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
but I would not hearken unto Baalam therefore he blessed you still so I delivered you out of his hand Iosh 24. to the 10. verse Thus Ioshua goes on rehearsing the mercies of the Lord to them and exhorting them to serve the Lord God and to fear the Lord in sincerity and in truth and not to serve other Gods for the Lord God saith he is a jealous God he will not forgive your transgressions and sins if you forsake the Lord then will he turn and do you hurt and consume you And the People said unto Ioshua nay but we will serve the Lord and Ioshua said unto the people ye are witnesses against your selves that ye have chosen the Lord to serve him and they said we are witnesses And Ioshua made a Covenant with the people that day and set them a Statute and an Ordinance and thus Ioshua bound them by Covenant to serve the Lord and set up a great stone under an Oak by the Sanctuary of the Lord to be a witness unto them lest they should deny God and so Ioshua sent the people away And it came to pass that Ioshua the Son of Nun the servant of the Lord died being 110 years old and they buried him in the borders of his inheritance in Mount Ephraim And Israel served the Lord all the days of Ioshua and all the days of the Elders that outlived Ioshua which had known the works of the Lord that he had done for Israel Judges NOW after the death of Ioshua the Children of Israel asked the Lord saying who shall go up for us against the Canaanites and the Lord said Iudah shall go up behold I have delivered the Land into his hands and Iudah said unto Simeon his brother come up with me that we may go fight against the Canaanites So Simeon went with him and the Lord delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hands and they slew them ten thousand men as you may read in the first of Iudges throughout and likewise in the second Chapter you may see what command the Lord laid on them But Ioshua being dead and all that Generation that knew the works and wonders of the Lord being gathered to their Fathers and there arose another Generation after them that knew not the Lord nor yet the works which the Lord had done for Israel then the Children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served Baalim and they forsook the Lord God of their Fathers and served Baal and provoked the Lord to anger and it was hot against Israel as you may read the most part of Iudges After this Deborah the Prophetess judged Israel and they came up to her for judgment and Sisera came up against Israel and Deborah said unto Barak this day he is delivered into thy hands and so Barak pursued Sisera and Iâ—el slew him as you may read in the 4. and 5. Chapters of Iudges After this Gideon was called to Rule over Israel and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him Chap. 6. And the Lord made him victorious over his Enemies Chap. 7.8 And it came to pass as soon as Gideon was dead that the Children of Israel turned again and went a whoring after Baalim and made Baal-Peor their God while Abimelech the Son of Gideon ruled over them Chap. 9. And after Abimelech there arose a man of the Tribe of Issachar and he judged Israel 23 years and he died and Jephtah judged Israel Chap. 11. and 12. And there was a man of Zorah of the Family of the Danites whose name was Manoah and his Wife was barren and bare not and the Angel of the Lord appeared unto her and said unto her behold thou shalt conceive and bear a Son and this Son was Sampson and he was amongst them for several years and judged Israel twenty years Chap. 14 15 16 c. Then there was no King in Israel and the Danites sought for an inheritance and they came to Zorah and said to their Brethren arise we have seen the Land that it is good and they gathered six hundred men together appointed with Weapons of War And they took a City named Laish and called it Dan. Chap. 18. And thus the Children of Israel fell away from the Lord and the Lord was grieved and provoked with them as you may read throughout the Book of Iudges insomuch that the Tribe of Benjamin had like to have been cut off from the rest of the Tribes because of a wicked action that they wrought as you may read from Chap. 18. to the end of the Book of Judges Ruth AND it came to pass in the days when the Judges ruled Israel that there was a Famine in the Land and a certain man of Bethlehem-Iudah went to sojourn in the Country of Mâ—ab as you may read in the Book of Ruth and the name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his Wife was Naomi and the names of his two Sons was Mahlon and Chilion Ephrathites of Bethlehâ—m-Iudah and they stayed in Moab and they took them Wives of the Moabites till Elimelech was dead and his two Sons and his Wife Naomi returned back to her own Country and her Daughter-in-Law Ruth would not leave her until they came to Bethlehem-Iudah as you may read in the first Chapter And Naomi had a Kinsman of her Husbands a mighty man of wealth of the Family of Elimelech whose name was Beaz and it came to pass that this Boaz took to Wife Ruth as you may read in the 2.3 and 4. Chapters of Ruth so Boaz took Ruth and she was his Wife and he went in unto her and the Lord gave her conception and she called his name Obed he is the Fathen of Iesse the Father of David of whom Christ sprang I Samuel THere was a certain man of Ramathaim-Zophim of mount Ephraim and his name was Elkanah the Son of Ieroham the Son of Elihu the Son of Tohu the Son of Zuph an Ephrathite and he had two Wives the name of the one was Hannah and the name of the other Peninnab and Peninnah had children but Hannah had no children and this man went up out of his City yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of Hosts in Shiloh and the two Sons of Eli Hophni and Phinehas the Priests of the Lord were there and Hannah was in much bitterness and prayed unto the Lord in her heart but her voice was not heard and Eli reproved her but the Lord heard her and granted her petition wherefore when the time was come after Hannah had conceived that she bare a Son for the Lord remembred her and she called his name Samuel saying because I asked him of the Lord as you may read 1 Sam. 1. And she exalted and praised the Lord for his mercy as you may read Ch. 2. and Samuel ministred before the Lord being a Child girded with a Linnen Ephod according to the Order of Aaron and this Child Samuel ministred unto the Lord before
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
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
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
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
spirit of the remnant of the people and they came and did work in the House of the Lord of Hosts their God in the seventh month and the twenty first day of the month came the word of the Lord by the Prophet Haggai saying speak unto Zerubbabel the Governour of Iudah and to Ieshua the High Priest and to the residue of the people saying who is left among you that saw the House in her first glory and how do ye see it now is it not in your eyes in comparison as nothing yet be strong O Zerubbabel saith the Lord and be strong O Ieshua the High Priest and be strong all ye people of the Land saith the Lord and work for I am with you saith the Lord of Hosts according to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt so my spirit remained among you fear ye not as you may read throughout the Prophesie of Haggai In the eighth month in the second year of Darius came the word of the Lord unto Zachariah unto the Iews that were to build the Temple in Ierusalem saying the Lord hath been sore displeased with your Fathers thus saith the Lord of Hosts turn unto me and I will turn unto you saith the Lord of Hosts be not as your Fathers unto whom the former Prophets cryed saying turn ye from your evil ways and from your evil doings but they did not hear nor harken unto me faith the Lord but your Fathers where are they now do they live for ever but my words and my Commandments which I commanded my Prophets took hold on them as you may read from