Israel that he stirred up a Man one Jephtah who by the power of God saved them Jair Lightened Iames the Son of Zebedee and Brother to John Matth. 4.21 Mark 3.17 He was put to death by Agrippa who was also called Herod Act. 12.2 Cooper was a poor Fisherman and being in the Ship with his Father mending of his Net Jesus came by and called him who immediately left his Ship his Father and all and went after Jesus and was one of his Apostles and received with his Brother the Name of Boanerges which is to say The Sons of Thunder James a Tripper or Deceiver An heel the sole of the foot a foot-step Iames the less Matth. 16.3 He suffered martyrdom in the vi year of Nero. was the Son of Alpheus and Mary Sister to Mary the Lord's Mother And being Bishop of Jerusalem he wrote to the Jews that were scattered abroad after the Persecution and death of Stephen Instructing them with sundry Precepts how to order their Lives Iannes 2 Tim. 3.8 Exod. 7.11 and Jambres were two false Soreerers of Egypt who in the time of Moses with their enchantments went about to put those miraculous wonders out of credence that Moses by the power of God did And even as they withstood Moses so do the Adversaries of the Gospel at this day and ever will resist the truth under a certain false pretence of godliness Iapheth Gen. 9. The Nations that came of his children Of Gomer came the Italians Of Magog the Scythians and of them the Turks Of Madai the Medes Of Javan the Greeks Of Tubal the Spaniards Of Mosoch the Moscovites and of Tiras the Thracians Lanquet was the youngest of Noah's three-Sons who being informed of his Fathers unseemly lying asleep in his Tent took a Garment and bare it between him and Shem on their shoulders and coming toward their Father ashamed to look on his nakedness turned their Faces backward and so covered their Father's privities For the which deed Noah having knowledge thereof blessed them saying to Japheth on this wise God shall enlarge Japheth and he shall dwell in the Tents of Shem and Canaan shall be their servant Japheth perswading or enticing Iairus was * Mark 5.22 one of the Rulers of the Synagogue among the Jews whose Daughter of the Age of twelve years lay sick and at the point of death And hearing of the fame of Jesus he went and fell down at his feet beseeching him that he would come home to his house lay his hand upon his Daughter that by the touching thereof she might be safe and live â— Luk 8 41. And while there was an occasion given whereby to strengthen the unperfect faith of the Ruler and that by the ensample of a Woman diseased with an issue of blood xii years there came certain Messengers from the Ruler's-House which said unto Him that his Daughter was dead wherefore it should not need to trouble the Master any further Then Jesus perceiving the Ruler to be as a Man in despair said unto him Be not afraid for although thy Daughter be dead indeed only believe and thy Daughter shall live And so Jesus went home to the Ruler's house and raised up his Daughter from death to life Jairus Lightning or being lightned Iared Gen. 5.15 c. was the Son of Mahalaleel who lived an hundred sixty and two years and then begat Henoch and lived after that eight hundred years and begat Sons and Daughters And when he had lived in all nine hundred sixty and two years he dyed Jared Commanding or descending Iason was a wicked Man and so desirous of honour 2 Mac. 4 cap. that he wrought his own Brother Onias out of the High Priest's office promising Antiochus the King to give him for the same three hundred and three-score Talents of Silver and of another rent four-score And also if the King would license him to set up a place for exercise and a place for the youth and to name them of Jerusalem Antiochians he promised an hundred and fifty Talents And when these things were granted to Jason and that he had got the superiority he began immediately to draw his Kinsmen to the customes of the Heathen abolishing the Laws and Priviledges of the Jews he brought in new statutes contrary to the Law of God So that thorow the exceeding wickedness of this ungodly man Jason the People had a great desire to follow the manners of the Gentiles The Priests also had no delight in serving the Lord but in casting the stone and such wanton sports Now after three years when Jason should pay the King his money which he had promised for his Brother's office he sent it by one whom he most trusted called Menelaus who gat the office from Jason as appeareth more plainly in his story Then Jason being thus deceived by Menelaus was fain to flie into the Land of the Ammonites remaining there till he might spy a time to be revenged And when he heard the rumour that went abroad of Antiochus death he gat him a Band of Men to the number of a Thousand or more and came suddenly upon the City killing and slaying his own Citizens