for it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judab it is also evident that after the Order of Melchisedec there ariseth another Priest who is made not after the Law of a carnal commandment but after the power of an endless life for being that the Priesthood is changed there must of necessity be a change of the Law Heb. 7. for he testifieth thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedec which Order is not of a carnal commandment neither is this Priest a mortal man subject to fall and infirmities More might be said concerning this Melchisedec which met Abraham and blessed him but the Apostle is very laâ—ge in the demonstration of him for he saith Heb. 5.11 that he had many things to say of him hard to be uttered because they were dull of hearing After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a Vision saying Fear not Abram I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward and Abram said Lord God what wilt thou give me seeing I go childless and one that is born in mine house must be mine heir the Lord said this shall not be thine heir but one that comes out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir and the Lord said look up towards Heaven and tell the Stars if thou beest able to number them and he said so shall thy seed be and Abram believed and it was accounted to him for righteousness And when Abram was 99 years old the Lord appeared unto him and said walk before me and be thou perfect and my Covenant shall be with thee and thou shalt be the Father of many Nations and thy name shall be called no more Abram but Abraham shall be thy name a Father of many Nations have I made thee and as for Sarai thy Wife thou shalt not call her name Sarai but Sarah shall her name be and I will bless her and she shall be the Mother of Nations then Abraham fell upon his face and laughed and said in his heart shall a child be born unto him that is 100 years old and shall Sarah that is ninety years old bear and Abraham said unto God Oh that Ishmael might live before the Lord and God said Sarah thy Wife shall bear thee a Son indeed and thou shalt call his name Isaac and I will establish my Covenant with him for an everlasting Covenant and with his seed after him and as for Ishmael I have heard thee behold I have blest him but my Covenant will I establish with Isaac which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year And according to this the Lod sent his Angels unto Abraham and Sarah to confirm unto them that at the time appointed she should bring forth a child and the Lord said unto Abraham wherefore did Sarah laugh saying shall I have a child is any thing too hard for the Lord at the time appointed will I return unto thee according to the time of life and Sarah shall have a Son so at the same time the Lord discovered unto Abraham what he intended against Sodom And the men turned their faces towards Sodom and Abraham set them on their way and the Lord said shall I hide from Abraham the thing that I do seeing that Abraham shall be surely great and a mighty Nation and all the Nations of the earth shall be blessed in him for I know that he will command his Children and his Houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord and do justice and judgment that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him And the Lord said because of the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and because their sins are very grievous I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is come unto me and if not I will know and the men turned their faces from thence and went towards Sodom but Abraham stood before the Lord and drew near and prayed unto the Lord for the righteous in Sodom and the Lord heard him as you may read Gen. 18. And so the two Angels came into Lot's house and Lot received them kindly and so he and all his house were preserved the men said unto Lot hast thou any here besides thy Son-in-law and thy Sons and thy Daughters and whatever thou hast in the City bring it out for we will destroy this place because that the cry of it is waxen great before the Lord and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it So the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire out of Heaven from the Lord but just Lot was preserved in the little City called Zoar and was permitted to escape thither that his Soul might live he his Sons and his Daughters and all the Cities round about were destroyed all the Cities of the plain And God remembred Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow where Lot dwelt in the plain And Abraham got up early in the morning and he looked towards Sodom and Gomorrah and the smoke of the Country rose up as the smoke of a Furnace Gen. 19.28 And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said for Sarah conceived and bare Abraham a Son in his old age and Abraham called the name of his Son that was born unto him Isaac and he circumcised him the eight day as God had commanded him and Abraham was a hundred years old when his Son Isaac was born And it came to pass after these things that God called Abrabam and said unto him take now â—hy Son thine only Son whom thou lovest and get thee into the Land of Moriah and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of And Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his Ass and took two of the young men with him and Isaac his Son and clave the wood for a burnt-offeâ—â—g then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off and Abraham said unto the young men abide you here with the Asses and I and the Lad will go yonder and worship and come again unto you And Abraham took the wood of the burnt-offering and laid it upon Isaac his Son and he took fire in his hand and a knife and they went both of them together And Isaac spake unto Abraham his Father and said my Father and he said here am I my Son and he said here is the fire and the wood but where is the Lamb for a burnt-offering and he answered my Son the Lord will provide one So they went both of them together and they came to the place which God had told him of and Abraham built an Altar and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his Son and laid him upon the wood and Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his Son and the Angel of the Lord called
Jacob the second birth power over his Brother Esau to supplant him and to receive the blessing See what the Apostle saith Heb. 12.16 lest there be any Fornicator or prophane person as Esau who for one morsel of bread sold his birthright for ye know how that afterward when he would have inherited the blessing he was rejected for he found no place of repentance though he sought it carefully with tears So it is not tears that come from the wrong nature and birth that will prevail with God for his promise is to the right seed and but to one seed c. And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his Father blessed him and Esau said in his heart the days of mourning for my Father are at hand and then will I slay my Brother Jacob here Esau manifested the same nature as was in Cain but thaâ— the Lord prevented him for the Lord searched out the hidden things of Esau and frustrated his intention for thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee and thou shalt be cut off for ever Obad. 10. Esau's words were told to Rebekah that he intended to slay his Brother and she called her Son Jacob and said thy Brother Esau comforts himself purposing to kill thee Now therefore my Son obey my voice and arise and flye to Laban my Brother and tarry with him a few days until thy brothers fury be turned a way and I will send and fetch thee why should I be deprived of you both in one day And Rebekah said unto Isaac I am weary of my life because of the Daughters of Heâ—h if Jacob take a Wife of such as these who are the daughters of this Land what good shall my life do me And Isaac called Iacob and blessed him and charged him and said unto him thou shalt not take a Wife of the Daughters of Canaan for all the inhabitants of the Land of Canaan were of Ham's stock which were of the cursed seed so this blessed seed of Abraham was not to mingle with them Therefore Isaac said arise and go to the house of Bethuel thy mothers Father and take thee a Wife from thence of the Daughters of Laban thy Mothers brother and God Almighty bless thee and multiply thee and make thee fruitful that thou mayst be a multitude of people and give the blessing of Abraham to thee and to thy seed with thee that thou mayst inherit the Land which God gave unto Abraham and Isaac sent Jacob away And when Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Iacob and sent him away to Padan-Aram and as he blessed him he charged him that he should not take a Wife of the Daughters of Canaan and Esau seeing that the Daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his Father then went Esau unto Ishmael and took a Wife But Iacob obeyed his Fathers command and travelled on his way and lay down in the night and slept and laid stones for his pillows and he dreamed and behold a Ladder was set on the earth and the top reached to Heaven and the Angels of God ascended and descended on it and the Lord stood above it and said I am the Lord God of Abraham thy Father and the God of Isaac the Land whereon thou lyest to thee will I give it and to thy seed and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth and thou shalt spread abroad to the West and to the East and to the North and to the South and in thee and in thy seed shall all the Families of the earth be blessed And behold I am with thee and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest and will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken And Iacob awaked out of his sleep and said surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not and he was afraid and said O how dreadful is this place this is the house of God and the Gate of Heaven and Iacob rose up early in the morning and took the stone that he had put for his pillow and set it up for a Pillar and poured Oyl on the top of it and called the name of that place Bethel and Iacob vowed a vow saying if God will be with me and keep me in this way that I go so that I come again to my Fathers house in peace then shall the Lord be my God Then Iacob went on his journey into the Land of the East and at the Well he met with men of the place whither he was going which were come to water their Flocks and he said unto them my brethren whence be ye and they said of Haran we are And he said unto them know ye Laban the Son of Nahor and they said we know him and he said is he well and they said he is well and behold Rachel his Daughter cometh with the sheep when Jacob saw Rachel the Daughter of Laban his Mothers Brother and Laban's Sheep he went near and rouled the Stone from the Wells mouth and watered the flock of Laban and Iacob kissed Rachel and lift up his voice and wept And Iacub told Rachel that he was Rebekah's Son and she ran and told her Father when Laban heard the tidings of Iacob his Sisters Son he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his House and he told Laban all these things and Laban said surely thou art my bone and my flesh and he abode with him the space of a month and Laban said unto Iacob because thou art my brother shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought tell me what thy Wages shall be and Laban had two Daughters the name of the elder was Leah and the name of the younger was Rachel Leah was tender-ey'd but Rachel was beautiful and well-favour'd and Iacob loved Rachel and said I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger Daughter and Laban said it is better that I give her unto thee than I should give her unto another man And Iacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed unto him but a few days for the love he had to Rachel and Iacob said unto Laban give me my Wife for my days are fulfilled that I may go in unto her And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a Feast and it came to pass in the evening that he took Leah his Daughter and brought her to him and he went in unto her and in the morning behold it was Leah And he said to Laban what is this that thou hast done unto me did not I serve thee for Rachel wherefore hast thou beguiled me and Laban said it must not be so done in our Country to give the younger before the first-born fulfill her week and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet other seven years and Iacob did so and fulfilled her week and he gave him Rachel his daughter to Wife also And Laban gave
