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
and the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron that they should put an Homer of this Manna which they did eat into a Pot and lay it up before the Lord to be kept for the Generations ver 33 And the Children of Israel did eat Manna forty years until they came to the borders of the Land of Canaan and all the Congregation of the Children of Israel journied from the Wilderness of Sin after their journey according to the command of the Lord and pitched in Rephidim there was no water for the people to drink and the people did chide with Moses and the people thirsted there for water and Moses cryed unto the Lord saying what shall I do unto this people they be almost ready to stone me and the Lord said unto Moses go on before the people and take with thee the Elders of Israel and thy Rod wherewith thou smotest the River take in thy hand and go and behold I stand before thee there upon the Rock in Horeb and thou shalt 〈◊〉 the Rock and Water shall come out of it that the people may drink and Moses did so in the sight of all the Children of Israel and the Lord gave them his Laws and his Statutes and sent Moses unto them and said thus shalt thou say unto the House of Jacob and tell the Children of Israel ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians and how I bare you on Eagle wings and brought you unto my self now therefore if yoâ— will obey my voice indeed and keep my Covenant then shall ye be a 〈◊〉 treasure unto me above all the people of the earth And the Lord said unto Moses loâ— come unto thee in a thick cloud that the people may hear when I speak â—nto thee and believe thee for over tâ— be readlly therefore on one third day for thâ— Lord will come down unto Mount Sina in the sight of all the people and it came to pass in the morning of the third day that there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud upon the Mount and the voice of the Trumpet exceeding loud so that all the people that was in the Camp trembled and Moseâ— brought forth the people out of the Camp to meet with the Lord and they stood at the nether part of the Mount and Mount 〈◊〉 was altogether of a smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a Furnace and the whole Mount quaked greatly and when the voice of the Trumpet sounded long and waxed douder and 〈◊〉 Mosâ—s spake and God answered him by a vâ—iue and the 〈◊〉 Mosâ—s up to the top of the Mount and Moses went up as you may read at large Exod. 19. And the Lord gave his Law unto Moses from his own mouth and God spake all these words and said I am the Lord thy God thou shalt have none other Gods but me c. Exod. 20. And after the Lord had given his Law and his ten Commandments to them when the people saw the thundrings and the lightnings and the noise of the Trumpet and the Mountain smoking they removed and stood afar off and said unto Moses speak thou unto us and we will hear but let not God speak with us lest we die And Moses said unto the people fear not for God is come to prove you that his fear may be before your faces that ye sin not and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was and the Lord said unto Moses say unto the Children of Israel you have seen that I have talked with you from Heavenâ— ye shall not make with me Gods of Silver neither shall ye make ye Gods of Gold ver 23. And God commanded Moses to make an Ark the Ark of his Covenant with a Candlestick and all the holy Vessels of the Sanctuary as you may read at large Exod. 25. Moreover he commanded Moses to make the Tabernacle with all its Curtains Coverings and Vails Chap. 26. Also he commanded him to make an Altar on which the Offerings were to be offered as you may read from Chap. 27. to Chap. 30. and so to the end of the Book of Exodus And after this the Lord made Moses write his Law in Tables of Stone and Moses hewed two Tables of Stone and went up early in the morning as the Lord commanded him unto Mount Sinai and took in his hands the two Tables of Stone and the Lord descended in the Cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of the Lord The Lord merciful and gracious long-suffering abundant in goodness and truth and keeping mercy for thousands pardoning iniquity transgression and Sin Exod. 34. So all the precious works of Moses and Aaron and all their faithfulness and their care and their diligence and how the Lord honoured them with his presence and how they taught and governed and prophesied unto the Children of Israel why they led them through the Wilderness 40 years together ye may read in the four Books of Moses viz. Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Deuteronomy THE Lord promised the Children of Israel and said unto Moses I will raise them up from among their brethren a Prophet like unto thee and I will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I command him Deut. 18.18 here Moses was a Prophet for Christ witnesses that Moses writ of him and Philip said we have found him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write Jâ—â— 1.45 and Chap. 5.45 do not think that I will accuse your to the Father there is one that accuseth you even Moses for 〈◊〉 you believed Moses ye would have believed me for he wrote of me but if ye believe not his writings how shall ye believe my words And the Apostle saith and Moses verily was faithful in all his house as a servant forth testimony of those things which were to be spoken after Heb. 3.5 And this was the Commandment which Moses laid before the Children of Israel a little before his departure from them saith he for this Commandment which I command you this day it is not hidden from thee neither is it afar off it is not in Heaven that thou shouldest say who shall go up for 〈◊〉 to Heaven and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it neither is it beyond the Sea that thou shouldest say who shall go over the Sea for us and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it but the word is very nigh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou mayest do it I have sâ—t before thee this day life and death and good and evil Deuteronemy 30.11 to the 15. and Rom. 10.5 6 7 8 9 10. So after his Exhortations he blessed them with large blessings as you may read in the 31 3â— and 33 Chapters at large And he said I am 120 years old I can no more go out and come in and the Lord
hath said thou shalt not go over Jordan And Moses went up from the plain of Moab unto the Mountain of Nebo the top of Pisgah over against Jericâ—o and the Lord shewed him all the Land of Gilead unto Dan and all Napthali and all the Land of Ephraim and Manasseh and all the Land of Judah unto the utmost Sea and the South and the plain of the Valley of Jericho the City of the Palm-Trees unto Zoar and the Lord said unto him this is the Land which I sware unto Abraham unto Isaâ—â— and unto Jacob saying I will give it unto thy seed I have caâ—sed thee to see it with thine eyes but thou shalt not go over thither So Moses the Servant of the Lord died there in the Land of Moab according to the word of the Lord and he buryed him in a Valley in the Land of Moab over against Bâ—th-peor but no man knoweth of his Sepulchre unto this day Chapter 34. unto the 9. Vâ—â—se And Joshua the Son of Nun was full of the spirit of Wisdom for Moses had laid his hands on him and the children of Israel hearkned unto him and did as the Lord commanded Moses there arose 〈◊〉 a Prophet since in Israel like unto Moses whom the Lord knew face to face ver 10. Joshua NOw after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass that the Lord spake unto Joshua the Son of Nun Moses minister saying Moses my servant is dead now therefore arise go over this Jordan thou and all the people unto the Land which I do give unto them every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon that I give unto you as I said unto Moses from the Wilderness even to the great River Euphrates there shall not be a man able to stand before thee all the days of thy life as I was with Moses so will I be with thee I will not fail thee nor forsake thee be strong and of a good courage for unto this people shalt thou divide the Land which I sware unto their Fathers to give them Here take notice of the faithful and constant true care of the Almighty over the seed of his Covenant and promise when Moses his faithful servant was dead how he did deliver them unto Joshua and promised him his presence and performed the same as you may read at large in the Book of Joshua And the Lord said unto Joshua this day I will begin to magnifie thee in the sight of all Israel that they may know as I was with Moses so I will be with thee Joshua commanded the Priests to carry the Ark of the Covenant before them saying when ye are come to the River of Jordan ye shall stand still in Jordan and Joshua said unto the Children of Israel the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan and it shall come to pass as soon as the soles of the feet of the Priests that bears the Ark of the Lord of all the earth shall rest in the waters of Jordan that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above and they shall stand upon an heap and they did so as you may read in Ioshua 3.14 15 16 17. thus Ioshua led them over with twelve men with twelve stones upon their shoulders that they took out of the midst of Iordan who passed before the Ark of the Lord in the midst of Iordan according to the number of the Tribes of Israel and Ioshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Iordan in the place where the feet of the Priests stood which bare the Ark and they are there unto this day and when the people were passed clean over that the Ark of the Lord passed over in the midst of the people but the Priests which bare the Ark stood in the midst of Iordan until every thing was finished that the Lord commanded Ioshua Thus the Lord miraculously wrought with Ioshua as he did with Moses for the Lord God dryed up the waters of Iordan as he did the Red Sea before their Fathers you may read also how the Lord God wrought with Ioshua miraculously at the taking of Iericho when the Ark of the Lord compassed about the City seven times that the Walls of Iericho fell down flat at the shout of the people and at the sound of the Trumpets of Rams Horns Iosh 6.20 Again how the Lord was with Ioshua in a special manner in the taking of the City of Ai as you may read Chap. 8. And when the five Kings came against Israel and fled before them that the Lord cast great stones from Heaven before and they that died were more that died by hailstones than they that Israel slew with the Sword Then spake Ioshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the Children of Israel and he said in the sight of the Children of Israel Sun stand thou still upon Gibeon and thou Moon in the Valley of Ajalon and the Sun stood still and the Moon stayed