blessings And good Lord give me grace to cover the infirmities of such fatherâ— and others of the world which I shall see to fall by weakenesse into these or the like offences charitably to judg of them and to judge of my own ways looking into my own actions with a single eye to judge my selfe before others then shall not I cast a stone at another but reflect the worst thought upon my selfe so shall the soule of thy servant O Lord avoid all active scandall and black reproach that curse which Cham received from Noah his father standing upon record for ever THE HISTORY of Abraham ABraham was the son of Terah who descended from Sem the eldest sonne of Noah and Abraham married Sarah who was barren and it came to pass that Terah brought Abraham with Sarah Lot and others from Ur in Caldea to goe into the Land of Canaan And they came to Haran where Terah dyed hee being then two hundred and five years old who being dead by Gods command Abraham departed from Haran being then 75. yeares old with Sarah his Wife and Lot his brothers son with their substance servants and took their journey towards Canaan In this his journey he came to Sheshem and to the Plain of Morah the Canaanites being then in the Land There the Lord appeared to him promising to give his seede that Land and in that place did Abraham build an Altar unto the Lord. From thence hee removed Eastward from Bethel where he likewise built an Altar unto the Lord and there called upon his Name Then hee after travailing further South a great Famine comming upon that Land he went into Aegypt there to sojourn and when hee drew neare that Land he began to be fearfull of himselfe by reason of the beauty of his Wife and desired her to say she was his Sister Now after his comming there the Aegyptians were much taken with her beauty the Princes of Pharoah's Court acquainted the King therewith So shee was brought into his Palace and for her sake Abraham was kindely used but the Lord plagued the house of Pharoah for detaining of her then was Pharoah angry with Abraham for not telling him she was his wife and so hee delivered her backe and sent him friendly away with good rewards Then departed Abraham out of Aegypt with Sarah and Lot his brother with great wealth both in treasure and Cattell and travail'd towards the South to Bethel where formerly he had been even to the Altar he had made and there he worshipped at that time Abraham's Cattell were so many as Lot and he could not live together and striving there was betweene their Heards-men even amongst the Canaanites their enemies So Abraham spake to Lot and desired there might be no strife between them they being brethren and and left it in Lots choise whether to goe and Lot looking for his conveniency hee observed the Plain of Jordane was every way watered for before Sodome and Gomorrah were destroyed it was as the Garden of the Lord and thither did Lot goe according to his owne choise and so they parted one from the other Abraham continuing in the land of Canaan Then it was that the Lord againe did promise that Land to the seed of Abraham After this Abraham removed his Tent and dwelt in the Plaine of Mamre which is Hebron and built there an Altar unto the Lord. And it came to passe in some warres betweene the Kings of Sodome Gomorrah and other Kings that Lot was prisoner and his Cattell taken of which a message being brought to Abraham hee presently brought forth of his house that were born brought up there three hundred and eighteen persons and pursued them to Dan and Damascus brought backe Lot and all his substance with the women and his people Then brought forth Melchisadech King of Salem bread and wine unto him who was a Priest of the most high God and blessed Abraham saying Blessed art hou Abraham of God possessor of Heaven and Earth who hath delivered thine enemies into thine hand and then Abraham paid him tithe After this the Word of the Lord came to him in a vision giving him much comfort saying how he would defend and reward him but at that time Abraham was much troubled hee being childlesse resolving to make his Steward his Heir but the Lord promised him his owne seed should inherit and that he would multiply his generation upon Earth and how they should goe into Aegypt and sojourn there 40â— yeares and be hardly used but that they should be delivered and returne with great plenty Now Sarah Abraham's Wife continuing barren shee had a maid-servant whose name was Hagar an Aegyptian whom she desired Abraham to receive wherby he might have Issue the which hee did this was ten yeares after he came to Canaan and she conceived with childe whereupon she despised Sarah her Mistrisse of which her pride Sarah complained unto Abraham who leaving her to Sarah shee dealt roughly with her and thereupon shee fled but in her flying comming to a fountaine of water in the Wildernesse an Angel appeared unto her enquiring from whence shee came and whether she intended who by her being told the reasons of her journey he perswaded her to return to Sarah her Dame and to humble her selfe unto her Moreover the Angel told her he would increase her seed and that it should multiply exceedingly and that in regard of her tribulation shee should call her sonne Ishmael So when she was deliver'd of this child Abraham called it Ishmael himselfe being then fourescore and sixe yeares old And after Abraham being ninety and nine yeares old the Lord appeared againe unto him promising many blessings unto him so he would obey him and how he would multiply his seede exceedingly and he fell upon his face Then the Lord called his name Abraham promising hee should be a Father of many Nations that Kings should proceed from them and that hee would give them the Land of Canaan for an everlasting possession and to be their God they keeping his Covenant Then the Lord appointed Abraham that every man-childe of eight dayes olde should be circumcised as well of his house as of strangers that were bought that his Covenant might be in their flesh as an everlasting Covenant and the uncircumcised should be cut off from the people Then hee commanded his Wife should no more be called Sarai but Sarah and how he would give her a son and shee should be a Mother of many Nations then Abraham fell upon his face and laughed thinking it strange hee being an hundred years old and Sarah ninety then hee desired the Lord that Ishmael might live in his sight but the Lord said againe Sarah shall bear a sonne and thou shalt call his name Isaac with whom I will establish my Covenant and thy prayer for Ishmael I have heard and him will I blesse and make fruitfull twelve Princes shall he beget
