provoke the Lord to anger that he sware that none of them all should see that good land save Caleb and Joshua Therefore said he if ye do now leave your brethren and will not go harnessed before them until the Lord hath cast out their enemies ye do so much sin against the Lord that he will surely find it out And when they heard Moses say so they answered saying We do not intend to leave our brethren our meaning is nothing less than so to do but rather that we might be suffered to make in this place sheepfolds for our cattel and houses for our wives and children to leave them therein which being done we our selves will go forth before our brethren harnessed and will not return home to our houses until we have brought them to their places and that every one of them be possessed in his inheritance Then Moses contented with this answer granted their request And so they builded sheep-cotes for their Cattel and houses for their families wherein they left them and went forth with their brethren until they had performed their promise and then returned home again Joshua 22. cap. And when they had rested a while at home they went and built an Altar near Jordan and that a very great one And when the rest of the children of Israel heard that the children of Reuben Gad and Manasses had built them an Altar in * This country also was calied Canaan because the Amorites dwelling there were called Canaanites Gilead beside Jordan even on the same side that they were of in the land of Canaan they were sore offended and so angry that they gathered themselves together to battel against them And being ready prepared they sent Phinehas the son of Eleazar the Priest and with him ten Princes of every chief house one to know for what purpose they had made them an Altar and whether it were to rebel against the Lord or no. And when they had done their commission the other answered and said that God was their witness that they had done it for no evil purpose either to rebel against the Lord or to swerve from his laws and ordinances in any point but rather for this consideration to be a witness between us and you and our generations after us lest it should chance another day that your children should say unto ours what have ye to do with the Lord God of Israel ye children of Reuben and of Gad the Lord ye see hath made Jordan a border between us and you and therefore ye can have no part in the Lord with us and so should your children make our children cease from fearing the Lord. And therefore to prevent such an inconvenience we took advice and made this Altar that if any such kind of talk should be ministred of your children to ours in time to come that then our children might answer and say again Behold the fashion of the Altar of the Lord which our fathers made neither for burnt-offerings nor sacrifices but for a witness between us and you that our part is in the Lord as well as yours And when Phinehas and the other Princes had heard their answer they were well content and returned and so the matter ended They called the Altar Our witness that the Lord is God Gad a Band or Garison Gad the Prophet came to David lying in the land of Moab saying Abide not in hold 1 Sam 22.5 but depart and go into the land of Judah 2 Sam. 24.13 At another time when David had offended the Lord in numbring his people Gad was sent unto him to give him choice of three things whether he would have * Three years of famin were past for the Gibeonites matter and this was the fourth year to the which should have been added other three years â—1 Chron 21.11 12. seven years famin or three months to fly before his enemies or three days pestilence in the land Gaius a certain * Act. 19.29.20.4 faithful brother dwelling in Derbe was one of Pauls companions and in great jeopardy of his life at Ephesus thorow the sedition of Demetrius the Silversmith but after the business was ended he accompanied Paul into Asia To this man St. John wrote his third Epistle Gaius the Lord or Master of the tongue Gallio was Proconsul of Achaia to wit Act. 18 1â— c. the Lord Deputy under Cesar the Emperor in the Countrey of Achaia In this time it hapned the Jews which had made a conspiracy against Paul to bring him before the place of judgment where Gallio sate as Judge accusing Paul unto him of new doctrine But when Gallio perceived the controversie between the Jews and Paul was concerning Jewish Religion he sought to rid his hands of them and preventing Paul who was ready to speak in his own defence said O ye Jews if it were a matter of wrong or an evil deed reason would that I should hear you but if it be a question of words or names or of your law look unto it your self for I will be no Judge in such matters And so caused them to depart the place Gallio giving Milk or having Milk Gamaliel Act. 5.34 c. one of the ancient Pharisees was Pauls Shool master and in high estimation among the people both for his excellent knowledge in the law and for his singular wisdom When the Apostles were brought by some of the Council for preaching in the name of Christ whose lives he perceived the Council sought he desired that for a while the Apostles might depart out of the Council-house And when they were gone he said Ye men of Israel take heed to your selves what ye intend to do as touching these men for before these days rose up one Theudas boasting himself to whom resorced a number of men about 400. who was slain and they all which believed him were scattered abroad and brought to nought After this man rose up one Judas of Galilee in the time when Tribute began who drew away much people after him he also perished and all that obeyed him were scattered abroad And now I say unto you refrain your selves from these men and let them alone For if this Counsel or this work be of men it will come to nought but if it be of God ye cannot destroy it lest ye be found to strive against God Gamaliel God's reward Gedaliah the Son of Ahikam 2 King 25.22 c. was a great Captain under Nabuchodonosor whom he made Governour of the Land of Judah to rule the People which he had left behind him at the destruction of Jerusalem Jer. 42. câ—â— who intreated the People so gently and so friendly that all the Jews which were scattered about in the Land hearing of his gentleness resorted unto Gedaliah and sound great favour at his hand for the which they bare unto him their hearty good wills Insomuch that when Baal King of the Ammonites had sent one Ishmael under
and slew thirty and six of the Israelites and chased the rest back again whereat Josua was so discomfited that he rent his clothes and called on God to know the cause of their overthrowing who made him answer that Israel could not stand before the men of Hai forasmuch as some of them had transgressed his commandment and told him the way and means how he should search it out which thing being done he found that Achan had taken of the spoil of Jericho a Babylonish garment two hundred sicles of silver and a wedge of gold which being tried and brought forth before the whole congregation Josua took Achan his sons and daughters cattel goods and all that he had and carried them out to the valley of Achor where they were stoned to death and consumed with fire Achan Troubling Achab the son of Amry 1 King 16. began his raign over Israel in the 39th year of the raign of Asa King of Juda. He took Jezabel the daughter of Ethbaal King of the Sydonites to wife by whose means he fell into all wicked and strange Idolatry and cruel persecution for the which God plagued him so 18. cap. that in three years space neither dew nor rain fell down from above to moisten the earth whereof ensued so great a Murren of men and beasts that innumerable dyed thereof and all the fault and cause of this plague he laid on Elia the Prophet and sought by all means how to destroy him 21. cap. This King was so wicked that Scripture saith he had even sold himself to work wickedness and yet notwithstanding God gave him a marvellous victory of Benhadad King of Syria who had in his company 20. cap. thirty two Kings with whom he fought twice and beat him and at the third time brought * Here God as he many times doth did punish one wicked by another him into so miserable a case that he was fain to humble himself to Achab with a rope about his neck who nevertheless had pity on that wicked King and made a bond with him and let him go Now for this mercy which Achab had shewed to Benhadad whom the Lord had cursed and put into Achabs hands to be slain God was angry with Achab and promised his utter destruction for the same 1 King 21. This greedy Cormorant was not content with his Kingdom and spoil of his victories which God had given him but caused Naboth that innocent man to be murdered only to have his vineyard which lay so nigh his nose whose bloud did cry for such vengeance of God that word was brought him by the Prophet Elia that in the same place where dogs had licked the bloud of Naboth should dogs lick his also and that he would do unto Achab and his posterity even as he had done to the house of Jeroboam and Baasha which terrible threatnings of God so frighted Achab that he * His repentance was not true but plain hypocrisie repented and humbled himself in sackcloth for the which the Lord deferred his plague and would not perform it in Achabs days but in the time of his sons reign Finally it came in the mind of Achab to go into Syria 22. cap. to recover the City of Ramoth which he claimed by inheritance And trusting more to the counsel of four hundred false Prophets than he did to Micajah the true Prophet of God he took his journey towards Ramoth and being in battel against his enemies the Syrians he was shot with an arrow standing in his Chariot of the which stroke he died And then when his Chariot was had to the pool of Samaria to be washed the dogs licked up the bloud that ran thorow the Chariot and so was the word of the Lord fulfilled which he had spoken before concerning the same He reigned twenty two years Achab The Fathers brother Achaicus 1 Cor. 16. was a faithful Christian brother whom St. Paul sent with Stephanus and Fortunatus from Philippi to the Corinthians with his Epistle Achaicus Mourning or sad Achaz look Ahaz Achior Judith 5. was Captain and governour of all the Ammonites under Holofernes and had the spirit of Prophecie so plentiful in him that when Holofernes demanded what manner of people the Jews were he stepped forth before him and said If it please thee O Prince I will tell thee of a truth what they be They are a people which came of the generation of the Chaldees and because they would not serve their gods nor yet follow their customs they went and dwelt first in Mesopotamia worshipping one God that made Heaven and Earth at whose commandment they went from thence and dwelt in the Land of Canaan where in process fell so great a Dearth that then from Canaan they went down to Egypt and dwelt among the Egyptians four hundred Years In the which space they grew to a mighty number and were sore oppressed of the King of that Land but assoon as they cryed to their God for help he sent down such Plagues upon the King and all his Land that he was fain to suffer them to depart yet when they were gone and the Plague ceased he then pursued to have brought them back again into bondage But GOD perceiving his People to be in a streight opened the Sea before them and brought them thorow on dry ground and closed the Sea upon their Enemies and so drowned Pharaoh with all his Host And now being passed the red Sea they came to the Wilderness of Mount Sinai where the Waters being bitter he made them sweet and fed them Forty Years with Meat from Heaven They had such power from their God that they cast out before them the Canaanites the Perisites the Jebusites and the Hittites with many great Nations more For so long as they stood in awe of their God and did not offend him so long was no Nation ever able to molest or hurt them But if at any time they declined from his will and Ordinance then were they quickly destroyed in Battel and brought to captivity and bondage Wherefore O Prince let inquisition now be made whether they have offended their God or no and if they have then let us go against them for God shall deliver them into thy hand But if they have not displeased their God he will so defend them that we shall not surely be able to stand before them but become a reproach unto all the World Judith 6. Now was Holofernes so mad with Achior that he commanded his Men to carry him to the Jews that he might perish with them in their destruction And as they went toward Bethulia with Achior and saw they might not come nigh the City without great peril of their lives they went to a Tree and bound him fast to the same and so leaving him went their ways Then came the Jews to Achior and loosed his Bands had him into the City and set him before the Senators who demanded
Land where she remained these seven years of dearth which being ended she returned home again And when she came to her House another having possession thereof withheld it from her wherefore she went to the King to make her complaint at which time it happened the King to be talking with Gehazi the servant of Eliseus the Prophet The Sbunamite is restored to her house and Land again who was declating unto the King what great and notable deeds his Master Eliseus had done and among all declared of a dead Body which he had raised up from death to life and as he was telling of these things unto the King the Woman came with her Son and required her House and Land again And when Gehazi saw the Woman he said O my Lord and King this same is the Woman that I told your Grace of even now and this is her Son that was raised from death Then the King commanded her House and Land to be restored her again with all the Rent and Profits thereof from the first day she left it till that present time Finally when the time drew nigh 2 King 13.14 c. that Eliseus the Prophet should dye Joash King of Israel came to visit him and as he stood before him and considered what a loss he should have of that good Man which had been so great a defence unto his Realm the tears ran down his cheeks and he said O my Father my Father the Chariot of Israel and the Horsemen of the same And when the Prophet saw the King he bad him take his Bow and Arrows in his hand and make him ready to shoot The Prophet put his hands upon the King's hand and caused a Window to be opened Eastward which was toward Syria and bad the King shoot and he shot The Arrow of the Lord's deliverance said Eliseus and the Arrow of deliverance from Syria For thou shalt smite Syria in Aphck till thou have made an end of them Now take thine Arrows in thine hand said the Prophet and smite the ground and he smote thrice and ceased Then was the Prophet angry that he had smitten the ground no oftner for if said he thou hadst smitten five or six times thou hadst smitten Syria until thou hadst made an end of them whereas now thou shalt smite them but thrice and so Eliseus dyed and was buried The same year came the Moabites into the Land of Israel and as some of the Israelites were burying of a Man and had spied the Souldiers they cast the Man into the Sepulchre where Eliseus the Prophet was buried and when the dead Man was let down and touched the Body of Eliseus he revived and stood up upon his Feet as lively as ever he was Elizabeth Luk. 1.24 c. was the Wife of Zachary the Priest and came of the Daughters and Posterity of Aaron She was long barren but at last she conceived by Zachary her Husband according as the Angel of God had said unto him And being great with Child Mary the Wife of Joseph which was also conceived by the Holy Ghost came to visit Elizabeth her Cousin who had no sooner heard the salutation of Mary the Mother of God but the Babe sprang in her Belly whereupon she was filled with the Holy Ghost and cried out with a loud voice saying Blessed art thou among Women and blessed is the fruit of thy Womb And whence happeneth this to me that the Mother of my Lord should come to me For behold as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears the Babe sprang in my Belly for joy And blessed is she that believed for those things shall be performed which were told her from the Lord. And when the time was come that Elizabeth should be delivered she brought forth a Son which her Neighbours and Kinsfolks would have named Zachary after his Father but Elizabeth would none of that but said his Name should be John Elizabeth the Oath of God or the fulness of God Elkanah the Son of Jeroham an Ephraite born 1 Sam. cap. 1. had two Wives the one named Hannah and the other Peninnah By his Wife Peninnah he had Children But by Hannah he had none It was his manner every Festival day to go up and pray and to offer unto the Lord of Hosts in Shilo where the Ark of the Lord was at that time And in one solemn Feast day among all other as he offered unto the Lord he gave unto Peninnah his Wife and to her Sons and Daughters portions but unto Hannah whom he loved he gave a worthy Portion And on a time when he saw his Wife Hannah weep in the House of the Lord for sorrow she could have no child he said Hannah why weepest thou and why is thy heart so troubled that thou canst not eat Am not I better to thee than ten Sons as though he should say Is it not enough for thee that I love thee no less than if thou hadst children This he said to comfort her And at the last God gave him a Son by her named Samuel after whose birth he went up to offer unto the Lord and to give him thanks But Hannah would not go with him until she had weaned her Son Elkanah the Zeal of God and the possession of God Epaphroditus Phil. 2.25 was a certain godly Brother whom the Philippians sent to Paul being in Bonds at Rome with their charitable relief Who being there ministred unto him in his need and was so faithful a fellow-souldier with Paul in setting forth the Gospel of Christ and put himself in such hazard that he fell sick and was like to have dyed Now Paul to comfort the Philippians which were full of sorrow and heaviness for Epaphroditus their Apostle because they heard he was sick was the more desirous after his recovery to send him home again in the company of Timotheus with his Epistle that they might be the less sorrowful and rejoyce the more at his coming willing them to receive him with a loving Christian affection in all joyfulness and not to make much on him only but on all such as were like unto him Epaphroditus Pleasant Epaphras Col. 4.12 was a faithful Servant by whose labour and preaching the Colossians heard the Gospel and believed it and being in Prison with Paul at Rome prayed for those Colossians that they might be perfect and filled in all the will of God after true knowledge He bare a fervent mind to them of Laodicea and them of Hierapolis Epaphras Frothing Epenetus Rom. 16.5 was the first that Paul brought to the Christian Religion among them of Achaia unto whom Paul had him saluted Epenetus Worthy of praise Ephraim Gen. 48. 〈◊〉 c. was the youngest Son of Joseph and born in Egypt His Mothers Name was Asuath the Daughter of Potipher Priest of On and his eldest Brother was Manasses which two being brought before their Grandfather Jacob to receive his blessing
