leauing his people vtterly destitute prophefled in Babilon during the seauenty yeares Captiuitie Par. Declare your reason why you place Haggi Zachary and Malachie with Ezra Nehemiah and Hester Reason for the fift Past These doe lye in order according to the times The last Degrée that I handled doth concerne the time in which the people were in captiuitie and this Degrée concernes the time from the end of their Captiuitie vntill the finishing of the Temple at Ierusalem And the three Prophets annexed vnto them were such as God gaue to comfort and to set them forward in their building and in Religion Par. What reason haue you to sort some Bookes of the olde Testament with the Epistles Reason for the sixt Past These Bookes olde and new for matter chiefly contained in them are in another sort and kinde farre differing from the former They are more properly called Doctrinall and Sapientall because therein the holy Ghost most compendiously by similitudes comparisons allegories and examples doth perswade all men to embrace Christ Iesus in holinesse of life and conuersation Reason for the seauenth These Bookes fall out according to the Degrées so to be placed For Daniel intreats of matter and things done during the captiuitie and somewhat largely of things to be performed vntill Christs Incarnation So Saint Iohn likewise in the Reuelation poynts out by manifest particulars to those great things that were and are to be performed vntill the last day in which Christ Iesus shall come with triumph and great glory to pronounce the fulnesse of ioy for his Elect. Thus I end as I began yéelding all praise empire and dominion to his blessed Maiestie A Prayer for the Morning O Lord thou which couerest the night with darknesse and causest man therein to take his rest and by euery day and night doest shew thy great glory in the heauens and also thy wisedome and power by gouerning and preseruing all thy creatures vpon the earth O Lord I thy poore seruant and creature doe most humbly thanke thée from the bottome of my heart for my swéet and comfortable rest this night past and for watching ouer me by thine eye of prouidence and kéeping both my body and soule by thy grace from sinne and death Beséeching thée O Lord God my Father Sauiour and Comforter to blesse to sanctifie direct and preserue mée in this thy new day and that I may become a new creature vnto thée O God in holinesse and righteousnesse labouring faithfully and painefully in my calling that so my labours this day may be sanctified and blessed vnto mée and mine and that I may shew forth thy praise in all my wayes and declare my loue and charitie vnto men in all my workes that after the dayes of this my life and pilgrimage finished and ended here in this world I may liue with thée for euer in the world to come through Iesus Christ my Lord and Sauiour who liueth and raigneth with thée and the holy Ghost euer one God world without end Amen A Prayer for the Euening O Gracious and merciful God I am most bound vnto thy heauenly Maiestie for my preseruation this day because I and all men are continually subiect vnto all dangers and perils griefes and sorrowes sicknesse and death yea we lye open vnlesse thy grace and might doe defend vs vnto the temptations and tyranny of the World the Flesh and the Diuell which daily séeke and desire our hurt and confusion both of body and soule for euer Wherefore O gracious and euerliuing God as thy right hand and sauing health hath béene with mée this day and thou hast directed blessed and comforted mée thy poore seruant in all my wayes and labours for the which I most humbly thanke thée so I most earnestly intreate thy Maiestie in thy loue and mercy for Christ Iesus sake to kéepe mée and all mine in safety this night and to couer vs vnder the shadow of thy wings from all perils and dangers whatsoeuer and that our soules as well as our bodies may take their swéet and comfortable rest and ioy in thée and likewise that thou wouldest grant that whensoeuer thou shalt knocke at the doore of our harts to call vs vnto thée O God wée may with the wise Virgins be watchfull and haue oyle in our lampes that we may be receiued into eternall rest through Iesus Christ thy deare Sonne and our only Sauiour Amen FINIS