King Eliakim and divers others and Rabshakeh said unto them Say ye unto Hezekiah Thus saith the great King of Assyria What confidence is this wherein thou trustest and spake other great words and blasphemed against the God of Israel and demanding pledges for his Master the King of Assyria Then said Eliakim unto him I pray thee speake unto thy servants in the Syrian tongue for we understand it and speake not to us in the Jewes language in the eares of the people that are upon the wall But Rabshakeh said Hath my Master sent me to thy Master and to thee to speake these words Hath not he sent me unto the men that sit upon the wall that they may eate their owne dung and drinke their owne pisse with you and he spake this with a loud voice in the Jewes language and said more Thus saith the King of Assyria Let not Hezekiah deceive you for he shall not be able to deliver you neither let him make you trust in the Lord or think he can deliver you hearken not to the King but come you out with a present and make your agreement that ye may eate under your owne vines and drink in your owne cisterns but the people held their peace answering him not a word for so the King commanded them then came Eliakim and the rest that were sent out to Hezekiah with their clothes rent and told him the words of Rabshakeh when the King heard it he rent his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the hose of the Lord and he sent Eliakim and the Elders of the Priests covered with sackcloth unto Isaiah the Prophet the sonne of Amos. And they told him of the blasphemy and threatening of Rabshakeh and the Prophet answered them Thus shall you say unto your Master Thus saith the Lord Be not afraid of the words wherewith Rabshakeh hath blasphemed me Behold I will send a blast upon him and he shall heare a rumour and returne to his owne land and there he shall fall by the sword and the King of Assyria being gone from Lachish to fight with the King of Ethiopia he sent messengers to Hezekiah to say unto him Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee saying Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the King of Assyria as well as other lands and Hezekiah received the Letter from the hand of the messengers and after he had read it he went into the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord and prayed unto him saying O Lord of hosts God of Israel that dwellest betweene the Cherubins thou art the God even thou alone of all the kingdoms of the earth thou hast made heaven and earth encline thine eare O Lord and heare open thine eyes O Lord and see and heare all the words of Senacherib which hath sent to reproach the living God Now therefore O Lord our God save us from his hand that all the kingdomes of the earth may know that thou art the Lord even thou onely Then Isaiah the sonne of Amos sent unto Hezekiah saying Whereas he had prayed unto the Lord against Senacherib the Lord would neare him and put a hooke in â—is nose and a bridle in his lips and turne him backe by the way he came and that he should not come into the city of Jerusalem nor shoot an arrow there nor cast a banke or trench against it but would defend and preserve the city for his owne sake and for his servant Davids sake and the Angel of the Lord went forth and smote in the Camp of the Assyrians one hundred foure score and five thousand so Senacherib King of Assyria departed and returned and dwelt at Niniveh and after it came to passe as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god that Adramelech and Sharezar his sons smote him with the sword and they escaped into the land of Armenia and Esarhaddon his sonne reigned in his steed And in those dayes was Hezekiah King of Israel sick unto the death and Isaiah the Prophet came unto him and said Thus saith the Lord Set thine house in order for thou shalt die then Hezekiah turned his face towards the wall prayed unto the Lord Saying Remember now O Lord I doe beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and he wept exceedingly then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah saying Goe and say to Hezekiah Thus saith the Lord the God of David thy father I have heard thy prayer and have seene thy teares Behold I will adde unto thy dayes fifteene yeares and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the King of Assyria And this shall be a signe unto thee from the Lord I will bring againe the shadow of the degrees which is gone downe in the Sunne-dyall of Ahaz ten degrees backward and Hezekiah praised the Lord for his mercy saying The Lord was ready to save me therefore will I sing my song to the stringed instruments all the daies of my life in the house of the Lord and Isaiah gave order to apply unto him a lump of figs and lay it as a plaster upon his boyle which did heale him About that time Merodach Baladan the sonne of Baladan King of Babylon sent a letter and presents unto Hezekiah hearing he had been sicke and the King was glad of their coming and entertained them with great courtesie and shewed them all his precious things the silver gold spices and the precious ointments his armour and all that could be seene in his house or his dominions Then came Isaiah the Prophet unto King Hezekiah and said unto him What said these men and from whence came they and Hezekiah said They came even from Babylon then said he What have they seene in thine house and Hezekiah answered I have shewed them all in my treasures and nothing have I hid from them then said Isaiah unto him Heare the word of the Lord of hosts Behold the dayes will come that all that is within thine house and that which thy fathers have laid up in store untill this day shall be carried to Babylon nothing shall be left saith the Lord and of thy sonnes which shall issue from thee shall they take away and they shall be Eunuches in the palace of the King of Babylon And according to this prophesie many yeares after it came to passe Jeremiah living at that time when Nebuchadnezar came to besiege Jerusalem he told them what would befall but the Princes were wroth with him and put him in prison after he had beene there many dayes Zedekiah the King sent and tooke him out and the King asked him secretly Is there any word from the Lord and Jeremiah said There is for thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the King of Babylon therefore heare me O my lord the king let my sute come unto thee that I may not returne to prison where I