2 Mac. 10. chap. 12. a certain Captain named Dositheus had almost taken him if rescue had not been thorow the which he escaped and fled into Moresa and was never seen more Read the story of Dositheus Gorgias Terrible H. HADAD 1 King 1 1â— 14 c. being but a little Boy born in the Land of Edom and sprung of the King of Edoms seed what time as David went about to destroy all the Men Children in Edom fled with certain Edomites of his Fathers servants into the Land of Aegypt Where in process he gat such favour with Pharaoh King of the Land that he gave him great possessions and married him to the Queens Sister who bare unto him a Son called Genubath which Child was brought up in King Pharaoh's House among his Children But when tidings was brought to Hadad of the death of David and Joab he went to the King and besought him to let him depart into his own Countrey again Why said the King what hast thou lacked here with me that thou wouldest now so fain return home again Nothing said Hadad but that I have a mind to see my Countrey and therefore I pray thee let me go And so he departed out of Egypt from Pharaoh for * The Lord had reserved this Idolater to punish and scourge his People for their sins the Lord had stirred him up to be an adversary to Solomon who had turned his heart from the Lord his God and served strange gods And so Hadad reigned over Syria and abhorred Israel sore and vexed them so long as Solomon reigned Hadad Joy Hadarezer 1 Sam 8.3 c. 10.16 the Son of Reob King of Zoba had long War with Thoi King of Hamoth And at the last as he went to recover the Borders by the River Pherar David met with him and took 1700 Horsmen of his Host and twenty thousand Footmen and cut off the hoofs of all his Chariot-Horses saving an hundred which he reserved to himself And took away his shields of Gold and brought them to Jerusalem And took out of his Cities exceeding much Brass whereof Solomon afterward made all the Brasen Vessels in the Temple of the Lord. Again when this Hadarezer with all the Kings that served him went to rescue Hanon King of the Ammonites against David he lost 700. Chariots and 4000. Footmen and his Captain-General slain Then the Kings which served Hadarezer being so discomfited made peace with David and served him and never would help the Ammonitâ—s more Hadarezer Beautiful help Ham Gen. 9.18 was the second Son of Noe. Who on a time seeing his Father lye unseemly discovered in his Tent laughed him to scorn And in derision and contempt of his Father brought Sem and Japhet his two Brethren to see the uncomely sight But they moved with shamefastness and honesty covered their Fathers secrets and would not look upon them And when Noe was awaked out of sleep and perceived what Ham had done He would not curse him whom the Lord had blest but said to * Of this Canaan came the Canaanites that wicked Nation who were also cursed of God Canaan his Son which had also as some suppose derided his Grandfather Noe Cursed be Canaan a servant of servants shall he be unto his Brethren Ham Indignation or Heat Haman was the Son of Amada Esther 3. cap. and served Ahasuerus King of Persia who so highly promoted him that every Man bowed the Knee to Haman and did as much honour unto him in a manner as they did to the King himself And being thus exalted above all other Princes about the King and honoured of all men there was notwithstanding a certain Jew born named Mardocheus which would neither bow nor bend unto him as others did which being marked of Haman he took so great indignation against Mardocheus that he sought his utter destruction and purchased a licence of the King for ten thousand talents of Silver to have him and all the Jews destroyed in one day But while the Writings were a making and Posts sent into all Quarters for the Jews dispatch Mardocheus gat knowledge of all Haman's wicked intents and purposes and found the means to have the same uttered unto Queen Esther Who then to save Mardocheus and all the Jews did hazard her self to go to the King and found the means to bring him and Haman to a Banquet which she had prepared Now was Haman so proud and joyful of the Queens favour that he went home to his House and called all his friends together making great boast to them of his glory riches and authority But chiefly what special favour Queen Esther bare unto him above all Men insomuch she had invited no Man to her Banquet with the King save only him And to morrow quoth he I must be there again But yet all this doth not satisfie me so long as I see Mardocheus the Jew sitting at the King's Gate Then said Zares his Wife Let there be a pair of Gallows made of 50. Cubits high and speak to morrow unto the King that Mardocheus may be hanged thereon And so Haman following his Wives counsel caused the Gallows to be prepared and on the morrow gat him to the Court and standing there waited when the King would call for him that he might speak to dispatch Mardocheus The King who the night before had looked the Chronicles and found out the fidelity of Mardocheus sent for Haman and said What shall be done to the Man whom the King would honour Then Haman thinking the King had gone about to honour none but him said Let the Man whom the King intendeth to bring to honour be arrayed in such Royal Apparel as the King useth to wear and set upon the King's Horse with the Crown Imperial upon his Head and command one of the King's Princes to carry him about the streets of the City with a proclamation before him saying Thus shall it be done to the Man whom the King pleaseth to bring to honour Then said the King take the Rayment and the Horse and go thou to Mardbeheus the Jew which sitteth at my Gate and fail not to do unto him all that thou hast faid Then went Haman about the King's commandment and performed all things according to his mind which being done he gat him home with an heavy heart to his Wife and friends declaring unto them what things had happened unto him Then said they If Mardochens be of the seed of the Jews before whom thou hast begun to fall thou shalt not prevail against him but shalt surely fall before him And while they were thus talking a Messenger came for Haman to go with the King to the Banquet at the end of which Banquet Esther opened all the wickedness of Haman before the King who took the matter so grievously that he rose from the Board and went into the Garden in a great anger Then Haman perceiving a mischief towards him went and fell down at the Beds-feet
and so kept them in ward three days And then considering with himself he agreed they should all go home again with food to their Father save one which should remain bound for the rest till they had brought their other Brother And at their going away commanded every Mans sack to be filled with Corn and every Mans money to be put into the Sacks mouth and so departed leaving Simeon behind them in pledge for them all Gen 43. Now being returned again with Benjamin their youngest Brother they were all had into Joseph's house and most gently entertained And when Joseph came in and saw all his Brethren he demanded saying Is your Father the old man of whom ye told me in good health and yet alive Yea quoth they thy servant is in good health and merry And is this your youngest Brother of whom ye told me God be merciful unto thee my Son quoth he and with that his heart began so to melt that he hasted into his Chamber and wept And coming forth again with a chearful countenance he went to Dinner with his Brethren commanding each one to be set down in order according to their ages whereat his Brethren within themselves marvelled And during the time of refection he sent to every one from his own Mess but most of all to Benjamin 44. cap. And when he had thus feasted his Brethren so long as pleased him the Night before their departing he commanded their Sacks to be filled with Corn and every Man's money put into his Sacks mouth as before and his Silver-Cup into Benjamin's sack And in the morning as they were departed a little out of the City a Messenger overtook them saying Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good Is not that the Cup in the which my Lord drinketh and in the which he doth Prophesie Ye have done evil in so doing The Men hearing this were marvellously astonied denying utterly that they ever thought any such deed against their Lord but when their Sacks were searched and the Cup found then they rent their Cloaths and yielded themselves and returned with the Messenger to the Governours house again and coming before him he looked angrily on them saying What an unkind deed is this ye have done Know ye not that such a Man as I can Divine and Prophesie And now when the Men had made the best excuse they could make Gen. 45. Joseph could no longer refrain but with weeping tears said to his Brethren I am Joseph Doth my Father yet live With that they were so astonied with his presence that they could not answer him one word I am Joseph your Brother quoth he whom ye sold into Egypt now therefore be not grieved with your selves that ye sold me hither for God did send me before you for your preservation for this is the second year of Dearth and five more are behind wherefore God sent me before you to make provision for you in this Land and to save your lives by a great deliverance So now it was not you that sent me hither but God who hath made me a Father unto Pharaoh and Lord of all his house and Ruler thorowout all the Land of Egypt Therefore now go and tell my Father and bid him come with all his Houshold to me Gen. 46. and I will make provision for him Thus when Joseph had received his Father into Egypt Gen. 50. and governed the Land fourscore years he dyed at the age of an hundred and ten years and was buried in Egypt whose Bones were afterward translated into the Land of promise as Joseph had bound them to do in his Death-bed Joseph Increasing Joseph the Son of Jacob the Son of Matthan Matth. 1.16 a poor honest Man and a Carpenter by his occupation was espoused to the Virgin Mary the Mother of Christ and dwelt in Nazareth a little City in Galilee and came of the same Tribe and Kinred that Mary came of that is to say of the Tribe of Judah and of the progeny and stock of David of whose Seed it was promised that Christ should be born 13. He had four Sons James Joses Symon and Judas which the Jews of ignorance called the Brethren of Christ Ioseph Matth. 27.57 a Man of honour and of great power and substance born in the City of Arimathea which was a Disciple of Jesus but not openly known because of the Jews which had made a Law that whosoever did openly confess him to be Jesus Disciple the same Person should be cast out of the Synagogue This Joseph came to Pilate and desired licence of him to take down the Body of Jesus from the Cross and to bury it and having obtained his petition he bought a fine piece of Linnen cloth and therein wrapped the Body and laid it in a new Sepulchre hewed out of the Rock and rolled a great stone before the Door of the Sepulchre and so went his way Iosephus 1 Mac. 5. the Son of Zachary and one Azarias were two Captains under Judas Machabeus which two Judas left in Jewry to keep and govern the remnant of the Host left there while he and Jonathas with Simon their Brother went into the parts of Galilee and Gilead to deliver their Brethren which were then besieged of their enemies giving them a great charge not to War with the Heathen but to lye still till he and his Brethren were returned home again But nevertheless when Josephus and Azarias had heard of all the great acts done by Judas and his Brethren they said one to another Let us go out and fight against the Heathen that lye round about us that we may get us a name also And being agreed they went out and pitched their Host before the City of Jamnia who had not lain there long or that Gorgias issued out of the City with his Men and joyn'd Battel with Josephus and slew of the Jews two thousand and chased Josephus and all the rest of his Company to the Borders of Jewry And thus Josephus and Asarias neglecting the commandment of Judas their Lord and Governour purchased in the stead of honour and fame great dishonour and shame Ioses a certain Levite born in the Countrey of Cyprus sold his Land there Act. 4.36 and brought the whole price thereof and laid it down at the Apostles feet of whom he was sirnamed Barnabas Joses going out or thrust out Iosias the Son of Amon being at the Age of eight years when he began his reign over Juda 2 King 22. cap. 2 Chron. 34. was a vertuous and just Prince for he sought the Lord God of his Father David even from his Childhood to the end of his life He caused the Book of the Law of Moses which had been long lost and found again by Hilkiah the Priest to be had in great reverence and diligently read unto the People He cleansed his Land from all witchcrafts and sorcery and from Idols Images and Groves He brake
took her from David and gave her to * Look in the history of Psaltei how he used Michal David's Wise Psaltei the Son of Lais to Wife with whom she remained till the death of Saul and then was restored again to David by Abner's means Finally when David came dancing before the Ark of God in his shirt to the City of David it chanced Michal to look out at a Window and beholding the King how he leaped and danced before the Ark she began to despise him in her heart and meeting him after all things were done she said O how glorious was the King of Israel this day which was uncovered to day in the eyes of the Maidens of his Servants as a Fool uncovereth himself And for thus despising of David the Servant of God the Lord plagued her with Barrenness that she never had Child Michal who is perfect Mephibosheth 2 Sam. 4.4 the Son of Jonathan was lame in his Feet by reason his Nurse by misfortune in his infancy let him fall to the Ground out of her Arms and was brought up and nourished after the death of his Father in the House of Machir 9. cap. 4 c. till David coming to his Kingdom took him from thence and restored him to all the Land of King Saul making Ziba his Servant chief Overseer and Receiver of the Lands and to see Micah his Master's Son well brought up and cherished for so much as Mephibosheth should remain with him and eat and drink at his own Board Now after this when David was brought into so great affliction trouble by reason of Absalom his Son Mephibosheth remained still at Jerusalem and never removed 2 Sam. 16.1 2 c. But Ziba his Servant went after David with a present and by false report of Mephibosheth his Master got his Land from him And when the King was returned and come to Jerusalem again 19.24 c. then Mephibosheth who had neither washed his Feet nor dressed his Beard nor washed his Cloaths from the time the King departed until he returned in peace went out to meet him and when the King saw him he said Wherefore wentest thou not with me Mephibosheth He answered My Lord O King my Servant deceived me for thy Servant said I would have mine Ass sadled to ride thereon for to go with the King because thy Servant is lame Therefore Ziba hath falsly accused thy Servant to my Lord the King but my Lord the King is as an Angel of God Do therefore what it pleaseth thee for all my Fathers House were but dead Men before my Lord the King and yet didst thou set thy Servant among them that did eat at thine own Table What right have I to cry any more unto the King Then said David why speakest thou yet in thine own cause I have said Thou and Ziba divide the Land between you Yea said Mephibosheth let him take all seeing my Lord the King is come home in peace Mephibosheth shame or confusion from the mouth Mephibosheth 2 Sam. 21.8 the Son of Rizpah King Saul's Concubine was by the Gibeonites with his Brother Armoni hanged for their Father's offence Miriam Exo. 6.20 was the Daughter of Amram and Jochebed and Sister to Aaron and Moses When her Brother Moses had brought the Children of Israel thorow the red Sea Exo. 15.20 Miriam the Prophetess took a Timbrel in her hand with other Women following in like sort and began joyfully to sing and dance Their Song was this Sing ye unto the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously The Horse and his Rider hath he overthrown in the Sea After this she grudged against Moses Num. 12.1 10. because he had taken an Ethiopian Woman to his Wife wherefore the Lord smore her with Leprosie Then Moses partly for pity and partly at the intercession of Aaron his Brother besought the Lord to heal her who made him answer saying If her Father in anger had spit in her Face should she not have been ashamed seven days Let her be shut out of the Host seven days which being done she was restored and received in again Finally when Moses and the Children of Israel were come to Kadesh Num. 20.1 there she died and was buried Miriam exalted or reaching Meshach first called Mishael Dan. 1.7.3 cap. was one of Daniel's Companions and one of the three which was cast into the hot burning Furnace and miraculously preserved Meshach prolonging or drawing to him or compassing the waters or hedging Mithridates was King Cyrus's Treasurer 3 Esd 2. at whose commandment he delivered all the holy Vessels of Gold and Silver pertaining to the House of the Lord to Salmanassar the Deputy in Jewry The number of which Vessels was five thousand eight hundred and three score Mithridates dissolving the law Mnason was a certain godly Man Act. 21.16 and a Cyprian born who had of long time believed the Gospel in whose House Paul was lodged at Jerusalem Mnason a searcher out or promising or remembring Moses the Son of Amram and Jochebed Exod. 2. cap. was miraculously preserved at his birth For whereas Pharaoh the King of Egypt had straitly commanded the Midwives Moses signifieth preserved from the water that whensoever they saw an Hebrew bring forth a Man-child they should cast it into the River yet Moses being born and a proper Child was notwithstanding the King's Commandment kept secretly three Months And when his Parents could hide him no longer they closed him in a Basket made of Reed or Bulrushes dawbed with slime and pitch and laid him in the River And as the Child's sister stood looking what should become of him it came to pass that King Pharaoh's * Her name was Termuth Daughter came a walking by the River side who seeing the Basket floating upon the River caused one of her Folks to take it up And when she had opened the Basket and saw the Child she had pity upon it and caused the Maid his sister to fetch her a Nurse who went and brought his own Mother And so the Child being nursed and brought up in Pharaoh's house was instructed from his Childhood in all manner of cunning and wisdom of the Egyptians and became mighty in words and deeds saving in his speech he had an impediment And when he was full forty years old it came in his heart to go and visit his Brethren the Children of Israel whom Pharaoh vexed without all measure And as he saw an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew How that Moscs's impedment of speech came The King on a time for his Daughter's sake took the Child in his arms and set the Crown upon his Head which Moses as it were childishly playing hurled to the ground and with his Foot spurned it At the which the Priest cried out saying that this was he of whom it was prophesied that he should destroy Egypt Then Termuth excused the Child alledging his infancy and lack of
second year of his reign as he was laying siege to a City of the Philistines called Gibbethon Baasha conspired against him and slew him Taking upon him to reign in his stead Nadab a Prince or liberal Nahash 1 Sam. 11. Judg 11. cap. was King of the Ammonites And as his Predecessors afore time had made a claim to the Land of Israel so he now purposing the same went and besieged the City of Jabesh in Gilead And when the Men of Jabesh perceived themselves in great danger of their lives they desired the King to make a covenant with them and they would be his Servants Then said Nahash If ye will suffer me to thrust out all your right eyes to bring Israel to shame I shall be content to make peace with you Then said they Give us respite seven days and if none do come to help us in that space we will come out unto thee Then Nahash thinking that none durst come to aid them against him granted their request Upon the which they sent Messengers into all the Coasts of Israel which News was so heavy tidings to them that they fell a weeping And as they were mourning and lamenting their case it chanced Saul by the providence of God to come out of the Field following the Cattel And beholding the People what a do they made he demanded wherefore they mourned And when they had told him the tidings of the Men of Jabesh his heart was so moved by the spirit of God that he took out two of his Oxen and hewed them in pieces and sent them thorow all the Coasts of Israel saying whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and Samuel so shall his Oxen be served And the People were stricken in such a fear that they came out to Saul as they had been but one Man to the number of three hundred thousand of Israel beside thirty thousand of the Men of Judah And then Saul sent word by the Messengers to the Men of Jabesh that the next morrow they should have help They being glad of that sent word unto Nahash saying To morrow we will come forth unto you and ye shall do unto us whatsoever pleaseth you And so on the morrow Saul came upon the Ammonites and slew them Nahash a Snake or Serpent or guessing or divining Nahor when he was nine and twenty years of age Gen. 11.24 25. begot Terah And lived after he had begotten him an hundred and twenty years Nahor Hoarse or Angry Naomi was the Wife of a certain Man called Elimelech Ruth 1. cap. dwelling in the Land of Juda in a City called Bethlehem And because of the present Dearth which was over all the Land of Juda She went with her Husband and her two Sons into the Countrey of Moab to sojourn Where in process her Husband died And her two Sons being married to two of the Moabitish Damosels died there also So that Naomi which had dwelt in the Land of Moab ten years was left desolate both of her Husband and of her Sons Then Naomi hearing how the Lord had visited her Countrey again with plenty returned from Moab homewards again her two Daughters-in-law bringing her on the way And when she saw they had gone a good way with her and coveted not to return she said unto them Go now my Daughters and return each of you unto your Mothers House and the Lord deal as kindly with you as ye have dealt with the dead and with me And the Lord give you that ye may find rest either of you in the House of her Husband and so kissed them to have bid them farewel But when she saw that they would not depart from her she said unto them again Return my Daughters I pray you for what cause will ye go with me Are there any more children within my womb to be your husbands Turn again therefore I say for I am too old to have an Husband And if I did take one this Night and had already born Children would ye tarry for them till they were grown and refrain from taking Husbands so long Not so my Daughters it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me Then they wept all together and Orpha kissed her Mother-in-law and returned into her own Land again but Ruth abode still And so when they came to Bethlehem Juda which was about the beginning of Barley-harvest the Women which saw Naomi said Is not this Naomi Nay said she call me not Naomi which is as much to say as beautiful but call me Mara that is to say bitter for the Almighty God hath made me very bitter I went out full and the Lord hath brought me again empty why then call ye me Naomi seeing the Lord hath humbled me and the Almighty hath brought me unto adversity And so Naomi remained in Bethlehem Juda where ere it were long God gave her a Son by the Womb of Ruth her Daughter-in law who was married to Boaz a Kinsman of Naomi's which Child being born the Women said unto Naomi Blessed be the Lord the which hath not left thee without a Kinsman to have a name in Israel and that shall bring thy life again and cherish thine old age for thy Daughter-in-law which loveth thee hath born unto him and she is better unto thee than seven Sons And Naomi took the Child and laid it in her Lap and became Nurse unto it being glad that a Son was born unto her in her old days Naomi Fair or comely or provoking much Nathan 2 Sam. 7.4 c. the Prophet at what time King David was minded to build God an House to dwell in was sent of the Lord to forbid him to meddle with it for Solomon his Son should do it Again at what time David had committed Adultery with Uriah's Wife Nathan came to him and said 12. cap. There were two Men in one City the one Rich and the other Poor The rich man had exceeding many Sheep and Oxen but the poor had none at all save one little Sheep which he had bought and nourished up And it grew up with him and with his Children also and did eat of his own Meat and drank of his own Cup and slept in his bosome and was unto him as his Daughter Now there came a stranger unto the rich man who refused to take of his own Sheep and Oxen to dress for the stranger but took the poor Man's sheep and dressed it for the Man that was come to him Then David was exceeding wroth with the Man and said As surely as the Lord liveth he that hath done this thing shall surely dye He shall restore the Lamb four-fold because he did it without pity Then said the Prophet Thou art the Man Thus saith the Lord God of Israel I anointed thee King over Israel and delivered thee out of the hands of Saul and gave thee thy Lord's house and his Wives into thy bosome and gave thee the house