the first Chapter of Zashariah to the 4. Ch. So after that these Prophets had prophesied unto them The building of the Temple goes on again in the second year of Darius as you may read in Ezra 5. Then rose up Zerubbabel and Ieshua and began to build the House of God which is at Ierusalem and with them were these Prophets of God helping them and then came to them Tatnâ—s Governour on this side the River and Shethar-boznai and their Companions and said unto them who hath commanded you to build this House and make up this Wall but the eye of their God was upon the Elders of the Jews that they could not cause them to cease till the matter was come to Darius and then they returned an answer by Letter concerning the matter the Copy of which Letter you may read to the end of the 5. Chapter Then Darius the King made a Decree according to the Contents of the Letter and search was made in the House of the Rolls where the Treasuries were laid up in Babylon as you may read throughout the 6. Chapter And the King made Decrees that none should hinder them but the House should be built with speed and the Elders of the Jews builded and they prospereed through the prophefying of Haggai and Zachariah and Zachariah prophesied to them again in the fourth year of Cyrus as you may read Zach. 7. And they builded and finished it according to the command of the God of Israel and according to the Commandment of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes Nehem. 5.6 and 7. Chapters and this House was finished on the third day of the month Adar The Temple finished which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the King So you may read their course of life and their worship that they performed unto the Lord and how they sought the Lord you may read through the Book of Ezra and Nehemiah and how Neâ—emiah prayed unto the Lord and humbled himself before the Lord and how he went in the night to view the Wall that was broken down and laid ruinous and how he joined himself with the Builders and opposed the Adversaries and looked up and encouraged the Nobles and the Rulers and the rest of the people and said be not afraid of them as you may read in this Book of Nehemiah In the ninth Chapter of Nehemiah you may read how the Children of Israel assembled themselves together with fasting and with Sackcloth and earth upon them and the Seed of Israel separated themselves from all Strangers and stood and confessed their sins and worshipped God after they were returned back from their captivity and were come to Jerusalem and had built the Temple as you may read at large in this Chapter and so on throughout the Book of Nehemiah Esther AND so likewise in the Book of Esther you may see how the Lord in his mercy was pleased to promote the Jews interest under Ahasuerus by means of Mordecai and Queen Esther as you may read throughout the History of this Book of Esther therefore the Jews of the Villages that dwolt in the unwalled Towns made the 14. day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting and a good day of sending portions one to another and Mordecai wrote these things and sent Letters unto all the Jews that were in all the Provinces of King Ahasuerus both far and neer even to one hundred and thirty seven Provinces to establish this amongst them that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and the seventeenth day of the same month and this was established among the Jews to be kept yearly as you may read to the end of the 9. Chapter of Esther and the King Ahasuerus did so promote Mordecai the Jew that he was next unto King Ahasuerus and great among the Jews and accepted of the multitude of his Brâ—thren seeking the wealth of his people and speaking peace to all his seed and this is writ in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Medea and Persia Est 10. And thus far you may see how the Lord hath dealt with his people Israel and how faithful he hath been in his promises to their forefathers and the tender eye and care he had over them all along and how gladly he would have had them to have obeyed his Commandments and his Statutes that they might have lived to him you may read through these afore mentioned Prophesies and notwithstanding that they did rebel against him and did grievously provoke him through their manifold abominations yet you see how careful he was of them and faithful to them and according to the Prophesies of the Prophets brought them back again to their own City But this was not all there is much behind yet for the Decree and Determination of the Lord was a further thing and these peculiar people which the Lord did chuse above all the Families of the earth they were a figure of the right and ture and precious seed of God and though they were a people as you see that had often rebelled against the Lord and fallen away from him and murmured against him as you may see they did often in the Wilderness when the Lord had set Moses and Aaron over them as you may see Numb 13. and all the Congregation lift up their voices
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
moved with fear prepared an Ark to the saving of his house by the which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is by Faith ver 7. So here the Lord had a Church then upon the earth that worshipped and served and feared and walked with the Lord and dyed in the faith as the Apostle bears witness of in Heb. 11. and may be read at large in Gen. 5. which was of that seed which God accepted And Lamech lived 182 years and begat a Son and he called his name Noah saying this shall conmfort us concerning the work and toil of our hands because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed Gen. 5.28 Here Lamech was a Prophet concerning his Son Noah which the Apostle witnesses to be a Preacher of Righteousness 2 Pet. 2.5 And Noah was 500 years old and begat Shem Ham and Japhet for it came to pass when men began to multiply upon the face of the earth and daughters were born unto them and the Sons of God saw the daughters of men were fair and they took them Wives of all which they chose Gen. 6.2 And so here again the earth was corrupted and here they fell again into transgression and the Lords Spirit was grieved and the Lord said my Spirit shall not alwaies strive with man for that he is but flesh yet his daies shall be 120 years and God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was evil and that continually and it repented the Lord that he had made man upon the earth and it grieved him at his heart and the Lord said I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth both man and beast and the creeping things and the fowls of the air for it repenteth me that I have made them But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord Noah was a just man and perfect in his Generation and Noah walked with God and the earth was corrupt before God and the earth was filled with violence and God looked upon the earth and behold it was corrupt for all flesh had corrupted his way and God said unto Noah the end of all flesh is come before me for the earth is filled with violence through them and behold I will destroy them with the earth make the an Ark of Gopher wood c. So Noah being a perfect and just man obeyed the Lord and set about the work for he had the Lords words and promise Gen. 6.18 with thee I will establish my Covenant and thou shalt come into the Ark thou and thy Sons and thy Wife and thy Sons Wives with thee So Noah laboured in the work and Commandment of the Lord and preached amongst them after the Lord complained of the wickedness of men a hundred years before the flood in which time the long suffering of God waited while the Ark was preparing so that there was but eight persons saved 1 Pet. 3.20 And Noah took of every living thing of all flesh two of every sort and brought into the Ark to him to keep them alive according as the Lord commanded him male and female of every sort and of the fowls after their sort and the cattel after their kind and of every creeping thing after his kind two shall come unto thee of every sort to keep