until the people had avenged themselves of their Enemies so the Sun stood still in the midst of Heaven and hastned not to go down for about a whole day and there was no day like that before it nor after it that the Lord harkened unto the voice of man for the Lord fought for Israel Chap. 10.12 13 14. These with many more miracles and wonders and the many Victories that he gave Ioshua over his Enemies you may read throughout this whole book of Iâ—shua And in the latter end of his days he called for the Heads and for the Rulers of Israel and for their Judges and for their Officers and Ioshua said unto all the people Thus saith the Lord God of Israel your Fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time even Terah the Father of Abraham and the Father of Nachor and they served other Gods and I took your Father Abraham from the other side of the flood and led him throughout all the Land of Canaan and multiplied his seed and I gave him Isaac and I gave Isaac Iacob and Esau and I gave unto Esau mount Sâ—ir to possess it but Iacob and his Children went down into Egypt and I sent Moses also and Aaron and I plagued Egypt according to that which I did amongst them and afterwards I brought you out and I brought your Fathers out of Egypt and ye came unto the Sea and the Egyptians pursued after your Fathers with Chariots and Horsemen unto the Red Sea and when they cryed unto the Lord he put darkness between you and the Egyptians and brought the Sea upon them and covered them and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt and ye dwelt in the Wilderness a long Season Then Balak the Son of Zippor King of Moab arose and warred against Israel and called Baalam the Son of Peor to curse you
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
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
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
that moveth in the Sea and upon the Earth were created by the word of God and God saw every thing that he had made and behold it was very good and God said let us make man in our own likeness and let them have dominion so God created man in his own image in the image of God created he him male and female created he them To this agrees Mat. 19.4 where Christ saith have you not read he that made them in the beginning made them male and female fe added to male signifieth to encrease to multiply or bring forth So here is all the distinction that the word that was in the beginning made between them God called them male and female the same John as bears witness of the word that was in the beginning with God also bears witness that the word was made flesh Joh. 1.14 and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory as the glory of the only begotten Son of the Father which is Christ in the male and female this is the true image of God full of grace and truth according as the Apostle saith in the Ephes 4.24 Eph. 2.10 And that you put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness and this word stood in the decree and election of God until it was made flesh his Son manifested in the flesh which makes and creates the image of God in the male and in the female in righteousness and true holiness in the male and female Gal. 3.28 The males were to be the Lords Exod. 13.13.15.16 Lev. 1.3 They were to offer a male without blemish Mal. 1.14 they were cursed that had a male in their flock and offered unto the Lord a corrupt thing and again Exod. 13.2 and Numbers 18.15 According to this Law of Moses Joseph and Mary observed the command of God and circumcised Jesus on the eight day as it is written in the Law of the Lord every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord Luke 2.21.23 here is the true and living image which God has created in the male and female but here lies the mystery God manifested in the flesh which is yet hid to the most of men that lies in the fall but perfectly known to those that are in the resurrection and redemption Howbeit on the sixth day the Lord formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living Soul And the Lord God planted a Garden Eastward in Eden and the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it ver 15. and the Lord God said it is not good for man to be alone I will make him an help meet for him and the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept and he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh thereof and the rib which the Lord God had taken from man made he a woman and brought her unto the man and Adam said this is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh she shall be called woman because she was taken out of man So Adam gave names to all the creatures for God brought every beast of the field and every fowl of the air unto Adam that he might give names unto them and so he brought the woman unto Adam and he called her woman because she was taken out of man Now the Serpent being more subtle than any beast of the field which God had made he began to exercise his subtlety and to lay his temptations and snares unto the innocent and weak and so began with the woman which was but a part of man and in the first place told her a lie to entice her to break the command of the Lord God which the Lord God strictly commanded the man that he should not eat of it for in the day that thou eats thou shalt surely die saith the Lord saith the Serpent hath the Lord God said that ye may not eat of every tree in the Garden the woman said unto the Serpent we may eat of the trees of the Garden but of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the Garden God hath said ye shall not eat neither shall ye touch it lest ye die the Serpent said ye shall not surely die Here was the lyar and so Christ saith of him Joh. 8.44 ye are of the Father the Devil and the lust of your Father ye will do he was a Murtherer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him when he speaketh a lie he speaketh of his own for he is a lyar and the Father of it 1 Joh. 3.8 he that committeth sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinned from the beginning so this was he that did encounter with weak and innocent woman and when he led out her eyes to look upon the tree she saw it was good and pleasant to the eye and a tree to be desired to make one wise and she took of the fruit thereof to eat and gave also unto her Husband and he did eat with her And so here they both came into the disobedience and fell from the command of God lending their ears their minds and their eyes to the temptation of the Devil fell from righteousness fell from innocency and holiness and so became transgressors against God and breakers of his commands And so the Devil was the Original and beginning of this sin and transgression and they hearkening unto his temptation and answering unto his desires and joining with him in it came under the curse and so was driven out from the presence of God and so dread and fear took hold on them that when they heard the voice of God they hid themselves from his presence among the trees of the Garden and when the Lord called unto Adam he heard his voice and was afraid because he was naked the Lord said who told thee thou wast naked hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I told thee thou shouldst not eat the man said the woman thou gavest to be with me she gave me of the tree and I did eat And the Lord said unto the woman what is this that thou hast done and the woman said the Serpent beguiled me and I did eat and the Lord said unto the Serpent because thou hast done this thou art cursed above all cattel and above every beast of the field upon thy belly shalt thou go and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life Gen. 3.14 This is the Serpents portion and the decree of God upon him for evermore and all that are of his Spirit that hearken to his temptations who disobey the command of the living God and transgress against him he that commits sin is of the Devil 1 Joh. 3. And the Lord said I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy
seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head mark that the womans seed shall bruise the Serpents head the Lord hath said it and thou shall bruise his heel Gen. 3.15 and this hath been and is fulfilled the heel of the precious seed hath been bruised ever since the day that Adam fell the Lamb hath been flain from the foundation of the world Rev. 13.8 The descending part of the Lamb hath been bruised and slain since the world had a foundation in the heart of man for the Devil got into Evahs heart and Adams heart by his temptation when they obeyed the voice of the Serpent and disobeyed his voice that made them he told them they should be as Gods but he became the God of that world of sin and of transgression and this world is set in the hearts of all men in the fall that they cannot find the beginning or the end of the work of God Eccl. 3.11 And the God of this world hath blinded the minds of all them which believe not 2 Cor. 4.4 through the disobedience that did enter into their hearts and so their foolish hearts were darkened and he the Prince of darkness hath ruled ever since this world had a foundation in the heart of man and to this very day doth rule in the children of disobedience Eph. 2.5 6. And so that precious part of the Lamb that descending part that God hath placed in mans heart hath been and is slain in all the children of disobedience who are not risen with Christ unto righteousness and true holiness Now he that ascended saith the Apostle is the same that descended first into the nethermost parts of the earth and he that descended is the same also that ascended far above all heavens that he might sill all things Eph. 4.8.9 So there hath he suffered and been oppressed as a Cart hath been with sheaves and born the iniquities of all above 5600 years But the Lord of his infinite mercy and love reserved a remedy and redemption at that very instant who decreed and said that the precious seed of the woman should bruise the Serpents head and break his power And so as it is already manifested and fulfilled the Word which the Lord spake that he should bruise his heel so as certainly and assuredly as the word of the Lord endureth for ever and that not one jot or tittle of it shall fail till all be fulfill'd so certainly will he fulfill this part also that the seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpents head and break his power and to this purpose hath he redoubled his promise again and again as we shall shew more fully hereafter And so Adam and Eve stood under the sentence that the Lord pronounced upon them unto woman that he would greatly multiply her sorrow in her conception and in bringing forth Children And unto Adam he said cursed is the ground for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all thy days so in this miserable state they continued and in this