his servants went and said O King we have heard say that the Kings of Israel be merciful Kings let us therefore put Sackcloth about our Loins and Ropes about our Necks and go and humble our selves before Achab and see if he will save thy life Benhadad did so and was pardoned and never troubled Israel more in Achab's days But afterward in another King's days he came again and besieged Samaria so long till an Asses head was sold for fourscore silver pence and the fourth part of a Cab of Doves dung for five sicles and till Women were constrained to eat their own Children Finally Benhadad fell sick and sent his servant Hasael to Elizeus the Prophet which was come to Damascus to know whether he should recover his Disease or no and having his answer of the Prophet he returned and slew his Master Benhadad as in the story of Hazael ye shall see how Benhadad the Son of a Sound or of Noise and Crying Benjamin was the youngest Son of Jacob Gen. 35.18 c. Of the Sons of Benjamin Read Gen. 46.21 his Mother was Rachel who dyed in travail and therefore called his name Benoni the Son of sorrow But Jacob his Father called him Benjamin Son of the right hand 1 Chron. 7 8. His Brothers name of Father and Mother was Joseph who loved Benjamin above all the rest of his other Brethren as in his story appeareth Benjamin Son of the right hand Berjesus Act. 13.8 which by interpretation is as much to say as the Son of Jesus was a Jew born and a great Sorcerer which Name he had taken upon him to deceive the People whereas his right name was Elymas which word in the Syrians Language betokeneth an Enchanter and a false Prophet also This false Sorcerer was got into the City of Paphos and there being crept into favour with Sergius Paulus Ruler of the Countrey withstood the Doctrine of Barnabas and Paul seeking by all means to turn the Rulers heart from the Faith in Christ But Paul being full of the Holy Ghost perceiving the devilish and subtile craft of this Sorcerer looked stedfastly upon him and said O full of all subtilty and mischief the child of the Devil and enemy of all righteousness wilt thou not cease to pervert the streight ways of the Lord Now therefore behold the hand of the Lord is upon thee and thou shalt be blind and not able to see the Sun for a season And when Paul had pronounced these words the Enchanter was stricken with blindness so that he as one amazed wandred up and down seeking for some Man to lead him by the hand Berjesus a Sorcerer or Conjurer Berzillai was a Gileadite born 2 Sam. 17.27 who considered the necessity of David so much being fled out of his own Realm for fear of his own Son Absalom into the Wilderness of Mahanaim that he brought all things necessary for Beds Meat Drink and Cloth out of Roglim to refresh him and his Men and provided so for him all the while he lay there that he lacked nothing and at his return again he helped also to convey both the King and all his Men over Jordan Then David seeing the great kindness of Berzillai was much desirous to have him home with him to Jerusalem promising that all the days of his life he should eat and drink with him at his own Board and fare no worse than he fared To whom Berzillai being a very old Man said O my Lord I am a Man of four-score years of age and cannot discern between good and evil neither yet tast any thing that I do eat or drink wherefore if I should then go with my Lord the King I should be but a burthen unto him Therefore I beseech thee let thy servant turn back again that I may dye in mine own Country and be buried in the Grave of my Father But here is thy servant Chimeam my Son let him go with my Lord and do unto him whatsoever it shall please thee And so David and Berzillai kissed each other and departed but Chimeam went with David who did not only recompence his Fathers kindness in him so long as he lived but at the day of his death declared to Solomon his Son the great fidelity he had found with Berzillai in the time of his exile charging him therefore to shew no less favour to the Sons of Berzillai for their Fathers sake than ever he himself had done Berzillai Made of Iron or as hard as Iron Bethsheba was the Daughter of Eliam 2. Sam. 11.3 and Wife to Urias which was with Joab in the King's Wars On a time as Bethsheba was washing her self in her privy Garden alone it chanced King David to look out at a Window in his Palace and saw her whose beauty so ravished the King that forthwith he sent for the Woman and committed adultery with her and so sent her home again Then shortly after she perceiving her self with child sent the King word thereof who then partly to hide his own fault and partly to save the Woman from danger of the Law sent for Urias to come home But when David saw that Urias would not company with his Wife Bethsheba he returned him back again to Joab with a Letter which caused Urias quickly to be dispatched out of his life after whose death Bethsheba became David's Wife and brought forth the child conceived in adultery which lived not long but dyed After that 12.24 she conceived again and brought forth Solomon Lastly when David was fallen into extreme age and that she saw Adonijah the Son of Agith begin to aspire to the Kingdom of his Father yet living she went by the counsel of Nathan the Prophet who had taught her her Lesson unto David her husband And making her humble obeysance unto the King as he sate in his Chamber and Abishag the Shunamite ministring unto him he said unto her what is the matter She answered my Lord thou swarest by the Lord thy God unto thine Handmaid saying assuredly Solomon thy Son shall reign after me and he shall sit upon my Seat And behold now is Adonijah King and thou my Lord the King knowest it not He hath offered Oxen fat Cattel and many Sheep and hath called all the Kings Sons and Abiathar the Priest and Joab the Captain of the Host But Solomon thy servant hath he not bidden And now my Lord O King the eyes of all Israel wait on thee that thou shouldest tell them who ought to sit on the Seat of my Lord the King after him for else when my Lord the King shall sleep with his Fathers I and my Son Solomon shall be sinners The Queen had no sooner done speaking but the Prophet Nathan came and confirmed her words Whereupon the King assured Bethsheba that Solomon her Son should be that day proclaimed to reign in his stead The Queen then humbling her self with thanks desired of God that her Lord King David might live