that whensoever Zenas departed from him he should bring him on his Journey with all diligence and that nothing should be lacking unto him His words to Titus were these Bring Zenas the Lawyer and Apollos on their Journey diligently that nothing be lacking to them Zenas Living Zipporah Exod. 2.21 c. was the Daughter of Raguel Priest of Madian and Wife to Moses by whom she conceived and bare him two Sons Eleazer was not circumcised therefore GOD was angry with Moses saith Lyra. The one Gerson and the other Eleazer And as she went with Moses her Husband toward the Land of Egypt by the way in her Inne she took a sharp Knife and cut away the foreskin of her Son and cast it at his feet saying Thou art indeed a bloudy husband unto me she said a bloudy husband because of the circumcision Zipporah A mourning Zibah 2 Sam. 9. was one of King Saul's old Servants after whose death he belonged to Mephibosheth the Son of Jonathan and had the oversight of all his Master's Lands which David had restored unto him and the governance also of Micha his Master's Son 16.1 2 c. This Ziba intending to deceive his Master what time as David fled from Absalom his Son and was a little past the top of Mount Olivet met him with a couple of Asses sadled and upon them two hundred loaves and one hundred bunches of Raisins and an hundred of dryed Figgs and a bottel of Wine And when the King saw him he said What meaneth thou with these Ziba They be quoth he Asses for the King's Houshold to ride on and Bread and Fruit for the young Men to eat and Wine that such as be faint in the Wilderness may drink Then said the King where is thy Master Mephibosheth Zaba said behold he tarrieth still at Jerusalem for he said This day shall the house of Israel restore me the Kingdom of my Father Then said David to Ziba Behold all are thine that pertained to Mephibosheth Then said Ziba I do homage unto thee I beseech thee I may find grace in thy sight my Lord O King Thus Ziba deceived his Master and got his Land from him But when the King was returned again to Jerusalem and perceived by Mephibosheth that Ziba had wrongfully accused him he commanded the Land to be divided between them Ziba Fulness or an Oath Zimri was the servant of Ela the Son of Baasha King of Israel and Captain of half his Chariots who 1 King 16.9.10 c. or his Master had reigned full two years conspired against him and slew him as he was in Tirzah drinking till he was drunken in the house of Arza Steward of his House in Tirzah And raigned in his stead in the time of whose reign which was but seven days he slew all the house of Baasha leaving neither Kinsman nor friend of his alive At this time had Ela the King an Host of Men lying at the siege of Gibbethon a City of the Philistines And when they heard of the Treason of Zimri and that he raigned in the stead of Ela they with one consent made Amri their Captain King who then went and besieged Zimri where he lay in the City of Tirzah And when Zimri saw that the City must needs be won then he lest they should take him alive and put him to a shameful death burnt himself and the King's house with fire and so dyed Zimri a singing or making melody Zorobabel Esdras 3. 4. cap. the Son of Salathiel with all the Jewes which were delivered from Babylon by Cyprus returned to Jerusalem where they repaired again the City and Temple of God and renewed their Laws though they were sometime hindred and lett by their enemies about them Zorobabel Free from confusion or strange FINIS
Host of Israel against whom Judah began his Conquest and slew the Canaanites and put Adonibeseck to flight but being sore pursued the Men of Judah took him and cut off both his thumbs and great toes which thing the Tyrant confessed himself by and by to be the just judgment of God for as he had done to others so had he worthily received again And so he was carried to Jerusalem and there dyed Adonibeseck the Lords Thunder Adramelech the Son of Senacherib King of Assyria 2 King 19â— with his Brother Saresa slew their Father in the Temple as he was worshipping his God Nisroch and fled into the Land of Armenia leaving Asarhaddon their other Brother to possess the Kingdom after their Father Adramelech the Kings Cloak or his Greatness or Power or the greatness of Counsel Aduram was Receiver of all Rehoboams Tribute and being sent in Commission to pacifie the People which were divided and fallen from the King 1 King 12. 2 Chron. 10. they for hatred they bare to Rehoboam took this Man and stoned him to death Aduram Their Cloak or their power or greatness Agag was a very fat Man 1 Sam. 15. and King of the Amalekites which Nation God had commanded to be utterly destroyed And because King Saul had reserved Agag alive and not killed him with the rest the Lord was grievously displeased with Saul and would not suffer Agag so to escape but sent Samuel to execute his judgment upon him who calling for Agag he came out unto him very pleasantly fearing nothing less but that all bitterness of death had been past but contrary to his expectation Samuel said unto him As thy sword hath made Women childless so shall thy Mother be childless among other women and with that he fell upon Agag and hewed him in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal Agag An House or cellar Agabus was a certain Prophet Act. 11.28 which came from Jerusalem to Antioch where he prophesied of a great dearth that should be thorowout all the World which came to pass as this Prophet had said in the Emperour Claudius's days Also while Paul lay at Cesarea in the House of Philip the Evangelist purposing to keep his Journey to Jerusalem Act. 21.10 this Prophet chancing to come thither took Pauls girdle and therewithall bound his own hands and feet saying Thus saith the Holy Ghost so shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the Man that oweth this girdle and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles Agabus A Grashopper Agar was Handmaid to Sarah Abraham's Wife Gen. 16. which Sarah being long barren and childless gave Agar her Maid unto Abraham to be his Wife who being conceived and feeling her self with Child began to despise and set light by Sarah her Mistress for the which Sarah complained to Abraham her Husband who giving her power to correct the Maid at her pleasure she began to deal so roughly with Agar that in no wise she would abide it but ran away into the Wilderness and sitting there beside a Fountain of Water not knowing whither to go an Angel appeared unto her and said Agar from whence comest thou and whither intendest thou to go I flee said Agar from Sarah my Mistress who dealeth so hardly with me that I am even weary of my life Well said the Angel return to thy Dame again and submit thy self under her hands for the Lord will so encrease thy seed that it shall not be numbred for multitude Thou art with child and shalt bear a Son whose Name shall be Ishmael Then Agar giving God thanks for his consolation in trouble returned home again to Sarah her Mistress submitting her self unto her and in process of time brought forth her son shmael as the Angel had said Gen. 21. But when it pleased God to visit Sarah that she conceived and brought forth Isaac a new contention arose between Sarah and Agar for their children for Sarah perceiving Ishmael to be a mocker and a despiser of Isaac would not suffer Ishmael to company with her Son Isaac but made her complaint to Abraham causing Him to put both Agar and her Son away which thing although it grieved Abraham so to do yet being comforted of God that he would multiply Ishmael because he was of his seed he obeyed the voice of Sarah his wife and with provision of victuals sent Agar away with her Son to shift for her self Then Agar being departed from Abraham gat her into the Forest of Beersheba where she wandred so long up and down till all her provision of Meat was spent and gone And when she saw no remedy but that both she and her child must needs perish for lack of sustenance she laid down the child behind a bush and went her self away because she would not see it dye and as she sat afar off mourning and weeping for her Son she was comforted again by the Angel of God who had so provided for her and her son that they were both relieved and lived together a long time after to her great joy and comfort Agar A Stranger Aggeus was one of the Twelve Prophets which prophesied in the time of Zorobabel 1 Esd 5. King of the Jews and rebuked them for that they were slack in the work of the Lord. Aggeus Solemn festival or winding and turning himself Agrippa was a certain King Act. 25. who as Paul reporteth had good knowledge in the Law and Prophets but understood not the true applying of the same Which King on a time came to Cesarea to see Festus and to welcome him into the Country who was then but newly entred into his office And being there a good while with Festus and hearing of him what a-do there was about Paul whom the Jews had accused unto him was much desirous to see the Man and to hear him speak Whereupon the next day following Paul was brought into the common Hall before Agrippa and other Magistrates of the City there assembled to hear his cause And when Festus had declared for what purpose he had brought forth Paul that after examination had he might have somewhat of certainty to write to Cesar 26 cap. to whom Paul had appealed Agrippa permitted the Prisoner to speak and to say what he could for himself Who then so approved his innocency by rehearsing his conversation before the audience that Agrippa interrupting him confessed and said unto Paul Thou hast almost perswaded me to become a Christian And when the Prisoner had ended his discourse the King arose and all the Court among whom was much secret talk of Paul and for a final sentence Agrippa said unto Festus I see no worthy cause of death or of bands in this Man but that he might have been loosed if he had not appealed to Cesar Agrippa is a Latine word and signifieth That which hardly laboureth or travelleth in childbearing or delivering Also he which at his birth cometh with his feet forward Ahaz the
by drinking out of a cup made of an horses hoof supposed to be the device of Aristotle sometime his Master and Antipater Lieutenant of Macedonia the Son of Philip King of Macedonia slew Darius King of the Persians and Medes and conquered the most part of all the World in less than twelve years space whereof he became so proud that God was displeased with him And being visited with sickness so sore that he must needs die he called all his Lords and Princes before him and divided his kingdom among them So that they after his death were crowned and reigned as Kings every one severally in his own Dominion as was to them appointed He reigned xii years Alexander An aider or a helper manly or very valiant Alexander 1 Mac. 10. the Son of Noble Antiochus took the City of Ptolemais and after that moved War against Demetrius who to prevent Alexander sent Ambassadours to Jonathas Governour of the Jewes to have his friendship promising him as many fair and large offers as he could devise But forasmuch as Jonathas had experience of his deceitful dealings and how cruel an Enemy he had always been unto the Jews Nation he refused the offer of Demetrius and joyned in League with Alexander knowing him to be a faithful Prince and ever his friend And so Alexander having the Jews aid joyned Battail with Demetrius in the which conflict Alexander slew Demetrius and overcame all his Host Now when Alexander had conquered the Land and was set in the Throne of his Progenitors a marriage was concluded between Him and Cleopatra the Daughter of Ptolemy King of Egypt which was finished at the City of Ptolemais at the which triumph Alexander made Jonathas a Duke and Partner of his Dominion and after that for his worthiness gave him the City of Accaron 11 cap. Alexander now lying at Antioch and hearing how the Cilicians had rebelled against him marched toward them with a great power to suppress the Rebellion And being there busied with his enemies Ptolomy in the mean season defeated him of his kingdom and took his Daughter Cleopatra and gave her to Demetrius the Son of Demetrius in marriage Alexander hearing of this returned home with all his Host but Ptolomy being too strong for him chased Alexander out of his Realm who for succour fled into Arabia where the King of that Land against all Law of Arms smote off his head and sent it to Ptolomy for a present Alexander a Jew born and a Ruler at Ephesus Act. 19. what time as Demetrius the Silversmith moved Sedition in the City against Paul for the Goddess Diana was in the rage drawn out of the Common Hall and going forward beckoned with his hand to have spoken but till the Town-Clark had ceased the noise which lasted two hours he could not be heard And then to pacifie the people more by worldly wisdom than for any respect he had to Religion he said Ye Men of Ephesus what Man is he that knoweth not how that the City of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great Goddess Diana and of the Image which came from Jupiter Seeing then that no Man gain sayeth it ye ought to be content and to do nothing rashly For ye have brought hither these Men which are neither robbers of Churches neither yet despisers of your Goddess Wherefore if Demetrius and the Crafts-men which are with him have any matter against any Man the Law is open and there are Rulers let them accuse one another But if ye go about any other thing it may be determined in a lawful Assembly For we are in jeopardy to be accused of this days uproar forasmuch as there is no cause whereby we may give an account of this concourse of People And when he had thus spoken each Man departed Alexander the Coppersmith 1 Tim. 1. forsook the faith and became such an Enemy unto the Gospel 2 Tim. 4. that he withstood Paul's preaching and did him much displeasure for the which Paul delivered him unto Satan that is excommunicated him out of the Church desiring the Lord to reward him as he had deserved Alcimus was a Jew born 1 Mac. 7. and come of the Seed of Aaron who notwithstanding became so wicked a Man that he forsook the Laws of his own Nation to maintain the abominations of the Heathen And for the hatred he bare to Machabeus and the Jews he took unto him a sort of loofe and ungodly Persons and went to Demetrius unto whom he made a grievous complaint upon Judas Machabeus seigning that he had slain all the King's friends and driven him and his company out of their own Land wherefore he willed Demetrius to choose out some Noble Captain to go and avenge the King's quarrel on Judas Upon the which complaint of Alcimus the King sent Bachides against Judas and made Alcimus the High-Priest who was such an enemy unto the Jews as the like was not among the Heathen for all his study was how he might either by word or deed work their utter confusion And finally to manifest his great malice towards his own Country-men and the Laws of God he commanded the Walls of the inmost Sanctuary with the Monuments of the Prophets to be cast down and destroyed But as this wicked Apostate went about his devilish purpose the hand of God fell upon him and smote him with such an incurable Palsie that his mouth was shut up and so like a miserable wretch he dyed Alcimus Strong Amaleh was the Son of Eliphaz the Son of Esau Gen. 36. born unto him of Thymna his Concubine of whom came the Kinred of the Amalekites Exod. 17. This King when Moses had brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt and were come into the Wilderness of Raphidim where they both lacked water and were wearied with their long journey would not suffer them to pass quietly thorow his Land but came forth with weapon and waged Battel against them In the which Battel Joshua guided the Host of Israel while Moses went to pray And so long as Moses held up his hands and prayed so long had Israel the better but when he let them fall Amalek had the better Then Aaron and Hur perceiving Moses hands to be weary gat them up to Moses and staid his hands the one on the one side and the other on the other side so long till Joshua had discomfited Amalek with all his Host And for this cruelty of Amalek God sware unto Moses that he would utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under Heaven 1 Sam. 15. Which promise he performed in the days of King Saul Amalek a licking people Aman look Haman Amasa was the Son of Jether and Abigail 2 Sam. 17. David's sister was his Mother This Amasa what time as Absalom rose against his Father David was made Captain over Absalom's Host and after the death of Absalom David received him to favour 19. c. swearing he should
be Captain over his Host in the room of Joab which office he did not long enjoy for when Sheba the Son of Bichri had begun a new commotion and that David had sent Amasa to gather the Men of Juda together 20. c. and to bring them to him by the third day it chanced Joab to meet Amasa by the way which was somewhat after the time the King had appointed and saluting him with all gentleness he took him by the Chin with one hand to kiss him and with the other hand he smote him under the short Ribs with his Dagger and killed him Amasa Sparing the people Amasiah 2 King 14. the Son of Joash King of Juda began his Reign at the Age of xxv 2 Chron. 25. Years in the beginning whereof he did indifferently well observe the Laws of God but in the end he became an Idolater He prepared an Host of thirty thousand Men to go against the Edomites and yet to make himself the stronger he hired an hundred thousand more out of the ten Tribes of Israel for an Hundred Talents of Silver But as he was going with both the Hosts of Juda and Israel he was commanded by the Lord's Prophet to send the Host of Israel home again forasmuch as the Lord was not with them or else he should not stand before his enemies How then said the King shall I do for the hundred Talents which I have given for them Take no thought for that quoth the Prophet for the Lord is able to give thee as much more And so he sent the Host of Israel home again who for anger they were dismissed fell upon the Cities of Juda as they went and did much harm Then Amasias with his own Men set upon his Enemies and slew ten thousand and discomfited the rest After which Victory whereas he ought to have given all praise unto God for the same he fell from God and most vilely dishonoured him in worshipping the Idols of the Edomites despising the * This was Amos the Prophet whom Amasiah caused many times to be beat His Son caused 2 Nail to be thrust into his temples and being half dead he was carried into his own country where he soon after dyed Cooper Prophet's admonition sent unto him from the Lord. And so persisting in his obstinate mind and proud heart he wrote to Joash King of Israel commanding Him and his People by a Parable of the Cedar-tree and Thistle to be under his subjection But Joash after defiance gathered an Army and went against Amasiah whose Host being discomfited Amasiah was taken and brought to Joash who carried him to Jerusalem where notwithstanding the Gates being opened to him he caused four hundred Cubits of the Wall to be beaten down and entred into the City that way leading Amasiah with him as a Prisoner and took all the treasure of the Temple and of the Kings house caused it to be brought into Samaria Afterward being delivered his own People slew him He reigned xxix years and Azariah his Son succeeded Amasiah the Strength of the Lord. Amnon the Eldest Son of David had a fair Sister called Thamar 2 Sam. 3.14 cap. with whom he was so far in love that he could eat no meat that did him good but pined himself away marvellously for her sake Then Jonadab his Fathers Brothers Son a friend and familiar of his and a worldly wise man perceiving Amnon to be sore changed and every day more and more went to him and said How happeneth this Amnon that thou being the King's Son consumest thy self so away and dost not tell me Oh said Amnon I am in love with Thamar my Brother * Thamar was Absalom's Sister both by Father and Mother and Amnons by the Fathers side only Absalom's sister and except I may have her company I shall surely die Now to further this wicked purpose of Amnon here was a counseller ready at hand I will tell thee said Jonadsb what thou shalt do lay thee down upon thy Bed and feign thy self sick and when David thy Father cometh to visit thee desire him to let Thamar thy Sister come and dress thee such meat as thou hast a lust unto Amnon did so and when Thamar was come and had dressed him meat and brought it into his Chamber he commanded all to avoid and never rested until he had by force gotten his pleasure which done he fell into such an exceeding hatred of Thamar that he could not suffer her to be in his sight but caused his servant to thrust her out of his house and to bolt the doors after her For this shameful incest of Amnon Absalom two years after at a Banquet slew Him Amnon A People Lot had a Son called Ammon Gen. 19. which was born him of his youngest daughter and of him came the Ammonites Amon 2 King 21. the Son of Manasses was xxii years old when he began his reign over Juda 2 Chron. 33. and walked not in the ways of the Lord but gave himself more to wicked Idolatry and worshipping of stinking Idols than ever his Father did and would never turn unto God Wherefore at last certain of his own Men conspired against him and slew him which Conspirators the People of the Land notwithstanding put to death and made Josiah his Son King in his stead Amon Faithful Amos Amos 1.2 3 c. was an Herdman or Shepherd of a poor Town called Tekoa and one of the Twelve Prophets which God raised up to admonish the Israelites of their wickedness and Idolatry and to threaten them with his Plagues and Punishments if they did not repent Read of his death in the story of Amasiah Amos a Burden The Father of Jesse Esay 1. David's Father was called Amos and there the word signifieth Strong Amram Exod. 6. Numb 26. the Son of Caath the Son of Levy took Jochebed his Fathers * This kind of marriage was after in the Law forbidden Levit 18. Sister to Wife who bare unto him two Sons Aaron and Moses and also a Daughter called Miriam He lived an hundred and thirty eight years Amram a mighty or an high people or a band of them Amraphel Gen. 14. was King of Shinar and one of the four Kings which fought against five other Kings in the Valley of Siddim where he and his party had the Victory Amraphel Speaking destruction or speaking secrets Amri 1 King 16. was the Chief Captain and Governour of the whole Army of Elah the Son of Baasha King of Israel And lying at the siege of Gibbethon a City of the Philistines the whole Host there hearing of the death of Elah constituted Amri King in his stead But the residue of the Israelites which abode at home and were not with Amri at the siege made Tibni the Son of Ginath King So that the People were divided and in great contention for their King which continued for the space of three years till Tibni