A PLAINE AND perfect Method for the easie vnderstanding of the whole BIBLE CONTAINING Seauen Obseruations Dialoguewise betweene the PARISHIONER and the PASTOR LONDON Printed by T. S. for the Widow Helme and are to be sould at her shop in S. Dunstans Church-yard in Fleetstreet 1617. TO THE RIGHT Reuerend Father in God the Lo Bishop of Lichfield and Couent My LORD MY Honourable good Lord these are to signifie vnto you that whereas I published in print many and sundry Bookes for the reading and vnderstanding of the sacred Scriptures and my selfe being worne with age neare vnto the poynt of my pilgrimage concluded with my selfe long since there to surcease Neuerthelesse of late my Lord I was importuned for the new Impression of this Booke which almost twelue yeares since hath beene in request whereunto I willingly yeelded the rather vnder your Lo fauour and protection being my Honourable good neighbour although not worth nor worthy your reading For had it not beene anciently and truely said that Hee is freer from blame that praiseth the dead then he that praiseth the liuing when the praiser cannot be moued with flattery nor the praised with vaine-glory then should I haue spoken of your Lo more worthy deserts and that whiles you are aliue which I therefore must leaue to doe to the best learned in the Land when you are dead And whereas also I durst not so much as thinke my writing fit your graue and profound reading I doe here therefore humbly acquaint your Lo that the contents thereof is a kinde of Scripture Catechisme by way of Questions and Ausweres betweene the Pastor and the Parishioner the one plainly and diuinely the other a little Philosophically and plausibly for the manner of handling And so nothing doubting of your Lo good acceptance I humbly take my leaue heartily desiring the Lord of eternall life that by your good meanes wee in these parts and in your Iurisdiction may haue a more peaceable proceeding in our preaching and that the sincere professors thereof may by you and such like be more and more countenanced and comforted as your Lordship hath well and graciously begun to the glory of God to the sauing of many thousand soules and to your owne heauenly happinesse Your Lo most humbly and dutifully in the Lord ED VAVGHAN Pastor of Stretton Leafield in the County of Darby neare Clifton Camuill A PREFACE to my Countrey-men of WALES and especially to my Countrey-men and Kinsmen of that ancient Borough of Abergevenny in the County of Monmouth MAy it please you to remember about some thirtie yeares since I wrote vnto you a Booke entituled A method for the reading and vnderstanding of the holy Scriptures the contents of my Epistle vnto you was if euer you would duly tender and apply the merits of Iesus Christ to the sauing health of your soules and the like good vnto your deare children that euery man should liue not according to blinde zeale and olde traditions but according to the line and leuell of holy Scriptures which measureth and weigheth as with a golden Reede and in the Ballance of the Sanctuary whatsoeuer is due to euery man and according as he is able to vse And that the performance thereof could not be without the true sight and perfect knowledge of the said diuine Oracles Therefore I exhorted you in the feare of God vnto the carefull and diligent reading and hearing of the same priuately and publikely To all which intents and purposes I doe here againe in another sort and kinde write vnto you and that more briefly humbly and heartily desiring you all euen for Iesus Christ his sake and for your owne soules sake you will sometimes sequester your selues from your publike affaires and sometimes from your most priuate occasions for the orderly and thorow reading hereof assuring you vpon mine owne experience and vpon the iudgement of the best learned writers that there is nothing so effectuall in all the world to moue a regenerate man to solace in sorrow to mourne in mirth and to apprehend rightly the vse of all good means which God hath left in his Church for the sauing of soule and body as the reading meditating and contemplating in the holy Booke of God giuen vnto vs by inspiration Thus I end heartily neare the period of my life desiring your euerlasting saluation in IESVS CHRIST as mine owne EDWARD VAVGHAN of Stratton Leafield in the County of Darby Late of S. Leonard Shoreditch Some briefe and necessary Introductions to the reading of this Booke by way of Questions and Answers betweene the Parishioner and the PASTOR The Lamentation of a sorrowfull sinner Parishioner HAuing seriously and sincerely searched into the most allowable and laudable things of this life I finde Right reuerend Pastor that these titles Master Worshipfull and Honourable stand not in the dignitie that men haue but in the good workes whereby they deserue and yet for all that I finde that many are violently pulled downe without fault and many are fauourably set vp without merit Moreouer I finde that when flourishing state is perpendicular or when men are at the highest then comes that euill day bringing with it fearefull