the worst and fled every man before Israel and the King of Israel took all the Gold and Silver and all the Vessels that were found in the House of the Lord and Jehoash King of Israel slept with his Fathers and Iereboam his Son reigned in his stead And Amaziah King of Judah lived after his death fifteen years and they made a conspiration against him in Jerusalem and he fled to Lachish but they sent after him and slew him there and all the people of Judah took Azaziah and made him King instead of Amaziah his Father In the twenty seventh year of the reign of Jeroboam King of Israel began Azaziah alias Vzziah Son of Amaziah King of Judah to reign sixteen years old was he when he began to reign and he reigned fifty and two years in Jerusalem and did that which was right in the sight of the Lord Chap. 15. but the high places were not removed but the people sacrificed and burnt Incense still thereon and the Lord smote Amaziah King of Judah that he was a Leper to the day of his death In the thirty eighth year of Azaziah King of Judah did Zachariah Son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the Son of Nebat that made Israel to sin and Shallum the Son of Jabesh conspired against him and smote him and slew him and reigned in his stead This was the word of the Lord that he spoke unto Jehu saying thy Sons shall sit on the Throne of Israel to the fourth Generation and so it came to pass And Shallum the Son of Jabesh began to reign in the 39. year of Vzziah King of Judah and he reigned but one month in Samaria and Menahem the Son of Gadi went up to Samaria and slew him and reigned in his stead and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord 2 Kings 15. And in the thirty ninth year of Azaziah King of Judah began Menahem the Son of Gadi to reign and he reigned ten years in Samaria he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord and slept with his Fathers and Pekahiah his Son reigned in his stead in Samaria two years and he did evil in the sight of the Lord like Jeroboam the Son of Nebat that made Israel to sin but Pekah the Son of Remaliah a Captain of his conspired against him and killed him and reigned in his stead And in the fiftieth year of Azaziah King of Judah Pekah the Son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria and reigned twenty years he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord and departed not from the sins of Jeroboam In his days came the King of Syria and took Jion and Abel-beth-maachah and Janoah and Kedish and Hazor and Gilead and Galilee and all the Land of Naphtali and carried them captive to Syria and Hoshea Son of Elah made a Conspiracy against Peâ—ah the Son of Remaliah and smote him and slew him and reigned in his stead in the days of these Kings the Prophet Isaiah and the Prophet Hosea prophesied as you may read in Isa 1.6.7 Chap. and Hos 1. In the second year of Pekah the Son of Remaliah King of Israel began Jotham the Son of Vzziah King of Judah to reign 2 Chron. 27.1 and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord but the high places were not taken aways in those days did the Lord begin to send against Iudah Rezin King of Assyria 2 Kings 15.39 and Pekah the Son of Remaliah and Iotham slept with his Fathers and Ahaz his Son reigned in his stead In the seventeenth year of Pekah Son of Remaliah Ahaz the Son of Iotham King of Iudah began to reign twenty years old was he when he began to reign and he reigned sixteen years and he did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord The Prophets that prophesied in these Kings days were Isaiah Hosea and Micah and how they came to war against Ahaz and Ahaz took the Silver and Gold that was found in the House of the Lord and sent it to the King of Asyria and the King of Assyria carryed the people away Captive and slew Resin and King Ahaz went to meet the King of Assyria at Damascus and made Vrijah the Priest make an Altar and offer thereon after the manner of the Assyrians as you may read in 2 Kings 16. and he turned the Kings entry from the House of the Lord for the King of Assyria 2 Chr. 28. he made his Sons pass through the fire according to the abominations of the Heathen and Ahaz slept with his Fathers In the twelfth year of Ahaz King of Iudah began Hoshea the Son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel and he reigned nine years he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord against him came Shalmaneser King of Assyria and Hoshea became his servant and the King of Assyria found a Conspiracy amongst them as you may read 2 Kings 17. They walked in the Statutes of the Heathen whom the Lord cast out and they served their Idols and they wrought wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger yet the Lord testified against Israel and against Iudah by all the Prophets and by all the Seers saying turn ye from your evil ways and keep my Commandments and Statutes according to all the Laws I commanded your Fathers which I sent to you by my servants the Prophets notwithstanding they would not hear but hardened their necks ver 13.14 and this did Moses prophesie of them Deut. 30.17 In the ninth year of Hoshea the King of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away into Assyria for so it was that Israel had sinned against the Lord their God which brought them up from under the hand of Pharaoh and the Children of Israel did secretly that which was not right against the Lord their God they build them high places and set up Images they burnt Incense they made two Calves and made a Grove and worshipped all the Host of Heaven and served Baal and caused their Sons and their Daughters to pass through the sire and they used Divination and Inchantments and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight and there was none lest but the Tribe of Iudah only for the Children of Israel walked in all the sins of Ieroboam which he did until the Lord removed Israel out of his sight as he had said by his Prophets 10 Tribes carried into Captivity so Israel was carried out of their own Land unto Assyria unto this day Now in the third year of Hoshea King of Israel Hezekiah the Son of Ahaz King of Iudah began to reign and he did that which was right in the sight
of the Lord according to all that David his Father did he removed the high places and broke the Images and cut down the Groves and brake in pieces the Brazen Serpent for the Children of Israel burnt incense to it He trusted in the Lord God of Israel so that after him was none like him among all the Kings of Iudah nor any that were before him and the Lord was with him and he prospered whithersoever he went as you may read in the 18.19 and 20 Chapters of the second of the Kings for when the Prophet Isaiah brought him tidings of their carrying into Babylon all that was in his house all that his Fathers had laid up in store and the carrying of his Sons and his Issue That they should be carryed into Babylon and that his Sons should be Eunuchs in the Palace of the King of Babylon Chapter twenty Second of Chronicles 29.30.31.32 Chapters then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken and he said is it not good if peace and mercy be in my days ver 18 19. And Hezekiah slept with his Fathers and Manasseh his Son reigned in his stead Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign and he reigned fifty five years in Jerusalem and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord after the abominations of the Heathens 2 Chron. 33. for he built again the high places that Hezekiah his Father had cast down and reared Altars for Baal and worshipped the host of Heaven as you may read in Chap. 21. After this the Lord spake to Manasseh and to his people but they would not regard wherefore the Lord brought upon him the host of the King of Assyria which took Manasseh and bound him with Fetters and carryed him to Babylon and when he was in tribulation he prayed unto the Lord and the Lord was entreated of him and brought him again to his Kingdom in Jerusalem as you may read in the 2 Kings 21. and 2 Chron. 33. and Manasseh slept with his Fathers and Amon his Son reigned in his stead Amon was twenty and two years old when he began to reign and reigned two years in Jerusalem and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord as did Manasseh his Father he sacrificed to all the Images that Manasseh had made and he humbled not himself before the Lord as Manasseh his Father did and the servants of Hamon conspired against him and slew him in his own house 2 Chron. 33. And the people of the Land made Josiah his Son King in his stead And Josiah was 8 years old when he began to reign and he reigned thirty one years in Jerusalem and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord like unto David his Father as you may read in the 22 and 23. Chapters 2 Chron. 34.35 Chapters and like unto him there was no King before him that turned unto the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might according to all the Law of Moses notwithstanding the Lord turned not away from the fierceness of his wrath wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah because of all the provocations that Manâ—sseh had provoked him withall and the Lord said I will remove Judah our of my sight as I have removed Israel for the Lord had given the ten Tribes of Israel into the hands of the King of Assyria for the Children of Israel walked in the sins of Jereboam which he did they departed not from them until the Lord removed Israel out of his sight as he said by his servants the Prophets so was Israel carried away out of their own Land to Assyria so the Lord rejected all the seed of Israel and afflicted them and delivered them into the hands of spoilers to cast them out of his sight Chap. 18. So as the Lord out off Israel so also he cut off the City of Ierusalem which he had chosen and the House which he had said my Name shall be there Chap. 23.27 And of all these things did the Prophet Isaiah prophesie of in the days of Vzziah Iotham Ahaz and Hezekiah Kings of Iudah the Daughter of Sion is left as a Cottage saith the Prophet in a Vineyard as a Lodge in a Garden of Cucumbers as a besieged City and in the 5. of Isaiah you may read at large what the Lord speaks there by his Prophet except the Lord had lestus a very small remnant we had been as Sodom and we had been like unto Gomorrah as you may read in the first Chapter and so throughout the Book of Isaiah And Ieremiah the Prophet the word of the Lord came to him in the days of Iosiah Son of Amon King of Iudah he prophesied of the carrying away of Ierusalem Captive as you may read Ier. 1. I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness who have forsaken me and have burnt incense unto other Gods and worshipped the works of their own hands therefore gird up thy loins and arise against this whole Land and against the Kings of Iudah against the Princes thereof against the Priests thereof and against the people thereof for I have made thee as a defenced City and as an Iron Pillar they shall not prevail against thee for I am with thee saith the Lord to deliver thee The Lord said unto me in the days of Iosiah the King hast thou seen what this rebellious Israel hath done for she hath gone up upon every high Mountain and under every green Tree and there played the harlot and I said when she had done all this turn thou unto me but she returned not and her rebellious Sister Judah saw it and when I saw that by all occasions rebellious Israel had played the harlot I cast her away and gave her a Bill of divorcement yet her rebellious Sister Iudah was not afraid but went also and played the harlot so that the lightness of her Whoredoms hath defiled the Land as you may read at large in the third Chapter of the Prophesie of Ieremiah so on throughout the Book And this Iosiah put down the idolatrous Priests that burnt incense unto Baal according as the man of God did foretel 1 King 13. a Child shall be born unto the house of David Iosiah by name and upon thee shall he offer the Priests and mens bones shall be burnt upon thee viz. the Altar he put down also the horses that the Kings of Iudah had given to the Sun at the entring of the House of the Lord and the Altars that were on the top of the Chamber of Ahaz which the Kings of Iudah had made and he broke the Images in pieces and cut down the Groves Furthermore the Altar that was at Bethel and the high places made by Ieroboam the Son of Nebat and as Iosiah turned himself he spied the Graves that were in the Mount and sent and took the bones out
me saith the Lord therefore thus will I do unto thee O Israel and because I will do this unto thee prepare to meet thy God O Israel ver 11 12. And the Prophet Micah saith be in pain and labour to bring forth O Daughter of Sion like a woman in travel for now shalt thou go forth out of the City and there shalt thou dwell in the field and thou shalt go to Babylon and there shalt thou be delivered there shall the Lord redeem thee from the hand of thine Enemies many Nations are gathered together against thee that say let them be defiled but they know not the thoughts of the Lord neither understand his Counsel for he will gather them as the Sheaves into the floor Mich. 4. throughout the Chapter and again Micah the 7. Rejoice not against me O mine Enemy when I fall I shall arise when I sit in darkness the Lord shall be my light I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him until he plead my cause in that day that the Walls are to be built in that day the Decree shall be far removed Thus Micah prophesied in the days of Jotham and Hezekiah Kings of Judah concerning Israel as you may read in Micah 1. And the Prophet Joel saith blow a Trumpet in Sion sanctifie a Fast call a solemn Assembly for the Lord will be jealous for the Land and pity his people and say I will send you Corn and Wine and Oyl and I will no more make you a reproach among the Heathen and I will remove off far from you the Northern Army and I will drive him into a Land barren and desolate Rejoice and be glad ye Children of Sion c. Joel 2.3 Chapters and I will bring again the Captivity of Judah and Jerusalem And the word of the Lord came to Zephaniah in the days of Josiah Son of Amon King of Judah I will also stretch out my hand upon Judah and upon all the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place and them that worship the Host of Heaven upon the House tops and them that worship and swear falsly by the Lord and that swear by Malcham Zeph. 1. Ezra THus you may read throughout the whole foregoing Prophesies how the Lord dealt with his people in loving kindness and tenderness sending his Prophets with line upon line and Precept upon Precept as you may read in all the Prophesies through all the Bible and until according to the word of the Lord by his Prophets that they were carried away captive and until the term of years was expired which the Lord by his Prophets Prophesied of And when the years were expired he raised up Cyrus according to his word by his Prophets to build his Temple and to call them home to Jerusalem as is before mentioned and as you may read in the 1. Chapter of Ezra and so on Even so did Cyrus King of Persâ—a bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the Treasurer the Vessels of the House of the Lord and numbred them unto Sheshbazzar the Prince of Judah ver 8. Now these are the Children of the Province that went up out of the Captivity 70 years fulfilled and Judah and Jerusalem coming out of captivity of those that had been carryed away whom Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon had carryed unto Babylon and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah every one unto his City you may read their names in the 2. Ch. of Ezra And when the seventh month was come and the Children of Israel were in the Cities the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem and they set up the Altar upon his basis and they offered burnt Offerings thereon unto the Lord even burnt Offerings morning and evening according to Deuteronomy 12.56 They kept also the Feast of Tabernacles as it is written in Exod. 23.16 Numb 29.12 and so on they set up the Worship of God as you may read in Ezra Ch. 3. Now in the second year of their coming unto the House of God at Jerusalem in the second month began Zerubbabel and those that were with him the Brethren the Priests and the Levites they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem they began to build the House of God and to set forward the Workmen Nehem. 