with him by themselves because the Egyptians might not eate bread with the Hebrews and they sate in order according to their age and they sent messes unto them from before Joseph but Benjamins messe was five times as much as any of theirs and they dranke and were merry with him And Joseph commanded his servants to fill their sacks with food and to put in every sack their money and to put a cup of silver in the sack of the youngest with his corne money and betimes in the morning they were sent away they and their Asses And when they were gone a little way Joseph said unto his Steward Follow after the men and when thou dost overtake them say unto them Wherefore have ye rewarded evill for good and he overtooke them and he spake unto them as he was bidden and they said unto him Wherefore saith my Lord these words God forbid that thy servants should doe according to this thing Behold the money which we found in our sacks mouthes we brought againe unto thee out of the land of Canaan how then should we steale out of thy Lords house silver or gold with whomsoever of thy servants it be found both let him dye and we also will be my Lords bondmen Then they speedily tooke downe their sacks and opened every man his sack and he searched beginning at the eldest and left at the youngest and the Cup was found in Benjamins sack then they rent their clothes and laded every man his Asse and returned to the City And Judah and his brethren came to Josephs house and they fell before him to the ground then Joseph said unto them What deed is this that ye have done wot ye not that I can divine and Judah said What shall we say unto my Lord what shall we speake or how shall we cleare our selves God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants Behold we are my Lords servants both we and he also with whom the Cup is found and he said God forbid I should doe so but the man in whose hand the cup is found he shall be my servant and as for you get you up unto your father then Judah came neare unto him and said O my Lord let thy servant I pray thee speake a word in my Lords eares and let not thine anger burn against thy servant for thou art even as Pharaoh and Judah said our father was loath to part with Benjamin saying unto us Ye know that my wife bare me two sonnes the one is dead and surely he is torne in pieces for I saw him not since and if ye take this also from me and mischiefe befall him ye shall bring downe my gray haires with sorrow to my grave Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father and the young man our brother be not with us seeing that his life is bound up in the youths life that he will dye for thy servant became surety for the young man unto my father saying If I bring him not unto thee then I shall beare the blame to my father for ever Now therefore I pray thee let thy servant abide in stead of Benjamin a bondman to my Lord and let the young man goe up with his brethren for how shall I goe up to my father and this Benjamin be not with me lest peradventure I see the evill that shall come to my father Then Joseph could not refraine himselfe before all them that stood by him and he cryed Cause every man to goe out from me and there stood no man with him while he made himselfe knowne to his brethren and he wept aloud and he said unto his brethren I am Joseph doth my father yet live and his brethren could not answer him for they were troubled at his presence and Joseph said unto his brethren Come neare unto me I pray you and he said I am Joseph your Brother whom you sold into Egypt be not angry with your selves that ye sold me hither for God did send me before you to preserve life for there is and shall continue a great famine And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity upon earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance So it was not you that sent me hither but God he hath made me father to King Pharaoh and a Ruler in Egypt Haste you and goe up to my father and say unto him thus saith thy son Joseph Come downe to me and thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen thou and thy children and thy childrens children and thy flocks and thy herds and all that thou haste And you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt and of al that you have seene and ye shall haste and bring downe my father hither And he fell upon his brother Benjamins neck and wept and Benjamin wept upon him moreover he kissed all his brethren and wept upon them and after that his brethren talked with him and the fame thereof came to Pharaoh and it pleased him and his servants and Pharaoh said Joseph Bid your brethren load their beasts and goe into Canaan and bring your father and all his families and take wagons to bring them and all they have for they shall have the good of the land of Egypt and eat the fat thereof and Joseph gave them wagons according to the commandment of Pharaoh and provision for the way with changes of raiments But to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of raiment and to his father he sent twenty Asses laden with good things of Egypt and provision for his journey into Egypt and they went up out of the land of Egypt unto the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father and told him saying Joseph is yet alive and he is Governour over all the land of Egypt and Jacobs heart fainted for he beleeved them not and they told him all the words of Joseph which he had said unto them and when he saw the wagons which Joseph sent to carry him the spirit of Jacob their father revived and Israel said It is enough Joseph my sonne is yet alive I will goe and see him before I die And Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac and God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night and said Jacob Jacob I am God the God of thy father feare not to goe downe into Egypt for I will make thee a great Nation I will goe downe with thee into Egypt and I will also bring thee surely up again and Joseph shall put his hands upon thine eyes And Jacob departed from Beersheba with all his families with all their cattell and goods and came into Egypt Jacob and all his seed with him all the souls of the house of Jacob which came into Egypt were threescore and ten and he sent Judah before him to Joseph to direct his face to Goshen and they
that I have made them But Noah found grace in the eys of the Lord for he was a just man and perfect in his generations Noah had three sons Sem Ham and Japhet and the earth was corrupt before God and filled with violeÌ„ce And God said unto Noah The end of all flesh is come before me for the world is filled with iniquity violence Behold I wil destroy them with the Earth Make thee an Arke with roomes in it and pitch it within and without and fashion it as I direct thee a window and a doore shalt thou make in it make it with a lower a second and a third story For behold I wil bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh and every thing that is in the earth shall die But with thee will I establish my covenant thou shalt come into the Ark thou and thy sons and thy wife thy sons wives with thee And of every living thing of all flesh male female shalt thou bring into the Ark to keep them alive with thee and take in with thee food of all sorts for thee and for them And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him and when the Ark was finished the Lord said unto him Come thou and all thy house into the Arke for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation And bring into the Arke of every clean beast by sevens and of unclean by 2. male and female and of fowls by seven to keepe â—eede alive upon the face of the earth for after seven days I will cause it to raine upon the earth 40. days 40. nightsâ—and Noah did as the Lord commaÌ„ded him He was 600. years old when the flood was upon the earth and after he and his family were entered into the Arke and all other living creatures as 't was commanded the flood came upon the earth and the Ark was born above the waters and went upon the face of it and the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth and all the high hils that were under heaven were covered and all flesh dyed that moved upon the earth and the waters prevailed one hundred and fifty dayes upon the earth but after God made a winde to pass over the earth and the waters asswaged And after the hundred and fifty dayes the waters were abated and the Ark rested upon the mountaines of Ararat and after forty dayes Noah opened the window of the Ark and sent out a Raven which went forth too and fro untill the waters were dryed up from off the earth also he sent forth a Dove to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground but the Dove found no rest for the sole of her feet but returned to the Ark. But after seven days more he sent forth the Dove again the Dove came in to him in the evening and in her mouth was an Olive leafe so by that Noah knew the waters were abated upon the earth After that hee staid seven dayes more and sent the Dove out againe which returned no more unto him then Noah removed the covering of the Ark and looked behold the face of the earth was dry and God commanded Noah to come out of the Arke and all that was within it the which he did and after he built an Altar unto the Lord offered burnt offerings on the Altar which was pleasing to the Lord and the Lord blessed the earth again and promised never to destroy it by water any more and set the Rainbow as a signe thereof And the Lord blessed Noah and his sons and Noah began to be a Husbandman and he planted a Vineyard and he drank of the wine and was drunke and was uncovered within his tent And Ham the father of Canaan saw the nakednesse of his father and told his two brethren without then Sem and Japhet took a garment and laid it upon both their shoulders and went backwards and covered the nakedness of their father and would not look upon his nakednesâ— but when Noah did awake and knew what his younger son bad done he said Cursed be Canaan a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty yeares and all the dayes of Noah were nine hundred and fifty yeares and he dyed MEDITATIONS upon Noah O Lord make me sensible of the grievousnesse of sin aâ—d of the punishments that follow such transgressions let this example of the old world in the time of Noah teach me to looke into my selfe that I may see mine owne iniquities and the corruptions of my heart and give me O Lord true repentance and contrition that I be not drowned in the deluge of my sinfulness but receive me with thy servant Noah into the Ark of thy saving mercy and good Lord let me not be like those secure sinfull persons that built the Ark ' and they themselves perished to give instructions to others and my selfe to fall into impiety to be left out of thy holy Ark of thy saving grace or out of the blessings of thy holy Church and so come at last to perish in my sinnes O Lord whiles I am in this ark of materiall safety and refuge keep me thy servant safe from the danger of shipwrack and leaking in the faith and unity of the â—hurch not to distrust thy providence in this Ark though I live and subsist among the bruit beasts wild creatures of this world who be as the Psalmist speaketh like the horse mule that have no understaÌ„ding Send the Dove of thy holy spirit with the olive branch of thy strength and comfort unto me that may bring joyfull tidings unto my soul of that happinesse which I may expect when I shall be enlarged out of this flesh Bring thy Arke thy Church O Lord out of the troublesome waters of affliction persecution that now so grievously tosse and disturb that poor modell that it may rest upon the safe mountaines of Ararat in the full power of thy mercifull redemption In thy due time take from over my understanding the covering of the ark that I may discerne the pleasure of that heavenly habitation which thou hast prepared for my soule and that I may with a particular evidence of faith and piety passe out of this Ark thy Church militant to thy Church triumphant in heaven and let mee build here an altar of thanksgiving with the incense of zeale burning in my heart to praise thee for all thy mercies and goodness towards me And good Lord whiles I live here the small remainder of my dayes let me not he overcome with intemperate desires or sin in the wrong use of these thy creatures that thou hast ordained for my miserable life but to use them soberly without drunkennesse or any excesse that thereby I may be the better enabled by the comforts of them to serve thee in the moderate use thereof and all other thy
Creation of Heaven and Earth and the life of ADAM IN the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth the Earth being a meere Chaos without forme and darkenesse was upon the deepe and the Spirit of God moved upon the waters And God commanded there should bee light and separated the light from darknesse which was day and night Then God commanded a Firmament which was made and called it Heaven After by his power hee made â—he herbs and trees to bud and beare fruit Then hee commanded to be made the two great Lights in the Firmament the Sunne and the Moone and it was so and there was Morning and Evening After God caused the waters to bring forth abundance of Creatures of all kinds with feathered Fowles Moreover he made the Earth to bring forth Creatures of his kind After these great workes God created Man even according to his owne Image to rule over the Earth and all these Creatures This wonderfull worke by Gods power was done in sixe dayes and God rested the seventh day and sanctified it The Lord made this Man of the dust of the ground and breathed in him life and then was he a living soule Then the Lord planting a Garden in Eden put therein the man whom he had thus created that place being planted with all sorts of trees of pleasure and for meat the tree of Life and the tree of Knowledge of good and evill being in the midst of that Garden And out of Eden went a river to water the Garden Then was the man put into the Garden by God to dresse and keep it giving him leave to eate of every tree only forbad him to eat of the Tree of Knowledge the which if he did he should die the death Then the Lord for his comfort formed of the Earth the Beasts of the field and the Fowles of Heaven and brought them to the man who named them But besides for Adam he created one of greater comfort and helpe for the Lord causing a heavy sleepe to fall upon him took out of his side one of his Ribs of which hee made Woman and brought her to Adam who called her Woman And they were both naked but were not ashamed Now in this Garden was a Serpent who was more crafty then any beast of the field who said to the Woman hath god said that yee shall not eate of every tree of the Garden Yes said the Woman of every tree but that in the middest of the Garden God hath commanded we should not touch it lest we dye Then the Serpent said to the Woman ye shall not die at all but God doth know that when you shall eat thereof your eyes shall be opened and yee shall be as Gods to know both good and evill So the Woman seeing the tree was good to eate pleasant to the eye and a tree to get knowledg took of the fruit thereof and gave likewise to her Husband then both their eyes were opened and finding themselves naked they sewed fig-leaves