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
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
and he shall be a great Nation and that Sarah shall beare Isaac the next yeare Then Abraham tooke Ishmael his son with all the men-children that were borne in his house 15. and that were bought with money and circumcised them the selfe-same day God had commanded him himselfe being ninety nine years old when hee was circumcised and Ishmael thirteen Now againe the Lord appeared unto Abraham in the Plain of Mamre about the heat of the day as he sate at his Tent doore and looking loe three men stood by him whom he ran to meet bowing himselfe to the ground saying Lord if I have found favour in thy sight goe not I pray thee from thy servant but wash your feet under this tree and I will bring you some bread to comfort your hearts and after you may goe and they answered doe as thou hast said Then Abraham made hast unto Sarah and bade her make some cakes upon the Hearth as likewise hee made his servant kill a Calfe aâ—d so with some butter and milke hee set before them standing himselfe by under the tree whiles they did eate Then they asked for Sarah his Wife whom hee said was in the Tent and he said I will certainly come again unto thee according to the time of life for Sarah shall have a sonne Sarah heard this being at the Tent door and laughed within her selfe because she and Abraham being olde And the Lord said wherefore doth Sarah thus laugh shall any thing bee too hard for the Lord to doe at the time appointed will I returne unto thee even according to the time of life and Sarah shal have a sonne then Sarah was affraid So the men did rise and went towards Sodome but Abraham stood yet before the Lord and knowing of the Lords anger he pleaded for that City desiring the Righteous might not be destroyed with the wicked and desired that if fifty righteous were therein it might not be destroyed for said hee unto the Lord shall not the Judge of the world doe right but Abraham's suite continued from fifty to five and forty so from forty to thirty and so to twenty and at last to ten which not being in that City the Lord went from Abraham and Abraham returned to his place After this Abraham went toward the South and sojourned at Gerar and once more said Sarah was his sister and Abimilech the King sent for her whom God before he toucht her in a dream threatned death unto him for taking another man's Wife so with many circumstances in the feare of God very religiously hee delivered her backe to Abraham blaming him for saying she was his Sister the which he excused by saying hee thought them to have been a wicked people and was affraid of his life pretending she was his sister having both one father but not of one mother Then Abimilech gave them great store of Cattell treasure reproving of Sarah for her dissembling he gave them leave to live in his Countrey where they pleased and by the prayer of Abraham Abimilech was heal'd of his Infirmity with his Wife and women-servants who before were barren and now brought forth children before they being accused for Sarah's cause After this according to Gods promise in due season Sarah conceived and bare Isaac whom Abraham circumcised at 8. dayes old and Sarah rejoyced in the Lord and wondred at his mercies And when he was weaned they made a great feast but Sarah seeing Ishmael mocking she said unto Abraham cast out this bond-woman and her sonne for hee shall not be heire with my sonne Isaac at which Abraham was troubled but the Lord comâ—orted him by telling him the comfort he should have by Isaac so in the morning early hee sent away Hagar and Ishmael who went to the Wildernesse of Beersheba and God was mercifull to them in their journey After this there was great friendship between Abraham and Abimilech and all differences being reconciled Abraham giving him Beeves and sheep After this Abraham planted a Grove in Beersheba and called there upon the name of the Lord the everlasting God Then the Lord to prove Abraham's faith said unto him take now thine only son Isaac whom thou lovest and goe to the Land of Moreah and there offer him a burnt-offering upon one of the mountaines I shall shew thee so Abraham went early away with Isaac his sonne two servants his Asses with cloven wood for the sacrifice and the third day spying the place he commanded his servants to stay behind himselfe and Isaac going on to the mountaine to worship Isaac carrying the wood himselfe the knife and the fire Then said Isaac Father here is the fire and the wood but where is the Lamb for the burnt-offring then his father answered that God would provide it and comming to the place Abraham built there an altar and couched the wood on it and bound Isaac his son and laid him like-wise on the Altar upon the wood and Abraham stretched out his hand and tooke the knife to kill his sonne but an Angell from Heaven called unto him saying Abraham Abâ—aham who answered here am I then he said lay not thy hand upon the child nor doe any thing unto him for now I know thou fearest God seeing for my sake thou hast not spared thine onely sonne Then Abraham lifting up his eyes behold there was a Ramme behind him caught by the hornes in a bush the which hee tooke and offered him a burnt-offering in stead of his so and he called the place Jehovah Jireth as it is said this day in the Mount will the Lord be seene and upon this by an Angell from heaven the secoÌ„d time a great blessing was promised unto Abraham and his seede and that in them should all the Nations of the Earth be blessed Then turned Abraham againe to his servants and so went to Beersheba where he dwelt Now after this when Sarah was one hundred twenty and seven yeares old she dyed at Kiriartharba in the Land of Canaaâ— and Abraham mourned for her but hee arising from the sight of the Corps talked with the Hittites about a place for the burying of Sarah hee being there a Stranger and they proffered him to bury her in the chiefest of their Sepulchres but with much respect he desired them to speak for him unto Ephron to give him a Cave called Maeh Pelah at the end of a field for so much money it was worth for a burying place Then Ephroa in the hearing of all the people said No my Lord the field I give thee and the cave that is therein even in the presence of the fons of my people Then Abraham bowed himself before the people saying Seeing thou wilt give it meâ— I will give thee the price of the field and so hee gave him 400. filver sheckles for it after which Abraham buryed Sarah in that cave it being against Mamre the same is Hebron in Canaan Now Abraham being growne old tooke