4. And when the Builders had laid the foundation of the Temple of the Lord they set their Priests in their apparel as you may read to the end of the Chapter Now when the Adversaries of Judah and Benjamin The Temple in building heard that the Children of the Captivity builded the Temple unto the Lord God of Israel then they came to Zerubbabel and to the chief of the Fathers and said unto them let us build with you for we seek your God as ye do and we do sacrifice unto him but Zerubbabel and Joshua and the rest of the chief of the Fathers of Israel said unto them you have nothing to do with us to build a House unto our God we our selves together will build unto the Lord God of Israel as Cyrus the King of Persia hath commanded us and the people of the Land weakned the hands of the people of Judah and troubled them in building and hired Counsellours against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus King of Persia and in the reign of Ahasuerus in the beginning of his reign wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Iudah and Ierusalem and in the days of Artaxerxes Rehum the Chancellour and Shimshai the Scribe The building of the Temple stopped wrote a Letter against Ierusalem to Artaxerxes the King in this sort which Letter hindred the building until the reign of Darius as you may read in Ezra 4. Then the Prophets Haggai and Zachariah prophesied unto the Iews which were in Iudah and in Ierusalem in the Name of the Lord God of Israel in the second year of Darius the King in the sixth month came the word of the Lord by Haggai the Prophet unto Zerubbabel the Son of Shealtiel Governour of Iudah and to Ieshua the Son of Iozadak the High Priest saying thus saith the Lord of Hosts the people say the time is not come the time that the Lords House is to be built then came the word of the Lord to Haggai the Prophet saying is it time for you to dwell in your cieled Houses and this House lie waste Hag. 1. Then Zerubbabel the Son of Shealtiel and Ieshua the Son of Lozadâ—k the High Priest with all the remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the words of Haggai the Prophet as the Lord their God had sent him and the people did fear before the Lord then spake Haggai the Lords Messenger in the Lords message unto the people saying I am with you saith the Lord and the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel and the spirit of Ieshua and the
29. Isa 13.10 Ezek. 32.7 but Christ saith farther verily I say unto you this Generation shall not pass away till all these things be fulfilled which were fulfilled according to Christs words for before the Disciples were removed all these things came to pass and were fulfilled in that day and the Apostles saw and knew the sum and substance of all that was spoken fulfilled but the next words makes it clear Heaven and Earth shall pass away saith Christ but my word shall not pass away my word shall endure for ever and is fullilling through all Generations yea beyond the Heaven and the Earth one Generation comes and another Generation goes and the word fulfills through them all and though that Generation did not pass till these words were fulfilled yet they continue in the substance the same fulfilling for ever to the end of the world Christ saith I will be with you who is the word but of the day and houe knoweth no man no not the Angels but my Father only for the times and seasons are in the Fathers hand And according to this the Apostle saith 1 Jâ—h 2. the world passeth away and the lusts thereof but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever Little Children it is the last time and ye have heard that Antichrist should come and I even now there are many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time they went out from us c. ver 17.18 and Jude 17. Beloved remember ye the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ how they told you there should be mockers in the last time who walk after their own hearts lusts So these with several others that might be mentioned confirmeth the truth of the night of the Apostacy that was coming on and that the true Church of Christ that was among the Apostles should go into the Wilderness after their decease and departure which John saw would come to pass as you may read in Rev. 12. There was War in Heaven then the true Worship of God was lost and that eternal Spirit which was in the Apostles where the wicked one had no part but they had overcome the wicked one 1 Joh. 2. I have written unto you young men because you are strong and the word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one ver 14. That Spirit was lost which was among the Apostles they sat together in heavenly places in Christ Iesus as you may read Eph. 1.3 and Chap. 2.6 And Iesus exhorted his Disciples to lay up their treasure in Heaven for he said where the treasure is there the heart will be also Math. 6.20 21. But this worship of God and power was lost when the Woman sled into the Wilderness The Church of Christ gone into the Wilderness and then the Dragon got up and made War in Heaven and to this agrees that Prophesie of Christ where he saith the powers of the Heavens shall be shaken Mat. 24.29 but Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon and the Dragon fought and his Angels as you may read in the 10. of Daniel after Daniel had mourned three full weeks and had eaten no pleasant bread neither came Wine in his mouth until three full weeks were fulfilled after this Daniel saw the Visions and heard the voice that said fear not Daniel for from the first day that thou settest thine heart to understand and to chasten thy self before thy God thy words were heard and I am come for thy words but the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia withstood me many days but loe Michael one of the chief Princes came to help me now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the last days for yet the Vision is for many days and after this Daniel became dumb and fell upon the ground and retained no strength neither was breath left in him then the Angel came again and touched him as you may read and said knowest thou wherefore I am come unto thee and now I will return and sight with the Prince of Persia and when I am come forth loe the Prince of Grecia shall come which is the third Monarchy but I will shew thee that which is noted in the Scriptures of truth and there is none that holdeth with me in these things but Michael the Prince ver 21. So Michael stood for the Angel there in the days of Daniel against the power of the Dragon this Michael the Apostle calls the Archangel Jude 9. And so here in the Apostacy Michael and his Angels have fought against the Dragon and his Angels for they prevailed not while the woman hath been in the Wilderness for it is a place prepared of God for her that she should be fed there a thousand two hundred and threescore days but after this John saw the Dragon cast out that old Serpent called the Devil and Satan which had deceived the whole world there was no more place for him in Heaven but he was cast out into the earth and his Angels were cast out with him when the true and precious seed of the body which is Christ which is his Church appeared again in which the wicked one hath no part then there was no place sound in Heaven for the Dragon therefore saith Iohn Rejoyce ye Heavens and ye that dwell in them woe unto the Inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea for the Devil is come down unto you having great wrath because he knoweth his time is but short this is very truly witnessed and fulfilled at this day for where the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ is witnessed and where his seed is raised up in any where the Spirit of Satan hath no place in their Worship but they worship in the Spirit of the Lord and in his Truth then Satan rages in the Inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea whither he is cast for in their Heaven and in their Worship he is there making war but where he is cast out from Heaven there he persecutes the Woman that brings forth the man-child and is wroth with her and makes war with the remnant of her seed which keeps the Commandements of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ Rev. 12.17 And in the next Chapter when John stood upon the sand of the Sea which was but a brittle foundation for it was to be done away there he saw the beast arise out of the Sea with his seven heads and ten horns and his ten crowns and upon his heads the name of Blasphemy as you may read throughout that 13. Chapter to the end but afterwards John saw an Angel slying in the midst of Heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the Earth and he cryed with a loud voice unto every Nation and Tongue and People and Kindred saying Fear God and give glory to him and worship him that made Heaven and Earth
The Standard of the Lord REVEALED By which He hath led and guided and preserved his people since Adam to this day as is manifested through the Scriptures and is shewed forth in this following Abstract AS ALSO A clear manifestation by the Scriptures of the Recovering and Redeeming his Spiritual Seed and Body which is his Church out of thraldom and Captivity which day is begun Then he remembred the days of old Moses and his people saying where is he that brought them up out of the Sea with the Shepherds of his flock where is he that put his holy Spirit within them that led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm that led them through the deep as a Horse in the Wilderness that they should not stumble Isa 63.11 12 13. Neither said they where is the Lord that brought us up out of the Land of Egypt and led us through the Wilderness c. Jer. 2.6 But fear not thou O my servant Jacob and be not dismaied O Israel for behold I will save thee from the land of their Captivity and Jacob shall return and be in rest and at ease and none shall make them afraid Jer. 46.27 Isa 41.13.14 And I will bring again the Captivity of my people Israel and they shall build the waste Cities and inhabit them and they shall plant Vinyards and they shall drink of the Wine thereof and shall make Gardens and eat of the fruit thereof Amos 9.14 The Redeemer is come to Sion Jacob doth rejoice and Israel is glad Psal 53.6 Given forth at Lancaster Castle 11. month 1665 6 By M. F. a Prisoner of the Lord. Printed in the Year MDCLXVII The Epistle to the Reader Diligent Reader IF thou seriously consider that we are fallen into the last days and ages of the World in which the Lord of Heaven and Earth will come and plead with his Enemies and to recompence them according to their works Rev. 20.12 2 Cor. 5.10 Mat. 16.27 and that the terrible day of the Lord is coming with burns as an Oven and all his Enemies are before him as stubble and he will call all men high and low rich and poor to an account for their deeds done and reward every one according to their works whether they be good or whether they be bad The serious consideration of these things should put thee to a stand to search and to see how it stands between thee and the Lord. And if thou desires the knowledge of the living God and of his eternal Truth and desires to know the dealings of the Lord with his people and his seed here upon the earth since he made man and created him and gave him a being upon the earth look into this following Extract which is taken out of the Scriptures and thou mayst thereby see how the Lord hath led his seed and people from the beginning of the World until this present day As also his tender care and love that he hath exercised unto them all along as thou thy self will judge in the reading of this Treatise through which will be for thy own advantage and the building of thee up in the knowledge of the Lord and his Truth and also in the knowledge of the Scriptures which too many are and have been ignorant of and therefore have they dyed in their sins according as Christ saith if you do not believe that I am he ye shall dye in your sins Joh. 8.24 And none do believe that Jesus is Christ but who believes in his light and in his holy Spirit for that is the unction of the holy one the anointing which is the Christ which is the truth and is no lie and which leads into all truth which Christ Jesus promised he would send when he went to his Father in John 16. It is expedient for you saith he that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you howbeit when the Spirit of truth is come he shall guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself but he shall receive of mine and shew it unto you all things that the Father hath are mine therefore I said unto you he shall take of mine and shew it unto you thou mayst read of this at large in this Chapter So this is the very life of our knowledge of the truth to mind the light of the Lord Jesus Christ which is in thy heart and his Spirit that he hath put in thy inward parts and with