And being revived to health again the two young Men which had scourged him before appeared and said Thank Onias the High Priest for thy life at whose prayer the Lord hath restored thee and now that God hath scourged thee for thine offences give him praise and thanks and make his might and power manifest and open to all Men. And when the Men had spoken these words and were vanished away Heliodorus made his Oblation to God and gave hearty thanks to Onias for his life and so returned home again to the King declaring unto him the great and manifest works of God that were done upon him The King after this being yet desirous of the treasure that was in the Temple asked of Heliodorus whom he thought meet to send once again to Jerusalem for the money He answered saying Oh King if thou hast any enemy or Traitor unto thy Realm send him thither and thou shalt be sure to have him well punished and hardly to escape with his life For doubtless said he In that place there is a special power and working of God for he that dwelleth in Heaven visiteth and defendeth deth that place and none escapeth unpunished or plagued that cometh to do it harm Thus did Heliodorus magnifie the power of God and would no more enter into such danger Heliodorus the Gift of the Son Henoch the Son of Jared at the age of 65. Gen. 5.18 years begat Mathusaleh and after that he lived 300. years and begat both Sons and Daughters and walked always before the Lord in an upright and godly life And when he had lived 365. years the Lord * To inquire where Henoch became is meer curiosity took him away that he was no more seen Henoch Taught or dedicate Hermas was a faithful Christian Rom. 16.14 unto whom Paul sent commendations from Corinth to Rome Herman A prop or upholder or an earing Hermogenes 2 Tim. 1.15 was a faint hollow-hearted Gospeller of the Country of Asia which forsook Paul and gave him over whose unfaithfulness Paul pronounceth to Timothy Hermogenes Begotten by Mercury or the generation or increase of lucre or the refuge Herod was an Idumean born Matth. 2. cap. and the first stranger that reigned over the Jews In whose time Christ the Saviour of the World by the will of God came into this World of whose birth he had first knowledge of the Magi or wise men which came from the East to Jerusalem demanding there for him that was born King of the Jews saying that they had seen his Star and were come to worship before him Which news troubled Herod so sore that he sent for all the chief Priests and Scribes of the People to know of them where Christ should be born And being of them perfectly informed that he should be born in the City of * For there is another Bethlchem in the Tribe of Zabulon Bethlehem in Jewry he sent for the Wise men and after inquisition made what time the star appeared unto them he bad them go to Bethlehem and make diligent search for the Child and when they had found him to bring him word again that he might go and worship him also But when they had found the Child and had made their offering they were warned of God to break their promise with Herod and to return home another way Which thing being * Eusebius saith that Herod for this slaughter done would have killed himself but being lett by his servant he dyed within five days when he had reigned 37. years told to Herod he fell into such a rage for being so mocked that in his madness he sent forth Ministers to Bethlehem which killed all the Infants that were in the City and in the coasts thereof of the age of two years or under for whose great cruelty shewed upon those Innocents God payed him home soon after Herod the glory of the skin or boasting and glorying in skins Herod Mattb. 14.1 c. Luke 3.1 the Tetrarch of Galilee was Brother to Philip Tetrarch of Iturea and being reproved of John Baptist for keeping his Brother Philip's Wife he cast John in Prison where he remained until Herod's birth-day was come in the which solemn Festival day it chanced that the Daughter of Philip and Herodias danced before Herod and pleased the King so well that he sware unto her that whatsoever she would ask him it should be granted not thinking she would have asked John Baptist's Head Mar. 6. cap. for as Saint Mark saith Herod knowing John to be a just and an holy Man did both fear and reverence him and heard his preaching and did many things thereafter and was very sorry the Maid had asked none other thing But nevertheless for keeping his Oath which he had made before so many Noble-men he caused the innocent Man's head to be cut off and given to the Damosel This Herod and Pilate Lieutenant of Jewry had been long at variance And for the pleasure that Pilate shewed to Herod in sending Jesus bound unto him to be examined he was at one with him again For Herod had long desired to see Jesus And hoping now to have seen some Miracles done by him he demanded many questions of Jesus to the which he would make no answer at all Then Herod perceiving that Jesus would neither speak nor do any thing at his pleasure he began to despise and revile him and in mockery arrayed him in a long white Garment and sent him to Pilate again Herod Act. 12. cap. This Man was a great Persecutor of the Apostles He beheaded James the Brother of John and seeing that deed to content and please the Jews well This Herod was called Agrippa the Son of Aristobulus he was nephew unto Herod the great and Brother of Herodias he took Peter also and cast him into Prison intending after Easter which was at hand to have him put to death also Finally upon a certain day appointed to shew himself in his pomp and glory he made such an Oration before the Assembly that for the pleasantness of his speech the common people at the end thereof gave a mighty shout saying it was the voice of a God and not of a Man And because he gloried in their boasting and took that honour unto himself which he ought to have given to God he was immediately smitten by the Angel of God and eaten of Worms whereof he most miserably dyed Herodion was Paul's Kinsman Rom. 16 1â— unto whom he sent commendations from Corinth on this wise Salute Herodion my Kinsman Herodion the Song of a young Virgin or of a Woman conquering Herodias was Wife to Philip Herod's Brother Matth. 14.3 to whom she brought forth a * Which Daughter as Josephus writeth was called Salomon Daughter This Woman being more familiar with Herod than honesty required grew into such favour with him that he contrary to the Law of Moses married her his Brother being alive Against
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
7.24 c. For John prophesied Christ to be come pointing him with his finger unto the People saying Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the Sins of the World whereas all the other Prophets did but prophesie of his coming long before he came Matth. 14.3 Finally John using his liberty in rebuking Vice without any accepting of Persons reproved King Herod for keeping his Brother Philip's Wife for the which he was cast into Prison and soon after lost his Head Read the story of Herod the Tetrarch and of Herodias John the Evangelist Matth. 4.21 was the Son of Zebedee and Brother to James and called from his Fisher-boat to be an Apostle of Christ John 13.23.19.26.21.20 and was of all other most entirely beloved of Jesus who commended his Mother unto him at the hour of his death He wrote his Gospel against Cerinthus and other Hereticks and chiefly against the Ebionites which did affirm that Christ was not before Mary whereby he was constrained to set forth the Divine Birth of Christ In the time of the Emperor Domitian he was exiled into an Isle called Patmos where he wrote the Revelation and after the death of Domitian in the time of Pertinax he returned to Ephesus remaining there till the time of Trajanus and did raise up and set in order many Churches in Asia and did three-score years after the death of Christ and was buried at Ephesus John Mark Act. 12. ult When Paul and Barnabas had been at Jerusalem to distribute the Alms sent by the Antiochians in their return they brought this Man John sirnamed Mark with them to Antioch And when the Holy Ghost had separated Paul and Barnabas from the other Disciples to the intent that they should go and