care for a Wife for his sonne Isaac hee then calling for his Steward making him put his hand under his thigh and causing him to sweare by the Lord God of Heaven and Earth that his sonne should not take a Canaanitish woman to Wife but to goe into his owne Countrey and Kindred and there to take a Wife for him Then said his servant what if the Woman will not come with me into this Land shall I bring back thy sonne To whom Abraham answered beware that thou bring not back my sonne thither againe The Lord God of Heaven who tooke me from my fathers house even from the Land where I was born that spake and sware unto me saying unto thy seed will I give this Land he shal send his Angell before thee and thou shalt take a Wife unto my sonne from thence Neverthelesse if the Woman will not follow thee then shalt thou be discharged of thy oath only bring not my son thither againe and the servant swore unto Abraham so he tooke tenne of his Masters Camels who went his journey obtained Rebecka to be his wife as in the story of Isaac is more at large exprest Now after the death of Sarah Abraham took another Wife called Keturah which bare him divers children and Ahraham gave all his goods unto Isaac but unto the sonnes of his Concubines he gave them gifts and sent them away from Isaac his son this he did in his life-time And Abraham being one hundred seventy and five years old hee yeelded up his Spirit dying in a good age and was gathered to his people and his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the Cave with Sarah in the field Ephron PRAYERS upon the History of ABRAHAM GIve mee obedience O Lord to follow the steps of my Governors and to bee guided by my Parents as Abraham was by Terah his Father who brought him to Haran So likewise let mee be obedient to thy blessed Inspirations which may bring me to the heavenly Canaan And as Abraham carried with him in his journey his wife Lot his Brother with his servants and substance grant that all my nearest affections my flesh blood may cheerfully goe along with mee in this my pilgrimage to my â—eavenly happinesse with the servants substanâ—e of piety and good workes to attend me And in this progresse in Moreh and in the middle of the worldly Canaan let thy blessed grace appeare unto mee and grant that I may build an Altar of thanksgiving in my heart unto thee and call upon thy Name Preserve me in the famine necessity and miseries of this world as thou diddest Abraham But above all worldly helps keepe me from the famine of thy favour and grace that in thee my soule may be safe from the spirituall danger of faith and a good conscience By thy good guidance remove me from danger as Abraham was by his going into Aegypt Let not the feare and jealousie of worldly respects make mee to dissemble before thee O Lord who knows 't the secrets of my heart as Abraham did by his Wife for his earthly safety and deliver mee from such bad intions of fleshly desires as was in Pharaoh King of Aegypt by detaining of Sarah lest I partake of such punishments as befell unto him And for such offences against thee as wrongs and bad intentions done to any man or woman grant thaâ— I may not continue in them but timely to repent and by leaving such sinnes give satisfaction for wrongs done as Pharoah did to Abraham at his departure And still to praise thee for thy mercies O Lord as Abraham did at his return to Bethel Give unto me the like charitable love as was between Abraham Lot in their parting yea in the middle of such worldly fortunes as they had that most dangerous rocke of ambition pride and Emulation and let mee not bee too much in love with the pleasant Plains of this worldly Jordan of earthly and vaine delight with Lot in his choise for then shal I not be so neare the like dangerâ— as he was at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah Good Lord give unto me continuall comforts and assurances unto my soule by thy mercies unto mee in the hope of that blessed eternity as thou diddest give unto Abraham his seede for their blessing in the earthly Canaan and in this Plain of Mamre the Hebron of this world still let me praise thee for all thy mercies with this father of the faithful Give unto me O my helper a helping hand unto my distressed Brethren and friends of this world as Abraham did to Lot in his captivity With such blessings and comforts as was given to Abraham by that King and Priest Melchisadech and not only to be humbly thankefull unto thee for the same but to pay that tithe of duty and obedience due unto thy Ministers as he did In the sadnesse of my dejected spirit and coldnesse of devotion towards thee be thou my strength and comfort as thou wast to Abraham in thy promise to his seede so shall not this my earthly Steward of vain and worldly suggestions possesse annoy and supplant my good thoughts intentions and hopes in thee but still I may be made happy by thy heavenly mercies In the barrennesse of my soule as it was in Sarah her body in such fruitfulnesse as was with Hagar let me not despair with the one nor presume with the other lest I be cast out of thy mercies but in my cries send mee thy good Inspirations to make me returne timely and humbly with Hagar and with leasure to receive thy promised blessing with Sarah So by the humiliation of Hagar and the hope of Sarah I shall by thy mercie with Abraham enjoy the Ishmael of worldly comfort here the Isaac of everlasting happinesse hereafter Grant O Lord that I may be courteous and charitable to all men as Abraham was to the three who came to his Tent doore with the like agility and alacrity to do good works as he did for their provision that aâ— hee in stead of men received Angelâ— so by thy promised mercie to wel doers shall I receive with Abraham thy comfort here and thy heavenly reward hereafter where the Angels waite at the doors of heaven to receive the righteous Take from me O Lord all distrusts of thy promises with Sarah's second doubt and with her wonder at thy mercies for by this faith and confidence in thee I shall by thy goodnesse and in good time with this hope and wel-doing enjoy the happinesse in heaven as she did after in earth in thy promise of Isaac O Lord keep me from the unrighteousnesse which was in Sodome lost by mine unworthinesse the mediations and prayers of the faithfull do not prevail for me before the Throne of mercy lest that for my sins I partake of their punishment from thy seate of justice O Lord how miserable and wretched are we even the best of us without thy continuall