darkness transgression and disobedience Adam knew his Wife and she brought forth a Son and called his name Cain and Adam called his wife Eve because she was the mother of all living and this Cain was the fruits of the Spirit of the Devil who was a lyar and a murderer And again she bare his brother Abel and Cain was a tiller of the ground but Abel was a keeper of Sheep and in process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord and Abel he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof and the Lord had respect unto Abel and his offering for the Apostle saith Heb. 11.4 by faith Abel offered unto God but unto Cain and his offering he had no respect And Cain was wroth and his countenance fell and the Lord said unto Cain why art thou wroth and why is thy countenance fallen if thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted if thou dost not well sin lyeth at thy door And unto thee shall be his desire and thou shalt rule over him Gen. 4.7 But the Apostle saith that Abel offered a more excellent offering than Cain by which he obtained a witness that he was righteous God testifying of his guifts and by faith he being dead yet his bloud speaketh Heb. 11.4 and also Cain manifested what seed he sprang from unto which God said I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed which seed was a lyar and a murderer from the beginning and Cain talked with his brother and it came to pass that when they were in the field that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and slew him and wherefore slew he him because his own works were evil and his brothers righteous 1 Joh. 3.12 And this Cains Spirit hath remained amongst men to this very day for he slew his brother about offering unto God and the worship of God and so this Cains spirit hath been slaying and killing and persecuting ever since about Offerings and Sacrifices and Worships righteous Abel and that spirit which God accepts hath been persecuted and slain and is to this day But God will fulfill the words of Christ upon them Mat. 23.35 that upon you might come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood of rightous Abel but the Lord knew when Abel was slain and he knows and sees and hath seen all the righteous blood that hath been shed since Abel and the Lord said unto Cain what hast thou done the voice of thy brothers blood hath cryed to me from the ground and now thou art cursed from the earth which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brothets blood from thy hand Gen. 4.10 11. And under this curse all Cains spirit and off spring remains a fugitive and vagabond from the Lord for Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the Land of Nod. ver 16. And Adam knew Eve his Wife again and she bare a Son and called his name Seth for God saith she hath appointed me another Son instead of Ahel whom Cain slew So here is another Son brought forth of Abel's seed which the Lord accepted and to which the promise of the Lord remained and to Seth to him also there was born a Son and he called his name Enos then began men to call upon the name of the Lord here was the right seed again which set up the worship of God as you may read in the fifth of Genesis the Generations of them that worshipped God in that day from Adam some of which the Apostle bore witness of in Heb. 11.5 By Faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death Enoch translated and was not found because God had translated him for before his translating he had this testimony that he pleased God By faith Nâ—ah being warned of God of things not seen as yet
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
unto him out of Heaven and said Abraham Abraham and he said here am I and he said lay not thine hand upon the Lad neither do thou any thing unto him for now I know thou fearest God seeing thou hast not withheld thy Son thine only Son from me and Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked and behold behind him a Ram caught in a thicket by his horns and Abraham went and took the Ram and offered him up for a burnt-offering instead of his Son and Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh as it is to this day in the mount of the Lord it shall be seen And the Angel of the Lord called unto Abraham the second time and said by my self I have sworn saith the Lord because thou hast done this thing and hast not with-held thy Son thine only Son that in blessing I will bless thee and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the Stars of Heaven and as the sand upon the Sea shore and thy seed shall possess the Gates of thine enemies and in thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed because thou hast obeyed my voice Heb. 6.23 34 So Abraham and his Son returned unto his young men and they rose up and went to Beershebu together where Abraham dwelt And Sarah being 127 years old she died in Kiriath-arba the same is Hebron in the Land of Canaan and Abraham mourned for Sarah and wept for her and Abraham bought a burying place of the Sons of Heth to bury his dead in out of his sight Gen. 23. So when Abraham grew old and stricken in age he caused his eldest servant of his House to put his hand under his thigh and made him swear by the God of Heaven and the God of the earth and said thou shalt not take a Wife unto my Son of the Canaanites amongst whom I dwell but thou shalt go into my Country and unto my kindred and take a Wife unto my Son Isaac and the servant said peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me and Abraham said the Lord God of Heaven which took me from my Fathers house and from the Land of my kindred and which spake unto me and sware unto me saying unto thy seed will If give this Land he shall send his Angel before thee and thou shalt take a Wife for my Son from thence and if the woman will not be willing to follow thee then thou shalt be clear from this mine Oath And the Servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his Master and sware to him concerning the matter So the Servant believed in Abraham's words and made ready for his journey and took with him Camels and Goods of his Masters and set forward on his journey to Mesopotamia and at a well before he came to the City he met with Rebekah Bethuâ—l's daughter whose Mother's name was Milcah the Wife of Nahor Abraham's Brother and shelentreated him kindly and carried him home to her Fathers house and her Father and Mother and brother Laban received him kindly into their house and said unto him thou blessed of the Lord come in and they set meat before him and the servant declared unto him whose servant he was and how his Master had sent him and declared what his message was unto them as the whole passage you may read in Gen. 24. Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said the thing proceedeth from the Lord we cannot speak unto thee good or bad behold Rebekah is before thee take her and go and let her be thy Master's Son's Wife as the Lord hath spoken at which words the Servant worshipped the Lord and bowed himself to the earth and the servant brought forth Jewels of Silver and Gold and gave them to Rebekah and gave precious things to her Mother and Brother and when they had eat and drunk they set forwards towards his Master and as they were returning home Isaac met them by the way and she said unto the servant what man is this and he said it is my Master therefore she took a vail and covered her self and the servant told Isaac all that he had done and Isaac brought her into his Mother Sarah's Tent and took Rebekah and she became his Wife and he loved her and Isaac was comforted after his Motherâ— death These are the Generations of Isaac Abraham's Son Abraham begat Isaac and Isaac was 40 years old when he took Rebekah to Wife the Daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan-Aram the Sister to Laban the Syrian and Isaac entreated the Lord for his Wife because she was barren and the Lord was entreated of him and Rebekah his Wife conceived and the children struggled within her and she said why am I thus and she went to enquire of the Lord and the Lord said unto her two Nations are in thy Womb and two manner of People shall be separated from thy Bowels the one people shall be stronger than the other and the elder shall serve the younger And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled behold there were twins in her Womb and the first came out red all over like an hairy Garment and they called his name Esau and after that came his brother out and his hand took hold of Esau's heel and his name was called Jacob Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them Here was the two Nations and the two seeds comprehended and brought forth of one Womb the Lord foreknowing and foreseeing this thing as he spoke unto Rebekah as the Apostle testifies that when the Children were yet in the Womb unborn having done neither good nor evil that the purpose of God according to the election might stand not of works but of him that calleth it was said unto her the elder shall serve the younger as it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated Rom. 9.11 12 13. of this Esau's stock came the Edomites of which we shall say more hereafter But the word of the Lord by his Prophet Malachi I have loved you saith the Lord yet ye say wherein hast thou loved us was not Esau saith the Lord Jacob's Brother yet I loved Iacob and I hated Esau and laid his mountains and his herritage waste for the Dragons of the Wilderness Mal. 1.2 3. And again Hos 12. Ephraim feedeth on wind he daily increaseth in lies and they do make a Covenant with the Assyrians and carrieth Oyl into Egypt and not only the stock of Esau but also Jacob and Iudah had grieved the Lord at this time this Prophesie was after Iudah and Israel had sinned against the Lord and commited abominations as you may read in the 2 Kings 25. and Hos 12.2 The Lord hath also a controversie with Iudah and will punish Iacob according to his waies according to his doings will be recompense him he took his brother by the heel in the Womb and by his strength he had power with God he had power over the Angel he wept and