spread abroad the Gospel among the Gentiles and those that were far off they took this John Mark with them to be their Minister and Companion who bare them company from Antioch until they came to Pamphilia Act. 13.5 c. and farther would he not go but left them there and returned to Jerusalem again notwithstanding the Apostes went forth and fulfilled their office And when it came in their minds to go and visit these places again wherein they had sowed the Word of God Barnabas gave counsel to take John with them which had been their Minister before to whose mind Paul would not consent forasmuch as John of his own accord had forsaken them at Pamphilia before they had finished their work And so reasoning and disputing about this matter the contention was so sharp between these two Holy-men that the one forsook the others company And so Barnabas taking John Mark with him sailed into Cyprus Jonadab was the Son of Shimeah David's Brother 2 Sam. 13.3 and a very subtil Man He loved Amnon his Unkle David's Son above the rest of all his Brethren Of the counsel he gave to Amnon concerning his Sister Thamar Read the story of Amnon Jonadab Voluntary or Willing Jonas the Son of Amittai was an holy Prophet Jonas 1. cap. 2 King 14.25 commanded of God to go to Niniveh that great City to tell the People of their wickedness who * The Mother of this Prophet was the poor Widow of Sarepta whose Meal and Oil Elias encreased and restored her Son from death to life again notwithstanding perswaded himself by his own reason that he should nothing profit there seeing he had so long Prophesied among his own Country-men the Jews and done no good at all Wherefore he minding to flye to Tarsus got him to Joppa where he found a Ship ready payed his fare and went with them And being on the Sea a tempest rose so vehemently that the Mariners were sore afraid crying every Man unto his God and to lighten the Ship they cast all the Wares into the Sea which nothing availed Then went the Master of the Ship down under the hatches and finding Jonas fast asleep awoke him saying O thou sleeper what meanest thou arise and call upon thy God that we perish not And when no remedy could be had they agreed to cast Lots that thereby they might know for whose cause they were troubled and so doing the Lot fell on Jonas They seeing that said Tell us for whose cause we are thus troubled And what thine occupation is And what thou art And whence thou comest and whither thou goest And what Country-man thou art of what Nation I am said Jonas an Hebrew born and fear the Lord God of Heaven which made both the Sea and dry Land and am fled from his presence And when they heard that they were more afraid than before and said what shall we do unto thee that the Sea may cease from troubling of us Take me quoth Jonas and cast me into the Sea and ye shall have rest for I wot it is for my sake that this evil is come upon you Nevertheless the Men being loth to commit such a deed assayed with rowing to bring the Ship to Land And when they saw the Sea so troublous against them that it would not be they cryed unto the Lord and said O Lord let us not perish for this Man's death neither lay thou innocent bloud unto our charge For thou O Lord hast done even as thy pleasure was And so they took Jonas and cast him into the Sea which incontinent was calm and still And a certain great Fish prepared of the Lord received Jonas and swallowed him up into his body where he lay in prayer three Days and three Nights And being then cast out again on dry Land The Lord commanded him straight-way to go to Niniveh and do as he had charged him And when he came to the City was entered a days Journey in the same he cryed out saying There are yet forty days and then shall Niniveh be overthrown But when his Prophecie came to none effect by reason of the Peoples great repentance he was sore displeased and in his prayer said O Lord was not this my saying I pray thee when I was yet in my Countrey and the cause of my flying to Tarsus that thou wast a merciful God full of compassion long suffering and of great goodness and wouldest repent thee of the evil And now O Lord forasmuch as I am found false in my sayings take I beseech thee my life from me for I had rather dye than live And so Jonas got him out of the City and made him a Booth on the East side thereof And as he sat under the shadow of his Booth to see what should become of the City the Lord caused a wild Vine to spring over his Head to give him more shadow to defend the heat of the Sun from him whereof Jonas was very glad But on the next morrow when he perceived the Vine withered away and that for lack of the shadow thereof he waxed faint thorow the fervent heat of the Sun which burned him so sore he wished in himself that he
that curse thee and in thee shall all the Families of the Earth be blessed Abraham now having this promise made him of God departed out of Haran he and Sara his wife with Lot his Nephew and with all their substance that they had to go and to sojourn in the Land of Canaan And being there the Lord made a promise to Abraham that his Seed should possess that Land Whereupon soon after and in the same place where God spake thus unto him he made an Altar and offered Sacrifices thereon to the Lord. And so remaining in the Land there fell at the last so great a Famine that he was constrained to flie into Egypt where he fearing the Egyptians to be ungodly and vicious men feigned Sara to be his Sister Abraham taught the Egyptians Astronomy and Geometry Josephâ—â— thinking that if she were known to be his Wife they would for her beauty take her from him and put him in hazard of his life Then was it told to King Pharaoh what a beautiful Woman Abraham had brought with him into Egypt The King now knowing thereof commanded the Woman to be brought unto him and with all gentle entertainment received her into his house and intreated Abraham well for her sake But when he saw so many plagues fall on him and on all his hous-hold understanding that it was for with-holding another Mans wife from him he restored the Woman without dishonesty to Abraham her Husband again Giving also his Men a great charge concerning the Man and his Wife 13. cap. Then soon after Abraham returned from Egypt into the Country of Canaan where he had been afore And when he had lived some space in the Land there fell such a strife between the Herdmen of Abrahams Cattel and the Herdmen of Lots Cattel that Abraham was fain to divide the Land between his Nephew Lot and him and so they removed the one from the other Abraham had now been so long without issue 16. cap. that he took by consent and advice of Sarah one of his Maids named Agar to Wife who conceived and brought him forth a Son which was called Ishmael Abraham then being at the age of fourscore years and six 17. cap. And when he was come to the number of ninety and nine God gave unto him the covenant of Circumcision which he received first in himself and then made Ishmael and all the rest of his houshold to receive the same 21. cap. The next year after when Abraham was just an hundred years old Sarah conceived brought him forth his long promised Son named Isaac whom he circumcised the eighth day following would after that have offered him up in sacrifice 22. cap. but that God seeing his ready obedience staid his