Secondly we are to obserue their extreame cruelty in selling their brothers life as a beast or at least as a bondslaue Thirdly their wonderfull disobedience and vndutifull affection towards their old father Par. What speciall profit are we to draw out of these their villanies Past Hereby is made cléere vnto vs the maruailous wisedome the secret prouidence and excéeding mercies of God euen in these most vile and bloudy actions of theirs For by this means Ioseph was made a prouider for them and their father in the time of famine Thus God draweth good things out of the wicked actions of vngodly men thereby to discomfort the vngodly and to comfort the godly Par. Was Ioseph raised by the King of Egypt in respect of his learning in respect of his Chiualrie or in respect of any naturall matter that was extraordinary in him Past Iosaph was the yongest of all his brethren and a man of small or no report but the Lord was with Ioseph and shewed him mercy and got him fauour in the sight of his Maister Insomuch that Pharao the King said of him can we finde such a man as this in whom the spirit of God is There is no man of vnderstanding or wisedome like him Gen. 41.38 The 7. Particular in the third Obseruation Par. Where died Ioseph Past After he had ruled most renowmedly 80. Gen. 41.46 â—â—0 22 yeares in Egypt when hée was an hundred and tenne yeares old he dyed in Egypt where he was honourably buried Par. Why did hee so specially charge his brethren to carry his bones from Egypt Exod. 13.19 Is there in the Iudgement of the faithfull any place better then other for buriall or for the resurrection Past There is no place better then other for the resurrection but it was to declare his great faith in the promise that GOD made concerning the Land of Canaan which his people should inherit according to the time prefixed as in plaine words hée vttereth vnto his brethren at his death saying Surely God will visit you and will bring you out of this Land which hee sware vnto Abraham Isaac and Iacob Par. How came it to passe that there was another King in Egypt called Pharaoh Past It cannot be but there were many Kings in Egypt after the decease of the King that fauoured Ioseph whiles Israell continued in Egypt The Emperors of Rome were alwayes called Caesars the Kings of Persia were called Artaxerxes and so the Kings of Egypt were alwayes called Pharaohs Par. Why did Pharaoh so enuiously and so hatefully deale with Gods people Past Because he saw that they were like to grow great and to be mightier then hée Exod. 1.10 Therefore he said vnto his Nobility Come let vs deale wisely lest when they be multiplyed they ioyne with our enemies Par. How did the King preuaile with his policie and deuise against Gods people Past So he preuailed that by how much he vexed them and sought by all meanes to diminish them by so much the more they multiplyed and grew to be a great nation The eight Particular concerning Moses Par Who were parents to Moses Past Amram the Leuite was his father Iochebed the daughter of Leui was his mother Par. How came hee to be called Moses Past Pharaohs daughter found him throwne out neare a riuer in a basket Exod. 2.3.4 for the auoyding of her fathers bloudy lawes then shée tooke him for her owne and called him in her Egyptian language Moses signifying according to the Etimologie thereof deliuered out of the waters Wherin was the prouidence of God Par. How befell it that the Kings daughter should haue the nourishing of him in the hands of his owne mother Past It cannot be that it was any way imagined or deuised by the Kings Daughter or by his Parents but it was the diuine prouidence of God that the Mother should throw him there and that the Lady should come there to bathe her selfe euen at that time and at no time else And it was the prouidence of God that his owne sister should be there to deliuer the childe to be nourished by his owne Mother at the Kings Daughters commandement Par. How long continued Moses vnder this Ladies gouernment and in the Kings house Past Vntill he was full forty years old Par. Why did he depart from the Kings daughter and from the Kings house being farre more royally maintained then any of his Nation was it not a tempting of God Past He being a godly man was often vexed with their prophanenesse and heathennish impietie therefore he departed from them and refused to be called Pharaohs daughters sonne Heb. 11.25.26 choosing rather to suffer aduersitie with the children of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season Par. How did Moses preuaile in so great a message with so great a King and himselfe being a meane man Past He must néedes preuaile excéeding well Exod. 7.8.9.10 because the hand of almighty God was with him as appeared by the signes and wonders that he wrought vpon Pharaoh and vpon his people by the plagues also that were poured out vpon the beasts of the land Par. Why is it said that God hardened the heart of Pharaoh If God hardened his heart it was no maruel though he would not let the people goe vnder the conduct of Moses to wander the world hee knew not whither Past God is said to harden the heart of Pharaoh not because hée did withdraw his graces from him but because indéed God did not giue grace vnto him by the which he might be qualified in heart and obedient in