them alive and take unto thee of all food that is eaten and it shall be meat for thee and them thus did Noah according to all that God commanded him The Lord God said unto Noah come thou and all thy house into the Ark for thee have I seen righteous in this Generation and of every clean beast take with thee by sevens males and females for yet seven days and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from the face of the earth And Noah did according to all that the Lord commanded him and Noah was 600 years old when the floods of the Waters were upon the earth and Noah went in and his Sons and his Wife and his Sons Wives with him into the Ark and here was his Father Lamech's Prophecy fulfilled Cen. 5.29 who saw the curse upon the ground which by reason of sin and wickedness the Lord cursed he saw this before it came even when he named his Son Noah saying this same shall comfort us and so he did for through his faithfulness unto the Lord in this wicked Generation the Lord had respect unto him who was a just and perfect man preserved him and his house even in that great deluge that they might be a seed unto the Lord God and so here it is proved that the Lord had a Church upon the earth that served the Lord and walked with him even before the flood as the Apostle bears witness Jude 14. Enoch also the seventh from Adam prophesied of these saying behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly amongst them here Enoch prophesies of the eternal truth that was to be revealed And Peter saith God spared not the old world but saved Noah the eight person a Preacher of righteousness by which he went and preached to the Spirits in Prison when once the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the Ark was prepared wherein few that is eight souls were saved 1 Pet. 3.19 20. So brought in the flood upon the world of ungodly 2 Pet. 2.5 So he saved a seed for himself of those that worshipped and served him but these were not of Cain's stock that slew his brother Abel but these were of that seed which Cain persecuted and whose blood cryed to the Lord for justice against the mâ—rderer which seed hath suffered ever since by that murdering persecuting spirit and that was Cain's stock that corrupted the earth and filled it full of violence by which they grieved the Lord at the very heart as Jude saith in the 10. ver But these speak evil of dignities which they know not but what they know naturally as bruit beasts in those things they corrupt themselves wo unto them for they have gone in the way of Cain So Cain's spirit is always full of wrath envy murder and bloodshed and so this fulfils the word of the Lord unto the Serpent when he said I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed and so upon this seed and world of ungodly men the Lord brought the flood and overflowed the whole world because of their wickedness so that all flesh dyed and every living substance was destroyed Noah only remained alive and they that were with him in the Ark. And the waters prevailed upon the earth 150 days and in the second Month on the 27. day of the month the earth was dryed and God spake unto Noah saying
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
commanded them but saved the Children alive and the more they afflicted them the more they grew and multiplied Thus you see how kindly the Lord hath dealt with the seed of his promise and Covenant and how often he hath renewed his Promises and his Blessings and Mercies unto them hereafter you may see also how he took care all along of his seed that his Promise remained upon and how he committed them afterwards to the hand of Moses whom he preserved by his power who was nursed up by Pharaohs Daughter as you may read at large in Exod. 2. And when this cruel King of Egypt died the Children of Israel sighed and groaned under their bondage and the Lord heard their cry and God heard their groaning and God remembred his Covenant with Abraham with Isaac and with Jacob and God looked upon the Children of Israel and God had respect unto them and the Lord sent his Angel unto Moses to the Mount of God even to Horeb and he appeared to him in a flame of Fire out of the midst of a Bush and he looked and behold the bush burnt with fire and the bush was not consumed And Moses said I will now turn aside and see this great sight why the bush is not burned And when God saw he turned aside to see God called unto him out of the bush and said Moses Moses and he said here am I and he said draw not nigh hither put off thy shoes from thy feet for the place where thou standest is holy ground Moreover he said I am the God of thy Fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob and Moses hid his face for he was afraid to look upon God and the Lord said I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt and have heard their cry by reason of their Task-Masters for I know their sorrows and I am come down to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that Land into a good Land come now therefore I will send thee unto Pharaoh that thou mayest bring my people the Children of Israel out of Egypt for I have heard their cries and seen their oppressions Here the Lord committed his seed into the hand of Moses a faithful Servant who came of Lavi both by Father and Mother which was Jacobs third Son So how Moses went unto Pharaoh with the Elders of Israel and wrought the Wonders of the Lord and his miracles before him and how Moses and Aaron brought them from under the Egyptian Bondage and the many Plagues that the Lord brought upon Pharaoh we shall shew hereafter And Moses said unto God who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh and the Lord said certainly I will be with thee and this shall be a token unto thee that when thou hast brought the people out of Egypt ye shall serve God in this Mount c. as you may read in Exod. Chap. 4.5 And thou shalt say unto Pharaph thus saith the Lord Israel is my Son even my first-born I say unto thee Let my Son go that he may serve me if thou refuse to let him go behold I will smite thy Son even thy first-born ver 23. Thus Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh saying thus saith the Lord God of Israel let my people go that they may hold a Feast unto me in the Wilderness And Pharaoh said who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to let Israel go I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go Chap. 5. So he caused the greater Tasks to be laid upon them that they should make their tale of Bricks without straw as you may read and the Lord said unto Moses Now thou shalt see what I will do unto Pharaoh And God spake unto Moses and said I am the Lord and I appeared unto Abraham unto Isaac and unto Jacob by the name of God Almighty but by my name Iehovah was I not known to them and have also established my Covenant with them to give them the Land of Canaan the Land of their Pilgrimage wherein they were strangers and I have also heard the groaning of the Children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage and I remember my Covenant wherefore say unto the Children of Israel I am the Lord and I will bring you from under the burdens of the Egyptians and I will rid you out of their bondage and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm and with great Judgments and I will take you to me for a people and I will be to you for a God and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God which bringeth you out from under the bondage of the Egyptians and I will bring you into the Land concerning the which I sware to give it to Abraham to Isaac and to Iacob and I will give it to you for an heritage I am the Lord Chap. 6.8 So Moses spake to the Children of Israel as you may read to the end of the Chapter And the Lord said unto Moses see I have made thee a God unto Pharaoh and Aaron thy brother a Prophet and thou shalt speak all that I command and Aaron thy Brother shall speak unto Pharaoh that he send the children of Israel out of his Land and I will harden Pharaohs heart c. Chap. 7. And so the Lord wrought his 12 miracles upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians as you may read from the 7. Chapter to the 14. where Pharaoh and his Hoste were overwhelmed in the red Sea 1. The first of his wonders was Aarons Rod that became a Serpent and swallowed up all the Egyptians Serpents 2. Moses smote the Waters with his Rod and they became blood and all the Fish in the River died Chap. 7.20.21 and the Magitians did so 3. He smote all the borders with Frogs and Aaron stretched forth his hand over the Waters and Frogs came up and covered the Land of Egypt and the Egyptians did so Chap. 8.6 7. 