hand Finally after the death of Sarah 25. cap. Abraham took him another Wife called Keturah who bare unto him six Sons Which Children he would not suffer to remain and company with his Son Isaac Abrabam dyed before the Incarnation of Christ 1838. years but before he died sent them away with great Rewards and Gifts and made Isaac Heir of all his Goods He died at the age of an hundred seventy and five and was buried beside Sarah his Wife in the double Gave which he bought of Ephron the Hittite Look more in the histories of Lot Sarah and Melchisedeck Abraham a Father of a great multitude Absalom the son of David 2 Sam. 3. whom he begat on his wife Maacha the daughter of Thalmai King of Geshur was the goodliest personage in all Israel for as Scripture witnesseth God had so framed the form and ornaments of his body that from the soal of the foot to the crown of the head was no member amiss And yet among all the hair of his head excelled which so increased daily that the weight thereof compelled him at every years end to shave it off This Absalom had a brother named Amnon 2 Sam. 13. to whom he bare a privie grudge for defiling his sister Thamar And to be reveng'd on him for the same he invited all his brethren unto a banket made in the time of his sheep-shearing to the which banket Amnon came with the rest of his brethren and in the midst of their cheer Absalom killed Amnon and fled to the King of Geshur his Grandfather with whom he abode three years In the which space by mediation of friends 14. cap. he was at the last call'd home again and brought by Joab his Aunts son to Jerusalem where he remained two years after Then Absalom marvailing why Joab had not brought him to the King his Father in all that space sent once or twice for him to come and speak with him and when he saw that he came not he commanded his men to go and burn up the field of Barley which pertained to Joab and lay joyning to his ground Then Joab hearing thereof went to Absalom demanding wherefore his men had destroyed his Corn Because quoth Absalom I sent for thee twice and thou wouldest not come wherefore didst thou bring me from Geshur had it not been as good for me and better to have continued there still than here to lye so nigh the King my Father and cannot be suffered to see him then Joab considering the matter had him to the King where he was joyfully received After all this 15. cap. Absalom began certain practices to aspire to the kingdom wherein he prospered so far that at length he proclaimed himself King in Hebron Causing his Father for fear to flie out of his Realm against whom he called his counsel to devise what way he might best overcome his Father But God by whose providence all things are staid so wrought with his Counsellors 17. cap. that the success of his enterprise turned to his own destruction For when it came so to pass 18. cap. that both the armies were joyned in battel together Absaloms men had the worst and he himself a sudden mischance for as he rode on his Mule through the wood to have escaped Rebellion never escapeth Gods punishment a twist of an Oak caught him so fast in the hair of his head that it took him quite out of his Saddle And so he hang'd on the tree till Joab came with his spear and slew him whose Carcass after was taken down and cast into a pit and covered with an heap of stones Absalom A Father of Peace or the Fathers Peace or Reward Achan Josua 7. was the son of Charmy and of the Tribe of Juda who being at the winning of the City of Jericho and hearing Josua pronounce the City and all things therein to be excommunicate and accursed of the Lord took not withstanding certain jewels of the same and hid them privily under the ground in his tent Then after when Josua went about the taking of Hai and had sent three thousand souldiers to win it the men of Hai issued out of the city
the cause wherefore the Assyrians had so cruelly used him to whom he declared the matter in order as he had spoke it before to the Prince Holofernes which being done the whole Assembly gave praises and thanks to God which had given to Achior being an Heathen man such boldness of spirit to set forth his power and glory And from that time forth they comforted Achior and had him in great estimation who fell from his Heathenish belief Judith 14. and put all his trust in the living God and became a Jew and was circumcised and numbred among the People of Israel he and all his Posterity for ever Achior the Brothers light Achish was the Son of Maoth King of Gath 1 Sam. 21. who on a time when David feigned himself to be mad * Here it is said that David feigned himself mad before Achish and in the 34 Psaim before Abimclech which two were both one man for here he is called by his proper name Achise and in the other place by his general name Abimelech before him said unto his servants that brought him on this wise What mean you Sirs to bring this mad fellow before me have I so great need of mad men that ye have brought this man to play the mad Bedlam in my presence Away with him I say out of my House At this time Achish despised David and would not receive him but the next time * 27 cap. he came again with his Band of Men and their Housholds he retained them all and gave unto David the City of Ziklag to dwell in and had him in such estimation that when he himself should go with the Philistines to Battel against the Israelites he then took David with him and made him the Keeper * 29 cap. of his Person for the which the Philistines were sore offended with Achish and would not suffer him to go in their company so long as David was with him wherefore Achish for fear of the Philistines displeasure intreated David to go home again and so went Achish forth with the Philistines against King Saul Achish Even so it is Ada Gen. 4. There be two Women of this Name in the Bible The one was Lamech's Wife and Mother to Jaball The other was the Daughter of Elom the Hittite Gen. 36. and Wife to Esau Jacob's Brother Ada a Company or Congregation Adam was the first Man that God created Gen. 1. and had dominion of all the Beasts and Fowls of the Earth and to every Beast and Fowl he gave his proper Name God set him at the first in a place of passing joy full of all manner of fruitful Trees pleasant both to the eye and in tast whereof he might eat at will and was not prohibited save only from the tree of knowledg of good and evil for whensoever he tasted of that Tree God told him he should surely dye Now Adam being in this goodly Paradise of Pleasure God thought it good to make him a Companion to bear him company And so casting Adam into a sound sleep he took out a Rib of his side whereof he made the Woman and brought her to Adam who by and by confessed her to be of his Bone and Flesh and from that time forth they lived together as Man and Wife in all pureness and innocency of life till that by the subtilty of old Satan the Serpent who had deceived the Woman he was inticed by his Wife to eat of the forbidden Tree Which thing he had no sooner done but both their eyes were opened to see in what case they were And when they saw themselves all naked and bare they were so ashamed that they made them Garments to cover their privities and hid themselves that the Lord should not see them But Adam being found out of God and demanded wherefore he had hid himself