together and made themselves breeches After this in the coole of the day hearing of the voyce of God they hidde themselves amongst the trees from his presence but the Lord called the man who answered I heard thy voyce in the Garden and was affraid being naked Then the Lord said unto him hast thou eaten of the tree I forbad thee And the man said the woman thou gavest me she gave it me and I did eate thereof Then said the Lord to the woman why hast thou done this who answered the Serpent did beguile me and I did eate And then the Lord said unto the Serpent because thou hast done this thou art accursed above all Cattell upon thy belly shalt thou goe and dust shalt thou eate all thy dayes I will also put enmity betweene thy seede and her seede shee shall break thine head and thou shalt bruise his heel And to the woman he said he would encrease her sorrows and that in sorrow should she bring â—orth her children and be subject to her Husband And to Adam for his disobedience he cursed the earth for his sake that thorns and thistles should it bring forth and that in sorrow hee should eate his meat all the dayes of his life and in the sweate of his face hee should eate his bread till he returned to the earth from wheÌ„ce hee was taken and as hee came from dust thither he should returne and Adam called his Wife Hevah The Lord made them coates of skins and cloathed them then the Lord sent him forth from the Garden of Eden least hee should eaâ—e likewise of the tree fo Life sending him to till the earth from wheÌ„ce he was taken And being so cast out at the East side of the Garden of Eden hee set the Cherubims with the blade of a sword to keepe them from the tree of Life After this Adam knew Hevah his Wife who conceived bare Cain who became a tiller of the ground and againe shee brought forth Abel who was after a keeper of sheep After this when hee was one hundred and thirty years old he begat another child calling him Seth and hee lived after that eight hundred yeares and begat sonnes and daughters So al the dayes of Adam were nine hundred and thirty yeares and then he dyed Meditations prayers upon the Creation and life of Adam O Thou incomprehensible God who wast from all beginning even before the Creation of this Heaven and this Earth and who for all Eternity wilt continue after the dissolution of this thy great workmanship the world which thou hast created O Lord I that am thy Creature and composed of this Earth by reason of sinne and ingratitude doe finde my selfe most deformed and ful of darknesse even as that Chaos the world it was before thou O Lord diddest looke upon it and give it light Now my God being in this depraved condition and sitting in this darknesse In thy mercy looke thou upon me enlighten my soule and create a new heart in me and let thy blessed Spirit move upon the waters and troublesome waves of my vast unbridled concupiscence vaine affections whose floods are uncessant in this deepe and darkesome Sea which is so full of danger to my distressed soule O thou fructifier of the Earth which by thy wonderful and unsearchable power and comfort to mankinde created the trees and herbs and by making them to bud and bring forth both blossomb and fruit in their due time Looke mercifully O Lord upon this lump of earth I am composed of and so refresh mee with the dew of thy grace as that timely me from this thy Plant growing from this earth there may spring out the tender buds of contrition the blossome of Charity and the fruit of good workes and piety And let the holy Sun-beames of thy goodnesse which thou hast set in the Firmament of thy mercy preserve me from the bitter cold and frosts of Afflictions the mildewes and
had no regard for which he was wroth and his countenance fell downe Then the Lord said unto him why art thou wrath and why is thy countenance cast down If thou dost well shalt not thou be accepted and if thou dost not well sinne lyeth at the door After this Cain spake to his brother and meeting him in the field did murther him Then the Lord said unto Cain where is Abel thy brother who answered I cannot tell am I my brothers keeper Again the Lord said what hast thou done the voyce of thy brothers blood cryeth unto me from the earth Therefore thou art now cursed from the Earth which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brothers blood from thine hand When thou shalt till the ground it shall not henceforth yeeld unto thee her strength a Vagabond and a Run-agate shalt thou be in the earth Then Cain said to the Lord my punishment is greater then I can beare behold thou hast cast me out this day from the Earth and from thy face shall I be hid and shall be a vagabond and whosoever findeth mee shall slay mee Then the Lord said unto him whosoever killeth thee he shall be punished seven fold and the Lord set a mark upon Cain lest any man finding of him should kill him Then hee went out of the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the Land of Nod toward the East fide of Eden and he knew his Wife who conceived and bare a sonne called Enoch and he built a City calling it by his name Enoch Meditations Prayers upon the Historie of Cain and Abel OThe miseries mischiefs that befall us when we have lost thy favour and the happinesse of thy guard and protection O LORD For so it fell out with Adam his generation after their falling from thee and losse of that happinesse safety the which in their innocency they enjoyed in Eden and lost by their disobedience unto thee How are our natures thus depraved when we have lost thy heavenly guidance being made weake and miserable by our own perverse wills as appeares but this so sudden and most unnaturall murther of Cain the first childe of Adam thus to kill Abel his most innocent brother O Lord be mercifull unto mee a sinner one of the sonnes of Adam and who stands in the same corrupted condition and under the lash of thy judgements for my manifold sins strengthen me with thy grace Let the teares my Saviour in obedience unto thee and shed for me in the garden of sorrow strengthen my soule and repaire the losse of thy favour O God which my first Parents lost by their disobedience in that Garden of pleasure in Paradise Let the vigour of thy blessed grace prevent all vice in me and so endew me with thy goodnesse as in stead of murthering I may doe all the workes of mercy to my brother Grant that the sacrifice of my prayers in humility may be presented unto thee with zeale and perfectnâ—â— of heart for as thou art of much mercy so thou art a jelous God therefore with Abel let me bring unto thee even the fatnesse of uprightness and innocency in the sincerity of my soule then with the piety and humility of Abel shall I be acceptable unto thee O Lord keep me harmlesse that I may die in the happiness of Abel and deliver me from the cruelty hardness of heart which was in Cain and from the marke of thy wrath for sin and iniquity O Lord deliver me from such despair as was in Cain for murthering this his innocent brother wherby he became a vagabond or to lose all hopes of thy mercy with Judas forbetraying his Master and my Saviour But make me sensible of thy bounty and my penury thy mercie and my miserie thy strength and my weakenesse And Lord let thy insinite goodnesse and power helpe and strenthen me in all the inevitable dangers so subject unto me by the fall of these my first Parents whose infirmities I carry thus about me But in Jesus Christ thy Son my Saviour looke in mercie upon mee whose innocence did exceede that of Abel's the sonne of Adam and whose sacrifice was of such incomparable value for hee sacrificed even himselfe for me a sinner It was not the fat of Lambs upon the Altar but this immaculate Lamb the Son of God he shed his most precious blood upon the Altar of the Crosse for my Redemption The sprinkling of whose blood speakes better things then that of Abel's for his cryed for vengeance to thy seate of Justice O God but tbis most precious blood did call for and procured mercie from thy seat of mercie And therefore with much comfort in my suite and most humble confidence of thy mercy I beseech thee with this most precious blood so shed for me to wash from me the foule blemishes and heal the putrifactions of my soule fallen upon me by that offence of my first Parents in Paradise which sore I have made worse by my owne loose and sinfull scratching But O my God let his sufferings patience and obedience satisfie for the vanity rashnesse and disobedience that reignes in mee Let the sufferings of him in whom there was no guile stand for me which am so full of guilt Let the blessing of that fruit of my redemption more sweet then Manna which came from that tree the Crosse in this vaile of misery to which we are allotted O Lord it being of such inestimable value let it take off the bitternesse of that curse which is so justly due unto me for that pleasant and banefull deceiving fruit of that tree in Paradise whereby we are made thus miserable and subject to such cruelties as was in Cain and all other infirmities and by thy grace so qualifie me with the gifts of innocencie and harmlesse living that by avoiding all the acts of cruelty and shunning that dangerous rocke of despair at last I may arrive to that happy habitation of Eternity prepared for the innocent and such as trust in thee and thy incomprehensible mercie it being that place of happinesse those Innocents enjoy who were the first most happy harmlesse Martyrs in their Infancy for thy sake O my Saviour THE HISTORY of Noah NOah was the sonne of Lamech who did prophesie concerning him of the comfort that should proceede from him because of the earth the Lord had cursed Lamech lived after hee begat Noah five hundred ninety and five yeares and begat sons and daughters And it came to pass when men began to multiply upon the face of the earth and great impiety did abound that Gods wrath was kindled against theÌ„ for their iniquities for God saw the wickedness of man was great on the earth that every thought and imagination of his heart was evill continually and the Lord said I will destroy man from the face of the earth both man and beast and the creeping things the fowls of the aire for it repenteth mee
care for a Wife for his sonne Isaac hee then calling for his Steward making him put his hand under his thigh and causing him to sweare by the Lord God of Heaven and Earth that his sonne should not take a Canaanitish woman to Wife but to goe into his owne Countrey and Kindred and there to take a Wife for him Then said his servant what if the Woman will not come with me into this Land shall I bring back thy sonne To whom Abraham answered beware that thou bring not back my sonne thither againe The Lord God of Heaven who tooke me from my fathers house even from the Land where I was born that spake and sware unto me saying unto thy seed will I give this Land he shal send his Angell before thee and thou shalt take a Wife unto my sonne from thence Neverthelesse if the Woman will not follow thee then shalt thou be discharged of thy oath only bring not my son thither againe and the servant swore unto Abraham so he tooke tenne of his Masters Camels who went his journey obtained Rebecka to be his wife as in the story of Isaac is more at large exprest Now after the death of Sarah Abraham took another Wife called Keturah which bare him divers children and Ahraham gave all his goods unto Isaac but unto the sonnes of his Concubines he gave them gifts and sent them away from Isaac his son this he did in his life-time And Abraham being one hundred seventy and five years old hee yeelded up his Spirit dying in a good age and was gathered to his people and his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the Cave with Sarah in the field Ephron PRAYERS upon the History of ABRAHAM GIve mee obedience O Lord to follow the steps of my Governors and to bee guided by my Parents as Abraham was by Terah his Father who brought him to Haran So likewise let mee be obedient to thy blessed Inspirations which may bring me to the heavenly Canaan And as Abraham carried with him in his journey his wife Lot his Brother with his servants and substance grant that all my nearest affections my flesh blood may cheerfully goe along with mee in this my pilgrimage to my â—eavenly happinesse with the servants substanâ—e of piety and good workes to attend me And in this progresse in Moreh and in the middle of the worldly Canaan let thy blessed grace appeare unto mee and grant that I may build an Altar of thanksgiving in my heart unto thee and call upon thy Name Preserve me in the famine necessity and miseries of this world as thou diddest Abraham But above all worldly helps keepe me from the famine of thy favour and grace that in thee my soule may be safe from the spirituall danger of faith and a good conscience By thy good guidance remove me from danger as Abraham was by his going into Aegypt Let not the feare and jealousie of worldly respects make mee to dissemble before thee O Lord who knows 't the secrets of my heart as Abraham did by his Wife for his earthly safety and deliver mee from such bad intions of fleshly desires as was in Pharaoh King of Aegypt by detaining of Sarah lest I partake of such punishments as befell unto him And for such offences against thee as wrongs and bad intentions done to any man or woman grant thaâ— I may not continue in them but timely to repent and by leaving such sinnes give satisfaction for wrongs done as Pharoah did to Abraham at his departure And still to praise thee for thy mercies O Lord as Abraham did at his return to Bethel Give unto me the like charitable love as was between Abraham Lot in their parting yea in the middle of such worldly fortunes as they had that most dangerous rocke of ambition pride and Emulation and let mee not bee too much in love with the pleasant Plains of this worldly Jordan of earthly and vaine delight with Lot in his choise for then shal I not be so neare the like dangerâ— as he was at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah Good Lord give unto me continuall comforts and assurances unto my soule by thy mercies unto mee in the hope of that blessed eternity as thou diddest give unto Abraham his seede for their blessing in the earthly Canaan and in this Plain of Mamre the Hebron of this world still let me praise thee for all thy mercies with this father of the faithful Give unto me O my helper a helping hand unto my distressed Brethren and friends of this world as Abraham did to Lot in his captivity With such blessings and comforts as was given to Abraham by that King and Priest Melchisadech and not only to be humbly thankefull unto thee for the same but to pay that tithe of duty and obedience due unto thy Ministers as he did In the sadnesse of my dejected spirit and coldnesse of devotion towards thee be thou my strength and comfort as thou wast to Abraham in thy promise to his seede so shall not this my earthly Steward of vain and worldly suggestions possesse annoy and supplant my good thoughts intentions and hopes in thee but still I may be made happy by thy heavenly mercies In the barrennesse of my soule as it was in Sarah her body in such fruitfulnesse as was with Hagar let me not despair with the one nor presume with the other lest I be cast out of thy mercies but in my cries send mee thy good Inspirations to make me returne timely and humbly with Hagar and with leasure to receive thy promised blessing with Sarah So by the humiliation of Hagar and the hope of Sarah I shall by thy mercie with Abraham enjoy the Ishmael of worldly comfort here the Isaac of everlasting happinesse hereafter Grant O Lord that I may be courteous and charitable to all men as Abraham was to the three who came to his Tent doore with the like agility and alacrity to do good works as he did for their provision that aâ— hee in stead of men received Angelâ— so by thy promised mercie to wel doers shall I receive with Abraham thy comfort here and thy heavenly reward hereafter where the Angels waite at the doors of heaven to receive the righteous Take from me O Lord all distrusts of thy promises with Sarah's second doubt and with her wonder at thy mercies for by this faith and confidence in thee I shall by thy goodnesse and in good time with this hope and wel-doing enjoy the happinesse in heaven as she did after in earth in thy promise of Isaac O Lord keep me from the unrighteousnesse which was in Sodome lost by mine unworthinesse the mediations and prayers of the faithfull do not prevail for me before the Throne of mercy lest that for my sins I partake of their punishment from thy seate of justice O Lord how miserable and wretched are we even the best of us without thy continuall