4. And again the Lord said unto Moses stretch forth thy Rod and smite the dust of the Land that it may become Lice and Aaron did so So that the dust of the Land became Lice throughout all the Land of Egypt and the Magitians would have done so but they could not then the Magitians said unto Pharaoh this is the finger of God but Pharaohs heart was hardned that he would not hear them as the Lord had said 5. The Lord said unto Moses rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh and say unto him thus saith the Lord let my people go and serve me else I will send swarms of Flies upon thee and upon thy Servants and upon thy people so that all the Houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of Flies and also the ground and I will sever in that day the Land of Goshen in the which my people dwell so that none of the swarms of Flies
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 withall of a beautiful countenance and goodly to look to and the Lord said arise annoint him for this is he then Samuel took the horn of Oyl and annointed him in the midst of his Brethren and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward Here the Lord annointed David to be King over Israel by his Prophet and by his eternal Spirit but this was hid from Saul many years as you may read from Chap. 16 to 23. And how the Lord was with David in all his undertakings and how he was preserved from the wrath and fury of Saul and how David preserved Sauls life when he came into the Cave where he and his men were upon the Rocks and he would not hurt Saul as you may read in the 24. Chapter but still Saul pursued Davids life as you may read throughout the Book of Samuel And the Armies of the Amalekites gathered together against Israel and David enquired of the Lord saying shall I pursue after this Troop shall I overtake them and he answered pursue them and without fail recover all So David went and six hundred men that were with him four hundred pursued and two hundred stayed behind and David recovered all that the Amalekites carryed away and David recovered his two Wives and there was nothing lacking neither small nor great neither Sons nor Daughters neither flocks nor herds but David recovered them all and came to the two hundred men that stayed behind that were so faint they could not follow him Now after this the Philistines fought against Israel that was under Saul and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and the Battel went sore against Saul and the Archers hit him and he was sore wounded and Saul said unto his Armour-Bearer draw thy Sword and thrust me through but his Armour-Bearer would not therefore Saul took a sword and fell upon it and when his Armour-Bearer saw that Saul was dead he fell likewise upon his sword and died with him so Saul died and his three Sons and his Armour-Bearer and all his men fell that day together 1 Sam. 31. II. Samuel AND when David had word that Saul and Jonathan were dead then David took hold on his Cloaths and rent them and all the men that were with him and they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his Son for the People of the Lord and for the House of Israel because they were fallen by the sword and David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his Son which Lamentation you may read 2 Sam. 1. And it came to pass after this that David enquired of the Lord saying shall I go up into the Cities of Iudah and the Lord said unto him go up and David said unto him whither shall I go and he said unto Hebron so David went up thither and his two Wives and his men that were with him every man with his Houshold and they dwelt in the Cities of Hebron and the men of Iudah came and there they annointed David King over the House of Iudah and they told David that the men of Iabesh-Gilead were they that buried Saul and David sent Messengers unto the men of Gilead and said unto them Blessed be ye of the Lord that ye have shewed this kindness unto the Lord even unto Saul and buried him and now the Lord shew kindness and truth unto you and I will requite you this kindness for your Master Saul is dead and the House of Iudah hath annointed me King over them So now David reigned over the House of Iudah but yet there continued long War between the House of Saul and the House of David but David waxed stronger and stronger and the House of Saul waxed weaker and weaker Then came all the Tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron and spoke saying we are thy bones and thy flesh and in time past when Saul was King over us thou leddest out and brought in Israel and the Lord said unto thee thou shalt feed my people Israel So all the Elders of Israel came to the King to Hebron and King David made a league with them before the Lord and they annointed David King over Israel Chap. 5. David was thirty years old when he began to reign in Israel in Hebron he reigned over Iudah seven years and he reigned over Israel and Iudah forty years So David governed Israel in the fear and wisdom of the Lord God for David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel thirty thousand and David arose and went with all them that were with him from Baal of Iudah to bring up from thence the Ark of God whose name is called the Lord of Hosts that dwelleth between the Cherubims the whole passage whereof you may read Chap. 6. And when King David sat in his house the King said unto Nathan the Prophet see I dwell in an house of Cedar but the Ark of God dwells within Curtains and that night the word of the Lord came unto Nathan saying go tell my servant David thus saith the Lord shalt thou build a house for me to dwell in whereas I have not dwelt in an house since the time that I brought up the Children of Israel out of Egypt even to this day but have walked in a Tent and in a Tabernacle but when thy days shall be fulfilled that thou sleeps with thy Fathers I will set up thy seed after thee which shall proceed out of thy Bowels and I will establish his Kingdom he shall build an house for my name and I will establish the Throne of his Kingdom for ever I will be his Father and he shall be my Son if he commit iniquity I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the children of men but my mercy shall not depart away from him as I took from Saul Chap. 7. Thus David governed the Kingdom of Israel nobly all his days and the mighty works that he did and the great Victories that the Lord gave him you may read of to the end of this Book 1 Kings 2 Chron. AND when the days of David grew nigh that he should die he charged Solomon his Son saying I go the way of all the earth be thou strong therefore and shew thy self a man and keep the charge of the Lord thy God to walk in his ways and to keep his Statutes and his Commandments and his Judgments and his Testimonies as it is written in the Law of Moses that thou mayst prosper in all that thou doest that the Lord may continue his word which he spake concerning me saying if thy Children take heed to their way to walk before me in Truth with all their heart and with all their Soul there shall not fail thee a man said he to sit on the Throne of Israel 1 Kings 2. And so David slept with his Fathers and was buried in the City of David Then sat Solomon upon the Throne of
