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
their captivities and the sacrifices there was more acceptable to thee then the Adorations that were at Bethel framed by Ieroboam that made Israel to sinne by a worship of his own invention for vain glory the true type of heresie and innovations By this O Lord let thy servant to see that there was alwayes a knowne and certain way of worship and a visible Church to thy children of Israel even in the middle of the red Sea and Jordan of danger and drowning being pursued by the Egypt of this world and still from time to time this people of thine and in thy Church there were guides and governours for them to follow to preserve them from by-paths and in the right rule of thy Church and saving truth which Church and worship was hid from the Gentiles for their great abominations and by thy secret judgements yet out of thy great and wonderfull mercy to mankind according to thy promise and prophesies a Messias did come to redeeme the Gentiles and to bring them unto thee and that great mercy of his Redemption which wonderfull mercy was by my blessed Redeemer and Saviour Iesus Christ the long hoped for Messias descended from the roote of Jesse the great deliverer of the Gentiles from the thraldome and bondage of sinne whom no creature could redeeme but that immaculate lamb the sonne of God descended from that blessed root of whom all the Prophets have so much prophesied and above all the Prophet Esaiah of the calling of the Gentiles and the great visibility of the Church that should be at his coming for all the world to see and follow and by which they should learn to leave all blind corners and crooked by-paths of ignorance and wilfulnesse and all good and humble soules thither to repaire both Jewes and Gentiles even to this Church placed upon an open mountain that every one might see the light thereof thither repaire for the comfort and care of their soules for there are the true Physitians and the wholesome balsames to cure the festred sores of sin and there is safety for the humble of heart and there is ever light prepared for them Thus with humility of heart ascend up into that mountain of the Lord and Thus O Lord by thy incomprehensible mercy thou hast given us a way to follow confirmed to us and the truth thereof by the great example of thy servants in the primitive Church the Apostles Martyrs Confessors and Virgins and other thy Saints by their great sufferings and persecutions in the spirituall progresse of this world before the Ark thy Church could come to rest from that deluge and troublesome waters of afflictions In all their sufferings and persecutions following the Example of their Pilot and Redeemer being humble and meek and obedient to their temporall Lords and giving unto Caesar that was Caesars onely their faith and a good conscience they preserved unspotted before thee O Lord desiring rather to submit their lives then hold up their hands and prayed for their persecutors rather then they would shed the blood of any man that had the least stamp of Gods Image upon him Let me not therefore O Lord spurne against authority nor laugh at devotion as Michall that proud Dame did scoffe at David for dancing before the Ark nor think it superstition to follow thy holy Ark seven times about Jericho if it be commanded by Scripture or men of divine authority have so determined for there is a blessing goes along with this Ark of thy Covenant and happines is a reward to the humble and devout soule that attendeth without reluctation upon thy ordinances and the discipliue of thee O God whiles this Ark of truth stood with Dagon that Idoll fell down and was brossen for truth and falshood cannot stand together let the soule of thy fervant know this O Lord and let mee not think to serve thee but with a single sincere and an humble heart and not to mix it with my own foolish fancy but to serve thee by that rule as thou hast appointed and good Lord let the Dagon of sinfulnesse that is raised up in my corrupt heart fall downe and be broken in peices and place in steed thereof thy holy Covenant and truth Lord cleanse and purge me and make me worthy to receive the Arke of thy Covenant thy saving truth and holy spirit that by my corruptions and wickednesse of life it may not he with mee as it was with them of Ashdod and Ekron whiles the Arke was amongst them to bring punishments and plagues upon me for my iniquity and prophanesse and inordination But sanctifie my soule O Lord and give the blessing unto me that thou diddest give unto Abinadab and Obed-Edom with whom the Ark did rest and make me a happy vessell to receive thy holy spirit and then will all things be happinesses and blessings unto me both in this life and in the life to come O Lord though Eli and his sonnes did unrighteously before thee to the bad example of the Israelites yet let not the bad example that I may see by some bad members in thy Church make me to stumble in my way but still to follow the Ark of thy Covenant and mourn after it as the children of