that eye read this following Treatise in sobriety gentleness and meekness of Spirit without partiality or prejudice and thereby thou mayst gain knowledge and understanding into the truth of God and also into the Scriptures which it may be thou didst not know before Thou mayst also read in this following Book of the Redemption and bringing back of the Captivity of the Church of Christ whose day of redemption and deliverance comes as is shewed therein by the Scriptures and so as I said before being the time is short and the Lord cometh as a thief in the night â—nd the servant knoweth not at what hour his Lord cometh Therefore Christ saith it is good for you to be ready for in such an hour as you think not of the Son of man cometh blessed is the Servant whom the Lord when he cometh findeth watching watch therefore for you know not at what hour the Lord cometh Mat. 24. so in this time and day all people had need to be found watching lest they say peace when sudden destruction cometh upon them So in love to the Souls of all people upon the whole earth is this written and that it might be of advantage to all people is the end of the writing of this following book And the Lord that hath opened and moved by the power of his holy Spirit in writing of it make it also effectual and of use and service for the salvation of the Souls of all the Readers of it M. F. Genesis IN the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God the same was in the beginning with God all things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made Joh. 1. This is the testimony and the record of John the beloved Disciple that leaned on Jesus breast this agreeing with the first of Genesis In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth and the earth was void and without form and darkness was upon the face of the deep and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters and God said let there be light and there was light 1 Joh. 5.7 So here is the record which is in heaven God the Spirit and the Word that was in the beginning with God by which all things were made and created the Heavens and the Earth the Sea and the firmament and all things that are therein and every living creature
Go forth of the Ark thou and thy Wife and thy Sons and thy Sons Wives with thee and bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee c. and Noah went forth and every living thing that was with him after his kind went forth out of the Ark. And Noah builded an Altar unto the Lord and took of every clean beast and of every clean fowl and offered burnt-offerings on the Altar and the Lord smelled a sweet savour and the Lord said in his heart I will not again curse the earth any more for mans sake for the imaginations of his heart are evil from his youth neither will I again smite any more every thing living as I have done while the earth remaineth seed time and harvest cold and heat Summer and Winter day and night shall not cease Gen. 8.20 21 22. And God blessed Noah and his Sons and said unto them be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth and the fear of them and the dread of them shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every fowl of the air the power of all living the living creatures the Lord delivered into the hands of Noah and his Sons and the Lord said every thing that liveth shall be meat for you even as the green Herb I have given you all things but flesh with the life thereof which is the blood thereof you shall not eat And surely your blood of your lives will I require at the hand of every beast will I require it and at the hand of man and at the hand of every mans brother will I require the life of man Gen. 9.4 5. So here the Lord warned them before hand not to kill one another as Cain had done his brother no nor the beasts to kill them who so shedeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed for in the image of God made he man ver 10. And to Noah and to his Sons he said be fruitful and multiply and bring forth abundance in the earth and multiply therein and behold I will establish my Covenant with you and with your seed after you neither shall all flesh be cut off any more neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth and God said this is a token of the Covenant that I will make between me and you I do set my Bow in the Cloud and it shall be seen in the Cloud and I will remember my Covenant and I will look upon it that I may remember the everlasting Covenant between me and every living Creature of all flesh upon the earth And the Sons of Noah that went forth of the Ark were Shem Ham and Japhet Ham is the Father of Canaan these are the three Sons of Noah and of them was the whole earth spread And Noah began to be a Husbandman and he planted a Vinyard and drank of the Wine and was drunk and he was uncovered within his Tent and Ham the Father of Canaan saw the nakedness of his Father and told his two Brethren without and Shem and Japhet took a Garment and laid it upon both their Shoulders and went backward and covered the nakedness of their Father and their Faces were backward and they saw not their Fathers nakedness ver 23. So this cursed Ham he could look upon his Fathers nakedness and lay it open to his Brethren but his Brethren covered his nakedness and could not look upon him And Noah when he awoke from his Wine he knew what his younger Son Ham had done unto him and he said cursed be Canaan a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren and he said blessed be the Lord God of Shem and Canaan shall be his servant and God shall enlarge Japhet and he shall dwell in the Tents of Shem and Canaan shall be his servant Here Noah had the inspiration of the Almighty and was a true Prophet concerning his three Sons and they which he blessed is blest and he whom he cursed is curstâ— and according to his Prophesie the Lord hath enlarged Japhet for of Japhet's stock is the Isles of the Gentiles as you may read Chap. 10. ver 5. And of Shem's stock came Abraham the Father of all the faithful to which the promise of the Lord is and Christ Jesus the seed of the promise is not only given a Covenant unto Abraham and his seed the Jews but he is also given a light to the Gentiles that he may be Gods salvation to the ends of the earth And so here is Noah's Prophesle fulfill'd upon Shem and Japhet that as they joined together in covering their Father's nakedness so Christ Jesus the everlasting Covenant hath joined them together in one and will be their salvation to the ends of the earth and so Japhet dwells in the Tents of Shem in God's Covenant of light And so Haâ—'s stock is of the cursed seed he begat Cush and Cush begat Nimrod and he was a mighty hunter and a great man in the earth and the beginning of his Kingdom was Babel in the Land of Shinar as ye may read in Gen. 10. The whole earth at that time was of one Language and this Nimrod began to build a City in the plain of Shinar and this Ham's stock and Nimrod's stock they would go make brick and they would go build a City and a Tower whose top may reach to Heaven lest we be scattered upon the face of the earth say they and the Lord God came down to see the City which the Children of men builded and the Lord said let us go down and confound their language that they may not understand one anothers speech so the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of the earth and they left off to build the City therefore is the name of it called Babel because that there the Lord did confound the Language of all the earth and the cause of this was the pride of cursed Ham's stock and Nimrod that would be so great that he would build a Tower to Heaven that he might not be scattered but his Kingdom is Babel and from thence they were all sâ—attered and this was the beginning of many Languages even a curse from God upon Ham's stock for before the earth was all of one Language for Ham's stock is of the cursed seed and for their sakes the Language was confounded and they scattered over the earth Now the Generations of Shem you may read of in Gen. 11.10 to the end And Terah lived 70 years and begat Abram Nahor and Haran ver 26. and Haran begat Lot and Haran died before his Father Terah in the Land of his Nativity Hor of the Caldees and Abram and Nahor took them Wives the name of Abram's Wife was Sarai and the name of Nahor's Wife was Milcah and Terah took Ahram his Son and Lot the Son of Haran his Son's Son and Sarai his daughter-in-law his Son Abram's Wife and they went forth with him into Vz of the
unto him out of Heaven and said Abraham Abraham and he said here am I and he said lay not thine hand upon the Lad neither do thou any thing unto him for now I know thou fearest God seeing thou hast not withheld thy Son thine only Son from me and Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked and behold behind him a Ram caught in a thicket by his horns and Abraham went and took the Ram and offered him up for a burnt-offering instead of his Son and Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh as it is to this day in the mount of the Lord it shall be seen And the Angel of the Lord called unto Abraham the second time and said by my self I have sworn saith the Lord because thou hast done this thing and hast not with-held thy Son thine only Son that in blessing I will bless thee and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the Stars of Heaven and as the sand upon the Sea shore and thy seed shall possess the Gates of thine enemies and in thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed because thou hast obeyed my voice Heb. 6.23 34 So Abraham and his Son returned unto his young men and they rose up and went to Beershebu together where Abraham dwelt And Sarah being 127 years old she died in Kiriath-arba the same is Hebron in the Land of Canaan and Abraham mourned for Sarah and wept for her and Abraham bought a burying place of the Sons of Heth to bury his dead in out of his sight Gen. 23. So when Abraham grew old and stricken in age he caused his eldest servant of his House to put his hand under his thigh and made him swear by the God of Heaven and the God of the earth and said thou shalt not take a Wife unto my Son of the Canaanites amongst whom I dwell but thou shalt go into my Country and unto my kindred and take a Wife unto my Son Isaac and the servant said peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me and Abraham said the Lord God of Heaven which took me from my Fathers house and from the Land of my kindred and which spake unto me and sware unto me saying unto thy seed will If give this Land he shall send his Angel before thee and thou shalt take a Wife for my Son from thence and if the woman will not be willing to follow thee then thou shalt be clear from this mine Oath And the Servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his Master and sware to him concerning the matter So the Servant believed in Abraham's words and made ready for his journey and took with him Camels and Goods of his Masters and set forward on his journey to Mesopotamia and at a well before he came to the City he met with Rebekah Bethuâ—l's daughter whose Mother's name was Milcah the Wife of Nahor Abraham's Brother and shelentreated him kindly and carried him home to her Fathers house and her Father and Mother and brother Laban received him kindly into their house and said unto him thou blessed of the Lord come in and they set meat before him and the servant declared unto him whose servant he was and how his Master had sent him and declared what his message was unto them as the whole passage you may read in Gen. 24. Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said the thing proceedeth from the Lord we cannot speak unto thee good or bad behold Rebekah is before thee take her and go and let her be thy Master's Son's Wife as the Lord hath spoken at which words the Servant worshipped the Lord and bowed himself to the earth and the servant brought forth Jewels of Silver and Gold and gave them to Rebekah and gave precious things to her Mother and Brother and when they had eat and drunk they set forwards towards his Master and as they were returning home Isaac met them by the way and she said unto the servant what man is this and he said it is my Master therefore she took a vail and covered her self and the servant told Isaac all that he had done and Isaac brought her into his Mother Sarah's Tent and took Rebekah and she became his Wife and he loved her and Isaac was comforted after his Motherâ— death These are the Generations of Isaac Abraham's Son Abraham begat Isaac and Isaac was 40 years old when he took Rebekah to Wife the Daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan-Aram the Sister to Laban the Syrian and Isaac entreated the Lord for his Wife because she was barren and the Lord was entreated of him and Rebekah his Wife conceived and the children struggled within her and she said why am I thus and she went to enquire of the Lord and the Lord said unto her two Nations are in thy Womb and two manner of People shall be separated from thy Bowels the one people shall be stronger than the other and the elder shall serve the younger And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled behold there were twins in her Womb and the first came out red all over like an hairy Garment and they called his name Esau and after that came his brother out and his hand took hold of Esau's heel and his name was called Jacob Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them Here was the two Nations and the two seeds comprehended and brought forth of one Womb the Lord foreknowing and foreseeing this thing as he spoke unto Rebekah as the Apostle testifies that when the Children were yet in the Womb unborn having done neither good nor evil that the purpose of God according to the election might stand not of works but of him that calleth it was said unto her the elder shall serve the younger as it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated Rom. 9.11 12 13. of this Esau's stock came the Edomites of which we shall say more hereafter But the word of the Lord by his Prophet Malachi I have loved you saith the Lord yet ye say wherein hast thou loved us was not Esau saith the Lord Jacob's Brother yet I loved Iacob and I hated Esau and laid his mountains and his herritage waste for the Dragons of the Wilderness Mal. 1.2 3. And again Hos 12. Ephraim feedeth on wind he daily increaseth in lies and they do make a Covenant with the Assyrians and carrieth Oyl into Egypt and not only the stock of Esau but also Jacob and Iudah had grieved the Lord at this time this Prophesie was after Iudah and Israel had sinned against the Lord and commited abominations as you may read in the 2 Kings 25. and Hos 12.2 The Lord hath also a controversie with Iudah and will punish Iacob according to his waies according to his doings will be recompense him he took his brother by the heel in the Womb and by his strength he had power with God he had power over the Angel he wept and