and provender enough room to lodge in and the man bowed himselfe and worshipped the Lord saying blessed be the Lord God of my Master Abraham which hath not with-drawne his mercie and his truth from him for when I was in the way the Lord hath brought mee to my masters brothers house She then hearing this ran straight home and told her brother Laban therof who came presently to the man and said unto him come in thou blessed of the Lord wherefore standest thou without seeing I have prepared the roome for thy selfe and thy Camels so he unsadled the Camels giving them litter and provender Then hee and the men that came with him washed their feet and meat was set before him but he would not eate untill he had delivered his message Then hee related how hee was servant to Abraham and how God had blessed him exceedingly in goods money servants and how he had a sonne by Sarah in her old age to whom his Master had given all his estate with all such Circumstances as Abraham had commanded him as aforesaid with such passages as was between Rebecka and him at the Well and how he then gave her the Abiloments and Bracelets Then hee said further unto them if you will deale mercifully and truly with my Master tell me if not tell me that I may turn me to the right hand or to the left Then answered Laban ct Bethuel that this thing is provided of the Lord wee cannot therefore say unto thee neither evill or good Behold she is before thee take her and goe that she may be thy Masters sons wife as the Lord hath said Then hee bowed himself towards the earth unto the Lord and gave unto Rebecka jewels of gold and Raiments as likewise gifts unto her Mother and her Brother and then did eate tarrying there all night Now in the morning when he was ready to depart they desired Rebecka might stay only ten days with them but he said in regard God had prospered his journey hee desired forth-with to goe to his Master Then they desired to know Rebecka's minde and have her consent whose answer was she would goe and so when they had blessed her they let her goe and her Nurse likewise So this servant with Rebecka and her maid-servants tooke their journey riding upon the Camels Now Isaac being walking abroad in the fields to pray in the evening and looking about him see these Camels comming toward him and so soon as Rebecka see him she lighted from her Camell and asking the servant who it was that was comming toward them he said it was his Master so she tooke a vaile and covered her selfe Then the servant telling him what he had Isaac took her to his Mother Sarah's Tent and she was his Wife whom he loved After this Abraham dying Isaac and Ishmael buryed him with Sarah his wife after whose death Isaac dwelt in Beerlahai Roy and Ishmael dying at the age of one hundred thirty and seven years was gathered unto his people Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebecka who continued for a while barren but hee prayed to the Lord who heard him and she conceived and at the time of birth being with child of two they did strive in her womb and she prayed unto the Lord. And the Lord said unto her two Nations are in thy wombe and two manner of people shall bee divided out of thy bowels one people shal be mightier then the other and the elder shall serve the younger So at the time of the delivery the first that came out was red and all over rough him they called Esau and after came the other whose hand held Esau by the heele who was called Jacob and then was Isaac threescore years old Now these two growing into yeares Esau became a cunning Hunter and lived in the fields but Jacob was a plaine man and lived in Tents And Isaac loved Esau for Venison was his meate but Rebecka loved Jacob. Now Esau comming one day very hungry weary out of the fields Jacob had made some pottage of which Esau desired to eate for which Jacob desired Esau's birth-right who answered loe I am almost dead what is then this birth-right to mee so hee sware unto Jacob to give it him and contemning of it hee sold it then gave Jacob unto him some bread and Lentill Pottage and so went away And alter it came to pass that there was a Famine in the land and by the appointment of God Isaac he went to Gerar and there the Lord appeared unto him confirming his promise to Abraham his Father and to the seede of Isaac And being at Gerar Rebecka being very beautifull the men thereabouts did much look after her insomuch as Isaac being affraid he said she was his sister And it came to passe one day Isaac being sporting with her Abimilech King of the Philistines looking out of a window did espy it and called to Isaac said to him surely she is thy Wife and why dost thou say she is thy Sister to whom hee answered that he was affraid of his life Then said the King why hast thou done this If any one of my people had lyen with her thou shouldst have brought sin upon us Then Abimilech charged all his people saying he that toucheth this man or his Wife shall dye the death After this Isaac living in this Land and sowing Corne the encrease was a hundred fold and his Cattell did encrease exceedingly So having a mighty houshold and growing so great the Philistines did envy him insomuch as they filled up the wels which were digged in his Father Abraham's time And being grown so rich and potent Abimilech bade him be gone saying Thou art mightier then wee a great deal Therefore Isaac departed and pitched his Tent in the valley at Gerar and there dwelt and opened the Wells again that the Philistines had stopped calling them by the names that Abraham his Father had given them and his servants digging in the valley found there a Well of living water for which there was strife betweene them and the Herdmen of Gerer they saying it was theirs After this they digged another Well and there was strife for that likewise After this they digged another for which there was no strife So from thence hee went to Beersheba where the Lord appeared unto him the same night and confirmed unto him the blessings and promise to Abraham his Father and his seede and there he built an Altar calling upon the name of the Lord. Then came unto him Abimilech with his friend and a Captaine of his Army to whom Isaac said why come ye to me seeing you put mee out from you who answered him wee saw the Lord was with thee and we used thee kindly and sent thee away in peace and therefore let there be now a Covenant betweene us and let it be done the blessed of the Lord doe this Then hee feasted them and they arose betimes in the
unto me never to distrust thy mercies and deliverance And though things fall not according to my will and choise as it fell out with him about Rachels let me O 〈◊〉 with Jacob's other seven yeares â—â—tiently waite thy liesure and 〈◊〉 time So for thy heavenly mercies in 〈◊〉 drynesse and coldnesse of my resolâ—â—â—ons and devotions towards thee let mee with patience and prayer waite for that good time when thou shalt enlarge and deliver my soule from this thraldome and bondage of selfe-love and the snares of worldly slavery whereby I may be fitted for my journey to the heavenly Canaan there with joy to meete Isaac and all that rest in the happinesse to see thy presence O God Remove from mee all distrusts of thy promises and providence that common and dangerous rock whereupon this weake Vessell we saile in is so subject to fall upon by the crosse windes and troubled Seas of our unfaithfull constitutions for so it was with Rachel when in the bitterness of her anguish shee said to Jacob give me children or else I dye But O Lord so instruct my heart with such firme hope in thee as all doubts may depart from my weak and stupid sences and open thou the eyes of my understanding clearly to discerne how much thy mercy and goodnesse are unto me beyond my deservings and so by this pious patience I shall in thy good time enjoy the fruit of my hopes as Rachel after did by her issue in Joseph that happie sonne of so good a father the very comfort and preserver of the seed of Israel Good Lord let it enter into my heart to see with admiratioÌ„ wonder how thou diddest performe thy promises unto Abraham by this numerous generation of Jacob. After so many doubts by fleshly weakenesse barrennesse of constitutions and the great difficulties and dangers in the sâ—verall stations journeys perigrinatioÌ„s of Abraham and Isaac and the great opppession of the seed of Jacob in Aegypt and their long and dangerous perigrination to that land of promise how from them to come our Saviour O mercie beyond mans apprehension or deserving whereof they did only hope for and the which wee the sons of the bond-woman now see and so happily enjoy and by the enjoyment of which promise both the seed of Jacob and the Gentiles receive such an unvaluable blessing being such as all the hopes promises to Abraham Isaac and Jacob were but types and the tempoall plenty of the Patriarks in their land of milke and honey and all their deliverances were but shadowes in comparison of the fruits of this hope and the super-aboundant mercy of our redemption from sin and the fulnesse of heavenly grace bestowed upon us by this promised Messias in whom they in hope did rejoyce by whom they and we are made so happy in the enjoyment and fruition Oh the hidden treasure of happiness now so transparent glorious inlighten my soule O Lord that by this blessed enlightning I may see thy wonderfull mercy and my owne misery to put off all worldly love and vaine delight and make sale of all my earthly merchandise to purchase this jewell even the love of thee my Saviour farre more precious then that manna was to to the children of Israel for no earthly love is like in perfect happinesse to this of thine O thou Saviour of the world Good Lord let me continually obey blessed command and holy inspirations and as Jacob by thine appointment returned into Canaan and with expedition tooke his journey with his wives children family and goods So Lord let me breake from the love of this world wherein I am made a slave to sin and so subjected to uncertainties as Jacob was for twenty years with so many changes of his wages And let not the allurements and vain promises of this world detaine mee either for the enjoying the fading profits therein or to stay in the vanities thereof with such hopelesse and helplesse promises as Laban did intend to him But let me with resolution and sincerily follow thy good directions break from such things as may offend thee to the hurt of my soule Deliver me O Lord from the fears and jealousies so subject to the infirmities of flesh and blood from the danger of my enemies as thou did'st Jacob from his brother Esau let thy protection be with me and thy holy Angels to guard me And as Jacob sent his wives children servants and goods in order and came before him with such Presents and directions as might appease the fury of his brother Esau. So O Lord in my progres towards thee by a true faith and humble confidence give me a holy care prudence to send unto thee before-hand my heart and good intentions with my goods of piety and good workes that in mercy thou maist receive me so shall I escape thy judgements so justly due to me for my sins O Lord keep me from a wandring spirit and a loose condition so shall I avoid evill and all occasions of evill Let me not doe like Dinah who went a gadding to see the daughters of Shechem whereby she was entrap'd and brought to solly so shall I avoid sin to my selfe and the punishment of others as it befell to that unhappy Prince and Citie of Shechem And O Lord preserve mee from the like cruelty that was in Simeon and Levi whose revenge was implacable and transcendent being odious in the eyes of their Father and to all good people yet by this terrible judgement teach mee to know thy displeasure against sinne and leave such severe punishments to thy unsearchable judgements O thou my Creator Redeemer Preserver or wonderfull in my creation infinitely good in my redemption and most mercifull in my preservation the great strength guide and directer of Abraham Isaac Jacob in all their passages through the Desarts and Labyrinths of this crooked world which mercies of thine O Lord have beene most bountifully and mercifully extended unto me a most miserable sinner Therefore as they at all times and upon all occasions in their severall stations for thy mercies deliverances unto them did build Altars and offer Sacrifices of thankesgiving unto thee for thy goodnesse and Jacob according to his vow at the beginning of his perigrination where he set up that stone did now at his returne in that very place pay his vows even at Bethel with much solempnity and piety So O Lord let it enter into my heart duly to consider of thy great mercies unto me from time to time let me not cast them behind mee but call them to minde and as Jacob by finding thy mercies did not forget them when he came backe to Bethel but there did performe his duty and promise unto thee so let me alwayes remember thy deliverances unto me and how in my severall distresses I have so seen and found them as they having moved good thoughts and purposes in mee of better living good Lord let not