Israel did mourn and rejoyce in the prosperity of thy Church when there shall be any joyfull remembrance of any kinde of mercy or deliverance O Lord bring me thy servant into the sanctuary of thy saving grace and thy holy Ark the Church in safety unto the city of David in despight of all mocking Michals that all the world may praise thee for all thy mercies as David did magnifie thy mercy in the presence of all the congregation with a kind of spirituall joy beyond the limits of all humane conceit or the capacity of a proud Naturalist and place it there O Lord in the Tabernacle of peace and quietnesse that all the world may see thy mercy and know the way to their salvation leaving all blind by-paths and distracted wayes that tend and bend to destruction For thou O Lord hast shewed us a way and left us unexcusable if wee follow it not without unsound and deceitfull reasoning and our destruction is of our selves But let all praise and glory be given to thee O Lord for thy goodnesse and truth Thou O Lord art the way the truth and the life Lord lead us all by that way which thou hast shewn unto that truth which hath promised that life then shall all doubtfull errors be removed from our soules and we shall live in that Ark where is the light and glory of thy presence for ever FINIS Gen. 1. Gen. 2. Gen. 3. Joh. 1. 1. 10. 11. 14. Gen. 4. Heb. 12. 24. Gen. 5. Gen. 6. 6. Gen. 7. Vers. 8. Gen. 11. Gen. 13. Gen. 14. Gen. 15. Gen. 16. Gen. 17. Gen. 18. Gen. 20. Gen. 21. Gen. 22. Gen. 23. Gen. 24. Gen. 25. Gen. 24. Gen. â—â— Gen. 27. Gen. â—8 â— Gen. 28. 〈◊〉 31. Gen. 43. Gen. 35. Gen. 37. Gen. 40. Gen. 41. Gen. 4â— Gen. 43. Gen. 44. Gen. 46. Gen. 47. Gen. 48. Gen. 49. Exod. 1. Exod. 2. Exod. 3. Exod. 4. Exod. 6. Exod. 8. Exod. 9. Exod. 10. Exod. 12. Exod. 14. Exod. 15. Exod. 18. Exod. 19. Exod. 20. Exod. 24. Exod. 32. 33. 34. 35. 40. Levit. 8. 10. Numb 1. 10. 11. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. Num. 17. 18. 20. 21. 21. â—â— 25. 27. Deut. 31. 32. 34. Josh. 1. 6. 7. Josh. 8. Josh. 9. Josh. 10. Josh. 11. Josh. 13. Josh. 15. Josh. 22. Josh. 23. Josh. 24. Judg. 4. Judg. 5. Ruth 3. Ruth 4. Isa. 36. Isa. 37. Jer. 37. Isa. 38. Isa. 39. Isa. 37. Jer. 38. 17. 1 Sam. 2. 12. 2. Sam. 6.
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
him how the soule of his sonne loved Dinah and desired she might be his wife and how by that there should be a continuall freindship betweene them their children and people with great expressions of what love happines this would produce now they seem'd to likewel of those Propositions only they would not marry with an uncircumcised people but if they would be circumcised they would approve thereof all which Hamor and his son Shechem liked well of consenting there unto and Shechem deferred not the doing of it his love was such to Dinah so the father and the sonne acquainted the Citie therewith who considering of the conveniencie and neighbour-hood that hereby might come so they consented and all the men children were circumcised even as they went out at the gate of the City But on the third day after when they were sore two sonnes of Jacob Simeon and Levi took each of them a sword and going boldly into the Citie killed every male as likewise Hamor and Shechem taking Dinah out of Shechem's house and so went away and the other sons of Jacob came up and spoiled the City taking all their goods because of this wrong done to their sister Dinah But Jacob was troubled at this act of Simeon and Levi saying they had made him stinck among the Inhabitants After this God commanded him to arise and goe to Bethel and there to make an Altar unto him the which he did before commanding all his house-hold to put away their false Gods whose counsell they observed giving him all their Gods or Idols and there eare-rings and buryed them under an Oake So they went towards Bethel and there built an Altar and after many promises there of God unto him and his seed with his worship and testimonies of thanksgiving unto God for all his mercies he departed from Bethel and in their journey Rachel travel'd in child-birth and was in danger but the Midwife did comfort her telling her shee should have a son and in her extreamity before she died being delivered called the child Benjamine and so gave up the Ghost was buried at Bethlehem Jacob comaÌ„nding a Pillar to be set upon her grave Then Jacob went on his journey and came to Isaac his Father to Mamre where Isaac died After this Jacob lived in the Land of Canaan where after his other sonnes sold Joseph into Egypt unto which Land in the time of famine by Gods great Providence Jacob and all his sons did repaire All which and the rest of the life and acts of Jacob and his sonnes with Jacobs Death and Buryall are at large exprest in the ensuing History of Joseph PRAYERS upon the History of JACOB O Lord as Jacob by his obedience vnto his Parents obtained the blessing from them in his journey to Padan-Aram thou diddest mercifully preserve him So blesse mee O Lord in what I goe about and give me true obedience