spirit vnto the will of so great a Commander And after this manner the hearts of all the reprobates are set and inueigled against God and against his people therein they are authors of their owne deaths The first Particular Parishioner WHat was the Passeouer Past Exod. 12. It was a Lambe that indéed was killed and eaten ceremonially by the people of Israell onely at the commandement of the Lord the night before they went out of Egypt and which was to be continued vntill Christ who was the true substance thereof This hath reference analogie and coherence in many particulars with the Sacrament which our Sauiour Christ did institute the night before his death and thereby you shall sée how the one expounds the other and how the latter doth expound the former The second Particular concerning the miraculous departure of Israell out of Egipt Par. Declare vnto me the manner of it briefly Past Iacob the Father of the twelue Patriarches Gen. 47.4.11.46.6.27 came into Egypt by reason of famine when as his owne sonne Ioseph ruled the land vnder Pharaoh and brought with him onely 70. persons but 215. yeares after when they went out of Egypt Exod. 12.35 to 39. they were in number sixe hundred thousand men on foot beside women and children they did as Moses commanded them in asking of the Egyptians iewels of
promise or blessing Past It was that in his séede all nations of the earth should be blessed in which words was Christ Iesus the Messiah closely and secretly promised The third Particular Par. Declare briefely the story of Zodomes burning Past After the Lord had béene with Abraham to renue the promise vnto him concerning a Sonne his Maiesty imparts vnto him the desolation and destruction hanging ouer Zodom and Gomorrha because of their sinnes Whereupon Abraham being moued with pity intreateth the Lord for them whose request was heard vpon condition that if there were found ten righteous he would not destroy the wicked for their sakes which ten not being found the fire came downe from heauen and destroied all sauing Lot his wife and two daughters Par. Why did God impart the destruction of these wicked men to him might not he haue done it without his priuity Past Yea God might haue done then as now Gen. 18.18.19 what he would and without the knowledge of any sauing that Abraham was to be a great Nation and I know him saith the Lord that he will command his household that they kéepe the way of the Lord to doe righteousnesse Par. What is meant by this that is said Gen. 18.1.2 The Lord appeared to Abraham and in the next verse Behold three men appeared vnto him as he sat in his Tent Past Therein was declared the singularity and plurality of persons in the Deity one in thrée and thrée in one which the holy man Abraham manifested by their entertainment For it is said hée saw thrée but he reuerenced and worshipped one Par. How came it to passe that Lot hauing had such speciall fauour committed incest with his owne daughters a double sin doubly performed Past Almighty God in the vprightnesse of his iustice gaue him and his daughters into their owne wils or rather into reprobate mindes to worke such vncleannesse of the flesh shewing thereby how greatly he had sinned by infidelity when he forsooke the citie Zoar which God had granted him for feare of the fire which was round about him but nothing neare to hurt him and would rather depend and relie vpon his owne wits and prouision The fourth Particular Par. Rehearse briefely the story of Isaac Past This Isaac is he of whom the promise was made Gen. 21.1 to Abraham his father in the chapters going before who should multiply in number as the sand at the shore of the Sea and as the Starres in heauen out of whose séede also Christ should be expected for The manner of his conception and birth was so admirable as did in some sort foretell and prefigure Christ For it is said that he was an hundred yeares old when Isaac was borne yea so old was he and his wife that they had left off to be together as man wife which made her to laugh when the matter was moued vnto her Neuerthelesse according to the time which the Lord God had foretold Sarah conceiued and Isaac was born According to which admirable conception Christ was conceiued and according to which wonderfull birth Christ was borne both the one and the other were performed duely and substantially beyond the vse of reason and beyond the vnderstanding of all men Par. What haue we to learn herein to wit by the strangenesse of Isaacs conception and birth Past By the conception birth of Isaac which was not to be déemed in the vse of reason all men are driuen from themselues as it were to abiure the expostulation with flesh and bloud when as the Lord hath giuen out his word For howsoeuer it may séeme vnto the naturall man vnpossible and incredible yet to the spirituall man who hath the eyes of faith fixed on Gods promises the same things are easte Par. It is said that Isaac was circumcised the eight day after he was borne Gen. 17.10 I would know of you what was meant by it Past Circumcision was a couenant betwéen God and Abrahams séed Or circumcision was called a couenant because it signified or was a sacrament of a Couenant had the promise of grace annexed vnto it This couenant of circūcision in the particular consideratiōs therof hath