of them commanded the Midwives to kil the male children and to save the daughters that should be borne of the Israelites but the midwives feared God and would not doe his commands but excused it to the King And there was a man of the house of Levi that took to him a wife of his owne tribe who conceived and bare him a sonne being a goodly childe whom for fear she hid three moneths but when she could not longer hide him she made for him an arke of bulrushes daubing it with slime and pitch putting the childe therein and laid it amongst the flags by the rivers side And his sister stood a farre off to see what would become of the childe And Pharaohs daughter coming downe the river with her maides to wash her selfe found the arke and sent her maids to fetch it and opening of it found the childe who wept and she had compassion on him and said This is one of the Hebrews children and Pharaohs daughter commanded the sister that watcht the childe to call an Hebrew woman to nurse it and she went and called the childes mother and Pharaohs daughter said unto her Take this childe and nurse it for me and I will give thee thy wages and the woman tooke the childe and nursed it and the childe grew and she brought him to Pharaohs daughter who took him for her son and called his name Moses because she drew him out of the water Now after he grew to yeares when the Israelites had hard burthens upon them he went out amongst them and seeing an Egyptian strike an Hebrew one of his brethren who warily looking about him and seeing no body he slew the Egyptian and hid him in the sand And the second day going abroad he saw two Hebrews at strif and he said to him that had done the wrong Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow who answered Who made thee a Judge over us Intendest thou to kill me as thou didst the Egyptian then Moses was afraid and when Pharaoh heard of it he sought to kill Moses but he fled from Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian and there sitting downe by a well came seven daughters of the Midian Priest who drew water into troughs to water their fathers flock but there came other shepherds and drave them away But Moses stood up and helped them and watered their flockâ— who returning to their father he asked the reason they came so soone back and they told him that a certaine Egyptian had helped them and he commanded to call him to his house to eate bread who came and dwelt with him and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter to wife by whom he had a sonne called Gershom Now after this Pharaoh died and the children of Israel were exceedingly grieved by reason of their great bondage and they cryed unto the Lord who heard them and remembred his covenant with Abraham Isaac and Jacob. Now Moses keeping the flock of his father in law and leading them to the back side of the desert he came to Horeb the mountaine of God where appeared unto him an Angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in the middle of a bush and Moses turned towards it to see why the bush was not burnt then God called unto him out of the middest of the bush and said Moses Moses draw not nigh hither put off thy shooes from off thy feet for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground and told him I am the God of thy father the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. Then Moses hid his face for he was afraid to looke upon God and God said unto him I have seene the afflictions of my people which are in Egypt and have heard their cry by reason of their task-masters and told Moses that he would send him to Pharaoh and to bring his people of Israel out of Egypt and Moses said unto God Who am I that I should goe unto Pharaoh and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt and God told him he would be with him and that for a token thereof after he had brought them out of Egypt they should serve God upon that mountaine and Moses said unto God When I come unto the children of Israel how shall they beleeve me then said the Lord Say unto them I am hath sent me unto you But Moses answered and said Behold they will not beleeve me nor hearken unto my voyce and Moses having a Rod in his hand the Lord commanded him to cast it upon the ground and it became a serpent and Moses went from it And the Lord said unto him Put forth thy hand and take it by the taile the which he did and it became a Rod againe And the Lord said more to him Put thy hand into thy bosome the which he did and when he tooke it out his hand was leprous as snow and he said put thy hand into thy bosome againe the which he did and it became as it was before yet neverthelesse Moses was very scrupulous to goe Excusing himselfe that he wanted eloquence and was slow of tongue and the Lord said unto him Who hath made mans mouth who maketh the dumbe or deafe the seeing or the blind but I the Lord and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and then he appointed Aaron to joyne with him and to assist him in this great worke for the deliverance of the children of Israel out of Egypt And so Moses returned to Jethro his father in law to desire leave to go into Egypt to see his brethren who bid him goe in peace And Moses returned towards Egypt with his wife and children and the Rod in his hand with command from God to doe wonders before the King of Egypt And Aaron met Moses in the mount of God and kissed him Moses telling him all the words of the Lord who had sent him and all the signes he had commanded him And then they two gathered all the Elders of Israel together and did the signes in sight of all the people who beleeved them and worshipped God for his goodnesse After that they went to Pharaoh desiring they and the children of Israel might hold a Fast unto the Lord in the wildernesse But he would not obey the message and voice of the Lord. And they said againe The God of the Hebrews hath met with us let us go we pray thee three dayes journey into the Desert to sacrifice unto our God lest he lay his plagues upon us of pestilence and sword but Pharaohs heart was hardned and would not let them goe and added more to their work whereof they complained mightily to Pharaoh But he said Ye are now idle therefore ye say Let us goe and doe sacrifice to the Lord and the people murmured at Moses because their task was greater since his coming to them and Moses was much troubled thereat Then the Lord spake unto Moses and told him of all his promises unto
Abraham and his seed to give the land of Canaan and of the bondage of Israel in Egypt and his Covenant and sent him againe to Pharaoh to let the children of Israel goe out of his land but all this while the children of Israel did mightily murmur against Moses and Aaron Moses was then fourescore yeares old and Aaron fourescore and three And they went both unto Pharaoh againe and Aaron cast down his Rod before Pharaoh and it became a serpent and the sorcerers of Pharaoh did the like with their inchantments But Aarons Rod swallowed up all theirs And as God commanded Moses and Aaron in the morning they met Pharaoh at the water and at the Rivers side and desired that the people of Israel might goe and worship God in the wildernesse But he refused then he smote the waters in the sight of Pharaoh and they were turned into blood and the fish died and the river stanke yet Pharaohs heart was hardened this continued for seven dayes in which time they digged for water to drinke And the Lord commanded Moses to goe againe unto Pharaoh to let the people of Israel goe and still his heart was hardened and Aaron stretched forth his hand with the Rod over the ponds and caused frogs to come over the land of Egypt and the Magicians did thâ— like then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said Intreat the Lord that he may take away the frogs from me and my people and I will let the people goe that they may doe service unto the Lord. And Moses said That thou mayst know that there is none like the Lord our God the frogs shall depart but onely they shall remaine in the rivers and the Lord did according to the word of Moses And the Lord commanded to say unto Aaron to stretch out his Rod and smite the dust of the land that it may be lice thorowout all Egypt and it was so and the Magicians attempted to doe the like but could not And they told the King it was the finger of God yet he hearkened not unto them Then the Lord commanded Moses to goe early in the morning unto Pharaoh as he came forth and speak to him that the people of Israel might goe to serve him and to tell him what plagues otherwise would follow but still his heart was hardened then there came a grievous swarme of flies into the house of Pharaoh and into all the land of Egypt and the land was corrupted by reason of the flies Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said Goe ye sacrifice to your God in the land But Moses said they desired to go three dayes journey for it was an abomination to the Egyptians to sacrifice in their land and Pharaoh let them goe desiring Moses to intreat the Lord for him the which he did and the flies departed out of the land of Egypt Yet againe Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let them goe then all the cattell of the land of Egypt died but of the cattell of the children of Israel died not one yet was Pharaohs heart hardened and would not let them goe Then as the Lord commanded Moses took ashes of the furnace and stood before Pharaoh and sprinkled it up towards heaven and there became boiles and blames upon man and beast and upon the Magicians And stil was the heart of Pharaoh hardened and would not let the children of Israel goe and Moses stretched forth his Rod and the Lord sent thunder and haile and the fire ran along upon the ground so there was fire and haile mingled together such as was not since the land of Egypt became a nation and it smote both man and beast and every herbe and brake downe the trees onely in the land of Goshen where the children of Israel were was none Then Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and said unto them I have sinned the Lord is righteous I and my people are wicked Intreat the Lord for me and I will let ye goe And Moses went out of the city and spread his hands unto the Lord and the thunder and haile ceased yet neverthelesse Pharaohs heart was again hardened neither would he let the children of Israel goe And Moses and Aaron came againe unto Pharaoh and said thus unto him Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews How long wilt thou refuse to humble thy selfe before me let my people goe that they may serve me and his servants perswaded him to let them goe but he refused to heare them Then Moses stretcht forth his Rod over the land of Egypt and there came an East winde which brought in Locusts which went over the land of Egypt and the land was darkened and they left no greene thing upon the land Then Pharaoh called againe for Moses and Aaron in haste and said I have sinned against the Lord your God and you forgive my sinne and entreat the Lord for me The which Moses did and the Lord sent a mighty West winde which did drive the locusts into the Red Sea but yet would not Pharaoh let the children of Israel goe Then the Lord commanded Moses to stretch forth his hand towards heaven and there was a thick darknesse throughout the land of Egypt three dayes but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings Then Pharaoh called unto Moses and said to him Goe ye and serve the Lord onely let your flocks and herds stay here but Moses refused that and said they must have sacrifices for the Lord and all their cattell then Pharaoh would not let them goe but bid Moses to see his face no more And the Lord commanded Moses to speake to all the children of Israel upon the tenth day of the moneth to take every house a lambe a male lambe without blemish and to keep it untill the fourteenth day and then kill it in the evening and to take the blood with a bunch of hyssop and strike it on the two side posts and upon the upper post of the doore and that they shall eat the flesh that night rosted with unleavened bread and bitter herbs That they shall eat it with their loins girded shooes on their feet and staves in their hands and in haste for it is the Lords Passeover For the blood upon the posts shall be a token that the Lord would passe in mercy by them when the Egyptians should be destroyed And after the performance of many other ceremonies before the eating of the Passeover it came to passe that at midnight the Lord smote all the first-borne of Egypt and Pharaoh rose up in the night and all the Egyptians and there was a great cry then the children of Israel according as they were commanded departed taking their dough before it was levened and the kneading troughes upon their shoulders with great store of Jewels they had from the Egyptians And they journied towards Succoth being in number about six hundred thousand on foot besides children after they had beene
God and they stood at the bottome of it and the mountaine was altogether on a smoke for the Lord descended upon it in fire and the whole mount quaked greatly and the Lord called Moses unto him to the top of the mount and the Lord said unto Moses Goe downe charge the people lest they breake thorough to gaze and perish so Moses did as the Lord commanded and then God commanded Moses and Aaron to come up then was delivered unto them by word from God the Ten Commandements And the people being much afraid of the thundrings lightnings and sound of trumpet and smoking of the mountaine they removed and stood afarre off and they said unto Moses Speake thou unto us and we will heare but let not God speake with us lest we die And Moses said unto the people Feare not for God is come to prove you and that his feare may be before your faces that ye sinne not and the people stood afarre off and Moses drew neare unto the thick darknesse where God was and there the Lord taught unto Moses his lawes and ordinances to deliver to the people After this the Lord commanded Moses with Aaron Nadab and Abihu and seventy Elders of Israel to come up who were commanded to worship a farre off and Moses above came neare the Lord. And returning from the Lord Moses wrote all the words of the Lord and rose up early in the morning and built an Altar under the hill and twelve pillars according to the twelve Tribes of Israel And he sent young men of the children of Israel which offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the Lord and the Lord again said unto Moses Come up to me into the mount and I will give thee Tables of stone and the Law and Commandements which I have written that thou mayest teach them and Moses with Joshua his minister went up to the mount of God and said unto the Elders Tarry ye here for us untill we returne Aaron and Hur are with you If any man have any matters to doe let him come unto them Thē Moses went up into the mount and a cloud covered it and the glory of the Lord abode upon mount Sinai and the cloud covered it six dayes and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the middest of the cloud and the sight of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of all the children of Israel And Moses was in the mount fourty dayes and fourty nights And after his returne he by Gods appointment set downe Lawes and Ordinances and Ceremonies for the people of Israel to keepe Now whilest Moses was in the mount the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said Make us gods to goe before us for as for this Moses that brought us out of Egypt we wot not what is become of him and Aaron to please them bade them breake off their eare-rings which they did and of them did make a Calfe and did worship it and the people sate downe to eate and to drinke and rose up to play And the Lord said unto Moses Goe get thee downe for the people thou broughtest out of Egypt have corrupted themselves and are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded they are a stiffe-necked people and the Lords wrath was growing hot against them to consume them But Moses besought the Lord his God to spare this people whom he had brought out of the land of Egypt with such power and might and to be mercifull