towards thee that thou maist give me the blessings of thy holy grace to protect mee through the manifold dangers of my soule in the pilgrimage of this world and that thy blessed inspirations may abide with me In the distresses so subject unto me for my sinnes be thou mercifull unto me as thou wast unto Jacob when his lodging was the earth and his pillow a stone If the Father of the Patriarks and descended from the Father of the faithfull was well contented with such thine appointment and did praise thee for thy mercies Let me O Lord a most miserable sinner and who have been most disobedient unto thee reflect into my self with sincerity of soule by looking into my bad deservings so see them as with compassion to my selfe I may bewaile my manifold sinnes and by the remembrance of them fall down upon this earth and think my selfe so unworthy as to esteeme all the sufferings and hâ—rd passages of this world not punishments sufficient to expiate my câ—ying offences but sâ—ill to bewaile my sins and to lie downe with my head upon this sâ—one of Contrition with patience and thankfulnesse to submit to thy blessed will And in these my streights and most just sufferings thou who sittest in heaven and then stood upon the toppe of that ladder which reached downe to the earth â—here Jacob was Looke downe from thence O Lord and speak mercifully unto me and let thy blessed Angels descend downe upon this ladder and steps of thy favour to assist and comfort mee in all my troubles O Lord awaken thou my drousie spirit that by thy grace casting off all feares I may apprehend thy goodnesse and discern the gates of heavenly mercie for which let me rise early and by taking up stedfast thoughts and good resolutions I may raise up a pillar of praise powring thereon the oyle of chearefull thankefulnesse for all thy mercies as Jacob did upon that stone he stept on and for all thy preservations let me pay my vowes unto thee Lord keepe mee thy servant from voluptuousnesse and curiosity the great distempers of these times and by the example of Jacob thy servant and the Predecessor of Kings who desired but bread raiment give me grace to mortifie all my vain affections surfeitnig pleasures of this world and most willingly to be contented with thy good pleasure Continue thy good providence towards me as thou diddest unto Jacob in his journey when hee came to that Well where he so happily met with Rachel Let mee alwayes admire thy wonderfull wayes and meanes whereby thou bringst thy mercies and blessings unto us And let me O Lord well consider and see how many times in the course of my life thou hast shewed mee thy works of mercie by preventing me in things whereby my owne weak judgement and intentions destructions of soule and bodie had been the issâ—e And likewise how by wayes and meanes of thy speciall providence thou hast protected and directed me into the wayes of safety and therefore as Jacob after thy good guidance was brought unto that Well from which he rowled the stone to doe the office of courtesie So good Lord in imitation of him for thy goodnesse let me remove by thy mercie all sad and heavy thoughts from over those good inspirations which thou hast infused into the dry well of my heart springing from thy grace And that I may abundantly distribute this holy water to the rich by friendship and courtesie and to the poor by love charity And as Jacob in the fulnesse of joy in his heart by meeting of Rachel wept so good Lord when I shall finde at any time the blessed comfort of thy grace and good inspirations let mee embrace them with true thankfulnesse and rejoycing in thee for thy mercies and in fear for thy judgements weep for my offences against thee In the manifold uncertainties unconstancies of the friendships of this world and worldly men give me such honest care and patience as Jacob had by Laban's hard servitude unto him Still to discharge the trust committed
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
it may discerne thy wonderfull goodnesse and that I may have alwayes such a burning desire to serve thee as no overflowings of the waters of this world may quench it let me with Moses put off my shooes of worldly thoughts cares and sinfull imaginations when I shall presume to come before thee for the place where thou art is holy and places consecrated unto thee and thy service in the assembly of Saints are not to be prophaned by any kinde of unholy actions for we must worship towards thy holy temple and enter into it with reverence for so O Lord thou didst command all thy people in all nations of the world Give me grace to obey thy good inspirations as Moses did obey thee by going unto Pharaoh Lord let thy wonderfull works that thou hast done and that I daily see strengthen my faith and confidence in thee and not to distrust thy power and goodnesse but that I may resolutely goe on to serve thee with a blessed perseverance untill my soule shall be delivered out of this Egyptian bondage be freed from the taskmasters of afflictions and the fleshpots of the pleasures