such power and might that all Lands stood in awe of him And whereas no man durst presume to lay hands upon this King yet Apame sitting by his side upon the right hand took off his Crown from his Head and set it upon her own head and smote the King with her left hand who in the mean time did nothing but gape and look upon her if she laughed upon him he laughed if she were angry then he flattered to win her favour again Apame Expelling or driving forth Apelles Rom. 16.10 was a faithful Christian Brother and one as it seemeth that had sustained trouble for the Gospel sake For Saint Paul sending salutations to the Christians at Rome saith thus Salute Apelles approved in Christ Apelles Expelling or driving away Apollonius the Governour of Syria 1 Mac. 3. came against Judas Machabeus with a great Host of the Heathen and in the end was slain Whose Sword pleased Judas so well that he kept it for a memory and used it for his Weapon all the days of his life in time of War Apollonius Undoing or destroying Apollonius the Son of Thersa 2 Mac. 4. c. 5. Governour of Celosyria and Phinehas a Man set all upon Tyranny was sent to Jerusalem against the Jews whom he hated with an Army of twenty thousand Men and commanded by the King Antiochus to kill all that were of perfect age and to sell the Women Maidens and Children who at his first coming to the City made a shew of peace and lay still till the Sabbath-day And then knowing the Jews would not break their Law to make resistance he fell upon them and did his commission with all extremity Apollos was an eloquent man a Jew born at Alexandria Act. 18.24 and well instructed and had but as yet the first principles of Christian religion which was the Baptism or doctrine of John only The same being somewhat entred in the way of the Lord began to be fervent in the spirit and to speak boldly at Ephesus where Aquila and Priscilla chanced to hear Him and perceiving he was not fully instructed in the precepts of the Gospel they * This great learned and eloquent man disdained not to be taught of a poor Crastsman took him home with them and expounded unto him the way of the Lord more perfectly which was the way to salvation And when he was christened in the Name of Jesus and had received the Holy-Ghost he was desirous to go into Achaia where at Corinth he did valiantly set forth the Gospel confounding the Jews with plain evident Testimonies of Scriptures that Jesus was the same Messias whom the Jews had so many hundred years looked for Aquila was a certain Jew born in Pontus Act. 18. cap. lately come out of Italy with his Wife Priscilla to Corinth because the Emperour Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome His Craft was to sow together Skins to make Tents and Pavillions withal Paul who was of the same occupation when he came to Corinth lodged in this Man's house and wrought with him And after a year and a half they departed from Corinth and went together to Ephesus where Aquila and Priscilla made their aboad And remaining there behind Paul who had taken his Journey towards Jerusalem it fortuned Apollos an Alexandrian born an eloquent Man and well learned to come to Ephesus and preached Christ so much as he had learned of him by John's Baptism for more he knew not And when Aquila and Priscilla had heard his preaching and perceiving him not to be as yet fully instructed in the knowledge of Christ they took him home with them and severally taught him more perfectly the mysteries of the Gospel Aquila an Eagle Aran Gen. 11.28 was the Son of Terah Brother to Naher and Abraham and Father to Lot and the first Man that Scripture maketh mention of that by the course of nature died before his Father Aran an Hill or hilly Archelaus Matth. 2.22 was the Son of Herod King of the Jews In whose time Joseph * This King reigned ix years over the Jews and finally was banished into France through his insolency with Glafira his Brother Alexanders widow whom he had married Lanquet returned out of Egypt with the Child Jesus to go into the Land of Israel But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Jewry in his Fathers stead fearing left he had succeeded in his Fathers cruelness like as in his Kingdom durst not go thither but turned aside into the parties of Galilee and dwelt there in a City called Nazareth Archclaus a Prince of the People Archippus was the * Col. 4.17 Instructor of the Colossians and admonished by Paul to take diligent heed to the office which was committed unto him to perform it whereof he should yield an account to the Lord at the last day Archippus the Chief or Master of Horses Arefna look Ornan Arioch was King of Ellasar Gen. 14.1 9. and one of the four Kings that fought against Bera King of Sodom and other four more in the Vale of Siddim and the lesser number overcame the greater and so took all the spoil of Sodom and Gomorrha and went their ways But being pursued by Abraham and his Confederates they were all taken and slain Arioch Long or tall or fulness or the drunkenness or the lyar Arioch was Captain of Nabuchodonosor's Guard Danicl 2. and being sent by the King to destroy all the Wise men and Soothsayers in Babylon because they could not interpret his Dream Daniel went to Ariech and desired him a little to stay until he had obtained of the King some leisure to shew unto Him the Interpretation of his Dream Daniel's request being granted and the thing revealed unto him by God he after thanks given unto God for the same went to Arioch and said Destroy not the wise men of Babylon but bring me before the King and I shall shew him the Interpretation of his Vision Then Arioch brought Daniel before the King in all hast and said thus unto him I have found a Man among the children of Juda that were brought captives that will declare unto the King the Interpretation of his Dream And so the wise men of Babylon were saved Aristarchus Act. 19.29.20.4.27.2 Col. 4.10 was a Thessalonian born and one of Paul's companions and in great hazard of his Life with him at Ephesus through the sedition of Demetrius But that overcome he accompanied Paul into Asia and so forth to Rome where he was his Fellow-prisoner and never shrunk from him Aristarchus The best Prince Aristobulus â— Mac. 1. King Ptolomies Schoolmaster came of the Generation of the anointed Priests unto whom the Jews which dwelt at Jerusalem sent an Epistle exhorting all the Jews which dwelt in Egypt to give thanks and praises unto God for the death of Antiochus which had been so cruel unto them Aristobulus Rom. 16.10 of whom Paul maketh mention in
his Epistle Aristobulus The best Counseller or the best Counsel Arius 1 Mac. 12. was King of Sparta which People were come of the Generation of Abraham as the Jews were wherefore the Jews called them Brethren The Spartians came of Abrahams seed But in all the Wars the Jews had with the Heathen they never sought the Spartians help more than with Letters of Recommendation one from another of brotherly love glad of each others prosperity Arpharad Judith 1. cap. King of the Medes was so mighty a Prince Of Arphaxad the Son of Sem came the Chaldeans Lanquct that he subdued many People unto his Dominion He built a City called Ecbatane which for strength was thought unpossible to be won But at last he putting too much confidence in his own power was subdued of Nabuchodonosor King of the Assyrians in the X. Year of his reign Arphaxad That which healeth or saveth Arphaxad the Son of Shem Gen. 11.12 13. lived four hundred thirty eight years * This was a common name to the Kings of Persia as Pharaob was to the Kings of Egypt or Cesar to the Emperours Artaxerxes King of Persia 1 Esd 7. cap. licensed Esdras to take his Companions the Children of Israel with him 3 Esd 8. and to depart from Babylon to Jerusalem again commanding all his Officers in all places to aid Esdras not only with the King's Treasure but with whatsoever was needful to him for the re-edifying of the Lord's Temple Artaxerxes The light or maleaiction and curse He that causeth silence Also that maketh haste or speed also the earnestness of rejoycing Artaxerxes King of Persia 3 Esd 2. having a sore complaint made unto him by Belemus Mithridates Tabelius Rathumus Beeltethmus and Semellius the Secretary with other more against the Jews for building of the Temple wrote to them again on this wise I have read the Epistle which ye sent unto me therefore I commanded to make diligent search and have found that this City hath ever resisted Kings that the same People are disobedient and have caused much War and that mighty Kings have reigned in Jerusalem which also have raised up Taxes of Celosyria and Phenice wherefore I have commanded to forbid those Men that they shall not build up the City and heed to be taken that there be no more done in it and that they proceed no further in those wicked works for so much as it might be occasion of trouble unto Princes Artemas was one of Paul's Disciples Tit. 3.12 and lay with him at the City of Nicopolis what time as Paul sent to Crete for Titus to come unto him but not before he did send Artemas or Tychicus unto him to tarry in his stead lest that Crete should be destitute of an Overseer Asa 1. King 15.8 9. 2 Chron. 14 1 c. 15 cap. His Mother is called Maacha and is taken for his Grandmother was the Son of Abijah and began his reign over Juda in the xx year of the reign of Jeroboam He honoured God cleansed his Land of Whorekeepers Idols Images Groves and many other Abominations Yea he abhorred Idolatry so much that he would not suffer it unpunished in his own Mother but put her from her Estate because she had made an Idol in a Grove which he burnt and cast the Ashes into the Brook Cedron And for his upright heart the Lord sent peace and quietness in all his Land by the space of ten years In the which time of rest he built Cities and Holds and made his Realm very strong At last it fortuned the King of Ethiopia to come against him with an Host of ten hundred thousand and three hundred Chariots whereas the other had but half so many Then Asa putting his hope in God The Prayer of Asa made first his prayers to him on this wise O Lord it is no hard thing with thee to help either by many or by few help us therefore O Lord our God for we trust to thee and in thy name we go against this multitude thou art the Lord our God and no man shall prevail against thee And after he had ended his prayer he went and joyned battel with his enemies the Lord overthrew them and left not one undestroyed 2 Chron. 16. After this it chanced Baasha King of Israel to invade him of whom Asa was so afraid that he fetcht out of the House of the Lord much Treasure and sent it to Benhadad King of Syria desiring him to break his League with Baasha that he might depart out of his Land And when Baasha had broke up his Camp and was gone to resist Benhadad which had got divers of his Cities in Israel the Prophet Hanani came to Asa and said Forasmuch as thou hast trusted in the King of Syria and not in the Lord therefore is the Host of Syria escaped thee Had not the Ethiopians an exceeding great Host and yet because thou did'st put thy trust in God they were delivered into thy hand For the eyes of the Lord behold all the Earth to strengthen them that are of perfect heart towards him And now seeing thou hast done so foolishly thou shalt from henceforth have War The King hearing * Here we see that it is not enough for a man to begin well unless he continue to the end this was sore displeased with the Prophet and disdaining his admonition sent him to Prison He was before the Incarnation 973 years Cooper Wherefore the Lord to plague his rebellion smote him with a disease in his feet which could not be cured by any Physician whereof he dyed after he had reigned years forty one Asa a Physician Asahel was the Son of Zervia David's Sister 2 King 2. His Brethren were Joab and Abishai This man Asahel for his lightness on foot is compared to a Roe buck Read of his Death in the story of Abner Asahel God hath wrought Asaph the Son of Barachiah 1 Chron. 6.39.16.5 was one of the chief Singers among the Levites appointed by David in the House of the Lord. Asaph Gathering Ashur the Father of Tekoah was the Son of Hesron 1 Chron. 2.25.4.5 the Son of Phares the Son of Juda. His Mothers name was Abia he had two Wives and by them Children Asher was the Son of Jacob. Gen. 30.12 13 1 Chron. 7. Num. 1. His Mothers name was Silpah His brother of father and mother was Gad. He had four Sons and one Daughter of whom came many Noble men and Captains Asher Blessedness Asyncritus Rom. 16.14 was one of the faithful Congregation of Christ in Rome unto whom among other Paul sendeth salutations in his Epistle saying thus salute Asyncritus Asyncritus Peerless or without Comparison Assur was the Son of Sem. 1 Chron. 1.17 Lyra writeth upon Gen. x. That Assur because he would not rebel against God with Nimrod in the building of the Tower of Babel fled out of the Land
of Shinar into a far Country where he inhabited which Countrey took its name of him and was called Assyria and there he builded a City which afterwards was called Niniveh Assur Blessed or Travelling Asubah 1. King 22.42 was Mother to Jehosaphat King of Juda and daughter to Shilhi 2 Chron. 20. Asubah Forsaken Asubah 1 Chron. 2.18 Wife to Caleb the Son of Hesron bare unto him three Sons Jesher Shobab and Ardon Athalia 2 King 11. 2 Chron. 22. Athalia in the 2 King ca. 8. is called both the daughter of Achab and the daughter of Amri which saith Lyra is meant thus After the death of Amri her natural Father she was brought up with Achab her Brother and so in process called his daughter or else by immitating his manners in all kind of Idolatry was the daughter of Amri and wife to Joram King of Juda. When Joram died her Son Ahaziah succeeded whom she enticed to all wickedness and after his death she ruled and killed all the rest of the seed of Joram only Joash excepted which was stollen away and hid from her And when she had ruled the Land most cruelly vi years In the vii year Joash was brought forth by Jehojada the Priest and proclaimed King She hearing that ran into the Temple of the Lord with her cloaths rent crying out treason treason But at the commandment of Jehojada the Captains and Souldiers took her out of the Temple and slew her Athalia Time for the Lord. Azariah the Son * 2 King 15.1 c. of Amaziah King of Juda began his reign in the xxvii year of Jeroboam King of Israel and was 16. years old when he was made King And so long as he gave ear to Zacharias the Prophet and walked uprightly so long did the Lord prosper him with great Victories both of the Philistines and Arabians and made the Ammonites also tributaries unto him He ‖ Azariah is in the same Chapter called also Vzziah repaired Jerusalem He loved husbandry well and had great plenty of Cattel At length he became so mighty that in his strength his heart arose to his destruction For in his pride he went into the Temple of the Lord to burn Incense which although he seemed to do of a zeal and good intent yet forasmuch as he usurped the Priests Office he was justly resisted of Azariah the Priest and plagued of God who smote him with such a Leprosie that he went out of the Temple a Leper and so remained all the days of his life He raigned LII years and was buried in a part of the same Field where his Predecessors lay but not in the same Sepulchres because he was a Leper Azaria Help of the Lord. B. BAAL the Son of Reaia was a Prince of the Reubenites 1 Chron. 5.5 and * In the days of Pekab King of Israel carried away with other his Kinred into the Land of Assyria by Tiglath Pileser King of the Assyrians Baal an Idol or a Ruler 2 Kings 15. Baanah with his Brother Rechab 2 Sam. 4. cap. the Sons of Rimmon were two Captains in the Host of Ishbosheth King of Israel who when Abner their chief Captain was dead went into the House of Ishbosheth seeming saith Lyra they had gone to fetch Wheat for the King saith he had great store of Wheat which he sold to Merchants a-far off wherefore these two disguised themselves like Merchants that came to buy and so entring into the House they found where their Lord and Master lay upon his Bed in the heat of the day fast a-sleep * There is nothing so vile and dangerous which the wicked will not enterprise in hope of lucre and favour and slew him and took his head and carried it to David thinking for the same to have had a great reward But for their most shameful and trayterous act they were both put to death and their Quarters hanged over the Pool in Hebron Baanah In affliction Baasha the Son of Ahijah 1 King 15.27 c. 16.1 c. conspired against Nadab King of Israel and reigned in his stead In the third year of Asa King of Judah began Baasha to reign over Israel and walked most wickedly in all the ways of Jeroboam 1 King 10.14 whose House and Posterity notwithstanding * God stirred up one Tyrant to punish the wickedness of another he utterly destroyed and left not one alive for so it was prophesied that God would stir him up one which was this Baasha for that purpose And now for as much as Baasha whom God had exalted even out of the dust would still maintain Jeroboam's Idolatry and cause his People to sin he sent him word by the Prophet Jehu that as he had rooted out the whole Posterity of Jeroboam so should his be served likewise Great War was between Baasha and Asa King of Juda. 2 Chron. 16. And for to stop the passage of Juda that none should pass out nor in safely Baasha went to build a strong hold called Rama which he was fain at length to leave unfinished and to lose all his cost and pains to go against Benhadad which had broken covenant with him He reigned xxiv years and was buried in Thirza which was a place where the King remained leaving Ela his Son to succeed him in whose days the foresaid Prophecy of the rooting out his Posterity took place Baasha in folding together or pressing together or to search out and take away Bachides 1 Mac. 7.9 cap. was a Man of great power in the Dominion of Demetrius the Son of Seleucus And being the Kings faithful friend he sent him with a great Host against Judas Machabeus to revenge him of the injury he had done unto his People and in the end slew him After whose death many of the wicked Jews turned to Bachides whereof he made some Lords and Rulers of the Land which of envy outed the friends of Judas and brought them into great vexation and trouble When Bachides had given this overthrow to Judas he sought how he might kill Jonathas also whom the Jews had appointed in his Brothers room And meeting with Jonathas about the border of Jordan there was a great Battel fought between them in the which Bachides lost a thousand of his men After which conflict Bachides by occasion of Alcimus the wicked Priests death departed for that time so that Jonathas lay at rest two years after till a sort of ungodly men conspired against him how they might bring Bachides upon him unawares which matter being between them and him concluded Bachides returned with a great power but ere he came Jonathas had gotten knowledge of the Treason and put certain of the chiefest Conspirators to death Then when Bachides came and had besieged the City of Bethbessen long and saw he was not able to resist the power of Jonathas he was marvellously displeased with those wicked counsellers which had caused him to travail