David his Father and his Kingdom was established greatly ver 12. the Lord appeared unto Solomon in a Dream by night and God said ask what I shall give thee Solomon said thou hast shewed to David my Father great mercies according as he walked before thee in truth and in righteousness and uprightness of heart with thee and thou hast kept for him this great kindness that thou hast given him a Son to sit on his Throne as it is this day and now O Lord my God thou hast made thy servant King instead of David my Father and I am but a little Child I know not how to go out and come in thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen a great people it cannot be numbred nor counted for multitude give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people that I may discern between good and bad for who is able to judge this so great a people And the speech pleased the Lord that Solomon asked this thing and God said because thou hast asked this thing and hast not asked long life neither hast asked riches to thy self nor hast asked the life of thine Enemies but hast asked for thy self understanding to discern Judgment behold I have done according to thy words I have given thee a wise and understanding heart so that there was none like thee before thee neither shall any arise after thee like unto thee Chap. 3. So King Solomon reigned over all Israel as you may read in the fourth and fifth Chapters And it came to pass in four hundred and fourscore years after the Children of Israel were come out of the Land of Egypt in the fourth year of Solomons reign over Israel in the month Zif which is the second month that he began to build the House of the Lord of which building and the magnificency of it you may read from the sixth Chapter to the ninth Chapter of 2 Chron. 5.2 Then Solomon assembled the Elders of Israel and all the heads of the Tribes of Israel unto Ierusalem that they might bring up the Ark of the Covenant of God out of the City of David which is Sion and the Priests brought in the Ark of the Lord into the Oracle of the House of the Lord even to under the wings of the Cherubims He built also his own House which he was 13 years in building Chap. 7. And it came to pass when Solomon had furnished the building of the House of the Lord and the Kings House that the Lord appeared unto Solomon the second time and the Lord said unto him I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication that thou hast made before me I have hallowed this house which thou hast built to put my name there for ever and if thou walk before me as David thy Father walked in integrity of heart and in uprightness to do according to all that I command thee and keep my Statutes and Judgments then will I establish the Throne of thy Kingdom upon Israel So King Solomon excelled all the Kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom and the Queen of Sheba heard of the same of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord she came to prove him with hard questions Chap. 10. After this King Solomon loved many strange women together with the Daughters of Pharaoh the Moabites and Ammonites and Edomites and Zidonians and Hittites all which the Lord had commanded the Children of Israel that they should not go into them So Solomon was drawn away with his Wives and worshipped their Gods and made Idols and the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel which had appeared to him twice wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon for as much as this is done of thee and thou hast not kept my Covenant and my Statutes which I commanded thee I will surely rent the Kingdom from thee and give it to thy servant notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David my servants sake but I will rend it out of the hand of thy Son howbeit I will not rend away all the Kingdom but will give one Tribe to thy Son for David my servants sake and for Ierusalems sake which I have chosen And it came to pass when Ieroboam went out of Ierusalem that Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way and he clad himself with a new garment and Ahijah caught the new Garment and rent it in twelve pieces and he said to Ierobeam take thee ten for thus saith the Lord God of Israel behold I will rend the Kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and I will give ten Tribes to thee but he shall have one for my servant Davids sake and for Jerusalems sake the City which I have chosen out of all the Tribes of Israel Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam and Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt until the death of Solomon and the rest of the Acts of Solomon and all that he did are written in the Book of the Acts of Solomon and the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was 40 years and Solomon slept with his Fathers and Rehoboam his Son reigned in his stead Chap. 11. And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem he gathered of the House of Judah and Benjamin an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men which were Warriours to fight against Israel that so he might bring the ten Tribes to him again which Jeroboam the Son of Nebat went about to take from him for they were given to him but the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God saying speak unto Rehoboam the Son of Solomon King of Judah and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin saying thus saith the Lord ye shall not go up to sight against your Brethren return every man to his house for this thing is done of me and they obeyed the word of the Lord and returned from going against Jeroboam And it came to pass in the fifth year of Rehoboam that Shishak the King of Egypt came up against Jerusalem and took the senced Cities thereabouts and the Lord sent his Prophet Shemaiah to Rehoboam and the Princes of Judah and they humbled themselves before the Lord and the Lord was entreated of them and heard them and said that he would not destroy them 2 Chron. 12. 1 Kings 14.31 and Rehoboam slept with his Fathers and Ahijah his Son reigned in his stead In the 18 year of Jeroboams reign began Ahijah to reign over Judah and there was War between Ahijah and Jeroboam and Abijah set the Battel in array with an Army of valiant men of War even four hundred thousand chosen men and Jeroboam set the Battel in array against them with eight hundred thousand chosen men being mighty men of valour Abijah stood upon Mount Semaraim which is in Mount Ephraim and said hear thou me Jeroboam and all Israel ought ye not to know the Lord God of
Israel gave the Kingdom of Israel to David for ever by a Covenant of Salt and yet Jeroboam is risen up and rebelled against his Lord and now do ye think to withstand the Kingdom of the Lord in the hands of the Sons of David and ye be a great multitude and there be with you goldeâ— Calves which Jeroboam hath made for Gods and behold God himself is with us for our Captain and his Priests with sounding Trumpets to cry aloud against you O Children of Israel sight not against the Lord God of your Fathers ye shall not prosper but Jeroboam caused an ambushment to be set before the Children of Judah and behind them and they cryed unto the Lord and the Priests sounded with Trumpets then the men of Iudah gave a shout and as they shouted God smote Ieroboam and all Israel and the Children of Israel fled before Iudah and God delivered them into their hands 2 Chron. 13. 1 Kings 12.28 After this Abijah waxed mighty and married 14 Wives and had twenty two Sons and sixteen Daughters and the rest of the acts that he did are written in the Story of the Prophet Iddo and the Prophets that prophesied in his days were Shemaiah and Iddo and Abijah slept with his Fathers and Asa his Son reigned in his stead So now you may read iâ— the remaining Chapters of this Book how Israel was divided and rent asunder and how they served other Gods and wrought abomination before the Lord and the Lord spake unto them by his Prophets but they would not hear but hardened their hearts and wrought wickedness and killed the Lords Prophets but Baals Prophets were 450. and the Lord plagued them and sent them Famine and Drought as you may read Chap. 18.22 And in the twentieth year of Ieroboam Asa reigned over Iudah and Asa did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and he gathered all Judah and Benjamin together and they entred into a Covenant with the Lord God of their Fathers that they would seek him with all their hearts he took away the Altars of the strange Gods and the Images and took away the Sodomites out of the Land and he removed away the Idols which his Father had made and the Lord cut off the Ethiopians before Asa Judah and Benjamin and he removed his Mother from being Queen because she had made an Idol in a Grove and he destroyed her Idol and burnt it 2 Chr. 15. 