of this world Moses was slow in speech and doubtfull of himselfe yet God did worke mightily by him By his example let us master our fleshly opinions and know that God hath his owne work and not to judge of the defects of other men And good Lord teach me to looke into my selfe for if I have received that which others want it is thy meere mercy and goodnesse and as I ought alwayes to be thankfull for thy gifts yet let me not be proud of them for as thy goodnesse gives them so thou canst take them away as thou pleasest for the foot of pride brings downe thy wrath upon us the chiefe of men and though Moses had that defect yet by thy power he did greater matters then either Absolon or Achitophel could bring to passe for thou makest our speaking and hearing and all our senses to serve thy commands and my Reâ—eemer made the dumbe to speake and the lame to walke as by thy great mercy thou hast delivered me from the Egyptian plagues which the hardnes of my heart hath deserved so prepare me I do most humbly beseech thee and make me ready to goe out of this Egypt of the world and to be obedient unto my Leaders and Governours Moses and Aaron in the midst of all perversenesse and perverse men whomsoever In the darknesse of this world enlighten me and as thou diddest send a distinct light to the children of Israel in Goshen so enlighten O Lord my inward soule with the light of thy blessed spirit to discerne thy wonderfull mercies towards me and grant that I may praise thee for thy goodnesse and obey thee as a man separate from all the world prepare me O God to be ready for my passage to the Celestiall Countrey of eternitie as the Israelites were with my loines girt in câ—aritie my shooes on in mortification and my staffe in confidence sprinkle the posts and lintles of my heart with the hysope of thy grace and the precious bloud of thy salvation that I may be knowne to be thine and be received into thy mercy when thou shalt come to visit me and to bring me through the Red Sea of that dangerous passage to the heavenly Canaan of eternitie Keepe me at that time O Lord from distrust and diffidence strengthen me in the narrow passage betweene the two wals of that dangerous water of presumption and despaire that I be not drowned with the Egyptians of this world whose trust is in their chariots and not in thee and whose hardnesse of heart and contempt of thee brought them to destruction O Lord be mercifull to my thirsty soule and preserve me from murmuring against thee thou which diedst upon the tree of the Crosse take all bitternesse from my soule and quench my thirst with the holy water of thy grace and grant that I may cheerefully goe on towards the land of promise Without thy continuall helpe how fraile and perverse are we as the rebellious Israelites ever murmuring and repining against Moses and Aaron send therefore that heavenly Manna unto me that may strengthen my soule and preserve it unto thee in faith and obedience Thou knowest my frailty O God and how feeble I am as likewise my unruly and unbridled conditions my stubbornes and hardnesse of heart therefore I doe most humbly beseech thee for thy mercy sake in Jesus Christ with thy miraculous and mercifull Rod of grace to strike upon my stony heart that from that rock may ascend unto mine eyes a fountaine of teares with such a true and perfect contrition as may come before thee and by thy mercy my sinnes may be washed away and that I may thirst no more after vanity O Lord how weake is the arme of the strongest man without thy help for Moses could not hold up his hand with the Rod without assistance from thee where Amalek fought with Israel but Aaron and Hur assisted him I do most humbly beseech thee in the fight that I have against the Amalek of sin and impiety give me thy Rod of grace and strengthen me and make me able to hold up my hands heart unto thee and in my weaknesse and distresse send me O Lord spirituall comforters which may assist and strengthen my faith that I may hold out untill the sunne of my age be set and obtain victory over all my spirituall enemies With what wonderfull feare diddest thou O Lord deliver thy holy Commandements unto Moses and with what reverence and feare did the children of Israel stand without the bounds of Mount Sinai and onely Moses Aaron Nadab Abihu and seventy Elders of Israel went into the mountaine who worshipped a far off onely Moses came neare the Lord. Good Lord make me to feare and tremble to break these thy holy commandements which thou diddest deliver with such circumstances of glory and terrour and with thy children of Israel let me keepe without the bounds of mount Sinai as thou appointedst them and out of all humane curiosity humbly waite to receive thy lawes from the hands of Moses and the Prophets and Ministers of thy Church Keepe rash presumption from the soule of thy servant for though Aaron Nadab and Abihu and the seventy Elders were good and holy men yet they kept their distance in their worship towards thee O God and at the writing of the Law So good Lord give me lowlinesse to stand before thee without the bounds of Sinai with such as are humble of heart and there worship and waite thy leisure for what thou shalt command me by Moses my spirituall guide by whom I must be directed for I must not be my owne director Without this continuall helpe of thine O Lord and by thy Ministers and Shepherds thou appointest over us how dangerously doth that Wolfe the devil assault and prevaile against this britle and corrupt flesh of ours