in vain and made him ready to depart again whereof Jonathas having knowledge he sent Ambassadors to Bachides to make peace with him to the which he gladly consented and restored to Jonathas all his Prisoners which he had taken in the Land of Juda and so returned home and never vexed Israel more Bachides One that holdeth of Bacchus or a drunkard Balaam the Son of Beor or Bosor Num. 22. cap. as S. Peter saith was a covetous Prophet and for lucre sake went to the King of Moab to curse the Host of Israel which thing God would not suffer him to do but turned his curse into a blessing Yea 2 Pet. 2.15 he was so far overcome with covetousness saith S. Peter that he could not see his iniquity when the tame Beast speaking in Man's voice rebuked him and forbad his madness Num. 31.8 He caused the Israelites through his counsel to commit Whoredome with the Daughters of Moab and to worship Baal Peor their false God and was slain among the Midianites whom Israel subdued Balaam The ancient of the People Balac Num. 22. 23 cap. the Son of Zippor King of Moab was so afraid of the Children of Israel which were pitched in the fields of Moab and all about his Country that he thought he could never be able to overcome them unless they were cursed of God wherefore he sent for Balaam the Prophet promising to promote him to honour and dignity so that he would come and curse his enemies And when the Prophet was come Balac brought him up to the high place of Baal where he might see and discern the uttermost parts of the Israelites that he might be sure to curse them all But when the Prophet went about his purpose God would not suffer him to curse his People but rather to bless them Then said Balac Did not I send for thee to curse this People and why hast thou blessed them I told thee quoth Balaam that I could speak nothing but that which the Lord would have me to speak Well said Balac I will bring thee where thou shalt see but a portion of them and not all I pray thee curse that part for my sake But notwithstanding the Prophet blessed them again Then said Balac Neither curse them nor bless them at all Well yet quoth Balac The wicked imagine of God that that which he will not grant in one place he will do it in another I will bring thee once more to another place peradventure it shall please God thou mayst curse them there for my sake But when he saw in no place the Prophet would curse the People of God he was angry with him and said I sent for thee to curse mine enemies and thou hast blessed them now three times therefore get thee quickly out of my sight for the Lord hath kept thee back from promotion and so he departed Balac In wrapping or destroying or with him that licketh Balthasar Dan. 5. cap was the Son of Nabuchodonosor and the last King of Babylon This Prince on a time made a great Banquet to all his Lords and great Estates in the which he so abused the Holy Vessels of the Temple of the Lord which his Father had brought from Jerusalem making them common Vessels for all his Guests to drink in that God was sore displeased with him And as he sate at his Banquet praising his Gods of Gold Silver Copper Iron Stone and Wood he saw the Palm of an Hand write upon the Wall before him which thing so disquieted him that all the Joynts of his Body shook And being in that great anguish he sent for all the Charmers and Conjurers in Babylon to know the meaning thereof but none of them all could read it neither yet tell what it meant Then was the King so sore afraid that his colour began to change and his Body to be sore vexed for the which the Lords and all the Estates present were sore opprest with heaviness to see the King in that case Then the old * She was Nabuchodonosor's Wife which for her age was not before at the feast but came thither when she heard these strange news Queen his Mother hearing of all that was happened came up to the Feast and cheared the King bidding him to take no thought for the matter so long as Daniel was in his Kingdom Send for him quoth she and he will tell thee what the Writing meaneth Then was Daniel sent for And being come he told the King that forasmuch as he neither remembred the fall of his Father who for his pride and high stomach was turned from the shape of a Man to the shape of a Beast for certain years neither would submit his heart but magnifie himself above the Lord of Heaven and had abused the Vessels of the house of God and set his love upon Idols which neither heard saw nor understood more than upon God in whose hand consisted his breath and all his ways therefore had God sent this hand in token of his great displeasure towards him And these be the words said Daniel to the King which the hand hath written Mene Tekel Peres And this is the meaning Mene God hath numbred thy Kingdom and brought it to an end Tekel Thou art weighed in the Balance and art found too light Peres Thy Kingdom is dealt in parts and given to the Medes and Persians And the same night was Balthasar slain and his Kingdom removed to Darius King of Media whose Sister was Balthasar's Mother Balthasar Without Treasure or searcher of Treasure Balthemus or Beeltethmus look Belemus Banajah 2 Sam. 8. ult 20.23 or Bananiahu the Son of Ichojada was a valiant Man and Ruler over the * The Cherethites and Pelethites were as the King's Guard and had charge of his person Cherethites and Pelethites He slew two strong Men in the Country of Moab and slew a Lyon in the midst of a Pit in the time of Snow He sought also with an Egyptian whose Spear was like a Weaver's Beam and slew him with his own Weapon And for these Acts and such like he gate him a Name among the Worthies He was one of David's Counsellers and proclaimed Solomon King at David's commandment He slew Adonijah at Solomon's commandment 1 King 2 25-29-35 and also Joab into whose room he was promoted Banajah in the answer in affliction or in the song Barnabas Act. 4.36 called also Joses was a Levite born in the Country of Cyprus who of a liberal mind sold his Land in Cyprus and brought the whole price thereof and laid it down at the Apostles feet with whom he was of such credit Act. 9. that when he brought Paul unto them after his conversion and declared how boldly he had done at Damascus in the Name of Jesus they received him as a Brother of whom before they were afraid This Man being full of the Holy-Ghost and faith 11 22 c. was sent to
Maid His Brother's name of Father and Mother was Nephtali Jacob before his death prophesied of him saying Dan shall judge his People Gen. 49.16 c. as one of the Tribes of Israel Dan shall be a Serpent by the way and an Adder by the path biting the Horse heels so that his Rider shall fall backward O Lord Num. 1.38 39. I have waited for thy salvation The generation of the Danites grew to such a number that the portion which Joshua gave them was not sufficient for all their Tribe wherefore they went out to seek them an inheritance to dwell in And coming to the quiet City of Laish which mistrusted nothing they fell upon it killed the People Joshua 19 47. Judg. 18. cap. and burnt the City And in the place thereof they built themselves another City and called it Dan. And set up the Idols therein which they had taken from Micah and worshipped them and so continued in their Idolatry till the Ark of God was taken 1 Sam. 4. Dan Judging or judgment Daniel was an holy Prophet of the Tribe of Juda Dan. 1. cap. who being a comely stripling without blemish and of good erudition was among others of the children of Israel brought to Babylon and there found at the Kings charges to learning and to profit in the Chaldee Tongue and for the better nourishing and bringing up of these young striplings he appointed to them for three years space a portion of his own meat every day and of his own Wine which he drank to the intent that by their good treatment and learning of his religion they might rather favour him than the Jews and to be able to serve him as Governours in their Land But Daniel being determined in his heart that he would not defile himself with the King's meat and drink desired his Keeper that he and his three companions to wit Ananias Misael and Azarias might not defile themselves but that he would give them nothing else but Pulse to eat and Water to drink which thing he was afraid to do lest when the King should call them before him they might seem in worse liking than the rest of their fellows and so he to be in danger of his life Well said Daniel prove thy servants for ten days Then the Keeper whose heart God had moved to favour Daniel proved them ten days and when he saw them fatter in flesh and in better liking than the other he took away their portion of meat and served them daily with Pulse and Water And to these God gave great knowledge and understanding in all learning and wisdome But to Daniel only he gave the gift of Prophesying and opening of Visions and Dreams Now when the time was expired that all the children whom the King had so long nourished should be brought before him he found Daniel and his three associates in matters of wisdome and understanding that he required of them ten times better than all the learned men of his Realm so that the King had Daniel in great estimation After this Daniel expounded the King's Dreams and shewed him the true interpretation and meaning thereof which none of the Chaldeans could do for the which the King rewarded him with great Gifts and made him Governour over the whole Province of Babylon wherewith the other Princes and Rulers were sore offended and sought occasion against him concerning the Kingdom but Daniel was so faithful and upright in all the King's matters that they confessed and said We shall find no occasion against this Daniel except it be concerning the Law of his God Therefore let us perswade the King to make a Decree that whosoever shall ask a Petition of any God or Man for thirty days save only of the King the same may be cast into the Den of Lyons And when the King had consented to this wicked Decree and sealed the Writing Daniel that all Men might see that he would neither consent in heart nor deed for these few days to any thing that was contrary to God's glory went home to his House and set open the Window of his Chamber toward Jerusalem and fell down upon his Knees to give thanks and praise unto God as his custome was three times a day to do And thus making his prayers and supplication to his God his Adversaries came upon him and found him whereupon they went to the King and said Hast thou not sealed a Decree that whosoever shall make request to any God or Man within thirty days save to thee O King shall be cast into the Den of Lions True it is quoth the King and it cannot be broken Then said they This Daniel one of thy Prisoners of Juda regardeth neither thee nor thy statute but maketh his Petition thrice a day unto his God When the King heard this he was sore displeased in himself and sought by all means to have excused Daniel and when he saw no intreaty would serve nor any way be found to alter the Law he suffered Daniel to be cast down to the Lions which were seven in number and were kept fasting that day from their ordinary diet to the intent they should have devoured Daniel But God had so stopped the mouths and fury of the Lyons that they did him no harm and lest he should perish there for hunger God sent his Prophet Abakuck with Meat and Drink to feed him and also moved the King's heart to take such care for Daniel that the seventh day after he went to the Den to see if he were alive or dead and finding him not perished but whole and sound he rejoyced greatly and caused Daniel to be taken out and his Accusers with their Wives and Children cast down among the fierce greedy Lyons who tore them all in pieces before they came at the ground Thus being delivered he afterward prophesied of the coming of Christ and of the Empire of Babylon Media Persia Grecia and the Romans Read more of him in the story of Bel and Susanna Daniel Judgment of God Darda 1 King 4.31 the Son of Mahol was one of the four which came of the off-spring of the children of Chore and so far exceeded all other in wisdome and Learning that Solomon was compared unto them Darda The house of knowledge or the generation of knowledge Darius 1 Esd 6. cap. Dan 5. 30 3. in taking of * He is called also Ahasucrus Eâ—â—â—er 1. and was as some thâ—nk the Son of Hystâ—p is called also Artaxerxes Babylon slew King Balthasar and possessed his Kingdom In the second year of his reign he granted the same licence unto the Jews to build again the City of Jerusalem and the House of God that King Cyrus had granted to them in the first year of his reign And for so much as the work had been much hindered from the first year of Cyrus unto the second year of this King Darius he gave a strict commandment that whosoever did from henceforth
hinder or lett that work a Beam should be taken from that Man's house and he hanged thereon and his House made a Dunghill And so the building went forward with speed and was perfectly finished in the sixth year of his reign Darius Requiring or inquiring for Dathan and Abiram Num. 16.1 c. were the Sons of Eliab and two of the chief Captains with Chore in the Insurrection against Moses on whom God took such vengeance that he caused the Earth to open and swallow them up quick Read the story of Chore. Dathan Statute or Law David was the youngest Son of Jesse 1 Sam. 16.11 and by God's commandment anointed King of Israel Saul yet reigning by the Prophet Samuel Wherefore Saul fearing that David would defeat him of his Kingdom vexed him with continual persecution during the which time David shewed notable examples both of patience and true obedient service to Saul his Soveraign Lord. And first 17. cap. to shew his obedient and faithful heart to his Prince and love he bare to his Country he put himself in danger to fight with that great Monster Goliah and slew him of whom the King and all the Host of Israel stood in great fear And after this act also 18.6.11 when Saul of envy that the Women in their dance had given to David more praise than to him threw his Javelin at David as he stood and played on his Harp before him to have nailed him fast to the wall David avoided and armed himself with patience and never sought other means of revenge In so much 24.3 that when Saul by the providence of God came into the Cave to ease himself in the which Cave David lay hid for fear of Saul he would not being provoked put forth his hand to hurt his Master But cut off a piece of the Hem of his Coat in token that he might have killed him And yet after that it sore repented him that he had done so much injury unto his Soveraign Lord and Master although he was his mâ—st grievous enemy and every hour sought his death Also 26.7.12 when he came into the Host of Saul and found the King and his Man fast asleep he would not for his own private cause though Jehu slew two Kings at God's commandment lay his hand upon the Lord 's anointed but only that he should know that David was there and might have been revenged took his Spear and Pot of Water which stood at his Head 2 Sam. 1. cap. and went his way Finally when it pleased God to rid him of his enemy in Battel against the Philistines one to get thanks of David brought unto him Saul's Crown and the Bracelet that he wore on his Arm certifying him of the King's death and that he with his own hands had killed him whose act David did so much abhor that he thought the Man not worthy to live but put him to death out of hand Read more of David's patient suffering and obedient service in the story of Michol Jonathas Ahimelech Achish and Absalom his Son Now when Saul was dead 2 Sam. 2.11 David was admitted King and reigned over Juda vii years after which time expired he reigned both over Israel and Juda xxxiii years And did that which was good in the sight of God and put his trust and confidence in the Lord God of Israel so that before nor after him was not his like He cleaved so unto the Lord that God bare witness of him that he had found a Man according to his hearts desire To him God made a promise that Christ should come of his Seed for the which cause 〈…〉 Christ of the Prophets is called the Son of David To this holy Prophet God gave many victories and excellent gifts which are touched in other stories and yet â—mong all his vertues he suffered him to fall into the abominable Vice of Adultery and Murder â—1 cap. and most grievously punished him for the same who notwithstanding after 〈…〉 repentance was received again into the favour of God and never after offended in that sin more â— King â— 10 11. 〈◊〉 after many conflicts with his Enemies he died 〈◊〉 had reigned xl years leaving Solomon his Son to succeed him David Beloved Deborah Judg 4. cap. the Wife 〈◊〉 Lapidoth was a Prophetess and the fourth Judâ—â— and Governour of the People of Israel who by the power and pleasure of God and help of Barak the Captain of her Army delivered them from the Tyranny of King Jabia and of Sisera his Captain General putting the King to a great foil in slaying of his Captain Sisera Thorow the which victory the Israelites were restored to liberty and their enemies the Canaanites utterly confounded She judâ—â— Israel xl years Deborah 〈…〉 Bee Demas Col. 4.14 Philem. 24. 2 Tim. 4 10. was Christ's Disciple a great while and a faithful Minister to Paul and never shrank from him nor his Doctrine so long as all things prospered well with Paul But when he saw Paul cast in Prison and in danger of his life for the Gospels sake He forsook both him and his doctrine and imbracing the World conveighed himself to Thessalonica Such there be that so long as pleasure profit favour honour glory or riches do follow the Word of God so long will they favour the same But when affliction persecution loss of goods riches lands possessions or such like adversities do come then they do as Demas did forsake the Gospel and follow the World Demas Favouring the People Demetrius 1 Mac. 7. cap. the Son of Seleucus came from Rome with a small company of Men to a certain City of his own lying upon the Sea-coasâ— and prepared an Army to go to Antioch the City of his Progenitors where he found Antiochus and Lysias 〈…〉 he caused to be slain and being stablished in his Kingdom he began through the wicked commer of â—â—cimus 9. cap. whom he had made High Priest to seel 〈◊〉 obstruction of the Jews sending forth divers â—â—â—mies againâ—â— them in the which he sped diversly â—â—â—â—ally 10. cap. the Son of Noble Antiochus moved War again 〈…〉 and in Battel slew him Demetrius coming of 〈◊〉 whom the Heathen thought the Goddess of Gorn Demetrius the Son of Demetrius 1 Mac. 10. being in the Land of Creta at his Fathers death made haste homeward to take possession of his Kingdom And being stablished therein he began to Wax mighty by reason 〈◊〉 Ptolomy King of Egypt had withdrawn his favour from Alexander 〈◊〉 in law and taken his Daughter Cleopatre from him and given her to Demetrius And also for as much as Prolomy and Alexander lived not long after the strife begun between them Demetrius for a space had great rest The Captain of Demetrius's Host was Apollonius a great enemy of the Jews whom Jonathas discomfited at the first conflict between them Upon the which Demetrius perceiving Jonathas power to be strong
arise and eat telling him that he had yet a great Journey to go then he arose and did eat again and with the strength of that Meat Elijah fasteth forty days and forty nights he walked Forty Days and Forty Nights till he came to Horeb the Mount of God and hiding himself in a Cave all Night the Voice of the Lord came to him and asked him what he did there I have said he been very jealous for the Lord God of Hosts For the Children of Israel have forsaken thy Covenant broken down thine Altars and slain thy Prophets with the Sword and I only am left and they seek my life to take it away Then the Lord commanded him to come out of the Cave and sent him to anoint Hazael King over Syria And Jehu King of Israel and Eliseus in his room Read more of this Prophet in the stories of these three aforesaid in Achab Ahazia and Obadiah and Eliseus Elijah God the Lord. Eliakim was the High Priest among the Jews Judith 4. cap. at what time Holofernes went about to subdue them who sent Letters all about to the Jews to take in the Mountains and to stop all the ways and passages to Jerusalem that their enemies the Assyrians might have no recourse thither That done he exhorted the People to earnest prayer and fasting assuring them that the Lord would hear their Petitions if they continued stedfast in the same and give them such power to overthrow the Assyrians as he gave to Moses the servant of God which overthrew the Amalekites trusting in their own strength not with weapon but with holy prayer Eliakim The Resurrection of God or Gods affirmation or the God of resurrection or the God of strength Elimelech was an Ephraimite born Ruih 1.1 2 c. dwelling in the City of Bethleem Juda in whose days there fell such a dearth in the Land of Juda that he with his Wife and two Sons the one Mahlon the other Chilion went into the Land of Moab where in process he and his two Sons died Elimelech My God the King or the counsel of God Eliphaz was the Son of Esau Gen. 36.4 and his Mothers name was Ada. Eliphaz the sight of God or his intent or endeavour Eliphaz the Temanite Job 2.11 was one of those that came to Job in his extream afflictions to comfort him Job 4. And yet notwithstanding he blamed Job for impatience injustice Job 15. and for the presumption of his own righteousness Also he reproved him Job 22. because he challenged wisdome and pureness to himself Affirming also that he was punished for his sins and accused him of unmercifulness and that he denied God's providence and therefore exhorteth him to repentance But the Lord was angry with Eliphaz Job 43.7 and with his other Companions because they had condemned Job by the outward afflictions and not comforted him with his mercy and therefore commanded them to take seven Oxen and seven Rams and to go and offer a burnt-offering for their offence and his servant Job should pray for them And they did as the Lord had commanded them Elisa 1 Chron. 1.7 was the Son of Javan his Brethren were Tharshish Kittim and Dodanim Elisa it is God or the Lamb of God or God that doth good Eliseus 2 King 19.19 was the Son of Shaphat And being at the Plough with Twelve Yoke of Oxen before him Elijah coming by him cast his Mantle over him and went his ways Then Eliseus being inspired with the Holy-Ghost left his Plough and ran after Elijah desiring him that he might first go home and take his leave of his friends and then he would come and follow him which thing being done he returned and ministred to Elijah and went with him to Bethel 2. King 2. and from thence to Jericho where the Children of the Prophets came to Eliseus and said Knowest thou not that the Lord will take thy Master from thine Head this day Yes quoth he I know it well hold ye your peace and be still And so forth from Jericho they went to Jordan where Elijah smote the Waters with his Mantle which divided themselves so that they two went over on dry Land The Waters divided And when they were on the other side of Jordan Elijah said to Eliseus Ask what I shall do for thee ere I be taken away from thee I pray thee quoth Eliseus let thy spirit be double upon me Thou hast asked quoth he an hard thing Yet if thou see me when I am taken from thee thou shalt have it so if not it shall not be And as they were walking and talking together Elijah is taken up in the fiery Chariot Elijah was taken up in a Whirlwind of Fire and in a Chariot of fiery Horses which sight Eliseus saw and cryed My Father my Father the Chariot of Israel and the Horsemen thereof and saw him no more Then Eliseus rent his own Cloak in two pieces and took up Elijah's Mantle which he had let fall from him and returned to the bank of Jordan and smote the Waters saying Where is the Lord God of Elijah and he himself and at the second smiting the Waters divided so that he went over on dry Land to the other side again Then the Children of the Prophets perceiving the Spirit of Elijah to be upon Eliseus came and fell down before him saying We doubt lest the Spirit of the Lord hath taken thy Master and cast him upon some Mountain therefore let us send forth our Men to go and seek him But Eliseus knowing assuredly that he was taken unto God willed them not to do so yet they not therewithall satisfied intreated him so much till he was ashamed and so let them go And when they had sought three days and three nights and could not find him they returned to Eliseus who said unto them Did not I say ye should not find him Now as the Prophet lay at Jericho the Men of the City came unto him saying Sir the situation of this City as thou seest is pleasant The Waters are healed but the Water is so evil and the ground so barren that it killeth the Inhabitants thereof Then said Eliseus bring me a Cruise and put Salt therein And when they had brought him the Cruise he took it and went unto the Spring of the Waters and cast the Salt therein saying Thus saith the Lord I have healed this Water death shall no more come thereof neither barrenness to the ground After he had thus healed the Water at Jericho 2 King 3. cap. and was departed thence to go to Bethel there came little Children out of the City who in mockery said unto him Come up thou bald head The Children for mocking the Prophet are devoured with Bears come up thou bald head The Prophet then turned back and beheld the Children and perceiving their malicious hearts he cursed them in the Name of the Lord which