alledged because he was naked And also to excuse his transgression he burdened God with his fault because he had given him the Woman which had allured him to eat of the Tree But nevertheless for as much as Adam had obeyed the voice of his Wife and neglected the Lords precept God cursed the Earth for his sake drove him forth of that wealthy place for to live in sorrow and care and be subject to death and all other calamities and miseries of the World both he and all his off-spring for ever In the Bible is mention made both of Sons and Daughters which Adam had of Eve his Wife but none of their Names be rehearsed save only Cain Abel and Seth. He lived nine hundred and thirty years Adam Man Earthly Adonijah 2 Sam. 3. was a goodly young Man the Son of David born unto him in Hebron of his Wife Agith When Adonijah perceived his Father to be feeble and weak thorow extreme age 1 King 1. he began to exalt himself saying he would be King And gat him both Horses and Chariots and also Foot men to run before him even like a King to the which his Father said nothing nor would displease him but let him alone and do what he would And so Adonijah proceeded in his purpose and by the counsel of Joab the Captain and Abiathar the Priest who took his part he made a great sacrifice of Sheep and Oxen whereunto he called his Brethren and also the Kings servants who eating and drinking before him with great rejoycing said God save King Adonijah But assoon as David had knowledge of Bathsheba Solomon's Mother and Nathan the Prophet how all the case stood he commanded Sadock the Priest and Nathan to anoint Solomon and to set Him upon his own Mule and so to go forth and proclaim him King Which news was no sooner come into the new Kings Court but every Man shrunk away for fear leaving Adonijah all alone Who then for his own safeguard fled to the Tabernacle of the Lord and would not go from thence till Solomon granted him his pardon upon condition that hereafter he would be quiet and a good Man And so being pardoned he departed quietly home to his house But after this when David his Father was dead 1 King 2. Adonijah casting his favour upon Abishag the Shunamite went to Bathshcha Solomon's Mother requesting Her to speak unto the King that he would give him Abishag to Wife Then Solomon hearing his Mothers request perceived that Adonijah being the Elder brother went about to aspire to the Kingdom wherefore to prevent his purpose he put him to death Adonijah the Lord is the ruler Adonibeseck King of the Canaanites Judg. 1â— was of such might and power that he subdued seventy Kings who being all brought into his Court He cut off their Thumbs and great Toes and made them gather their meat under his Table which great cruelty he shewed unto them being puft up with pride and ostentation of his victory This wicked King chanced to reign over the Canaanites when Judah had the governing of the
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
his Prophet that for as much as he had not ministred due correction unto his Sons for their great offences he would surely remove the High Priests office from his house for ever and raise him up a * Meaning Sadoc who succeeded Abiathar and was the figure of Christ faithful Priest which should do according to his hearts desire And this shall be to thee said he a sign and token that shall come upon thy two Sons even in one day they shall both dye And so it came to pass for when the Philistines went out to Battel against Israel 1 Sam. 4. the two Sons of Eli which waited upon the Ark of God were both slain and the Ark taken and possessed of strangers Then Eli being at that time 99. years of age and also blind hearing of the Ark to be taken of the Philistines was stricken into such a sudden fear that he fell backward off his stool and brake his neck after he had judged forty years Eli my God Eliab was the eldest Son of Jesse 1 Sam. 16.6 and so goodly a Man of stature and personage that when all the Sons of Jesse were brought before the Prophet Samuel to choose out a King among them Samuel thought Eliab to be the meetest for that office but God refused him and accepted David his youngest Brother who seemed to have more skill in keeping of Sheep than of War notwithstanding after that he proved a better Warriour than Eliab or all the rest of his brethren when he fought with Goliah and slew him And for that great enterprise of David 1 Sam. 17.28 Eliab being with King Saul in the Host was fore offended and began to rebuke David saying Wherefore art thou now come hither with whom hast thou left thy Sheep in the Wilderness I know thy pride and the malice of thine heart well enough and that of an haughty stomach thou art come hither to see the Battel and with such taunts and checks he reproved his Brother David for taking upon him to fight the Philistine whom he nor none of all his fellows durst look in the Face Eliab God my Father or the God of my Father Elijah 1 King 17. The Father of this Prophet was called Sobac Cooper was a Prophet born in the City of Thesba who for the wickedness of Achab prophesied that it should not Rain upon the Earth in the space of three years and an half and fled from the King who sought his Life and hid himself in a little Brook before Jordan where God commanded the Ravens to feed him with Bread and Flesh both Evening and Morning The Ravens sed Elijah And when the Brook began to wax dry the Lord sent him to the City of Sarepta in the Country of Sydon where he had ordained a certain Widow to sustain him and when he was come to the Gate of the City the Widow was there gathering of a few sticks for her Oven to whom he called and said Woman set me I pray thee a little Water to drink The Widow sustaineth Elijah And as she was going he cryed unto her again saying Bring me I pray thee a morsel of Bread in thine hand also she said again as truly as the Lord thy God liveth I have no Bread ready but even an handful of Meal in a Barrel and a little Oyl in a Cruise and am now going to dress it for me and my Son that we may eat and dye Well said Elijah do as thou hast said and fear not But first of all make me a little Cake thereof and bring it to me and afterward make for thee and thy Son for neither shall the Meal in the Barrel nor yet the Oyl in the Cruise be wasted or diminished till the Lord have sent Rain upon the Earth And so the Widow did as the Prophet bad her and all things came to pass as he had said And during the Prophets abode in the Widows house he restored her Child to life which was dead After this 1 King 13. he was commanded by God to go and shew himself to Achab. And when the King saw Elijah he said Art thou he that troubleth Isracel No said the Prophet it is not I that have troubled Israel but thou and thy Fathers house in that ye have forsaken the commandments of God and served Baal Therefore let all the People of Israel with the Prophets of Baal be brought before me to Mount Carmel and I will tell thee what the Lord saith And when the King had called the People together The Prophet said unto them how long will ye halt between two Opinions If the Lord be God follow him But if Baal be God then go after him And now to know who is the true God said the Prophet let there be two Bullocks brought and give the one to me which am but one Prophet of the Lord's and the other to