him how the soule of his sonne loved Dinah and desired she might be his wife and how by that there should be a continuall freindship betweene them their children and people with great expressions of what love happines this would produce now they seem'd to likewel of those Propositions only they would not marry with an uncircumcised people but if they would be circumcised they would approve thereof all which Hamor and his son Shechem liked well of consenting there unto and Shechem deferred not the doing of it his love was such to Dinah so the father and the sonne acquainted the Citie therewith who considering of the conveniencie and neighbour-hood that hereby might come so they consented and all the men children were circumcised even as they went out at the gate of the City But on the third day after when they were sore two sonnes of Jacob Simeon and Levi took each of them a sword and going boldly into the Citie killed every male as likewise Hamor and Shechem taking Dinah out of Shechem's house and so went away and the other sons of Jacob came up and spoiled the City taking all their goods because of this wrong done to their sister Dinah But Jacob was troubled at this act of Simeon and Levi saying they had made him stinck among the Inhabitants After this God commanded him to arise and goe to Bethel and there to make an Altar unto him the which he did before commanding all his house-hold to put away their false Gods whose counsell they observed giving him all their Gods or Idols and there eare-rings and buryed them under an Oake So they went towards Bethel and there built an Altar and after many promises there of God unto him and his seed with his worship and testimonies of thanksgiving unto God for all his mercies he departed from Bethel and in their journey Rachel travel'd in child-birth and was in danger but the Midwife did comfort her telling her shee should have a son and in her extreamity before she died being delivered called the child Benjamine and so gave up the Ghost was buried at Bethlehem Jacob comaÌ„nding a Pillar to be set upon her grave Then Jacob went on his journey and came to Isaac his Father to Mamre where Isaac died After this Jacob lived in the Land of Canaan where after his other sonnes sold Joseph into Egypt unto which Land in the time of famine by Gods great Providence Jacob and all his sons did repaire All which and the rest of the life and acts of Jacob and his sonnes with Jacobs Death and Buryall are at large exprest in the ensuing History of Joseph PRAYERS upon the History of JACOB O Lord as Jacob by his obedience vnto his Parents obtained the blessing from them in his journey to Padan-Aram thou diddest mercifully preserve him So blesse mee O Lord in what I goe about and give me true obedience towards thee that thou maist give me the blessings of thy holy grace to protect mee through the manifold dangers of my soule in the pilgrimage of this world and that thy blessed inspirations may abide with me In the distresses so subject unto me for my sinnes be thou mercifull unto me as thou wast unto Jacob when his lodging was the earth and his pillow a stone If the Father of the Patriarks and descended from the Father of the faithfull was well contented with such thine appointment and did praise thee for thy mercies Let me O Lord a most miserable sinner and who have been most disobedient unto thee reflect into my self with sincerity of soule by looking into my bad deservings so see them as with compassion to my selfe I may bewaile my manifold sinnes and by the remembrance of them fall down upon this earth and think my selfe so unworthy as to esteeme all the sufferings and hâ—rd passages of this world not punishments sufficient to expiate my câ—ying offences but sâ—ill to bewaile my sins and to lie downe with my head upon this sâ—one of Contrition with patience and thankfulnesse to submit to thy blessed will And in these my streights and most just sufferings thou who sittest in heaven and then stood upon the toppe of that ladder which reached downe to the earth â—here Jacob was Looke downe from thence O Lord and speak mercifully unto me and let thy blessed Angels descend downe upon this ladder and steps of thy favour to assist and comfort mee in all my troubles O Lord awaken thou my drousie spirit that by thy grace casting off all feares I may apprehend thy goodnesse and discern the gates of heavenly mercie for which let me rise early and by taking up stedfast thoughts and good resolutions I may raise up a pillar of praise powring thereon the oyle of chearefull thankefulnesse for all thy mercies as Jacob did upon that stone he stept on and for all thy preservations let me pay my vowes unto thee Lord keepe mee thy servant from voluptuousnesse and curiosity the great distempers of these times and by the example of Jacob thy servant and the Predecessor of Kings who desired but bread raiment give me grace to mortifie all my vain affections surfeitnig pleasures of this world and most willingly to be contented with thy good pleasure Continue thy good providence towards me as thou diddest unto Jacob in his journey when hee came to that Well where he so happily met with Rachel Let mee alwayes admire thy wonderfull wayes and meanes whereby thou bringst thy mercies and blessings unto us And let me O Lord well consider and see how many times in the course of my life thou hast shewed mee thy works of mercie by preventing me in things whereby my owne weak judgement and intentions destructions of soule and bodie had been the issâ—e And likewise how by wayes and meanes of thy speciall providence thou hast protected and directed me into the wayes of safety and therefore as Jacob after thy good guidance was brought unto that Well from which he rowled