Curse was no sooner pronounced out of the Prophets mouth but two Bears came out of the Forest and ran upon the Children and tore in pieces 42. of them And so went he forth to Mount Carmel and from thence to the City of Samaria It came to pass that when Jehoram the King of Israel and Jehosaphat King of Juda with the King of Edom in their progress toward the King of Moab lacked Water for them and their People they went by the counsel of Jehosaphat King of Juda to Eliseus the Prophet beseeching him to make Intercession for them that they might have Water to sustain their Host which else were in jeopardy of perishing And when the Prophet saw the Kings he said to the King of Israel What have I to do with thee Get thee to the Prophets of Achab thy Father and to the prophets of Jezahel thy Mother as truly as the Lord of Hosts liveth in whose sight I stand if it were not that I regard the presence of Jehosaphat King of Juda I would not have looked toward thee nor seen thee But now bring me a * This was no such Minstrel as uses to fill the Peoples eares with Songs of ribauldry but one that sang Songs to God's glory and so stirred up the Prophets heart to prophesie Minstrel and when the Minstrel plaid the hand of the Lord came upon Eliseus that he began to prophesie of Water and of the overthrow of the Moabites which came to pass on the next morrow as the Prophet had said for the Moabites being deceived by the Sun 's shining upon the Water that fell which made it seem as red as bloud thinking it had been the Bloud of the Kings Host that had slain one another but when they came they found the Host of Israel ready who fell upon the Moabites and destroyed and put them to flight every one Eliseus God's salvation or a God which saveth There was a certain Woman 2 King 4.1 2 c. late Wife to one of the Prophets which came and complained to Eliseus that her Husband had left her so far in debt that her Creditors were come to fetch her two Sons away to be their Bondmen What hast thou in thy house said the Prophet Nothing quoth she but a little Pot of Oyl The Widow lest in debt Well said he go thy way home and borrow of thy Neighbours as many empty Vessels as thou canst get and pour out the Oyl of the Pot into the empty Vessels until thou hast â—illed them all And when the Woman had done all as the Prophet had commanded her she came back again and told him how mightily her Oyl was encreased Now go said the Prophet and sell so much of the Oyl as will pay thy Creditors and then live thou and thy Children of the rest There was a certain Woman of great estimation in the City of Shunem 2 King 4.8 9 c. who hearing tell that Eliseus was come to the City invited him home to her house and made him great chear And whensoever after that he came into that quarter which he haunted much he would ever take that Gentlewoman's house in his way Then she seeing that said unto her Husband I perceive that this is an holy Man that cometh so oft by our place let us make him a little Chamber with all things necessary for the same that when he cometh this way he may lodge there and be quiet therein And when the new Chamber was made and finished the Prophet at his next coming was brought into the same there to take his rest He then considering the great provision the Woman had made and how careful she had been for him said unto Gehazi his Man Go and ask of her what she will have me to do for her whether it be to speak unto the King or to the Captain of the Host or any thing else and I will do it The servant went and brought him word again Eliseus obtaineth a Son for the Sbunamite that she had no Child and her Husband was old Well said the Prophet she shall have a Son which in process she had indeed And when the Child was a few Years grown up it had a desire to go and see its Father and the Reapers in the Field and being there in the heat of the day it fell suddenly sick The Sbunamite's Son restored from death to life and was carried home to his Mother and dyed But for the Woman's sake the Prophet restored her Son to life again On a time Eliseus commanded his Cook to make a great Pot of Pottage for the Children of the Prophets which boarded with him 2 King 4.38 and as one went out for Herbs he gathered unawares his Lap full of wild Gourds and came and shred them into the Pot of Pottage He maketh the Pottage sweet And when the Children of the Prophets had tasted a little of the Pottage they fearing lest they had been poisoned cryed out saying O thou Man of God there is death in the Pot. Then the Prophet called for Meal and threw it into the Pot and all was well and no more harm in the Pot. A certain Man the dearth being great in the Land came from Baal Shalisa 2 King 4.42 and brought to Eliseus twenty Barley-loaves of the first fruits of his new Corn the which he commanded his Man to give to the People to satisfie their hunger The Loaves are multiplied How shall I said he set this before so many will it satisfie an hundred persons Well said Eliseus set it before them for thus faith the Lord they shall eat and there shall remain And so the Loaves were set before the People and they did eat and left over according to the Word of the Lord. Eliseus had so many of the Prophets children with him at Board and Bed 2 King 6.1 c. that his House was too little for them all wherefore they said to him that they would go to Jordan and build them a bigger House to dwell in desiring him to go with them And as a certain Man was felling down a Tree to serve for the building the Axe head slipt off the Helve and fell into the Water Then the Man cried to Eliseus and said Alas Master help me to have it again for it was lent me Where fell it in said the Prophet and when the Man had told him Eliseus cut down a piece of Wood Iron swimeth and cast it into the Water and immediately the Iron did swim And then the Man stretched forth his hand and took it up He prophesied unto the Shunamite whose Son he had raised from death of a great dearth which should come and continue upon the Land seven years 2 King 8.1 c. giving her counsel therefore to go and sojourn in some other plentiful Countrey till these years were expired whose counsel she followed and went with all her Houshold into the Philistines
Israel that he stirred up a Man one Jephtah who by the power of God saved them Jair Lightened Iames the Son of Zebedee and Brother to John Matth. 4.21 Mark 3.17 He was put to death by Agrippa who was also called Herod Act. 12.2 Cooper was a poor Fisherman and being in the Ship with his Father mending of his Net Jesus came by and called him who immediately left his Ship his Father and all and went after Jesus and was one of his Apostles and received with his Brother the Name of Boanerges which is to say The Sons of Thunder James a Tripper or Deceiver An heel the sole of the foot a foot-step Iames the less Matth. 16.3 He suffered martyrdom in the vi year of Nero. was the Son of Alpheus and Mary Sister to Mary the Lord's Mother And being Bishop of Jerusalem he wrote to the Jews that were scattered abroad after the Persecution and death of Stephen Instructing them with sundry Precepts how to order their Lives Iannes 2 Tim. 3.8 Exod. 7.11 and Jambres were two false Soreerers of Egypt who in the time of Moses with their enchantments went about to put those miraculous wonders out of credence that Moses by the power of God did And even as they withstood Moses so do the Adversaries of the Gospel at this day and ever will resist the truth under a certain false pretence of godliness Iapheth Gen. 9. The Nations that came of his children Of Gomer came the Italians Of Magog the Scythians and of them the Turks Of Madai the Medes Of Javan the Greeks Of Tubal the Spaniards Of Mosoch the Moscovites and of Tiras the Thracians Lanquet was the youngest of Noah's three-Sons who being informed of his Fathers unseemly lying asleep in his Tent took a Garment and bare it between him and Shem on their shoulders and coming toward their Father ashamed to look on his nakedness turned their Faces backward and so covered their Father's privities For the which deed Noah having knowledge thereof blessed them saying to Japheth on this wise God shall enlarge Japheth and he shall dwell in the Tents of Shem and Canaan shall be their servant Japheth perswading or enticing Iairus was * Mark 5.22 one of the Rulers of the Synagogue among the Jews whose Daughter of the Age of twelve years lay sick and at the point of death And hearing of the fame of Jesus he went and fell down at his feet beseeching him that he would come home to his house lay his hand upon his Daughter that by the touching thereof she might be safe and live â— Luk 8 41. And while there was an occasion given whereby to strengthen the unperfect faith of the Ruler and that by the ensample of a Woman diseased with an issue of blood xii years there came certain Messengers from the Ruler's-House which said unto Him that his Daughter was dead wherefore it should not need to trouble the Master any further Then Jesus perceiving the Ruler to be as a Man in despair said unto him Be not afraid for although thy Daughter be dead indeed only believe and thy Daughter shall live And so Jesus went home to the Ruler's house and raised up his Daughter from death to life Jairus Lightning or being lightned Iared Gen. 5.15 c. was the Son of Mahalaleel who lived an hundred sixty and two years and then begat Henoch and lived after that eight hundred years and begat Sons and Daughters And when he had lived in all nine hundred sixty and two years he dyed Jared Commanding or descending Iason was a wicked Man and so desirous of honour 2 Mac. 4 cap. that he wrought his own Brother Onias out of the High Priest's office promising Antiochus the King to give him for the same three hundred and three-score Talents of Silver and of another rent four-score And also if the King would license him to set up a place for exercise and a place for the youth and to name them of Jerusalem Antiochians he promised an hundred and fifty Talents And when these things were granted to Jason and that he had got the superiority he began immediately to draw his Kinsmen to the customes of the Heathen abolishing the Laws and Priviledges of the Jews he brought in new statutes contrary to the Law of God So that thorow the exceeding wickedness of this ungodly man Jason the People had a great desire to follow the manners of the Gentiles The Priests also had no delight in serving the Lord but in casting the stone and such wanton sports Now after three years when Jason should pay the King his money which he had promised for his Brother's office he sent it by one whom he most trusted called Menelaus who gat the office from Jason as appeareth more plainly in his story Then Jason being thus deceived by Menelaus was fain to flie into the Land of the Ammonites remaining there till he might spy a time to be revenged And when he heard the rumour that went abroad of Antiochus death he gat him a Band of Men to the number of a Thousand or more and came suddenly upon the City killing and slaying his own Citizens without mercy regarding neither Kin nor Friend But nevertheless when he could not speed of his purpose he fled into the Land of the Ammonites again Where in the end it came to this point that he was accused to Areta King of the Arabians and so abhorred of all Men that he was pursued from City to City and driven into Egypt And going from thence to the Lacedemonians thinking by reason of Kinred to have had some succour of them he was not regarded but suffered to perish in a strange Land no Man mourning for him nor putting him into his Grave Jason He that maketh whole a Physician Jecksan look Jocsan Iehoahaz 2 King 23.31 c. the Son of Josias was xxiii years old when he began to reign over Juda and had not reigned three Moneths before Pharaoh Necho King of Egypt came and put him down and set up his Brother in his stead And put the Land to a tribute of an hundred Talents of Silver and one of Gold and carried Jehoahaz away into Egypt where he dyed Jehoahaz The possession of the Lord. Iehojakim 2 King 23.36.24.1 c. the Son of Josias was xxv years of age when he began to reign over Juda and did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. His name was changed from Eliakim to Jehojakim by Pharaoh Necho King of Egypt which came and deposed his Brother Jehoahaz and made him King in his stead and taxed the Land This King dyed in the way as they led him Prisoner into Babylon Read Jeremy 22.18 as before is said in Jehoahaz For the payment of which money Jehojakim taxed the Land and levied of every Man according to his ability and paid the money to Pharaoh After this came Nabuchodonosor King of Babylon and
Gilead considering Jephtah to be a strong and a valiant Man went to Tob where he lay to intreat him to be their Captain against the Ammonites How cometh this quoth Jephtah that ye come to me in the time of your trouble did ye not hate me and * Oftentimes those things which men reject God chooseth to do greater enterpriâ—es by expel me out of my Father's house Therefore said they are we turned to thee that thou mayest go with us and be our head and Ruler But will ye promise now quoth Jephtah that when the Lord shall deliver the Ammonites into my hand ye will make me then your Head and Governour They said yea And so he went with the Elders who brought him to Mizpah and being there made and confirmed their Head and Ruler he sent his Messengers to the King of Ammon demanding what cause he had to strive with Israel who answered and said Because they took away my Country when they came from Egypt which if they will now restore again I will cease from War Then Jephtah sent him word again that Israel took not his Land from him but coming from Egypt and passing through the Wilderness even to the red Sea they remained at Cadesh and sent to Sehon King of the Amorites to suffer them quietly to pass thorow his Country And because he would not shew them this kindness the Lord delivered both him and his Land into their hands and shall they dispossess themselves of that which the Lord hath given them Nay not so Look what People Chemosh thy God driveth out that Land possess thou whatsoever Nation the Lord our God expelleth that will we enjoy Art thou better than Balac King of Moab did he not strive with Israel and fight against them all the while they lay in Heshbon and thereabout 300. years and why didst thou not recover thy Land in all that space Thou dost me wrong to War against me for I have not offended thee and therefore the Lord be Judge between thee and me But when Jephtah perceived the Ammonites not to regard his words he prepared his Army to set upon them And before his going made this Vow unto the Lord That if he did deliver the Ammonites into his hand the first thing that met Him out of his Doors at his return home again should be the Lords and he would offer it up unto him for a burnt-offering And when he had subdued the Ammonites and was coming homeward to his house the first thing that met him out at his Doors was his own Daughter who for joy of her Father's Victory came to meet him with Timbrels and Dances Then Jephtab seeing his only Child come toward him with a company of Women after her he rent his Cloaths and said Alas my Daughter thou hast brought me low and art one of them that do trouble me for I have opened my mouth unto the Lord and cannot go back To whom she said Oh my Father if thou hast promised to the Lord then forasmuch as the Lord hath avenged thee and given thee victory over thine enemies do with me according to thy promise But yet this one thing I shall desire of thee to spare me for two Moneths that I may go down to the Mountains and there with my fellows * For it was counted as a shame in Israel to dye without children bewail my Virginity Which done she returned to her Father who did with her according as he had vowed unto the Lord. After this the Ephraimites fell at defiance with Jephtah because he had not called them to take his part against the Ammonites and for this matter was a Field pitched between them and the Gileadites and a great Battail fought in the which the Ephraimites were put to flight and seeking to have escaped over Jordan the Gileadites had prevented them and stopped the passage that no Ephraimite should escape that way And to know who was an Ephraimite and who was not the Gileadites used this policy if any pressed to go over the Water they would bid him say * Schibboleth signifieth the fall of waters or an car of corn Schibboleth and as many as could not say Schibboleth they slew him for by that they knew he was an Ephraimite for the Ephraimites could not sound nor say Schibboleth but Sibboleth And so were slain of the Ephraimites that Day two and twenty thousand Jephtah ruled Israel vi years and dyed Jephtah Opening Ieremy Jer. 1.1 was the Son of Hilkiah whom some think to be he that found out the Book of the Law and gave it to Josiah He was born in a City called Anathoth in the Country of Benjamin Epiphanius writeth that this Prophet Jeremy was slain of his People at a City in Egypt called Taphâ—â— and by the commandment of God began very young to prophesie that is in the xiii year of Josias and continued xviii years under the said King and three moneths under Jehoahaz and under Jehojakim xi years and three moneths under Jehojachin and under Zedekiah xi years unto the time they were carried away into Babylon So that the time amounteth to above forty years beside the time that he prophesied after the Captivity This story is drawn out of the Geneva Bible in the Argument before the Book of Jeremy the Prophet Jeremy the Majesty or highness of the Lord. Jerubbaal Judg. 6.32 is a Name which was given to Gedeon the Son of Joash after he had broken down the Altar of Baal and cut down all the Grove about it Jerubbaal That which resisteth an Idol a destroyer of Idols Read Gedeon Ieroboam was the Son of * Some say that Nebat and Shimei whom Solomon put to death were one person of whose death Zervah the Mother of Jeroboam put him oft in remembrance Nebat 1 King 11.26 c. and of the Tribe of Ephraim who being nourished and brought up of Zervah his Mother in her Widowhood after the death of his Father became King Solomon's Servant and was made Overseer of Solomon's Works for the Tribe of Ephraim and Manasses And on a time as he walked abroad in the Field alone the Prophet Ahijah came to him and said that after the death of Solomon he should Reign and be King over Ten Tribes of Israel which words of the Prophet did so animate Jeroboam that he began to murmur against King Solomon his Master who therefore sought to kill him but Jeroboam fled into Egypt where he remained with Shishak King of that Country until the death of Solomon Then being sent for he returned home again 12. cap. and had so much favour of the People that they all forsook Rehoboam save the Tribe of Juda and Benjamin and made Jeroboam their King Who being surely stablished in his Kingdom began to think thus in his heart If this People go up and do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem as they were wont to do then shall their
