Asa the King of Iudah insomuch that the King of Iudah was faine to hyre the King of Aram to assist him And there continued wars betwéene Asa and Baasha all their dayes to the great terrour and vndoing of the subiects on both sides Wherefore the Lord sent Iehu saying Forasmuch as I haue exalted thee out of the dust and thou notwithstanding hast walked in all the wayes of Ieroboam and hast made my people Israel to sinne behold I will take away thy posteritie and will make thy house like his house So hée dyed hauing raigned foure and twenty yeares Iehu was a Prophet in his time Par. Who was the fourth King Past 1 King 16 8.9 Ela the sonne of Baasha Hée continued at Tirzah where Zimri his seruant killed him as he was drunke in his Stewards house after hée had raigned two yeares 1 King 16 9.10.11 to 19. Zimri raigned as King in the roome of Ela whom he had slaine He also slew all that pertained to Baasha euen euery one that were his friends or wel-willers according to that which the Lord had spoken by his Prophet Iehu because he and Ela his son had enforced the people of Israel to sinne against the Lord. When the people were in campe against Gibethon had heard that Zimri had slaine the King did set himselfe as king in his throne 1 King 16.16 to 28. they made Omri Captaine of the hoast King ouer Israell And when Zimri saw that the Citie Tirzah was taken hée went into his Palace and burnt himselfe and the Kings house and so dyed Then the people were diuided into two parts the one halfe followed Tibni the sonne of Ginath to make him king the other followed Omri to make him king But the people that followed Omri preuailed So Tibni dyed and Omri raigned twelue yeares wickedly as did Ieroboam and so dyed Par. Who was the fift king of Samaria Past Ahab his sonne 1 King 16 29.17.18.19.20.21.22 1. to 41. who did worse in the Lords sight then all that went before him And for the greater increase of his wickednesse hée marryed the Daughter of the Zidonian king who brought him to set vp Baall as a God And thus hée continued two and twenty yeares Hée had 450. false Prophets 1 King 7.1.2 to the end 18.1 to the end 19.1 to the end 2 Kin. 1.2 Eliah the Prophet of the Lord was in his time and an hundred other Prophets who laboured all that they could to conuert him But hée neuerthelesse encreased in wickednesse and slew all that called vpon the name of the Lord. Almighty God made the heauens as brasse and the earth as iron for the space of thrée yeares according to the words of Eliah insomuch as that there was a great dearth and famine But the Lord prouided miraculously for Eliah by the hands of the widow of Sarepta and by other meanes In the third yeare the Lord sent Eliah to Ahab who with his wife Iezabel excéeded in crueltie killing the Lords seruants and séeking in all Nations to finde him also But when Eliah met the King hée tolde him to his face that his sinne was the cause of Gods displeasure against Israel Afterwards Eliah and the people agréed that the God who answered by fire whether it were Baal or the God of Israel the same should be taken for the true GOD from thence forth And when the people had séene that Baal could doe nothing in the time of néede and the great power of God so admirable they cryed out and said The Lord is God the Lord is God And then the Lord of his mercy gaue them raine at the prayer of Eliah And yet notwithstanding this great worke of God by the hand of Eliah Iezabel the Quéene sought to kill Eliah so that hée was faine to hide himselfe and to flye from place to place as hée did before But the Lord had speciall care of him The assurance whereof was manifested vnto him by the miraculous worke of God renting the mountaines breaking the rockes and shaking the earth Iezabel his wife caused Naboth to be slaine that shée might enioy his Vineyard and againe the Lord of his mercies sent his Prophet Eliah to reproue him that hée might repent Afterwards Ahab was slaine in the battell with the king of Siria and hée was buryed in Samaria but his armour and his Chariot being washed in the poole of Samaria the dogs licked his bloud according to the word of the Lord after he had raigned two and thirty yeares Par. Who succeeded this wicked King Ahab in Samaria Past 1 King 22.51 2 King 1.1 to the end Ahaziah his sonne But he did worse as the holy Ghost reports For hée walked in the wayes of his Father in the wayes of his mother and in the way of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat And when hée was sicke hée consulted with a witch hée dyed when hée had raigned two yeares Eliah was his Prophet through the mercy of God from whose mouth hée might haue knowne the minde of the Lord but hée would not Therefore in signe of Gods fearefull iudgements his Captaines ouer fifties were destroyed with fire from heauen at the prayer of Eliah Par. Who was the ninth king Past Iehoram his sonne 2 Kings 1.17.3.1 to the end 9. to the end Hée was not so wicked as his father nor so wicked as his mother For hée tooke away the Image of Baal that his father had set vp and yet hée cleaued to the abhomination of Ieroboam which made Israell to sinne and departed not there-from The king of Moab paid tribute vnto the king of Israell but when Ahab was dead hée refused to pay as he had done before Then king Iehoram tooke with him the king of Iudah and the king of Edom with all their power and went to warre against the king of Moab And when they came to a place where they wanted water Elisha being earnestly requested declared vnto them what successe they should haue against Moab and the Lord ministred vnto them a whole valley of water without winde or raine according as Elisha had said Hée was slaine of Iehu after hée had raigned twelue yeares 2 Kin. 4.1 to the end 5.1 to the end 6.1 to the end 7. to the end 8.1 to 16. Elisha was in his time who wrought many wonderfull things for the confirmation of his zeale and faith in the Lords businesse but it tooke no effect in him Par. Who succeeded Iehoram in Samaria Past Iehu a Captaine dwelling in Ramoth Gilead the sonne of Iehosaphat 2 Kin. 9.1 to the end 10.1 to the end the sonne of Nimshi according as the Lord had appoynted Hée slew Iehoram and his Wife Iezabell whose flesh the Dogges did eate according as the Prophet had foretolde Hée slew Ahabs Priests and all the sonnes of Ahab as the Lord had said Hée threw downe the Image of Baall and all that appertained vnto him Wherefore the Lord promised him that his
into Egypt in the time of famine Gen. 17.17 21.5.25.20 47.9 when he was iust 130 years Iacob and his séede continued there 115. years Lay all together and it ariseth as I said before to 505. yeares The age of the fourth Obseruation Par. Now set me downe the continuance of the fourth Obseruation to wit from the going of Israel out of Egypt to the building of the Temple Past It ariseth to 480. yeares which is to be seene by the yeares wherein these religious men ruled and gouerned the people of Israel from their deliuerance out of Egypt to Saul the first king who were in number 17.  Rulers Years Chap. Vers 1 Moses 40 Deut. 1.3.29.5 2 Iosua 40 3 Othoniel Iudg. 3.2 4 Ehud and Shamgar 80 3.20 5 Deborah Barak 40 5.3 1. 6 Gedeon 40 8.28 7 Abimeleck 3 9.22 8 Tola 23 10.2 9 Iair 22 10 3. 10 Iephthe 6 10.7 11 Abesin 7 12.7 12 Elon 10 12.8 13 Abden 8 12.11 14 Samson 20 12.13 15 Eli 40 1 Sam. 4.18 16 Samuel 14 17 Saul 1 K. 12.11 Hereunto you must adde 18. yeares to Iudge Eglons oppression You must adde the Medianites oppression full seauen yeares You must adde also to the Philistins oppression 18. yeares and you must adde hereunto three yeares of King Salomon Now cast the whole and you shall finde my reckoning according as I said 480. The Age of the fift Obseruation Par. How many yeares were there betweene the building of the Temple and the captiuitie which is the fift Obseruation Past You shall finde the account to be 432. yeares which I finde by the seuerall yeares of the raigne of the Kings of Iudah in Ierusalem Kings Yeares Chapters Salomon 37 2 Cro. 9.30 Rehoboam 17 2 Cro. 12.13 Abias 3 1 King 15.2 Asa 41 2 King 9.10 Iahosaphat 25 2 Cro. 20.31 Iehoram 8 2 Cro. 21. â— Ochosias 1 2 King 8.26 Athalia 7 2 King 11.1 Ioash 40 2 King 14.2 Amaziah 29 2 King 15.2 Azariah 52 2 Kin. 15.33 Ioathan 16 2 King 16.2 Ahaz 16 2 King 18.2 Ezechias 29 2 King 21.1 Manasses 55 2 Kin. 21.19 Ammon 2 2 Kin. 22.1 Iosias 31 2 Kin. 23.31 Ioachas 3 Mont. 2 Kin. 23.36 Ioachim 3. Mont. 2 King 24.8 Zedechias 11 2 Kin. 24.18 Now make your Addition your selfe and you shall finde 432. yeares as I said The Age of the sixt Obseruation Par Declare vnto me the continuance or time of the captiuitie in Babilon which is your sixt Obseruation Past From the beginning of the captiuitie in Babilon Ier. 25.13.29.10 Deu. 9.2 2 Cro. 36.21 vnto the end thereof are 70. yeares according as it was foretold many yeares before by Ieremy the Prophet The truth hereof in experience fals out by the raigne of thrée kings or Monarches vnder whom they were captiuated for that time Nabucadnezer 45. yeares Euilmeredech 30. Baltashar 3. The odde yeares are inuolued in Zedechias raigne and Nabucadnezers before the second Captiuitie The Age of the seauenth Obseruation Par. There remaineth for you to set downe the age or continuance of the seauenth and last Obseruation to wit from the end of the captiuitie vnto Christs most sacred incarnation Past The sum thereof rightly reckoned ariseth to 590. yeares after this manner There was thrée goings forth of the people from Babilon The first was vpon the proclamation made by Cirus King of Persia who enioyed the Crowne of Babilon from which time vnto Artaxerxes Long-hand was 115. yeares euen then Daniels seauen seauenties or seauenty wéekes began which by the Romane computation is 490. yeares But by the Hebrewes computation reckoning by the moone it is but 475. years which 115. yeares 475. yeares amounteth iust to 590. yeares vnto Christs incarnation as I said before Par. I desire to know what memorable matter or stories of speciall account are in euery of those seauen Obseruations hauing Analogie reference and coherence with other places of Scripture The matter principall in the first Obseruation Pastor THe first Obseruation comprehends one most famous and renowmed story or memorable matter to wit Creation The matter principall vpon the second Obseruation Par. What stories or memorable matter doth the second Obseruation containe Past It comprehends two stories the one concerning the Floud other the building of Babell The matter principall vpon the third Obseruation Par. What doth the third Obseruation containe Past It containes eight memorable matters of story 1 the story of the ten holy Fathers 2 promise to Abraham 3 â—urning of Zodome 4 birth of Isaac 5 Iacob and his 12. sons 6 Ioseph 7 Pharaoh 8 Moses The matter principall vpon the fourth Obseruation Par. What is there comprised in the fourth Obseruation Past It containes ten most memorable stories and matters of waight 1 the story of the Passeouer 2 Israelits enlargement 3 Pharaoh 4 Israels peregrination 5 Iosuah 6 Iudges 7 Samuel 8 Saul 9 Dauid 10 Salomon The matter principall vpon the fift Obseruation Par. What doth the fift Obseruation containe Past It containes foure speciall stories 1 the story of the Kings of Iudah with their prophets 2 Kings of Israell 3 Captiuity of Iudah with their prophets 4 Captiuity of Israel The matter principall vpon the sixt Obseruation Par. What comprehends the sixt Obseruation Past It comprehends the state of the Church vnder foure sorts of tyrannicall gouernment 1 the story of Nabuchad Euilmeredech and Baltashar 2 Cyrus and Darius the Persians 3 Alexander the Grecian 4 Kings of Syria and Egypt The matter principall vpon the seauenth story The seauenth Obseruation comprehends the state of the Church from Artaxerxes Long-hand vnto the reedifying of the Temple thence vnto Christs incarnation Par. Wee will now returne to the particular consideration of euery Obseruation and of the stories recited in them The first particular of the first Obseruation concerning the Creation Parishioner TEll me I pray you before wee enter farther who wrote the Booke of Genesis Past Moses was the writer thereof and of the other foure Bookes next adioyning Par. When did he write the same Past When hée was full forty yeares old neare about the time that God made him Lord-Generall of his people Israel 2414. yeares after the Creation Par. How was it possible for him to write such a large discourse of things done so many hundred yeares before he was borne so truely so particularly and so substantially as if hee had seene all with his eyes and heard it with his eares Past Indéed as you say reasoning with flesh and bloud it was impossible but he was specially most highly in the fauour of God who by the motions stirrings and instinctions of his diuine Spirit did write the same with which Spirit all other Scriptures were written according as it is said 1 Cor. 2.14.15 2 Tim. 3.16.17 2 Pet 1.20 1 Cor. 1.25.26 No Prophesie or foretelling came of any priuate or publike mans motion it came not in olde time by the will of man but by the will of GOD. Holy men of God