the stone to doe the office of courtesie So good Lord in imitation of him for thy goodnesse let me remove by thy mercie all sad and heavy thoughts from over those good inspirations which thou hast infused into the dry well of my heart springing from thy grace And that I may abundantly distribute this holy water to the rich by friendship and courtesie and to the poor by love charity And as Jacob in the fulnesse of joy in his heart by meeting of Rachel wept so good Lord when I shall finde at any time the blessed comfort of thy grace and good inspirations let mee embrace them with true thankfulnesse and rejoycing in thee for thy mercies and in fear for thy judgements weep for my offences against thee In the manifold uncertainties unconstancies of the friendships of this world and worldly men give me such honest care and patience as Jacob had by Laban's hard servitude unto him Still to discharge the trust committed
and he shall be a great Nation and that Sarah shall beare Isaac the next yeare Then Abraham tooke Ishmael his son with all the men-children that were borne in his house 15. and that were bought with money and circumcised them the selfe-same day God had commanded him himselfe being ninety nine years old when hee was circumcised and Ishmael thirteen Now againe the Lord appeared unto Abraham in the Plain of Mamre about the heat of the day as he sate at his Tent doore and looking loe three men stood by him whom he ran to meet bowing himselfe to the ground saying Lord if I have found favour in thy sight goe not I pray thee from thy servant but wash your feet under this tree and I will bring you some bread to comfort your hearts and after you may goe and they answered doe as thou hast said Then Abraham made hast unto Sarah and bade her make some cakes upon the Hearth as likewise hee made his servant kill a Calfe aâ—d so with some butter and milke hee set before them standing himselfe by under the tree whiles they did eate Then they asked for Sarah his Wife whom hee said was in the Tent and he said I will certainly come again unto thee according to the time of life for Sarah shall have a sonne Sarah heard this being at the Tent door and laughed within her selfe because she and Abraham being olde And the Lord said wherefore doth Sarah thus laugh shall any thing bee too hard for the Lord to doe at the time appointed will I returne unto thee even according to the time of life and Sarah shal have a sonne then Sarah was affraid So the men did rise and went towards Sodome but Abraham stood yet before the Lord and knowing of the Lords anger he pleaded for that City desiring the Righteous might not be destroyed with the wicked and desired that if fifty righteous were therein it might not be destroyed for said hee unto the Lord shall not the Judge of the world doe right but Abraham's suite continued from fifty to five and forty so from forty to thirty and so to twenty and at last to ten which not being in that City the Lord went from Abraham and Abraham returned to his place After this Abraham went toward the South and sojourned at Gerar and once more said Sarah was his sister and Abimilech the King sent for her whom God before he toucht her in a dream threatned death unto him for taking another man's Wife so with many circumstances in the feare of God very religiously hee delivered her backe to Abraham blaming him for saying she was his Sister the which he excused by saying hee thought them to have been a wicked people and was affraid of his life pretending she was his sister having both one father but not of one mother Then Abimilech gave them great store of Cattell treasure reproving of Sarah for her dissembling he gave them leave to live in his Countrey where they pleased and by the prayer of Abraham Abimilech was heal'd of his Infirmity with his Wife and women-servants who before were barren and now brought forth children before they being accused for Sarah's cause After this according to Gods promise in due season Sarah conceived and bare Isaac whom Abraham circumcised at 8. dayes old and Sarah rejoyced in the Lord and wondred at his mercies And when he was weaned they made a great feast but Sarah seeing Ishmael mocking she said unto Abraham cast out this bond-woman and her sonne for hee shall not be heire with my sonne Isaac at which Abraham was troubled but the Lord comâ—orted him by telling him the comfort he should have by Isaac so in the morning early hee sent away Hagar and Ishmael who went to the Wildernesse of Beersheba and God was mercifull to them in their journey After this there was great friendship between Abraham and Abimilech and all differences being reconciled Abraham giving him Beeves and sheep After this Abraham planted a Grove in Beersheba and called there upon the name of the Lord the everlasting God Then the Lord to prove Abraham's faith said unto him take now thine only son Isaac whom thou lovest and goe to the Land of Moreah and there offer him a burnt-offering upon one of the mountaines I shall shew thee so Abraham went early away with Isaac his sonne two servants his Asses with cloven wood for the sacrifice and the third day spying the place he commanded his servants to stay behind himselfe and Isaac going on to the mountaine to worship Isaac carrying the wood himselfe the knife and the fire Then said Isaac Father here is the fire and the wood but where is the Lamb for the burnt-offring then his father answered that God would provide it and comming to the place Abraham built there an altar and couched the wood on it and bound Isaac his son and laid him like-wise on the Altar upon the wood and Abraham stretched out his hand and tooke the knife to kill his sonne but an Angell from Heaven called unto him saying Abraham Abâ—aham