Baal's Prophets which are 450. let them dress the one with Wood and no Fire under it and I will dress the other likewise And call ye on the name of your God and I will call on the name of my God and then the God that answereth by Fire let him be God To this the Prophets of Baal agreed and dressed their Oxen Elijah mocketh the Prophets of Baal which being done they cry to their God Baal but they cried so long without answer again that Elijah mocked them saying Cry out aloud for it may be that your God is busie in talking or occupied in following his enemies or is in his Journey or else faln a-sleep and must be waked with your cry And so they cryed on still from morning to night cutting themselves as their manner was with Knives and Lances till the bloud did follow and yet their God would not answer Then Elijah took his Bullock and dressed it and laid it upon the Wood and made a Ditch round about the Altar whereon the Sacrifice was laid and poured Water upon the Sacrifice until the Ditch was full And assoon as he had called on the Name of the Lord Fire fell down from Heaven and consumed the burnt Sacrifice the Wood the Stones the Dust and all the Water that was in the Pit And when the People saw that they turned to Elijah and fell upon all the Prophets of Baal and slew them at the Brook Kyson Now when Elijah had thus destroyed Baal and his Prophets 1 King 19. he durst not abide the menacing of Jezabel but fled to the Wilderness of Beersheba And having gone a days Journey therein he sate him down under a Juniper Tree and desired God that he would take his life from him And as he fell a sleep under the Tree the Angel of God touched him and bad him arise and eat wherewithal he awaked And seeing a baken Cake and a Pot of Water standing at his Head he refreshed himself therewith and laid him down again to sleep The Angel touched him once more and bad him
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
or Couch whereon the Queen fate and besought her grace for his life And when the King came in again and found him with the Queen he said Will he force the Queen also before me in the house Which word was no sooner gone out of the Kings mouth but Haman's * It was the manner of the Persians when one was out of the Kings favour to cover his face face was covered and so had out and hanged upon the Gallows which he had prepared in his own house for Mardocheus Read the story of Esther and of Mardocheus Haman Troubling or making burly burly or preparing Hanani was a Prophet sent of God to Asa King of Juda declaring unto him 2 Chron. 16 7 c. how greatly he had displeased the Lord for making a Covenant with Benhadad King of Syria and for doing his message was cast into Prison Read the story of Asa Hanani Gracious or Merciful or Giving Hananiah the Son of Azur was a false Prophet Jer. 28. cap. which prophesied unto the People of Israel that God would break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon from the neck of all Nations within the space of two years and in token thereof took the yoke from the Prophet Jeremies neck and brake it But Jeremy the true Prophet of God reproved the false prophecie of Hananiah saying That in stead of the yoke of wood which he had taken from his neck the Lord would put a yoke of Iron upon the necks of all these Nations that they should serve the King of Babylon and that the false Prophet Hananiah himself should dye the same year which things came truly to pass as Jeremy had spoken Hananiah Grace of the Lord. Hanun was the Son of Nahash King of the Ammonites 2 Sam. 10.1 unto whom David most gently sent to comfort him upon the death of his Father which gentleness was most ungently and unthankfully taken of the Lords and Councellors of the young King Hanun Who perswaded the young King that David had not sent to comfort him upon the death of his Father But had rather sent a sort of spies under the colour of friendship to seek the means how to destroy his Cities and whole Realm Upon the which false and unhonest surmise of his wicked Counsellers Hanun caused the one half of every Mans Beard to be shaven and their Garments to be cut off hard by the Buttocks and so sent them home again to David with much shame and disgrace Ingratitude punished Upon which occasion David became his utter enemy and made such sore War against him that in conclusion Hanun was taken and lost his Regal Crown which David put upon his own Head and wore it before Hanun's face and carried away all his Treasure and Jewels took his People whereof some he sawed in two pieces over other some he caused Carts new and sharp shod with Iron to be driven some he took and shred their flesh as Cooks do Pye-meat and cast other some in hot burning Ovens Thus was Hanun rewarded for his ingratitude Hanun Faithful or true a Schoolmaster and the Mothers Son or Child Hazael 2 King 8 8 c. was a certain great Man which served Benhadad King of Syria which Benhadad fortuning to fall sick sent Hazael to Eliseus the Prophet to know whether he should recover of his disease or no. And when the Prophet saw Hazael he could not look him in the face for shame but cast his Head aside and wept Then Hazael marvelling at the Prophets behaviour towards him demanded of Eliseus wherefore he wept I weep quoth the Prophet to see the great evils that thou shalt do to the Children of Israel Thou shalt break down their strong Cities and set them on fire and slay their young Men with the Sword and dash the brains out of the sucking Children and rent in pieces the Women with Child Then said Hazael dost thou make thy Servant a Dog that I should lack so much humanity and pity to do these things Well said the Prophet thou shalt do as I have said for the Lord hath shewed me that thou shalt be King of Syria And so Hazael departed home to the King his Master and told him that he should recover for so the Prophet had said unto him But on the next morrow when Hazael saw his time he took a thick * Under the pretence to refresh or ease him he stifled him with this cloth 2 King 8. 28 2 Chron. 22. cloth and dipt it in Water and spread it so on the King's face that he dyed After whose death Hazael raigned in his stead And being stablished in his Kingdom he made War with Joram King Ahab's Son and was a cruel adversary to Israel all the days of his life Hazael seeing God Helkiah was the High-Priest in the days of Josias 2 King 22.8 who in repairing the Temple of the Lord chanced by the providence of God to find the Book of the Law * The Copy that Moses left them as appeareth 2 Chron. 34.14 the which he sent to the King by Shaphan the Scribe which he read unto him Helkiah the Lords portion or part the Lords lenity or gentleness Heliodorus being in great favour with Seleucus 2 Mac. 3. cap. King of Asia and Steward of his House was sent to Jerusalem to fetch away the treasure out of the Temple which one Symon the Governour thereof had betrayed unto the King And being come to Jerusalem he was lovingly received of Onias the High-Priest into the City But when Heliodorus had uttered the cause of his coming and that his Commission was to bring the Money unto the King there was no small fear thorowout the whole City For then all men from the highest to the lowest were so oppressed with sorrow and heaviness that they knew not what to do but fell to prayer lifting up their eyes to Heaven and calling upon him which had made a Law concerning stuff given to keep that he would safely preserve the same which was there committed in custody And while the Priests and People were thus lamenting and crying upon God and on the other side Heliodorus personally with his Men of War about the Treasury There appeared an Horse with a terrible Man sitting upon him deck'd in Harness of Gold which Horse smote at Heliodorus with his fore-feet to beat him from the place Also there appeared two fair and beautiful young Men in goodly apparel which stood on each side of Heliodorus and scourged him so long that he fell down to the ground as dead and so was carried out of the Temple without speech or hope of life whereby the great power of God was manifest and known Then certain of Heliodorus friends besought Onias to call upon God to give him his life who was even at that time giving up the ghost Then Onias lest the King should suspect the Jews had done him some harm called upon God and obtained his life