all knowledge all power all mercy euen that is my name Par. What is the Word or second person in Trinitie Past Hée is the onely naturall Sonne of the most high and eternall God his Father his Word his Image and Character coessentiall and coequall with the Father and the holy Ghost Hée is said to be the Sonne of God in regard of his Godhead and not in regard of his manhood Par. Now let me intreate you to speake of his humanitie Past This diuine nature tooke vpon himselfe a reasonable soule and an humane body of a virgin and was made flesh as of the séed of Dauid and of the roote of Iesse The Godhead in no case can be said to haue any conuersion into the flesh neyther the Godhead to stand in stead of the soule no more then that he could be turned into sinne After his glorious resurrection these two natures to wit his Diuinitie and his Humanitie continued still distinct in substance and properties and euer continued one and the same And yet it is to be granted that there was great necessitie of the Godhead in his humane action or suffering that by the vertue thereof hée might ouercome all sufferings yea Death and the Diuel In the holy vnion or coniunction of these two natures we are to take them inseparably euen â—ince the moment or point of time in which the holy Virgin conceiued being made as one person Par. What vse haue wee of these two natures in one person Past It declareth the obedience of Christ performed in the manhood with innarrable wisedome and surpassing faithfulnesse In his wisedome he was able to deliuer vnto vs the whole will of his Father and in his faithfulnesse he concealed nothing As the Phoenix in her hot nest at Arabia is burned to ashes and yet saith I liue still and old age dyeth in me euen so Christ though being in his graue like one dead yet dyeth not but mortalitie dyeth in him for the good of all men Par. What be the parts of Christs mediation Past It consisteth principally of two parts to wit his Priesthood and his Kingdome His Priesthood stands in teaching and in doing he is a Prophet Doctor and Apostle for that he plainely teacheth the will of his father and saith I call you no more seruants because they know not what their maister doth but I call you friends Christ taught by Prophets by Apostles and by Euangelists and himselfe taught by farre greater authoritie then euer did any before or after The priesthood of Christ and the priesthood of Aron being compared wée shall therein finde two necessary parts to be considered One is what manner one he ought to be that entreth into this Office The other how it ought to be executed The manner or qualitie of him that entreth is two-fold to wit well qualified with gifts within and well called without He is to vs sanctification that is fréedome from the tyrannie of sinne the effects of righteousnesse and sanctification goe alwaies together For immediately so soone as man is partaker of Christs righteousnesse he is also possessed with the spirit of sanctification which worketh mortification and viuification P. what is the third persoÌ„ in Trinity Past He is said to be the holy Ghost to wit a diuine innarrable maiestie procéeding from the father and the son who in respect of his diuers operations workings and effects is called by diuers effectuall names which being considered in their natures they doe clearly enlarge his gifts and graces towards the Church It is sometimes called Fire Oyle Wine Water Doue Cloude Winde Spirit Earnest peÌ„ny Comforter God Par. What religion had these the other holy fathers before recited betwixt the Creation the Flood Past The law of nature Gen. 11. They had the Law of Nature which was a rule of reason or an hidden iustice inforcing to doe well It was indéede the sum and effect of Gods diuine law which was most liuely expressed in the names of those ten holy Fathers who being linked together makes vp a Christian Sacrifice or an holy summe of true religion As he is not rightly reckoned a man that wants reason so hée was not then rightly reckoned to be of God that wanted this religious rule Saint Paul said as the eternall power and godhead by the creation of the world maketh all wicked men without excuse though they had no law euen so men knowing the end of their creation by the law of nature are without excuse if they doe euil though they were blinde and saw not the creation The Gentiles said hée that had not the Law written did by nature the things contained in the Law they hauing not the law written were a law vnto themselues euen so the people of the old world and others that sinned before the Law perished euerlastingly as those which afterwards perished vnder the law Rom. 7.23 Saint Paul cals the Law of nature the Law of the minde shewing thereby that as the minde is such an effectuall power of the Soule as maketh all other faculties thereof and of the bodie to plyable and without tediousnesse to performe matters beyond ordinary strength euen so by the law being spirituall he was vrged to the performance of all other matters and lawes which were literall beyond all ordinary strength And as a line Diameter-wise in a Geometricall figure doth equally diuide one side from another euen so this Law naturall diuideth equally that which is Gods to God and that which is mans to man Nightingales are said to contend in singing that they die in their contention happy say I is he that so contends with the law of his minde against the law of his members for so to die is indéede to liue The East gate of Sala Temple was alwaies shut and neuer opened because the Lord God of hosts once entred by it and as into the windowes of Noahs Arke nothing entred but light euen so the minde of man wherein the law of God hath once entred must alwaies be shut against prophane inclinations and euer opened to diuine contemplations Par. Who were enemies in those times and who I pray you were they that priuately or publikely opposed themselues against this Law and the professors thereof Past These were open and knowne enemies to wit the Diuell Caine. Lamech From whom issued that wicked sort of people who so highly displeased God that he repented him of the good he had done to mankinde Par. What is there to be said concerning the Diuell Past The Angels séeing the excellencie of their creation day by day and perceiuing that they and all creatures else were made but as seruants to Adam they presently vpon his creation murmured and not being content God threw them into euerlasting darknesse The head of these euill spirits was Lucifer As he was more cleare and brighter then other Angels so hée fell into a more filthy Apostacie Hée was not euill by kinde but of his own aduisement
the repairing of the Temple And in short time there was found ouer and aboue the repairing such store of money as was sufficient to make bowles of gold and instruments of siluer in great abundance for the Temple At which time came Hazaell the king of Aram with a mighty army against Gath and intending also to come against Ierusalem Iehoash the King of Iudah tooke the hallowed things that his forefathers had prepared for the Temple and so he departed into his owne Land where he was slaine by two of his owne seruants And he was buried with his fathers in the city of Dauid after he had raigned forty yeares in Ierusalem Par. Who was the eight King Past Amaziah 2 King 14.1 to 21. the sonne of Ioash succéeded in the kingdome This King did behaue himselfe vprightly in the sight of God according to all which his father had done yet the people did sacrifice in the high places He slew them which had killed his father but not their children according to that which was written The fathers shall not be put to death for the children nor the children for the father but euery man shall die for his owne sinne Afterwards hée warred with the Edomites and slew many thousands And not being therewith content he also challenged the King of Israell who answered him disdainefully But Amaziah was wilfull and would not be quiet Whereupon the King of Israell in open field tooke Amaziah brake downe the wals of Ierusalem spoyled the Temple and the people of their treasure and then returned to Samaria Amaziah liued after that warre fiftéene yeares There was a conspiracy against him in Ierusalem whereupon he fled to Lachis and the conspiratours followed after him and slew him there and brought him to be buried at Ierusalem after he had raigned nine and twenty yeares Par. Who was the ninth King Past 2 Kin. 14.21.15.1 to 8. Azariah his sonne was made King when he was sixtéene yeares old He did vprightly in the Lords sight yet because the high places were not taken away where the people offered sacrifice the Lord smote him with Leprosie vntill his dying day and Ioathan his sonne gouerned the kingdome vnder him two and fifty yeares and so dyed Par. Who was the tenth King Past 2 King 15.7.32 to the end Ioathan the sonne of Azariah immediately after his father tooke the kingdome as lawfull heire He did vprightly in the Lords sight but yet he had not taken away the high places whereon they burnt Intense And then the Lord sent against him and Iudah Rozin the King of Aram and Pekah the sonne of Remeliah king of Israell And when hée had raigned sixtéene yeares he dyed and was buried with his fathers in Ierusalem Par. Who was the eleauenth King Past Ahaz 2 King 16.1 to the end the sonne of Ioathan raigned in his stead Hée walked in the wayes of the kings of Israell and made his sonne to goe through fire after the abhominations of the heathen and hée offered burnt incense Wherefore the Lord raysed the King of Aram and the King of Israell against him At which time he called not for Gods assistance but sent presents vnto the King of Ashur crauing his ayde whereunto the King of Ashur condescended He was twenty yeares old when he began his raign he continued 16. yeares most irreligiously and prophanely and so died Par. Who was the twelfth King Past 2 King 16.20.18.1.2.3.4 to 9.13 to the end 19.20 Hezekiah his sonne raigned and ruled so religiously so zealously and so faithfully as that the holy Ghost witnesseth none was like him amongst all the Kings of Iudah that went before him neither were any such after him And therefore the Lord God of heauen was with him which made him to prosper in all things that hée tooke in hand In his time euen in the fouretéenth yeare of his raigne Senacherib the King of Ashur came against all the strong cities of Iudah and tooke them Then Hezekiah sent vnto him desiring him to take those treasures which he had sent and to be at peace with him and his people He receiued the treasures and yet neuerthelesse most tyrannously and trecherously he sent Rabsaketh with an huge army against him who most blasphemously railed at reuiled the King and the Lord God of heauen Then the King of Iudah and his Nobility went into the house of the Lord with their cloathes rent and with teares to pray vnto the Lord for helpe Then Esay the Prophet as being sent from God comforted them saying Be not afraid for thus the Lord hath said The King of Ashur shall returne into his owne land and there shall be discomfited So Rabsaketh presently returned and found it so indéede For the King of Aethiopia was come vp to fight against him Neuerthelesse Rabsaketh sent men with railing Letters vnto Hezekiah the King Which Letters hée spreads open in the Lords sight with many prayers and teares The Lord heard him at large and sent an Angell which destroyed the Assirian army and as he was in the Temple worshipping his idoll god two of his owne sonnes slew him About that time Hezekiah fell sicke vnto death and through his great intercession to God he recouered within thrée dayes and liued fiftéene yeares after as the Prophet Esay had said vnto him The Lord promised also to defend him from the King of Ashur And because he might be assured thereof he gaue him a signe in Ahaz diall of ten degrées backward At the same time came the King of Babels sonne with letters and a present to visite him whom he entertained very royally and shewed him all his treasures At which déede the Lord was angry and sent Esay to tell him that in time to come all his treasures and his people should be carried away captiue into Babilon He was fiue and twenty yeares old when he began to raigne and raigned nine and twenty yeares Par. What doe you specially obserue in these foure last recited Kings to wit Azariah Ioathan Ahaz and Hezekiah Past It appeares that almighty God did specially fauour them in that hée gaue them fiue Prophets of whom they might inquire for the Lords will Esay Ioel. Hosea Amos. Micha Par. Who was the thirteenth king Past Manastes his sonne 2 Kin. 20.21.21.1 to 19. He wrought wickednes in the Lords sight and liued in open view of his subiects after the abhominations of the Heathen whom the Lord had cast out before him For whatsoeuer his holy Fathers had done to the honour and seruice of God he wrought cleane contrary and gaue himselfe to witchcraft sorcery familiar spirits and such like He did leade the people from the Lord and he enforced Iudah to sinne and he shed much innocent blood Wherefore the Lord God of Israell said I will bring an euill vpon Israell that who so heareth it both his eares shall tingle I will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance and I will deliuer them into the hands