without mercy regarding neither Kin nor Friend But nevertheless when he could not speed of his purpose he fled into the Land of the Ammonites again Where in the end it came to this point that he was accused to Areta King of the Arabians and so abhorred of all Men that he was pursued from City to City and driven into Egypt And going from thence to the Lacedemonians thinking by reason of Kinred to have had some succour of them he was not regarded but suffered to perish in a strange Land no Man mourning for him nor putting him into his Grave Jason He that maketh whole a Physician Jecksan look Jocsan Iehoahaz 2 King 23.31 c. the Son of Josias was xxiii years old when he began to reign over Juda and had not reigned three Moneths before Pharaoh Necho King of Egypt came and put him down and set up his Brother in his stead And put the Land to a tribute of an hundred Talents of Silver and one of Gold and carried Jehoahaz away into Egypt where he dyed Jehoahaz The possession of the Lord. Iehojakim 2 King 23.36.24.1 c. the Son of Josias was xxv years of age when he began to reign over Juda and did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. His name was changed from Eliakim to Jehojakim by Pharaoh Necho King of Egypt which came and deposed his Brother Jehoahaz and made him King in his stead and taxed the Land This King dyed in the way as they led him Prisoner into Babylon Read Jeremy 22.18 as before is said in Jehoahaz For the payment of which money Jehojakim taxed the Land and levied of every Man according to his ability and paid the money to Pharaoh After this came Nabuchodonosor King of Babylon and
And being revived to health again the two young Men which had scourged him before appeared and said Thank Onias the High Priest for thy life at whose prayer the Lord hath restored thee and now that God hath scourged thee for thine offences give him praise and thanks and make his might and power manifest and open to all Men. And when the Men had spoken these words and were vanished away Heliodorus made his Oblation to God and gave hearty thanks to Onias for his life and so returned home again to the King declaring unto him the great and manifest works of God that were done upon him The King after this being yet desirous of the treasure that was in the Temple asked of Heliodorus whom he thought meet to send once again to Jerusalem for the money He answered saying Oh King if thou hast any enemy or Traitor unto thy Realm send him thither and thou shalt be sure to have him well punished and hardly to escape with his life For doubtless said he In that place there is a special power and working of God for he that dwelleth in Heaven visiteth and defendeth deth that place and none escapeth unpunished or plagued that cometh to do it harm Thus did Heliodorus magnifie the power of God and would no more enter into such danger Heliodorus the Gift of the Son Henoch the Son of Jared at the age of 65. Gen. 5.18 years begat Mathusaleh and after that he lived 300. years and begat both Sons and Daughters and walked always before the Lord in an upright and godly life And when he had lived 365. years the Lord * To inquire where Henoch became is meer curiosity took him away that he was no more seen Henoch Taught or dedicate Hermas was a faithful Christian Rom. 16.14 unto whom Paul sent commendations from Corinth to Rome Herman A prop or upholder or an earing Hermogenes 2 Tim. 1.15 was a faint hollow-hearted Gospeller of the Country of Asia which forsook Paul and gave him over whose unfaithfulness Paul pronounceth to Timothy Hermogenes Begotten by Mercury or the generation or increase of lucre or the refuge Herod was an Idumean born Matth. 2. cap. and the first stranger that reigned over the Jews In whose time Christ the Saviour of the World by the will of God came into this World of whose birth he had first knowledge of the Magi or wise men which came from the East to Jerusalem demanding there for him that was born King of the Jews saying that they had seen his Star and were come to worship before him Which news troubled Herod so sore that he sent for all the chief Priests and Scribes of the People to know of them where Christ should be born And being of them perfectly informed that he should be born in the City of * For there is another Bethlchem in the Tribe of Zabulon Bethlehem in Jewry he sent for the Wise men and after inquisition made what time the star appeared unto them he bad them go to Bethlehem and make diligent search for the Child and when they had found him to bring him word again that he might go and worship him also But when they had found the Child and had made their offering they were warned of God to break their promise with Herod and to return home another way Which thing being * Eusebius saith that Herod for this slaughter done would have killed himself but being lett by his servant he dyed within five days when he had reigned 37. years told to Herod he fell into such a rage for being so mocked that in his madness he sent forth Ministers to Bethlehem which killed all the Infants that were in the City and in the coasts thereof of the age of two years or under for whose great cruelty shewed upon those Innocents God payed him home soon after Herod the glory of the skin or boasting and glorying in skins Herod Mattb. 