should not for ever most thankfully acknowledg thy many mercies deliverances unto me not only in my temporall preservations blessings but thou hast brought me into the field of thy plentifull goodness to the bottles of comfort and the sheaves of thy strength and saving grace shewing me all thy blessings to strengthen my confidence in thee and bought mee at a dearer rate then Boaz paid for Ruth Boaz comming into thâ— field amongst the reapers said to them the Lord be with you they answering the Lord blesse thee Admirable and exemplary was the goodnesse and plainenesse of the hearts of our Ancestors whose blessings was one upon another by such their good meanings the blessings of God being upon them What blessings froÌ„ time to time did God give unto the blessings which Abraham Isaac and Jacob gave to their children and people Lamentable is the condition we are grown unto in this our iron ungodly age whiles this blessing is accouÌ„ted superstition and common courtesie being even departed from amongst us Our very children having left off thet common duty and civility which formerly they used even with their milke learning to be surly sawcy and disobedient O Lord deliver mee from this bad custome that tends to such ungodliness from spirituall pride â—nd an over-weening opinion and conceit of my owne judgement But give me grace to follow the good and plaine paths of my fore-fathers in such things as concerns my obedience unto thee and my duty to my Parents Superiours with christian courtesie to be friendly humble and charitable to all men for thou promisest thy blessing and exaltation to the humble but confusion will fall upon the proud whom thou O Lord dost resist The love of Ruth to Naomi was great the comfort she received from her did exceed with her integrity in the doing of it being so sincere by leaving her countrey her parents and her deceased Husbands house And therefore as Boaz by his blessing prayer for her said the Lord recompence thy work and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel under whose wings thou art come to trust So God the rewarder of the righteous and mercifull seeing her humility and goodness did hear the prayers of this righteous man by shewing such great mercie unto hâ—r the which did after follow even in a plentifull manner indeed for though by her first husband she had no Issue yet by Boaz she had Obed from whom descended the wel-spring of our happinesse and salvation Oh thy goodness O Lord whose bounds are without limit and whose workes and wayes are unsearchable thy rewards are the fulnes of happines thy mercie extends from generation to generation to such as love and fear thee Therefore O Lord mortifie all vaine wicked affections which are so inbred in mee by thy grace cast them out and place in stead thereof the strength of a lively faith and the fulnesse of love and charity that thereby I may forsake my selfe and all things that are dear and near unto mee and follow the good steps of the godly as Ruth did Naomi So that at last I may arrive to the happinesse and rest within the limits of thy true Church that pillar of truth and safety and there with an humble heart to serve thee as Ruth did by comming into Judah that once limited place of thy worship O â—he good plainness harmless simplicity of that golden age of the world when bread and water was their common viands parched corn the masters food as it was with Boaz an eminent man in his age for such was his fare and entertainment to a stranger when he reached some to Ruth yet then did God blesse them with comfort health and length of dayes O Lord deliver mee from the pampering of this my corrupt flesh with the voluptuous sensuality of these licentious times the bane of the soule by such luxury and the shortning of our dayes by such surfeits But give me such moderation as I may rather fast then feast and by which in this health of my soul I may the better serve thee here that thereby hereafter I may attaine unto that happinesse where the length of dayes both for soule and bodie is life everlasting O Lord make me studious to requite courtesies zealous to ballance the workes of charity piety as Naomi her zeal was for Ruth by wishing her to Boaz and give prosperity to all my good intentions with the blessing ef a thankfull heart for the successe of thy mecies unto me Grant O God that I may be faithfull and firm in my promise as Boaz was to Ruth true to my friend as he was to his kinsman and discreet in my actions as be was in his performance before the Elders Gods divine providence did mightily