and the cheerfulnesse of Rebecka to be going by the one to discharge the trust to my friend and by the other to gaine the love of my neighbour So O Lord in that which concerns thy service let me with resolution and alacrity come speedily vnto thee so shall not the Bethuel of self-love nor the Laban of worldly care hinder me from my due obedience service of thee Give mee grace in imitation of this Grand-fire of the holy Patriarks the pattern of obedience upon his Fathers Altar and in his constant serving of thee that with a contemplative heart and a penitent soule I may continually call unto thee both morning evening and at all times as he did in that evening he so happily met Rebecka so by thy mercie shall I obtaine thy heavenly Comfort as hee did in earthly respects by meeting of her and so be joyned unto thee for all Eternity Give me a tender care regard for the obsequies of my Parents and to joine in charity for the performance thereof though with my enemies and most jealous friends as it was done by Isaac and Ishmael to their father Abraham Grant me patience O Lord in the barrennesse of my dejected spirit give mee grace to persevere in my prayers unto thee as Isaac did in the barrenness of Rebecka so in due time thou wilt heare me as thou did'st Isaac and in thy good time shall I receive the fruit of thy consolation In the strivings between the flesh and the spirit as was in Rebecka's womb the which by reason of sin and my infirmities I am so subjected unto be mercifull unto me O God and grant that stil I may pray unto thee so by thy grace shall I bee delivered and know thy goodnesse and good pleasure as she did in her two twins And grant O Lord that the blessings of thy good grace may bear rule over this my rough and rude flesh to keepe it in subjection O Lord deliver and preserve me thy servant from the like hunger wearinesse in my soul as it was with Esau in his body that I may not endanger it for the lentill light vanities fading refreshments of fleshly desires thereby to lose my heavenly inheritance that blessed birth-right in heaven purchased for me by the birth and left me by the death of thou my blessed Saviour and Redeemer In much griefe of heart I must confesse O God with great shame and confusion to my self that I have done much evil in thy sight Esau was not more ready by that deare Bargain to eat those lentill potage than I have bin to swallow up sin offences against thee even for a lesse value my greedinesse to sin was such as even for a peice of bread have I finned against thee having been lead away by the meanest of temptations and therefore I have no other plea for my self but thy mercy O Lord and the merits of my blessed Saviour whose Sacrifice for sin upon the Crosse for us that were Gentiles was of far more effecacy then the blood of Buls or Goites were for the Israelites Deliver me O Lord from the power of my infirmities which still persues me to indanger my soule as it dealt with Isacc who fell into his father Abrahams error by calling his wife sister when he came to Gerer amongst the Philistims and give me the like Chastity and Charity as was in Abimeleck towards him and Rebekah Give me O Lord that increase of thy grace and mercy to sustaine my soule as thou diddest give unto Isacc in his corne to preserve his body and graunt that I may be that good ground mentioned in thy Gospel to bring forth the fruit of good works a hundred fold as it was in Isacc's graine Preserve me from the envy of the wicked anâ— from the suggestions to sin that the well-springs of thy grace may not be taken from me but raise up unto me the living well-spring of thy mercy that the stirrings of flesh and blood may have no power to take from me as the matteriall wells were taken from Isacc and bring me O Lord unto the spirituall Beersheba so appeare thou in mercy unto me there as knowing thy goodnes and believing thy promises I may build an Altar of praise and that thanksgiving unto thee In the passages of this world grant that I may alwayes preserve love and friendship both with my friends neighbours and even my enemies with firmnesse and integrity of heart as was between Isacc and Abimeleck And let me so obey my Parents in my courses carriages of this world that I may not prove a griefe of heart unto them as Easu was to Isacc and Rebekah by his marrying of Judeth the Hitite O Lord give me such obedience unto them as may cause and draw their blessings upon me both in their lives and at their deaths to be near unto them in duty obedience as Jacob was whome in mercy thou diddest looke upon and after gave such blessings unto by whose off-spring all the Nations of the world were made happy And still to continue obedient unto them as Jacob was unto his father in his marriage for this obedience to Parents is pleasing to thee O Lord and calls downe for thy blessings upon us the children of men let there alwayes continue in me a neare and pious regard for the interring of 〈◊〉 Parents with a conjunction of charity in the doing of it even with thy greatest emulaters as it was in the charitable performance of this solâ—mnetie between Jacob and Easu in the burying of Isacc their father So by this brotherly concord and charitable deportment wee shall be made partakers of that mercy thou O â—ord hast promised to them that doe the works of mercy to which happy to coâ—â—ition and the fruition of that haâ—pinesse bring me O Lord even 〈◊〉 his sake who was the true 〈◊〉 of patience amongst his enemieâ— and gave forgivenes even to his crucifiers THE HISTORY of JACOB AFter Isaac had blessed Jacob and in obedience to his Father and Mother departing from Beersheba taking his journey to Padan-Aram comming to a certaine place it being night hee took a stone and laying it under his head he fell asleepe and falling into a dreame there appeared unto him a ladder which reached from the earth to heaven Angels going up and down upon it and the Lord standing above it who said I am the Lord the God of Abraham and of Isaac thy Father the Land whereupon thou sleepest will I give unto thee and thy seede and they shall multiply exceedingly in them shall the families of the Earth be blessed and promising to preserve him in all his journeys and to bring him again to that Land Now Jacob awaking was affraid but did thinke the Lord was in that place saying to himselfe it was the house of God and that there was the gates of Heaven Then after hee had risen early in the morning he took that stone