14.1 c. Luke 3.1 the Tetrarch of Galilee was Brother to Philip Tetrarch of Iturea and being reproved of John Baptist for keeping his Brother Philip's Wife he cast John in Prison where he remained until Herod's birth-day was come in the which solemn Festival day it chanced that the Daughter of Philip and Herodias danced before Herod and pleased the King so well that he sware unto her that whatsoever she would ask him it should be granted not thinking she would have asked John Baptist's Head Mar. 6. cap. for as Saint Mark saith Herod knowing John to be a just and an holy Man did both fear and reverence him and heard his preaching and did many things thereafter and was very sorry the Maid had asked none other thing But nevertheless for keeping his Oath which he had made before so many Noble-men he caused the innocent Man's head to be cut off and given to the Damosel This Herod and Pilate Lieutenant of Jewry had been long at variance And for the pleasure that Pilate shewed to Herod in sending Jesus bound unto him to be examined he was at one with him again For Herod had long desired to see Jesus And hoping now to have seen some Miracles done by him he demanded many questions of Jesus to the which he would make no answer at all Then Herod perceiving that Jesus would neither speak nor do any thing at his pleasure he began to despise and revile him and in mockery arrayed him in a long white Garment and sent him to Pilate again Herod Act. 12. cap. This Man was a great Persecutor of the Apostles He beheaded James the Brother of John and seeing that deed to content and please the Jews well This Herod was called Agrippa the Son of Aristobulus he was nephew unto Herod the great and Brother of Herodias he took Peter also and cast him into Prison intending after Easter which was at hand to have him put to death also Finally upon a certain day appointed to shew himself in his pomp and glory he made such an Oration before the Assembly that for the pleasantness of his speech the common people at the end thereof gave a mighty shout saying it was the voice of a God and not of a Man And because he gloried in their boasting and took that honour unto himself which he ought to have given to God he was immediately smitten by the Angel of God and eaten of Worms whereof he most miserably dyed Herodion was Paul's Kinsman Rom. 16 1â— unto whom he sent commendations from Corinth on this wise Salute Herodion my Kinsman Herodion the Song of a young Virgin or of a Woman conquering Herodias was Wife to Philip Herod's Brother Matth. 14.3 to whom she brought forth a * Which Daughter as Josephus writeth was called Salomon Daughter This Woman being more familiar with Herod than honesty required grew into such favour with him that he contrary to the Law of Moses married her his Brother being alive Against
that thou art Christ the Son of God which should come into the World After this when Jesus came to the place where Lazarus was buried and had commanded the stone of his Grave to be taken away Martha said Lord by this time he stinketh for he hath been dead four days Said not I unto thee quoth Jesus that if thou didst believe thou shouldst see the glory of God And so she saw her Brother Lazarus restored from death to life to the glory of God and her great comfort Martha Bitter or Provoking Mattathias the Son of Simeon the Priest 1 Mac. 2. which was of the stock and kinred of Joaris had five valiant Men to his Sons and dwelt in Modin remaining stedfast in the Laws of God notwithstanding the great calamities that were come upon the People of Juda and Jerusalem for the which Mattathias made piteous lamentation crying upon God to strengthen him and his Sons against the Heathen that had so wasted the People and defiled his Sanctuary And while he and his Sons were thus mourning in Sackcloth for the destruction of the holy City Antiochus the King sent certain Commissioners to the City of Modin to compel such Jews as were fled thither to forsake their own Laws and to serve the Idols of the Heathen Who after they had turned the heart of many spake to Mattathias on this wise Thou art said they a Noble man of high reputation and great in this City and hast many Children and Brethren Come thou first of all and fulfil the King's commandment like as the Heathen have done and the Men of Juda with such as remain at Jerusalem and so shalt thou and thy Sons be in favour with the King