unto them for Abraham Isaac and Jacobs sake and the Lord heard the prayers of Moses for them And Moses coming downe from the mount with the two Tables of the Law the worke and writings of God Joshuah hearing the noise of the people as they shouted he said unto Moses There is a noise of warre in the Campe but Moses said No it is the noise of them that sing and as hee came neare the Campe he saw the Calfe and the dancing and Moses anger waxed hot and he cast the Tables out of his hands and brake them beneath the mount and he took the Calfe which they had made and burnt it in the fire and ground it to powder and strewed it upon the water and made the children of Israel drinke of it And Moses said unto Aaron What did this people unto thee that thou hast brought so great a sinne upon them and Aaron answered Let not the anger of my lord waxe hott thou knowest the people that they are set on mischiefe Then Moses stood in the gate of the Campe and said Who is on the Lords side and goe in and out from gate to gate thorough the Campe and slay every man his brother and every man his companion and every man his neighbour and the children of Levi who were consecrated did according to the word of Moses and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men And on the morrow Moses said unto the people You have sinned a great sinne and now I will goe up unto the Lord peradventure I shall make an attonement for your sinne and Moses went up and prayed for the people and the Lord commanded Moses to leade the people forth and sent his Angel with him Then Moses tooke the Tabernacle and pitched it without the Campe a farre off and every one that sought the Lord went out unto the Tabernacle and when Moses went unto the Tabernacle the people rose up and stood at their tent doores looking after Moses untill he went into the Tabernacle and the cloudy pillar descended and stood at the doore of the Tabernacle whiles the Lord talked with Moses then every man rose up and worshipped in his tent doore The Lord commanded Moses to he we two Tables of stone like to the first and to be ready in the morning to come unto mount Sinai but not any man to come up with him neither any man to be seene thorowout all the mount neither that the flocks or herds should feed before the mount the which was done and Moses went up unto the Lord and it came to passe when Moses came down from the mount with the two Tables of the Testimony his face shone and and Aaron and the children of Israel were affraid to come near him but he put a vaile over his head and told them what the Lord had commanded Then the children of Israel mightily gave themselves to the adoring of the Tabernacle wherein was the Arke of the Covenant which being finished Moses reared up and put the Testimony into the Arke and put the Mercy-seat above upon the Arke and he set a Laver betweene the Tent of the Congregation and the Altar and Moses and Aaron and his sonnes washed their hands and their feete thereat when they came neare the Altar and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle and the cloud of the Lord was upon
he did so And all the Elders of Israel followed him and he spake unto them saying Depart I pray you from the tents of these wicked men and touch nothing of theirs lest ye be consumed And so they departed and stood in the doores of their Tents their wives and their children and Moses said Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to doe all those workes for I have not done them of my owne minde if these men die the common death of all men or if they be visited after the visitation of all men then the Lord hath not sent me but if the Lord make a new thing and the earth open her mouth and swallow them up with all that appertaine to them and they goe downe quicke into the pit then shall ye understand that these men have provoked the â—ord And it came to passe as he had made an end of speaking all these words that the ground clave asunder that was under them and swallowed them up their houses and their goods and the earth closed upon them and they perished from among the congregation and there came a fire out from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense and as God commanded Eleazer the sonne of Aaron tooke the censers out of the fire and made of them broad plates to cover the Altar because they were formerly hallowed and to be a memoriall to all the children of Israel that no stranger which is not of the seed of Aaron come neare to offer incense before the Lord that he be not as Korah and as his company But on the morrow after this great judgement fell upon Korah the congregation murmured against Moses and Aaron saying They had killed the people of the Lord. And they being gathered together Moses and Aaron looked towards the Tabernacle and the cloud covered it and the glory of the Lord appeared And Moses and Aaron came before the Tabernacle of the congregation and the Lord spake unto Moses saying Get you up from among this congregation that I may consume them in a moment and they fell upon their faces and Moses bade Aaron to take a Censer and put fire therein from of the Altar and put on incense and go quickly unto the congregation and make an attonement for them for that wrath was gone out from the Lord and the plague was begun and Aaron did as Moses commanded and ran into the middest of the congregation but the plague was begun among the people and then he put on incense and made an attonement for the people and stood betweene the dead and the living and the plague ceased Now they that died of the plague were foureteene thousand and seven hundred besides them that died about the matter of Korah and Aaron returned unto Moses to the doore of the Tabernacle and the plague stayed And the Lord commanded Moses to speake unto the children of Israel to bring twelve rods for every Tribe one and thereon to write their names and to write Aarons name upon the rod of Levi and to lay them up in the Tabernacle before the Testimony and the Lord said That the mans rod whom he shall chuse shall be the chiefe and shall blossome thereby to make the children of Israel cease from murmuring against Moses and Aaron and Moses did as the Lord commanded and every one of the Princes gave him a rod according to their fathers houses Aarons rod being amongst them and Moses laid the rods before the Lord in the Tabernacle of witnesse and going on the morrow into the Tabernacle the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded brought forth buds bloomed and yielded Almonds and Moses brought them forth and they tooke every man his rod but the Lord bade Moses to bring back Aarons rod before the Testimony to be kept for a token against the Rebels and take away their murmurings lest they die and Moses did so as God commanded and the children of Israel spake unto Moses saying Behold we dye we perish we all perish Shall we be consumed with dying And the Lord commanded the Tribe of Levi to be joyned unto Aaron to minister unto him and onely that Aaron and his sonnes should minister before the Tabernacle of the witnesse and that the Levites should keepe the charge of the Tabernacle but they should not come nigh the vessels of the Sanctuary and the Altar lest Aaron and they should die and that no stranger should come near them and gave them many other Ordinances to observe Then came the children of Israel unto Zin and abode in Kadesh where Miriam died and was there buried and in that place was no water in so much as they gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron and the people did chide with Moses and wished they had died with their brethren Then Moses and Aaron went from them unto the doore of the Tabernacle and fell upon their faces and the Lord bade Moses and Aaron take the Rod and assemble the people together and speake unto the Rock before them and it should give forth water and they gathered the congregation together before the Rock and Moses said unto them Heare now ye Rebels must we fetch you water out of this Rock Then Moses lift up his hand and with his Rod he smote the Rock twice and the water came out abundantly and the congregation dranke and their beasts also And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron Because ye beleeve me not to sanctifie me in the eyes of the children of Israel therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them After this Moses sent messengers to Kadesh to the King of Edom letting him know of all their passages in Egypt and of the wonders that God had done desiring to passe through his Countrey onely to goe by the Kings high way and pay for what they tooke but the King of Edom refused it wherefore Israel turned another way and came to mouÌ„t Hor where the Lord spoke unto Moses and Aaron saying Aaron shall be gathered to hâ— people for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah take Aaron and his sonne Eleazar and bring them up unto mount Hor and Moses brought them up and as the Lord commanded Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them upon Eleazar his sonne and Aaron died there in the top of the mount and Moses and Eleazar came downe from thence and when the congregation of Israel saw that Aaron was dead even all the house of Israel mourned for him thirty dayes And they journied from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea and compassed the land of Edom but they were much discouraged because of the way and the people spake against God and Moses then the Lord sent fiery serpents amongst the people who bit them whereof many died
and then they confessed their sinnes unto Moses and desired him to pray to the Lord for them the which he did And the Lord commanded Moses to make a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole that every one that is bitten when he looketh upon it shall live and Moses did accordingly make a brazen serpent and they that were bitten when they beheld it lived And the children of Israel then journeyed faster and came to Beor unto a place where the Princes and Nobles digged it by the directions of the Lawgiver and went further where they sent to Sihon the King of the Amorites to let them passe thorough his land paying for what they had and onely to goe the Kings high way while they were past his borders but he would not suffer them to passe but gathered his people together and fought with Israel where the Amorites were overthrowne Israel taking all their cities and dwelt in them and the Countrey thereabouts and Moses sent to spy out Jaazer and drave the Amorites from thence and possessed it And after they marched and Og King of Bashan raised his people and then Israel did overthrow them and possessed their land After this the children of Israel set forward and pitched in the plaines of Moab and Moab was affraid Balak the sonne of Zippor was King of the Moabites at that time who sent messengers unto Balaam to come to him letting him know how the children of Israel who came out of Egypt came neare him praying him to curse them And he bade the messengers sent lodge there that night but God said unto Balaam Thou shalt not goe with them neither curse them for they are blessed and Balaam told the messengers Get ye home for the Lord refuseth to give me leave to goe with you and the Princes returned to Balak saying Balaam refuseth to come with us then Balak sent Princes more honourable then they with proffers unto Balaam of great preferments and honour unto him but he answered If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold hee could not goe beyond the command of God to doe lesse or more but desired them to stay that night that he might know the will of the Lord and that night the Lord said unto Balaam If they call goe along with them but doe that which I shall say unto thee Then Balaam rose up in the morning and sadled his Asse and went with the Princes of Moab and the Angel of the Lord stood in the way and as he was riding with his two servants the Asse seeing the Angel of the Lord with his sword in his hand he turned out of the way and Balaam smote her it being betweene two wals the Asse thrust her selfe upon the wall crusht Balaams foote against the wall and then he smote her againe then the Asse fell down under Balaam and then he smote the Asse againe and the Lord opened the mouth of the Asse and she said unto Balaam What have I done unto thee that thou hast smitten me these three times and Balaam said unto the Asse Behold thou hast mocked me if I had a sword I would kill thee and the Asse said unto Balaam Am not I thine Asse upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day was I ever wont to doe so unto thee and he said Nay then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam and he saw the Angel of the Lord and he bowed downe his head and fell flat on his face and said he had sinned Now therefore if it please thee I will returne back but the Angel said Goe on with the men but onely speake that word I shall speak unto thee and so he went with the Princes and Balak hearing of his coming he went to meet him and said unto him Wherefore diddest thou not come sooner am not I able to promote thee to honour but Balaam said The word that God putteth into my mouth will I speake And they offered burnt-offerings and he said unto Balak How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed or how shall I defie whom the Lord hath not defied at which Balak was offended but he answered must I not take heed to speake that which the Lord hath put into my mouth and after other burnt-offerings at Zophim his answer was to Balak Behold I have received commandement to blesse and he hath blessed and I cannot reverse it he hath not behâ—ld iniquity in Jacob neither hath he seene perversenesse in Israel the Lord his God is with him and the shout of a King is among them then Balak said Neither doe thou blesse them nor curse them but he answered All that the Lord speaketh that I must doe but Balaam seeing it was Gods will to blesse Israel he left after looking to enchantments but set his face towards the wildernesse and he saw Israel abiding in their tents according to their tribes and the Spirit of God came upon him and he said How goodly are thy tents O Jacob and thy tabernacles O Israel c. then Balaks anger was kindled against him but Balaam prophesied saying I shall see him but not now I shall behold him but not nigh There shall come a Star out of Jacob and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel and shall smite the corners of Moab and destroy all the children of Seth out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion c. And Balaam rose up and went and returned to his place and Balak also went his way And Israel abiding in Shittim the people beganne to commit whoredome with the daughters of Moab and bowed towards their gods and the anger of the Lord was kindled against them One of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses and all the congregation of Israel who were weeping before the doore of the tabernacle and when Phineas the sonne of Eleazar the sonne of Aaron the Priest saw it he rose from amongst the congregation and tooke a Javelin in his hand and went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both the man and the woman Zimri and Cozbi through so the plague was stayed in Israel and those that dyed of the plague were twenty and foure thousand And Moses desired of the Lord to set a man over the congregation to goe in and out before them that they may not be as sheep that have no shepherd and the Lord said unto Moses Take thee Joshuah the sonne of Nun a man in whom is the Spirit and lay thine hand upon him and set him before Eleazar the Priest and before all the congregation and give him a charge in their sight and thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him that all Israel may be obedient and he shall stand before Eleazar the Priest who shall aske counsell for him after the judgement of Urim before the Lord and Moses did as the Lord commanded him and he