Jacob the second birth power over his Brother Esau to supplant him and to receive the blessing See what the Apostle saith Heb. 12.16 lest there be any Fornicator or prophane person as Esau who for one morsel of bread sold his birthright for ye know how that afterward when he would have inherited the blessing he was rejected for he found no place of repentance though he sought it carefully with tears So it is not tears that come from the wrong nature and birth that will prevail with God for his promise is to the right seed and but to one seed c. And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his Father blessed him and Esau said in his heart the days of mourning for my Father are at hand and then will I slay my Brother Jacob here Esau manifested the same nature as was in Cain but thaâ— the Lord prevented him for the Lord searched out the hidden things of Esau and frustrated his intention for thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee and thou shalt be cut off for ever Obad. 10. Esau's words were told to Rebekah that he intended to slay his Brother and she called her Son Jacob and said thy Brother Esau comforts himself purposing to kill thee Now therefore my Son obey my voice and arise and flye to Laban my Brother and tarry with him a few days until thy brothers fury be turned a way and I will send and fetch thee why should I be deprived of you both in one day And Rebekah said unto Isaac I am weary of my life because of the Daughters of Heâ—h if Jacob take a Wife of such as these who are the daughters of this Land what good shall my life do me And Isaac called Iacob and blessed him and charged him and said unto him thou shalt not take a Wife of the Daughters of Canaan for all the inhabitants of the Land of Canaan were of Ham's stock which were of the cursed seed so this blessed seed of Abraham was not to mingle with them Therefore Isaac said arise and go to the house of Bethuel thy mothers Father and take thee a Wife from thence of the Daughters of Laban thy Mothers brother and God Almighty bless thee and multiply thee and make thee fruitful that thou mayst be a multitude of people and give the blessing of Abraham to thee and to thy seed with thee that thou mayst inherit the Land which God gave unto Abraham and Isaac sent Jacob away And when Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Iacob and sent him away to Padan-Aram and as he blessed him he charged him that he should not take a Wife of the Daughters of Canaan and Esau seeing that the Daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his Father then went Esau unto Ishmael and took a Wife But Iacob obeyed his Fathers command and travelled on his way and lay down in the night and slept and laid stones for his pillows and he dreamed and behold a Ladder was set on the earth and the top reached to Heaven and the Angels of God ascended and descended on it and the Lord stood above it and said I am the Lord God of Abraham thy Father and the God of Isaac the Land whereon thou lyest to thee will I give it and to thy seed and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth and thou shalt spread abroad to the West and to the East and to the North and to the South and in thee and in thy seed shall all the Families of the earth be blessed And behold I am with thee and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest and will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken And Iacob awaked out of his sleep and said surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not and he was afraid and said O how dreadful is this place this is the house of God and the Gate of Heaven and Iacob rose up early in the morning and took the stone that he had put for his pillow and set it up for a Pillar and poured Oyl on the top of it and called the name of that place Bethel and Iacob vowed a vow saying if God will be with me and keep me in this way that I go so that I come again to my Fathers house in peace then shall the Lord be my God Then Iacob went on his journey into the Land of the East and at the Well he met with men of the place whither he was going which were come to water their Flocks and he said unto them my brethren whence be ye and they said of Haran we are And he said unto them know ye Laban the Son of Nahor and they said we know him and he said is he well and they said he is well and behold Rachel his Daughter cometh with the sheep when Jacob saw Rachel the Daughter of Laban his Mothers Brother and Laban's Sheep he went near and rouled the Stone from the Wells mouth and watered the flock of Laban and Iacob kissed Rachel and lift up his voice and wept And Iacub told Rachel that he was Rebekah's Son and she ran and told her Father when Laban heard the tidings of Iacob his Sisters Son he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his House and he told Laban all these things and Laban said surely thou art my bone and my flesh and he abode with him the space of a month and Laban said unto Iacob because thou art my brother shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought tell me what thy Wages shall be and Laban had two Daughters the name of the elder was Leah and the name of the younger was Rachel Leah was tender-ey'd but Rachel was beautiful and well-favour'd and Iacob loved Rachel and said I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger Daughter and Laban said it is better that I give her unto thee than I should give her unto another man And Iacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed unto him but a few days for the love he had to Rachel and Iacob said unto Laban give me my Wife for my days are fulfilled that I may go in unto her And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a Feast and it came to pass in the evening that he took Leah his Daughter and brought her to him and he went in unto her and in the morning behold it was Leah And he said to Laban what is this that thou hast done unto me did not I serve thee for Rachel wherefore hast thou beguiled me and Laban said it must not be so done in our Country to give the younger before the first-born fulfill her week and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet other seven years and Iacob did so and fulfilled her week and he gave him Rachel his daughter to Wife also And Laban gave
and thou saidest I will surely do thee good and make thy seed as the sand of the Sea which cannot be numbred And Jacob took 200 She-goats and 20 He-goats 200 Ews and 20 Rams 30 milch-Camels with their Colts 40 Kine and 10 Bulls twenty She-Asses and ten Foals and he delivered them unto his Servants and behold when Esau my Brother meeteth thee and asketh thee saying whose are these before thee thou shalt say they be thy servant Iacobs it is a Present sent unto my Lord Esau behold he is behind us and thus he commanded his Servants to say unto Esau when they met him And sent his two Wives and two Women servants and his eleven Sons over the Brook Jabbock and that night Iacob was left alone and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day and when he saw that he prevailed not against him he touched the hollow of Iacobs thigh and it was our of joint as he wrestled with him and he said let me go for the day breaketh and he said I will not let thee go unless thou bless me and he said unto him what is thy name and he said Iacob and he said thy name shall no more be called Iacob but Israel for as a Prince thou hast power with God and with men hast thou prevailed and Iacob called the name of that place Peniel for I have seen God face to face and my life is preserved And Iacob lifted up his eyes and behold Esau came and with him 400 men and he divided the Children unto Leah and unto Rachel and unto the two Handmaids and he put the Handmaids and their Children foremost and Leah and her Children after and Rachel and Ioseph hindermost and he passed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times until he came neer unto his Brother and this he did to stop his Brothers fury who had been enraged against him when they parted for he knew he was a proud man and a great man in the earth and so to allay his spirit and get past him for he was to pass through his Country did he make this Obeysance to him and Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him and they wept and he lift up his eyes and saw the Women and the Children and he said whose are these with thee Iacob said these are the Children which God hath graciously given thy servant and the Women and the Children passed by him and they bowed themselves and he said what meanest thou by all this drove which I meet And Iacob said these are to find grace in the sight of my Lord and Esau said I have enough my brother keep that which thou hast to thy self and Iacob said nay I pray thee if I have found grace in thy sight receive my present at my hand because God hath dealt graciously with me and I have enough and he urged him and he took it And Esau would have gone on his journey with him but Iacob said my Lord knows that the Children are tender and the flocks are with young and we must lead them on softly as they are able to endure So Esau returned that day unto Seir and Iacob journied unto Succoth and came to Salem a City which is in the Land of Canaan And God said unto Iacob arise go up to Bethel and dwell there and make an Altar unto God that appeared unto thee when thou fledst from Esau thy Brother And Iacob said to all those that were with him Let us arise and go up to Bethel and let us make there an Altar unto God who answered me in the day of my distress and was with me in the way which I went So Iacob came to Luz which is in the Land of Canaan that is Bethel and built there an Altar and called upon the Lord and God appear'd unto Iacob again and blessed him and God said unto him thy name shall not any more be called Iacob but Israel shall be thy name and he called his name Israel And God said unto him I am God Almighty be fruitful and multiply a Nation and a company of Nations shall be of thee and Kings shall come out of thy loins and the Land which I gave Abraham and Isaac to thee will I give it and thy seed after thee and God went up from him And they journied from Bethel and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath and Rachel travelled and had hard labour and when she was in hard labour the Midwife said unto her fear not thou shalt have this Son also and it came to pass as her soul was departing that she called his name Benonl but his Father called his name Benjamin and Iacob set a Pillar upon her Grave and so Iacob came unto Isaac his Father unto Mamre unto the City of Arhab which is Hebron where Abraham and Isaac so journed and the days of Isaac were one hundred and fourscore years and Isaac gave up the Ghost and died and was gathered unto his people being old and full of days and his Sons Esate and Iacob buried him Gen. 35. In the next Chapter you may read the Generations of Esau who is Edom how he took Wives of the Daughters of Canaan but this is not the seed that I am to treat of this 36. Chapter of Genesis will shew the Off-spring of Esau And Iacob dwelt in the Land wherein his Father was a Stranger in the Land of Canâ—an Gen. 37. The History concerning Ioseph how his Father loved him and how his brethren envied him and how they intended to have killed him and took him and cast him into a Pit and how they sold him to the Ishmaelites and he was brought down to Egypt and Potiphar an Officer of Pharaoh an Egyptian bought him at the hand of the Ishmaelites which had carried him down thither and how the Lord was with Ioseph and preserved him from Potiphar's Wife how she betrayed him and accused him falsly but the Lord was with him and shewed him mercy and gave him favour in the sight of the Gaoler and how he came to be the Governour of Pharaoh's House and how he governed Egypt in the time of plenty that when the Dearth came there was Corn enough and how his Brethren came down into Egypt to buy Corn when the Famine was sore in the Land of Canaan and how he discovered himself to his Brethren and sent for his Father and Brethren and all their Families all this you may read of from the 37. Chapter to the 46. And Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba and offered Sacrifice to the God of his Fathers and God spake unto him in the visions of the night and said Iacob and he said here am I. And God said I am the God of thy Fathers fear not to go into Egypt I will make of thee a great Nation I will go down with thee into Egypt and will