relation to the Sacrament of Baptisme by comparison the one doth expound the other and by the right vse or nature of both the latter doth abolish the former The fift Particular Par. Declare first in some sort briefely the storie of Iacob Past Gen. 27.28.29 Isaac had two sons Esau his eldest and Iacob his yongest This Iacob hauing gotten the blessing of his father which by birth-right was due to Esau he fled away into a strange land for feare of his brother and hauing nothing but his staffe when hée went ouer Iordane was faine to lie all night in the maine fields where appeared vnto him a vision of Angels ascending and descending vpon a ladder and withall hée heard a voyce that said vnto him I will not leaue thée nor forsake thée vntill I haue brought my purpose to an end This Iacob by the diuine prouidence of God was brought to Haran where Laban his Vncle dwelt with whom he continued 21. yeares In which time hée had gotten twelue Sonnes and exceeding great store of goods and cattell and then returned vnto his own land as the Lord commanded him and as hée trauailed the Lord appeared vnto him againe after another sort to his comfort When he came safe to his owne land immediately he built an Altar for the seruice of the Lord. Par. Declare vnto me what is to be obserued in his twelue Sons Past You shal sée in these twelue holy Fathers descending of Iacob the performance of Gods promises made vnto Abraham for in them hée reneweth his Church stablisheth the same and beautifieth it with diuine ceremonies Sacrifices and Sacraments to be solemnized vntill Christ promised Messiah Reade their stories in Gen. 49. Par. Declare them by their names Past 1 Ruben 2 Simeon 3 Leui. 4 Iudah 5 Dan. 6 Nepthalie 7 Gad. 8 Asher 9 Isachar 10 Zabulon 11 Ioseph 12 Beniamin The sixt Particular Par. Declare vnto me the story of Ioseph Past Gen. 37. and 39. Iacob loued Ioseph his yongest sonne exceeding tenderly wherefore his brethren hated him and deuised to haue starued him in a pit but when they saw Carriers passing by they tooke him vp againe out of the pit and sold him vnto them who brought him to Egypt where in short time he grew in such fauour with the King as that he was made Lord and gouernour ouer all the land of Egypt By meanes whereof Iacob his father and his brethren came and dwelt in Goshen being the best place of the land because of the excéeding great famine that was in all the world Par. What are we to learne out of this historie of Ioseph and his brethren Past We are first to obserue the vnnaturall affection of Iosephs brethren in hating of him when he had done them no hurt at all
was euill in the sight of the Lord to wit in offering a burnt offering Leuit. 1. which was not lawfull for any to doe saue for the Priests vpon paine of death Therefore the Prophet Samuel told him plainely from the Lord that therein hée had done foolishly and that his kingdome should not continue and so Samuel departed from him in great indignation for the zeale hée bare to the Lord and for the loue he bare to the kingdome Par. Saul as we read was in great distresse 1 Sam. 13. by reason of many thousands of the Philistines that were come against his people Israell and they by reason of Samuels long tarrying at Gilgall 12 were scattered and fled saue sixe hundred men that remained with the King Therefore Saul fell to his prayers and did offer as hee said a burnt Offering vnto the Lord tell me what offence was this as the present necessitie required Past 1 Sam. 13. Saul in like manner transgressed the voyce of the Lord in keeping the King of the Amalekites aliue whereas hée was commanded to kill him and in reseruing for Sacrifice the best of the Oxen and the best of the Sheepe which was also directly forbidden Out of which place I will answere your demaund or question from the mouth of Samuel the holy Prophet When thou wast little in thine owne sight wast not thou made King ouer Israell The Lord commanded thee to kill the Amalekites and to let none remaine Now thou hast not obeyed the Lords voyce but hast turned to the prey wherein thou hast done wickedly in the sight of the Lord. Rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft and transgression is wickednesse and Idolatry Behold thou hast cast away the word of the Lord therefore hee hath cast away thee Hereby you may sée that sinne or transgression is not reckoned for the smalnesse or greatnesse thereof with God as it is with men for many times small sinnes in our sights are great sinnes in Gods fight and great sinnes in our fight are small in his sight Men must rule themselues by his word by his holy Lawes and not according to good intents or earthly mens directions Par. How did Saul behaue himselfe towards his subiects Past Saul enuied Dauids good report and iust desert When Dauid returned from the slaughter of the Philistines the women by one consent and as it were by Gods appoyntment met Dauid crying and saying 1 Sam. 18. Saul hath slaine his thousand and Dauid his tenne thousand and for this cause onely Saul was excéeding wroth with Dauid and euer after sought to kill him and in the persecuting of him he slew euery of the Priests that fauoured him and tooke an oath of all his subiects to betray him It were too long to particulate his cruelties towards others his poore subiects whom he