who answered here am I then he said lay not thy hand upon the child nor doe any thing unto him for now I know thou fearest God seeing for my sake thou hast not spared thine onely sonne Then Abraham lifting up his eyes behold there was a Ramme behind him caught by the hornes in a bush the which hee tooke and offered him a burnt-offering in stead of his so and he called the place Jehovah Jireth as it is said this day in the Mount will the Lord be seene and upon this by an Angell from heaven the secoÌ„d time a great blessing was promised unto Abraham and his seede and that in them should all the Nations of the Earth be blessed Then turned Abraham againe to his servants and so went to Beersheba where he dwelt Now after this when Sarah was one hundred twenty and seven yeares old she dyed at Kiriartharba in the Land of Canaaâ— and Abraham mourned for her but hee arising from the sight of the Corps talked with the Hittites about a place for the burying of Sarah hee being there a Stranger and they proffered him to bury her in the chiefest of their Sepulchres but with much respect he desired them to speak for him unto Ephron to give him a Cave called Maeh Pelah at the end of a field for so much money it was worth for a burying place Then Ephroa in the hearing of all the people said No my Lord the field I give thee and the cave that is therein even in the presence of the fons of my people Then Abraham bowed himself before the people saying Seeing thou wilt give it meâ— I will give thee the price of the field and so hee gave him 400. filver sheckles for it after which Abraham buryed Sarah in that cave it being against Mamre the same is Hebron in Canaan Now Abraham being growne old tooke
care for a Wife for his sonne Isaac hee then calling for his Steward making him put his hand under his thigh and causing him to sweare by the Lord God of Heaven and Earth that his sonne should not take a Canaanitish woman to Wife but to goe into his owne Countrey and Kindred and there to take a Wife for him Then said his servant what if the Woman will not come with me into this Land shall I bring back thy sonne To whom Abraham answered beware that thou bring not back my sonne thither againe The Lord God of Heaven who tooke me from my fathers house even from the Land where I was born that spake and sware unto me saying unto thy seed will I give this Land he shal send his Angell before thee and thou shalt take a Wife unto my sonne from thence Neverthelesse if the Woman will not follow thee then shalt thou be discharged of thy oath only bring not my son thither againe and the servant swore unto Abraham so he tooke tenne of his Masters Camels who went his journey obtained Rebecka to be his wife as in the story of Isaac is more at large exprest Now after the death of Sarah Abraham took another Wife called Keturah which bare him divers children and Ahraham gave all his goods unto Isaac but unto the sonnes of his Concubines he gave them gifts and sent them away from Isaac his son this he did in his life-time And Abraham being one hundred seventy and five years old hee yeelded up his Spirit dying in a good age and was gathered to his people and his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the Cave with Sarah in the field Ephron PRAYERS upon the History of ABRAHAM GIve mee obedience O Lord to follow the steps of my Governors and to bee guided by my Parents as Abraham was by Terah his Father who brought him to Haran So likewise let mee be obedient to thy blessed Inspirations which may bring me to the heavenly Canaan And as Abraham carried with him in his journey his wife Lot his Brother with his servants and substance grant that all my nearest affections my flesh blood may cheerfully goe along with mee in this my pilgrimage to my â—eavenly happinesse with the servants substanâ—e of piety and good workes to attend me And in this progresse in Moreh and in the middle of the worldly Canaan let thy blessed grace appeare unto mee and grant that I may build an Altar of thanksgiving in my heart unto thee and call upon thy Name Preserve me in the famine necessity and miseries of this world as thou diddest Abraham But above all worldly helps keepe me from the famine of thy favour and grace that in thee my soule may be safe from the spirituall danger of faith and a good conscience By thy good guidance remove me from danger as Abraham was by his going into Aegypt Let not the feare and jealousie of worldly respects make mee to dissemble before thee O Lord who knows 't the secrets of my heart as Abraham did by his Wife for his earthly safety and deliver mee from such bad intions of fleshly desires as was in Pharaoh King of Aegypt by detaining of Sarah lest I partake of such punishments as befell unto him And for such offences against thee as wrongs and bad intentions done to any man or woman grant thaâ— I may not continue in them but timely to repent and by leaving such sinnes give satisfaction for wrongs done as Pharoah did to Abraham at his departure And still to praise thee for thy mercies O Lord as Abraham did at his return to Bethel Give unto me the like charitable love as was between Abraham Lot in their parting yea in the middle of such worldly fortunes as they had that most dangerous rocke of ambition pride and Emulation and let mee not bee too much in love with the pleasant Plains of this worldly Jordan of earthly and vaine delight with Lot in his choise for then shal I not be so neare the like dangerâ— as he was at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah Good Lord give unto me continuall comforts and assurances unto my soule by thy mercies unto mee in the hope of that blessed eternity as thou diddest give unto Abraham his seede for their blessing in the earthly Canaan