1 Kings 15.13 In the 36 year of the reign of Asa Baasha King of Israel came up against Judah and built Ramah to the intent he might let none go out nor come in to Asa King of Judah then Asa brought out Silver and Gold out of the Treasury of the House of the Lord and sent it to Benhadad King of Syria that dwelt in Damascus that he might join with him against the King of Israel and the King of Syria harkened unto him and they smote Jion and Dan and Abel-Beth-Maâ—chab and all the Cities of Naphtali And at that time Hanani came unto Asa King of Iudah and said because thou hast relied on the King of Syria and hast not relied in the Lord thy God therefore is the Host of the King of Syria escaped out of thy hands for the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole Earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of those whose heart is perfect towards him herein thou hast done foolishly and Asa was wroth with the Seer and put him in Prison And Asa in the thirty ninth year was diseased in his feet and he sought not unto the Lord but unto Physicians and he slept with his Fathers and the Prophets Hanani and Azaziah the Son of Oded prophesied in his days and his Son Iehosaphat reigned in his stead and he walked according to Asa his Father and turned not aside from doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord nevertheless the high places were not taken away for the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their Fathers And the Lord was with Jehosaphat because he walked in the waies of David his Father and sought the Lord and his heart was lifted up in the waies of the Lord and called his Princes and with them he sent Levites and Priests and they taught in Judah and had the book of the Law of the Lord with them and went about through all the Cities of Judah and taught the people and the fear of the Lord fell upon all the Kingdoms of the Land round about Judah so that they made no War with Jehosaphat And Jehosaphat joined affinity with Ahab and went down to Samaria to Ahab King of Israel and they went down to Ramath-Gilâ—ad as you may read the 2 Chron. 18.1 1 Kings 22.2 and Jehosaphat caused Ahab to enquire of the Prophets of Israel and afterwards they enquired of Michaiah the Prophet of the Lord which Ahab said he hated for he never prophesied good of him but evil 2 Kings SO the King of Israel and Jehosaphat King of Iudah went up against Ramath-Gilead and a certain man drew a bow at a venture and smote the King of Israel between the joints of his Harness so that he died 2 Chron. 18.33 1 Kings 22. Now Ioram the Son of Ahab reigned over Israel in Samaria in the 18. year of Iâ—hosaphat King of Iudah it came to pass when Ahab was dead that the King of Moab rebelled against the King of Israel and Ioram King of Israel sent to Iehosaphat King of Iudah to join with him against Moab and the King of Israel and the King of Iudah went and the King of Edom went with them against Moab and the King of Israel said alas hath the Lord gathered these three Kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab and Ichosaphat said is there not here a Prophet of the Lord that we may enquire of him 2 Kings and one of the Kings servants said here is Elisha that poured water on the hands of Elijah and the three Kings went to enquire of him and Elisha said unto the King of Israel what have I to do with thee get thee to the Prophets of thy Father and the Prophets of thy Mother and Elisha said as the Lord of Hosts liveth before whom I stand were it not that I regard the presence of Iehesaphat King of Iudah I would not look towards thee nor see thee but now bring me here a Minstrel c. and they prevailed against the Moabites as you may read 2 Kings 3. And it came to pass after this that the Children of Moab and the Children of Ammon and with them from beyond the Sea from this side of Syria went a great multitude that came up against Iehosaphat King of Iudah as you may read 2 Chron. 20. and Iehosaphat feared before the Lord and proclaimed a Fast and set himself and all his people to seek the Lord and the Lord gave Iehosaphat Victory over his Enemies then returned
Iehosaphat King of Iudah with joy to Ierusalem for that the Lord had made them to rejoice over their Enemies But after this did Iehosaphat King of Iudah join himself with Ahaziah King of Israel who did very wickedly to make Ships to go to Tarshish then Eliezer prophesied against Iehosaphat saying because thou hast joined with Ahaziah the Lord hath broken thy Works so the Ships were not able to go to Tarshish So Iehosaphat slept with his Fathers and Iehoram reigned in his stead and Michaiah and Elisha and Eliezer were the Prophets that prophesied in his daies And Iehoram reigned eight years in Ierusalem and did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the ways of the Kings of Israel as did the House of Ahab for the Daughter of Ahab was his Wise yet the Lord would not destroy Iudah for David his servants sake as he promised to give him alwaies a light to his Children in his days Edom revolted 2 Kings 8. 2 Chron. 21. Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Iudah and caused the Inhabitants of Ierusalem to commit Fornication and compelled them thereto and there came a Writing from Elisha the Prophet saying thus saith the Lord God of David thy Father because thou hast not walked in the wayes of Iehosaphat but hast walked in the ways of the Kings of Israel and hast made Iudah and Ierusalem go a whoring after Whoredoms behold with a great Plague will the Lord smite thee and thy people and thy Wives and thy Children and after the Lord smote him in his bowels that at the end of two years his bowels fell out so that he died of sore Diseases and the Inhabitants of Ierusalem made Ahaziah his youngest Son King in his stead And the Lord sent his Prophet to annoint Iehu the Son of Iehosaphat the Son of Nimshi to be King over Israel 2 Kings 9. and he arose and went into the House and poured Oyl on his head and said thus saith the Lord God of Israel I have annointed thee King over the people of the Lord and thou shalt smite the House of Ahab thy Master that I may avenge the blood of my Servants the Prophets and the blood of all the servants of the Lord at the hands of Jezebel for the whole House of Ahab shall perish and I will make the House of Ahab like the House of Jeroboam and the Dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel Twenty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign and he reigned one year in Jerusalem also he walked in the ways of Ahab for his Mother was his Counsellour to do wickedly wherefore he did evil in the sight of the Lord and the destruction of Ahaziah was of God by coming to see Jehoram for when he was come he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the Son of Nimshi whom the Lord had annointed to cut off the house of Ahab as you may read in 2 Chr. 22. and they caught Ahaziah where he was hid in Samaria and when they had slain him they buried him because they said he is the Son of Jehoshaphat who sought the Lord. But Jehosheba the Daughter of King Jehoram took Joash the Son of Ahaziah and put him and his Nurse in a Bed-chamber for she was the Wife of Jehojada the Priest and he was with them hid in the House of God six years then Athaliah reigned six years and in the seventh year Jehoiadah called all the Captains of the hundreds together and the Priests and the Levites and all the Congregation together with the King in the House of God and he said unto them the Kings Son shall reign as the Lord hath said of the Sons of David 2 Chr. 23. And Joash began to reign in the seventh year of Jehu King of Israel and he was seven years old when he began to reign and he reigned over Jerusalem forty years and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord as Jehojada the Priest instructed him But Jehojada waxed old and was full of days and when he died he was 130 years old and after his death the Princes of Judah left the House of the Lord and served Idols in Groves and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem and the Spirit of the Lord came upon Zachariah the Son of Jehojada the Priest which stood above the People and said thus saith God why trespass ye against the Commandment of the Lord and they conspired against him and stoned him with Stones at the Commandment of the King thus Joash remembred not the kindness that Jehojada had done unto him but slew his Son The Army of the Syrians came against them because they had forsaken the Lord God of their Fathers so they executed judgment against Joash and his own servants slew him in his bed and Amaziah his Son reigned in his stead 2 Chr. 22. 