THE PEDIGREE AND PERIGRINATION of ISRAEL Being an abridgement of the Histories of The creation of Adam Cain Abel Noah Abraham Isaac Jacob. Joseph Joshuah Deborah Ruth Hezekiah Zedekiah And the taking of the Arke With Meditations and Prayers upon each HISTORIE By John Jackson of Kilingraves in Com. Ebor. Gentleman I am a stranger with thee and a sojourner as all my Fathers were Psal. 39. 14. LONDON Printed by M. Simmons for John Wilcox and are to be sold at the signe of the Crown in Duck-lane 1649. 〈◊〉 meaning of the Frontispiece AS the glorious Sunne did enlighten the earth at the Creation and comforted the creatures so it represents to us â—ur darke and blind condition untill that Son of Righteousnesse did shine upon us whereby we are enlightned and comforted The next is the desolate condition of our first Parents after their fall sitting under that they did we now hope in which is by the pillar of perfect faith placed upon the rock of a sure confidence under the safe shade of that vine the Church pointing up to their hope The Rain-how puts us in mind of the deluge in the time of Noah of Gods mercie if we repent and amend as likewise of the 2d judgment to come by fire That of Moses and Aaron represents Gods commands Israels obedience to them in their perigrination â—or us to imitate by our duties to our Governours and Superiours appointed over us The Arke Altar and the Cheruhims in the Sanctum Sanctorum shewes how wee should worship towards the Holy of Holies in heaven the end of our hope The Dove descending as it did shew unto Noah the ceasing of the waters whereby hee and them in the Arke were comforted So it may signifie unto us the comfort of the holy Ghost and the ceasing of Gods wrath and the safety of them within the Arke of his Church that exprest in the clouds as a cloud of witnesses may confirm us of that happinesse which the Saints possesse and which they shall enjoy 〈◊〉 thus bâ—lieve obey and serve this Creator of Heaven 〈◊〉 Earth Just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints Revel 15. 〈◊〉 Thou Leadest thy People like sheep by the hands of Moses and Aron Ps 77. 20. The Law was geven by Moses but grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ. Joh. 1. 17. 1649. 〈…〉 Author inveÌ„t W. M. Sculpsit To the Nobility Gentry and Commonalty beyond TRENT my deare and Native Countrey The Author doth principally present these his Endeavours I Am bold to present you with these following Histories and Meditations the which if 〈◊〉 your liesure you will please to peruse though they be plaine yet I doubt not but they will administer you some comfort in regard they are eâ—tracted out of some choise places of holy Scripture which is the fountaine whence our chiefest consolations flowe and never any age did stand in more need of spirituall comforts then wee doe in these 〈◊〉 times of ours which occasioned me to the composing of them and I am in hope that they will 〈◊〉 equally profitable as they are seasonable I shall desirâ— your favourable construction for some errours in thâ— Presse or what failing may be in my selfe 〈◊〉 composure So wishing you as much happy solace in the perusing as it pleased God to afford mee in 〈◊〉 penning of them I rest From my chamber in Holborn 28. Septemb. Your most affectionate Countreyman and servant JOHN JACKSON To the Reader Christian Reader THis short abridgement being drawne our of some part of the Histories of the old Testament yet following the very plain phrase of the holy Scripture I do recommend unto thee it being so portable to carry about thee and so profitable to read being the circumstances of such matter as behoves thee to know and practise to comfort and encourage thee in this thy pilgrimage to parallel all thy sufferings in these sad and bad times by the examples of these Kings Priests Prophets which were holier better then thy self thereby to teach thee with the like resolution perseverance to follow theâ—â— stâ—ps and them in all their good examples of piety patience and devotion as likewise to obey thy Governours and superiours appointed by God over thee It will be likewise usefull foâ— thee in thy private closet for thy contemplations in the fields for thy children to read at home to perfect them in the knowledge of the wonderfull works of God that in their innocency youth they may be engrafted in this so necessary knowledge learning betimes to practise the piety of these holy men to strengthen them in grace and a happy course in this their spirituall warfare towards their hoped for happinesse Now 〈◊〉 the severall meditations and prayers following each History if they fall short of thy 〈…〉 of phrase or length of lineâ— or 〈◊〉 of zeale I shall desire God to enlarge thine heart unto more perfection in thy self and to stir up happy and learned men that may enlarge this so necessary work tending to devotion so requisite for this age so full of spirituall pride the which hath so much enfatuated our understandings and brought us to so dangerous a distemper and God divert from us that heavy judgement which is the attendant unto this burning feaver of pride and self-conceit and insensible frenzie which cannot be cured but by him that raised the dead to life And that God of power mercy give us all that perfect humility which is so pleasing unto him and the only safe and sure rule which will bring us to all other vertues and to that right and plaine way that will lead us to perfect happinesse in heaven the resting place of the humble and meek in heart So desiâ—ing God to direct thee in the reading and all of us to practise what we read I commit thee to Gods mercifull guidance and protection J. J. To his much respected Friend Mr. Iohn Iackeson SIR I Have perused with much comfort the Manuscript you sent mee and whereas you desire my opinion of it truly Sir I must tell you without complement that it is a very useful pious piece of devotion Doubtlesse you were truly inspired when you were compiling the work and your soule had taken a high fight towards her Creator insomuch that one may finde that you felt the joyes of heaven while you were thus meditating upon them This part of the Christian Common-wealth will be much obliged to you for such materiall notions and strains of piety For my particular I must confesse they affâ—rded me much solace in this my sad condition for they raised my spirits to a great height of comfort and I am confident they will worke the same effect in any soul that is susceptible of spirituall impression So with my very kinde respects to my deare friend your kinsman Major John Jackson I rest From the Fleet this 11. of September Yours most affectionately to dispose of JAMES HOWEL THE