gusts from the South and thunderbolt-lightnings from the North Then all turneth like to the sacietie of honey which is loathsome to the stomacke and like to ouermuch fecunditie which neuer comes to maturitie Againe I finde although a man haue the strength of Sampson Iudg. 16.3 Dan. 2.5 2 Kin. 5.1 the power of Nabuchadnezer the riches of Baltashar and the applauditie of Naaman in the Court and in the Kingdome for 500. yeares continuance without any impeachment all are nothing all are but fantasticall and sightly to the eye as those Kingdomes which the Diuell offered to Christ Mat. 4. Num. 32.33 or as this side Iordan to Ruben Gad and halfe the tribe of Manasses in respect of Canaan or as Canaan in respect of the Kingdome of heauen And whiles I thus searched into other mens estates and did behold their lamentable lapses I found my selfe of the number which is innumerable that make no care of the Lords Sabaoths that make no conscience of his Euangelicall doctrine nor any regard of them that doe sincerely and purely professe Christ Iesus O how surpassing sorrowfull are the sights of these sinnes sodainly vnto me Wormwood Aloes and Centory was neuer so bitter to the mouthes of men as these sinnes are tedious and troublesome to my minde O what cause haue I to call to cry and to curse the time the place and the persons that procured me thus wilfully as it were to forsake my Sauiour And why doe I thus heauily complaine for these few sinnes seeing I haue many other sinnes For as at a marriage men are made merry with Musicke and with varietie of meates so is my poore heart and soule made heauy and fearefull with the varietie of my sinnes As true loue to a vertuous woman that comes too late doth not desire
bad shall rise at the last day and such like matters cannot be comprehended by the naturall man therefore he must attaine vnto it by Faith This Faith traines vs to a third kinde of Faith For in euery Triangle there are thrée lines the first beginneth the second augmenteth and the third finisheth the figure euen so there are thrée kindes or sorts of Faith the first is Historicall to wit an assent to the truth of the Scriptures the second Legall when a man stands partly vpon his works for iustification the third is Euangelicall to wit a Faith that procéedes from Grace and thence takes way to the apprehending of Christs merits onely for his iustification This is the true and catholicke Faith the other may be in the Diuell This true faith which yéeldeth testimonie to Gods word is battered and bruised by many temptations but neuer broken because it takes hold in méekenesse on Christ Hée that hath this faith contents himselfe with weake meanes because hée knowes that God is powerfull in them and hée contents himselfe without meanes because it is all one with his Maiestie and yet hée omits not the opportunitie nor any good that is offered To conclude this faith is not idle it worketh by loue it euer sanctifieth and is profitable to euery good worke The Sinner desireth to know how to attaine Faith Parishioner EPaminondas the Theban being in the danger of death was tolde that his Buckler was sound and vnbroken Ruben Simeon and Leui when they had vnnaturally handled their brother Ioseph brought their Father his coate to comfort him euen so all that you haue said and done is little worth or rather an aggrauation of my griefe vnlesse you will direct mee a ready way or shew mee a perfect course how I shall obtaine faith that great and effectuall instrument of comfort to the conscience of saluation to the soule The Bee in a storm can counterpaize her selfe with a stone that shee may flye directly to her hiue The hedgehog can make two holes in his caue the one towards the South if the winde be North the other towards the North if the winde be South The Foxe can cure himselfe with the iuyce of Pine tree the Serpent can cure himselfe with Fennel the Tortise with Margerom but as for me silly soule light or heauy siâ—ke or whole sincke or swimme I haue no meanes of comfort I haue no place to hide my selfe nor helpe to flye away Christ said to a rich man concerning a pearle that was precious Goe sell all that thou hast and buy that pearle O that Christ of his mercies would say so vnto me then would I sell all and giue all if it would not be so bought I would giue my life to boot Lord then would I flie away and be no more seene then would I hide my selfe in some great Obeliske for euer nay then would I mount vp aboue the skies in the flames or sparks of Gods fiery chariot into the glorious presence of his all-sufficient Maiestie and into the ioyes of my most faithfull affected friends whose ioy would be my ioy O