2 King 9.27 In the twenty third year of Joash Jehoahaz Son of Iehu began to reign over Israel and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord 2 King 13. and followed the sins of Jeroboam and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel and he delivered them into the hand of the King of Syria and Jehoahaz besought the Lord and the Lord harkened unto him for he saw the oppressions of Israel because the King of Syria oppressed them and the Lord gave Israel a Saviour so they went out from under the hand of the Syrians and the Children of Israel dwelt in their Tents nevertheless they departed not from the sins of Iereboam Chap. 13.6 and Iehoahaz slept with his Fathers and Jehoash his Son reigned in his stead In the thirty seventh year of the reign of Joash King of Iudah began Iehoash Son of Iehoahaz to reign over Israel and reigned sixteen years he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord and departed not from the Sins of Ieroboam who made Israel to sin and Iehoash slept with his Fathers and Ieroboam sat upon his Throne In the second year of Iehoash Son of Iehoahaz King of Israel reigned Amaziah the Son of Ioash King of Iudah he was 25 years old when he began to reign and he reigned 29 years in Ierusalem and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord but not like unto David nor Joash his Father When his Kingdom was confirmed in his hands he slew all his servants that had slain his Father and he sent messengers to the King of Israel that they might come up to look one another in the face He slew also of the Children of Edom in the Valley of Salt ten thousand and the King of Israel sent unto him and said thou hast indeed smitten Edom and thine heart is lifted up tarry at home but Amaziah King of Judah would not therefore Jehoash King of Israel went up and met Amaziah King of Judah and looked him in the face at Bethshemish which belongs to Iudah and Judah was put to
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
of them and burnt them upon the Altar according to the word of the Lord which the man of God proclaimed who cryed the same words then said he what title is this that I see and the men of the City said it is the Sepulchre of the man of God which came from Iudah and told these things which thou hast done to the Altar of Bethel 1 Kings 13.2 then said he let him alone let none remove his bones 2 Chron. 34.35 Chap. And this King Iosiah caused the Law of the Lord to be read and when he heard the words of it he rent his Cloaths because that his fore-Fathers had forsaken the Lord and burnt incense unto Baal and he sent to Huldah the Prophetess that dwelt in the Colledge in Ierusalem to enquire of the Lord concerning the people of Iudah and she said unto them thus saith the Lord God tell the man that sent you thus saith the Lord I will bring evil upon this place and upon the Inhabitants thereof even the words of the Book which the King of Iudah hath read because they have forsaken me and burnt incense unto other Gods that they might provoke me to anger therefore my wrath is kindled against this place and shall not be quenched Chap. 22. And the King sent and gathered unto him all the Elders of Iudah and Ierusalem and read the Law before them in the house of the Lord and the King stood by a Pillar and made a Covenant before the Lord and before all his people to walk after the Lord and to keep his Commandments as you may read Chap. 23. In his days Pharaoh Neehoh King of Egypt went up against the King of Assyria to the River Euphrates and King Iosiah went up against him whom when Pharaoh saw he slew him at Megiddo and the people of the Land took Jehoahaz Son of Josiah and annointed him King in his Fathers stead And Iehoahaz was thirty and three years old when he began to reign and he reigned three months in Ierusalem and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord and the King of Egypt put him down at Ierusalem and made Eliakim his Brother King over Iudah and Ierusalem and turned his name to Iehojakim And Iehojakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign and he reigned eleven years in Ierusalem and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord and in his days the King of Babylon came up and the Lord sent against him the Bands of the Chaldees and Bands of the Syrians and Bands of the Moabites and Bands of the Children of Ammon and sent them against Iudah to destroy it according to the word of the Lord which he spake by his Servants the Prophets surely at the Commandment of the Lord came this upon Iudah to remove them out of his sight for the sins of Manasseh according to all that he did and also for the innocent blood that he shed for he filled Ierusalem with innocent blood Chap. 24. At that time Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon came up against the City of Ierusalem and he and his Servants besieged it and Iehojachim King of Iudah he and his Mother and his Princes and his Servants and his Officers went out to meet him and the King of Babylon took them and he carried out thence all the Treasures of the House of the Lord and the Treasures of the Kings House and cut in pieces all the Vessels of Gold which Solomon the King of Israel had made in the Temple of the Lord and he carried away all Ierusalem and all the Princes and the mighty men of valour even ten thousand Captives and all the Crastsmen and the Smiths and there remained none save the poorest sort of the people And he carried away Iehoiachim into Babylon and the Kings Mother Judah and Jerusalem going into Babylon and the Kings Wives and his Officers he carried away captive from Ierusalem the mighty men of the Land even seven thousand and Craftsmen and Smiths a thousand all that were strong and apt to War them the King of Babylon brought captive to Babylon and he made his Fathers Brother King of Ierusalem and he reigned seven years until he rebelled against the King of Babylon and then the King of Babylon came against him and took him and then the havock and the spoil that was made at Ierusalem you may read in the twenty firth Chapter 2 Chr. 36. And thus the sins and abominations that the Children of Israel wrought against the Lord with their Kings that reigned over them and how the Lord by his Prophets would have turned them unto himself and how he sent precept upon precept and line upon line as you may read at large in the Prophesie of Isaiah and in the Prophesie of Ieremiah and Hosea prophesied in that time in the days of Vzziah Iotham Ahaz and Hezekiah and in the days of Ieroboam the Son of Ioash King of Israel The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea the Lord said unto Hosea go take thee a Wife of Whoredoms and the Children of Whoredoms for the Land hath committed great Whoredoms departing from the Lord. So he went and took Gomer the Daughter of Diblaim which conceived and bare a Son and the Lord said unto him call his name Iezreel for yet a little while and I will avenge the blood of Iezreel upon the House of