that I have made them But Noah found grace in the eys of the Lord for he was a just man and perfect in his generations Noah had three sons Sem Ham and Japhet and the earth was corrupt before God and filled with violeÌ„ce And God said unto Noah The end of all flesh is come before me for the world is filled with iniquity violence Behold I wil destroy them with the Earth Make thee an Arke with roomes in it and pitch it within and without and fashion it as I direct thee a window and a doore shalt thou make in it make it with a lower a second and a third story For behold I wil bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh and every thing that is in the earth shall die But with thee will I establish my covenant thou shalt come into the Ark thou and thy sons and thy wife thy sons wives with thee And of every living thing of all flesh male female shalt thou bring into the Ark to keep them alive with thee and take in with thee food of all sorts for thee and for them And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him and when the Ark was finished the Lord said unto him Come thou and all thy house into the Arke for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation And bring into the Arke of every clean beast by sevens and of unclean by 2. male and female and of fowls by seven to keepe â—eede alive upon the face of the earth for after seven days I will cause it to raine upon the earth 40. days 40. nightsâ—and Noah did as the Lord commaÌ„ded him He was 600. years old when the flood was upon the earth and after he and his family were entered into the Arke and all other living creatures as 't was commanded the flood came upon the earth and the Ark was born above the waters and went upon the face of it and the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth and all the high hils that were under heaven were covered and all flesh dyed that moved upon the earth and the waters prevailed one hundred and fifty dayes upon the earth but after God made a winde to pass over the earth and the waters asswaged And after the hundred and fifty dayes the waters were abated and the Ark rested upon the mountaines of Ararat and after forty dayes Noah opened the window of the Ark and sent out a Raven which went forth too and fro untill the waters were dryed up from off the earth also he sent forth a Dove to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground but the Dove found no rest for the sole of her feet but returned to the Ark. But after seven days more he sent forth the Dove again the Dove came in to him in the evening and in her mouth was an Olive leafe so by that Noah knew the waters were abated upon the earth After that hee staid seven dayes more and sent the Dove out againe which returned no more unto him then Noah removed the covering of the Ark and looked behold the face of the earth was dry and God commanded Noah to come out of the Arke and all that was within it the which he did and after he built an Altar unto the Lord offered burnt offerings on the Altar which was pleasing to the Lord and the Lord blessed the earth again and promised never to destroy it by water any more and set the Rainbow as a signe thereof And the Lord blessed Noah and his sons and Noah began to be a Husbandman and he planted a Vineyard and he drank of the wine and was drunke and was uncovered within his tent And Ham the father of Canaan saw the nakednesse of his father and told his two brethren without then Sem and Japhet took a garment and laid it upon both their shoulders and went backwards and covered the nakedness of their father and would not look upon his nakednesâ— but when Noah did awake and knew what his younger son bad done he said Cursed be Canaan a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty yeares and all the dayes of Noah were nine hundred and fifty yeares and he dyed MEDITATIONS upon Noah O Lord make me sensible of the grievousnesse of sin aâ—d of the punishments that follow such transgressions let this example of the old world in the time of Noah teach me to looke into my selfe that I may see mine owne iniquities and the corruptions of my heart and give me O Lord true repentance and contrition that I be not drowned in the deluge of my sinfulness but receive me with thy servant Noah into the Ark of thy saving mercy and good Lord let me not be like those secure sinfull persons that built the Ark ' and they themselves perished to give instructions to others and my selfe to fall into impiety to be left out of thy holy Ark of thy saving grace or out of the blessings of thy holy Church and so come at last to perish in my sinnes O Lord whiles I am in this ark of materiall safety and refuge keep me thy servant safe from the danger of shipwrack and leaking in the faith and unity of the â—hurch not to distrust thy providence in this Ark though I live and subsist among the bruit beasts wild creatures of this world who be as the Psalmist speaketh like the horse mule that have no understaÌ„ding Send the Dove of thy holy spirit with the olive branch of thy strength and comfort unto me that may bring joyfull tidings unto my soul of that happinesse which I may expect when I shall be enlarged out of this flesh Bring thy Arke thy Church O Lord out of the troublesome waters of affliction persecution that now so grievously tosse and disturb that poor modell that it may rest upon the safe mountaines of Ararat in the full power of thy mercifull redemption In thy due time take from over my understanding the covering of the ark that I may discerne the pleasure of that heavenly habitation which thou hast prepared for my soule and that I may with a particular evidence of faith and piety passe out of this Ark thy Church militant to thy Church triumphant in heaven and let mee build here an altar of thanksgiving with the incense of zeale burning in my heart to praise thee for all thy mercies and goodness towards me And good Lord whiles I live here the small remainder of my dayes let me not he overcome with intemperate desires or sin in the wrong use of these thy creatures that thou hast ordained for my miserable life but to use them soberly without drunkennesse or any excesse that thereby I may be the better enabled by the comforts of them to serve thee in the moderate use thereof and all other thy