and greatly enriched Nay said Mattathias Though all Nations under the King's Dominion fall away every Man from the Law of their Fathers yet will I my Sons and my Brethren walk in the Laws of our Fathers God forbid we should forsake the Laws and Ordinances of God we will not for no Man's pleasure transgress our Religion or break the Statutes of our Law And as he had spoken these words a certain Jew came forth and openly in the sight of all Men did sacrifice unto the Idols upon the Altar in the City of Modin according to the King's commandment which thing so grieved Mattathias that for very Zeal he had to the Laws of God he started him up and ran upon the Jew and killed both him the Commissioner that compelled him so to do and ran his way crying thorow the City and saying to the People whosoever is fervent in the Law and will keep and stand by the Covenant let him follow me So he and his Sons fled into the Mountains and many other godly Men with their Wives and Children and all that they had got them into the Wilderness And being there the Heathen went against them on the Sabbath day and slew Man Woman and Child for on that day the Jews would make no resistance but would dye in their innocency Then Mattathias hearing of this was very sorry and counselling with his friends said If we do as our Brethren have done and do not fight for our Lives and our Laws the Heathen will soon root us all out of the Earth whereupon they concluded that whosoever did bid them battel on the Sabbath day that they would rather manfully fight for their Laws than dye as their Brethren had done before Upon the which conclusion came the whole Synagogue of the Jews with all such as were fled for Persecution to Mattathias And being gathered together they were so great an Host that they feared not their enemies but fell upon them and slew a great number And by their force and strength they went about the Coasts of Israel and destroyed the Altars and circumcised their Children and kept their Laws in spight of them all Finally when the time of his death drew nigh he called all his Sons before him exhorting them to prefer the Laws and wealth of their Countrey before their own Lives and ordained Simon his eldest Son to be as it were their Father and Judas Machabeus to be their Captain and so giving them his blessing he dyed and was buried in his Fathers Sepulchre in the City of Modin Mattathias the gift of the Lord. Mattathias the Son of Simon 1 Mac. 16. was killed with his Father at a Banquet which Ptolomy his Brother-in-law had prepared for them in a Castle of his called Doche. Mathattias the Son of Absalemus stuck by Jonathas 1 Mac. 11. when all his Men forsook him and fled the Field save Judas the Son of Galphi Matthew the Evangelist Read the Story of Levi. Matthew Given Matthias Act. 1.23 was a faithful Disciple of Christ and one that had his conversation always among the Apostles even from the beginning of Christ's preaching to the last end And now for as much as Judas the Traytor was fallen from Christ he with another godly Man called Joseph or Barsabas was appointed to stand in election which of them two should succeed in the place of Judas And when the Apostles had made their prayers to God Lots and given forth their lots the lot fell on Matthias and so he was counted with the eleven Apostles Matthias the Lords Gift Methuselah Gen. 5.21 c. was the Son of Henoch and lived an hundred eighty and seven years and begot Lamech And after that he lived seven hundred and eighty two years and begot Sons and Daughters and when he had lived in all nine hundred three-score and nine years he died Methuselah be sent his death or the weapons of his death Melchisedek Gen. 14.18 Heb. 7.1 is called King of Salem and the High Priest of the most High God When Abraham had rescued Lot his Nephew out of the hands of the Assyrians and was returned from the slaughter of the Kings Melchisedek met him with Bread and Wine to refresh Abraham and his Souldiers and blessed him saying Blessed be Abraham of the most High God possessor of heaven and earth and blessed be the most High God which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand And Abraham gave him tythes of all things The Scripture reporteth Melchisedek to be without Father without Mother without Kin and hath neither beginning of his days neither yet end of his life but is likened unto the Son of God and continueth a Priest for ever Melchisedek King of Righteousness Menelaus 2 Mac. 4. was Brother to Simon and Lysimachus two as ungracious as himself This ambitious Man by deceit got the High-Priest's Office from Jason on this wise When that good and godly Man Onias had the superiority Jason his Brother found the means to corrupt Antiochus the King with Money and so got the Office out of his Brother's hands And when the time came that Jason should pay the Money to Antiochus he sent it by the hand of Menelaus in whom he had great confidence But when
