Ephraim and Manasseh should be reckoned as his own being Heads of distinct Tribes as his other Sons were Then laies his Right Hand upon Ephraim's head the younger and his Left upon Manasseh's the Elder to shew that Ephraim tho the Younger should have the preheminence and bestow his Patriarchal Blessing on them and gives Joseph a parcel of Land in Canaan all that he had there as his Heir CHAP. XLIX Afterwards he calls all his Sons together and by the Spirit of Prophecy blesses them and foretels their future Estate and what should betide each Tribe particularly in their succeeding Generations Then commands 'em to bury him with his Fathers and so yields up the Ghost CHAP. L. Then Joseph commands his Body to be embalmed which being dispatch'd having crav'd leave of the King he carries his Father's Body into Canaan to his Sepulcher there according to his appointment The Funeral Solemnity being over Joseph's Brethren began to fear that he 'd reckon with 'em for their misusage of him formerly But he was so far from that that he comforts and speaks kindly to 'em and promises to nourish them and all theirs After which Joseph and his Brethren lived long in Egypt and when he was ready to die he told them that God would certainly visit them in mercy and bring 'em out of Egypt into Canaan and therefore they should not bury his Body there but carry it along with 'em whensoever they went out So he died being an hundred and ten years old and they embalmed him and put him in a Coffin EXODUS CHAP. I. JOseph being dead and the Children of Israel being multiplyed exceedingly there arose a new King who not regarding the eminent Service Joseph had done to that Crown fearing their Strength contrives several ways to keep 'em under endeavouring first to wear 'em out with hard Labour and rigorous Bondage which not succeeding he commands the Midwives to strangle all the Male Children in the Birth but they not obeying this barbarous Edict he next commands all his People to throw every Male Child they met with into the River CHAP. II. During this Distress Moses was born and concealed by his Parents but when they could hide him no longer they put him in an Ark of Bull-rushes and laid him among the Flags by the River side and set his Sister to watch the event Pharaoh's Daughter coming that way and spying the Ark sent for it and found a Child therein Then she sent the Childs Sister to fetch an Hebrew Nurse who called the Child's Mother so she nurst it and when he was grown up brought him to Pharaoh's Daughter who adopted him for her Son called his Name Moses and trained him up in all the Wisdom and Learning of the Egyptians whereby he was fitted by God's singular Providence for those great Services he was afterwards employed in In this capacity he continued in Pharaoh's Court till he was forty years old but then he forsook the Court and joyned himself to his afflicted Brethren resolving to afford 'em what help he could So going among 'em one day and seeing an Egyptian cruelly beating one of his Brethren he slew the Egyptian which being known to Pharaoh he was fain to fly into the Land of Midian where he dwelt with a Priest of that Land and married one of his Daughters by whom he had a Son Here he continued forty years till that King of Egypt was dead But still the Israelites were exceedingly opprest which made 'em cry to God and he took notice of it CHAP. III. As Moses kept his Father-in-law's Flock by Horeb he had a Vision of a Bush Burning yet not consum'd out of which God calls to him and tells him he heard the Cry of the Israelites and was come down to deliver them and would send him to bring 'em forth from which employment Moses excuses himself but God encourages him Moses asks his Name God bids him say to the Israelites I AM THAT I AM hath sent me to you and bids him and the Elders of Israel go to Pharaoh to ask his leave to go into the Wilderness to offer Sacrifice and Promises tho Pharaoh did refuse to bring 'em out by Power and with much Wealth CHAP. IV. Moses further excuses himself and God encourages him again by two Miracles but still he is loath to venture and frames new excuses till God was angry with him and to encourage him joyns his Brother Aaron in Commission with him to be his Spokesman to Pharaoh and the People Hereupon Moses with his Family return into Egypt and in an Inn by the way the Lord had like to have slain him for not circumcising his Child In the Wilderness he meets with his Brother Aaron and so they went and called together the Elders of the People and rehears'd these things to them who rejoyc'd at it CHAP. V. Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh to demand leave for the People to go to keep a Feast in the Wilderness to the Lord. Pharaoh proudly demands Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to let Israel go and chides 'em for their message and encreases the Peoples task which when they complain of they are chidden and get no redress whereupon they cry out upon Moses and Aaron and Moses complains to God CHAP. VI. Then God encourages him and renews his Promise by his Name Jehovah assuring him that he 'l bring the People out of Egypt and bring 'em into Canaan And this Moses relates to 'em but they minded it not by reason of their oppression CHAP. VII Then God sent Moses and Aaron again unto Pharaoh who requires a Sign whereby he might know that God sent ' em Aaron throws down his Stick before Pharaoh and it became a Serpent The Magicians did also in like manner So Pharaoh's Heart was hardned that he would not let 'em go Then God sends Moses and Aaron again and in case Pharaoh would not yet be perswaded that they should smite the Waters with the Staff and turn 'em to Blood which accordingly they did and the Magicians did the like So that Pharaoh was hardned still CHAP. VIII God sends 'em again and upon Pharaoh's refusal sends Frogs all over the Land and the Magicians did the like But now Pharaoh seeks to Moses and Aaron to have the Frogs remov'd and promises to let 'em go but when the Frogs were taken away he refuses still Then God sends Lice upon Man and Beast which the Magicians could not do and so were convinc't that it was Gods work yet Pharaoh stands out still Then God sends Swarms of Flies which corrupted the Land Pharaoh then would let 'em go with some Limitations and prays that this Judgment might be remov'd which being done he was hardned still CHAP. IX Next God sends a Murrain upon the Cattel so that they died next Boils upon Man and Beast so that the Magicians could not stand before Moses next Thunder Lightning and Hail which destroyed all that was in the
offered to touch her Here Isaac grows very rich whereupon they made a League with him CHAP. XXVII Isaac being old and dim-sighted sends Esau to get him some Venison that he might bestow upon him his Patriarchal Blessing for it Rebeccah over-hearing bids Jacob fetch a Kid from the Flock which she would dress according to Isaac's Palate and he should carry it to him that he might get the Blessing which he doth accordingly and his Father blesses him Immediately after comes Esau with his Venison Isaac then discern'd the Fraud and trembled exceedingly Esau cries out bitterly for loss of the Blessing and begs hard for one Blessing which his Father bestows on him Upon this Esau hated Jacob and threatens his Death which Rebeccah hearing of sends him to her Brother Laban CHAP. XXVIII Before Jacob goes Isaac blesses him again and charges him to take a Wife of his Kindred and not of the Canaanites In this Journey he came to a place one night where he had a Dream and Vision of a Ladder reaching to Heaven whereon the Angels passed up and down and God at the top who renews his promise to him made formerly to his Fathers Abraham and Isaac and promises to be with him wheresoever he went This place Jacob calls Beth-el and vows to take this God for his God and to give the tenth of all his Substance to God CHAP. XXIX Jacob passes on and came to a Well where he meets with Rachel to whom he made himself known She acquaints her Father Laban with it who hired him to keep his Sheep seven years for his Daughter Rachel so a Feast was kept a Week together to solemnize the Marriage but at night Laban brings Leah to him instead of Rachel which he discerning in the morning expostulates with Laban about it he excuses it and desires him to keep her and he 'd give him Rachel too for seven years service more which he agreed to and another Weeks Feast was kept for her and she was his best beloved and was barren but Leah bare him four Sons Reuben Simeon Levi and Judah CHAP. XXX Rachel being impatient for Children gives her Maid Bilhah to Jacob by whom he has Dan and Nepthali Then Leah likewise gives her Maid Zilpah to Jacob by whom he has Gad and Asher Leah hires the Company of her Husband Jacob of Rachel with her Sons Mandrakes and so has two Sons more Issachar and Zebulon and a Daughter Dinah At last Dinah harkned to Rachel and gave her a Son Joseph Then Jacob's fourteen years of service being expired he makes a new Bargain with his Unkle Laban that he 'd have only the speckled and spotted Lambs for his Wages which beyond expectation and the course of Nature prov'd very advantageous to him by the Providence of God and his Blessing on the Arts he us'd to make the Sheep bring forth speckled and spotted Lambs CHAP. XXXI Jacob being brow-beaten by Laban for the good success of his Bargain and slandered by his Sons upon warning from God departs privately and carries away all his Substance and among other things Rachel stole away her Fathers Images Assoon as Laban had notice of his departure he pursues after him with no good intent and overtakes him but being warned of God not to endeavour either by fair means or foul to bring him back again he only expostulates with him concerning his departing so privately and charges him