the King of Juda and the King of Edom by whose help and chiefly Eliseus read the place in his story he overcame the Moabites Also the Syrians could lye no where but Joram had knowledge by Eliseus who told him of all their secret lurking places by which means Joram ever saved himself Wherefore the King of Syria sent and besieged the Town round about where the Prophet Eliseus lay And as his Servant was going forth in the Morning about his Master's business and saw the Town so compassed with enemies he ran ‖ in again crying Alas Master what shall we do for the Syrians are come upon us Fear not quoth Eliseus for they that be with us are more than they that be with them And by and by the eyes of his Servant were so opened that he saw the Mountains lye full of Horses and fiery Chariots to defend his Master And now when the Syrians were come to Eliseus and thought themselves surest of him they were at his prayer smitten with such blindness that they could not know the Prophet when he spake unto them saying that that was not the Town where the Man lay which they sought but follow me quoth he and I will bring you to the place where he is and so he led them forth and brought them into the City of Samaria where Joram lay who seeing now his Enemies to be in his power said to Eliseus Father shall I smite them No said he Smite those which thou takest with thine own Sword and Bow but rather set Bread and Water before them that they may eat and drink and so depart to their Master Then the King prepared a great refection for the Syrians and filled their Bellies well and sent them home again for the which gentle intreaty of Joram the King of Syria never troubled him more After this when Benhadad King of Syria had besieged Samaria so long till Women were constrained to eat their own Children Joram took such displeasure with Eliseus laying the cause upon him that in his fury he sent to take away his Head Which thing being revealed to the Prophet he said to his Friends that were with him in his House See ye not how this Mutherer's Son hath sent to take away my Head Take heed and be circumspect when the Messenger cometh and keep him at the Door for the sound of his Masters feet is behind him which was even so for the King's mind altered he followed the Messenger and came to the Prophet himself saying This evil is of the Lord and what more shall I look for of him 2 King 7 1 c. No more said the Prophet For to morrow this time shall a Bushel of fine Flowre be sold for a shekel and two Bushels of Barley for another shekel in the Gate of Samaria which came so to pass the next day for the great Host of the Syrians at the sound of the feet of four Lepers were run away and had left all their Tents behind them 9.24 c. Finally to fulfil the word of the Lord concerning the destruction of Ahab's Posterity Joram was slain with an Arrow shot by Jehu and his Body cast into a Plat of Ground that was Naboth the Jesraelite's after he had reigned twelve years Joram 2 King 8.16 2 Chron. 21. the Son of Jehosaphat was two and thirty years old when he began to reign over Juda. He married King Ahab's Daughter whose wicked steps he followed He slew all his own Brethren with divers of his Nobles The Edomites which had been subject from David's time hitherto rebelled now against Joram Also Libna which was a certain City in Juda given to the Levites Josh 21.13 would no more be under his hand because he had forsaken the Lord God of their Fathers Finally The Prophet's Letter the Prophet Eliseus to admonish him of his wickedness wrote to Joram on this wise The Lord saith because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehosaphat thy Father nor in the ways of Asae thy Grandfather but in the ways of the Kings of Israel and hast made Juda to go a whoring after the House of Ahab and hast also slain thy Brethren even thy Fathers house who were better Men than thy self Therefore with a great Plague will the Lord smite thy Folk thy Children thy Wives and all thy Goods And thou shalt be diseased in thy Bowels which day by day shall fall out of thy Body And so the Lord stirred up against Joram the Philistines the Arabians with the Ethiopians which wasted his Countrey and carried away his substance his Wives and all his Sons save Ahaziah the youngest and smote him with an incurable Disease in his Bowels which held him two years till all his Guts fell out and so he died after he had reigned eight years Joram the highness of the Lord. Jehosaphat the Son of Asa 1 King 15.24 began his Reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab King of Israel and walked in the old ways of his Father David and in the Commandments of God and not in the ways of Israel This godly King to have the fear of the Lord renewed among his People in the third year of his Reign sent certain of his Lords thorowout all his Realm and with them godly learned and ancient Fathers of the Levites with the Book of the Law whose Commission was to see all Idolatry and superstition suppressed and the Laws of God purely and sincerely taught and followed which was so diligently done that the fear of the Lord fell so upon all the Kingdoms round about him that no Man troubled him but presented him with gifts The Philistines with Tribute-money the Arabians with Cattel so that within a while he grew into great riches and honor And being thus endued with abundance of treasure and substance he joyned affinity with Ahab taking his part against the Syrians where notwithstanding the Lord preserved him and brought him safe home again But forsomuch as in his absence the People were somewhat swerved from the Lord the Prophet John came to him and said Because thou hast helped the ungodly and loved them whom the Lord doth hate the wrath of God is come upon thee nevertheless good things are found in thee because thou hast taken away the Groves out of the Land and hast prepared thine heart to seek God Then Jehosaphat fearing the Lord went about all his Realm to bring the People again unto the Lord And when he had set godly Judges and Levites in every City the one to judge in temporal causes and the other in matters of the Lord he gave to either of them his charge saying first to the Judges on this wise Take heed ye Judges what ye do for ye execute not the judgment of Man but of God which is with you in judgment wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you and take heed and be doing the thing that pleaseth him for there is no unrighteousness
down the Hill altars and burnt the Bones of the Priests of Baal and left no wicked thing undestroyed nor Monument standing in the Cities of Manasses and Ephraim or other places of his Realm where any abomination had been committed He kept a Passeover in the eighteenth year of his raign the like never seen and repaired the Temple Finally he made War upon the King of Egypt in the which he was wounded with a Dart at a place called Magiddo whereof he dyed Whose death was much lamented for like unto him was never none before nor after Jehoahaz his Son succeeded him Josias the Lord's Fire or the Lord burning Iotham 2 King 15.32 2 Chron. 27. the Son of Azariah or Uzziah at the age of xxv years began his Reign over Juda in the second year of Pekah King of Israel and did that which was right in the sight of the Lord in all points as did his Father Azariah save that * He went not into the Temple of the Lord to burn Incense as his Father did contrary to the word of God which is spoken to the commendation of Jothan he came not into the Temple of the Lord neither caused the Hill-Altars to be taken away by which occasion the People ceased not to do wickedly He builded the sumptuous Gate of the Temple and many Cities Castles and Towers in the Mountains of Juda and other places He subdued the Ammonites who payed him three years together an hundred talents of silver ten thousand quarters of Wheat and so much of Barley He reigned xvi years and was buried in the City of David leaving Ahaz his Son to enjoy his place Jotham Perfect Ioshua Num. 27.18 c. the Son of Nun was first called Osea which name Moses changed and called him Joshua who was Moses Minister and ordained of God to rule and govern the People after him Exod. 17.9 c. He discomfited King Amalek while Moses held up his hands and prayed He was one of those Searchers which were sent by Moses to search the Land of Canaan Num. 13. cap. 14.6 c. and to bring the People word again what manner of Countrey it was at whose return the People were ready to stone both him and Caleb for well reporting of that Land wherefore the Lord being angry with the People sware that none of them all should see that good Land but Joshua and Caleb After the death of Moses Joshua 1. cap. the Lord encouraged Joshua to invade the Land of promise and gave him commandment to exercise himself continually in reading the Book of the Law called Deuteronomy Which he duly observed and read it to the People that they thereby might the better learn to love and fear God and to obey him the Lord's Minister He destroyed the City of Jericho only reserving Rahab and her Houshold He burnt the City of Lodi and hanged the five Kings of the Ammorites on five Trees at whose discomfiting it rained stones from Heaven by the which more were slain than with the Sword and the Sun also stood still in his place and prolonged the day till Joshua had utterly discomfited his enemies He slew in all first and last xxxi Kings and brought the Children of Israel into the Land of promise and divided the Land to the Tribes of Israel He dyed at the age of an hundred and ten years in whose stead Juda was made Governour of the Lord's Army Joshua the Lord Saviour Isaac was the Son of Abraham by his Wife Sarah and a figure of Christ Gen. 21.2 3.22 cap. for when his Father went to * 26. cap. offer him up in sacrifice and coming to the Altar and place where he should dye he willingly offered himself to death that his Father might in him fulfil the Lord's will But being preserved of God till he came to the age of forty years he then took to Wise ‖ 25.20 Rebekah the Daughter of Bethuel his Fathers Brother who being long barren at the last by the pleasure of God brought forth Esau and Jacob at one birth After this * Some say that Isaac was sacrificed of his Father in the xiii year of his age but Josephus affirmeth it to be done in the xxv year there fell such a Dearth and Famine in his Country that he departed into the Land of the Philistines where Abimelech was King And as he remained in Gerar the Lord appeared to Isaac bidding him to remain still in that place and not to remove into Egypt and he would multiply his Seed as the Stars of Heaven and bring it so to pass that all Nations of the Earth should be blessed therein And so Isaac removed not But for so much as he doubted of the fear of God to be in that place he durst not avouch Rebekah to be his Wife but said she was his Sister Read the story of Abimelech King of the Philistines for the plainer declaration of this matter And now while Isaac remained in the Country of Gerar God so encreased him with abundance of Cattel and Riches that the Philistines began to envy and hate him and stopped all the Wells which his Father Abraham had made that he should have no commodity thereby But notwithstanding he digged up the Wells again and called them by the same names that his Father had given them before and became so mighty that Abimelech made a League with Isaac who feasted the King and departed friends 27.1 c. Finally with Age he became blind and so was deceived in giving his blessing to Jacob which he thought to have first bestowed on Esau but both by the will of God being blessed of their Father Isaac he fell sick and dyed at the age of an hundred and lxxx years and was buried in Hebron Isaac Laughter Ishbosheth 2 Sam. 2.10.4 cap. the Son of King Saul at the Age of forty Years began his Reign over Israel Whose only stay and upholder of his Kingdom was Abner after whose death two of his own Captains slew Ishbosheth by treason in his own house after he had reigned two years Read the story of Baanah Ishbosheth a Man of shame Ishmael Gen. 16.12 was the Son of Abraham and Agar and had his name given him of the Angel before he was born Of Ishmael came the Nation of the Ishmaclites which after were called Saracens For when his Mother Agar fled from Sarah her Mistress an Angel found her saying Return to thy Mistress again for thou art with Child and shalt bear a Son and because the Lord hath heard thy tribulation thou shalt call his name Ishmael He will be a wild Man and his hand will be against every Man and every Man's hand against his And so she returned and brought forth Ishmael at whose birth Abraham his Father was lxxxvi 17.23 years old And at the Age of xiii years was Ishmael circumcised and the year following both he and his Mother cast out of his
discretion And for proof thereof caused burning Coals to be put to his mouth which the Child with his Tongue licked whereby he ever after had an impediment in his Tongue Lanquet he slew the Egyptian and hid him in the Sand The next day he went again and found two Israelites striving together and demanded of him that had done the wrong wherefore he smote his Fellow who made thee a Judge quoth he or a Ruler over us Thinkest thou to kill me as thou didst the Egyptian yesterday Then Moses perceiving his fact to be known refused to be call'd the Son of the Daughter of Pharaoh and fled into the Land of Midian where he was received into the House of Jethro who gave to him in Marriage his Daughter Zipporah by whom in process he had two Sons And when he had continued with Jethro his Father-in-law forty years and kept his Sheep the Lord appeared to him in the Wilderness of Sinai out of a Bush which seemed to be all on fire and there gave him Authority to go into Egypt to deliver his People out of the Bondage of Pharaoh Who at last after divers Miracles done by him in the sight of Pharaoh for the confirmation of his Authority brought them thorow the red Sea and delivered them quite out of Bondage Thus was Moses whom they had before refused both their Deliverer and Ruler He was a Man full of meekness he lived one hundred and twenty years and was buried by Angels in the Land of Moab whose Sepulchre was never known Moses drawn up N. NAAMAN Captain of the ‖ 2 Sam. 5. Host of the King of Syria was a mighty Man and honourable in the sight of his Lord because that by him the Lord had delivered the Syrians He was also a valiant Man and expert in Wars but was a Leper Wherefore the King of Syria being informed that there was a Prophet in Samaria that could heal his Servant Naaman of his Leprosie sent him to Joram King of Israel with his Letter containing this tenor Now when this Letter is come unto thee understand that I have sent thee Naaman my Servant that thou mayest heal him of his Leprosie And when the King had read the Letter he rent his Cloaths saying Am I a God to kill and to give life that he sendeth to me that I should heal a Man of his Leprosie Consider I pray you how he seeketh a quarrel against me The Prophet hearing of this sent to the King to send Naaman unto him And when he was come to the house of Elisha and stood at the Door the Prophet sent him word and bad him go wash him seven times in Jordan and he should be whole Then Naaman departed in displeasure saying I thought with my self he will surely come out and stand and call on the Name of the Lord his God and put his hand on the place and heal the Leprosie Are not Abana and Pharpar Rivers of Damascus better than all the Waters of Israel may I not as well wash me in them and be cleansed Then one of his Servants said Father if the Prophet had commanded thee to do a great thing would'st thou not have done it how much rather than when he saith to thee wash and be clean And so at his Servant's perswasion he went to Jordan and washed him seven times as the Prophet had commanded and being whole he returned to the Prophet and gave thanks unto God saying Now I know that there is no God in all the World but in Israel And so making promise he would never offer sacrifice nor offering to any other God save unto the Lord God of Israel he returned home into his Countrey again Naaman Fair or beautiful Nabal 1 Sam. 25.2 3 c. was a great rich Man but of churlish nature and froward condition As he lay in Carmel in the time of his Sheep-sheering David sent certain of his Men desiring Nabal to help him now in his great necessity with some of his Victuals whatsoever he would and he would requite him at one time or other But he not regarding their message made them this churlish answer again who is David or who is the Son of Jesse There be many Servants now a days that break away from their Masters shall I then take away my Bread and my Water and my Flesh which I have killed for my Sheerers and give it unto Men whom I know not whence they be And so with this answer the Messengers departed Read the story of Abigail for the rest of his life Nabal a Fool. Naboth 1 Kings 21. was a certain rich Man and a Jezrelite born whose Vineyard lay joyning hard by the Palace of Ahab King of Israel which Vineyard the King would fain have bought and given him as much for it as the Ground was worth But Naboth considering it was his Father's Inheritance and that he had no need to sell it would in no wise yield thereunto Wherefore the King being heavy and sad went home to his House and laid him down upon his Bed so wayward that he could neither eat nor drink Then came Jezebel his Wise and demanded why he was so sad who told her it was for Naboth's Vineyard which he had denied him What quoth she dost thou now govern the Kingdom of Israel up and eat thy Meat and set thine heart at rest and I will give thee the Vineyard And so she wrote a Letter in Ahab's Name sealed with the Kings Signet and sent it to the Elders of the City where Naboth dwelt commanding them to Proclaim a Fast and set Naboth among the chiefest of the People and to bring two false Witnesses against him which should say he had blasphemed God and the King and then to put him to death And so all things were done according to the tenor of Jezebel's Letter and Naboth was carried out of the City and stoned Naboth Speech or prophesying Nabuchodonosor was King of Babylon Dan. 1.1 c. And by the occasion of his great and wonderful dominion fell into such pride that he would have his Image honoured for God But shortly after he saw the Vision of the Falling-tree whereby he was warned of his fall 2. cap. and suddenly by the power of God transformed and turned into a beastly fury living in the Woods among Beasts He reigned 44. years and was called the scourge of God He was before the incarnation of Christ 633. years Cooper eating Herbs and Grass for the space of Seven Years Finally God of his mercy restored him again to his pristine form who afterward lived well and commanded that the very God of Heaven should be honoured of all Men and whosoever refused so to do should die Nabuchodonosor the Mourning of the Generation Nadab 1 Kings 15.25 c. the Son of Jeroboam began to Reign over Israel in the second year of Asa King of Juda and walked in all the wicked steps of his Father And in the
time and appointed him a day at his pleasure So that after this Osias remained in prayer and followed the advice of Judith in all things Osias the Lord Saviour or the health of the Lord. Othoniel Judg. 1.13 was the Son of Kenaz unto whom Caleb his elder Brother gave Acsah his Daughter to Wife for winning of a certain City called Kiriath-sepher This Man delivered the Children of Israel from the Captivity of Chushan-Rishathaim King of Mesopotamia 3.9 which had oppressed them eight years and judged Israel forty years Othoniel the time or hour of God P. PAUL Act. 7.58.8.1 3. the Apostle of Christ was born in India in a Town called Giscalis and was of the Tribe of Benjamin And the Town being taken of the Romans he went with his Parents to Tharsus a City of Cilicia and dwelled But afterward he was sent by them to Jerusalem to learn the Laws and was there taught of one Gamaliel a great Learned man He being with others at the Martyrdom of S. Steven received Letters of the Bishop 9. cap. willing him to go to Damascus there to persecute them that believed in Christ And in the way he was by revelation changed from a cruel Persecutor to an earnest Preacher of Christ whose name he professed first at Damascus confounding the doctrine of the Jews for the which they lay in wait to kill him but being let out at a Window in a Basket by night he escaped and went to Jerusalem where he disputed with the Greeks who sought to kill him also but the Brethren conveighed him to Caesarea and sent him to Tharsus 11. cap. 25. And during his abode at Tharsus Barnabas fetcht him from thence to Antioch where he continued a whole year and converted many to the faith of Christ. From thence he went to Cyprus 13. cap. and turned the Ruler of the Country called Sergius Paulus to Christ by whom he was called Paul whereas before he was named Saul Then he wandred about the Countreys and came to * The other Antioch before is in Syria Antioch Pisidia where he came into the Synagogue and after the Lecture of the Law and Prophets made a long Sermon which was so well accepted of the Gentiles that they were desirous to hear him again on the next Sabbath at which time the unbelieving Jews raised up Persecution against him 14. cap. So that Paul departed to Iconium and from thence to Lystra where he was stoned and left for dead but being recovered he ceased not to exhort the People to continue in the faith of Christ And so passing thorow many dangerous places he came at the last to Attalia and there he took shipping and sailed back again to Antioch declaring to the Congregation there gathered together all things which God had done by him and Barnabas in their Journey After this Paul again departed from Antioch And passing thorow many Countries 16. cap. he came to Philippi the Chief City in the parts of Macedonia where he was beaten and cast into Prison where he converted the Jayler and was delivered as a Roman And from Philippi he passed the Countries till he came to Thessalonica where he preached Christ so earnestly that the unbelieving Jews moved all the City against him notwithstanding he escaped and went to Athens preaching to the Athenians the true and unknown God From Athens he departed to Corinth where he remained a Year and a half From thence he turned again to Syria and came to Ephesus where the Silversmiths moved sedition against him for Diana their Goddess And so forth passing many Countries and dangers he came at last to Jerusalem where he was taken of the Jews and had to Prison to be scourged but he professing himself to be a Roman made the Captain afraid who after he had heard his cause and had knowledge of the Jews conspiracy against Paul he sent him privily by Night to Felix Lieutenant of Caesarea where he continued in Prison two Years till Festus came into Felix room And being examined afore Festus he appealed to the Emperour wherefore Festus after a-while committed him to a Centurion named Julius who with much danger Paul suffered Martyrdom by beheading under Nero in the xiv year of his reign and after the Passion of Christ 37. years Eliote brought Paul to Rome and delivered him to the High Captain with whom Paul found so much favour that he was suffered to dwell in an house by himself with a Souldier to keep him and to receive whosoever came unto him And so Paul continued in Rome two years preaching and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus with all boldness no Man forbidding him Paul the mouth of the Trumpet or marvellous or the least Pekahia 3 King 15.23 c. the Son of Menahem began his reign over Israel in the fiftieth year of the reign of Azariah King of Juda and departed not from the sins of Jeroboam but walked therein as his Father did before him He had not reigned two years ere that Pekah his own Captain rose against him and slew him in Samaria and reigned in his stead Pekahia the Lords opening Pekah 2 King 15.25 c. the Son of Remaliah began his Reign over Israel in the 52. year of Azariah King of Juda. This Man slew Pekahia his own Lord and so usurped the Crown He kept the ways of Jeroboam as his Predecessors did He made War against Juda 2 Chron. 28.6 7 c. and slew of them in one day six hundred thousand and took two hundred thousand of Women Sons and Daughters Prisoners and carried them away to Samaria purposing to have kept them in bondage and slavery all their life long But being admonished by Oded the Prophet he new arrayed them and sent them home again After this God stirred up Tiglath King of Assyria against him which came and dispossessed him of all the Land of Nephtalim and carried away his People Finally Hosea the Son of Ela conspired against Pekah and slew him after he had reigned twenty years and was King after him Peleg Gen. 10.25.11.17 18. was the Son of Eber of the Generation of Sem. His Brother's name was Joktan At the age of thirty years he begot Reu and lived after that two hundred and nine years In this Man's days was the Land divided by reason of the diversity of Language which happened at the building of Babel Peleg a division Persis was a Man singularly beloved of S. Paul Rom. 16.12 for his diligence in setting forth the Gospel as doth appear by his words saying Salute the well-beloved Persis which laboured much in the Lord. Peter otherwise called Simon the Son of Jonas Matth. 4.18 dwelt in the City of Bethsaida and from a Fisher-man was called to be an Apostle into whose house Christ vouchsafed to come and heal his Wifes Mother of her Feaver Luk 4.38 c. Peter was of that audacity and boldness