and in this Plain of Mamre the Hebron of this world still let me praise thee for all thy mercies with this father of the faithful Give unto me O my helper a helping hand unto my distressed Brethren and friends of this world as Abraham did to Lot in his captivity With such blessings and comforts as was given to Abraham by that King and Priest Melchisadech and not only to be humbly thankefull unto thee for the same but to pay that tithe of duty and obedience due unto thy Ministers as he did In the sadnesse of my dejected spirit and coldnesse of devotion towards thee be thou my strength and comfort as thou wast to Abraham in thy promise to his seede so shall not this my earthly Steward of vain and worldly suggestions possesse annoy and supplant my good thoughts intentions and hopes in thee but still I may be made happy by thy heavenly mercies In the barrennesse of my soule as it was in Sarah her body in such fruitfulnesse as was with Hagar let me not despair with the one nor presume with the other lest I be cast out of thy mercies but in my cries send mee thy good Inspirations to make me returne timely and humbly with Hagar and with leasure to receive thy promised blessing with Sarah So by the humiliation of Hagar and the hope of Sarah I shall by thy mercie with Abraham enjoy the Ishmael of worldly comfort here the Isaac of everlasting happinesse hereafter Grant O Lord that I may be courteous and charitable to all men as Abraham was to the three who came to his Tent doore with the like agility and alacrity to do good works as he did for their provision that aâ— hee in stead of men received Angelâ— so by thy promised mercie to wel doers shall I receive with Abraham thy comfort here and thy heavenly reward hereafter where the Angels waite at the doors of heaven to receive the righteous Take from me O Lord all distrusts of thy promises with Sarah's second doubt and with her wonder at thy mercies for by this faith and confidence in thee I shall by thy goodnesse and in good time with this hope and wel-doing enjoy the happinesse in heaven as she did after in earth in thy promise of Isaac O Lord keep me from the unrighteousnesse which was in Sodome lost by mine unworthinesse the mediations and prayers of the faithfull do not prevail for me before the Throne of mercy lest that for my sins I partake of their punishment from thy seate of justice O Lord how miserable and wretched are we even the best of us without thy continuall
helpe as it befell once more unto Abraham in Gerer by calling his Wife sister O Lord keep me thy servant from relapsing into deadly sinnes yea in the least offence against thee as he did by this his infirmity And in my wicked intentions and thy just punishments for them deale with mee as thou diddest with Abimilech to repent and leave off before sin fully passes me Keepe me O Lord from a scoffing and mocking condition as was in Ishmael lest I be made a scorne amongst my friends and bee thrust from the society of the discreet Let me O Lord admire and imitate the great faith and resolution of this thy servant Abraham the father of the faithfull give me grace cheerefully and faithfully to goe towards that holy Morah and there to sacrifice my soule and what is most neare and deare unto me to thee to carry that soveraine wood to inkindle 〈◊〉 zeale in mee and the sacred and sharp kniâ—e to cut off the branches of my iâ—bred corruptions and fleshly love and let the two servants the World the Devill stay behind that they may not hinder my good purpose and obedience to thy commands and so by this blessed resolution and sincerity I shall receive thy mercie and a timely offering from thee as Abraham had the Ram with the comfort of thy heavenly grace and blessings still more more to â—â—nforme and strengthen me in a holy progresse towards thee O Lord. Great was this faith in Abraham the Father and perfect was the obedience of Isaac his sonne But oh the incomprehensible goodnesse and mercy of our God and heavenly Father and his sonne my Saviour by that his humiliation and obedience This omnipotent God brought this his only begotten Son unto Mount-Calvary where neither Ramme nor Bullocke was sufficient for that Sacriâ—ice which was for our Redemption but that Lamb of God who tooke away the sinnes of the world he humbled himselfe and was offered as a sacrifice for our sins upon the Crosse whose blood was far more precious theÌ„ that of Rams for this most precious holy and unvaluable blood is the cure of our corrupttd soules by washing away the foule spots of sin Oh was ever the like obedience or ever any love like to this O Lord as the two servants whom Abraham left below the mountaine might wonder at the resolution of their Master his son's obedience so let my soul and body that desires to serve thee in imitation of these two servants with much humility waiting in the bottome and valley where thou hast appointed us to stay with wonder aâ—mire thy goodnesse mercie for this thy fatherly mercie unto us and thy Son's goodnesse and obedience for us for this is mercie beyond measure to us most miserable sinners O Lord it is far beyond the apprehension of sinful man to comprehend this thy so infinite goodnesse and mercie therefore let mee for ever with admiration looke up to heaven from whence thou descendedst to do this so unspeakable a work of pitty mercie and looke downe into my self who was the cause of this severe suffering and see my owne unworthinesse so by seeing this thy incomprehensible goodnesse and my own vilenesse in the humblenesse of my heart mith admiration of thy goodnesse that I may magnifie thy Name for ever O Lord and let sorrow compuÌ„ction for my sins be my companions for ever Let mee O God see the foulness of sin and shun it with perfect