with stealing his Gods Jacob gives him leave to search for 'em which he did but in vain Rachel having hidden 'em and sat upon them Hereupon Jacob chode with him complaining of his hard dealing all the time of his Service but at length they made a Covenant and so parted CHAP. XXXII Jacob going on has a Vision of Angels at Mahanaim sends a Message to his Brother Esau to give him notice of his coming Esau comes out to meet him which fills Jacob with fear whereupon he prays to God for deliverance from him and prepares a present to pacifie him That Night the Angel of the Covenant Christ wrestles with him in humane Shape and suffers himself to be prevailed over and calls his Name Israel CHAP. XXXIII After this Jacob and Esau meet together and great expressions of kindness pass between 'em then Esau returns to his own Habitation and Jacob comes to Shalem and builds an Altar there CHAP. XXXIV Dinah gadding abroad was ravish'd by Sechem and afterwards upon agreement that all the men of his City should be circumcis'd Dinah was given to Sechem but her Brethren Simeon and Levi on the third day after their Circumcision when they were sore came upon 'em and slew all the Males plundered the City and took away their Sister Dinah CHAP. XXXV ver 1-20 After this God sends Jacob to Beth-el where he purges his Family from Idols and builds an Altar God appears again to him there and renews the Name Israel to him and his former promises whereupon he calls the Name of it Beth-el As they journied from thence Rebeccah falls in travail of Benjamin and dies and was buried there CHAP. XXXVI Esau's Offspring is recorded CHAP. XXXVII Joseph was feeding the Flock with his Brethren but they hated and envied him for his Fathers love to him and carried themselves unkindly to him which he acquainted his Father with Then he dreamt two Dreams of the Sheaves bowing down to his Sheaf and the Sun Moon and eleven Stars making Obeysance to him which he told to his Father and his Brethren Afterwards his Father sends him to see how his Brethren did in Sechem They seeing him acoming conspir'd against him stript him of his Coat of divers colours and cast him into an empty pit but seeing some Merchants travelling that way they took him out and sold him to them who carried him into Egypt and sold him to Potiphar chief Officer in Pharaoh's Court and to disguise their wickedness they took his Coat dipt it in Blood and sent it to their Father to make him believe that some wild Beast had torn him to pieces CHAP. XXXV ver 27-29 After this Jacob goes to visit his Father Isaac who died about that time being ninescore years old CHAP. XXXVIII Judah took a Wife and had three Sons by her The eldest he married to Tamar but he being wicked God slew him before he had a Child Then Judah spake to his Second Son to marry her and raise up Seed to his Brother but he tho' he married her yet to prevent her conceiving by him spilt his Seed on the ground for which God slew him also Whereupon Judah being unwilling to bestow his third Son upon her to put her off perswades her to go to her Fathers till his third Son was fit for her Afterwards Tamar seeing that that third Son was not given to her and hearing that Judah was going to his Sheep-shearers to Timnah she sits in the way veiled and disguised Judah taking her for a Harlot sollicits her Chastity She yields and takes his Staff
Elisha came to Damascus and Benhadad being sick was told that the Prophet Elisha was there whereupon he sent Hazael to enquire of him whether he should recover Who answer'd That as to any thing of his Disease he might recover but God had shew'd him that he should die by other means Then Elisha fixt his Eyes upon Hazael and wept which Hazael enquiring the reason of he told him It was for the great mischiefs he should do to Israel when he came to be King of Syria as Dashing out their Childrens Brains and ripping up their Women with Child To which Hazael said Is thy Servant a Dog that he should do such things So Hazael came to his Master Benhadad and told him that the Prophet said he should surely recover But to prevent that he spread a wet cloth over his Face and so stifled him About this time Jehoram the Son of Jehosaphat began to reign He married Ahab's Daughter and so walkt in the ways of the House of Ahab 2 Chron. 