Matth. 14.28 29. that he went upon the Water which was too great an enterprise for him to perform without the help of Christ his Master who seeing him thorow weakness of faith in danger of drowning Matt. 16.21 saved him Again when Christ did shew unto his Disciples how that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things of the Elders and of the Priests and Scribes and be put to death and the third day rise again which thing he spake to remove out of their hearts that false opinion they had of his temporal Kingdom Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him saying Master look to thy self this shall not be unto thee With whose rash zeal Christ was so offended that he called him Sathan laying to his charge that he savoured not the things that were of God but of Men. Also when Peter saw Christ being transfigured talk with Moses and Elias 17.1 2 c. he was so ravished with that sight that he said unto him Lord here is good being for us If thou wilt let us make here three Tabernacles One for thee and one for Moses and one for Elias Matth. 26.31 c. Furthermore when Christ said unto his Disciples the night he knew he should be apprehended that all they should be offended because of him Peter trusting too much to his own strength said Though all Men be offended because of thee yet will not I forsake thee Nay I will suffer death rather than I will deny thee And to perform this promise when Judas came with a multitude of the High-Priests servants with Swords and Staves to take Christ John 18 10. Peter drew out his Sword and smote off the ear of one of the High-Priests servants For whose foolish hardiness Christ rebuked him sharply and bad him put up his Sword Then Peter seeing his Master led away and all his Fellows fled and gone would not seem utterly to forsake his Master but followed afar off and at length in the dark as unknown entered into the Court of Caiaphas And sitting among the Servants warming him by the Fire a Wench came to him and said Art not thou one of this Man's Disciples No said he Yes but thou art quoth another for I did see thee with him in the Garden Peter denied again saying that he did not know him Then certain which stood by knowing Peter said Surely thou art one of them for thy speech doth bewray thee Then began Peter to curse and swear denying that ever he knew him And immediately the Cock did crow Peter now remembring the words of Christ which had said unto him that before the Cock did crow he should deny Him thrice was touched with inward repentance and went out and wept bitterly And after he had lost the presence of his Master 21. cap. he went to his old occupation of fishing again And as he with other his companions had laboured all the night long in vain and were coming to Land Jesus which stood on the shore asked if they had any meat who not knowing what he was said they had none Then cast out your Net quoth he on the right side of the Ship and ye shall speed and so they cast out their Net and were not able to draw it to Land again for the multitude of Fishes that were caught in it And as Peter was haling up the Net and heard John say it was Jesus which stood upon the shore he left the Net and cast himself into the Sea to Jesus This is that Peter upon whose confession Christ when Peter acknowledged him to be the Son of the living God did build his Church Finally Matth. 16.18 to stablish Peter in the office of an Apostle Christ commanded him earnestly three times to feed his sheep Giving him also forewarning of his death Peter a Stone or Rock Phaltiel the Son of Laish 1 Sam. 25. ult would not seem to disobey the will of King Saul when of hatred he had taken 〈◊〉 Daughter Michol from David Lyra saith that Phaltiel was a learnned man And knowing Michol to be David's lawful Wife he reserved her as his Sister and wept for joy that she was without dishonesty restored to David again and gave her to him 〈◊〉 thankfully received her and gently entertained 〈◊〉 so long as the King her Father lived who being dead then David required to have his Wife Michol again And at the day of her deliverance to Abner to be restored to David he brought her on the way and came behind her weeping till they came to a place called Bahurim And there at Abner's commandment he returned home again Pharaoh There be divers * Gen. 12.14 15 c. Kings of this name expressed in Scripture What time as Abraham came into Egypt with Sarah his Wife who was reported to Pharaoh to be a Woman of an excellent beauty he took her home to his house and gently entertained the Woman without any spot of dishonesty and also entreated Abraham well for her sake But when he perceived that God had plagued his house Pharaoh was a general name given to the Kings of Egypt for keeping the Woman from her Husband he called Abraham unto him and said Why hast thou done this unto me Wherefore didst thou not tell me that she was thy Wife Why saidst thou she is my Sister that I should take her to be my Wife Now therefore behold thy Wife take her and go thy way and he gave a commandment that no Man should hurt them either in Person or Goods Another Pharaoh there was 41. cap. 47. cap. that delivered Joseph out of Prison to expound his Dreams And for the excellent wisdom and knowledge that he saw to be in Joseph he made him Ruler and Governour of all the Land of Egypt and shewed much kindness to his Father and to all his Kinred After this Pharaoh Exod. 1. cap. rose there up another which knew not Joseph And he without all measure vexed the Children of Israel And thinking by his humane wisdom to have lett their increase he commanded the Midwives to destroy the Men Children of the Hebrews assoon as they were born Whose policy took no effect for Moses notwithstanding was preserved and brought up even in his own house forty years And after the death of this Pharaoh there came another Exod. 5. cap. 7.8.10.14 whose heart God did harden and plagued him with ten marvellous Plagues before he would let the Israelites depart out of his Land And persisting in his obstinacy and froward heart God at the last drowned him and all his Host in the red Sea There was yet another mighty Prince of this Name 1 King 3.1.9.16 whose Kingdom joyned so nigh to Solomon's that Solomon to make himself the stronger made affinity with him and married his Daughter And this Pharaoh took the City of Gaza from the Canaanites and gave it with the Countrey thereabout to Solomon for his Daughters
he set two Crowns upon his Head the Crown of Egypt and Asia Then Alexander who at that time lay in the Countrey of Cilicia hearing of all that his Father-in-law had done returned home and made War against him But Ptolomy being the stronger chased him into the Countrey of Arabia where the King of that Land smote off his Head and sent it to Ptolomy which pleasure he did not long enjoy for within three days after Ptolomy dyed himself After whose death his Men of War which he had left in the Cities were all slain Ptolomy 1 Mac. 16. the Son of Abobus married with the Daughter of Symon Brother to Machabeus And being made Captain of the Host at Jericho he began thorow his great abundance of Gold and Silver to wax proud and high-minded imagining how he might destroy Symon his Father-in-law and his Sons and so to conquer the Land And being in this mind it chanced Symon as he was going thorow the Cities of Jewry and caring for them to come down to Jericho with Mattathias and Judas his Sons where this Ptolomy received him under the colour of great friendship into a strong Castle of his named Douch and in the same made him a great Banquet at the which he most traiterously slew Symon his Father-in-law with both his Sons This done he wrote to Antiochus to send him an Host of Men and he would deliver the Land of Jewry into his hand And further he sent certain Men to Gaza to kill John the third Son of Symon and wrote to the Captains to come unto him and he would reward them with Silver and Gold But John having knowledge of all the Treason slew the Messengers which came from Ptolomy and so disappointed him of all his purpose Ptolomie sirnamed Macron being made a Ruler 2 Mac. 10. purposed to do Justice unto the Jews for the wrongs that had been done unto them and went about to behave himself peaceably with them for the which he was accused of his friends to Eupator and was called oft-times Traytour because he had left Cyprus that Philometor had committed unto him and came to Antiochus Epiphanes Therefore seeing that he was no more in estimation he was discouraged and poisoned himself and dyed Publius Act. 28.7 8 c. was a certain Man dwelling in the Isle called Melitus and the chiefest Man in all the Isle who received Paul with all the rest that had escaped the Seas very gently and lodged them three days in his House whose Father which lay sick of an Ague and of a bloudy flux Paul healed Publius a Latine word Putiphar Gen. 39.1 c. was a great Lord in the Land of Egypt and Steward of King Pharaoh's house He bought Joseph of the Ishmaelites and found him a lucky Man And when he saw that God did prosper all things under his hand he made him Ruler and Governour of all that he had and God did bless his house for Joseph's sake But in the end thorow the false accusation of his Wife he cast Joseph in Prison R. RACHEL Gen. 30.22 c. 31.19 c. the youngest Daughter of Laban the Son of Nahor was a beautiful young Woman and Jacob's Wife She being long barren at the last brought forth a Son and called his Name Joseph And at her departing from Laban her Father with Jacob her Husband into the Land of Canaan she stole away her Fathers * Not to worship them but to withdraw her Father from Idolatry Images from him for the which he made no little ado with Jacob whom he followed and overtook at Mount Gilead And when her Father had searched Jacob's Tents and could not find his Idols he came into Rachel his Daughters Tent who had hid them in the Camels litter and sat upon them And as her Father was rifling about the place where she sat she said O my Lord be not angry that I cannot rise up before thee for the custome of Women is come upon me and so the thing was not known Finally Rachel in travailling of her second Son whom she called Ben-Oni the Son of my sorrow dyed and was buried in the way to Ephrath which is Bethlchem where Jacob caused a stone to be set upon her Grave which was called Rachels grave-stone Rachel a Sheep Raguel Tob. 6 7. was a certain Man dwelling at Rages a City of the Medes whose Sister was Wife to old Toby This Raguel had a Daughter called Sarah which had been married to seven Men one after another which Men were all slain the first Night of their marriage by the Devil dsmodius To this Sarah God had appointed young Toby which feared God to be her Husband and made his holy Angel Raphael to bring him to Rages and so to Raguel's house his Mother's Brother where they were joyfully received And when Raguel had looked upon young Toby and beheld him well he said unto his Wife how like is this young Man to my Sisters Son And then to know who they were he said whence be ye my good Brethren We be said they of the Tribe of Nephtali and of the captivity of Niniveh Know ye said he Tobias our Kinsman Yea said they we know him well and this young man said the Angel is his Son With that Raguel bowed himself and with weeping eyes took him about the Neck and kissed him and bad his Wife prepare in all hast for Dinner Nay said Toby I will neither eat nor drink here this day except thou grant me my Petition and promise to give me thy Daughter Sarah Then was Raguel fore astonied and began to fear lest it should happen unto him as it did to the other seven And while he stood in doubt what answer to make the Angel said Fear not to give him thy Daughter for unto this Man that feareth God belongeth she and to none other I doubt not said Raguel but God hath accepted my prayers and tears in his sight and I trust he hath caused you to come unto me for the same intent that this Daughter of mine might be married in her own Kindred according to the Law of Moses And now doubt thou not my Son but I will give her unto thee And with that he took the right hand of his Daughter and gave her into the right hand of Toby saying the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob be with you joyn you together and fulfil his blessing in you And when the Marriage all was ended Raguel brought his Daughter into her Chamber and said Be of good cheer my Daughter the Lord of Heaven give thee joy for the heaviness that thou hast suffered and so went to rest Then in the morning about the Cock-crowing Raguel supposing all things to have happened to Toby as it did to the other seven before called up his Men and went and made ready his Grave which being done he bad his Wife send one of her Maidens to
heard and bad him go tell Ezechias that the blasphemous railing of Rabshekah should turn to his great shame for he should go home again without victory and never a stroke stricken And so Almighty God sent his Angel which plagued the whole Army of the Assyrians with such a Pestilence that in one Night there dyed 185. thousand At the which suddain death Rabshekah and all his Host that were left ran away And then Sennacherib got him to Niniveh where at the last being in the Temple worshipping his God Nisroch his own Sons slew him Sennacherib the bush of destruction Sehon was King of the Amorites Numb 21.21 22 c. whose Land bordered so upon the Land of Canaan that Moses could not pass from the Desart of Cadesh to Canaan but he must needs go thorow it wherefore Moses sent Messengers to King Sehon beseeching him of licence to pass thorow his land by the Kings highway and he would neither hurt his Fields nor Vineyards neither yet take so much as one drop of water for him and his Cattel to drink but he would pay for it Which reasonable request Sehon refused And thinking to have overcome Moses and all his People because they were strangers sore laboured and wearied and knew not the Coast of his Countrey neither the shifts of the Realm he made out two great Armies against Moses Who hearing thereof was so afraid that he asked counsel of God what he should do And God bad him not fear but fight manfully and boldly with them for the victory should be his And so was Sehon with all his power and policy overthrown Sehon a rooting out or treading under foot Sephora and Phua Exod. 1 1â— were two of the Chiefest Midwives in all Egypt unto whom King Pharaoh gave a commandment that whensoever they did execute their office among the Women of the Hebrews and saw in the birth a Man-child they should kill it But they fearing God more than man brake his commandment and saved all the Men-children laying for their excuse unto the King that the Women of the Hebrews were not as the Women of Egypt but so strong and lively Women that they were delivered before the Midwives came And for this deed God dealt mercifully with the Midwives because they feared him and made them to prosper Sephora Fair. Look Zephora Sergius Paulus Act. 13.7 the Lieutenant or Lord Deputy of Cyprus was a prudent man who nevertheless had been sore seduced by one Barjesus the great Sorcerer And now hearing the Gospel to be sowen thoroughout all the Country by Paul and Barnabas was desirous to hear it whereupon he sent for them By whose preaching and great miracles that they did before him he was at the last turned to the faith of Christ Seth Gen. 4.25.5.3 was the third Son of Adam and gave himself all to vertue and godliness His Father was at the age of an hundred and thirty years before he begot Seth. Seth was an hundred and five years old before he begot Enos He lived after the birth of Enos eight hundred and seven years So that all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years Seth set or put Sichem Gen. 34. cap. the Son of Hemor the Hivite ravished Dinah the Daughter of Jacob. For the which deed Simeon and Levi the Brothers of Dinah slew both Sichem and his Father Hemor with many more Sidrach Dan. 3. cap. Meshach and Abednego were three of Danicl's companions and of the Children Juda. Which three young men Nabuchodonosor at Daniel's intercession made Rulers over all the Officers in the Land of Babylon And because they would not fall down to the King 's golden Image which he had made and set up to be worshipped they were accused to the King as transgressors of his commandment And being brought before the King he straitly charged them to be ready the next day when they heard the noise of Trumpets and other Instruments of Musick to fall down and worship his Image as others did or else they should be cast into the hot burning Furnace and then let see quoth he what god is able to deliver you out of my hands They answered and said Oh Nabuchodonosor we ought not to consent to thee in this matter For why our God whom we serve is able to keep us from the hot burning Furnace O King and can right well deliver us out of thy hands And though he will not yet shalt thou know O King that we will not serve thy gods nor do reverence to that Image which thou hast set up The King hearing this was so full of indignation that he caused the strongest men that were in all his Host to bind them hand and foot and cast them into the Furnace which Furnace was made so exceeding hot that the flame of the fire destroyed those men that cast them in And as the King looked into the Furnace after the men he saw four walking at liberty in the midst of the Furnace the fourth man was like unto the Son of God to look upon And being sore astonied thereat he went to the Furnace mouth and said O ye servants of God come out of the Furnace And when they were come forth it could not be perceived neither by the hair of their Heads nor by the smell of their Garments that ever any fire had touched them And so the King praised the God of Sidrach Meshach and Abednego and promoted them to honour Silas Act. 15.27 32 40. was a certain Disciple sent with Paul and Barnabas and other chosen brethren to Antioch to pacifie the variance which was there happened about circumcision And after the salling out of Paul and Barnabas about John Mark Silas became Paul's companion and fellow-labourer in the Gospel a great while 16.19 25 38. and was in bonds with him at Philippi where they converted the Jayler and all Prisoners and were delivered as Romans From thence they departed to Thessalonica 17.1 14. where the Jewes set the City in such an uproar against them that Paul was fain to flye to Athens leaving Silas behind him with a precept to make speed after him Act. 18.5 who came to Paul at Corinth Silpah Gen. 30.9 c. was Hand maid or Servant to Leah who being given by her Mistress consent to Jacob to Wife brought him forth two Sons Gad and Asher Silpah a Rheum or distillation at the mouth or vileness Silvanus 2 Cor. 1.19 was a great setter forth of the Gospel with Paul and Timotheus as is mentioned in the first and second Epistle to the Thessalonians first Chapters Simeon Luk. 2.25 c. was a blessed old man dwelling in Jerusalem which longed sore for the coming of the Messias And whereas he had prayed unto God to give him the gift that he might but once see him with his bodily eyes before he departed out of this world he received an answer of the Holy Ghost that