities of Naphtali And at that time Hanani came unto Asa King of Iudah and said because thou hast relied on the King of Syria and hast not relied in the Lord thy God therefore is the Host of the King of Syria escaped out of thy hands for the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole Earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of those whose heart is perfect towards him herein thou hast done foolishly and Asa was wroth with the Seer and put him in Prison And Asa in the thirty ninth year was diseased in his feet and he sought not unto the Lord but unto Physicians and he slept with his Fathers and the Prophets Hanani and Azaziah the Son of Oded prophesied in his days and his Son Iehosaphat reigned in his stead and he walked according to Asa his Father and turned not aside from doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord nevertheless the high places were not taken away for the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their Fathers And the Lord was with Jehosaphat because he walked in the waies of David his Father and sought the Lord and his heart was lifted up in the waies of the Lord and called his Princes and with them he sent Levites and Priests and they taught in Judah and had the book of the Law of the Lord with them and went about through all the Cities of Judah and taught the people and the fear of the Lord fell upon all the Kingdoms of the Land round about Judah so that they made no War with Jehosaphat And Jehosaphat joined affinity with Ahab and went down to Samaria to Ahab King of Israel and they went down to Ramath-Gilâ—ad as you may read the 2 Chron. 18.1 1 Kings 22.2 and Jehosaphat caused Ahab to enquire of the Prophets of Israel and afterwards they enquired of Michaiah the Prophet of the Lord which Ahab said he hated for he never prophesied good of him but evil 2 Kings SO the King of Israel and Jehosaphat King of Iudah went up against Ramath-Gilead and a certain man drew a bow at a venture and smote the King of Israel between the joints of his Harness so that he died 2 Chron. 18.33 1 Kings 22. Now Ioram the Son of Ahab reigned over Israel in Samaria in the 18. year of Iâ—hosaphat King of Iudah it came to pass when Ahab was dead that the King of Moab rebelled against the King of Israel and Ioram King of Israel sent to Iehosaphat King of Iudah to join with him against Moab and the King of Israel and the King of Iudah went and the King of Edom went with them against Moab and the King of Israel said alas hath the Lord gathered these three Kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab and Ichosaphat said is there not here a Prophet of the Lord that we may enquire of him 2 Kings and one of the Kings servants said here is Elisha that poured water on the hands of Elijah and the three Kings went to enquire of him and Elisha said unto the King of Israel what have I to do with thee get thee to the Prophets of thy Father and the Prophets of thy Mother and Elisha said as the Lord of Hosts liveth before whom I stand were it not that I regard the presence of Iehesaphat King of Iudah I would not look towards thee nor see thee but now bring me here a Minstrel c. and they prevailed against the Moabites as you may read 2 Kings 3. And it came to pass after this that the Children of Moab and the Children of Ammon and with them from beyond the Sea from this side of Syria went a great multitude that came up against Iehosaphat King of Iudah as you may read 2 Chron. 20. and Iehosaphat feared before the Lord and proclaimed a Fast and set himself and all his people to seek the Lord and the Lord gave Iehosaphat Victory over his Enemies then returned