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
and the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron that they should put an Homer of this Manna which they did eat into a Pot and lay it up before the Lord to be kept for the Generations ver 33 And the Children of Israel did eat Manna forty years until they came to the borders of the Land of Canaan and all the Congregation of the Children of Israel journied from the Wilderness of Sin after their journey according to the command of the Lord and pitched in Rephidim there was no water for the people to drink and the people did chide with Moses and the people thirsted there for water and Moses cryed unto the Lord saying what shall I do unto this people they be almost ready to stone me and the Lord said unto Moses go on before the people and take with thee the Elders of Israel and thy Rod wherewith thou smotest the River take in thy hand and go and behold I stand before thee there upon the Rock in Horeb and thou shalt 〈◊〉 the Rock and Water shall come out of it that the people may drink and Moses did so in the sight of all the Children of Israel and the Lord gave them his Laws and his Statutes and sent Moses unto them and said thus shalt thou say unto the House of Jacob and tell the Children of Israel ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians and how I bare you on Eagle wings and brought you unto my self now therefore if yoâ— will obey my voice indeed and keep my Covenant then shall ye be a 〈◊〉 treasure unto me above all the people of the earth And the Lord said unto Moses loâ— come unto thee in a thick cloud that the people may hear when I speak â—nto thee and believe thee for over tâ— be readlly therefore on one third day for thâ— Lord will come down unto Mount Sina in the sight of all the people and it came to pass in the morning of the third day that there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud upon the Mount and the voice of the Trumpet exceeding loud so that all the people that was in the Camp trembled and Moseâ— brought forth the people out of the Camp to meet with the Lord and they stood at the nether part of the Mount and Mount 〈◊〉 was altogether of a smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a Furnace and the whole Mount quaked greatly and when the voice of the Trumpet sounded long and waxed douder and 〈◊〉 Mosâ—s spake and God answered him by a vâ—iue and the 〈◊〉 Mosâ—s up to the top of the Mount and Moses went up as you may read at large Exod. 19. And the Lord gave his Law unto Moses from his own mouth and God spake all these words and said I am the Lord thy God thou shalt have none other Gods but me c. Exod. 20. And after the Lord had given his Law and his ten Commandments to them when the people saw the thundrings and the lightnings and the noise of the Trumpet and the Mountain smoking they removed and stood afar off and said unto Moses speak thou unto us and we will hear but let not God speak with us lest we die And Moses said unto the people fear not for God is come to prove you that his fear may be before your faces that ye sin not and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was and the Lord said unto Moses say unto the Children of Israel you have seen that I have talked with you from Heavenâ— ye shall not make with me Gods of Silver neither shall ye make ye Gods of Gold ver 23. And God commanded Moses to make an Ark the Ark of his Covenant with a Candlestick and all the holy Vessels of the Sanctuary as you may read at large Exod. 25. Moreover he commanded Moses to make the Tabernacle with all its Curtains Coverings and Vails Chap. 26. Also he commanded him to make an Altar on which the Offerings were to be offered as you may read from Chap. 27. to Chap. 30. and so to the end of the Book of Exodus And after this the Lord made Moses write his Law in Tables of Stone and Moses hewed two Tables of Stone and went up early in the morning as the Lord commanded him unto Mount Sinai and took in his hands the two Tables of Stone and the Lord descended in the Cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of the Lord The Lord merciful and gracious long-suffering abundant in goodness and truth and keeping mercy for thousands pardoning iniquity transgression and Sin Exod. 34. So all the precious works of Moses and Aaron and all their faithfulness and their care and their diligence and how the Lord honoured them with his presence and how they taught and governed and prophesied unto the Children of Israel why they led them through the Wilderness 40 years together ye may read in the four Books of Moses viz. Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Deuteronomy THE Lord promised the Children of Israel and said unto Moses I will raise them up from among their brethren a Prophet like unto thee and I will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I command him Deut. 18.18 here Moses was a Prophet for Christ witnesses that Moses writ of him and Philip said we have found him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write Jâ—â— 1.45 and Chap. 5.45 do not think that I will accuse your to the Father there is one that accuseth you even Moses for 〈◊〉 you believed Moses ye would have believed me for he wrote of me but if ye believe not his writings how shall ye believe my words And the Apostle saith and Moses verily was faithful in all his house as a servant forth testimony of those things which were to be spoken after Heb. 3.5 And this was the Commandment which Moses laid before the Children of Israel a little before his departure from them saith he for this Commandment which I command you this day it is not hidden from thee neither is it afar off it is not in Heaven that thou shouldest say who shall go up for 〈◊〉 to Heaven and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it neither is it beyond the Sea that thou shouldest say who shall go over the Sea for us and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it but the word is very nigh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou mayest do it I have sâ—t before thee this day life and death and good and evil Deuteronemy 30.11 to the 15. and Rom. 10.5 6 7 8 9 10. So after his Exhortations he blessed them with large blessings as you may read in the 31 3â— and 33 Chapters at large And he said I am 120 years old I can no more go out and come in and the Lord
hath said thou shalt not go over Jordan And Moses went up from the plain of Moab unto the Mountain of Nebo the top of Pisgah over against Jericâ—o and the Lord shewed him all the Land of Gilead unto Dan and all Napthali and all the Land of Ephraim and Manasseh and all the Land of Judah unto the utmost Sea and the South and the plain of the Valley of Jericho the City of the Palm-Trees unto Zoar and the Lord said unto him this is the Land which I sware unto Abraham unto Isaâ—â— and unto Jacob saying I will give it unto thy seed I have caâ—sed thee to see it with thine eyes but thou shalt not go over thither 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 Bâ—th-peor but no man knoweth of his Sepulchre unto this day Chapter 34. unto the 9. Vâ—â—se And Joshua the Son of Nun was full of the spirit of Wisdom for Moses had laid his hands on him and the children of Israel hearkned unto him and did as the Lord commanded Moses there arose 〈◊〉 a Prophet since in Israel like unto Moses whom the Lord knew face to face ver 10. Joshua NOw after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass that the Lord spake unto Joshua the Son of Nun Moses minister saying Moses my servant is dead now therefore arise go over this Jordan thou and all the people unto the Land which I do give unto them every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon that I give unto you as I said unto Moses from the Wilderness even to the great River Euphrates there shall not be a man able to stand before thee all the days of thy life as I was with Moses so will I be with thee I will not fail thee nor forsake thee be strong and of a good courage for unto this people shalt thou divide the Land which I sware unto their Fathers to give them Here take notice of the faithful and constant true care of the Almighty over the seed of his Covenant and promise when Moses his faithful servant was dead how he did deliver them unto Joshua and promised him his presence and performed the same as you may read at large in the Book of Joshua And the Lord said unto Joshua this day I will begin to magnifie thee in the sight of all Israel that they may know as I was with Moses so I will be with thee Joshua commanded the Priests to carry the Ark of the Covenant before them saying when ye are come to the River of Jordan ye shall stand still in Jordan and Joshua said unto the Children of Israel the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan and it shall come to pass as soon as the soles of the feet of the Priests that bears the Ark of the Lord of all the earth shall rest in the waters of Jordan that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above and they shall stand upon an heap and they did so as you may read in Ioshua 3.14 15 16 17. thus Ioshua led them over with twelve men with twelve stones upon their shoulders that they took out of the midst of Iordan who passed before the Ark of the Lord in the midst of Iordan according to the number of the Tribes of Israel and Ioshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Iordan in the place where the feet of the Priests stood which bare the Ark and they are there unto this day and when the people were passed clean over that the Ark of the Lord passed over in the midst of the people but the Priests which bare the Ark stood in the midst of Iordan until every thing was finished that the Lord commanded Ioshua Thus the Lord miraculously wrought with Ioshua as he did with Moses for the Lord God dryed up the waters of Iordan as he did the Red Sea before their Fathers you may read also how the Lord God wrought with Ioshua miraculously at the taking of Iericho when the Ark of the Lord compassed about the City seven times that the Walls of Iericho fell down flat at the shout of the people and at the sound of the Trumpets of Rams Horns Iosh 6.20 Again how the Lord was with Ioshua in a special manner in the taking of the City of Ai as you may read Chap. 8. And when the five Kings came against Israel and fled before them that the Lord cast great stones from Heaven before and they that died were more that died by hailstones than they that Israel slew with the Sword Then spake Ioshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the Children of Israel and he said in the sight of the Children of Israel Sun stand thou still upon Gibeon and thou Moon in the Valley of Ajalon and the Sun stood still and the Moon stayed until the people had avenged themselves of their Enemies so the Sun stood still in the midst of Heaven and hastned not to go down for about a whole day and there was no day like that before it nor after it that the Lord harkened unto the voice of man for the Lord fought for Israel Chap. 10.12 13 14. These with many more miracles and wonders and the many Victories that he gave Ioshua over his Enemies you may read throughout this whole book of Iâ—shua And in the latter end of his days he called for the Heads and for the Rulers of Israel and for their Judges and for their Officers and Ioshua said unto all the people Thus saith the Lord God of Israel your Fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time even Terah the Father of Abraham and the Father of Nachor and they served other Gods and I took your Father Abraham from the other side of the flood and led him throughout all the Land of Canaan and multiplied his seed and I gave him Isaac and I gave Isaac Iacob and Esau and I gave unto Esau mount Sâ—ir to possess it but Iacob and his Children went down into Egypt and I sent Moses also and Aaron and I plagued Egypt according to that which I did amongst them and afterwards I brought you out and I brought your Fathers out of Egypt and ye came unto the Sea and the Egyptians pursued after your Fathers with Chariots and Horsemen unto the Red Sea and when they cryed unto the Lord he put darkness between you and the Egyptians and brought the Sea upon them and covered them and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt and ye dwelt in the Wilderness a long Season Then Balak the Son of Zippor King of Moab arose and warred against Israel and called Baalam the Son of Peor to curse you