surely bring thee up again and Ioseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes So Iacob rose up and went into Egypt with his Sons and their Wives and their little ones were carried in the Waggons that Pharaoh sent for them and Pharaoh received them kindly and entreated them courteously as you may read in the 46. and 47. Chapter of Genesis and Israel dwelt in the Land of Egypt in the Country of Goshen and they had Possessions there and multiplyed exceedingly and Iacob lived in the Land of Egypt 17 years so the whole age of Iacob was 147 years and the time drew nigh that Israel must die and he called his Son Ioseph and said unto him if I have found grace in thy sight put I pray thee thine hand under my thigh and deal kindly and truly with me bury me not I pray thee in Egypt but I will lie with my Fathers and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place And he said I will do as thou hast said and he said swear unto me and he sware unto him and Israel bowed himself upon his beds head And it came to pass after these things one told Ioseph thy Father is sick and he took with him his two Sons Manasseh and Ephraim and Iacob told Ioseph how God appeared to him at Luz in the Land of Canaan and blessed him and he said God said unto me I will make thee fruitful and multiply thee and make of thee a multitude of people and will give this Land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession and now thy two Sons Ephraim and Manasseh which were born in Egypt before I came they are mine as much as Reuben and Simeon And the Issue which thou hast after them shall be thine And Israel beheld Ioseph's Sons and said whose are these and Ioseph said unto his Father they are my Sons whom God hath given me in this place and he said bring them unto me and I will bless them Now the eyes of Israel were dim that he could not see and he brought them neer unto him and he kissed them and embraced them and Israel said unto Ioseph I had not thought to have seen thy face and loe God hath shewed me thy seed And Ioseph took them both Ephraim in his right hand towards Israels left and Manasseh in his left hand towards Israels right hand and brought them neer unto him And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it upon Ephraims head who was the younger and his left hand upon Manassehs head guiding his hands wittingly for Manasseh was the first-born And he blessed Ioseph and said God before whom my Fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk the God which fed me all my life long unto this day the Angel which redeemed me from all evil bless the Lads and let my name be named on them and the name of my Fathers Abraham and Isaac and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth And when Ioseph saw that his Father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim it displeased him and he held up his Fathers hand to remove it from Ephraims head to Manassehs head and said not so my Father for this is the first born and his Father refused and said I know it my Son I know it he shall be great but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he and he blessed them that day saying in thee shall Israel bless saying God make thee as Ephraim and Manasseh And Israel said unto Ioseph behold I die but God shall be with you and bring you again into the Land of your Fathers And Iacob called unto him his Sons and said gather your selves together that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days and hear ye Sons of Iacob and hearken unto Israel your Father here Iacob prophesied unto all his twelve Sons what they should be and gave every one their sentence and portion but more especially and largely he prophesieth of Iudah of whom our Lord sprang and this it the seed that we are to treat of Iudah thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise thine hand shall be in the neck of thine Enemies thy Fathers Children shall how down to thee Iudah is a Lions Whelp from the Prey my Son thou art gone up he stooped down he couched as a Lion and as an old Lion who shall rouse him up The Scepter shall not depart from Iudah nor the Law-Giver from between his feet until Shiloh come unto him shall the gathering of the people be binding his foal unto the Vine and his Asses Colt unto the choice Vine he washed his Garments in Wine and his Cloaths in the bloud of Grapes His Eyes shall be red with Wine and his teeth white with Milk Here is a holy and a glorious Prophesie of Iudah of which we shall shew more hereafter as also of all the rest of his Sons he prophesied unto them and told them what should come to pass to all the 12 Tribes of Israel as you may read Gen. 49. So after that he had charged them that they should bury him and carry him up into Canaan and bury him in that field which Abraham had bought where Abraham and Sarah was buryed and Isaac and Rebekah and Leah his Wife When Iacob had made an end of commanding his Sons he gathered up his feet into the bed and yielded up the Ghost and was gathered unto his people And Ioseph and his Brethren carried him up to Canaan to bury and the Elders of Pharaohs House went along with them and when they had buryed him and mourned for him Ioseph and his Brethren returned into Egypt So Ioseph and his Brethren continued in Egypt and Ioseph was tender and loving to his Brethren And when Joseph was 110 years old he dyed and Joseph took an Oath of the Children of Israel saying God will visit you and ye shall carry my bones from hence Gen. 50. Exodus SO Jacob and his Sons their Wives and their Children that went down into Egypt with him were seventy in number and Joseph died and all his Brethren and all that Generation Exod. 1.6 But their Children encreased abundantly and multiplied and waxed exceeding mighty and the Land was filled with them and Pharaoh that was kind and loving to Joseph and his brethren died and there arose a new King in Egypt which knew not Joseph and he stormed at the encrease of the Children of Israel and said they might deal wisely with them and so he began to afflict them and set Task-Masters over them and the Egyptians made them serve with rigour so that they made their lives bitter with hard bondage in Mortar and in Brick and in all manner of service and Pharaoh charged their Midwives to kill all their Male-children And Pharaoh charged all his people saying every Son that is born ye shall cast into the River but the Midwives feared God and did not as Pharaoh had
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
Eli the Priest And the word of the Lord was precious in those days for there was no open vision in those days and when the Lord called unto Samuel he answered and went unto Eli and Eli sent him back again and the Lord called again and Samuel went to Eli again and said here am I for thou didst call and Eli said I called not my Son lie down again Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him And the Lord called Samuel again and he went to Eli the third time and Eli perceived the Lord had called the child Eli said unto Samuel go lie down and if the Lord call thee thou shalt say speak Lord for thy servant heareth so Samuel went and lay down in his place and the Lord came and stood and called as at other times Samuel Samuel then Samuel answered speak for thy servant heareth and the Lord said to Samuel behold I will do a thing in Israel at which both the ears of every one that heareth shall tingle and this word was against Eli and his house as you may read in the 3. Chapter Eli called Samuel and 〈◊〉 what is the thing that the Lord hath said unto thee I pray thâ—â— hide it not from me and Samuel told him every whit and aâ—â— Israel even from Dan unto Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a Prophet of the Lord. And when Samuel grew old he made his Sons Judges over Israel and before that he judged and ruled over Israel for the Lord was with him but the Elders of Israel were not pleased with Samuels Sons to judge over them and so they desired a King as you may read in the 8. Chapter but the thing displeased Samuel when they asked a King and Samuel prayed unto the Lord and the Lord said unto Samuel hearken unto the voice of the people in what they say for they have not rejected thee but they have rejected me that I should not reign over them and according as they have dealt with me so shall they have a King and Samuel told the mind of the Lord unto the People as you may read in Chap. 8. to ver 18. Nevertheless the people refused to hear the voice of Samuel and they said nay but there shall be a King over us that we may be like all the Nations and that our King may judge us and go before us and sight our battels and Samuel rehearsed the words of the people in the ears of the Lord and the Lord said unto Samuel hearken unto their voice and make them a King Now there was a man of Benjamins Tribe whose name was Kish and he had a Son whose name was Saul a choise young man and goodly higher from the shoulders upward than any of the People as you may read in the 9. Chapter Then Samuel took a Vyal of Oyl and poured it upon his head and kissed him Chap. 10. and Samuel said unto all the people behold I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me and have made a King over you and behold now the King walketh before you and I am old and grey-headed and my Sons are with you and I have walked before you from my childhood to this day Now therefore behold the King whom ye have chosen and whom ye have desired whom the Lord hath set over you if ye will fear the Lord and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the Commandments of the Lord then shall both ye and your King all follow the Lord your God but if ye will not obey the voice of the Lord but rebel against the Commandment of the Lord then shall the hand of the Lord be against you as it was against your Fathers So this Saul ruled over Israel and judged Israel from Chap. 12. to 15. in which the Lord sent Samuel unto him that he might hearken to the voice of the words of the Lord Chap. 15. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts I remember that which Amaleck did to Israel Exod. 17.8 9 10 11. how he laid wait for him in the way when he came up from Egypt Now go and smite Amaleck and utterly destroy that they have and spare them not but slay both man and woman infant and suckling Camel and Ass but Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the Sheep and the Oxen and the Fatlings of the Lambs and all that was good they spared Then came the word of the Lord to Samuel saying it repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be King for he is turned back from following me and hath not performed my Commandments and it grieved Samuel and he cryed to the Lord all night and Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul and Saul said unto him blessed be thou of the Lord I have performed the Commandment of the Lord and Samuel said what meaneth this bleating of the Sheep and lowing of the Oxen in mine ears and Saul said the people have saved the best of the Sheep and of the Oxen to sacrifice to the Lord thy God and the rest we have utterly destroyed And Samuel said hath the Lord greater delight in burnt Offerings and Sacrifices than in obeying the voice of the Lord to obey is better than Sacrifice and to hacken than the fat of Rams for Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubborness is as Iniquity and Idolatry because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord he hath also rejected thee from being King and Saul said unto Samuel I have sinned 1 Sam. 15.23.24 And the Lord said unto Samuel how long wilt thou mourn for Saul seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel fill thine Horn with Oyl and I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite for I have provided me a King amongst his Sons and Samuel said how can I go if Saul hear he will kill me and the Lord said take an heifer with thee and say I am come to Sacrifice to the Lord and call Jesse to the Sacrifice and I will shew thee what thou shalt do and thou shalt annoint him whom I name unto thee c. And Samuel did that which the Lord spake and came unto Bethlehem and the Elders of the Town trembled at his coming and said comest thou peaceably and he said peaceably I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord sanctifie your selves and come to the sacrifice with me and he sanctified Jesse and his Sons and called them to the Sacrifice and Samuel looked on Jesses Sons and Jesse made seven of his Sons to pass before Samuel and Samuel said unto Jesse the Lord hath not chosen these and he said are here all thy children and he said there remaineth yet the youngest and behold he keepeth the Sheep and Samuel said unto Jesse send and fetch him for we will not sit down till he come hither and he sent and brought him in David Now he was ruddy
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
the worst and fled every man before Israel and the King of Israel took all the Gold and Silver and all the Vessels that were found in the House of the Lord and Jehoash King of Israel slept with his Fathers and Iereboam his Son reigned in his stead And Amaziah King of Judah lived after his death fifteen years and they made a conspiration against him in Jerusalem and he fled to Lachish but they sent after him and slew him there and all the people of Judah took Azaziah and made him King instead of Amaziah his Father In the twenty seventh year of the reign of Jeroboam King of Israel began Azaziah alias Vzziah Son of Amaziah King of Judah to reign sixteen years old was he when he began to reign and he reigned fifty and two years in Jerusalem and did that which was right in the sight of the Lord Chap. 15. but the high places were not removed but the people sacrificed and burnt Incense still thereon and the Lord smote Amaziah King of Judah that he was a Leper to the day of his death In the thirty eighth year of Azaziah King of Judah did Zachariah Son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the Son of Nebat that made Israel to sin and Shallum the Son of Jabesh conspired against him and smote him and slew him and reigned in his stead This was the word of the Lord that he spoke unto Jehu saying thy Sons shall sit on the Throne of Israel to the fourth Generation and so it came to pass And Shallum the Son of Jabesh began to reign in the 39. year of Vzziah King of Judah and he reigned but one month in Samaria and Menahem the Son of Gadi went up to Samaria and slew him and reigned in his stead and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord 2 Kings 15. And in the thirty ninth year of Azaziah King of Judah began Menahem the Son of Gadi to reign and he reigned ten years in Samaria he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord and slept with his Fathers and Pekahiah his Son reigned in his stead in Samaria two years and he did evil in the sight of the Lord like Jeroboam the Son of Nebat that made Israel to sin but Pekah the Son of Remaliah a Captain of his conspired against him and killed him and reigned in his stead And in the fiftieth year of Azaziah King of Judah Pekah the Son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria and reigned twenty years he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord and departed not from the sins of Jeroboam In his days came the King of Syria and took Jion and Abel-beth-maachah and Janoah and Kedish and Hazor and Gilead and Galilee and all the Land of Naphtali and carried them captive to Syria and Hoshea Son of Elah made a Conspiracy against Peâ—ah the Son of Remaliah and smote him and slew him and reigned in his stead in the days of these Kings the Prophet Isaiah and the Prophet Hosea prophesied as you may read in Isa 1.6.7 Chap. and Hos 1. In the second year of Pekah the Son of Remaliah King of Israel began Jotham the Son of Vzziah King of Judah to reign 2 Chron. 27.1 and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord but the high places were not taken aways in those days did the Lord begin to send against Iudah Rezin King of Assyria 2 Kings 15.39 and Pekah the Son of Remaliah and Iotham slept with his Fathers and Ahaz his Son reigned in his stead In the seventeenth year of Pekah Son of Remaliah Ahaz the Son of Iotham King of Iudah began to reign twenty years old was he when he began to reign and he reigned sixteen years and he did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord The Prophets that prophesied in these Kings days were Isaiah Hosea and Micah and how they came to war against Ahaz and Ahaz took the Silver and Gold that was found in the House of the Lord and sent it to the King of Asyria and the King of Assyria carryed the people away Captive and slew Resin and King Ahaz went to meet the King of Assyria at Damascus and made Vrijah the Priest make an Altar and offer thereon after the manner of the Assyrians as you may read in 2 Kings 16. and he turned the Kings entry from the House of the Lord for the King of Assyria 2 Chr. 28. he made his Sons pass through the fire according to the abominations of the Heathen and Ahaz slept with his Fathers In the twelfth year of Ahaz King of Iudah began Hoshea the Son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel and he reigned nine years he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord against him came Shalmaneser King of Assyria and Hoshea became his servant and the King of Assyria found a Conspiracy amongst them as you may read 2 Kings 17. They walked in the Statutes of the Heathen whom the Lord cast out and they served their Idols and they wrought wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger yet the Lord testified against Israel and against Iudah by all the Prophets and by all the Seers saying turn ye from your evil ways and keep my Commandments and Statutes according to all the Laws I commanded your Fathers which I sent to you by my servants the Prophets notwithstanding they would not hear but hardened their necks ver 13.14 and this did Moses prophesie of them Deut. 30.17 In the ninth year of Hoshea the King of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away into Assyria for so it was that Israel had sinned against the Lord their God which brought them up from under the hand of Pharaoh and the Children of Israel did secretly that which was not right against the Lord their God they build them high places and set up Images they burnt Incense they made two Calves and made a Grove and worshipped all the Host of Heaven and served Baal and caused their Sons and their Daughters to pass through the sire and they used Divination and Inchantments and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight and there was none lest but the Tribe of Iudah only for the Children of Israel walked in all the sins of Ieroboam which he did until the Lord removed Israel out of his sight as he had said by his Prophets 10 Tribes carried into Captivity so Israel was carried out of their own Land unto Assyria unto this day Now in the third year of Hoshea King of Israel Hezekiah the Son of Ahaz King of Iudah began to reign and he did that which was right in the sight
of the Lord according to all that David his Father did he removed the high places and broke the Images and cut down the Groves and brake in pieces the Brazen Serpent for the Children of Israel burnt incense to it He trusted in the Lord God of Israel so that after him was none like him among all the Kings of Iudah nor any that were before him and the Lord was with him and he prospered whithersoever he went as you may read in the 18.19 and 20 Chapters of the second of the Kings for when the Prophet Isaiah brought him tidings of their carrying into Babylon all that was in his house all that his Fathers had laid up in store and the carrying of his Sons and his Issue That they should be carryed into Babylon and that his Sons should be Eunuchs in the Palace of the King of Babylon Chapter twenty Second of Chronicles 29.30.31.32 Chapters then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken and he said is it not good if peace and mercy be in my days ver 18 19. And Hezekiah slept with his Fathers and Manasseh his Son reigned in his stead Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign and he reigned fifty five years in Jerusalem and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord after the abominations of the Heathens 2 Chron. 33. for he built again the high places that Hezekiah his Father had cast down and reared Altars for Baal and worshipped the host of Heaven as you may read in Chap. 21. After this the Lord spake to Manasseh and to his people but they would not regard wherefore the Lord brought upon him the host of the King of Assyria which took Manasseh and bound him with Fetters and carryed him to Babylon and when he was in tribulation he prayed unto the Lord and the Lord was entreated of him and brought him again to his Kingdom in Jerusalem as you may read in the 2 Kings 21. and 2 Chron. 