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
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
was euill in the sight of the Lord to wit in offering a burnt offering Leuit. 1. which was not lawfull for any to doe saue for the Priests vpon paine of death Therefore the Prophet Samuel told him plainely from the Lord that therein hée had done foolishly and that his kingdome should not continue and so Samuel departed from him in great indignation for the zeale hée bare to the Lord and for the loue he bare to the kingdome Par. Saul as we read was in great distresse 1 Sam. 13. by reason of many thousands of the Philistines that were come against his people Israell and they by reason of Samuels long tarrying at Gilgall 12 were scattered and fled saue sixe hundred men that remained with the King Therefore Saul fell to his prayers and did offer as hee said a burnt Offering vnto the Lord tell me what offence was this as the present necessitie required Past 1 Sam. 13. Saul in like manner transgressed the voyce of the Lord in keeping the King of the Amalekites aliue whereas hée was commanded to kill him and in reseruing for Sacrifice the best of the Oxen and the best of the Sheepe which was also directly forbidden Out of which place I will answere your demaund or question from the mouth of Samuel the holy Prophet When thou wast little in thine owne sight wast not thou made King ouer Israell The Lord commanded thee to kill the Amalekites and to let none remaine Now thou hast not obeyed the Lords voyce but hast turned to the prey wherein thou hast done wickedly in the sight of the Lord. Rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft and transgression is wickednesse and Idolatry Behold thou hast cast away the word of the Lord therefore hee hath cast away thee Hereby you may sée that sinne or transgression is not reckoned for the smalnesse or greatnesse thereof with God as it is with men for many times small sinnes in our sights are great sinnes in Gods fight and great sinnes in our fight are small in his sight Men must rule themselues by his word by his holy Lawes and not according to good intents or earthly mens directions Par. How did Saul behaue himselfe towards his subiects Past Saul enuied Dauids good report and iust desert When Dauid returned from the slaughter of the Philistines the women by one consent and as it were by Gods appoyntment met Dauid crying and saying 1 Sam. 18. Saul hath slaine his thousand and Dauid his tenne thousand and for this cause onely Saul was excéeding wroth with Dauid and euer after sought to kill him and in the persecuting of him he slew euery of the Priests that fauoured him and tooke an oath of all his subiects to betray him It were too long to particulate his cruelties towards others his poore subiects whom he should haue defended and maintayned Par. What was Sauls end Past The Spirit of God being departed from him and his owne heart giuen him hée euer after followed that euen to the wars of the Philistines at which time hée desperately slew himselfe The ninth Particular concerning Dauid Par. Next in order remaineth to speake of Dauid Past Dauid was of the tribe of Iudah of the roote of Iesse borne in Bethlehem As it was said of Ierusalem 1 Sam. 16. Many excellent things are spoken of thee O thou Citie of God euen so many excellent things are spoken of Dauid Saul being reiected of God for his sinnes Dauid was annoynted King in his roome by the same Prophet Samuel 17. and the Spirit of the Lord came vpon him insomuch that though he were but a little simple man yet hée slew Goliah that defied Israell hée slew many of the most mighty Philistines 2 Sam. 1.2.3.4.5.6.7 c. who were enemies to Saul and his people When Saul was dead hée succéeded in the Kingdome according to the Lords ordinance and valiantly subdued mighty kings that made warre against him Dauid renued religion offered to build an house for the Arke of God Dauid sinned grieuously in Gods sight therefore the Lord punished him excéedingly many wayes and afterward vpon repentance he receiued him into speciall fauour Par. Dauid being annointed king and being so valiant in the warres hauing also the fauour of the people why did hee runne away and hide himselfe from Saul and why did he not withstand him Past Dauid hauing Gods Spirit knew very well that hée might not resist nor rebel against Saul the Lords annoynted and though hée were to succéede him in the kingdome yet hée knew that he was not to enioy it before him nor to be partner with him and to auoid the rebellion and disorder of the people the Lord commanded Samuel to annoynt him King secretly lest the people should offer him helpe and rebellion against Saul And farther so godly and vpright in heart hée was towards the King that when hée most iniuriously and fiercely sought to kill him in all lands yet hée would neuer carry a thought to vse bloudy hands against his King though many times he might haue done it Hée was so farre from causing any other to doe it 2 Sam. 1. as that hée slew those that brought him word that Saul was dead The tenth Particular concerning Salomon Par. Now impart vnto me briefly the story of Salomon the third King of Israel Past There was neuer the like King before Salomon 1 King 3. neither the like shall be after him for his wisedome and riches So soone as euer he put foot into the kingdome he loued the Lord as the holy Ghost testifieth Wherefore the Lord appeared vnto him promising to giue vnto him whatsoeuer he would aske Of al the glorious things of this life he desired nothing but he desired wisedome whereby hée might gouerne his people prudently and religiously wherefore the the Lord gaue him wisedome and riches aboue all men both which great blessings he principally imployed to the building of a Temple for the Lord at Ierusalem where his holy Name might be called vpon in true religion Hée gouerned his kingdome all the dayes of his life quietly and peaceably Par. Some calles into question whether Salomon were saued or not because of his sinnes with so many outlandish women Past It is certaine that he sinned therein excéedingly Yet Almighty God séeing his repentance in his rich mercies forgaue him all according as hée promised his Father Dauid 1 Sam. 7.13.14.15 saying Hee shall build mee an house and I will stablish the throne of his Kingdome for euer I will be his Father and hee shall be my sonne If hee sinne I will chasten him but my mercy I will not vtterly take from him Par. Seeing that the fourth Obseruation doth end at the building of the Temple declare vnto mee briefly concerning the same Past Salomon tooke order with Hiram the King of Tyrus 1 King 5. for Cedar trées and Firre trées He had thirty thousand men whom hée sent to Libanon by
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