hatred it being of that danger to mee and such an offence against thee O Lord even of such a dangerous consequence as nothing could sufficiently satisfie for it but that all-sufficient and great sacrifice upon the Crosse even by such a holy oblation as thy selfe O rightâ—ous God for sinfull man Therefore let the consideration of the shame and pain thou sufferedst upon that Tree make me be ashamed to offend thee Crucifie all the wicked and vaine affections that reigne in my corrupted flesh and bring me in true obedience unto thee O thou Redeemer and Saviour of the world give me patience and moderate sorrow for the loss of near friends as Abraham was for Sarah his wife and to have a charitable venerable regard unto them as Abraham had by the decent burying of Sarah O Lord with Abraham make me carefull for the lawfull and discreet disposing of my children as he did for Isaac And grant that thy good Angel may goe before me in such actions and thy good inspirations so to guide me not only for the earthly marriage of my sonne but likewise that I may so use and enjoy these earthly comforts here as that at last I may bee brought to that blessed marriage in heaven which happinesse there Abraham Isaac and Jacob with the Patriarks Prophets Apostles Martyrs and Professors of the true faith enjoy for all Eternity THE HISTORY of ISAAC THE servant of Abraham having taken his journey according to the direction of Abraham his Master for the obtaining of a Wife for Isaac and said he began his journey having in his charge ten Camels with such goods delivered unto him by Abraham as were fit for his journey who journeyed came to a City called Nahur where comming he there made his Camels to lie downe without the City by a well of water being eventide the time that women used to come for water and then he said O Lord God of my Master Abraham I beseech thee send me good speed this day shew thy mercy to him Loe I stand by the well of water whiles the daughters of the City come hither grant that the Maid to whoÌ„ I say bow downe thy pitcher I pray thee that I may drinke If she say drink and I will give thy Camels drink also let her be she that thou hast ordained for thy servant Isaac and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed mercy on my Master Now while hee was speaking Rebeckah the daughter of Bethuel came out with her pitcher upon her shoulder who was very fair and a Virgin and going downe into the Well and filling her pitcher and comming up the servant ran and met her saying let me drinke I pray thee a little water of thy pitcher Then she hastily put the pitcher to her hand and gave him to drink saying moreover I will draw likewise some water for thy Camels that they may drinke and then she ran againe to the Well and drew water for the Camels So the man wondred at her but held his peace to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not And when the Camels had left drinking the man took a golden Abilloment and two bracelets with ten sheckles of gold and gave them her and he asked her whose daughter she was saying I pray thee tell mee as likewise if there be any roome in thy Fathers house to lodge in she answered I am the daughter of Bethuel whom she bare to Nahor Moreover she said we have litter
requite us all the evill which we did to him and they sent a messenger unto Joseph saying Thy father did command before he died saying so shall ye say unto Joseph Forgive I pray thee now the trespasse of thy brethren and their sin for they did unto thee evil and now we pray thee forgive the trespasse of the servants of the God of thy father and Joseph wept when they spake unto him and his brethren also went and fell downe before his face and they said Behold we be thy servants and Joseph said unto them Feare not for I am in the place of God but as for you ye thought evill against me but God meant it unto good to bring to passe as it is this day to save much people alive Now therefore feare you not I will nourish you and your little ones and he comforted them And Joseph dwelt in Egypt he and his fathers house and lived one hundred and ten yeares and saw Ephraims children of the third generation and the children of Machir the sonne of Manasseh were brought up upon Josephs knees And Joseph said unto his brethren I die and God will surely visit you and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham Isaac and Jacob and Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel saying God will surely visit you and ye shall carry up my bones from hence So Joseph died being one hundred and ten years old and they embalmed him and he was put in a coffin in Egypt and after in the time of Joshua when the children of Israel came over Jordan they brought his bones out of Egypt and buried them in Shechem in a parcell of ground Jacob bought of the sonnes of Hamer the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver and it became the inheritance of the sonnes of Joseph MEDITATIONS Upon the History of Joseph who was sold into Egypt by his brethren O Lord God everlasting which out of thy great mercy to mankind sentest thy onely begotten Sonne Jesus Christ into this world for the redemption of me a sinner and who for my sake was sold unto the Jewes by Judas one of his disciples was crucified for my sinnes and is gone before to the heavenly Canaan to be a Mediator at thy right hand for my sinfull and famishing soule for his sake be thou mercifull unto me that am a sofourner here in this Egypt of the world that the vaine temptations of the flesh may not have power over me but give me the like Chastity that Joseph had Neither let me grow in love with the flesh-pots of voluptuousnesse nor be blinded with the Egyptian darknesse of this world But grant I doe most humbly