with the Lord our God that should have any respect of Persons or take rewards Then he turned to the Levites and said Thus shall ye do in the fear of the Lord faithfully and with a pure heart what cause soever come unto you of your Brethren between Bloud and Bloud Law and Commandment Statute and Ordinance ye shall warn them that they trespass not against the Lord that wrath come not upon you and upon your Brethren thus do and you shall not offend Take courage to you and do manfully and the Lord shall be with such as go about to maintain the Laws of the Lord. After this the Lord gave Jehosaphat a marvellous Victory against the Moabites and the Ammonites whose Armies fell at such strife and variance among themselves that one killed another and left not one alive undestroyed before Jehosaphat came at them And the fourth day after he had gathered up the spoil he assembled his People in the Valley of Blessing and went to Jerusalem with great triumph where he gave all praise and thanks to God for his miraculous Victory Finally he joyned himself with Ahaziah King of Israel and made ten Ships to go with his Ships to Tarshish for Gold And because he had * The true Christians ought not to joyn in society with Idolaters joyned himself with so wicked a Man the Lord brake his Ships and would not suffer them to go He reigned xxv years and was buried with his Fathers in the City of David leaving Joram his Son to occupy his place Jehosaphat the Lord's judgment or the judgment of the Lord. Joseph the Son of Jacob and Rachel Gen. 30.24.37 cap. was in his youth beloved of his Father above all other in so much that he made him a Coat of many colours But his Brethren hated him because his Dreams signified unto them that he should be Lord over them all and they his Servants And being at the age of xvii years he was sent to them with Victuals where they lay with their sheep at Dothan who seeing him come afar off began to deride and mock him saying Behold where the Dreamer cometh and counselled together to kill him but Reuben the eldest Brother would not consent to that Wherefore at his coming they stripped him out of his Coat and cast him into an empty Pit And as certain Ishmaelites passed by they sold Joseph to them for twenty pence of silver and took his Coat and dipt it in Goats bloud and had it home to their Father bearing him in hand they had found it by the way Then Jacob seeing his Son's Coat cryed out and rent his Garments for sorrow thinking surely that wild Beasts had devoured and torn Joseph in pieces But he being safe and sound carried into Egypt 39. cap. was there sold again to a certain great Lord of King Pharaoh's Court named Potiphar and became so lucky a Man with him by God's providence that his Master made him chief Ruler over all his House And so continued in great favour with his Lord until his Master's Wife began to cast her love upon him and would have had him to lye with her Then Joseph to disswade his Mistress from her inordinate love said Behold my Master knoweth not what he hath in the House with me but hath committed all things he hath into my hands There is no Man greater in this House than I neither hath he kept any thing from me save only thee because thou art his Wife How then can I do this great wickedness and so sin against God And thus he put her off and shunned her company from that day forth as much as he could possibly do But one day as Joseph entered into the House to do his business and finding his Mistress there by chance alone she caught him by the Cloak to have him lie with her which he denied and would not consent to her mind and when he saw her so importune upon him that he could not honestly part from her he wound himself out of his Garment and so departed Then she called to her Men declaring to them that Joseph would have ravished her and when I began to crie quoth she he left his Garment behind him for hast and ran away which tale being told to Potiphar at his coming home Joseph was cast in Prison where by God's provision he found such favour with the Keeper that he committed all things under his hand to do whatsoever he would Gen. 40. cap. Now in this Prison where Joseph was lay two of King Pharaoh's Officers The one his chief Baker and the other is Butler Which two Men chanced to dream both in one Night and telling their dreams to Joseph he told the Butler that within three days he should be restored to his Office again but the Baker should be hanged Wherefore he desired the Butler to think upon him to the King when he was restored who notwithstanding forgot Joseph 41. cap. and never remembred him till two years after that Pharaoh the King chanced to have certain Dreams which none could be found to tell him the meaning of and then the Butler calling Joseph to remembrance told the King all things of him who being sent for and come to the King he opened the Dreams declaring to Pharaoh the seven plentiful years that were to come and the seven barren and hard years which should ensue and consume the abundance of the years preceeding Then the King perceiving Joseph to be a Man endued with wisdom and knowledge made him Regent of his Realm and called him the Saviour of the World for by his politick provision Egypt was relieved in the hard and dear years and the King greatly enriched At this time was Joseph about the age of thirty years and took to Wife Asnath the Daughter of Potiphar Priest of On and had by her two Sons Manasses and Ephraim Now when the time of Dearth was come all Lands being sore oppressed with Famine sent into Egypt for Corn among the which Jacob sent ten of his Sons 42. cap. who at their coming before Joseph their Brother and Governour of Egypt fell down flat before him Then Joseph beholding his Brethren whom he knew very well but they not him demanded strangely from whence they came They said from the Land of Canaan Then Joseph remembring his Dreams spake roughly to them and said they were spies Nay my Lord quoth they we are all one Man's Sons and mean truly Nay nay quoth he your coming is for none other purpose but to spie out the Land where it is weakest Truly my Lord quoth they we are no Spies we are twelve Brethren the Sons of one Man and the youngest this day remaineth with our Father and one no Man woteth where he is Then I will prove you quoth he whether ye mean truly or no let one of you go fetch your youngest Brother hither for by the life of Pharaoh ye shall not depart till I see him