should haue defended and maintayned Par. What was Sauls end Past The Spirit of God being departed from him and his owne heart giuen him hée euer after followed that euen to the wars of the Philistines at which time hée desperately slew himselfe The ninth Particular concerning Dauid Par. Next in order remaineth to speake of Dauid Past Dauid was of the tribe of Iudah of the roote of Iesse borne in Bethlehem As it was said of Ierusalem 1 Sam. 16. Many excellent things are spoken of thee O thou Citie of God euen so many excellent things are spoken of Dauid Saul being reiected of God for his sinnes Dauid was annoynted King in his roome by the same Prophet Samuel 17. and the Spirit of the Lord came vpon him insomuch that though he were but a little simple man yet hée slew Goliah that defied Israell hée slew many of the most mighty Philistines 2 Sam. 1.2.3.4.5.6.7 c. who were enemies to Saul and his people When Saul was dead hée succéeded in the Kingdome according to the Lords ordinance and valiantly subdued mighty kings that made warre against him Dauid renued religion offered to build an house for the Arke of God Dauid sinned grieuously in Gods sight therefore the Lord punished him excéedingly many wayes and afterward vpon repentance he receiued him into speciall fauour Par. Dauid being annointed king and being so valiant in the warres hauing also the fauour of the people why did hee runne away and hide himselfe from Saul and why did he not withstand him Past Dauid hauing Gods Spirit knew very well that hée might not resist nor rebel against Saul the Lords annoynted and though hée were to succéede him in the kingdome yet hée knew that he was not to enioy it before him nor to be partner with him and to auoid the rebellion and disorder of the people the Lord commanded Samuel to annoynt him King secretly lest the people should offer him helpe and rebellion against Saul And farther so godly and vpright in heart hée was towards the King that when hée most iniuriously and fiercely sought to kill him in all lands yet hée would neuer carry a thought to vse bloudy hands against his King though many times he might haue done it Hée was so farre from causing any other to doe it 2 Sam. 1. as that hée slew those that brought him word that Saul was dead The tenth Particular concerning Salomon Par. Now impart vnto me briefly the story of Salomon the third King of Israel Past There was neuer the like King before Salomon 1 King 3. neither the like shall be after him for his wisedome and riches So soone as euer he put foot into the kingdome he loued the Lord as the holy Ghost testifieth Wherefore the Lord appeared vnto him promising to giue vnto him whatsoeuer he would aske Of al the glorious things of this life he desired nothing but he desired wisedome whereby hée might gouerne his people prudently and religiously wherefore the the Lord gaue him wisedome and riches aboue all men both which great blessings he principally imployed to the building of a Temple for the Lord at Ierusalem where his holy Name might be called vpon in true religion Hée gouerned his kingdome all the dayes of his life quietly and peaceably Par. Some calles into question whether Salomon were saued or not because of his sinnes with so many outlandish women Past It is certaine that he sinned therein excéedingly Yet Almighty God séeing his repentance in his rich mercies forgaue him all according as hée promised his Father Dauid 1 Sam. 7.13.14.15 saying Hee shall build mee an house and I will stablish the throne of his Kingdome for euer I will be his Father and hee shall be my sonne If hee sinne I will chasten him but my mercy I will not vtterly take from him Par. Seeing that the fourth Obseruation doth end at the building of the Temple declare vnto mee briefly concerning the same Past Salomon tooke order with Hiram the King of Tyrus 1 King 5. for Cedar trées and Firre trées He had thirty thousand men whom hée sent to Libanon by
the repairing of the Temple And in short time there was found ouer and aboue the repairing such store of money as was sufficient to make bowles of gold and instruments of siluer in great abundance for the Temple At which time came Hazaell the king of Aram with a mighty army against Gath and intending also to come against Ierusalem Iehoash the King of Iudah tooke the hallowed things that his forefathers had prepared for the Temple and so he departed into his owne Land where he was slaine by two of his owne seruants And he was buried with his fathers in the city of Dauid after he had raigned forty yeares in Ierusalem Par. Who was the eight King Past Amaziah 2 King 14.1 to 21. the sonne of Ioash succéeded in the kingdome This King did behaue himselfe vprightly in the sight of God according to all which his father had done yet the people did sacrifice in the high places He slew them which had killed his father but not their children according to that which was written The fathers shall not be put to death for the children nor the children for the father but euery man shall die for his owne sinne Afterwards hée warred with the Edomites and slew many thousands And not being therewith content he also challenged the King of Israell who answered him disdainefully But Amaziah was wilfull and would not be quiet Whereupon the King of Israell in open