Captivity but even when they were in the Captivity the Lord sent his Prophets unto them as you may see hereafter The word of the Lord came expresly to Ezekiel the Priest the Son of Buzi in the Land of the Caldeans by the River Chebar and the hand of the Lord was there upon him as he was amongst the Captives Ezek. 1.3 and the Spirit entred into me and when he spake unto me and set me on my feet he said unto me Son of man I sent thee to the Children of Israel a rebellious Nation that have rebelled against me they and their Fathers have transgressed against me even to this very day for they are impudent Children and stiff necked I do send thee unto them and thou shalt say thus saith the Lord God Chap. 2. and so on as you may read throughout the Prophesie of Ezekiel And Jeremiah in his Lamentations saith how doth the City sit solitary that was full of people how is she become as a Widdow Judah is gone into Captivity because of affliction and because of her great servitude she dwelleth amongst the Heathen she findeth no rest all her Persecutors overtook her as you may read on through the Lamentation of Jeremiah Daniel the first Chap. in the third year of Jehojakim King of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon unto Jerusalem and besieged it Judah and Jerusalem in Captivity and the Lord gave Iehojakim King of Iudah into his hands with pâ—rt of the Vessels of the House of God which he carried into the Land of Shinar and he brought the Vessels into the Treasury of the House of his God ver 1.2 Now this King Nebuchadnezzar spake to the Master of the Eunuchs that he should bring certain of the Children of Israel and of the Kings seed and of the Princes now amongst these were the Children of Iudah amongst which Daniel was one as you may read Dan. 1. and so on to Chap. 9. In the first year of Darius in the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by Books the number of years whereof the word of the Lord came to Ieremiah the Prophet that he would accomplish seventy years in the Desolations of Ierusalem Dan. 9.1.2 And so Daniel set his heart unto the Lord and prayed and he was answered in the 24. ver seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy City to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting Righteousness and to seal up the Vision and the Prophesie and to annoint the most holy as you may read to the end of the Chapter and it shall come to pass when seventy years are accomplished that I will punish the King of Babylon that Nation saith the Lord for their iniquities And the Prophet Malachy he saith that Iudah hath dealt treacherously and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Ierusalem for Iudah hath prophaned the holiness of the Lord which he loved and hath marryed the Daughter of a strange God the Lord will cut off the man that doth this for the God of Israel saith that he hateth putting away for one covereth violence with his Garment therefore take heed that ye deal not treacherously saith the Lord Mal. 2. And as these holy Prophets prophesied of their going into Captivity so likewise they prophesied of their returning back again as you may read in Isaiah 45. and Ieremiah 24. and 25. Chapters Thus saith the Lord to his annointed to Cyrus whose right hand I have holden to subdue Nations before him Isa 45.1 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah in the fourth year of Jghojakim Son of Iosiah King of Iudah that was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon the which Ieremiah the Prophet spake unto all the People of Iudah and all the Inhabitants of Ierusalem saying this whole Land shall be a desolation and an astonishment and these Nations shall serve the King of Babylon seventy years and it shall come to pass when seventy years are accomplished that I will punish the King of Babylon and that Nation saith the Lord for their iniquity and I will make the Caldeans a perpetual desolation Jer. 25.11 12. In the first year of Cyrus King of Persia that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Ieremiah and Isaiah might be fulfilled the Lord stirred up the Spirit of Cyrus King of Persia that he made a Proclamation throughout the Kingdom and put it in writing saying thus saith Cyrus King over Persia the Lord God of Heaven hath given me all the Kingdoms of the Earth and hath charged me to build him an House at Ierusalem which is in Iudah who is there amongst you of all his people his God be with him and let him go up to Ierusalem which is in Iudah and build the House of the Lord God of Israel for the House of God is in Ierusalem Then rose up the chief of the Fathers of Judah and Benjamin and the Priests and the Levites with all them whose spirit God had raised to go up to build the House of the Lord which is in Ierusalem also Cyrus the King brought forth the Vessels of the House of the Lord which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Ierusalem and had put them in the House of his Gods and this confirmeth the Prophesie of Isaiah who prophesied long before they went into Captivity and said to Ierusalem thou shalt be inhabited and saith to the Cities of Iudah ye shall be built that saith of Cyrus he is my Shepherd and shall perform all my pleasure even saying to Ierusalem thou shalt be built and to the Temple thy Foundations shall be laid Isaiah 44.28 And in Ieremiah Chap. 29. thus saith the Lord that after seventy years are accomplished in Babylon I will visit you and perform my good word towards you in causing you to return to this place for I know the thoughts that I think towards you saith the Lord are thoughts of peace and not of evil ver 11 12. hear ye therefore the word of the Lord all ye of the Captivity whom I have sent from Ierusalem to Babylon turn ye again every one from his evil way and dwell in the Land that the Lord hath given you ver 28. and Ier. Chap. 31. Thus saith the Lord a voice was heard in Ramah lamentation and bitter weeping Rachel weeping for her Children and refused to be comforted for her Children because they were not Thus saith the Lord refrain thy voice from weeping and thine eyes from tears for thy work shall be rewarded saith the Lord and they shall come again from the Land of the Enemy and there is hope in thine end saith the Lord that thy Children shall come again to their own border ver 15 16 17. And Amos the 4. I have overthrown some of you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and ye were as a Firebrand plucked out of the burning yet have ye not returned unto
and cryed and the people wept and the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron and the whole Congregation said would God we had died in the Land of Egypt would God that we had died in the Wilderness and wherefore hath the Lord brought us up to this Land our Wives and our Children to be a Prey were it not better for us to return into Egypt let us make us a Captain and let us return into Egypt Here you may see how they requited the Lord and how evilly they dealt with him for all his mercies and his wonders which he wrought for them and many a time did they murmur and rebel against the Lord while Moses led them through the Wilderness even forty years long was the Lord grieved with them and tempted with them till he even swore in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest and all along ever since you may see how ill they dealt with the Lord and continually provoked him to anger by their abominations and worshipping of other Gods insomuch that he complains by his Prophet Isaiah hear O Heavens and give ear O earth for the Lord hath spoken I have nourished and brought up Children and they have rebelled against me the Oxe knows his owner c. as you may read through the first Chapter of Isaiah And again in Jer. 2. Be astonish'd O ye Heavens at this and be horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord for they have forgotten me the Fountain of living 〈…〉 and hewed And again the Apostle when he was speaking of his Kinsmen the Jews according to the flesh saith I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my Brethren my Kinsâ—en according to the flesh who are Israelites to whom pertaineth the adoption and the glory and the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the service of God and the promises whose are the Fathers and of whom concerning the flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever Rom. 9.3 4 5. And in the first of John when the Disciples were seeking for Christ Jesus turned and saith unto them what seek ye they said unto him Rabbi which being interpreted Master and one of them findeth his Brother and saith unto him we have found the Messiah which being interpreted is the Christ Jesus saw Nathaniel and saith of him behold an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile ver 47. And Jesus himself saith to the woman of Samaria we know what we worship for salvation is of the Jews the woman saith I know that when the Messâ—â—h cometh which is called Christ he will tell us all things Jesus saith unto her I am he Joh. 4.22 to the 26. ver Thus the Lord performed his faithful Covenant and promise unto Abraham and to his seed of whom according to the flesh Christ came So that you see he is a God that keepeth Covenant with his people though they broke his Commandments and his Laws and his Ordinances and his Statutes yet he fulfilled his Promises and Covenant to them concerning Christ coming in the flesh So now as the Law was given forth by Moses grace and truth cometh by Jesus Christ And so as the Children of Israel and all their Laws and the Ark of the Covenant and their Priests and their Offerings and their Sacrifices and their Sabbaths and their Temple the Apostle saith was but a Figure for the time then present in which were offered both Gifts and Sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience they could not make the Priests perfect as you may read at large in the 9. and 10. Chapters of the Hebrews Therefore the Lord had a further thing in his determination and Decree in the manifesting his Son Christ Jesus in the flesh of which we shall speak more hereafter And the Apostle saith Col. 2. let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of an holy day or a new Moon or of the Sabbath days which are a shadow of things to come but the body is Christ And this is that seed which the Apostle saith the promise was made unto Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made he saith not to seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seed which seed is Christ Gal. 3.16 And so notwithstanding that they broke their Covenant with the Lord which stood in outward performances yet the Lord performed his promise and Covenant unto Abraham which is the seed Christ which the Lord calls a new and everlasting Covenant Heb. 8.10 Jer. 31.33 For saith the Apostle it is written that Abraham had two Sons the one by a bond-maid the other by a free-woman he who was of the bond-woman was born after the flesh and he of the free-woman was by promise which things are an Allegory for these are the two Covenants the one from Mount Sinai which gendereth to bondage which is Hagar for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth unto Jerusalem which now is and is in â—ondage with her Children Gal. 4.22 23 24 25. These are they we have treated on all along Jerusalem according to the flesh which were the visible people that the Lord owned in their day upon the Earth which had their Laws outward written in Tables of stone their Covenant outward which was an Ark their Priests whose lips were to preserve their knowledg were outward Priests which was the Tribe of Levi their Offerings and their Sacrifices outward their Sabbath every seventh day their Temple an outward Temple buâ—lded at Jerusalem which they were all to go to worship at once a year as you may read in the Law of Moses and all these they did not perform according to the command of the Lord but broke Covenant on their parts with him So now this other seed which the Lord promised unto Abraham which all the Prophets bare witness of he changeth this first Covenant and this first Priesthood and the Law also as you may read Heb. 7. Now we saith the Apostle as Isaac was are the children of the promise for Jerusalem which now is free which is the mother of us all So then brethren we are not Children of the Bond-woman but of the free Gal. 4. So this seed Christ hath put an end to all that went before him he is the fulfilling and the substance of those that went before that were figures and types for he hath obtained a more excellent Ministry by how much also he is the Mediator of a better Covenant which is established upon better promises For if the first Covenant had been fruitless then should no place have been sought for the second but finding fault with the first he promised the second Heb. 8.6 7. as you may read in the most of the Prophesies of the Prophets who have not only relation to the first Covenant which we have treated on before but also to this second and New