appeare by the marriage of these two righteous Boaz Ruth as his blessings upon them after made it manifest O happy Bethlehem to which place Ruth the mirrour of love and pitty with so much difficulty came unto led thither by the light of divine power and following the good steps of Naomi who there was made happy in her sonne Obed. O happy Bethlehem to which place that ever blessed virgin Mary came that most resplendent Vessell of blisse and happiness being led thither by the light of the holy Ghost and then comming upon devotions towards Jerusalem O thou blessed Bethlehem consecrated to our happiness for there was born a Saviour Ruth was happy in her son Obed but this Mary blessed amongst women by her sonne redemption and salvation came into us O Lord my God let the star of thy brightness appear unto me that with them lowly Shepheards I may come to this sacred Bethlehem and there find out that lamb of God that takes away the sinnes of the world more happy were them Kings who came to see thy holy face in the manger at Bethlehem by their humiliations and offerings this blessed sight of thee then in all their glistering loyalties vain-glory of this world Let me O Lord partake with these Kings in their devotions humiliations thou King of heaven Indue lead me with the starre of thy grace that I may come unto thee with the presents of perfect humility patience and perseverance in the pursuit of such things as shall be pleasing unto thee So after thine enlightning here by this light of thy holy countenance and favour unto me grant that at last I may attaine unto that everlasting light in heaven where from the manger and thy crucifying for our sinnes thou art exalted into glory everlasting THE HISTORY OF Hezekiah and the destruction of Ierusalem by Nebuchadnezzar in the reigne of Zedekiah IT came to passe in the fourteenth year of Hezekiah that Senacherib King of Assyria came into Judah and tooke all the strong holds and he sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto Hezekiah with a great Army then came forth unto him from the
the city of David but carried it into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite where it continued three months and the Lord blessed Obed and all his houshold and when David understood how God had blessed them because of the Ark of God David went and brought the Ark of the Lord from thence unto the city of David with much gladnesse and after they that bare the Ark had gone six paces he sacrificed Oxen and fatlings to the Lord and David danced before the Lord and was girded with a linnen Ephod and so it was brought by David and all the hoste of Israel with shoutings and with the sound of Trumpet into the city of David but Michall Sauls daughter looked through a window and seeing king David leaping and dancing before the Ark shee despised him and they brought the Ark of the Lord and set in the tabernacle that David had made for it and then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord and blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts and he gave to every man and woman of all Israel bread flesh and wine and so they departed every one to their house And David returning to blesse his house Michall the daughter of Saul came out to meet him said how glorious was the king of Israel this day who uncovered himself in the eys of the hand-maids of his servants as one of the vain fellowes shamelesly uncovereth himself and David said unto Michall it was before the Lord which chose me before thy father and before all his house to appoint me Ruler over the people of Israel therefore will I play before the Lord and I will be yet more vile then thus and will be base in my own sight and of the maid-servants which thou hast spoken of of them shall I be had in honour therefore had Michall the daughter of Saul no children untill the day of her death MEDITATIONS Vpon the Arke of the holy Covenant O Omnipotent God give unto me thy servant a venerable regard unto thine ordinances and to worship thee as I ought to do and not to encline to an unreverent serving of thee and selfe-conceit but let zeale possesse my soule and humble devotion dwell in my heart deliver me O Lord from the danger of these had and evill times for thine altars are prophaned and thy worship in thy holy places are wholy neglected and the glory seems to be departed out of this our Israel let me look back O Lord to the times of old how thy servants the children of Israel did worship towards thy holy temple and the Ark of thy holy Covenant placed between the Cherubins and how thou wast pleased therewith what blessings O Lord from time to time did goe along with this Ark of thy Covenant and what punishments did fall upon them that did prophane it O Lord give me humblenesse of heart to desire an humble knowledge of thee and not to be busie in prying into thy secrets to look into the Ark of thy Covenant least I be destroyed with them of Bethshemesh neither let me distrust thy power O Lord or intermedle with holy things but keep the right and lowly rule