heard and bad him go tell Ezechias that the blasphemous railing of Rabshekah should turn to his great shame for he should go home again without victory and never a stroke stricken And so Almighty God sent his Angel which plagued the whole Army of the Assyrians with such a Pestilence that in one Night there dyed 185. thousand At the which suddain death Rabshekah and all his Host that were left ran away And then Sennacherib got him to Niniveh where at the last being in the Temple worshipping his God Nisroch his own Sons slew him Sennacherib the bush of destruction Sehon was King of the Amorites Numb 21.21 22 c. whose Land bordered so upon the Land of Canaan that Moses could not pass from the Desart of Cadesh to Canaan but he must needs go thorow it wherefore Moses sent Messengers to King Sehon beseeching him of licence to pass thorow his land by the Kings highway and he would neither hurt his Fields nor Vineyards neither yet take so much as one drop of water for him and his Cattel to drink but he would pay for it Which reasonable request Sehon refused And thinking to have overcome Moses and all his People because they were strangers sore laboured and wearied and knew not the Coast of his Countrey neither the shifts of the Realm he made out two great Armies against Moses Who hearing thereof was so afraid that he asked counsel of God what he should do And God bad him not fear but fight manfully and boldly with them for the victory should be his And so was Sehon with all his power and policy overthrown Sehon a rooting out or treading under foot Sephora and Phua Exod. 1 1â— were two of the Chiefest Midwives in all Egypt unto whom King Pharaoh gave a commandment that whensoever they did execute their office among the Women of the Hebrews and saw in the birth a Man-child they should kill it But they fearing God more than man brake his commandment and saved all the Men-children laying for their excuse unto the King that the Women of the Hebrews were not as the Women of Egypt but so strong and lively Women that they were delivered before the Midwives came And for this deed God dealt mercifully with the Midwives because they feared him and made them to prosper Sephora Fair. Look Zephora Sergius Paulus Act. 13.7 the Lieutenant or Lord Deputy of Cyprus was a prudent man who nevertheless had been sore seduced by one Barjesus the great Sorcerer And now hearing the Gospel to be sowen thoroughout all the Country by Paul and Barnabas was desirous to hear it whereupon he sent for them By whose preaching and great miracles that they did before him he was at the last turned to the faith of Christ Seth Gen. 4.25.5.3 was the third Son of Adam and gave himself all to vertue and godliness His Father was at the age of an hundred and thirty years before he begot Seth. Seth was an hundred and five years old before he begot Enos He lived after the birth of Enos eight hundred and seven years So that all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years Seth set or put Sichem Gen. 34. cap. the Son of Hemor the Hivite ravished Dinah the Daughter of Jacob. For the which deed Simeon and Levi the Brothers of Dinah slew both Sichem and his Father Hemor with many more Sidrach Dan. 3. cap. Meshach and Abednego were three of Danicl's companions and of the Children Juda. Which three young men Nabuchodonosor at Daniel's intercession made Rulers over all the Officers in the Land of Babylon And because they would not fall down to the King 's golden Image which he had made and set up to be worshipped they were accused to the King as transgressors of his commandment And being brought before the King he straitly charged them to be ready the next day when they heard the noise of Trumpets and other Instruments of Musick to fall down and worship his Image as others did or else they should be cast into the hot burning Furnace and then let see quoth he what god is able to deliver you out of my hands They answered and said Oh Nabuchodonosor we ought not to consent to thee in this matter For why our God whom we serve is able to keep us from the hot burning Furnace O King and can right well deliver us out of thy hands And though he will not yet shalt thou know O King that we will not serve thy gods nor do reverence to that Image which thou hast set up The King hearing this was so full of indignation that he caused the strongest men that were in all his Host to bind them hand and foot and cast them into the Furnace which Furnace was made so exceeding hot that the flame of the fire destroyed those men that cast them in And as the King looked into the Furnace after the men he saw four walking at liberty in the midst of the Furnace the fourth man was like unto the Son of God to look upon And being sore astonied thereat he