beseech for his sake my Jesus that was sold and died for my sinnes that I may happily passe this pilgrimage here in this land of Egypt and use my stewardship like blessed Joseph by dealing honestly and truly with all men and where I finde favour and friends as he did make me ever thankfull unto thee for thy mercies therein and to be religiously carefull to discharge that trust which shall be committed unto me like Joseph that it may be with me at my accounting day as it was with the wise steward to know what to doe For blessed is that servant whom the Lord when he cometh shall finde so doing Good Lord give me charity towards my Christian brethren and as concerning them that have done me wrong as Joseph did Take revenge from the soule of thy servant O Lord I beseech thee and give me grace to doe good against evill and to forgive as I desire to be forgiven of thee And blessed Lord after aâ—â— thy blessings and mercies here in this Egypt that thou hast prepared as an earthly comfort for me a sinner make me ready and at thy call to take a happy passeover for my passage towards the celestiall Canaan and in the meane time give me grace to overcome all difficulties and to be obedient to my task-masters and superiours in this vale of triall where the enemies of my soule strive against my intended journey towards the Land of promise Good Lord keep me from hardnesse of heart and the Egyptian plagues and punishments my sinnes have so much deserved grant me O Lord a good and prosperous voyage thorough the Red sea of danger help my hungry and drooping soule feed and strengthen it with the Manna of thy blessed Spirit Good Lord give me grace to subject my selfe to follow and obey my Governours as the Israelites did submit to Moses and Aaron and not to follow mine owne devises and inventions But to obey them that thou hast appointed over me and not to be one of the murmuring Israelites neither Seditious and contentious against Order and Government with Corah Dathan and Abiram But in all things to submit my judgement in the way of my Pilgrimage to the Rules of Jesus Christ and the governors of his holy Church as thou O Lord hast commanded not following my owne fancies nor the suggestions of my spirituall enemy that cloaths himselfe like an Angel of light to deceive and fill my soule full of spirituall pride the sin that cast downe the Angels from heaven from which most dangerous rock O Lord deliver thy servant that puts his trust under the shadow of thy wings of mercy that at last I may come with humblenesse of heart and soule through the wildernesse of this world so full of cares troubles and temptations to the land of promise that heavenly Jerusalem which thou hast prepared for them that love and feare thee and fight a good fight through this desart of danger and diffidence let me not in this passage O Lord leane to the pleasures and plenty of Goshen but obey thy lawes delivered at Mount Sinai and chearfully goe on like a good Israelite in this my passage the which so much concerns my soule so that good Lord by a true faith and confidence in thee with a happy perseverance in the obedience of thy Commandements at last I may arrive amongst them that live and feare thee in that heavenly feast of tabernacles and receive the comfort of that blessed saying Come ye blessed of my Father and in that heavenly and eternal habitation where all teares shall be wiped away and all afflictions and temptations cease sing Halleluiah and praise and honour and glory and worship unto the Lambe that sits upon the throne for ever THE HISTORY of Moses AFter the death of Joseph the children of Israel did increase exceedingly in Egypt and grew very mightily and another King reigning after the death of Pharaoh he was jealous of their greatnesse and strength and therefore set task-masters over them to afflict them with their burdens and to keepe them under in so much as they made their lives bitter with hard bondage by work in morter and brick and all manner of service in the field with much rigour and the King in his jealousie
tooke Joshua and set him before Eleazar the Priest and the congregation and he laid his hands upon him and gave him a charge as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses After this the children of Israel warred against the Midianites and they slew the King of Midian and burnt their cities and their goodly castles and there Balaam was slaine they divided the spoyle of the Countrey And Moses growing old he called Joshuah unto him before the people giving him good counsell and bidding him to be valiant and encouraged the people and setteth forth a song of Gods mercies and vengeance After which the Lord spake unto Moses saying Get thee up into this mountain Abarim unto mount Nebo which is in the land of Moab that is over against Jericho and behold the land of Canaan which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession and dye in the mount whither thou goest up and be gathered unto thy people as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor and was gathered unto his people because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the wildernesse of Zin because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel yet thou shalt see the land but thou shalt not goe thither and after Moses had blessed the twelve Tribes of Israel he went up from the plaines of Moab unto the mountaine of Nebo and the Lord shewed him the land of promise which was promised to Abraham Isaac and Jacob so Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab according to the word of the Lord and he buryed him in a valley in the land of Moab over against Beth Peor but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day he was 120. yeares old when he died his