and when the earth was drie Gidions fleece was wet so contrarie are you to me and so contrarie am I to you Yet as Elisha praâ—ed God at one time that the eies of the Assyrians might be opened and that at another time they might be blinded Euen so I pray vnto God that your eies may be opened at all times to see the Truth 1 Tim. 1. and shut at all other times when you appose your selfe against the truth 1 Tim. 1. I say vnto you as good Paul said to Timothie flie the lusts of youth put away foolish and vnlearned questions knowing that they engender strife follow after righteousnesse and call vpon the Lord with a pure heart hearken not to them that are loueers of themselues nor to such as haue but a shew of godlinesse for as Iannes and Iambres withstood the truth so doe they Absalom being once reconciled to his father Dauid 2 Sam. 18. became afterwards a traitor in the iustice of God hanged himselfe with his owne hayre where God wotte there was no remedie nor more adoe but Absolom my sonne Absolom my sonne my sonne and so forth in a fatherlie affection with a few funerall teares Take héede therefore I pray you I pray you take héede take héede in Christ Iesus I wish you of relapse As Iudas when he saw that his Maister was condemned Mat. 27. repented and brought againe the thirtie péeces of siluer saying I haue sinned betraying innocent blood and went and hanged himselfe when he heard no other comfort from the Pharises but What is that to vs Euen so when raylers and reuilers shall sée the pure and perfect professors of the gospell whom they taunted and tormented in great glorie with the Saints with the Angells and with Iesus Christ himselfe then shal they sigh with griefe of heart and then shall they confesse and say These are they whose liues wée thought madnesse these are they whom we had in derision and in a parable of reproache Thus shall it be when as there shall be nothing said for their comfort and when as their conscience shall say goare your selues with the sword of Gods wrath Then shall thunderbolts goe straight out of the lightnings then shall sea and land ioyne together to execute vengeance against the enemies of his people and then shall they be faine to pronounce eternitie of ioy in Christ Iesus to the righteous Now I answere you and that not few in many largely but many in few briefly As by no Law I may be charged to charge my conscience with relating that which yet is in my hart Euen so by no law ought you to charge me with that which I neuer spake Yet although you propound it not as a question but railingly as an obiection whether vnpreached people be damned or not I will answere it with as great simplicitie sinceritie as I hope the godly will allow as I am sure the vngodly shall not be able to conuince Concerning the first foure sorts of people which cannot haue the benefit of preaching in manner as you lay them I answere ioyntly that the reading of Gods word by themselues or the same being read vnto them by some others may auaile all such as haue a precedent grace I meane all such as God hath determined to saue Without the which preaching is as vain as reading other then to condemnation For it is all one with the Spirit of God to effect Faith eyther by reading or preaching and to saue whom he will by the one or by the other And so much the rather because that small meanes miraculous meanes contrary meanes or no meanes are as powerful with God as the greatest meanes Againe whom God hath signed to saluation and truely as his owne how can it be that defects in the nature of such or defaults in the consciences of others should be any let or stop in their progresse to faith and saluation And here I end this answere desiring God eyther to ioyne them in due time vnto the publike ministery of his word or else to stirre them vp to his holy obedience by reading Par. You conclude fauourably and mercifully for the first foure sorts of people that haue not the benefit of preaching What is your answere concerning the two last sorts of people Past One answere serues for them both to wit that their state of saluation is very doubtfull and dangerous yea I may say further their state by the reuealed Word is damnable the one because they wilfully refuse the Word preached when they may haue it the other because they wilfully neglect it For though they haue not preaching in their owne Parish by the ignorance or carelesse conscience of the Pastor yet in this his Maiesties religious gouernement they may haue preaching else where not farre off to these I affirme that priuate or publique reading of Gods word auaile nothing in the way of saluation And I say farther by whomsoeuer the want of preaching commeth by the Pastor by the People by the Pope or by the Prince it is a foretelling of eternall perdition to that place Salomon after his conuersion being directed by the spirit of God entred into speciall consideration concerning the euill of ignorance and the necessitie of knowledge and concluded resolutely that where the word was not preached there the people perished How much more they then that hauing the word preached in their owne parish doe wilfully contemne it and the other sort that might haue it in the next Parish and doe willingly neglect it do mark themselues with the stigmaticall brand of perdition Saint Paul likewise to set forth the benefit of preaching and the annullitie of publique reading onely said Woe vnto mee if I preach not intending thereby the great dammage done to the people where it was not preached and the great good that came by preaching And in the same considerations he chargeth Timothy vpon paine of eternall condemnation to preach not monethly or quarterly but euery Sabaoth in season and out of season As the Gadarens and the pharisées wilfully refused Christ and his merits when hée was amongst them and were therefore iustly condemned euen so that sort of people hauing the preaching of Gods word as a meane of their saluation and wilfully refusing it are also iustly condemned And as the foolish virgins neglecting the opportunitie of getting oyle were shut out from heauen when Christ the Bridegroome came and as those guests that were inuited to the marriage of Christ the Kings sonne did all beginne to make excuse and were therefore not partakers of that holy and spirituall banket Euen so that other sort of people that may heare preaching and doe alwayes content themselues with reading doe negligently defraud themselues of the foode of their soules and shall therefore be excluded from heauen Wée reade that many thousand soules were conuerted to Christ by preaching at sundry times and by hundreds and thousands at one time but neuer of any
that haue béene conuerted with the reading of Gods word onely The opposition of wicked men and of the Diuell in all ages of the world against preaching and his and their quiet allowance of reading argueth the extreame euill of ignorance and the destruction that comes without preaching The manifest difference betwéene the conuersation of those congregations where the Word is preached and where it is not preached pleades the intollerable want of preaching and the insufficiencie of publique reading onely The right vse of naturall things as the Ayre Fire Water Bread and such like without the which no man can liue displayeth the leannesse of their soules that want the foode spirituall which is the preaching of Gods word And the precious Stone Sandastra is vnsightly to the eye and vnprofitable for the honour whiles it is whole but being broken it shines like the Sunne and is many wayes commodious Euen so the blessed Scripture of Almighty God whiles it is whole little or nothing auaileth the hearer or the speaker but being wisely diuided and proportionably deliuered to Gods houshold it ouerspreadeth and inlargeth it selfe through euery facultie of the soule And so it is of euery bodily prouision if it be not handled méete and fit for the appetite and stomackes of them that attend for it what auailes the same prouision truely nothing And as we iudge him to be mortally sicke that hath no stomacke or appetite at all though the dyet be pretious and daintie Euen so by the word of God we iudge him to be neare vnto eternall death that hath no longing no desire or hungring after the preaching of Gods word I conclude with Nehemiah Nehe. 8. Reading and preaching goe together and may not be separated no more then the husband and the wife for God hath ioyned them together Whether all men are saued that heare Preaching Parishioner AS the Riuer Nilus which necessarily watereth all Egipt is not to be neglected and contemned though it breede Aspes and Crocodiles And as a Garden may not be throwne open which beares Roses and other commodities because it beares also Thornes and weedes neyther a Tree that is fruitfull two yeares ought to be cut downe for one yeares barrennesse Euen so the man that hath some vertues with a desire of increase ought not to be reiected as a Reprobate though also hee bring forth many vices If my euill words my rash censuring of you and of other sincere professors of Christ hath offended you yet let reconciliation and repentance make you amends Though the euils and corruptions that are in mee make me vncapable and vnworthy the fauour of good men yet let the hope of some good things which God hath giuen mee withhold you from shutting mee cleane out of your fellowship and from casting mee away like a thing of naught as indeede to confesse the truth I haue deserued You know the Chalenger in the games of Olimpia contends and striues with euery man euen so an Atheist dissolute liuer contends striues and reuiles euery good man Woe to the cause and to the company that brought mee to ill counsell As Elisha warned the King of Israell to beware of the King of Ashur euen so I wish and warne the godly to beware of ill counsell and of carnall company For as an olde tree is made saplesse by reason of Iuie clasping it so all sorts are made gracelesse by frequenting ill company As Iacob desired and earnestly entreated Esau to take a present at his hands and to receiue him to fauour euen so I heartily entreat you take this reconciliation and repentance at my hands and let mee haue your instruction in the way of saluation An Asse breeds euery yeare but a Phoenix once in 500. yeares euen so good Sir things nought worth are soone had and easily kept but pure things as pearle and precious stones are hard to be had and kept with violence Therefore as Naomie parted with one of her daughters and kept the other for euer as a speciall comfort vnto her euen so am I resolued to part from worldly men and all meanes of mischiefe and will keepe you and such other with me as for my speciall comfort As Christ with the two men spent the way from Ierusalem to Emaus talking of Scripture euen so will I with my desire to Christ spend my time with you and with good men talking of heauenly things As Salomon said vnto G d Two things I desire of thee denie me not euen so good Christian Pastor two things I desire of you denie me not One is that you will not thinke it tedious henceforth to answere mee to all my questions The other is that you specially pray vnto God for me And now as nothing doubting the one and beleeuing the other I propound vnto you whether all men are saued that heare the word preached because you said that Faith comes by the hearing of the word preached and saluation comes by Faith An Answere how farre Preaching auaileth Pastor Gen. 8.7.8 AS the Doue returned to Noah with an Oliue leafe signifying peace and plenty and in a sort according to her kinde to giue thankes for her entertainment but the carion Crow being sent returned not againe which was after a sort a declaration of her vnthankefulnesse and contempt Euen so there are many that vse Preachers onely for a time to serue their turne and afterwards doe maligne them when as the godly doe vse them as the speciall instruments of God for the good of the Church and Common-wealth What then as Dauid when hée heard that Saul sought to kill him walked more innocently and warily then hée did before So now sithence the malice of men doth so immoderately abound it concernes mée and other of Gods children to be more wary and héedy then before that then such may haue no iust cause to condemne vs no nor yet any way to maligne vs. 2 Sam. 14. As Dauid did exile his Sonne Absolom for his disloyaltie and afterwards vpon reconciliation and entreatie did receiue him into his Court and into fatherly and princely fauour and as the poore vncomfortable father hauing two sons the one at home the other long and farre from home comming towards him hauing wasted all riotously hée met him hee all to kissed him and with fatherly affection prouided for him Euen so whatsoeuer I haue said Almighty GOD will in fatherly affection and in godly and diuine loue receiue you into his heauenly Kingdome and most blessed Court alwayes prouided that you be in his sight inwardly as you séeme in mine outwardly that is to say hartily sorrowfull and with godly repentance and as for me I hartily remit you I humbly pray and beséech God to remit you and here I promise in the feare of his Maiestie truely and sincerely to all your questions I will answer you Your question as you propound it is Whether all men are saued that heare the word Preached because say you I said Faith