that thou hast commanded so shall I avoid and escape the punishment of Uzzah the sad experience of evill which curiosity and intrusion into Gods secrets and other mens callings ever brought unto the conscience Lord let me stand with perfect humility afarre off with the Publican and humbly without the bounds of the Sanctuary with thy people of Israel in their worship towards thee and not proudly to presume to come into the Sanctum Sanctorum the holy of holyes but venerably to worship towards it with lowlinesse of heart keep thy servant O Lord from the dangerous disease of these times let me not be wise in my own conceit nor busie and opinionated of my own Iudgement to disturb Church and State and to seare my own conscience but give me grace to be humble and meek and as the children of Israel did obey Moses by keeping without the limits of mount Sinai and must not touch the border of it whiles the law was delivered so keep me O Lord farre from presumption that neither eye nor hand out-compasse themselves to my destruction and this was by a most strict charge from thee O God and that only Moses and Aaron should come before thee upon the mount with great punishments threatned unto the breaker of this command By this restraint let thy servant tremble at thy Iudgements and feare with the children of Israel in the conservation of my spirit and obey thee with humility from the very bottome of my heart as the Israelites did at the bottome of mount Sinai and let me not O Lord follow the dangerous example of them that with so much presumption goe about to break the rules which thou hast commanded presuming to step before them whom thou hast appointed to be their guides to break with pride of spirit within the borders of mount Sinai contrary to thy commands good Lord let me leave my Iudgement in points of faith to the Priests that thou hast appointed to come into the inner Temple of thy holinesse where they doe receive the holy oracles of truth from thee to deliver unto us that doe humbly wait in the place and state which thou hast ordained For this boundlesse and unruly pride and groundlesse selfe-conceit as it brought the Angels from heaven so O Lord from time to time it hath disturbed the world and thy holy Church filling it full of hereticks and blasphemers who have been the fire-brands of thy wrath as plagues and punishments for the sins of the world preserve me therefore O Lord from this so dangerous a rock and let me not follow my own will and fancie and keep thy servant from rash and heady resolutions and not be too confident of my own opinion for what am I O Lord to build a Church to my own weak imagination to rend my selfe from the Elders and Congregation of Israel to go a gadding after my own inventions and to fall into the traps of innovations and the private opinions of these bad and dangerous times the Seminaries and seed-plots of sedition and tumults the ruine of Church and Common-wealth of all order government charity and brotherly love But let me keep O Lord that safe rule to walk in even the plain path of thy Church which thou hast appointed both in the old and the new law For O Lord the Church the Ark of thy Covenant was alwayes eminently to be seen and known to the Israelites in all their journies from Egypt to Jerusalem and towards it they did worship so after thy marvellous deliverances of them over the red Sea and the deserts of this world this Ark was placed in thy holy Temple at Jerusalem where all the Tribes of Israel came up to worship and towards which holy of holies they did worship wheresoever they were dispersed and in
blastings of the temptations and vanities of this world which are so dangerous in the bud and blossome of my good purposes and resolutions towards thee O Lord as thy wonderful works in the Creation are far beyond the weake capacity and apprehension of mortall man to conceive yet by thy goodnesse some things thou makest us sensible of which are so visible to our mortall eyes and so admirable to our due consideration whereby we may so see thy such infinite power and providence for which to magnifie extoll and praise thee O thou God of omnipotency As in wonder thou diddest create thy Creatures abundantly both by Sea and Land so thy goodnesse did this great worke at a time of great mercie and providence to Adam whose Creation did next follow O Lord how abundant is thy goodnesse and thy wayes of mercy except our sins provoke and stop the current of thy blessings What creature is more miserable then man in his birth first breeding yet how wonderfully hast thou ordained and provided for him that though he came most feeble and crying into this miserable world no creature more unable to help himselfe yet thou O God by thy goodnesse even before his being hast thus provided thy creatures and comforts to him for his preservation O Lord how unsearchable are thy workes and how infinite was thy goodnesse in the Creation of our first Father of which substance I am let me with wonder admire â—e astonished that whiles I consider that