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
he did so And all the Elders of Israel followed him and he spake unto them saying Depart I pray you from the tents of these wicked men and touch nothing of theirs lest ye be consumed And so they departed and stood in the doores of their Tents their wives and their children and Moses said Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to doe all those workes for I have not done them of my owne minde if these men die the common death of all men or if they be visited after the visitation of all men then the Lord hath not sent me but if the Lord make a new thing and the earth open her mouth and swallow them up with all that appertaine to them and they goe downe quicke into the pit then shall ye understand that these men have provoked the â—ord And it came to passe as he had made an end of speaking all these words that the ground clave asunder that was under them and swallowed them up their houses and their goods and the earth closed upon them and they perished from among the congregation and there came a fire out from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense and as God commanded Eleazer the sonne of Aaron tooke the censers out of the fire and made of them broad plates to cover the Altar because they were formerly hallowed and to be a memoriall to all the children of Israel that no stranger which is not of the seed of Aaron come neare to offer incense before the Lord that he be not as Korah and as his company But on the morrow after this great judgement fell upon Korah the congregation murmured against Moses and Aaron saying They had killed the people of the Lord. And they being gathered together Moses and Aaron looked towards the Tabernacle and the cloud covered it and the glory of the Lord appeared And Moses and Aaron came before the Tabernacle of the congregation and the Lord spake unto Moses saying Get you up from among this congregation that I may consume them in a moment and they fell upon their faces and Moses bade Aaron to take a Censer and put fire therein from of the Altar and put on incense and go quickly unto the congregation and make an attonement for them for that wrath was gone out from the Lord and the plague was begun and Aaron did as Moses commanded and ran into the middest of the congregation but the plague was begun among the people and then he put on incense and made an attonement for the people and stood betweene the dead and the living and the plague ceased Now they that died of the plague were foureteene thousand and seven hundred besides them that died about the matter of Korah and Aaron returned unto Moses to the doore of the Tabernacle and the plague stayed And the Lord commanded Moses to speake unto the children of Israel to bring twelve rods for every Tribe one and thereon to write their names and to write Aarons name upon the rod of Levi and to lay them up in the Tabernacle before the Testimony and the Lord said That the mans rod whom he shall chuse shall be the chiefe and shall blossome thereby to make the children of Israel cease from murmuring against Moses and Aaron and Moses did as the Lord commanded and every one of the Princes gave him a rod according to their fathers houses Aarons rod being amongst them and Moses laid the rods before the Lord in the Tabernacle of witnesse and going on the morrow into the Tabernacle the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded brought forth buds bloomed and yielded Almonds and Moses brought them forth and they tooke every man his rod but the Lord bade Moses to bring back Aarons rod before the Testimony to be kept for a token against the Rebels and take away their murmurings lest they die and Moses did so as God commanded and the children of Israel spake unto Moses saying Behold we dye we perish we all perish Shall we be consumed with dying And the Lord commanded the Tribe of Levi to be joyned unto Aaron to minister unto him and onely that Aaron and his sonnes should minister before the Tabernacle of the witnesse and that the Levites should keepe the charge of the Tabernacle but they should not come nigh the vessels of the Sanctuary and the Altar lest Aaron and they should die and that no stranger should come near them and gave them many other Ordinances to observe Then came the children of Israel unto Zin and abode in Kadesh where Miriam died and was there buried and in that place was no water in so much as they gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron and the people did chide with Moses and wished they had died with their brethren Then Moses and Aaron went from them unto the doore of the Tabernacle and fell upon their faces and the Lord bade Moses and Aaron take the Rod and assemble the people together and speake unto the Rock before them and it should give forth water and they gathered the congregation together before the Rock and Moses said unto them Heare now ye Rebels must we fetch you water out of this Rock Then Moses lift up his hand and with his Rod he smote the Rock twice and the water came out abundantly and the congregation dranke and their beasts also And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron Because ye beleeve me not to sanctifie me in the eyes of the children of Israel therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them After this Moses sent messengers to Kadesh to the King of Edom letting him know of all their passages in Egypt and of the wonders that God had done desiring to passe through his Countrey onely to goe by the Kings high way and pay for what they tooke but the King of Edom refused it wherefore Israel turned another way and came to mouÌ„t Hor where the Lord spoke unto Moses and Aaron saying Aaron shall be gathered to hâ— people for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah take Aaron and his sonne Eleazar and bring them up unto mount Hor and Moses brought them up and as the Lord commanded Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them upon Eleazar his sonne and Aaron died there in the top of the mount and Moses and Eleazar came downe from thence and when the congregation of Israel saw that Aaron was dead even all the house of Israel mourned for him thirty dayes And they journied from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea and compassed the land of Edom but they were much discouraged because of the way and the people spake against God and Moses then the Lord sent fiery serpents amongst the people who bit them whereof many died