be done after The words are these Thou shalt rehearse them continually vnto thy children and so forth Setting forth plainely that the householder was to rehearse or to repeate vnto his people the lawes and ordinances of God so often as that thereby they were to be found expert in the knowledge thereof When God was to destroy Sodome and Gomorha for their sinnes Deut. 18.17.18.19 he told Abraham thereof and why Because as hée said Abraham would command his Sonnes and his household after him that they should kéepe the way of the Lord. And doth not the Lord by the preaching of his word specially warne euery householder of fearefull and ineuitable plagues that shall fall vpon swearers drunkards whoremongers contemners of his word violaters and prophaneâ—s of his Sabaoths and so of all other sinnes To what end doth the Lord so particularly by his word in that place and in many more particulate the sinnes of the wicked and their plagues Is it not because the young should know it and be warned by it so well as the old And who should so specially looke vnto their profiting therein as hée vnder whose worldly and bodily charge they are And why doth God so charge the Pastor for the publike publication of his will is it not because the maisters of households should with the like charge receiue it from them and deliuer it vnto their people Truely nothing is more plaine Haue wée not in this Christian kingdome thrée speciall Censures of great force against such children and seruants as doe wilfully refuse or negligently demeane themselues in these orders which are set forth by almighty God The first Censure is that none such shall vndertake for any childe as Godfather or Godmother the second is that hée or shée shall not be admitted to the holy Communion and the third is that he or she shall not enter into the holy estate of Matrimony As these Censures are grieuous and shamefull to household so are they no doubt grieuous and shamefull to the householder And againe in fortie dayes standing forth without reformation after the decrée of the Ordinary they fall into a more grieuous Censare to wit into the sentence of Excommunication and that iustly by the which they are made vncapable of the benefit of his Maiesties lawes vncapable of Christian company and vncaple of any vse of Gods holy word in the congregation and in priuate at home vncapable of baill or maine-prise vncapable of their owne goods vncapable of christian buriall and by the reuealed word of God vncapable of the resurrection with the body of Christ to the ioyes of heauen For the Pastors discharge in the execution of these thrée first censures hée hath the aduertisements he hath the articles of inquirie at euery visitation hée hath his Maiesties Iniunctions and his Maiesties Statute-lawes and that which is most current and conscionable the law of almighty God Here I might say more but I hope that which I haue said already will proue sufficient for you and for such householders and households that be of God Par. I am perswaded concerning this question and here I promise you that for my owne part I will vse all meanes that are good and all diligence that is conuenient as well for my household as for my selfe To the end therefore that I may be the better able to accomplish the one and the other I pray you prescribe vnto me an order how wee shall reade the booke of GOD. Seauen obseruations Pastor I Will contriue the old Testament for your better direction and stay of memorie into seaâ—en obseruations as indéede the times places and persons principally doe occasion wherein you haue néede to be perfit for it is the maine matter and ground worke of our enterprise The 1 is from the Creation to the Flood of Noah 2 Flood Birth of Abraham 3 Birth Departing of Israel out of Egypt 4 Departing Building of Salomons Temple 5 Building Captiuating of Iudah and Ierusalem 6 Captiuitie Proclamation of Cyrus for their liberty 7 Proclamation Incarnation of Iesus Christ our sacred Redeemer Par. Now I pray you declare vnto me where euery of these obseruations doe begin and where they end in the bookes and chapters of the Bible Past Your question is very necessary and profitable I answere therefore that The 1 Obseruation beginneth at Gen. 1. and endeth at Gen. 9. 2 Gen. 9. Gen. 12. 3 Gene. 12. Exod. 12. 4 Exod. 12. 1 King 5. 5 1 King 5. 2 King 25 6 Daniel Chap. 1. 2.3.4.5 7 Ezra  Nehem.  Hester   Daniel 6.7 to the end  Haggi  Zacha.   Malach  Par. I thinke it very conuenient that you doe set downe how long euery of these Obseruations or Ages did last Past The exact knowledge of the Times will fall out hereafter to be most néedefull faile not therefore as you procéede to carie it in your memory The first Obseruation or Age amounteth to 1656. yeares which I proue by the Ages of these ten holy Fathers thrice reckoned in Gen. 5. to wit Adam who liued exactly 930 yeares Seth 912 Enos 905 Kenan 900 Mahalael 895 Iared 942 Henoch 365 Mathusalah 969 Lamech 777 Noah 500. at the flood Their yeares are specially laid downe to instruct the world in two things One as a golden réede to measure the Age of the old world before the Flood The other that God sets down in his owne counsell the very yeare and day of euery mans departure out of this world Make your Addition and you shall finde my computation right 1656. Par. I am well and plainely satisfied concerning the first I pray you in like manner shew me and proue vnto me the Time or Age of the second The Age of the second Obseruation Past The second Obseruation or Age of the world amounteth to 323. yeares which also I proue by the Genealogie of other ten holy Fathers immediately after the Flood to wit these Gen. 11. Sem the flood one year Arphaxad 2 yeares Sale 35 Heber 30 Peleg 34 Regue 30 Sarug 32 Nahor 30 Terah 29 Abraham 70 These Fathers and their yeares are specially set down for thrée causes First to approue the age of the story Secondly to continue the Genealogie of Christ Thirdly to teach all nations that as the decease of the former fathers did declare the certainty of the time in which euery man is to die so these fathers by their conceptions which are named doe teach and point out a certaine time of euery mans comming into the world not sooner nor later The Age of the third Obseruation Par. Next in order I pray you set downe the continuance of the third Obseruation or Age. Past The third Obseruation lasted 505. years which I plainly proue by the Stories of these thrée holy Fathers or Patriarches to wit Abraham Isaac and Iacob Abraham begat Isaac when he was a 100. yeares old Isaac begat Iacob when he was 60. yeares old Iacob with his household came
turned out of kinde he fell willingly as Adam from good to euill he coueted highnes not méete for him therefore hée was throwne into the lowest place so that he with an infinite number more were depriued of their beautie and glory They were at the first heauenly bodies but vpon their fall they were turned into the qualitie of the Ayre Par. What signified the Arke Past It was a figure of Baptisme that as God saued Noah and his familie by the Arke from perishing with water and the people of Israel from the red sea euen so the Lord saueth the faithfull in the Sacrament of Baptisme Par. Why was Noah and his houshold saued and no more Past Noah found fauour with God because of the promise which God made concerning Christ vnto Adam and that his maiestie might be deriued as concerning the flesh euen from those ten holy fathers before the flood whereof Noah was one Par. How were the creatures by two and two and by seauen and seauen brought into the Arke Past They were brought after that manner voluntarily and according to the will of God as they were brought before Adam to receiue their names the vertue attractiue not being in the Arke but in the will of God Par. Why was the Arke so long a making Past Thereby to declare the long patience and sufferance of God who desired not their destruction but rather their reformation For as Felons being in prison that sée the Iudge come and themselues araigned must needs iudge that they are not long to liue euen so the people of the old world séeing the Arke a preparing might haue easily perceiued that their destruction was not farre off Hée gaue them an hundred and twenty yeares repentance for so long the Arke was a making they not knowing of any one yeare Yet they repented not wherefore God ouerthrew them ineuitably The second Obseruation from Genesis the ninth to Genesis the twelfth Parishioner THe second Obseruation comprehends the building of Babell in which was dispersed ouer the earth the posteritie of Noah tell me the manner of it Past When as the people were increased mightily Gen. 11.1 to 10.10.9 and were altogether of one language they in the pride of their hearts and strength of their body enterprised to build a citie and a towre whose top should reach vnto heauen preuenting as they said their dispersion But it was in vaine because the power of God was set against them The place was called Babell in the Land of Shinar which was afterward called Babilon and signified confusion according to that which did happen by the confusion of their languages 130. yeares after the Flood Nimrod was their ruler He oppressed them sore and in regard of his tyranny there rose a prouerbe of him to wit The mighty hunter He was the first hunter Par. Why did God withstand their building with the confusion of their languages and not some other way Past It was to great purpose for hereby God seuered and separated them farre and wide in the world by the variety of their tongues and languages after this manner Noah had thrée sonnes Sem Cham and Iaphet Sem and his posteritie dwelt in Siria in Caldea and in Persia being the East part of the world whence came the Syrians the Aramites Chaldeans and the Persians C ham with his séede went into Canaan being the South part of the world of whom came the Cananites the Egyptians Ethiopians and the Arabians Iaphet went with his séede into the Westerne and Northerne parts of the world of whom came the Greekes the Medes the Simbrians the Germanes the Scythians the Turkes and the Thiatirians Par. Into how many languages or companies were they diuided Past Heber was a rare man a double Henoch hée was two seauens from the creation The Hebrew tongue remained in him whence he had his name which enlarged his glory In his time Babel was built by the curse of Cham thence they were scattered ouer the world into 70. companies according to that number of languages But afterwards they were in bondage 70. years in that place at this building their ages were again halfed the third time Par. What say you concerning the first particular mentioned in the third Obseruation Past There be other ten holy Fathers Gen. 11. wherin God beginneth to renew his Church and to multiply it ouer whom his Maiestie was very carefull and prouident when Christ should come as of a peculiar people which Fathers are set down in their order whose stories are dispersed ouer the booke of God The particulars thereof haue reference coherence analogie to many other stories and particular matters wherof I haue spoken sufficiently in another booke heretofore I haue set downe their names onely because you may reade their particular stories Sem. Arphaxad Sale Heber Regue Peleg Sarug Nahor Terah Abraham The second particular in the third Obseruation concerning Gods promise to Abraham Parishioner VVHat say you concerning the promise which God made to Abraham Past Gen. 11.32.12.4 God called to Abraham when he was in Chaldea or Mesopotamia his natiue countrey when he was 75. yeares old 423. yeares after the flood at which time Terah Abrahams father died being 205. yeares old at Haran whence Abraham and Sara his wife went immediately after to Canaan the land of promise as the Lord commanded him Par. Declare vnto me the manner of the calling Past The God of glory appeared vnto Abraham and said Exo. 12.1 Get thée out of thy country and from thy kinred and from thy fathers house vnto the land which I will shew thée Par. Why did God command him to forsake his Country his kinred and his inheritance and not name the place he should goe to Past Thereby to declare that his Maiestie had otherwise determined concerning Abraham in regard whereof his Countrey his kinred and whatsoeuer else he had was nothing to be accounted and withall almighty God did therein teach all nations the obedience that is due vnto his voyce and calling and the faith that euery man should hold of better things then those which they are willing to forsake Par. Gen. 12.4 How will you reconcile Moses and Stephen the one saith that Abraham went from Haran to Canaan Acts 7. when God called him the other saith that hee went from Charran Past The one and the other calleth the place Charran and so they vnderstand it but the Latine vulgar edition cals the one Haran which is not in the originall Par. Now declare vnto me the promise that God made to Abraham Past The words are these I will make of thee a great Nation and will blesse thée and make thy name great and thou shalt be a blessing in which words God promiseth Abraham two great rewards or speciall gifts One was that he should haue a sonne who should rise to be a mighty people or nation ouer whom God would haue a speciall eye aboue all other nations Par. What was the other