33. and Manasseh slept with his Fathers and Amon his Son reigned in his stead Amon was twenty and two years old when he began to reign and reigned two years in Jerusalem and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord as did Manasseh his Father he sacrificed to all the Images that Manasseh had made and he humbled not himself before the Lord as Manasseh his Father did and the servants of Hamon conspired against him and slew him in his own house 2 Chron. 33. And the people of the Land made Josiah his Son King in his stead And Josiah was 8 years old when he began to reign and he reigned thirty one years in Jerusalem and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord like unto David his Father as you may read in the 22 and 23. Chapters 2 Chron. 34.35 Chapters and like unto him there was no King before him that turned unto the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might according to all the Law of Moses notwithstanding the Lord turned not away from the fierceness of his wrath wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah because of all the provocations that Manâ—sseh had provoked him withall and the Lord said I will remove Judah our of my sight as I have removed Israel for the Lord had given the ten Tribes of Israel into the hands of the King of Assyria for the Children of Israel walked in the sins of Jereboam which he did they departed not from them until the Lord removed Israel out of his sight as he said by his servants the Prophets so was Israel carried away out of their own Land to Assyria so the Lord rejected all the seed of Israel and afflicted them and delivered them into the hands of spoilers to cast them out of his sight Chap. 18. So as the Lord out off Israel so also he cut off the City of Ierusalem which he had chosen and the House which he had said my Name shall be there Chap. 23.27 And of all these things did the Prophet Isaiah prophesie of in the days of Vzziah Iotham Ahaz and Hezekiah Kings of Iudah the Daughter of Sion is left as a Cottage saith the Prophet in a Vineyard as a Lodge in a Garden of Cucumbers as a besieged City and in the 5. of Isaiah you may read at large what the Lord speaks there by his Prophet except the Lord had lestus a very small remnant we had been as Sodom and we had been like unto Gomorrah as you may read in the first Chapter and so throughout the Book of Isaiah And Ieremiah the Prophet the word of the Lord came to him in the days of Iosiah Son of Amon King of Iudah he prophesied of the carrying away of Ierusalem Captive as you may read Ier. 1. I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness who have forsaken me and have burnt incense unto other Gods and worshipped the works of their own hands therefore gird up thy loins and arise against this whole Land and against the Kings of Iudah against the Princes thereof against the Priests thereof and against the people thereof for I have made thee as a defenced City and as an Iron Pillar they shall not prevail against thee for I am with thee saith the Lord to deliver thee The Lord said unto me in the days of Iosiah the King hast thou seen what this rebellious Israel hath done for she hath gone up upon every high Mountain and under every green Tree and there played the harlot and I said when she had done all this turn thou unto me but she returned not and her rebellious Sister Judah saw it and when I saw that by all occasions rebellious Israel had played the harlot I cast her away and gave her a Bill of divorcement yet her rebellious Sister Iudah was not afraid but went also and played the harlot so that the lightness of her Whoredoms hath defiled the Land as you may read at large in the third Chapter of the Prophesie of Ieremiah so on throughout the Book And this Iosiah put down the idolatrous Priests that burnt incense unto Baal according as the man of God did foretel 1 King 13. a Child shall be born unto the house of David Iosiah by name and upon thee shall he offer the Priests and mens bones shall be burnt upon thee viz. the Altar he put down also the horses that the Kings of Iudah had given to the Sun at the entring of the House of the Lord and the Altars that were on the top of the Chamber of Ahaz which the Kings of Iudah had made and he broke the Images in pieces and cut down the Groves Furthermore the Altar that was at Bethel and the high places made by Ieroboam the Son of Nebat and as Iosiah turned himself he spied the Graves that were in the Mount and sent and took the bones out
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
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
Covenant that the Lord made with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah as you may read in Isa 42. I the Lord have called thee in Righteousness and will hold thine hand and will keep thee and will give thee for a Covenant of the people for a light to the Gentiles ver 6. And in Isa 49. he said it is a light thing that thou shouldst be my servant to raise up the Tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayst be my salvation to the end of the earth ver 6. And in Jer. 31. Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the Land of Egypt which my Covenant they broke although I was an Husband unto them saith the Lord but this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those days saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people and also Chap. 24. And Ezckiel 36. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your silthiness and from all your Idoâ—â— I will cleanse you a new heart will I give you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and will give you a heart of flesh ver 25 26. also Chap. 11. 19. This is the Covenant which God is establishing and Christ Jesus is the seed which was promised unto Abrsham Christ Jesus is the Elected seed which God hath chosen which he prophesied of by his Prophet Esaiah Behold my Servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my soul delighteth I will put my Spirit upon him and he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles this is he that is the true and right seed and with this agrees the Apostle when he was speaking of Jacob and Esau for the children being yet unhorn neither having done good nor evil but that the purpose of God according to Election might stand and again the Apostle saith Israel hath not obtained that which he secketh for but the Election hath obtained it and the rest are blinded Rom. 11. Neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all Children but in Isâ—â—c shall thy seed be called that is they which are the children of the flesh are not the children of God but the children of the promise are counted for the seed and therefore the Apostle told them that blindness in part hath happened unto Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles come in and so all Israel shall be saved both of the Jews and also of the Gentiles but the Apostle tells you in another place that all are not Israel that are of Israel but there shall come out of Sion the Deliverer and shall turn away â—ugodliness from Iacob this is my Covenant with them when I take away their sins Rom. 11.26 27. And the Redeemer shall come to Sion 〈◊〉 unto them that turn from transgression in Iacob saith the 〈◊〉 as for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the 〈◊〉 of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord from henceâ— forth and for ever Isa 59.20 21. This is the seed which the Lord is gathering in this day both in Jews and Gentiles even to the ends of the Earth even such as turn away from iniquity and sin for Christ Jesus is manifest to take away sin and in him is no sin and the gathering is unto him for he is the head of his body which is his Church and the Apostle saith that the body is Christ and the seed is Christ so the head and the body is united together and of this body and Church all the holy Prophets of the Lord have prophesied of all along as you may read in the Scriptures David of whom the Lord said I have found David my Servant with my holy Oyl have I anointed him with whom my hand shall be established for ever he prophesied of the Mystery of Christ and his Church as you may read in Psal 45. and Solomon in his Song you read how largely he treated there of the Mystery of Christ and his Church and the Prophet Isaiah in the 54. Chap. saith Sing O barren thou that didst not bear break forth into singing c. for thy Maker is thy Husband the Lord of Hosts is his Name and the Redeemer the holy One of Israel the God of the whole Earth shall he be called as you may read in the 54. of Isaiah and Chap. 62.11 at large with many more places of Scripture Also Zachariah he prophesies of Christs coming to his Church Zach. 9.9 Rejoyce greatly O Daughter of Zion shout O Daughter of Ierusalem behold thy King cometh unto thee he is just having Salvation lowly riding upon an Ass and upon a Colt the Foal of an Ass and this was fulfilled Math. 21. as you may read there when Jesus came nigh unto Ierusalem for there was the place that this might be fulfilled in he sent his Disciples to a Village and told them they should find an Ass tyed and a Colt with her and he bad them loose them and bring them unto him and the Disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them as you may read in that Chapter Mark saith that he was tyed at the door without where two ways met Mark 11. And they brought the Colt to Jesus and cast their garments upon him and set Jesus upon him Luke saith that they were to find a Colt tyed that yet never man sat thereon and they brought him to Jesus and cast their garments upon him and set Jesus thereon Luke 19.36 And John saith and Jesus when he found a young Ass sat thereon as it is written Fear not Daughter of Sion behold thy King cometh sitting on an Asses Colt Iohn 12.14 15. And this perfectly fulfills old Iacoby Prophesie of his Son Iudah where he saith Indah is a Lions Whelp from the prey â—oy Son thou art gone up Iudah was thâ— Whelp of this â—ion which was before Abraham Ioh. 8. â—8 and this is hâ— which Iohn saw in the Rev. 6. open the Bock that was sealed this â—â—on stooped down and crouched down as an old Dion when he stooped to Iudah who shall rouze him up saith old Iacobâ— the Scepter shall not depart from Iudah nor the Lâ—â—â— giver from between his feet until Sâ—ilch come and unto him 〈◊〉 the gethering of the people be bâ—inding his Foall unto the Vine and his Astes Colt unâ—o the choice Vined