how am I rauished now with holy desires O how doe I long to change the company of men for the company of Angels nay the company of Saints militant for the company of Saints triumphant Come Lord Iesus O come and welcome Lord Iesus come come and welcome As good Mary said to the Angell How can this be since I know not man so say I vnto you O my good Pastor how can this be since I know not Faith nor where to finde it O that I might haue the answere of the Angell who said to Mary The holy Ghost shall come vpon thee and the power of the Highest shall ouershadow thee O then should I not faile of Faith An Answere how to attaine Faith Pastor AS Ananias spake swéetly and comfortably vnto Saul Acts 9. Brother Saul the Lord euen Iesus hath sent me that thou mightest receiue thy sight euen so I perceiue by your godly desires and by your zealous prayers I may say vnto you from the ministery of his holy word swéetly comfortably Brother and faithfull seruant of God I am ordained and sent to say vnto thee and to assure thée that by the preaching of the Gospell thou shalt haue faith and that the scales of ignorance infidelitie and such like shall fall from thée As the Lord himselfe said to Ananias Seeke in the house of Iudas for one called Saul for behold he prayeth goe thy way he is a chosen vessell vnto mee So the Lord saith vnto you séeke in my holy word for my spirit thou shalt haue faith and shalt be a chosen vessel vnto me And as Saul saw in a vision Ananias laying his hands on him that he might receiue his sight so will the Lord reueale vnto you and lay his blessed hands on you that you may receiue faith For the better testimony and assurance hereof harken how our fauiour Christ reasoneth with the murmering maligning Iewes concerning their incredulitie and concerning this question which you put forth What shall we doe that we might doe the workes of God Hee answered thus It is the worke of God that ye beleeue in him whom hee hath sent Io. 6.29 To which effect Saint Paul reasoneth with the Romans Ro. 10.9 saying Whosoeuer shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saued Which proposition he vnfoldeth with three interrogations or obiections as it were on the contrarie and then concludes as vpon a necessary consequence that Faith iustifieth and Faith is obtained by the word preached The first of which interrogations is How shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued As if hee had said there is no calling vpon God without faith The second is How shall they beleeue on him of whom they haue not heard As if hée would say no man can haue Faith without the hearing of Gods word And the third is How can a man heare without a Preacher As if he had said there is no benefit of hearing the word without a preacher The conclusion is then that Faith commeth by the hearing of Gods word preached Thus also it may be said on the contrary as the interrogations are laid Take away the preacher take away the word take away the word take away hearing take away hearing take away Faith take away Faith take away calling vpon God take away calling vpon God take away saluation in Christ The same Apostle in the same place magnifying the ministery of Gods word and the excellencie of things which faith bringeth cries out emphatically O how beautifull are the feete of them that bring tidings of peace As if he had said it is farre more ioyfull and farre more profitable for a Christian congregation to sée a Preacher come amongst them because of faith which they are to receiue by his preaching then it is to sée a Prince who notwithstanding his great maiestie must
spake in olde â—ime as they were moued by the holy Ghost by meanes of which Spirit Moses was able to set downe as is specified in the said booke all that was spoken and done 2400. yeares before he was borne and of all things else most profoundly that should befall the children of Israell many hundred yeares after he was buryed yea most directly of things that should be performed vntill the birth of Christ The Prophets likewise doe testifie that they spake nothing of themselues concerning things to come but as the Lord by his Spirit did informe them which they vttered in these words Thus saith the Lord. The foure Euangelists in like manner disposing themselues seuerally to yéeld famous and renowmed testimony of Christ Iesus the holy Messiah they so agréed in their writings though many yeares and many miles sundred them as that their Gospels being compared together they al agrée for matter of waight and substance as if they had béen personally present the one with the other at one time And S. Paul writing his Epistles alwayes confessed that he deliuered