21. He slew all his Brethren and many of the great Men of the Land and made many innovations in Religion for the promoting of Idolatry While he was going on in these ways a Letter was deliver'd him written by Elijah by the Spirit of Prophecy during his abode on earth to threaten him for his wickedness and tell him That God would plague him his Wives Children People and inflict a Disease upon him in his Bowels which should torment him day by day till they fell out Accordingly God stirr'd up the neighbour Nations to distress him and smote him in his Bowels with an incurable Disease so that after two years they fell out and he died without being desir'd and Ahaziah his Son reigned in his sted He walked in the way of the House of Ahab being his Son-in-Law He went with Joram King of Israel to the war against Hazael at Ramoth-Gilead but Joram being wounded came back to be cured in Jezreel and Ahaziah went thither to give him a Visit CHAP. IX Elisha sends one of the young Prophets to annoint Jehu to be King of Israel so he went to the Camp at Ramoth-Gilead and singled out Jehu and anointed him with a Command to destroy the whole House of Ahab Then Jehu telling the Commanders what had been done to him they presently proclaimed him King and he went towards Jezreel but being spied by a Watch-man Joram sends to enquire what was the matter but Jehu detain'd the Messenger then another was sent but he was detain'd also Then Joram went himself and Ahaziah with him and ask'd Is it peace Jehu who answer'd What peace so long as the Whoredoms of thy Mother Jezabel and her Witchcrafts are so many Joram then perceiving there was treachery endeavours to fly away but Jehu drew a Bow and slew him and bad one of his Captains cast his Body into the Field of Naboth as God had threatned he should be serv'd He slew Ahaziah King of Judah also and when he was come to Jezreel Jezabel look'd out at a Window and upbraided him for killing his Master But he commanded her to be thrown down out of the Window and he trod her under feet and the Dogs did eat the greatest part of her What was left he commanded to be buried because she was a Kings Daughter CHAP. X. After this Jehu sent Letters to Samaria where were kept seventy of Ahab's Sons requiring those that had the charge of 'em to bring their Heads to him on the morrow which was done So he slew all that remained of the House of Ahab at Jezreel he slew also forty two Princes the Kindred of Ahaziah As he was going to Samaria he met with Jonadab the Son of Rechab and took him up into his Charet saying Come see my Zeal for the Lord of Hosts So he came to Samaria and slew all that remained of Ahab there Then he gathered all the Worshipers and Prophets of Baal together upon pretence of offering a great Sacrifice to Baal and caus'd 'em all to be slain and burnt his Images and brake down his Temple But yet he practis'd the Idolatry of Jeroboam thâ— not of Ahab But for what he had done in executing Judgment on the House of Ahab God promis'd to continue his Seed on the Throne to the fourth Generation He reign'd twenty eight years over Israel in Samaria and then died and his Son Jehoahaz reign'd in his sted CHAP. XI Ahaziah being slain his Mother Athuliah usurps the Throne and slew all the Seed-Royal only one of them Joash was hid in some of the Chambers belonging to the Temple six years And in the seventh year Jehojada the High Priest brought him out and proclaimed him King Athaliah hearing a noise went to see what was the matter and spied Joash standing by a Pillar and the People about him rejoycing and cried out Treason Treason But Jehojada commanded and they laid hands on her and slew her Then Jehojada made a Covenant between the Lord and the King and the People that they should be the Lords People and between the King and the People Then they brake down the Monuments of Idolatry and slew the Priests of Baal and they brought the King down out of the House of the Lord and he sate upon the Throne of the Kings CHAP. XII It was in the seventh year of Jehu that Joash began to reign and he did right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehojada and caused the Temple to be repair'd But after Jehojada was dead the Princes came and flatter'd him and he harkned unto 'em and they fell to Idolatry again Whereupon the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah and he reproved 'em for their sins so the King commanded him to be ston'd and they ston'd him in the Court of the Lords House And when he died he said The Lord look upon it and requite it After this Hazael designing to come up against Jerusalem Joash took all the hallowed things and sent 'em to him and so he departed But the Servants of Joash conspired against him and slew him in the House of Millo and Amaziah his Son reigned in his sted CHAP. XIII In the three and twentieth year of Joash began Jehoahaz Son of Jehu to reign over Israelâ— and he followed the ways of Jeroboam so the Lord delivered Israel into the hands of the King of Syria and Jehoahaz besought the Lord and he gave them a Saviour Then he died and Joash his Son reigned in his sted who departed not from the sins of Jeroboam In his days Elisha fell sick and Joash came and wept over him saying O my Father my Father the Charets of Israel and the Horsemen thereof And Elisha bad him take his Bow and Arrows and shoot and he shot then Elisha told him he should smite the Syrians till he had consumed ' em Then he had him take the Arrows and smite upon the ground and so he did thrice And Elisha was angry because he smote but thrice