tooke Joshua and set him before Eleazar the Priest and the congregation and he laid his hands upon him and gave him a charge as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses After this the children of Israel warred against the Midianites and they slew the King of Midian and burnt their cities and their goodly castles and there Balaam was slaine they divided the spoyle of the Countrey And Moses growing old he called Joshuah unto him before the people giving him good counsell and bidding him to be valiant and encouraged the people and setteth forth a song of Gods mercies and vengeance After which the Lord spake unto Moses saying Get thee up into this mountain Abarim unto mount Nebo which is in the land of Moab that is over against Jericho and behold the land of Canaan which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession and dye in the mount whither thou goest up and be gathered unto thy people as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor and was gathered unto his people because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the wildernesse of Zin because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel yet thou shalt see the land but thou shalt not goe thither and after Moses had blessed the twelve Tribes of Israel he went up from the plaines of Moab unto the mountaine of Nebo and the Lord shewed him the land of promise which was promised to Abraham Isaac and Jacob so Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab according to the word of the Lord and he buryed him in a valley in the land of Moab over against Beth Peor but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day he was 120. yeares old when he died his eye was not dim nor his naturall force abated and the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plaines of Moab thirty dayes and there arose not a Prophet since in Israel like unto Moses whom the Lord knew face to face In all the signes and wonders which the Lord sent him to doe in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh to all his servants and to all his land and in all that mighty hand and in all that great terrour which Moses shewed in the sight of Israel MEDITATIONS Upon some parts of the History of Moses O Lord direct my meditations and assist me humbly and truely to contemplate this thy great work of the deliverance of thy children of Israel out of Egypt by Moses after they had sojourned there foure hundred and thirty yeares after which time according to thy promise thou diddest deliver them and brought them to the land of promise This great deliverance O Lord is the true type of a great mercy that did follow which was by our Moses Jesus Christ who redeemed and brought us that were Gentiles and under the bondage and slavery of sinne to serve and follow him out of the darknesse wherein we were inthraled being far worse then the Egyptian yoke O Lord my God let it enter into my heart most humbly and seriously to consider of this inestimable mercy of my redemption and of thy wonderfull and unvaluable goodnesse towards me a sinner by sending into this Egypt of the world such a guide such a deliverer and such a Redeemer as all the Angels and powers in heaven doe adore even thy onely Sonne Let me be astonished O Lord with wonder at this thy so great mercy and be confounded in my selfe for offending thee so glorious and so gracious a God And let my sinfull soule be converted unto thee to serve thee with all humblenesse of heart O Lord how sutable in mischiefe were Pharaoh and Herod by giving way to Ambition and Jealousie and the reignes to commit cruelty to an unlimited height for the murdering of innocent Infants Pharaohs ambition was to destroy the Hebrew children amongst whom was Moses which thou O God preservedst to deliver the people of Israel out of Egypt and Herods designe to destroy the children in Jury amongst whom was that immaculate Lambe Christ Jesus even to destroy him who delivered the Gentiles and was after crucified to deliver and redeeme both Jew and Gentile O Lord how wonderfull are thy workes and all thy goodnesse for flesh and blood could not prevaile against thy providence for the cruelty of Pharaoh could not prevent thy goodnesse for thou diddest multiply and blesse thy children of Israel and preservedst Moses in a poore basket of bulrushes to doe thy great worke to deliver thy people out of the thraldome of Egypt And O wonder of wonders and mercy of mercies out of the manger at Bethlehem came our blessed Saviour who redeemed the world and how wonderfully O Lord hast thou preserved thy Church for whom he died and multiplied thy servants through the persecutions of this world As it was thy great mercy and blessing O Lord to preserve Noah and his family in that great Arke whereby mankind was preserved upon earth So it was thy mercy to preserve thy servant Moses in that little arke amongst the watery flags of danger to preserve and bring thy children of Israel descended from Noah out of Egypt to the land of promise from which stock so preserved came my Saviour Jesus Christ as these have beene thy mercies O God to preserve thy people of Israel by thy Prophet Moses the type of Christ and to redeeme the world by thy Sonne my Saviour Jesus So O Lord many have beene thy mercies unto me a sinner by thy manifold mercies and deliverances even since my infancie hitherto both by sea and land Good Lord in thy mercy take from over me this thick and mysty cloud of stupidity that so much darkens my understanding that I may discerne these thy mercies and feare love and serve thee with all the faculties of soule and body and good Lord grant that I may love my kinred and neighbours as Moses did love his Nation the Hebrews with kindnesse and affability to all men as he used to the daughters of Jethro Let the soule of thy servant know that in the places of peace quietnesse and retirednesse from the eye of this world so full of vanity and pleasures there art thou to be found for in the desart behinde the mountain and neare Horeb thou wast with Moses O Lord bring my soule from these worldly cares afflictions and temptations amongst which I live and lead me with thy saving grace toward thy holy mountaine with contemplations of holinesse and penitency for my sins and there let me rest in thee and be freed from the thorny and scorching passages of this world As thou O God didst wonderfully appeare unto Moses in the Bush by a flame of fire which did not burne nor consume it so I doe most humbly beseech thee enter into the heart of thy servant and enflame it with holy love and zeale towards thee and enlighten it O Lord that
therefore five Kings and all the strength they could make came and encamped before Gibeon they of the City having made their peace with Joshua sent presently for aid unto him then presently Joshua marched with a mighty army from Gilgal toward Gibeon all night and falling suddenly upon them gave them a great defeate and flying before Israel the Lord cast great stones from heaven upon them and kil'd more of them then the sword and the Sunne and Moone stood still that day untill the people had destroyed their enemies and Joshua and all Israel returned to Gilgal but the five Kings fled and hid them in a cave afterwards Joshua commanded they should bee brought forth then Joshua called for all the men of Israel and said unto the Captaines Come neare and put your feet upon the necks of these Kings and they did so and after Joshua commanded them to be hanged upon five trees and there they did hang untill the evening and being taken down Joshua commanded they should be cast into the cave where they were found and laid great stones to the caves mouth and Joshua conquered all the Countrey and put them to the sword for the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel and Joshua returned and all Israel with him unto the campe to Gilgal After this Jabin King of Hazar Jahab King of Madon and all the Kings north of the mountaines gathered themselves together and raised a marvellous great host and pitched themselves together by the waters of Merom to fight against Israel and Joshua came and all his people of war with him and came suddenly upon them by the waters of Merom and put them to a very great slaughter and chased them unto great Zidon and Mizpeh houghing their horses and burning their chariots and Joshua returned and took Hazor and kill'd the King thereof and did all things as the Lord commanded Moses his servant so did Moses command Joshua and so did Joshua So Joshua took the whole land according to all that the Lord said unto Moses and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes and the land rested from warre chap. 18. And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there for the land was subdued before them And the Lord appointed them by Joshua Cities of refuge that he that killeth a man unawares and unwittingly may flee thither for refuge and coming to that Citie he shall stand at the entering of the gate of the Citie and declare his cause to the Elders of that Citie and they shall receive him in and if he be followed thither they shall not deliver him back because he did the act unwittingly and hated him not before time And they appointed Kedesh in Gallole in mount Nepthale and Shechem in mount Ephraim and Hebron in the mountaine of Judah and on the other side Jordan by Jericho Bezer in the wildernesse out of the tribe of Reuben and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad and Golon out of the tribe of Manasseh These were the Cities appointed for all the children of Israel and for the strangers that sojourned among them that whosoever killeth any person at unawares may flee thither and not die by the avenger of blood untill â—e stand before the congregation Now after the land was conquered and every tribe settled in their severall divisions Joshua called for the Reubenites the Gadites and the halfe tribe of Manasseh and commended them for their valour and obedience to the Commandment of their Lord and said unto them Now the Lord hath given rest unto your brethren returne you unto the land of your possession which Moses the servant of God gave you on the other side of Jordane but be carefull to doe the commandements and the Law which Moses gave you and love the Lord your God and serve him with all your heart and with all your soules so Joshua blessed them and sent them away and they departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh to go unto Gilead the land of their possession formerly by the hand of Moses and when they came to the borders of Jordan there they built an altar by Jordan and when the children of Israel heard thereof they gathered themselves together at Shiloh to goe and warre against them and they sent unto them Phineas the sonne of Eleazar the Priest and with him ten Princes of each tribe of Israel one and coming unto the children of Reuben Gad and Manasseh unto Gilead and said unto them Thus saith the congregation of the Lord What trespasse is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel to turne away from following the Lord in that ye have built you an altar Is the iniquitie of Peor too little for us from which we are not cleansed untill this day although there was a plague in the congregation of the Lord if the Land you possesse be uncleane then come over to us where the tabernacle dwelleth and take possessions amongst us but rebell not against the Lord nor rebell against us in building you an altar beside the Altar of the Lord our God Did not Achan commit a sinne in the accursed thing and wrath fel on all the congegation of Israel and that man perished not alone in his iniquitie then the children of Reuben Gad and Manasseh answered them The Lord God of gods The Lord God of gods and Israel shall know that this is no rebellion in building this altar being not intended to offer thereon burnt offerings or meat offerings or peace offerings thereon but onely our reason was to set up a monument for feare of the time to come that your children might speake to our children What have you to do with the Lord God of Israel because the river Jordan hath divided us and so your children make our children cease from fearing the Lord and therefore we raised that altar not for burnt-of-ferings but that it may be a witnesse betweene us and you and our generations after us that we may doe the service of the Lord before him with our burnt offerings and with our sacrifices and with our peace offerings that your children may not say to our children in time to come Ye have no part in the Lord and therefore this altar we have made is a witnesse unto you and to your children hereafter God forbid that we should have any altar but that Altar of the Lord our God that is before the tabernacle and when Phineas the Priest the Princes of the congregation and the Elders of Israel heard this from them Phineas said unto them This day we perceive that the Lord is among us because ye have not committed this trespasse against the Lord and they returned unto the land of Canaan unto the children of Israel and they all rejoyced and blessed God and the children of Reuben Gad and Manasseh called the