them nothing for matter of doctrine and life more then that which was taught him and that which hée had receiued from the Lords owne hand directly All which manner of writing and forme of spéech plainely publisheth to all ages for euer the truth and dignitie of Gods word the plainnesse thereof to some and the profunditie therof to others Par. Now it remaineth by order to expostulate vpon the Creation which you said is one of the chiefest and most memorable matters in the first Obseruation tell me therefore what did God create the first day Past God made all things excéeding good euen out of that which was then without any preiacent matter or out of nothing and that not all together which he might well haue done but as it were by degrées day by nay night after night vpon diuine deliberation The very title or name giuen to this book imports in effect this wonderfull worke or creation of almightie God whence it is called Genesis that is to say a begetting generation or creation And the first day he created that stately Element of Fire which he gathered out of the whole masse setting it in the heauens as a glorious Globe whence it is said he made Light which indéede is nothing else but a qualitie of Fire in which wonderfull worke hée brought light out of darknesse as an Element impugning the former In this day hee created those celestiall Spirits which are called Angels Par. What was the second work Past The second dayes worke was that liuely Element of the ayre or firmament or as I may say more properly that vaste or void place betwixt the earth and the clouds which made a separation betwixt water and water and which giues breath and life to all liuing things The third day he made the Element of water which hée caused to retire into more proper places which fitly according to the qualitie thereof was called the Seas to wit a gathering together of waters The fourth Element of Earth which according to the qualitie thereof was called Dry land was also made and so continueth as vpon a firme foundation The generall creation of compound bodies were ordained for the inhabitants of this great element Earth In this general earthly creation his Maiestie goeth forward as from things that were vnperfect to that which was perfecter till at last he came to the most perfect as from trées hearbs and plants which haue onely life whereby they grow and increase vnto beasts which haue an increasing and a sensitiue life and from thence to Adam who hath a reasonable life with the increasing and sensitiue which Element of Earth his diuine Maiestie stored with all kinde of commodities méete for the vse of mankinde to be and to remaine for euer This order of Creation vpon a sodaine view may seeme strange to wit that God made corne grasse trées hearbes and such like to grow and to haue their being before celestiall bodies as the Sunne the Moone and Starres whence corne grasse and such like haue their growth and influence But being rightly and aduisedly considered the Almighty Creator shewes that increase propagation preseruation of all things consists onely in him and by him and not from the vertue of celestiall creatures as men haue imagined and spoken The fourth day God made lights the Sunne to rule the day the Moone and the Starres to gouerne the night both which are very great that they might the better giue light to the darke earth being so farre from the heauens These two great ornaments in the heauens doe distinguish betwixt day and night the moneth from the yeare one moneth from another and summer from winter The first day and night hée created in the night fishes in the day birds Fishes were compounded of the foure elements especially of the element of water whence it commeth that they liue in the waters Birds were made of all foure elements but especially of the ayre whence it comes that they take pleasure in the ayre The sixt day and night he made all sorts of beasts some to goe and some to créepe some wilde some tame God then made man in both kindes plurally to wit male and female and yet of single bodies the better to helpe one another and therefore said It is not good for man to be alone I will make him an helper like vnto himselfe He was made after all other creatures that hée might in the beholding thereof laud and magnifie his Creator The whole Trinitie deliberated and consulted concerning him which he did not concerning any other creature The seauenth day God dedicated by his owne rest and ceasing from labour for an euerlasting rest amongst all posterities For when heauen and earth was finished and furnished God said Behold I haue made all things and loe they are exceeding good Hée blessed that