being so made of the very dust of the Earth and yet to thy blessed Image O Lord most mighty O thou my only hope and comfort of my soule I want new words to expresse this thy boundlesse goodnesse for how doth this thy so high and divine mercy herein meet with my so deepe and earthly misery Therefore let me who am this dust fall downe in all humility before thee upon that Earth of which I am made And O Lord my maker whose Image I am let thy power strength look in pitty upon me and bring mee to the true knowledge of my selfe and thy goodnesse and grant that this thy holy countenance may so shine in me that therby I may be so enlightned by the splendor of thy grace as I may break from the danger and darksome corners of my owne blinde and corrupt conditions so derived unto me and so by seeing thy goodnesse and mercy with most ardent and burning zeal I may adore and magnifie thee my Creator O the unconceivable losse of that happinesse which was once in Paradise that just reward of disobedience and the dangerous â—â—endant of spirituall pride 〈…〉 knowledge the bane of 〈…〉 â—nhappy children of Adam 〈◊〉 â—eeth are set on edge by the forbidden fruit that he did eate we still pursuing to know more then is needefull or that we ought to doe the which even at this unhappy time â—s so like to destroy us and to throw us out of this our fooles paradise which we esteem of so much 〈…〉 pleasure the which indeed though it come farre short of the Paradise of happinesse in Eden yet by thy mercie O God to a sinfull Nation one of the best amongst the thistles and thorns of this our banishment from the happinesse we have lost O Lord open thou mine eyes that I may discern before the coole of the day and my latter end my great offence against thee not to esteeme it any safety for me to run from thee or by covering my secret or open sins with the fig-leaves of hypocrisie it being of such weake and deceitefull â—â—vert to thy All-seeing eye But oh thy mercy my Creator in the depth of thy so just judgements whereby wee were lost and by thy so great mercy whereby we were redeemed and preserved By one womans pride being seduced by the Serpent we suffered and by the humility of another being full of grace who was the Mother of our Redeemer that saved us the one by the Cherubin in thy wrath was kept out of that terrestriall Eden The other with a heavenly salvation brought us the blessed tidings of that happinesse in celestiall Paradise And thus by thy mercy diddest thou breake the head of the Serpent and saved us by that Messias the Saviour of the world This is hee that in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and that Word was God and the same was in the beginning with God and all things were made by it He was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not He came to his owne and his owne received him not O unmeasurable mercie of thine O God thou pattern of perfect goodnesse from thy glorious seat of mercy in heaven thus to looke upon us the great map of earthly misery and objects of thy wrath As for our redemption to make this word flesh to dwel amongst us and to see the glory of it as the glory of the only begotten Sonne full of grace and truth Surely there is no mercie or comfort like this thy incomprehensible goodnesse O Lord thus to give thy selfe unto us This is even such a gift as may sufficiently astonish the Receiver Therefore O thou bountifull Benefactor give me grace even to forsake my selfe and give it unto thee Let me out-strip by a heavenly expedition those Shepheards and Kings who came first to offer unto thee the Angels theÌ„ rejoycing when this thy Word was made flesh and came amongst us Lead mee O Lord by that blessed star of thy grace to that manger of mercie Let no difficulties hinder mee in this my holy pilgrimage to the blessed Bethlehem where thou art And if these three Kings tooke such a long journey to see thee O god in that homely stable What difficulties should we undergoe to enjoy thy heavenly salvation Let me imitate these Shepheards Kings by their humility and offerings O Lord by offering even all that I have unto thee my heart in perfect humiliation with those Shepheards both heart and goods in charity to the poore and distressed inimitation of the humility and Presents of these three Kings That at last in the fulness of thy mercie being delivered out of this misery wherein I am fallen by the fall of Adam out of earthly Paradise And being thus redeemed by thee as these devout Shepheards and Kings did see thy face here upon earth in such humility grant that I may so follow thee here by such humble and harmlesse steps as hereafter I may enjoy the happy fight of thee in glory in the heavenly Paradise where the Saints and Angels doe rejoyce in thy presence even for ever and ever THE HISTORY of Cain and Abel CAin being a Tiller of ground brought an oblation of the fruit thereof unto the Lord and Abel did the like with the encrease of his Cattell and of the fatt of them unto the which the Lord had respect but unto the offering of Cain he