sinne give mee grace to call timely unto thee yea to câ—me unto thee thou supream Judge of Israel even thou which dwelâ—est between the Cherubims and sits'â— under the Palm-tree thy blessed seate of mercie Look upon my distresse and deliver me from this sinne and that punishment that I so justly deserve for mine iniquity and deliver me from the powerfull enemy of my soul who seekes to corrupt destroy me either from the truth or power of thy word like Barak whose confidence was more in a fraile woman Deborah by her presence then in thy promises who art omnipotent Bring mee with the strength of thy grace to the holy mountaine of thy power and saving health strengthen my faith and confidence in thee to fight against this proud Sisera of sin my capitall enemie and send thy might from this thy holy mountaine of Tabor that by thy power graâ—â— I may be made able to overthrow and defeat all the disturbers of my soules health who lies so strongly in wait to destroy me with such worldly advantages by their River of Kishon Dissipate all the designes O Lord of all my spirituall enemies let them flie before thy wrath as Sisera did to the Tent of Jael and there let them perish in the snares of their own intended mischiefs to the innocent Retaine in mee a harmlesse and a pure conscience so shall I lie downe with safety and rest under thy happy protection with security to my soule and escape the like judgement that fâ—ll upon Sisera which is the reward of presumptuous and unrepentant sinners And for thy mercies let me praise thee in the innocency of a sincere soule for ever to serve and obey thee untill I shall be freed from this spirituall warfare here and be made happy to rejoyce with thee in that happinesse and bliss of eternity hereafter And let me magnifie thy Name with Deborah and Barak saying with them Praise yee the Lord for the avenging of Israel heare O ye Kings give eare O ye Princes I even I will sing unto the Lord I will sing praise unto the Lord God of Israel The mountaines melted from before the Lord even that Sinai from before the Lord God of Israel My heart is towards the Governours of Israel that offered themselves willingly among the people blesse ye the Lord. Awake awake Deborah awake awake utter a song Arise Barak and lead thy Captivity captive thou son of Abinoam The river of KishoÌ„ swept them way that ancient River that River of Kishon O my soule thou hast trodden down strength So let all thine enemies perish O Lord but let them that love him be as the Sun when he goeth forth in his might THE HISTORY OF RUTH IN the time that the Judges ruled in Israel there was a Dearth in the Land upon which Elimelech of Bethlehem Judah went to sojourn in the Countrie of Moah with his Wife Naomi with their two sonnes where continuing a while Elimelech died and she remained with her sonnes who tooke them Wives of the Moabites the one was named Orpah the other Ruth who lived thereabout ten yeares where both these sonnes died after whose death Naomi hearing the Lord had given them bread in her owne Countrie thither shee returned with her two Daughters in Law into the Land of Judah then Naomi perswaded these her two Daughters in Law to return to their own Motherâ— houses desiring the Lord would shew the like favour 〈◊〉 them as they had done to the Dead and to her wishing them comfort in the house of their husbands and when shee had kissed them they wept But they desired still to continue with her to whom shee answered turne again my daughters for I shall have no more sonnes to be your husbands and pleaded much with them to return so Orpâ—â— departed but Ruth staied with her but still Naomi perswaded Ruth to goe but Ruth told her whither she did goe she would goe and where she dwelt she would dwell saying moreover thy people shall be my people and thy God my God where thou diest I will die and there will I be buried the Lord doe so to me and more also if ought but death part thee and me So when Naomiâ—aw â—aw her love steadfastnesse she brought her along with her to Bethlehem and it was in the beginning of Barly Harvest where Naomies deceased husband had a Kinsman of great power whose name was Boaz. Now Ruth desired her Mother in Law that she might goe with others to gleane who giving of her leave she went and gleaned after the Reapers and it happened to be in the field of Boaz who coming from Bethlehem he said to the Reapers the Lord be with you and they bad the Lord blesse him and hee seeing Ruth he asked the servant that oversee the reapers who she was who told him she was the Moabitish Maide that came with Naomi and how shee desired to gleane there Then said Boaz unto Ruth my daughter goe not into any other field but abide by my Maides go after them I have charged the servants that they touch thee not when thou 〈◊〉 thirst drink such as the servants have then she fell on her face and bowed to the ground and said unto him how have I found favour in thine eyes that thou shouldest know me seeing I am a stranger But hee told heâ— he heard what shee was and what she had done for her Mother in Law having left her Father Mother and her Countrie to come amongst strangers so the Lord recompence thy worke and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel under whose wings thou art come to trust then she said let me finde favour in thy fight my Lord for thou hast comforted me Then Boaz bad her come at meal-times to eate bread and so shee sat by the Reapers and hee reached her parched Corne and she did eate and he commanded she should gleane amongst the sheaves and so returning in the Evening with plenty to her Mother in Law shee asked her with whome she did gleane who told her it was in the Field of Boaz then said Naomi blessed be the Lord for hee ceaseth not to doe good to the living and to the dead telling Ruth hee was of her husbaÌ„ds kindred did wish her not to gleane in any other place but with the Maides of Boaz. Now Naomi did love Ruth exceedingly she finding her goodnesse and constancy and said unto her shall not I seek rest for thee my Daughter that thou maiest prosper saying is not Boaz out Kinsman and this night hee winnoeth Barly wash and anoint thy selfe and put on thy Raiment and get thee down thither let him not know of thee untill hee have left eating and drinking and when he shall sleep mark where he lyeth downe and uncover the place of his feete lie thee down and hee shall tell thee what thou shalt doe And Ruth did according to her directions Now when Boaz
had eat drunk and cheared his heart he lay down by the heap of corn she came softly and uncovering his feet lay downe and he awaking about midnight and feeling one he was affraid Then he said who art thou she answered Ruth thy hand-maid spread therefore the wing of thy garment over me for thou art the Kinsman Then said hee Blessed be thou of the Lord my daughter thou hast shewed more goodnesse in the latter end then at the beginning inasmuch as thou followedst not young men were they poore or rich And now my daughter fear not I will doe what thou requirest for all the City of my people know thee that thou art a vertuous woman Telling her that true it was he was her kinsman but there was one nearer so bade her lye there all night and if in the morning hee would doe the duty of a Kinsman to marry her well and good but if he would not he would then doe the duty of a Kinsman himselfe So she lying at his feet untill the morning she arose early he desiring that none should know that any woman had been there so he calling for her sheet giving her fix measures of barley and returning to the Citie she came to her Mother in law and gave her the corne telling her all the passages betweene Boaz and her selfe So shee bade Ruth sit still untill shee heard further of the thing telling her how hee would not rest untill the thing were done Then without delay Boaz went up to the gate of the City to whom came this Kinsman named to Ruth Boaz desiring him to sit down likewise ten Elders of the City came and sate downe with them Then said Boaz to this Kinsman Naomi is come out of the country of Moab who will sell a parcell of land that was our brother Elemelicks and so proffered it unto him being of nearest in kindred to redeem it before them Elders If he would not that himselfe being the next he would Then he said he would redeem it Then said Boaz if thou buyest it of Naomi thou must also buy it of Ruth the Moabitis the wife of the dead to stirre up the name of the dead upon his inheritance the which this Kinsman refused saying if hee did so he should destroy his owne and so put off that his right to Boaz and to confirme it according to the custome then he put off his shooe and gave it to him which confirmed the agreement Then Boaz called them all to witnesse of this contract wherein he likewise did buy Ruth the Wife of Mahlon to be his Wife to stir up the name of the dead All which the Elders did witnes who prayed unto God that Ruth might be to him like Rachel and Leah which two did build the house of Israel and that he might be famous in Bethlehem and that by the seede of Ruth his house might be like Pharez whom Thamer bare unto Judah So Boaz took Ruth to his wife and the Lord gave her a son and the women said to Naomi blessed be the Lord which hath not lest thee this day without a kinsman And his name shall be continued in Israel and this shall bring thy life again and cherish thine old age for thy daughter in law which loveth thee hath born unto him she is better unto thee then seven sons And Naomi tooke the child and laid it in her lap and became nurse unto it and the women gave it a name calling it Obed which after was the father of Ishai the father of David the King PRAYERS UPON THE History of RUTH O Lord in the prosperities adversities of this world thou hast thy waies of mercie unto us as it befell unto the children of Israel even in their famines what blessings diddest thou give theÌ„ by their perigrinations into other Lands and how diddest thou from time to time not only provide for their bodily sustinance but likewise for their spirituall welfare both in Aegypt and other places And O Lord no less was thy extraordinary mercy unto Naomi by her journey in the time of famine unto Moab with her husband and children whom though by the course of nature death deprived her of theÌ„ yet thou diddest raise up unto her a most happy daughter in law even Ruth O Lord this is the generall current of thy continuall mercy unto us and nothing makes us so unhappy as the want of the fight consideration of that which daily befalls us through the course of our fraile life Therefore open thou mine eyes that I may see these thy mercies unto me for ever praise thee for thy goodness The constant resolution and charity of Ruth unto her Mother in law is for our imitation as the very true example of love and pitty it being the more full of goodness and rarity they being of two severall Nations and Religions O Lord give me such happy love and pitty as was in this thy servant Ruth with her resolution in the pursute of all good things which may tend to thy glory and worship let no worldly perswasions or reasons draw me from my way to Bethlehem in the land of thy promised happinesse but with the good and vertuous let me follow their steps as Ruth did Naomi that thou their God mayst be my God and that I may turne from my worldly and Moabitish affections attain to the happy serving of thee in Judah so shall I live and dye amongst the righteous by this thy mercie and help unto my weakenesse And as nothing but death could part Ruth from Naomi so good Lord let my soule so love and feare thee as to my last breath my hope comfort and confidence may rest in thee alone undividable O Lord furnish me with such happines as was in Ruth by her charity and humble deportment for which as thy blessing was upon this thy own gift of mercy unto her so she had the happinesse of a good esteem in the world shee being so full of modesty and vertue Give me O Lord such piety as may bee pleasing unto thee with such humility harmless courtesie as may gaine the love and good opinion of my neighbours O Lord grant unto mee such perfect frendship with my friend as was between Naomi Ruth with such loving and plain intentions so by thy goodnesse and mercie shall I enjoy such love comfort content as was between them to their dying daies O Lord all thy works are so full of wonder as wee cannot sufficiently admire them as it was by thy provideÌ„ce to bring Ruth unto Judah not only through so many stops by confirming her good purpose so now so strangely to bring her to glean in the field of Boaz whereby such a happiness did befall her not only for worldly respects â—ut likewise even in a heavenly happiness by the marriage and issue she had by Boaz. O Lord my God my ingratitude would cast me even into hell without recovery if I
King Eliakim and divers others and Rabshakeh said unto them Say ye unto Hezekiah Thus saith the great King of Assyria What confidence is this wherein thou trustest and spake other great words and blasphemed against the God of Israel and demanding pledges for his Master the King of Assyria Then said Eliakim unto him I pray thee speake unto thy servants in the Syrian tongue for we understand it and speake not to us in the Jewes language in the eares of the people that are upon the wall But Rabshakeh said Hath my Master sent me to thy Master and to thee to speake these words Hath not he sent me unto the men that sit upon the wall that they may eate their owne dung and drinke their owne pisse with you and he spake this with a loud voice in the Jewes language and said more Thus saith the King of Assyria Let not Hezekiah deceive you for he shall not be able to deliver you neither let him make you trust in the Lord or think he can deliver you hearken not to the King but come you out with a present and make your agreement that ye may eate under your owne vines and drink in your owne cisterns but the people held their peace answering him not a word for so the King commanded them then came Eliakim and the rest that were sent out to Hezekiah with their clothes rent and told him the words of Rabshakeh when the King heard it he rent his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the hose of the Lord and he sent Eliakim and the Elders of the Priests covered with sackcloth unto Isaiah the Prophet the sonne of Amos. And they told him of the blasphemy and threatening of Rabshakeh and the Prophet answered them Thus shall you say unto your Master Thus saith the Lord Be not afraid of the words wherewith Rabshakeh hath blasphemed me Behold I will send a blast upon him and he shall heare a rumour and returne to his owne land and there he shall fall by the sword and the King of Assyria being gone from Lachish to fight with the King of Ethiopia he sent messengers to Hezekiah to say unto him Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee saying Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the King of Assyria as well as other lands and Hezekiah received the Letter from the hand of the messengers and after he had read it he went into the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord and prayed unto him saying O Lord of hosts God of Israel that dwellest betweene the Cherubins thou art the God even thou alone of all the kingdoms of the earth thou hast made heaven and earth encline thine eare O Lord and heare open thine eyes O Lord and see and heare all the words of Senacherib which hath sent to reproach the living God Now therefore O Lord our God save us from his hand that all the kingdomes of the earth may know that thou art the Lord even thou onely Then Isaiah the sonne of Amos sent unto Hezekiah saying Whereas he had prayed unto the Lord against Senacherib the Lord would neare him and put a hooke in â—is nose and a bridle in his lips and turne him backe by the way he came and that he should not come into the city of Jerusalem nor shoot an arrow there nor cast a banke or trench against it but would defend and preserve the city for his owne sake and for his servant Davids sake and the Angel of the Lord went forth and smote in the Camp of the Assyrians one hundred foure score and five thousand so Senacherib King of Assyria departed and returned and dwelt at Niniveh and after it came to passe as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god that Adramelech and Sharezar his sons smote him with the sword and they escaped into the land of Armenia and Esarhaddon his sonne reigned in his steed And in those dayes was Hezekiah King of Israel sick unto the death and Isaiah the Prophet came unto him and said Thus saith the Lord Set thine house in order for thou shalt die then Hezekiah turned his face towards the wall prayed unto the Lord Saying Remember now O Lord I doe beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and he wept exceedingly then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah saying Goe and say to Hezekiah Thus saith the Lord the God of David thy father I have heard thy prayer and have seene thy teares Behold I will adde unto thy dayes fifteene yeares and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the King of Assyria And this shall be a signe unto thee from the Lord I will bring againe the shadow of the degrees which is gone downe in the Sunne-dyall of Ahaz ten degrees backward and Hezekiah praised the Lord for his mercy saying The Lord was ready to save me therefore will I sing my song to the stringed instruments all the daies of my life in the house of the Lord and Isaiah gave order to apply unto him a lump of figs and lay it as a plaster upon his boyle which did heale him About that time Merodach Baladan the sonne of Baladan King of Babylon sent a letter and presents unto Hezekiah hearing he had been sicke and the King was glad of their coming and entertained them with great courtesie and shewed them all his precious things the silver gold spices and the precious ointments his armour and all that could be seene in his house or his dominions Then came Isaiah the Prophet unto King Hezekiah and said unto him What said these men and from whence came they and Hezekiah said They came even from Babylon then said he What have they seene in thine house and Hezekiah answered I have shewed them all in my treasures and nothing have I hid from them then said Isaiah unto him Heare the word of the Lord of hosts Behold the dayes will come that all that is within thine house and that which thy fathers have laid up in store untill this day shall be carried to Babylon nothing shall be left saith the Lord and of thy sonnes which shall issue from thee shall they take away and they shall be Eunuches in the palace of the King of Babylon And according to this prophesie many yeares after it came to passe Jeremiah living at that time when Nebuchadnezar came to besiege Jerusalem he told them what would befall but the Princes were wroth with him and put him in prison after he had beene there many dayes Zedekiah the King sent and tooke him out and the King asked him secretly Is there any word from the Lord and Jeremiah said There is for thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the King of Babylon therefore heare me O my lord the king let my sute come unto thee that I may not returne to prison where I
was lest I dye there then the King commanded he should be committed into another prison and that he should have given him daily a piece of bread out of the Bakers street whiles the bread lasted but still the Prophet persisted and told them Thus saith the Lord This city shall surely be given into the hand of the King of Babylons army therefore the Princes were incensed against him and said unto the King We beseech thee let this man be put to death for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of warre and all the people in this city in speaking thus unto them And the King said He is in your hands doe with him what you please and they tooke Jeremiah and cast him in a dungeon and they let him downe by a rope and in the dungeon was no water but myre that he sunke in and some men complained of this cruelty done to Jeremiah unto the King who commanded thirty men to goe and take up Jeremiah out of the dungeon and they tooke old rags and cast them downe into the dungeon the which Jeremiah put under his arme pits and so they drew him up and Zedekiah the King sent for Jeremiah and said unto him I will aske thee a thing hide nothing from me and Jeremiah said unto the King If I declare it unto thee wilt thou not put me to death and if I give thee counsell wilt thou hearken to mee so the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah saying as the Lord liveth that made us this soule I will not put thee to death nor give thee into the hands of these men that seek thy life Then he said unto the king thus saith the Lord God of hosts the God of Israel if thou wilt goe forth to the Princes of the king of Babylon then thy soule shall live and this city shall not be burnt with fire and thou and thy house shall live But if thou wilt not goe forth unto them then shall this city be given to the Chaldeans and they shall burn it and thou shalt not escape out of their hands and the king said unto Jeremiah I am afraid of the Jewes that are fallen to the Chaldeans least they deliver me to their hands and they mock me But the Prophet said they shall not deliver thee obey I beseech thee the voice of the Lord so shall it bee well with thee But if thou refuse to goe forth this is the word that the Lord hath shewed me Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah let no man know of these words and thou shalt not die the which he did so Jeremiah after abode in the Court of the prison untill the day that Ierusalem was taken And it came to passe on the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Iudah Nebuchadnezzer king of Babilon and his army came before Ierusalem and besieged it and in the eleventh yeare of Zedekiah the city was taken and all the Princes of the king of Babilon entered the city at which time Zedekiah and all his men of warre fled out of the city by night by the way of the kings gardens but the army of the Chaldeans pursued after them and overtook Zedekiah in the plaines of Iericho and took him brought him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babilon who gave judgement upon him and caused his sonnes to be slaine before his face and all the Nobles of Judah and he put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chaines to carry him to Babilon and they burnt Ierusalem and brake down the walls thereof and carried captive to Babilon all the remainder of the people that were within the city but left the poorer sort that had nothing and gave them vineyards and fields and the king of Babilon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to take him and doe him no harm but use him with all kindnesse so they took Jeremiah out of the Court of the prison and sent him home so he dwelt among the people MEDITATIONS upon the History of king Hezekiah EVerlasting God whilst we live here in this earthly Jerusalem nothing is to be expected but continuall conflicts in our spirituall warfare between the world the flesh and the spirit how bitterly O Lord and vehemently doth the enemy of my soule like Rabshekah suggest into me distrusts and feares to make mee doubtfull of thy promises and providence endeavouring to weaken my faith and confidence in thee by putting great feares doubts and troubles to my inward and fraile senses In this affliction and trouble to my soule O Lord I beseech thee from time to time to give me grace with good Hezekiah to come unto thee with my heart rent and continually to implore thy blessed help and assistance and that I may obtain the like mercy that he did receive from thee and let not that hellish blasphemer prevail over me but put thou a hook in his nose a bridle in his lips and send a blast upon him that he may be driven away and have no more power to disturb and oppres my weak feeble soul by his threatnings and suggestions and good Lord in all thy conflicts batteries and oppressions that hereafter I may meet withall by this my spirituall and dangerous enemy to my soule give me grace most humbly to come unto thee my hope and helper and to thy house where thou dwellest between the Cherubins and there as Hezekiah in his trouble and distresse did spread out the letter of Zenacherib before thee and humbled himselfe before thee with much sorrow so good Lord in all my troubles grant that I may spread before thee with true and perfect humility of heart the troubles and afflictions of my soule and then O Lord heare me and in pitty look upon my danger and deliver me from the power of the Zenacherib of this world and his instruments the disturbers of my pilgrimage to my heavenly happinesse and the quiet of a good conscience in this Jerusalem strengthen O Lord my outward walls of flesh and blood enable me with obedience and patience quietly to beare the reproaches and threatnings of this my spirituall enemy which in a kind of proportion the Children of Israel did endure upon the walls of Ierusalem deliver me from the danger of their deadly arrows O Lord and grant they may not entrench about my soule to endanger it And O Lord as for thy servant Davids sake thou diddest look favourably upon Jerusalem so I doe most humbly beseech thee for thy son Jesus Christ his sake to be mercifull unto me to defend and keep me thy servant that putteth his trust in thee from the danger of al my spiritual enemies whensoever it shall please thee to visit me by the bed of sicknesse be thou then mercyfull unto me a sinner O Lord and with Hezekiah let me turn unto thee with true and perfect contrition of heart and grant that then I may receive mercy and comfort from thee thou God of mercy and compassion and as thou sent'st thy Prophet Isaiah
clothes rent and with earth upon his head and when he came Eli sate upon a seat by the way side watching for his heart trembled for the Ark of God and when it was told unto the city they all cryed out and the man came to Eli telling him hee came out of the Army then said Eli what is done there my sonne the messenger answered Israel is fled before the Philistines and there hath been a great slaughter thy two sonnes Hophni and Phineas are dead and the Ark of God is taken and when Eli heard mention of the Ark of God he fell backward from his seat by the side of the gate and brake his neck and died he was then 98 yeares old and blind and heavy of body and he had judged Israel forty yeares and his daughter in law the wife of Phineas being with child and near her time hearing the Ark of God was taken fell into travaile and being delivered of a sonne a little before her death they would have comforted her herewith but she did not regard it but she named the child Jehabod saying the glory is departed from Israel for the Ark of God is taken And the Philistines took the Ark of God and brought it to Ashdod and set it in the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon and when they came in the morning into the house they found Dagon fallen uppon his face to the earth before the Ark of the Lord and they set him up in his place again coming the next morning early Dagon was fallen upon his face againe to the ground before the Arke of the Lord and was broken upon the threshold onely the stumpe of Dagon was left for which the Priests of Dagon nor the people ever after did tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod but the hand of the Lord was heavy upon them of Ashdod and all the coastes thereabout and they were destroyed and smote with Emrods and when they saw the judgement upon them they said the Ark of the God Israel shall not abide with us for his hand is sore upon us and upon Dagon our God and they assembled themselves together and concluded to carry the Ark of the Lord unto Gath and they carried it about thither and that city was likewise smitten with the hand of God with a great destruction and they had Emrods in their secret parts therefore they sent the Ark of God to Ekron and they cryed out saying you have brought the Ark of the God of Israel to us to destroy us and our people and all the Lords people of the Philistines gathered together said send away the Ark of the God of Israel and let it goe again to his own place that we be not utterly destoyed for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city and the men that died not were smitten with Emrods and the cry of the city went up to heaven and the Ark of the Lord was with the Philistines 7 months and they called their Priests and Divines together to conclude how they should send the Ark away and they said send it not empty but in any wise return unto the God of Israel a trespasse offering then yee shall be healed then said they what shall be the trespasse offering which we shall return to him they answered five golden Emrods and five golden mice according to the number of the Philistine Lords for one plague was on you all and on your Lords and you shall make Images of your Emrods and Images of the mice that hurt the land and give glory unto the God of Israel to take his hand off you your Gods and your land and doe not you harden your hearts as the Aegyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts when he wrought wonderfully among them did they not let the people goe and they departed Now therefore make a new cart and take two milch kine on which there hath come no yoke tye the kine to the cart and bring the claves home from them and take the Ark of the Lord and lay it upon the cart and put the jewels of gold which ye return for a trespasse offering in a coffer and tye by the side thereof and send it away and see if it goe by the way of his own coaste to Bethshemesh if so then he hath done us the great evill But if not and that it goe another way we will take it as a chance that happened to us and they did do what was commanded them and laid the Ark upon the cart and the coffer with the Jewels and the kine took the streight way of Bethshemesh and went lowing along the high way and turned not aside the Lords of the Philistines went after them and they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat and seeing the Ark they rejoyced to see it and the cart came into the field of Joshuah a Bethshemite and stood there where there was a great stone and they clave the wood of the cart and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the Lord and the Levites took downe the Ark of the Lord and the coffer with the Jewels and put them on a great stone and the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed the same day unto the Lord. And when the Lords of the Philistines had seen those things they returned to Ekron and the stone whereon they set the Ark is called the great stone of Abell which is in the field of Joshuah the Bethshemite and the Lord smote the men of Bethshemesh because they had looked into the Ark of the Lord even fifty thousand men and the people lamented and they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim to fetch up the Ark unto them and they came and fetched the Ark of the Lord unto them and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hil and sanctified Eleazer his sonne to keep the Ark of the Lord and there it continued twenty yeares and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord. And long after twenty yeares David gathered all the chosen men of Israel and went with them from Baal of Judah to bring up the Ark of the Lord of hosts that dwelleth between the Cherubins and they set the Ark of God upon a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab and Uzzah and Ahio the sonnes of Abinadab drove the cart and Ahio went before the Ark and David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments made of firre wood on Harps and Psalters Timbrels Cornets and Cimbals and when they came to Nachons threshing floore Uzzah put forth his hand to the Ark of God and took hold of it for the Oxen shook it and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Vzzah and God smote him there for his error and he died by the Ark of God and David was afraid of the Lord upon the death of Uzzah and would not remove the Ark of the Lord unto