the Sea and the Fountains of waters The Book which Iohn saw sealed with seven Seals which he mentions in the 5. Chap. he saw the Lamb open it in the 6. Chap. as you may read and so here there followeth another Angel saying Babylon is fallen is fallen that great City because she hath made all Nations drunk with the wine of her fornication as you may read Chap. 14. And in the 15. Chapter Iohn saw the seven Angels having the seven last plagues for in them is filled up the wrath of God and one of the four beasts gave unto the seven Angels seven golden Vials full of the wrath of God who liveth for ever and ever and in the 16. Chap. he saw the seven Angels go forth and they poured out their Vials as you may read and in the 17 Chap. there came one of the seven Angels which had the seven Vials and he said come up hither and I will shew thee the judgment of the great Whore So he carried me away saith Iohn in the Spirit into the wilderness here was the place where the true Church was persecuted here was the place where the Dragon cast out his flood after the true Church to destroy her And saith Iohn I saw a Woman sitting upon a Scarlet-coloured beast full of names of Blasphemy having seven heads and ten horns and the Angel shewed him the Mystery of the Beast and of his horns as you may read throughout that 17. Chap. and in the 18. Chap. he saw Babylon destroyed So here is comfort for all the true seed of Gods Elect for Iohn heard the voices of much people in Heaven saying Halelujah Salvation Glory and Honour and a voice came out of the Throne saying praise our God all ye that fear him small and great let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour to him for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made her self ready and to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linnen white and clean for the fine linnen is the righteousness of the Saints and he said unto me write Blessed are they which are called to the Marriage-supper of the Lamb and he saith unto me these are the true sayings of God ver 9. as you may read throughout Chap. 19. And in the 20. Chap. Iohn saw the Angel come down from Heaven having the key of the Bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand and he laid hold on the Dragon and bound him a thousand years as you may read And Iohn saw the dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in these Books and another Book was opened which is the Book of life and whosoever was not found written in the Book of life was cast into the Lake of fire ver 15. And in the 21. Chap. Iohn saw a new Heaven and a new Earth The Church coming forth of the wilderness here was no Dragon in this Heaven for the first Heaven and the first Earth were passed away and there was no more Sea where the Dragon lodgeth and hath his way Isa 27.1 And I Iohn saw the holy City new Ierusalem coming down from God out of Heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband here the Holy Spirit of the Lord God cloaths her seed that hath so long laid desolate as a nourishing mother which is free and gives liberty and sets at liberty all her free-born which are not Children of the Bond-woman but of the free and of this glorious City doth the Prophet Isaiah prophesie when he said Rejoyce O Barren that didst not bear and this is the City which the Apostle saith Ierusalem which is above is free which is the mother of us all of all the free-born seed of the promise they are the Heirs but the Bond-woman and her Son are to be cast out of this holy City for he is not the Heir Gal. 4.30 And Iohn heard a great voice out of Heaven saying Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God and he that sat upon the Throne said behold I make all things new that is according as the Apostle saith if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are past away behold I make all things new 2 Cor. 5.17 and he said unto me write for these words are true and faithful and he said unto me it is done I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely Here is the rich bounty of God And there came one of the seven Angels unto Iohn which had the seven vials of the seven last plagues and he said come hither and I will shew thee the Bride the Lambs wife and he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain he shewed me that great City the holy Ierusalem descending out of Heaven from God having the Glory of God and her light was like unto a stone most precious even like a Jasper stone clear as Chrystal This is the Stone the Builders have disallowed which now is become the Head of the Corner of this precious and holy building which is made up of living stones elect and precious and of a Royal Priesthood and of an holy Nation and the Walls of this City had twelve gates and at the gates twelve Angels and names written thereon which are the names of the twelve Tribes of Israel and the Walls of this City had twelve foundations and in them the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb and the foundation of the City was garnished with twelve precious stones and the twelve gates were twelve Pearls every gate was of one Pearl he that understands reads and sees all these things And I Iohn saw no Temple in this City for the Lord God and the Lamb is the Temple of it And this City hath no need of the Sun or the Moon to shine in it for the Glory of the Lord doth enlighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof and the Nations of all them that are saved shall walk in the light of it and the Kings of the Earth that are saved shall bring their glory and honour to it and the gates of it are not at all shut by day yet there entereth not any thing that desileth Chap. 21.27 And in the 22. Chap. you may read how Iohn saw the pure River of water of life proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb and the tree of life which bears twelve manner of fruits and yields her fruits every month and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the Nations and he said these things are faithful and true and the Lord God of the holy Prophets sent his Angel to shew unto his
Kingdom of God we are willing and ready to preach throughout the whole world for we wait and expect and groan within our selves for the redemption of our body the elected precious seed which is the Church of Christ which the Lord of Heaven and Earth hath had an eye unto continually yet since the foundation of the world this seed hath suffered and been bruised and slain but certainly we are assured that as the Lord hath performed that part of his Word that it should suffer he will also perform that part of his Word that hath said the seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpents head For according to this Word in the fulness of time he sent his Son made of a Woman and as certainly as the Church and body of Christ hath gone into the wilderness so certainly her Child that she brought forth which hath been caught up to God and to his Throne shall come down and rule all Nations with his rod of iron and dash to pieces as a Potters vessel all his enemies this we wait for and are assured shall come to pass that the elected seed which is chosen of God and precious which is the body that he hath prepared to do his will Christ Jesus which is come is the resurrection and life of all his seed and the hope of the resurrection 〈◊〉 all the seed of Israel which all the twelve Tribes look for the desire of all Nations is come the light of the Gentiles and the glory of the people Israel And surely he will gather his Elect from the four winds from one end of the Heaven to the other and it is for the Elects sake that these days are shortned for except these days had been shortned no flesh could have been saved and Christ saith shall not God avenge his own Elect that hath cryed unto him night and day I tell you he will avenge them speedily Luke 18.7 And the Apostle Paul when he exhorteth his Son Timothy consider what I say saith he and the Lord give thee understanding in all things remember that Jesus Christ the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my Gospel wherein I suffer trouble as an evil doer even unto bonds but the Word of God is not bound therefore I endure all things for the Elects sake that they also may obtain the Salvation which is in Christ Jesus in eternal glory who now rejoyce in my sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his bodies sake which is the Chruch Col. 1.24 It is a faithful saying if we be dead with him we shall also live with him if we suffer with him we shall also reign with him if we deny him he will also deny us if we believe nor yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself So this was that which the Apostles looked for and waited for the Redemption of the body as in Rom. 8. and they suffered all things for the bodies sake so the Resurrection of this body is that Christ Jesus accomplisheth who saith I am the resurrection and the life he that believes in me though he were dead yet shall he live and he that lives and believes shall never die I am the Fountain if any man thirst let him come unto me and out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living water and this he spoke of the Spirit that was to be poured forth and by this Spirit doth he redeem and recover his elected seed and so the Apostles reckoned the sufferings of this present life not worthy to be compared to the glory that was to be revealed because of the expectation of the manifestation of the Sons of God And this the great Husbandman is now looking for and gathering up who hath long waited for his Crop as he did when he saw the multitudes come unto him he was moved with compassion towards them because they fainted and were scattered abroad as Sheep having no Shepherd then saith he unto his Disciples the Harvest truly is plenteous but the Labourers are few pray ye therefore the Lord of the Harvest that he send forth painful Labourers into his Harvest here the Lord desired the gathering of his seed And when Christ spoke the Parable of the Sower he said so is the Kingdom of God if a man cast seed into the ground and should sleep and rise night and day the seed springeth and groweth he knoweth not how for the earth bringeth forth fruit of her self but when the fruit is brought forth immediately he puteth in the Sickle because the Harvest is come Mar. 4.29 Here Christ brings a comparison by a Parable of his great Harvest and when Jesus had shewed the Parable of the Tares his Disciples came unto him and desired him to declare that Parable he answered and said unto them he that soweth the good seed is the Son of man the Field is the world the good Seed are the Children of the Kingdom but the Tares are the Children of the wicked one the Enemy that soweth them is the Devil the Harvest is the end of the World and the Reapers are the Angels the Son of man will send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and shall cast them into the Furnace of Fire then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father who hath ears to hear let him hear Mat. 13.24 Dan. 12.3 And when the Lord sent forth the seventy Disciples he said unto them the Harvest truly is great but the Labourers are few pray ye therefore the Lord of the Harvest Luke 10. This is the great Lord of the great Harvest this is the great Husbandman I am the true Vine saith Christ my Father is the Husbandman every branch in me that bears not fruit he takes away every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth that it may bring forth more fruit herein is my Father glorified that you bring forth much fruit So herein is the glory of the Husbandman that fruits be brought forth And this great and mighty Husbandman hath been patient and waited patiently for the precious fruit and had long patience for it according to James 5.7 for he did sow his seed in Adam above five thousand six hundred years since so as he made the world and created all things in six days so he hath husbanded and tilled and pruned and dressed and watered it well towards six thousand years and to this agrees the Apostles words 2 Pet. 3.3 to 8. when he saith one day with the Lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day for God is not slack concerning his coming as some men count slackness In Adam he sowed his seed a natural body and this the Apostle very well opens in 1 Cor. 15. where he speaks at large of the Resurrection of the body after he had been speaking how the Apostles had seen Christ after he
was risen from the dead Now if Christ be preached saith the Apostle that he rose from the dead how say some among you that there is no Resurrection from the dead ver 12. but if there be no Resurrection of the dead then is not Christ risen this is very true for by the Resurrection of Christ the dead arises by preaching of his resurrection and if Christ be not risen then is our preaching vain and ye are yet in your sins then also they which are fallen asleep in Christ are perish'd but now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that sleep for since by man came death by man also came the resurrection of the dead for as in Adam all died so in Christ all shall be made alive there is a natural body and there is a spiritual body saith the Apostle And some men will say how are the dead raised and with what body do they come thou fool that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die and that which thou sowest is not the body which shall be for that thou sowest must die that it may encrease God giveth it a body as it pleaseth him but to every seed it s own body so whatsoever seed thou sowest whether it be Wheat or any other grain though that which thou sowest die in the ground that it may encrease yet it bringeth forth its own body it s own nature it s own image And to this agrees Christs own words in John 12. where he saith verily I say unto you except a corn of Wheat fall into the ground and die it abideth alone but if it die it bringeth forth much fruit this he spake when he saw his hour was coming and he said Father save me from this hour but for this cause came I unto this hour Job 12 24. to the 27. And now this great Husbandman the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ he did sow his seed in Adam and it died that it might encrease in Christ Jesus who is the resurrection and the life of this seed and the Lord hath watched and waited and had an eye over his Vineyard Isa 5.1 as we have shewed throughout this Treatise but the Apostle goes on farther and speaks of the glory of the Sun and of the Moon and of the Stars and saith so also is it in the Resurrection it is sown in dishonour it is raised in glory it is sown in weakness it is raised in power it is sown a natural body it is raised a spiritual body for so it is written the first man was made a living soul the second Adam a quickening spirit howbeit that Adam was not first which is sâ—iritual but that Adam which is natural and afterwards that which is spiritual the first man of the earth earthy the second man the Lord from Heaven as is the earthy such are they also that are earthy as is the heavenly such are they that are heavenly and as we have born the image of the earthy so shall we bear the image of the heavenly Now I say unto you Brethren that flesh and bloud cannot inherit the Kingdom of God and so on to the end of the Chapter And this is the earthy that which is of the first man flesh and blood which must not inherit incorruption and this is the resurrection that we witness and wait for the spiritual body the spiritual