promise or blessing Past It was that in his séede all nations of the earth should be blessed in which words was Christ Iesus the Messiah closely and secretly promised The third Particular Par. Declare briefely the story of Zodomes burning Past After the Lord had béene with Abraham to renue the promise vnto him concerning a Sonne his Maiesty imparts vnto him the desolation and destruction hanging ouer Zodom and Gomorrha because of their sinnes Whereupon Abraham being moued with pity intreateth the Lord for them whose request was heard vpon condition that if there were found ten righteous he would not destroy the wicked for their sakes which ten not being found the fire came downe from heauen and destroied all sauing Lot his wife and two daughters Par. Why did God impart the destruction of these wicked men to him might not he haue done it without his priuity Past Yea God might haue done then as now Gen. 18.18.19 what he would and without the knowledge of any sauing that Abraham was to be a great Nation and I know him saith the Lord that he will command his household that they kéepe the way of the Lord to doe righteousnesse Par. What is meant by this that is said Gen. 18.1.2 The Lord appeared to Abraham and in the next verse Behold three men appeared vnto him as he sat in his Tent Past Therein was declared the singularity and plurality of persons in the Deity one in thrée and thrée in one which the holy man Abraham manifested by their entertainment For it is said hée saw thrée but he reuerenced and worshipped one Par. How came it to passe that Lot hauing had such speciall fauour committed incest with his owne daughters a double sin doubly performed Past Almighty God in the vprightnesse of his iustice gaue him and his daughters into their owne wils or rather into reprobate mindes to worke such vncleannesse of the flesh shewing thereby how greatly he had sinned by infidelity when he forsooke the citie Zoar which God had granted him for feare of the fire which was round about him but nothing neare to hurt him and would rather depend and relie vpon his owne wits and prouision The fourth Particular Par. Rehearse briefely the story of Isaac Past This Isaac is he of whom the promise was made Gen. 21.1 to Abraham his father in the chapters going before who should multiply in number as the sand at the shore of the Sea and as the Starres in heauen out of whose séede also Christ should be expected for The manner of his conception and birth was so admirable as did in some sort foretell and prefigure Christ For it is said that he was an hundred yeares old when Isaac was borne yea so old was he and his wife that they had left off to be together as man wife which made her to laugh when the matter was moued vnto her Neuerthelesse according to the time which the Lord God had foretold Sarah conceiued and Isaac was born According to which admirable conception Christ was conceiued and according to which wonderfull birth Christ was borne both the one and the other were performed duely and substantially beyond the vse of reason and beyond the vnderstanding of all men Par. What haue we to learn herein to wit by the strangenesse of Isaacs conception and birth Past By the conception birth of Isaac which was not to be déemed in the vse of reason all men are driuen from themselues as it were to abiure the expostulation with flesh and bloud when as the Lord hath giuen out his word For howsoeuer it may séeme vnto the naturall man vnpossible and incredible yet to the spirituall man who hath the eyes of faith fixed on Gods promises the same things are easte Par. It is said that Isaac was circumcised the eight day after he was borne Gen. 17.10 I would know of you what was meant by it Past Circumcision was a couenant betwéen God and Abrahams séed Or circumcision was called a couenant because it signified or was a sacrament of a Couenant had the promise of grace annexed vnto it This couenant of circūcision in the particular consideratiōs therof hath relation to the Sacrament of Baptisme by comparison the one doth expound the other and by the right vse or nature of both the latter doth abolish the former The fift Particular Par. Declare first in some sort briefely the storie of Iacob Past Gen. 27.28.29 Isaac had two sons Esau his eldest and Iacob his yongest This Iacob hauing gotten the blessing of his father which by birth-right was due to Esau he fled away into a strange land for feare of his brother and hauing nothing but his staffe when hée went ouer Iordane was faine to lie all night in the maine fields where appeared vnto him a vision of Angels ascending and descending vpon a ladder and withall hée heard a voyce that said vnto him I will not leaue thée nor forsake thée vntill I haue brought my purpose to an end This Iacob by the diuine prouidence of God was brought to Haran where Laban his Vncle dwelt with whom he continued 21. yeares In which time hée had gotten twelue Sonnes and exceeding great store of goods and cattell and then returned vnto his own land as the Lord commanded him and as hée trauailed the Lord appeared vnto him againe after another sort to his comfort When he came safe to his owne land immediately he built an Altar for the seruice of the Lord. Par. Declare vnto me what is to be obserued in his twelue Sons Past You shal sée in these twelue holy Fathers descending of Iacob the performance of Gods promises made vnto Abraham for in them hée reneweth his Church stablisheth the same and beautifieth it with diuine ceremonies Sacrifices and Sacraments to be solemnized vntill Christ promised Messiah Reade their stories in Gen. 49. Par. Declare them by their names Past 1 Ruben 2 Simeon 3 Leui. 4 Iudah 5 Dan. 6 Nepthalie 7 Gad. 8 Asher 9 Isachar 10 Zabulon 11 Ioseph 12 Beniamin The sixt Particular Par. Declare vnto me the story of Ioseph Past Gen. 37. and 39. Iacob loued Ioseph his yongest sonne exceeding tenderly wherefore his brethren hated him and deuised to haue starued him in a pit but when they saw Carriers passing by they tooke him vp againe out of the pit and sold him vnto them who brought him to Egypt where in short time he grew in such fauour with the King as that he was made Lord and gouernour ouer all the land of Egypt By meanes whereof Iacob his father and his brethren came and dwelt in Goshen being the best place of the land because of the excéeding great famine that was in all the world Par. What are we to learne out of this historie of Ioseph and his brethren Past We are first to obserue the vnnaturall affection of Iosephs brethren in hating of him when he had done them no hurt at all
Secondly we are to obserue their extreame cruelty in selling their brothers life as a beast or at least as a bondslaue Thirdly their wonderfull disobedience and vndutifull affection towards their old father Par. What speciall profit are we to draw out of these their villanies Past Hereby is made cléere vnto vs the maruailous wisedome the secret prouidence and excéeding mercies of God euen in these most vile and bloudy actions of theirs For by this means Ioseph was made a prouider for them and their father in the time of famine Thus God draweth good things out of the wicked actions of vngodly men thereby to discomfort the vngodly and to comfort the godly Par. Was Ioseph raised by the King of Egypt in respect of his learning in respect of his Chiualrie or in respect of any naturall matter that was extraordinary in him Past Iosaph was the yongest of all his brethren and a man of small or no report but the Lord was with Ioseph and shewed him mercy and got him fauour in the sight of his Maister Insomuch that Pharao the King said of him can we finde such a man as this in whom the spirit of God is There is no man of vnderstanding or wisedome like him Gen. 41.38 The 7. Particular in the third Obseruation Par. Where died Ioseph Past After he had ruled most renowmedly 80. Gen. 41.46 â—â—0 22 yeares in Egypt when hée was an hundred and tenne yeares old he dyed in Egypt where he was honourably buried Par. Why did hee so specially charge his brethren to carry his bones from Egypt Exod. 13.19 Is there in the Iudgement of the faithfull any place better then other for buriall or for the resurrection Past There is no place better then other for the resurrection but it was to declare his great faith in the promise that GOD made concerning the Land of Canaan which his people should inherit according to the time prefixed as in plaine words hée vttereth vnto his brethren at his death saying Surely God will visit you and will bring you out of this Land which hee sware vnto Abraham Isaac and Iacob Par. How came it to passe that there was another King in Egypt called Pharaoh Past It cannot be but there were many Kings in Egypt after the decease of the King that fauoured Ioseph whiles Israell continued in Egypt The Emperors of Rome were alwayes called Caesars the Kings of Persia were called Artaxerxes and so the Kings of Egypt were alwayes called Pharaohs Par. Why did Pharaoh so enuiously and so hatefully deale with Gods people Past Because he saw that they were like to grow great and to be mightier then hée Exod. 1.10 Therefore he said vnto his Nobility Come let vs deale wisely lest when they be multiplyed they ioyne with our enemies Par. How did the King preuaile with his policie and deuise against Gods people Past So he preuailed that by how much he vexed them and sought by all meanes to diminish them by so much the more they multiplyed and grew to be a great nation The eight Particular concerning Moses Par Who were parents to Moses Past Amram the Leuite was his father Iochebed the daughter of Leui was his mother Par. How came hee to be called Moses Past Pharaohs daughter found him throwne out neare a riuer in a basket Exod. 2.3.4 for the auoyding of her fathers bloudy lawes then shée tooke him for her owne and called him in her Egyptian language Moses signifying according to the Etimologie thereof deliuered out of the waters Wherin was the prouidence of God Par. How befell it that the Kings daughter should haue the nourishing of him in the hands of his owne mother Past It cannot be that it was any way imagined or deuised by the Kings Daughter or by his Parents but it was the diuine prouidence of God that the Mother should throw him there and that the Lady should come there to bathe her selfe euen at that time and at no time else And it was the prouidence of God that his owne sister should be there to deliuer the childe to be nourished by his owne Mother at the Kings Daughters commandement Par. How long continued Moses vnder this Ladies gouernment and in the Kings house Past Vntill he was full forty years old Par. Why did he depart from the Kings daughter and from the Kings house being farre more royally maintained then any of his Nation was it not a tempting of God Past He being a godly man was often vexed with their prophanenesse and heathennish impietie therefore he departed from them and refused to be called Pharaohs daughters sonne Heb. 11.25.26 choosing rather to suffer aduersitie with the children of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season Par. How did Moses preuaile in so great a message with so great a King and himselfe being a meane man Past He must néedes preuaile excéeding well Exod. 7.8.9.10 because the hand of almighty God was with him as appeared by the signes and wonders that he wrought vpon Pharaoh and vpon his people by the plagues also that were poured out vpon the beasts of the land Par. Why is it said that God hardened the heart of Pharaoh If God hardened his heart it was no maruel though he would not let the people goe vnder the conduct of Moses to wander the world hee knew not whither Past God is said to harden the heart of Pharaoh not because hée did withdraw his graces from him but because indéed God did not giue grace vnto him by the which he might be qualified in heart and obedient in spirit vnto the will of so great a Commander And after this manner the hearts of all the reprobates are set and inueigled against God and against his people therein they are authors of their owne deaths The first Particular Parishioner WHat was the Passeouer Past Exod. 12. It was a Lambe that indéed was killed and eaten ceremonially by the people of Israell onely at the commandement of the Lord the night before they went out of Egypt and which was to be continued vntill Christ who was the true substance thereof This hath reference analogie and coherence in many particulars with the Sacrament which our Sauiour Christ did institute the night before his death and thereby you shall sée how the one expounds the other and how the latter doth expound the former The second Particular concerning the miraculous departure of Israell out of Egipt Par. Declare vnto me the manner of it briefly Past Iacob the Father of the twelue Patriarches Gen. 47.4.11.46.6.27 came into Egypt by reason of famine when as his owne sonne Ioseph ruled the land vnder Pharaoh and brought with him onely 70. persons but 215. yeares after when they went out of Egypt Exod. 12.35 to 39. they were in number sixe hundred thousand men on foot beside women and children they did as Moses commanded them in asking of the Egyptians iewels of