Iehu and it shall come to pass in that day that I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Iezreel Hos 1. to 5. my people ask Counsel at their stocks and their staff declareth unto them for the spirit of Whoredoms have caused them to erre and they have gone a whoring from under their God they have dealt treacherously against the Lord the Princes of Iudah were like them that remove the bound therefore I will pour out my sury upon them like water saith the Lord Hos Chap. 4.5 and so on throughout that Book you may read how the Lord by his Prophet complains of their Idolatry The words of Amos who was amongst the Herdsmen which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Vzziah King of Iudah and in the daies of Ieroboam King of Israel two years before the earthquake and he said the Lord will roar from Zion and utter his voice from Ierusalem and the inhabitants of the Shepherds shall mourn and the top of Carmel Amos 1. Hear this word that the Lord hath spoken against you O Children of Israel against the whole Family which I brought up from the Land of Egypt saying ye only have I known of all the Families of the earth therefore will I punish you for your iniquities Amos 3.1 2. And the Prophet Ezekiel saith now it came to pass in the thirtieth year in the fourth month on the first day of the month as I was among the Captives that I saw the Visions of God here the Lord did not only prophesie before they went into
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
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
Caldees to go into the Land of Canaan Gen. 11.31 And the Lord said unto Abram get thee out of thy Country and from thy kindred and from thy Fathers house into a Land that I will shew thee and I will make of thee a great Nation and I will bless thee and make thy name great and thou shalt be a blessing and I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curseth thee and in thee shall all the Families of the earth be blessed So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him and Abram took Sarai his Wife and Lot his Brother's Son and all their substance that they had gathered and the Souls that they had got in Haran and they went forth to go into the Land of Canaan and into the Land of Canaan they came and Abram passed through the Land to Scchem unto the plain of Morch and the Canaanite was then in the Land this Canaanite was of Ham's stock and seed which afterward the Lord drove out to bring in his own seed of his Promise And the Lord appeared unto Abram and said unto thy feed will I give this Land and there Abram built an Altar unto the Lord who appeared unto him there in the Land though the Canaâ—nite was there and Abram removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his Tent and there he builded an Altar unto the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. And so journied towards the South and there was a grievous Famine in the Land and Abram and his Wife and Lot went down into Egypt to sojourn there because the Famine was great and there they stayed in Egypt till they were grown very rich in Cattel in Silver and in Gold And Abram came back again out of Egypt and his Wife and Lot and all that they had and he went on his journey from the South even to Bethel unto the place where his Tent had been in the beginning and unto the place of the Altar which he had made there at first there Abram called on the name of the Lord even in the Land which the Lord had given unto him he came back unto it from Egypt he and his Wife and Lot and all their substance and Cattel but their Servants and Herdsmen could not agree and Abram desired that there might be peace betwixt Lâ—â— and him because they were brethren and Abram said the whole Land is before thee separate thy self from me and take the one hand and I will take the other and Lot chose the plain of Jordan because it was well watâ—red and as the Garden of the Lord and Abram dwelt in the Land of Canaan and Lot dwelt in the Cities of the plain and pitched his Tents towards Sodom but the men of Sodom were wicked and sinned before the Lord exceedingly for they were of Ham's stock and of that cursed seed for he was the Father of Canaan and the Lord said unto Abram after that Lot was separated from him list up now thine eâ—es and look from the place where thou art Northward and Southward and Eastward and Westward for all the Land which thou seest to the will I give and to thy seed for ever and I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth so that if thou canst number the dust of the earth then shall thy seed be numbred Abram removed his Tent and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre which is in Hebron and builded there an Altar unto the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord Then there was a great battel fought about Sodom and Comorrah four Kings against five made War and they took Lot Abraham's brothers Son a Prisoner and all his goods And when Abram heard they had taken his Brother's Son captive he armed his servants that were born in his house and pursued them unto Dan and pursued them unto Hobah and he brought back all the Goods and he also brought again his brother Lot And when Abram returned back from the slauther of the Kings Melchisedec King of Salem brought forth bread and Wine and he was the Priest of the most high God and he blessed him and said blessed be Abram of the most high God possessor of Heaven and earth and blessed be the most high God which hath delivered thine enemies into thine hand and Abram gave him Tyths of all Now the Scripture saith that Christ the everlasting high Priest is after the Order of Melchisedec Psal 110.4 David saith the Lord hath sworn and will not repent thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedec and the Apostle saith Heb. 6.20 whither the forerunner is entred even Jesus made an high Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedec this cannot be of mortal man nor according to mans Order that Christ Jesus is made a Priest after the Apostle saith this Melchisedec King of Salem Priest of the most high God who met Abram returning from the slaughter of the Kings and blessed him to whom Abraham also gave a tenth part of all The Apostle gives the signification of his name first being by interpretation King of Righteousness after that King of Salem which is King of peace without Father without Mother without descent having neither beginning of days nor end of life but made like unto the Son of God abideth a Priest continually This is the interpretation the Apostle gives of him now consider saith the Apostle how great he is unto whom the Patriarch Abraham gave the tenth Now they that are of the Sons of Levi who receive the Office of Priesthood have a commandment to take Tythes according to the Law but he whose descent is not counted from them received Tythes of Abraham and blessed him that had the promise and without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better for if he had not been above Abraham he could not have blessed him for here men that die saith the Apostle receive Tythes but there he received them of whom it is witnessed that he liveth Heb. 7.8 What will it advantage the Priests of this age when they cannot prove by the Levetical Law Tythes to be lawful in these days because they profess themselves to be Ministers of the Gospel and their Order should be Gospel-Order and they bring Melchisedec that he took Tythes and they bring Abraham who is the seed that God hath blessed that had the promises of God unto him that paid them and they themselves are mortal sinful men that takes the Tythes and people that are loaden with sin and iniquity pays the Tythes what example have these from Melchisedec's Order after whose Order Christ Jesus the everlasting high Priest is made for Levi that took Tythes paid Tythes in Abraham unto Melchisedec for he was in the loins of his Father when Abraham met him if there were perfection in the Levitical Priesthood which is after the Order of Aaron what needed there another Priest after the Order of Melchisedec