went to the Furnace mouth and said O ye servants of God come out of the Furnace And when they were come forth it could not be perceived neither by the hair of their Heads nor by the smell of their Garments that ever any fire had touched them And so the King praised the God of Sidrach Meshach and Abednego and promoted them to honour Silas Act. 15.27 32 40. was a certain Disciple sent with Paul and Barnabas and other chosen brethren to Antioch to pacifie the variance which was there happened about circumcision And after the salling out of Paul and Barnabas about John Mark Silas became Paul's companion and fellow-labourer in the Gospel a great while 16.19 25 38. and was in bonds with him at Philippi where they converted the Jayler and all Prisoners and were delivered as Romans From thence they departed to Thessalonica 17.1 14. where the Jewes set the City in such an uproar against them that Paul was fain to flye to Athens leaving Silas behind him with a precept to make speed after him Act. 18.5 who came to Paul at Corinth Silpah Gen. 30.9 c. was Hand maid or Servant to Leah who being given by her Mistress consent to Jacob to Wife brought him forth two Sons Gad and Asher Silpah a Rheum or distillation at the mouth or vileness Silvanus 2 Cor. 1.19 was a great setter forth of the Gospel with Paul and Timotheus as is mentioned in the first and second Epistle to the Thessalonians first Chapters Simeon Luk. 2.25 c. was a blessed old man dwelling in Jerusalem which longed sore for the coming of the Messias And whereas he had prayed unto God to give him the gift that he might but once see him with his bodily eyes before he departed out of this world he received an answer of the Holy Ghost that
that curse thee and in thee shall all the Families of the Earth be blessed Abraham now having this promise made him of God departed out of Haran he and Sara his wife with Lot his Nephew and with all their substance that they had to go and to sojourn in the Land of Canaan And being there the Lord made a promise to Abraham that his Seed should possess that Land Whereupon soon after and in the same place where God spake thus unto him he made an Altar and offered Sacrifices thereon to the Lord. And so remaining in the Land there fell at the last so great a Famine that he was constrained to flie into Egypt where he fearing the Egyptians to be ungodly and vicious men feigned Sara to be his Sister Abraham taught the Egyptians Astronomy and Geometry Josephâ—â— thinking that if she were known to be his Wife they would for her beauty take her from him and put him in hazard of his life Then was it told to King Pharaoh what a beautiful Woman Abraham had brought with him into Egypt The King now knowing thereof commanded the Woman to be brought unto him and with all gentle entertainment received her into his house and intreated Abraham well for her sake But when he saw so many plagues fall on him and on all his hous-hold understanding that it was for with-holding another Mans wife from him he restored the Woman without dishonesty to Abraham her Husband again Giving also his Men a great charge concerning the Man and his Wife 13. cap. Then soon after Abraham returned from Egypt into the Country of Canaan where he had been afore And when he had lived some space in the Land there fell such a strife between the Herdmen of Abrahams Cattel and the Herdmen of Lots Cattel that Abraham was fain to divide the Land between his Nephew Lot and him and so they removed the one from the other Abraham had now been so long without issue 16. cap. that he took by consent and advice of Sarah one of his Maids named Agar to Wife who conceived and brought him forth a Son which was called Ishmael Abraham then being at the age of fourscore years and six 17. cap. And when he was come to the number of ninety and nine God gave unto him the covenant of Circumcision which he received first in himself and then made Ishmael and all the rest of his houshold to receive the same 21. cap. The next year after when Abraham was just an hundred years old Sarah conceived brought him forth his long promised Son named Isaac whom he circumcised the eighth day following would after that have offered him up in sacrifice 22. cap. but that God seeing his ready obedience staid his hand Finally after the death of Sarah 25. cap. Abraham took him another Wife called Keturah who bare unto him six Sons Which Children he would not suffer to remain and company with his Son Isaac Abrabam dyed before the Incarnation of Christ 1838. years but before he died sent them away with great Rewards and Gifts and made Isaac Heir of all his Goods He died at the age of an hundred seventy and five and was buried beside Sarah his Wife in the double Gave which he bought of Ephron the Hittite Look more in the histories of Lot Sarah and Melchisedeck Abraham a Father of a great