day he hallowed it and sanctified it to his owne honour and glory and to the commemoration of the eternall ioy peace and comfort of Adam who was fallen and risen againe in Christ Iesus Adam rested and sanctified that very next and first Sabaoth with inuocations and offerings c. Par. Seeing that God made all things so deliberately and as hee said exceeding good why did hee afterward destroy them with the inundations of waters Past Almighty God saw that the wickednes of man was great on earth and all the imaginations of his heart was euill continually the sonnes of God marryed with the daughters of men onely because they were faire and it repented the Lord that hée had made man therefore he said I will destroy man from the face of the earth Par. What say you of our first father Adam and of his originall Past Adam was made or created in the sixt day being Friday before the Iewish Sabaoth Par. What was that breath which God infused into Adam Past It was an immortall an inuisible and an Angelicall or
of their enemies and they shall be robbed and spoyled Manasses was twelue yeares old when hée began to raigne and hée raigned fiue and fifty yeares in Ierusalem Par. Who was the next king Past 2 King 21.18.19.20 to the end 22.23 Ammon his sonne such a father such a sonne The Lord stirred vp his seruants against him who slew him in his own house He was twenty years old when he began to raigne and he raigned two yeares Par. Who was his successour Past Iosiah his sonne He did vprightly in the sight of the Lord as did his father Dauid he turned not to the right hand nor to the left And he tooke seuere order for the reformation of religion Wherefore the Lord reuealed vnto him the booke of the Law which was hid in the Temple And when he heard it read for griefe that Religion had so long béene extinguished and the name of God abused he rent his cloathes and wept sore Then he commanded his officers to inquire after the Lord by some Prophet And they found a Prophetesse in Ierusalem who answered them that the Lord would plague Iudah and Ierusalem for their idolatry but would spare Iosiah the King Then he with all the Elders of the people went into the Temple where he read the booke of God with a tender heart vnto them And afterwards he entred into couenant with the Lord for the people that they should serue him all the dayes of their liues and the people yéelded vnto it with one consent Then did the king purge the Temple and all his kingdome of Baall and of all that did appertaine vnto his seruice He brake downe also the Altar at Bethell and all the monuments of idolatry which Ieroboam had made He held a Passeouer the like was not holden since the daies of the Iudges nor the like in any Kings dayes Yet would not the Lords wrath be appeased towards the people because they had so long wallowed as it were in wickednesse Pharao Necho king of Egypt slew Iosiah at Megiddo He was eight yeares old when he entred into the kingdome and he raigned one and thirty yeares He was buried at Ierusalem in the sepulcher of his fathers Ieremie and Zophonie were Prophets in his time Par. Who was the sixteenth king Past Iehoahaz his sonne 2 King 23.31.32.33 He did euill in the sight of the Lord. Wherefore he sent Pharao the king of Egypt against him who imprisoned him thrée moneths which was all the time of his raigne And he did put the land to an excéeding great tribute Par. Who was the next king Past Eliakim 2 King 23.34.24.1 to 7. the second sonne of Iosiah who was made king by Pharao Necho the king of Egypt and he turned his name to Iehoiakim the rather because he was a wicked man Then came Nabuchadnezar King of Babell and tooke him but afterwards he rebelled against the King Wherefore he sent an hoste of the Chaldeans and of the Aramites Moabites and Ammonites against Ierusalem and Iudah to destroy it as the Lord had spoken by his Prophets Ichoiakim was fiue twenty yeares old when he began to raigne and he raigned 11. yeares in Ierusalem and then dyed Ieremy and Zophony were Prophets in his time Par. Who was successour to Ichoiakim Past 2 King 24.8 Ichoiakim his sonne He was eightéene yeares old when hée began to raigne and hée raigned thrée moneths wickedly The second Particular of the fift Obseruation concerning the captiuitie of Iudah and Ierusalem Then came Nabuchadnezar the King of Babell against Ierusalem and besieged it And hauing wonne the Citie with great losse of bloud he tooke the King his Mother and the Nobilitie with tenne thousand such as hée liked and carryed them to Babilon with all the treasures of the Lords house And Nabuchadnezar made Mattaniah his Vncle King in his stead whose name hée changed to