woman naturally descended from Lot who committed incest with his two daughters Par. Why then is Ruth here reckoned and accounted sithence she came of such an incestuous wicked man Past Shée is set forth in holy Scripture and the Booke entituled by her name to the open view of the world that the Iewes might sée the calling of the Gentiles by Iesus Christ to saluation for he lineally descended of Ruth who was a Gentile Therein God the Father declared that hée receiued poore sinners into fauour by reuealing of the Gospell vnto them and by vniting her and other of the Gentiles into the stocke and linage of Abraham Par. What is the matter contained therein Past It containes a piece of Dauids genealogie which by the Euangelists is translated into the genealogie of Christ that thereby men might know Gods predestinate decrée for the saluation of penitent sinners by Christ who long after should be borne of sinners The seauenth Particular concerning Samuell in the fourth Obseruation Par. Declare vnto me I pray you in briefe answeres concerning the Booke of Samuel and the Booke of the Kings Past According to the Latines there are foure Bookes to wit two entituled the Bookes of Samuel and two entituled the Bookes of Kings all which foure according to the Hebrew are only two reckoning both the bookes of Samuel for the one and both the Bookes of the Kings for the other The Writers thereof seuerally a piece or a portion were Samuel Nathan Gad Ahiah the Shilonite Iddo the Seer as may appeare by these words 1 Chron. 29.29 The acts of Dauid are they not written in the Booke of Samuel the Seer in the Booke of Nathan the Prophet and in the Booke of Gad the Seer Par What was this Samuel Past Hée was the sonne of Elkanah an Ephrahite whom Hannah his Mother obtayned at the Lords hands by prayer when she was in reproach amongst all Israell by reason of her barrennesse She dedicated him to the seruice of GOD in the Temple who proued a most faithfull and a most constant Prophet of the Lord vnder King Saul Par. What doth the first Booke of Samuel containe Past It principally containes the story of King Saul Par. What doth the second booke of Samuel containe Past It containeth principally the story of King Dauid The eight Particular concerning Saul Par. These three Kings to wit Saul Dauid and Salomon who by succession held the famous and renowmed kingdome of the Hebrewes when it was yet whole and entire I would pray you to set mee downe their stories particularly Past It is true these Kings in their time were the most renowmed of any that euer followed after them and they were the first that euer was ouer the people of God 1 Sam. 9.10.11 Saul was the son of Kish of the tribe of Beniamin which was a great prerogatiue to that tribe being the least and the last By séeking of his fathers Asses which went astray hée came by Gods prouidence vnto the place where Samuel the Lords Prophet dwelt Samuel séeing him and knowing Gods will concerning him hée entertained him amongst the best of the people and the next day he annoynted him King ouer the people of Israell and because it should not séeme incredible hée gaue him thrée speciall tokens by the which hée should know that the Lord God had so appointed all which tokens came to passe that same day Samuel hauing also assembled the people he told them that the Lord had appointed them a King euen in his wrath because they refused to be guided and gouerned by him and he presented Saul before them at which time they cryed and said God saue the King And immediately Samuel hauing declared what dutie did belong vnto the King from his subiects the Lord touched the hearts of a band of men who hereupon followed the King to the wars against Nahash the Ammonite in the behalfe of Iabesh Gilead that desired helpe of the Israelites The spirit of the Lord came vpon Saul he was turned into another man that is to say hée by the same Spirit became more wise and more heroically valiant then hée was before and in qualities méete for a King Par. How came it to passe that Saul was sent to seeke the Asses His Father being a man of great reputation and riches hee had many others no doubt to send Past It was the diuine and secret prouidence of God that the Asses went astray and that Saul should séeke after them whereby he might be brought as it were by the hand vnto the place where Samuel was and for that purpose which his holy Maiestie had determined That which Almighty GOD hath done herein was not to declare vnto men what hée could doe but what hee would doe for the better stay of faithfull men vpon his promises and prouidence and withall to teach all men that when any matter happeneth to the good of the godly hée should not attribute it to his owne endeuour or paines nor yet to the fayned Gods as by Fortune and Chance but euen by a secret diuine rule bringing great and mighty things to passe by weake and small meanes And that the very guiding â—and of GOD was in it appeares plainly for God told Samuel â—aying To morrow about this time I will send thee a man of Beniamin named Saul him shalt thou annoynt to be gouernour ouer my people Israell Par. Why was God displeased with his people of Israell for asking a King sithence they had none Past Almighty God was not angry with them simply for asking a King 1 Sam. 8.4.5.6.7.8.9 to 22. but because hée himselfe had gouerned them and guided them alwayes before without a King to wit by Patriarches by Chiefetenants and Iudges Vnder whose gouernment they alwayes prospered so long as they obeyed the Lord in any measure And in that time in which they desired a King they were gouerned by Samuel a holy man and the Prophet of the Lord they desired a King euen in wantonnesse and pride of heart and not in regard of any want Therefore the Lord said to Samuel 1 Sam. 1. to 11. Heare the voyce of the peopple they haue not cast away thee but they haue cast away mee As though he had said thy gouernment was my gouernment or as I commanded thée they doe not reiect thée in this but me therefore heare them and tell them what manner of man he shall be vnto them Par. Doth God appoint ouer any Nation such kings and rulers as shall tyrannize and deale roughly with their subiects Past When as the people are not thankefull vnto him for a good King and when they doe not humbly acknowledge the benefit thereof then hée vsually plagueth them with wicked tyrannous Kings Par. How did Saul behaue himselfe towards God hauing receiued such a speciall fauour as to be made a King ouer such a great Nation Past After he had raigned two yeares ouer Israell 1 Sam. 15. he did that which
was euill in the sight of the Lord to wit in offering a burnt offering Leuit. 1. which was not lawfull for any to doe saue for the Priests vpon paine of death Therefore the Prophet Samuel told him plainely from the Lord that therein hée had done foolishly and that his kingdome should not continue and so Samuel departed from him in great indignation for the zeale hée bare to the Lord and for the loue he bare to the kingdome Par. Saul as we read was in great distresse 1 Sam. 13. by reason of many thousands of the Philistines that were come against his people Israell and they by reason of Samuels long tarrying at Gilgall 12 were scattered and fled saue sixe hundred men that remained with the King Therefore Saul fell to his prayers and did offer as hee said a burnt Offering vnto the Lord tell me what offence was this as the present necessitie required Past 1 Sam. 13. Saul in like manner transgressed the voyce of the Lord in keeping the King of the Amalekites aliue whereas hée was commanded to kill him and in reseruing for Sacrifice the best of the Oxen and the best of the Sheepe which was also directly forbidden Out of which place I will answere your demaund or question from the mouth of Samuel the holy Prophet When thou wast little in thine owne sight wast not thou made King ouer Israell The Lord commanded thee to kill the Amalekites and to let none remaine Now thou hast not obeyed the Lords voyce but hast turned to the prey wherein thou hast done wickedly in the sight of the Lord. Rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft and transgression is wickednesse and Idolatry Behold thou hast cast away the word of the Lord therefore hee hath cast away thee Hereby you may sée that sinne or transgression is not reckoned for the smalnesse or greatnesse thereof with God as it is with men for many times small sinnes in our sights are great sinnes in Gods fight and great sinnes in our fight are small in his sight Men must rule themselues by his word by his holy Lawes and not according to good intents or earthly mens directions Par. How did Saul behaue himselfe towards his subiects Past Saul enuied Dauids good report and iust desert When Dauid returned from the slaughter of the Philistines the women by one consent and as it were by Gods appoyntment met Dauid crying and saying 1 Sam. 18. Saul hath slaine his thousand and Dauid his tenne thousand and for this cause onely Saul was excéeding wroth with Dauid and euer after sought to kill him and in the persecuting of him he slew euery of the Priests that fauoured him and tooke an oath of all his subiects to betray him It were too long to particulate his cruelties towards others his poore subiects whom he should haue defended and maintayned Par. What was Sauls end Past The Spirit of God being departed from him and his owne heart giuen him hée euer after followed that euen to the wars of the Philistines at which time hée desperately slew himselfe The ninth Particular concerning Dauid Par. Next in order remaineth to speake of Dauid Past Dauid was of the tribe of Iudah of the roote of Iesse borne in Bethlehem As it was said of Ierusalem 1 Sam. 16. Many excellent things are spoken of thee O thou Citie of God euen so many excellent things are spoken of Dauid Saul being reiected of God for his sinnes Dauid was annoynted King in his roome by the same Prophet Samuel 17. and the Spirit of the Lord came vpon him insomuch that though he were but a little simple man yet hée slew Goliah that defied Israell hée slew many of the most mighty Philistines 2 Sam. 1.2.3.4.5.6.7 c. who were enemies to Saul and his people When Saul was dead hée succéeded in the Kingdome according to the Lords ordinance and valiantly subdued mighty kings that made warre against him Dauid renued religion offered to build an house for the Arke of God Dauid sinned grieuously in Gods sight therefore the Lord punished him excéedingly many wayes and afterward vpon repentance he receiued him into speciall fauour Par. Dauid being annointed king and being so valiant in the warres hauing also the fauour of the people why did hee runne away and hide himselfe from Saul and why did he not withstand him Past Dauid hauing Gods Spirit knew very well that hée might not resist nor rebel against Saul the Lords annoynted and though hée were to succéede him in the kingdome yet hée knew that he was not to enioy it before him nor to be partner with him and to auoid the rebellion and disorder of the people the Lord commanded Samuel to annoynt him King secretly lest the people should offer him helpe and rebellion against Saul And farther so godly and vpright in heart hée was towards the King that when hée most iniuriously and fiercely sought to kill him in all lands yet hée would neuer carry a thought to vse bloudy hands against his King though many times he might haue done it Hée was so farre from causing any other to doe it 2 Sam. 1. as that hée slew those that brought him word that Saul was dead The tenth Particular concerning Salomon Par. Now impart vnto me briefly the story of Salomon the third King of Israel Past There was neuer the like King before Salomon 1 King 3. neither the like shall be after him for his wisedome and riches So soone as euer he put foot into the kingdome he loued the Lord as the holy Ghost testifieth Wherefore the Lord appeared vnto him promising to giue vnto him whatsoeuer he would aske Of al the glorious things of this life he desired nothing but he desired wisedome whereby hée might gouerne his people prudently and religiously wherefore the the Lord gaue him wisedome and riches aboue all men both which great blessings he principally imployed to the building of a Temple for the Lord at Ierusalem where his holy Name might be called vpon in true religion Hée gouerned his kingdome all the dayes of his life quietly and peaceably Par. Some calles into question whether Salomon were saued or not because of his sinnes with so many outlandish women Past It is certaine that he sinned therein excéedingly Yet Almighty God séeing his repentance in his rich mercies forgaue him all according as hée promised his Father Dauid 1 Sam. 7.13.14.15 saying Hee shall build mee an house and I will stablish the throne of his Kingdome for euer I will be his Father and hee shall be my sonne If hee sinne I will chasten him but my mercy I will not vtterly take from him Par. Seeing that the fourth Obseruation doth end at the building of the Temple declare vnto mee briefly concerning the same Past Salomon tooke order with Hiram the King of Tyrus 1 King 5. for Cedar trées and Firre trées He had thirty thousand men whom hée sent to Libanon by