eye was not dim nor his naturall force abated and the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plaines of Moab thirty dayes and there arose not a Prophet since in Israel like unto Moses whom the Lord knew face to face In all the signes and wonders which the Lord sent him to doe in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh to all his servants and to all his land and in all that mighty hand and in all that great terrour which Moses shewed in the sight of Israel MEDITATIONS Upon some parts of the History of Moses O Lord direct my meditations and assist me humbly and truely to contemplate this thy great work of the deliverance of thy children of Israel out of Egypt by Moses after they had sojourned there foure hundred and thirty yeares after which time according to thy promise thou diddest deliver them and brought them to the land of promise This great deliverance O Lord is the true type of a great mercy that did follow which was by our Moses Jesus Christ who redeemed and brought us that were Gentiles and under the bondage and slavery of sinne to serve and follow him out of the darknesse wherein we were inthraled being far worse then the Egyptian yoke O Lord my God let it enter into my heart most humbly and seriously to consider of this inestimable mercy of my redemption and of thy wonderfull and unvaluable goodnesse towards me a sinner by sending into this Egypt of the world such a guide such a deliverer and such a Redeemer as all the Angels and powers in heaven doe adore even thy onely Sonne Let me be astonished O Lord with wonder at this thy so great mercy and be confounded in my selfe for offending thee so glorious and so gracious a God And let my sinfull soule be converted unto thee to serve thee with all humblenesse of heart O Lord how sutable in mischiefe were Pharaoh and Herod by giving way to Ambition and Jealousie and the reignes to commit cruelty to an unlimited height for the murdering of innocent Infants Pharaohs ambition was to destroy the Hebrew children amongst whom was Moses which thou O God preservedst to deliver the people of Israel out of Egypt and Herods designe to destroy the children in Jury amongst whom was that immaculate Lambe Christ Jesus even to destroy him who delivered the Gentiles and was after crucified to deliver and redeeme both Jew and Gentile O Lord how wonderfull are thy workes and all thy goodnesse for flesh and blood could not prevaile against thy providence for the cruelty of Pharaoh could not prevent thy goodnesse for thou diddest multiply and blesse thy children of Israel and preservedst Moses in a poore basket of bulrushes to doe thy great worke to deliver thy people out of the thraldome of Egypt And O wonder of wonders and mercy of mercies out of the manger at Bethlehem came our blessed Saviour who redeemed the world and how wonderfully O Lord hast thou preserved thy Church for whom he died and multiplied thy servants through the persecutions of this world As it was thy great mercy and blessing O Lord to preserve Noah and his family in that great Arke whereby mankind was preserved upon earth So it was thy mercy to preserve thy servant Moses in that little arke amongst the watery flags of danger to preserve and bring thy children of Israel descended from Noah out of Egypt to the land of promise from which stock so preserved came my Saviour Jesus Christ as these have beene thy mercies O God to preserve thy people of Israel by thy Prophet Moses the type of Christ and to redeeme the world by thy Sonne my Saviour Jesus So O Lord many have beene thy mercies unto me a sinner by thy manifold mercies and deliverances even since my infancie hitherto both by sea and land Good Lord in thy mercy take from over me this thick and mysty cloud of stupidity that so much darkens my understanding that I may discerne these thy mercies and feare love and serve thee with all the faculties of soule and body and good Lord grant that I may love my kinred and neighbours as Moses did love his Nation the Hebrews with kindnesse and affability to all men as he used to the daughters of Jethro Let the soule of thy servant know that in the places of peace quietnesse and retirednesse from the eye of this world so full of vanity and pleasures there art thou to be found for in the desart behinde the mountain and neare Horeb thou wast with Moses O Lord bring my soule from these worldly cares afflictions and temptations amongst which I live and lead me with thy saving grace toward thy holy mountaine with contemplations of holinesse and penitency for my sins and there let me rest in thee and be freed from the thorny and scorching passages of this world As thou O God didst wonderfully appeare unto Moses in the Bush by a flame of fire which did not burne nor consume it so I doe most humbly beseech thee enter into the heart of thy servant and enflame it with holy love and zeale towards thee and enlighten it O Lord that