Zedechiah 2 Kings 24 17.25 who then was one and twentie yeares olde and hée raigned eleauen yeares in Ierusalem wickedly insomuch that the Lord was fiercely bent against Iudah and Ierusalem to destroy them vtterly Hée therefore stirred vp Nabuchadnezar againe with all his hoast to ransacke and vtterly to destroy Ierusalem the house of Dauid and the Temple Thus you may sée Ierusalem was destroyed thrée times Ieremie and Zophonie were Prophets in his time of whom he might haue heart and knowne the will waies of the Lord. Par. Now I pray you set mee downe in like manner the particular stories of the Kings of Israel whose place and seate was at Samaria with the Prophets one or more as they liued Past 1 King 11.26 to 49. 2 King 12.12.13.14 to 21. Ieroboam was the sonne of Nebat an Ephradite of Zereda Salomons Seruant He was a strong man and valiant The Prophet Ahijah fore-tolde him by a signe that the Kingdome of Israel should be diuided into two parts and that he should be king of the one part Salomon hearing thereof sought to kill him which made him to flye into Egypt But when Salomon was dead it fell out so indéede as you may read for hée had ten Tribes that held with him where as Rehoboam the lawfull heyre and the Kings sonne had but two Tribes Which fauour at Gods hands might haue made him humble and zealous after religion but hée imagined that if the people did serue the Lord as they vsed at Ierusalem they would turne and rebell Therefore hée made them Idols at Bethel and Dan and ordained them priests of the inferiour sort of people and commanded the people to worship those Idols for their God Herein he thought to haue done wisely but the Prophet reprehended him in the open congregation and the Lord strucke that hand of his wherewith he would haue stricken the Prophet with such numnesse or drinesse as he was not able to helpe himselfe And the Altar claue a sunder at that time as the man of God desired Then the King was fayne to make intercession vnto the Prophet that God would restore him his hand And at another time the Prophet Ahijah tolde him as from the Lord that for the wickednesse hée had done to prouoke his Maiestie withall there should not be left of him nor of his generation so much as one Dogges should eate his stocke in the Citie and the Fowles of the ayre in the field Hée raigned two and twenty yeares and then dyed Ahijah was a Prophet in his dayes Par. Who was the second King of Samaria Past 1 King 14 20.15.25 to 29. Nadab his sonne He raigned two yeares and did that which was wicked as did his father Ieroboam And Baasha the sonne of Ahijah of the house of Isachar conspired against him and slew him at Gibbethon which did belong to the Philistines Ahijah and Iehu were Prophets in his time Par. Who was the third King of Samaria Past Baasha the sonne of Ahijah of Isachar 1 King 15 16. to the end 16.1 to 7. who warred against
Asa the King of Iudah insomuch that the King of Iudah was faine to hyre the King of Aram to assist him And there continued wars betwéene Asa and Baasha all their dayes to the great terrour and vndoing of the subiects on both sides Wherefore the Lord sent Iehu saying Forasmuch as I haue exalted thee out of the dust and thou notwithstanding hast walked in all the wayes of Ieroboam and hast made my people Israel to sinne behold I will take away thy posteritie and will make thy house like his house So hée dyed hauing raigned foure and twenty yeares Iehu was a Prophet in his time Par. Who was the fourth King Past 1 King 16 8.9 Ela the sonne of Baasha Hée continued at Tirzah where Zimri his seruant killed him as he was drunke in his Stewards house after hée had raigned two yeares 1 King 16 9.10.11 to 19. Zimri raigned as King in the roome of Ela whom he had slaine He also slew all that pertained to Baasha euen euery one that were his friends or wel-willers according to that which the Lord had spoken by his Prophet Iehu because he and Ela his son had enforced the people of Israel to sinne against the Lord. When the people were in campe against Gibethon had heard that Zimri had slaine the King did set himselfe as king in his throne 1 King 16.16 to 28. they made Omri Captaine of the hoast King ouer Israell And when Zimri saw that the Citie Tirzah was taken hée went into his Palace and burnt himselfe and the Kings house and so dyed Then the people were diuided into two parts the one halfe followed Tibni the sonne of Ginath to make him king the other followed Omri to make him king But the people that followed Omri preuailed So Tibni dyed and Omri raigned twelue yeares wickedly as did Ieroboam and so dyed Par. Who was the fift king of Samaria Past Ahab his sonne 1 King 