multitude Absalom the son of David 2 Sam. 3. whom he begat on his wife Maacha the daughter of Thalmai King of Geshur was the goodliest personage in all Israel for as Scripture witnesseth God had so framed the form and ornaments of his body that from the soal of the foot to the crown of the head was no member amiss And yet among all the hair of his head excelled which so increased daily that the weight thereof compelled him at every years end to shave it off This Absalom had a brother named Amnon 2 Sam. 13. to whom he bare a privie grudge for defiling his sister Thamar And to be reveng'd on him for the same he invited all his brethren unto a banket made in the time of his sheep-shearing to the which banket Amnon came with the rest of his brethren and in the midst of their cheer Absalom killed Amnon and fled to the King of Geshur his Grandfather with whom he abode three years In the which space by mediation of friends 14. cap. he was at the last call'd home again and brought by Joab his Aunts son to Jerusalem where he remained two years after Then Absalom marvailing why Joab had not brought him to the King his Father in all that space sent once or twice for him to come and speak with him and when he saw that he came not he commanded his men to go and burn up the field of Barley which pertained to Joab and lay joyning to his ground Then Joab hearing thereof went to Absalom demanding wherefore his men had destroyed his Corn Because quoth Absalom I sent for thee twice and thou wouldest not come wherefore didst thou bring me from Geshur had it not been as good for me and better to have continued there still than here to lye so nigh the King my Father and cannot be suffered to see him then Joab considering the matter had him to the King where he was joyfully received After all this 15. cap. Absalom began certain practices to aspire to the kingdom wherein he prospered so far that at length he proclaimed himself King in Hebron Causing his Father for fear to flie out of his Realm against whom he called his counsel to devise what way he might best overcome his Father But God by whose providence all things are staid so wrought with his Counsellors 17. cap. that the success of his enterprise turned to his own destruction For when it came so to pass 18. cap. that both the armies were joyned in battel together Absaloms men had the worst and he himself a sudden mischance for as he rode on his Mule through the wood to have escaped Rebellion never escapeth Gods punishment a twist of an Oak caught him so fast in the hair of his head that it took him quite out of his Saddle And so he hang'd on the tree till Joab came with his spear and slew him whose Carcass after was taken down and cast into a pit and covered with an heap of stones Absalom A Father of Peace or the Fathers Peace or Reward Achan Josua 7. was the son of Charmy and of the Tribe of Juda who being at the winning of the City of Jericho and hearing Josua pronounce the City and all things therein to be excommunicate and accursed of the Lord took not withstanding certain jewels of the same and hid them privily under the ground in his tent Then after when Josua went about the taking of Hai and had sent three thousand souldiers to win it the men of Hai issued out of the city
hast done unto him and then will I send and fetch thee away from thence for why should I be deprived of you both in one day And when she had given her Son this counsel she went to Isaac her Husband and said I am weary of my life for fear of the Daughters of Heth. If Jacob take a Wife of the Daughters of Heth such a one as these are or of the Daughters of the Land what good shall my life do me And so by the counsel of Rebecca Jacob was sent to Laban his Mother's Brother where in process he got him a Wise and purchased the love of Esau his Brother again Rebecca Fed. Rechab Jer. 35.6 was the Father of Jonadab Which Jonadab made a Law that the Rechabites should never drink Wine their Wives nor their Children neither yet build House nor sow Seed nor plant Vineyards but should always dwell in Tents Which commandment they kept and obeyed truly And this their obedience Jeremy layeth before the Jews to their great reproach for that they were not so ready to obey the will and commandment of God their heavenly Father as the Rechabites were to obey their Father Jonadab Rechab a Rider Of Rechab the Son of Rimmon read the story of Baanah his Brother Rezin 2 Ring 16.5 c. King of Syria went with Pekah King of Israel to fight against Ahaz King of Juda but could not overcome him At which time Rezin took the City of Elath and drove out the Jews therein and peopled the City with Syrians But in fine the King of Assyria came against him in the defence of Ahaz King of Juda and at Damascus slew him Rezin will or willing to a thing Rezon 1. King 11.23 the Son of Eliadah was a great