held with Rehoboam and dwelt at Ierusalem did serue the Lord and worshipped him according to the religion of their fathers Par. Seeing this great and royall kingdome was so diuided I would know what kings successiuely raigned in the one and in the other I pray you therefore distinguish them Past I thinke the knowledge therfore wil be very necessary and very much for your good Therefore I will lay them downe particularly as they were diuided the Kings of Iudah by themselues and the Kings of Israel by themselues with such prophets one or more as liued in their times The first particular concerning the Kings of Iudah at Ierusalem Rehoboam was crowned king at Sichem 1 King 12.1 to 25.14.21 to 31. as heire apparant to Salomon his father All the people with great applaudite and gladnesse receiued him desiring onely some mittigation of their taxations which his father had laid vpon them But he refusing the counsell of the old graue Councellours and admitting of young mens Counsell answered them with words of great cruelty and disdaine Whereupon the people answered with one consent and with great resolution What portion haue we in Dauid We haue no inheritance in the sonne of Ishai to your tents O Israel Now sée to thy owne house Dauid Then fled King Rehoboam to Ierusalem And two tribes onely held with him to wit Iuda and Beniamin The other ten tribes held with Ieroboam and chose him to be their King The people of Iudah committed wickednesse in the sight of the Lord they sinned as did their fathers and there were Sodomites in the land whose abominations they followed Therefore in the first yeare of Rehoboams raigne the King of Egypt came vp against the citie Ierusalem tooke the treasures of the Lords house and the Treasures of the Kings house and caried away all the shields of gold which Salomon had made In stead whereof Rehoboam afterwards made brasen shields This King was one and forty yeares old when he began to raigne hée continued seauentéene yeares hée slept with his fathers and was buried in the house of Dauid Par. Was it well done of the subiects so to answer their lawfull king and afterwards to rebell as you haue set downe Past I must néedes say that they did euill in respect of their owne sinfull inclinations 1 Kin. 12.15 to 25. and rebellious hearts And yet it is most certaine that God did accomplish his absolute will and decrée therein which he had spoken by his Prophet Ahijah the Shilonite as appeares also by the retraite which the King made vpon the Lords commandement that he should not striue with them Par. Who was the next King Past Abijah 1 Kin. 15.1.2 to 10. 2 Chr. 13. who liued wickedly in the sight of his subiects and his heart was not vpright in the sight of God He raigned thrée yeares and died Par. Who was the third King Past Asa his sonne and he did that which was right in the sight of God For he droue the Sodomites out of the land 1 Kin 15.8 to 25. and did put away Idols So vpright was he in the execution of iustice and so zealous in the Lords worke that he fauoured not his mother when she was taken with Idolatry And though all the monuments of Idolatry were not taken away by him because indéede hée could not yet his heart was vpright in Gods sight in respect of his desire and good will Hée established religion and brought such things into the house of God as his father had dedicated to that vse It happened in his time that Baasha King of Israell came vp against Iudah and built Ramah so that none could goe in nor out to Asa their King Thereupon Asa tooke great treasures and sent vnto the King of Aram with speciall request that hée would deliuer him and his people out of the hands of Baasha whereunto the King of Aram harkned and sent his captaines and smote diuers cities in Israell Hereupon Baasha left Asa and returned Afterwards Asa being very old became diseased in his féete and when hée had raigned one and forty yeares he died and was buried with his fathers Par. Who was the fourth King Past Iehosaphat his sonne who raigned in his stead In the third yeare of his raigne 1 King 15.24.22 1 to 55. he and Ahab King of Israell consented together against the King of Aram for the winning and recouering againe of Ramoth Gilead but Iehosaphat would first know the Lords pleasure therein from the mouth of one of his Prophets He was fiue and thirty yeares old when he began to raigne and raigned two and fifty yeares in the good wayes of Asa his father He died and was buryed with his fathers Par. Who was the fift King Past Iehoram 1 King 22.50 2 King 8.16.17 to 25. the sonne of Iehosaphat who began his raign when he was two and twenty yeares old He behaued himselfe as the kings of Israel he maried with the daughter of wicked Ahab and liued as the house of Ahad did Yet the Lord being mercifull 2 King 8.24.25.26.27.28.9.27.28 would not destroy Iudah for Dauids sake So Iehoram died and was buried in the citie of Dauid Par. Who was the sixt King Past Ahaziah the sonne of Iehoram who succéeded in the kingdome His mothers name was Athalia the daughter of Omri King of Israell and hée also walked in the wayes of Ahab as did his father being the rather drawne thereunto through his vnlawfull match in mariage He went with Ioram the sonne of Ahab to warre against Hazaell the King of Aram but Iehu slew him in the pursuite of Iehoram his brother in law And he was buried in the sepulcher of his fathers in the citie of Dauid Par. Who was the seauenth King Past Iehoash the sonne of Ahaziah He through the great prouidence of God 2 King 11 1. to the end 12.1 to the end was preserued from Iehu who slew all his brethren and from Athalia the mother of Ahaziah who also slew all the kings séede because she might raigne ouer Israell as Quéene But when he was sixe yéeres old Iehosheba his Nurse who had kept him secretly brought him to Iehoiada the priest who tooke captaines ouer hundreds with the guard and gaue them an order for their places and what they should doe in the behalfe of the yong heire apparant And when all things were wel contriued they brought forth Iehoash and proclaimed him king and forth with they slew Athalia the vsurping Quéene Then Iehoâ—ada the priest being the protector of the King went and destroyed the house of Baal with the Altars and Images that were in the Land Which being done the King was established and the subiects were quiet He did that which was right in the sight of God as Iehoiada the priest had taught him For he caused a chest with a hole bored therein to be set néere the Altar wherein such as would might cast a piece of siluer towards
of their enemies and they shall be robbed and spoyled Manasses was twelue yeares old when hée began to raigne and hée raigned fiue and fifty yeares in Ierusalem Par. Who was the next king Past 2 King 21.18.19.20 to the end 22.23 Ammon his sonne such a father such a sonne The Lord stirred vp his seruants against him who slew him in his own house He was twenty years old when he began to raigne and he raigned two yeares Par. Who was his successour Past Iosiah his sonne He did vprightly in the sight of the Lord as did his father Dauid he turned not to the right hand nor to the left And he tooke seuere order for the reformation of religion Wherefore the Lord reuealed vnto him the booke of the Law which was hid in the Temple And when he heard it read for griefe that Religion had so long béene extinguished and the name of God abused he rent his cloathes and wept sore Then he commanded his officers to inquire after the Lord by some Prophet And they found a Prophetesse in Ierusalem who answered them that the Lord would plague Iudah and Ierusalem for their idolatry but would spare Iosiah the King Then he with all the Elders of the people went into the Temple where he read the booke of God with a tender heart vnto them And afterwards he entred into couenant with the Lord for the people that they should serue him all the dayes of their liues and the people yéelded vnto it with one consent Then did the king purge the Temple and all his kingdome of Baall and of all that did appertaine vnto his seruice He brake downe also the Altar at Bethell and all the monuments of idolatry which Ieroboam had made He held a Passeouer the like was not holden since the daies of the Iudges nor the like in any Kings dayes Yet would not the Lords wrath be appeased towards the people because they had so long wallowed as it were in wickednesse Pharao Necho king of Egypt slew Iosiah at Megiddo He was eight yeares old when he entred into the kingdome and he raigned one and thirty yeares He was buried at Ierusalem in the sepulcher of his fathers Ieremie and Zophonie were Prophets in his time Par. Who was the sixteenth king Past Iehoahaz his sonne 2 King 23.31.32.33 He did euill in the sight of the Lord. Wherefore he sent Pharao the king of Egypt against him who imprisoned him thrée moneths which was all the time of his raigne And he did put the land to an excéeding great tribute Par. Who was the next king Past Eliakim 2 King 23.34.24.1 to 7. the second sonne of Iosiah who was made king by Pharao Necho the king of Egypt and he turned his name to Iehoiakim the rather because he was a wicked man Then came Nabuchadnezar King of Babell and tooke him but afterwards he rebelled against the King Wherefore he sent an hoste of the Chaldeans and of the Aramites Moabites and Ammonites against Ierusalem and Iudah to destroy it as the Lord had spoken by his Prophets Ichoiakim was fiue twenty yeares old when he began to raigne and he raigned 11. yeares in Ierusalem and then dyed Ieremy and Zophony were Prophets in his time Par. Who was successour to Ichoiakim Past 2 King 24.8 Ichoiakim his sonne He was eightéene yeares old when hée began to raigne and hée raigned thrée moneths wickedly The second Particular of the fift Obseruation concerning the captiuitie of Iudah and Ierusalem Then came Nabuchadnezar the King of Babell against Ierusalem and besieged it And hauing wonne the Citie with great losse of bloud he tooke the King his Mother and the Nobilitie with tenne thousand such as hée liked and carryed them to Babilon with all the treasures of the Lords house And Nabuchadnezar made Mattaniah his Vncle King in his stead whose name hée changed to Zedechiah 2 Kings 24 17.25 who then was one and twentie yeares olde and hée raigned eleauen yeares in Ierusalem wickedly insomuch that the Lord was fiercely bent against Iudah and Ierusalem to destroy them vtterly Hée therefore stirred vp Nabuchadnezar againe with all his hoast to ransacke and vtterly to destroy Ierusalem the house of Dauid and the Temple Thus you may sée Ierusalem was destroyed thrée times Ieremie and Zophonie were Prophets in his time of whom he might haue heart and knowne the will waies of the Lord. Par. Now I pray you set mee downe in like manner the particular stories of the Kings of Israel whose place and seate was at Samaria with the Prophets one or more as they liued Past 1 King 11.26 to 49. 2 King 12.12.13.14 to 21. Ieroboam was the sonne of Nebat an Ephradite of Zereda Salomons Seruant He was a strong man and valiant The Prophet Ahijah fore-tolde him by a signe that the Kingdome of Israel should be diuided into two parts and that he should be king of the one part Salomon hearing thereof sought to kill him which made him to flye into Egypt But when Salomon was dead it fell out so indéede as you may read for hée had ten Tribes that held with him where as Rehoboam the lawfull heyre and the Kings sonne had but two Tribes Which fauour at Gods hands might haue made him humble and zealous after religion but hée imagined that if the people did serue the Lord as they vsed at Ierusalem they would turne and rebell Therefore hée made them Idols at Bethel and Dan and ordained them priests of the inferiour sort of people and commanded the people to worship those Idols for their God Herein he thought to haue done wisely but the Prophet reprehended him in the open congregation and the Lord strucke that hand of his wherewith he would haue stricken the Prophet with such numnesse or drinesse as he was not able to helpe himselfe And the Altar claue a sunder at that time as the man of God desired Then the King was fayne to make intercession vnto the Prophet that God would restore him his hand And at another time the Prophet Ahijah tolde him as from the Lord that for the wickednesse hée had done to prouoke his Maiestie withall there should not be left of him nor of his generation so much as one Dogges should eate his stocke in the Citie and the Fowles of the ayre in the field Hée raigned two and twenty yeares and then dyed Ahijah was a Prophet in his dayes Par. Who was the second King of Samaria Past 1 King 14 20.15.25 to 29. Nadab his sonne He raigned two yeares and did that which was wicked as did his father Ieroboam And Baasha the sonne of Ahijah of the house of Isachar conspired against him and slew him at Gibbethon which did belong to the Philistines Ahijah and Iehu were Prophets in his time Par. Who was the third King of Samaria Past Baasha the sonne of Ahijah of Isachar 1 King 15 16. to the end 16.1 to 7. who warred against