16 29.17.18.19.20.21.22 1. to 41. who did worse in the Lords sight then all that went before him And for the greater increase of his wickednesse hée marryed the Daughter of the Zidonian king who brought him to set vp Baall as a God And thus hée continued two and twenty yeares Hée had 450. false Prophets 1 King 7.1.2 to the end 18.1 to the end 19.1 to the end 2 Kin. 1.2 Eliah the Prophet of the Lord was in his time and an hundred other Prophets who laboured all that they could to conuert him But hée neuerthelesse encreased in wickednesse and slew all that called vpon the name of the Lord. Almighty God made the heauens as brasse and the earth as iron for the space of thrée yeares according to the words of Eliah insomuch as that there was a great dearth and famine But the Lord prouided miraculously for Eliah by the hands of the widow of Sarepta and by other meanes In the third yeare the Lord sent Eliah to Ahab who with his wife Iezabel excéeded in crueltie killing the Lords seruants and séeking in all Nations to finde him also But when Eliah met the King hée tolde him to his face that his sinne was the cause of Gods displeasure against Israel Afterwards Eliah and the people agréed that the God who answered by fire whether it were Baal or the God of Israel the same should be taken for the true GOD from thence forth And when the people had séene that Baal could doe nothing in the time of néede and the great power of God so admirable they cryed out and said The Lord is God the Lord is God And then the Lord of his mercy gaue them raine at the prayer of Eliah And yet notwithstanding this great worke of God by the hand of Eliah Iezabel the Quéene sought to kill Eliah so that hée was faine to hide himselfe and to flye from place to place as hée did before But the Lord had speciall care of him The assurance whereof was manifested vnto him by the miraculous worke of God renting the mountaines breaking the rockes and shaking the earth Iezabel his wife caused Naboth to be slaine that shée might enioy his Vineyard and againe the Lord of his mercies sent his Prophet Eliah to reproue him that hée might repent Afterwards Ahab was slaine in the battell with the king of Siria and hée was buryed in Samaria but his armour and his Chariot being washed in the poole of Samaria the dogs licked his bloud according to the word of the Lord after he had raigned two and thirty yeares Par. Who succeeded this wicked King Ahab in Samaria Past 1 King 22.51 2 King 1.1 to the end Ahaziah his sonne But he did worse as the holy Ghost reports For hée walked in the wayes of his Father in the wayes of his mother and in the way of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat And when hée was sicke hée consulted with a witch hée dyed when hée had raigned two yeares Eliah was his Prophet through the mercy of God from whose mouth hée might haue knowne the minde of the Lord but hée would not Therefore in signe of Gods fearefull iudgements his Captaines ouer fifties were destroyed with fire from heauen at the prayer of Eliah Par. Who was the ninth king Past Iehoram his sonne 2 Kings 1.17.3.1 to the end 9. to the end Hée was not so wicked as his father nor so wicked as his mother For hée tooke away the Image of Baal that his father had set vp and yet hée cleaued to the abhomination of Ieroboam which made Israell to sinne and departed not there-from The king of Moab paid tribute vnto the king of Israell but when Ahab was dead hée refused to pay as he had done before Then king Iehoram tooke with him the king of Iudah and the king of Edom with all their power and went to warre against the king of Moab And when they came to a place where they wanted water Elisha being earnestly requested declared vnto them what successe they should haue against Moab and the Lord ministred vnto them a whole valley of water without winde or raine according as Elisha had said Hée was slaine of Iehu after hée had raigned twelue yeares 2 Kin. 4.1 to the end 5.1 to the end 6.1 to the end 7. to the end 8.1 to 16. Elisha was in his time who wrought many wonderfull things for the confirmation of his zeale and faith in the Lords businesse but it tooke no effect in him Par. Who succeeded Iehoram in Samaria Past Iehu a Captaine dwelling in Ramoth Gilead the sonne of Iehosaphat 2 Kin. 9.1 to the end 10.1 to the end the sonne of Nimshi according as the Lord had appoynted Hée slew Iehoram and his Wife Iezabell whose flesh the Dogges did eate according as the Prophet had foretolde Hée slew Ahabs Priests and all the sonnes of Ahab as the Lord had said Hée threw downe the Image of Baall and all that appertained vnto him Wherefore the Lord promised him that his