Captain under Hadadezer King of Zobah which Hadadezer David had overcome in Battel And when Rezon saw his Lord and Master discomfited he fled from him and gathered a Band of Men and went to Damascus where he reigned as King and became a great adversary to Solomon for the which purpose the Lord had stirred him up Rezon a Secretary or leave Rizpah 2 Sam. 22.8 c. the Daughter of Ahia was Saul's Concubine and had by him two Sons the one named Armoni and the other Mephibosheth which two with the Sons of Merob David delivered to the Gibeonites who for the offence of Saul hanged them up upon an Hill before the Lord. Then Rizpah perceiving their Carkasses to remain upon the Gibbet longer than the Law required made provision to save their Bodies that neither Birds should fall upon them by day nor Beast by night And when it was told to David what Rizpah had done he caused their bones with the bones of Saul and Jonathan to be carried into the Country of Benjamin and there buried in the Sepulchre of Kish Saul's Father's Rehoboam 1 King 12. the Son of Solomon was xli years old when he began to reign and his Mothers name was Naamah In this Man's time began the Kingdom of Israel to be divided For when the People came to him and said Thy Father laid a grievous Yoak upon us now therefore remit thou somewhat of the grievous service of thy Father and of his heavy Yoak that he put upon us and we will serve thee He answered as his young Counsellers had counselled him saying My little Finger shall be heavier than all my Father's Loins And whereas my Father put an heavy yoak upon you I will add more unto it And whereas he chastened you with Whips I will chasten you with Scorpions The People hearing this they forsook him all save the Tribe of Juda and * The Tribe of Benjamin was given to Nathan the Brother of Solomon who nevertheless aided the Tribe of Juda as often as they needed Benjamin Then Rehoboam seeing his Kingdom divided gathered an Host of Men out of the house of Juda and Benjamin to the number of nine score thousand to fight with Israel and to bring the Kingdom again unto himself But while he was thus minded the Prophet Shemajah came to him and bad him cease from his purpose for the thing that was done was the Lord's doing Whereupon every Man departed according to the words of the Lord which the Prophet had spoken Then Rehoboam fell to building of Cities 2 Chron. 11.5 c. and repairing of strong holds which he furnished both with Men and Victuals 12. cap. So that his Kingdom was mighty and strong by the space of three years for so long walked he and his People in the ways of David but when they had once forsaken the Law of the Lord in making Hill-altars Images Groves and were become Sodomites and workers of all abominations then God forsook them and gave them into the hands of Shishack King of Egypt who in the fifth year of Rehoboam's raign came to Jerusalem and spoiled both the house of the Lord and the King's house and carried away the shields of Gold which Solomon had made in stead whereof Rehoboam made shields of brass And so for a while God made the Tribe of Juda and Benjamin servants to Shishack although they humbled themselves to the intent they should know the difference between his service and the service of the Kingdomes of the World This King Rehoboam had eighteen Wives and three-score Concubines on whom he begot eight and twenty Sons and three-score Daughters But among all his Wives and Concubines he loved Maacha the Daughter of Absalom best And made Abijah her Son chief Ruler over all his Brethren and to have the Kingdom after him And when by his wisdom and policy he had dispersed his Children abroad and had raigned seventeen Years he dyed Rehoboam inlarging or spreading abroad the people Reuben Gen. 29.32 was the eldest Son of Jacob and Leah He brought the Mandrakes which he found in the Field to his Mother Gen. 30.14 He saved Joseph from his Brethren which went about to kill him Gen. 37.21 22. giving counsel to cast him into an empty Pit because he would rid him out of their hands But when he came afterward unto the Pit and found him not there he rent his Cloaths and made great mone for his Brother Joseph Long after this when Joseph was thought to be dead they went into Egypt for Corn and when they were taken for Spyes and hardly intreated and cast in Prison Gen. 42.22 Reuben said unto them Did not I warn you and say that ye should not sin against the Child and ye would not hear me and now ye may see how his bloud is required at our hands All this notwithstanding it was his chance to lye with Bilha his Father's Concubine Gen. 49.4 which deed sore displeased his Father wherefore before his death he declared the unstableness of Reuben saying That although he were the eldest yet should he not be the chiefest His birth right was taken from him 1 Chron. 5.1 and given to