image the spiritual life the quickening spirit the Lord from Heaven the gathering of the immortal seed to the great Lord of the Harvest the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that he desires his Disciples to pray for to send forth painful Labourers into his harvest So the great God is now coming to gather his great Harvest and his Crop that he hath sown so long since and the Angels are his Reapers and waited for and watched over as you may read through this Book And to this agrees that which Christ saith in Math. 25. when the Son of man shall come in his glory and all the holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the Throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered all Nations and he shall separate them one from another as the Shepherd divideth the Sheep from the Goats and he shall set the Sheep on his right hand but the Goats on his left ver 31 32 33. and so shall the resurrection of the just be to life and the resurrection of the unjust unto condemnation this is the Resurrection that all shall find and may expect for Christ hath been as he saith in this Chapter as one in a far Country and hath called his servants and hath delivered unto them his Talents and as every one hath gained and profited so shall they receive So it is required of every one to know the precious seed which God hath elected and chosen for himself of all seeds he hath chosen but one the precious seed though it be likened unto a grain of Mustard-seed which is the least of all seeds but is the most precious and pure and holy seed because it came from the life and breath of the immortal pure God whose life and immortality dwells in eternal light and eternal brightness So the Lord by his glorious word and power is gathering in again his precious and holy seed and renewing and restoring a far more and exceeding weight of glory than what was the glory of the first man the glory of the second man far exceeded it for as the Apostle saith the first man was made a living Soul so likewise David saith he was made a little lower than the Angels Psal 8. what is man that thou art so mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him for thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels and hast crowned him with glory and honour thou hast made him to have Dominion over the works of thy hands thou hast put all things under his feet which words the Apostle rehearseth again in the 2. of Heb. and saith that he left nothing that was not put under him then in that state that he then stood in which was before the Fall but now saith the Apostle we see not all things put under him why because he was come under in his transgression and fallen from that where God had set him but saith the Apostle we see Jesus who is made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of death he is crowned with glory and honour that is everlasting that he by the grace of God should taste of death for every man which glory and honour changeth not as the glory and honour of the first man did So the glory of the first man Adam he was made a living Soul a little lower than the Angels and all the glory of the first body he was crowned with and had Dominion over all the visible Creation and had power over all the Creatures that God had made God set him King over
all the works of his hands and gave him dominion and power over them and here is the glory of the first man and the glory of the first body the visible glory of the Creation all things that God had made in the Heaven and in the Earth and when he looked upon them behold they were very good Adam was crowned with the glory of them all and had the Dominion over them but this Dominion he lost and this glory he stained through his disobedience and transgression and so fell and became servant and in a state of servitude and not only so but painful and miserable with a sentence upon him that in the sweat of his face he should eat his bread So after this as hath been shewed the Lord of his infinite mercy confirmed his eternal love and Election of Grace in his promise unto his seed and Covenant unto Abraham that of him he would bring forth a seed in whom all the Nations of the earth should be blessed which he hath faithfully and perfectly performed as hath been shewed And so he chose a people from amongst all the families of the earth that he did owne for himself as you may read Deut. 7.6 which he knew and had regard and love unto above all the families of the earth as hath been shewed and manifested Yet according as Adam did there rebell and transgress against him though he had a continual care and an eye over them and a continual regard unto them and watched over them by his holy Angels as you may read in the Scriptures for man was at that time lower than the Angels The Lord spake unto Abraham and Sarah by Angels and unto Jacob and the Lord spake unto Moses by his Angel Exod. 3.2 and Acts 7.3 where Stephen saith And God sent Moses to be a Ruler and a Deliverer by the hand of the Angel which appeared to him in the Bush God also sent his Ange unto David after he had numbred the people as you may read 1 Chron. 21. God sent an Angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it and when David â—ift up his eyes and saw the Angel of the Lord stand between the Earth and the Heaven having a drawn sword in his hand stretched over Jerusalem then David and the Elders of Israel humbled themselves as you may read after then the Lord commanded the Angel and he put up his sword into its sheath The Angel also was sent unto Zacharias and Elisabeth before the Birth of John and unto Mary before the Birth of Christ as you know and the Angel came unto the Shepherds after the Birth of Christ Luke 2.9 And the Angels came and ministred unto him Math. 4.11 So the revelation of Jesus Christ was signified by his Angel Rev. 1. with many more that might be brought Cornelius was warned of God by an Angel Acts 10. and Stephen when he was bearing his testimony before the High-Priest when he said Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in hearts and ears which of the Prophets have not your Fathers persecuted and slain them which shewed before of the coming of the just one of whom ye have been betrayers and murtherers who have received the Law by the disposition of Angels and have not kept it Acts 7.53 and Gal. 3.19 The Law was ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediator So the Prophets and such as the Lord made Overseers and Leaders of his people the Lord spoke to them by his Angels and the Law they received by the Angels but as the Apostle saith in the fulness of time God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law Gal. 4.3 for what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sent his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us read on in Rom. 8. So they that walk after the Spirit they are those that fulfill the righteousness of the Law for the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus makes free from the Law of sin and death and this renews into the right and into the perfect Image which is not lower than the Angels but into the Image of the Son unto which all the Angels are subject according to the Apostles words Heb. 1. God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son whom he hath appointed Heir of all things by whom also he made the worlds who being the brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express Image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his power when he had by himself purged our sins for that was the work he was to do when as the Apostle saith he became lower than the Angels for the suffering of death and so took not upon him the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham and there he hath tasted death for every man that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to Bondage and when he had finished this work he is set down on the right hand of the Majesty on high being made so much better than the Angels as he hath by an inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they for to which of the Angels said he at any time Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee And again when he bringeth in his first begotten into the world he said Let all the Angels worship him and to his Angels he saith Who hath made his Angels Spirits and his Ministers a flame of fire but unto the Son he saith Thy Throne O God is for ever a Scepter of Righteousness is the Scepter of thy Kingdom And so on So here you may see as the first man was made a little lower than the Angels so the second man the Lord from Heaven the quickening spirit is made higher than the Angels the brightness of the Fathers glory and his express image And so this is the seed and body and image which the Lord God is raising and restoring and preparing to do his will which far exceeds the glory of the first body for the glory of the first body was a visible glory but the glory of the second man the second body is an invisible glory and known and seen by the invisible eye and manifested by the invisible power and spirit of our Lord Jesus in whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of sins who is the image of the invisible God and the first born of every creature by him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for
him and he is before all things and by him all things consist and he is the Head of the Body the Church who is the beginning the first begotten from the dead that in all things he might have the preheminency and so this is he and this is his Body and his Image which he is restoring and creating after God in Righteousness and true Holiness Eph. 2.10.4.24 Abraham by his saith saw him who is invisible Heb. 11. who was the Father of the sai hful and so all the faithful who continue and abide in the faith of Gods Elect will see the resurrection and restauration of this invisible body which is the Church of Christ the second man the Lord from Heaven this is he who builds the second house who is a greater then Solomon and whose house far exceeds the glory of Solomons Temple whom the Apostle exhorts his holy Brethren to consider the High Priest of our profession Christ Jesus who was faithful to him that appointed him as also Moses was faithful in all his house for this man was counted worthy of more glory then Moses in as much as he who hath builded the house hath more honour then the house for every house is builded by some man but he that buildeth all things is God for Moses was faithful in all his house as a servant but Christ as a Son over his own house whose house are we if we hold fast the considence of the hope firm unto the end Rom. 3. and also 1 Tim. 3.15 where the Apostle exhorts Timothy how to behave himself in the house of God which is the Church of the living God the ground and pillar of truth so having therefore boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus Christ by a new and living way and having an High-Priest over the House of God let us draw near with a true heart saith the Apostle Heb. 10. So in this new and living way Christ Jesus the light of his glorious Gospel every one that abideth and walketh in this light may enter by his blood into the holiest of all for he reigns over the house of Jacob according to the Angels words to Mary Luke 1.32 33. So the glory of this house of Jacob is the Lord bringing forth and manifesting and will manifest every day more and more and blessed and happy are all they that come into the brightness of the rising of this glory and as every one comes to the light of the Lord Jesus who is the image of the invisible God that shines in their hearts will come more and more to see the glory of this day and the glory and beauty of this body of Christ which is his Church and the glory and beauty of this image of the second man the Lord from Heaven who is the brightness of his Fathers glory and unto this King Eternal and Immortal Invisible and the only wise God be Honour and Glory for ever and ever Margaret Fell. FINIS A Chronology of the Judges and Kings of the JEWS 1. Moses 2. Joshua 3. Othniel 4. Ethud 5. Deborah and Barak 6. Gideon 7. Abimelech 8. Tolah 9. Jair 10. Jephthah 11. Ibzan 12. Elon 13. Abdon 14. Sampson 15. Eli. 16. Samuel At which time the people desired to have a King like to other Nations Kings of the Jews Saul David Solomon Kings of Judah 1. Rehoboam in whose time the ten Tribes were rent away 2. Abijam 3. Asa 4. Jehoshaphat 5. Jehoram 6. Ahaziah 7. Athaliah 8. Jehoash 9. Amaziah 10. Azaziah or Uzziah 11. Jotham 12. Ahaz 13. Hezekiah 14. Manasseh 15. Amon. 16. Josiah 17. Jehoahaz 18. Jehojakim 19. Jehojachin 20. Zedekiah in whose time Nebuchadnezzar destroy'd Jerusalem Kings of Israel 1. Jeroboam 2. Nadab 3. Baasha 4. Elah 5. Zimri 6. Omri 7. Ahab 8. Ahaziah 9. Joram 10. Jehu 11. Jehoahaz 12. Joash 13. Jeroboam Menahem Pekahiah Pekah Hoshea who was vanquished by Salmaneser and the Israelites carryed Captive into Assyria The Dukes and Governours of the Jews 1. Zerobabel 2. Resa Mosollam 3. Johannes Ben Resa 4. Judas Hircanas 5. Joseph 6. Abner Simei 7. Eli Matthia 8. Aser Mahat 9. Naged Artoxad 10. Haggai 11. Maslat Mahum 12. Amos Syrach 13. Mattathiah Siloack 14. Joseph 2. 15. Johannes Hircanus who was the last Governour of Iudea who descended from the Stock of David The Macchabaean Princes of Jewry 1. Judas Macchabaeus 2. Jonathan 3. Simon 4. Iohannes Hircanus The Macchabaean Kings of Iudah 1. Aristobulus 2. Alexander 3. Alexandra or Solome Wife to Alexander 4. Hircanus eldest Son to Alexander The Heathen Kings of Jewry 1. Herod the Ascolonite at which time the Kingdom departed from Iudah and Christ was born 2. Archelaus 2. Herod Antipas and 3. Lysinias Luke 3.1 3. Herod Antipas Tetrarch of Galilee who beheaded Iohn the Baptist and in whose time Christ suffered 4. Agrippa Herod who imprisoned Peter and Iames and being stricken by an Angel was eaten with Worms 5. Agrippa Minor before whom Paul pleaded and in whose time Ierusalem was overthrown by the Romans FINIS