29. Isa 13.10 Ezek. 32.7 but Christ saith farther verily I say unto you this Generation shall not pass away till all these things be fulfilled which were fulfilled according to Christs words for before the Disciples were removed all these things came to pass and were fulfilled in that day and the Apostles saw and knew the sum and substance of all that was spoken fulfilled but the next words makes it clear Heaven and Earth shall pass away saith Christ but my word shall not pass away my word shall endure for ever and is fullilling through all Generations yea beyond the Heaven and the Earth one Generation comes and another Generation goes and the word fulfills through them all and though that Generation did not pass till these words were fulfilled yet they continue in the substance the same fulfilling for ever to the end of the world Christ saith I will be with you who is the word but of the day and houe knoweth no man no not the Angels but my Father only for the times and seasons are in the Fathers hand And according to this the Apostle saith 1 Jâ—h 2. the world passeth away and the lusts thereof but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever Little Children it is the last time and ye have heard that Antichrist should come and I even now there are many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time they went out from us c. ver 17.18 and Jude 17. Beloved remember ye the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ how they told you there should be mockers in the last time who walk after their own hearts lusts So these with several others that might be mentioned confirmeth the truth of the night of the Apostacy that was coming on and that the true Church of Christ that was among the Apostles should go into the Wilderness after their decease and departure which John saw would come to pass as you may read in Rev. 12. There was War in Heaven then the true Worship of God was lost and that eternal Spirit which was in the Apostles where the wicked one had no part but they had overcome the wicked one 1 Joh. 2. I have written unto you young men because you are strong and the word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one ver 14. That Spirit was lost which was among the Apostles they sat together in heavenly places in Christ Iesus as you may read Eph. 1.3 and Chap. 2.6 And Iesus exhorted his Disciples to lay up their treasure in Heaven for he said where the treasure is there the heart will be also Math. 6.20 21. But this worship of God and power was lost when the Woman sled into the Wilderness The Church of Christ gone into the Wilderness and then the Dragon got up and made War in Heaven and to this agrees that Prophesie of Christ where he saith the powers of the Heavens shall be shaken Mat. 24.29 but Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon and the Dragon fought and his Angels as you may read in the 10. of Daniel after Daniel had mourned three full weeks and had eaten no pleasant bread neither came Wine in his mouth until three full weeks were fulfilled after this Daniel saw the Visions and heard the voice that said fear not Daniel for from the first day that thou settest thine heart to understand and to chasten thy self before thy God thy words were heard and I am come for thy words but the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia withstood me many days but loe Michael one of the chief Princes came to help me now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the last days for yet the Vision is for many days and after this Daniel became dumb and fell upon the ground and retained no strength neither was breath left in him then the Angel came again and touched him as you may read and said knowest thou wherefore I am come unto thee and now I will return and sight with the Prince of Persia and when I am come forth loe the Prince of Grecia shall come which is the third Monarchy but I will shew thee that which is noted in the Scriptures of truth and there is none that holdeth with me in these things but Michael the Prince ver 21. So Michael stood for the Angel there in the days of Daniel against the power of the Dragon this Michael the Apostle calls the Archangel Jude 9. And so here in the Apostacy Michael and his Angels have fought against the Dragon and his Angels for they prevailed not while the woman hath been in the Wilderness for it is a place prepared of God for her that she should be fed there a thousand two hundred and threescore days but after this John saw the Dragon cast out that old Serpent called the Devil and Satan which had deceived the whole world there was no more place for him in Heaven but he was cast out into the earth and his Angels were cast out with him when the true and precious seed of the body which is Christ which is his Church appeared again in which the wicked one hath no part then there was no place sound in Heaven for the Dragon therefore saith Iohn Rejoyce ye Heavens and ye that dwell in them woe unto the Inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea for the Devil is come down unto you having great wrath because he knoweth his time is but short this is very truly witnessed and fulfilled at this day for where the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ is witnessed and where his seed is raised up in any where the Spirit of Satan hath no place in their Worship but they worship in the Spirit of the Lord and in his Truth then Satan rages in the Inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea whither he is cast for in their Heaven and in their Worship he is there making war but where he is cast out from Heaven there he persecutes the Woman that brings forth the man-child and is wroth with her and makes war with the remnant of her seed which keeps the Commandements of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ Rev. 12.17 And in the next Chapter when John stood upon the sand of the Sea which was but a brittle foundation for it was to be done away there he saw the beast arise out of the Sea with his seven heads and ten horns and his ten crowns and upon his heads the name of Blasphemy as you may read throughout that 13. Chapter to the end but afterwards John saw an Angel slying in the midst of Heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the Earth and he cryed with a loud voice unto every Nation and Tongue and People and Kindred saying Fear God and give glory to him and worship him that made Heaven and Earth
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
him and he is before all things and by him all things consist and he is the Head of the Body the Church who is the beginning the first begotten from the dead that in all things he might have the preheminency and so this is he and this is his Body and his Image which he is restoring and creating after God in Righteousness and true Holiness Eph. 2.10.4.24 Abraham by his saith saw him who is invisible Heb. 11. who was the Father of the sai hful and so all the faithful who continue and abide in the faith of Gods Elect will see the resurrection and restauration of this invisible body which is the Church of Christ the second man the Lord from Heaven this is he who builds the second house who is a greater then Solomon and whose house far exceeds the glory of Solomons Temple whom the Apostle exhorts his holy Brethren to consider the High Priest of our profession Christ Jesus who was faithful to him that appointed him as also Moses was faithful in all his house for this man was counted worthy of more glory then Moses in as much as he who hath builded the house hath more honour then the house for every house is builded by some man but he that buildeth all things is God for Moses was faithful in all his house as a servant but Christ as a Son over his own house whose house are we if we hold fast the considence of the hope firm unto the end Rom. 3. and also 1 Tim. 3.15 where the Apostle exhorts Timothy how to behave himself in the house of God which is the Church of the living God the ground and pillar of truth so having therefore boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus Christ by a new and living way and having an High-Priest over the House of God let us draw near with a true heart saith the Apostle Heb. 10. So in this new and living way Christ Jesus the light of his glorious Gospel every one that abideth and walketh in this light may enter by his blood into the holiest of all for he reigns over the house of Jacob according to the Angels words to Mary Luke 1.32 33. So the glory of this house of Jacob is the Lord bringing forth and manifesting and will manifest every day more and more and blessed and happy are all they that come into the brightness of the rising of this glory and as every one comes to the light of the Lord Jesus who is the image of the invisible God that shines in their hearts will come more and more to see the glory of this day and the glory and beauty of this body of Christ which is his Church and the glory and beauty of this image of the second man the Lord from Heaven who is the brightness of his Fathers glory and unto this King Eternal and Immortal Invisible and the only wise God be Honour and Glory for ever and ever Margaret Fell. FINIS A Chronology of the Judges and Kings of the JEWS 1. Moses 2. Joshua 3. Othniel 4. Ethud 5. Deborah and Barak 6. Gideon 7. Abimelech 8. Tolah 9. Jair 10. Jephthah 11. Ibzan 12. Elon 13. Abdon 14. Sampson 15. Eli. 16. Samuel At which time the people desired to have a King like to other Nations Kings of the Jews Saul David Solomon Kings of Judah 1. Rehoboam in whose time the ten Tribes were rent away 2. Abijam 3. Asa 4. Jehoshaphat 5. Jehoram 6. Ahaziah 7. Athaliah 8. Jehoash 9. Amaziah 10. Azaziah or Uzziah 11. Jotham 12. Ahaz 13. Hezekiah 14. Manasseh 15. Amon. 16. Josiah 17. Jehoahaz 18. Jehojakim 19. Jehojachin 20. Zedekiah in whose time Nebuchadnezzar destroy'd Jerusalem Kings of Israel 1. Jeroboam 2. Nadab 3. Baasha 4. Elah 5. Zimri 6. Omri 7. Ahab 8. Ahaziah 9. Joram 10. Jehu 11. Jehoahaz 12. Joash 13. Jeroboam Menahem Pekahiah Pekah Hoshea who was vanquished by Salmaneser and the Israelites carryed Captive into Assyria The Dukes and Governours of the Jews 1. Zerobabel 2. Resa Mosollam 3. Johannes Ben Resa 4. Judas Hircanas 5. Joseph 6. Abner Simei 7. Eli Matthia 8. Aser Mahat 9. Naged Artoxad 10. Haggai 11. Maslat Mahum 12. Amos Syrach 13. Mattathiah Siloack 14. Joseph 2. 15. Johannes Hircanus who was the last Governour of Iudea who descended from the Stock of David The Macchabaean Princes of Jewry 1. Judas Macchabaeus 2. Jonathan 3. Simon 4. Iohannes Hircanus The Macchabaean Kings of Iudah 1. Aristobulus 2. Alexander 3. Alexandra or Solome Wife to Alexander 4. Hircanus eldest Son to Alexander The Heathen Kings of Jewry 1. Herod the Ascolonite at which time the Kingdom departed from Iudah and Christ was born 2. Archelaus 2. Herod Antipas and 3. Lysinias Luke 3.1 3. Herod Antipas Tetrarch of Galilee who beheaded Iohn the Baptist and in whose time Christ suffered 4. Agrippa Herod who imprisoned Peter and Iames and being stricken by an Angel was eaten with Worms 5. Agrippa Minor before whom Paul pleaded and in whose time Ierusalem was overthrown by the Romans FINIS