the city of David but carried it into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite where it continued three months and the Lord blessed Obed and all his houshold and when David understood how God had blessed them because of the Ark of God David went and brought the Ark of the Lord from thence unto the city of David with much gladnesse and after they that bare the Ark had gone six paces he sacrificed Oxen and fatlings to the Lord and David danced before the Lord and was girded with a linnen Ephod and so it was brought by David and all the hoste of Israel with shoutings and with the sound of Trumpet into the city of David but Michall Sauls daughter looked through a window and seeing king David leaping and dancing before the Ark shee despised him and they brought the Ark of the Lord and set in the tabernacle that David had made for it and then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord and blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts and he gave to every man and woman of all Israel bread flesh and wine and so they departed every one to their house And David returning to blesse his house Michall the daughter of Saul came out to meet him said how glorious was the king of Israel this day who uncovered himself in the eys of the hand-maids of his servants as one of the vain fellowes shamelesly uncovereth himself and David said unto Michall it was before the Lord which chose me before thy father and before all his house to appoint me Ruler over the people of Israel therefore will I play before the Lord and I will be yet more vile then thus and will be base in my own sight and of the maid-servants which thou hast spoken of of them shall I be had in honour therefore had Michall the daughter of Saul no children untill the day of her death MEDITATIONS Vpon the Arke of the holy Covenant O Omnipotent God give unto me thy servant a venerable regard unto thine ordinances and to worship thee as I ought to do and not to encline to an unreverent serving of thee and selfe-conceit but let zeale possesse my soule and humble devotion dwell in my heart deliver me O Lord from the danger of these had and evill times for thine altars are prophaned and thy worship in thy holy places are wholy neglected and the glory seems to be departed out of this our Israel let me look back O Lord to the times of old how thy servants the children of Israel did worship towards thy holy temple and the Ark of thy holy Covenant placed between the Cherubins and how thou wast pleased therewith what blessings O Lord from time to time did goe along with this Ark of thy Covenant and what punishments did fall upon them that did prophane it O Lord give me humblenesse of heart to desire an humble knowledge of thee and not to be busie in prying into thy secrets to look into the Ark of thy Covenant least I be destroyed with them of Bethshemesh neither let me distrust thy power O Lord or intermedle with holy things but keep the right and lowly rule that thou hast commanded so shall I avoid and escape the punishment of Uzzah the sad experience of evill which curiosity and intrusion into Gods secrets and other mens callings ever brought unto the conscience Lord let me stand with perfect humility afarre off with the Publican and humbly without the bounds of the Sanctuary with thy people of Israel in their worship towards thee and not proudly to presume to come into the Sanctum Sanctorum the holy of holyes but venerably to worship towards it with lowlinesse of heart keep thy servant O Lord from the dangerous disease of these times let me not be wise in my own conceit nor busie and opinionated of my own Iudgement to disturb Church and State and to seare my own conscience but give me grace to be humble and meek and as the children of Israel did obey Moses by keeping without the limits of mount Sinai and must not touch the border of it whiles the law was delivered so keep me O Lord farre from presumption that neither eye nor hand out-compasse themselves to my destruction and this was by a most strict charge from thee O God and that only Moses and Aaron should come before thee upon the mount with great punishments threatned unto the breaker of this command By this restraint let thy servant tremble at thy Iudgements and feare with the children of Israel in the conservation of my spirit and obey thee with humility from the very bottome of my heart as the Israelites did at the bottome of mount Sinai and let me not O Lord follow the dangerous example of them that with so much presumption goe about to break the rules which thou hast commanded presuming to step before them whom thou hast appointed to be their guides to break with pride of spirit within the borders of mount Sinai contrary to thy commands good Lord let me leave my Iudgement in points of faith to the Priests that thou hast appointed to come into the inner Temple of thy holinesse where they doe receive the holy oracles of truth from thee to deliver unto us that doe humbly wait in the place and state which thou hast ordained For this boundlesse and unruly pride and groundlesse selfe-conceit as it brought the Angels from heaven so O Lord from time to time it hath disturbed the world and thy holy Church filling it full of hereticks and blasphemers who have been the fire-brands of thy wrath as plagues and punishments for the sins of the world preserve me therefore O Lord from this so dangerous a rock and let me not follow my own will and fancie and keep thy servant from rash and heady resolutions and not be too confident of my own opinion for what am I O Lord to build a Church to my own weak imagination to rend my selfe from the Elders and Congregation of Israel to go a gadding after my own inventions and to fall into the traps of innovations and the private opinions of these bad and dangerous times the Seminaries and seed-plots of sedition and tumults the ruine of Church and Common-wealth of all order government charity and brotherly love But let me keep O Lord that safe rule to walk in even the plain path of thy Church which thou hast appointed both in the old and the new law For O Lord the Church the Ark of thy Covenant was alwayes eminently to be seen and known to the Israelites in all their journies from Egypt to Jerusalem and towards it they did worship so after thy marvellous deliverances of them over the red Sea and the deserts of this world this Ark was placed in thy holy Temple at Jerusalem where all the Tribes of Israel came up to worship and towards which holy of holies they did worship wheresoever they were dispersed and in