one day taketh away the credit of another and one straine of Musicke extincts the pleasure of another euen so the Gospell taketh away the credit of the Law and the present sight of the glorious substance of Christ the long delayed vse of shadowes Wee are not bound to Ceremonies as the Iewes were but to Iesus Christ who is to be worshipped in spirit and truth As Mercury by his eloquence subdued men and reclaimed them from their Barbarisme and Orpheus by his Musicke subdued wilde beasts euen so Christ Iesus by his glorious Gospell hath reclaymed men from the Law and by his blessed Spirit hath reduced them from sauagenesse vnto his most blessed will and pleasure Par. What speciall obseruations must I vse in the reading and vnderstanding of the Naturall Morall and Iudiciall Lawes Past These eight obseruations will very well serue you by way of interrogations 1 the person of him that gaue it 2 persons to whom it was giuen 3 time when it was giuen 4 place where it was giuen 5 manner how 6 punishments that were inflicted 7 executioners 8 continuance Iotbatha the next station signifieth a turning away So it might be well called for there Moses was in danger of his life amongst the people by the turning away or rebellion of Corah Dathan Num. 16. and Abiram with other their associates Salmonah signifieth a shadow or a portion or a shadow of a portion Thereby was plainely shewed to the people of Israell what proportion or inheritance should be giuen them by vanquishing the heathenish Cananites who inhabited those parts of the world The people Israel were faine thorough the Kings cruelty to trauell round about the kingdome of Edom before they could come againe into their way to Canaan in which iorney they were excéeding weary and therefore they did murmur againe at Moses which made the Lord to plague them with fiery Serpents in that place But when they repented he eased them yea healed them by looking vpon a brasen Serpent Thence they went to Moab which signifieth the Father shewing thereby that Moab was begotten in Incest by Lot on his owne daughter of whom came those wicked Moabites that alwaies persecuted Israell and fell to Idolatry They committed whordome with the daughters of Madian There Balack hyred Balam Par. What Law or what religion had the people of Israell in those dayes mentioned in the booke of Leuiticus Past They had two lawes to wit Iudicall and Ceremoniall deriued of the Morall which was giuen on mount Sinay Par. What is the Iudicall Law Past The Iudicall Law is an humane iustice deriued out of the Morall or diuine Law disposed with good and vnderstanding words without contrarieties and with the ability of the subiect It inforceth a restraint of sinnes against God and the performance of those dueties towards the brethren which they would haue done to themselues It pointeth directly to euery man his owne and proportionably diuideth rewards according to iustice and equity It is the same in effect as was the law of nature Moses ordained many particulars of this quality namely for Apprehensions Testimonies Iudgements Executions against the Iewes onely then and thenceforth while the Arke was in Tents and Tabernacles and also vnto the captiuating thereof This law is abrogated from them that liue vnder the Gospel sauing from the substance and the end the forme fashion lyeth yet in the consciences of Christian Princes but so after that sort as the maker thereof may be known to loue and feare God and also to desire the saluation of his Subiects This law is not fearefull to them that doe well but to them that doe euill if he be not a mad man a childe or a naturall foole Par. What other particular ordinances was there ordained by Moses out of this Iudiciall Law Past There were very many glorious things that did properly appertaine vnto Christ celebrated vnder earthly things and vnder figures All which celebrations and ceremonies had their discharge and end vpon the Sacrificing of Christ As one day takes away the credit of another euen so the Gospell takes away the credit of this Law and the present sight of the glorious substance of Christ the long delaying vse of shadowes We are not bound to ceremonies as the Iewes were but to Iesus Christ who is to be worshipped at all times and in all places according to spirit and truth Par. What speciall inuention haue you for the reading and vnderstanding of this Iudiciall Law Past These eight obseruations will very well serue for that purpose if they be vsed by way of interrogation 1 The person of him that gaue it 2 persons to whom it was giuen 3 place where it was giuen 4 manner how it was giuen 5 punishments for euery offence 6 executioners of this Law 7 time when the Law was giuen 8 continuance of it Par. What kinde and sort of Sacrifices were there vsed by this Law to publish and to prenosticate Christ Past These seauen sorts to wit 1 A Burnt offering is so called because it was burnt 2 Meat was an oblation of diuers kindes of bread 3 Peace takes the name of peace from the Hebrews 4 Sinne had relation to the sin of the Priests and not the sinne of the people 5 Trespas was for sinnes committed of ignorance 6 Drinke when men willingly vowed 7 Vow was when men did curse themselues if they did not this or that Par. Now I pray you deliuer something vnto me concerning the ceremoniall Law that you spake of contained also in this booke of Leuiticus Past The Ceremoniall Law consisteth of diuers rites Sacrifices and Sacraments which were nothing else indéede but signes shadowes and shewes of Christ for to come in the fulnesse of time As an Anker fastned to the earth kéepeth a Ship safe in the middest of waues and billowes of raging seas vntill the storme be past and that it may arriue into a wished hauen euen so these Ceremonies staid and fastned on the promises of God concerning Christs death and the benefit thereof kept the faithfull Iewes in comfort and hope vntill they arriued into the hauen of heauenly happinesse As a good sonne in all his troubles affianceth his repose in his father as a staffe supporteth a trauailer in his dangerous wayes and as pillers support earthly buildings euen so these Iewes by faithfull obseruations and ministration of these Ceremonies were maintained supported and defended vnto euerlasting ioyes through Christ As the blood of a Lambe doth appease the rage of a cruell Lyon so these Ceremonies wherein was shedding and offering of bloud did signifie the bloud of Iesus Christ which should be shed to appease the rage and wrath of almighty God We reade that nothing can bruise the Adamant but the warme bloud of a Goat euen so in the holy Scriptures wée finde though no Ceremony could bruise Belials bands yet the blood of Iesus Christ hath bruised and burst them into péeces These Ceremonies were solemnised by the
ten Fathers before the Flood by the ten Fathers after the Flood and by the twelue Patriarches succéeding them Par. What particular obseruation shall I make for the better vnderstanding of this Ceremoniall Law Past There are diuers necessary obseruations but specially these sixe which by way of interrogation you must finde out 1 The Tabernacle 2 Feast dayes 3 Sacrifices 4 Sacraments 5 Sacrificers 6 Sabaoth Par. Tell me first of all what the Tabernacle was Past The Tabernacle was a place principally dedicated for religion whiles they were in the wildernesse trauelling towards Canaan It was made by the Lords commandement of brasse of siluer and of gold as an whole entire worke or one thing to containe diuers things but parted with vaâ—es into thrée roomes Par. What was the first roome of the Tabernacle Past The first roome was Southward containing an Altar of earth whereon burnt offerings were made by the people themselues and also by the priests on the Sabaoth day and on feast dayes Par. What was the second roome of the Tabernacle Past It stood Northward it was called holy and it was made and framed with Sethim wood and couered with gold that it might not rot and that the priests might burne incense thereon both morning and euening There was the table of gold whereon was set the shew bread which was not lawfull for any man to eate but for the priests when it was stale and they were to supply it with new against euery Sabaoth In this roome were set diuers instruments which were for the seruice and dedication of the Temple Par. What was the third roome or part of the Tabernacle Past The third part of the Tabernacle was Westward called the holiest of all made of Sethim wood but couered within and without with fine gold In this roome was the Arke of the couenant which represented God himselfe Therein were the two Tables of the law the golden pot Aarons rod and the Mercy seat couered with Cherubins and shadowing the Arke This most excellent workmanship of the Almighty with the Arke and all the appurtenances continued amongst the people of Israell vntill the death of Eli the high priest at which time the Arke was taken by the Philistines in a great battell and it continued as a pilgrime tossed too and fro in priuate mens houses vntill the death of Saul the king then king Dauid being moued with the zeale of God and being grieued that the Arke of his Maiesty was so exiled and banished ioyned with the Leuites the priests and Nobles of the land to fetch it to Ierulalem Par. Now I would heare what is conuenient concerning feast dayes which you spake of Past There were diuers feasts vsed in the ministrations of the law especially these fiue The feast of Easter Pentecost Trumpets Tabernacles New Moone Par. Tell me briefely concerning the feast of Easter Past Easter was one of the great solemne feast dayes in the which all the people of Israell were commanded to come vnto Ierusalem wheresoeuer they inhabited ouer the world that then and there they might eate the Passeouer in the commemoration of their deliuerance out of Egypt and also in expectation of the holy Messiah which was for to come who in Ierusalem according to that time should be the true Passeouer or Pascall lambe offered vpon the crosse Par. What was the feast of pentecost Past The feast of Pentecost or Whitsontide was another such like feast or holy assembly full 〈◊〉 dayes after Easter thereby to continue the remembrance of that time in which God gaue them the two Tables of stone written with his owne hand and also to haue relation by a spirituall expectation to the abundant graces of God in Christ which shortly after his Ascention was to be sent downe vpon his Apostles in signe of clouen tongues Par. Set me downe I pray you the feast of Tabernacles Past It was a feast of seauen dayes continuance which was solemnized for to put the people in remembrance of their estate when they were in bondage vnder Pharao and when afterwards they were in the wildernesse without house or habitation full fortie yeares that thereby they might be taught to endure with the greater patience in the consideration of their better and more continuing habitaon which in time to come they should haue in Canaan and afterwards in the holy kingdome of heauen Par. There remaineth yet one more of the feasts which you named to wit the feast of new Moones Past The feast of new Moons was the beginning of euery month in which the people were bound to offer burnt offerings vnto the Lord. Par. You spake vnto me of Sacrifices I pray you tell me somewhat thereof and how many kindes or sorts there be Past Sacrifices were of sundry sorts or kindes especially foure The first kinde was a burnt Sacrifice or oblation which was offered by the common people vpon the Altar as they would and as they were able The second kinde of Sacrifice was that which the priests onely offered for the sinnes of the people according as euery man was able after this manner for the gouernors they offered a Goat The third for the poore they offered a payre of Turtle doues or two yong Pigeons The fourth for other of lesse ability the tenth part of an Epha Par. What was the third kinde of Sacrifice Past The third kinde for sanctification or consecration of the priests was of thrée sorts 1 a Calfe 2 Ramme 3 red Cow Par. What was the fourth kinde of Sacrifice Past The fourth kinde was a Sacrifice or oblation of reconciliation or of attonement which the high priest offered for himselfe when he appeared before God in the holy place vnder these speciall kindes to wit A yong Cow A Bullocke Two hée Goates Aaron was to cast lots which of these two hée Goats were to be offered and which should escape Par. You spake of Sacraments tell mee I pray you how many Sacraments there be the difference betwixt the old and the new and how I may know the difference betwixt a Sacrament and a Sacrifice Past Sacraments in the time of the Law as in the time of the Gospell were in number two Circumcision and Paschal Lambe before Christ Baptisme the Lords Supper after Christ Par. Now declare the difference betwixt the old Sacrament and the New Past The old did promise Christ for to come the new doth performe him already come Againe the old were but figures shadowes and relations of things to come The new are the very same indeede the most perfect and most substantiall matter Par. What difference is there betwixt a Sacrament and a Sacrifice Past In Sacrifices men offer and giue vnto GOD in Sacraments GOD offers and giues vnto men Par. Declare vnto me the sixt particular to wit of Sacrificers who they were and what else is fit to be learned therein Past Sacrificers were the priests as was Aaron and his sonnes They were men seperated and segregated from ill and