field tooke Amaziah brake downe the wals of Ierusalem spoyled the Temple and the people of their treasure and then returned to Samaria Amaziah liued after that warre fiftéene yeares There was a conspiracy against him in Ierusalem whereupon he fled to Lachis and the conspiratours followed after him and slew him there and brought him to be buried at Ierusalem after he had raigned nine and twenty yeares Par. Who was the ninth King Past 2 Kin. 14.21.15.1 to 8. Azariah his sonne was made King when he was sixtéene yeares old He did vprightly in the Lords sight yet because the high places were not taken away where the people offered sacrifice the Lord smote him with Leprosie vntill his dying day and Ioathan his sonne gouerned the kingdome vnder him two and fifty yeares and so dyed Par. Who was the tenth King Past 2 King 15.7.32 to the end Ioathan the sonne of Azariah immediately after his father tooke the kingdome as lawfull heire He did vprightly in the Lords sight but yet he had not taken away the high places whereon they burnt Intense And then the Lord sent against him and Iudah Rozin the King of Aram and Pekah the sonne of Remeliah king of Israell And when hée had raigned sixtéene yeares he dyed and was buried with his fathers in Ierusalem Par. Who was the eleauenth King Past Ahaz 2 King 16.1 to the end the sonne of Ioathan raigned in his stead Hée walked in the wayes of the kings of Israell and made his sonne to goe through fire after the abhominations of the heathen and hée offered burnt incense Wherefore the Lord raysed the King of Aram and the King of Israell against him At which time he called not for Gods assistance but sent presents vnto the King of Ashur crauing his ayde whereunto the King of Ashur condescended He was twenty yeares old when he began his raign he continued 16. yeares most irreligiously and prophanely and so died Par. Who was the twelfth King Past 2 King 16.20.18.1.2.3.4 to 9.13 to the end 19.20 Hezekiah his sonne raigned and ruled so religiously so zealously and so faithfully as that the holy Ghost witnesseth none was like him amongst all the Kings of Iudah that went before him neither were any such after him And therefore the Lord God of heauen was with him which made him to prosper in all things that hée tooke in hand In his time euen in the fouretéenth yeare of his raigne Senacherib the King of Ashur came against all the strong cities of Iudah and tooke them Then Hezekiah sent vnto him desiring him to take those treasures which he had sent and to be at peace with him and his people He receiued the treasures and yet neuerthelesse most tyrannously and trecherously he sent Rabsaketh with an huge army against him who most blasphemously railed at reuiled the King and the Lord God of heauen Then the King of Iudah and his Nobility went into the house of the Lord with their cloathes rent and with teares to pray vnto the Lord for helpe Then Esay the Prophet as being sent from God comforted them saying Be not afraid for thus the Lord hath said The King of Ashur shall returne into his owne land and there shall be discomfited So Rabsaketh presently returned and found it so indéede For the King of Aethiopia was come vp to fight against him Neuerthelesse Rabsaketh sent men with railing Letters vnto Hezekiah the King Which Letters hée spreads open in the Lords sight with many prayers and teares The Lord heard him at large and sent an Angell which destroyed the Assirian army and as he was in the Temple worshipping his idoll god two of his owne sonnes slew him About that time Hezekiah fell sicke vnto death and through his great intercession to God he recouered within thrée dayes and liued fiftéene yeares after as the Prophet Esay had said vnto him The Lord promised also to defend him from the King of Ashur And because he might be assured thereof he gaue him a signe in Ahaz diall of ten degrées backward At the same time came the King of Babels sonne with letters and a present to visite him whom he entertained very royally and shewed him all his treasures At which déede the Lord was angry and sent Esay to tell him that in time to come all his treasures and his people should be carried away captiue into Babilon He was fiue and twenty yeares old when he began to raigne and raigned nine and twenty yeares Par. What doe you specially obserue in these foure last recited Kings to wit Azariah Ioathan Ahaz and Hezekiah Past It appeares that almighty God did specially fauour them in that hée gaue them fiue Prophets of whom they might inquire for the Lords will Esay Ioel. Hosea Amos. Micha Par. Who was the thirteenth king Past Manastes his sonne 2 Kin. 20.21.21.1 to 19. He wrought wickednes in the Lords sight and liued in open view of his subiects after the abhominations of the Heathen whom the Lord had cast out before him For whatsoeuer his holy Fathers had done to the honour and seruice of God he wrought cleane contrary and gaue himselfe to witchcraft sorcery familiar spirits and such like He did leade the people from the Lord and he enforced Iudah to sinne and he shed much innocent blood Wherefore the Lord God of Israell said I will bring an euill vpon Israell that who so heareth it both his eares shall tingle I will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance and I will deliuer them into the hands