that thou art Christ the Son of God which should come into the World After this when Jesus came to the place where Lazarus was buried and had commanded the stone of his Grave to be taken away Martha said Lord by this time he stinketh for he hath been dead four days Said not I unto thee quoth Jesus that if thou didst believe thou shouldst see the glory of God And so she saw her Brother Lazarus restored from death to life to the glory of God and her great comfort Martha Bitter or Provoking Mattathias the Son of Simeon the Priest 1 Mac. 2. which was of the stock and kinred of Joaris had five valiant Men to his Sons and dwelt in Modin remaining stedfast in the Laws of God notwithstanding the great calamities that were come upon the People of Juda and Jerusalem for the which Mattathias made piteous lamentation crying upon God to strengthen him and his Sons against the Heathen that had so wasted the People and defiled his Sanctuary And while he and his Sons were thus mourning in Sackcloth for the destruction of the holy City Antiochus the King sent certain Commissioners to the City of Modin to compel such Jews as were fled thither to forsake their own Laws and to serve the Idols of the Heathen Who after they had turned the heart of many spake to Mattathias on this wise Thou art said they a Noble man of high reputation and great in this City and hast many Children and Brethren Come thou first of all and fulfil the King's commandment like as the Heathen have done and the Men of Juda with such as remain at Jerusalem and so shalt thou and thy Sons be in favour with the King and greatly enriched Nay said Mattathias Though all Nations under the King's Dominion fall away every Man from the Law of their Fathers yet will I my Sons and my Brethren walk in the Laws of our Fathers God forbid we should forsake the Laws and Ordinances of God we will not for no Man's pleasure transgress our Religion or break the Statutes of our Law And as he had spoken these words a certain Jew came forth and openly in the sight of all Men did sacrifice unto the Idols upon the Altar in the City of Modin according to the King's commandment which thing so grieved Mattathias that for very Zeal he had to the Laws of God he started him up and ran upon the Jew and killed both him the Commissioner that compelled him so to do and ran his way crying thorow the City and saying to the People whosoever is fervent in the Law and will keep and stand by the Covenant let him follow me So he and his Sons fled into the Mountains and many other godly Men with their Wives and Children and all that they had got them into the Wilderness And being there the Heathen went against them on the Sabbath day and slew Man Woman and Child for on that day the Jews would make no resistance but would dye in their innocency Then Mattathias hearing of this was very sorry and counselling with his friends said If we do as our Brethren have done and do not fight for our Lives and our Laws the Heathen will soon root us all out of the Earth whereupon they concluded that whosoever did bid them battel on the Sabbath day that they would rather manfully fight for their Laws than dye as their Brethren had done before Upon the which conclusion came the whole Synagogue of the Jews with all such as were fled for Persecution to Mattathias And being gathered together they were so great an Host that they feared not their enemies but fell upon them and slew a great number And by their force and strength they went about the Coasts of Israel and destroyed the Altars and circumcised their Children and kept their Laws in spight of them all Finally when the time of his death drew nigh he called all his Sons before him exhorting them to prefer the Laws and wealth of their Countrey before their own Lives and ordained Simon his eldest Son to be as it were their Father and Judas Machabeus to be their Captain and so giving them his blessing he dyed and was buried in his Fathers Sepulchre in the City of Modin Mattathias the gift of the Lord. Mattathias the Son of Simon 1 Mac. 16. was killed with his Father at a Banquet which Ptolomy his Brother-in-law had prepared for them in a Castle of his called Doche. Mathattias the Son of Absalemus stuck by Jonathas 1 Mac. 11. when all his Men forsook him and fled the Field save Judas the Son of Galphi Matthew the Evangelist Read the Story of Levi. Matthew Given Matthias Act. 1.23 was a faithful Disciple of Christ and one that had his conversation always among the Apostles even from the beginning of Christ's preaching to the last end And now for as much as Judas the Traytor was fallen from Christ he with another godly Man called Joseph or Barsabas was appointed to stand in election which of them two should succeed in the place of Judas And when the Apostles had made their prayers to God Lots and given forth their lots the lot fell on Matthias and so he was counted with the eleven Apostles Matthias the Lords Gift Methuselah Gen. 5.21 c. was the Son of Henoch and lived an hundred eighty and seven years and begot Lamech And after that he lived seven hundred and eighty two years and begot Sons and Daughters and when he had lived in all nine hundred three-score and nine years he died Methuselah be sent his death or the weapons of his death Melchisedek Gen. 14.18 Heb. 7.1 is called King of Salem and the High Priest of the most High God When Abraham had rescued Lot his Nephew out of the hands of the Assyrians and was returned from the slaughter of the Kings Melchisedek met him with Bread and Wine to refresh Abraham and his Souldiers and blessed him saying Blessed be Abraham of the most High God possessor of heaven and earth and blessed be the most High God which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand And Abraham gave him tythes of all things The Scripture reporteth Melchisedek to be without Father without Mother without Kin and hath neither beginning of his days neither yet end of his life but is likened unto the Son of God and continueth a Priest for ever Melchisedek King of Righteousness Menelaus 2 Mac. 4. was Brother to Simon and Lysimachus two as ungracious as himself This ambitious Man by deceit got the High-Priest's Office from Jason on this wise When that good and godly Man Onias had the superiority Jason his Brother found the means to corrupt Antiochus the King with Money and so got the Office out of his Brother's hands And when the time came that Jason should pay the Money to Antiochus he sent it by the hand of Menelaus in whom he had great confidence But when
be now shut that no man can see us and we burn in lust towards thee therefore consent and lye with us if thou wilt not we will bear witness against thee that a young Man was in the Orchard with thee and therefore thou sentest away thy Maidens Then Susanna sighed and said If I do follow your minds it will be my death and if I consent not unto you I cannot escape your hands It is better for me to fall into your hands without the deed doing than to sin in the sight of the Lord. And with that cryed out with a loud voice and the Elders cryed out against her which clamour on both parties was so great that it was heard among the Servants without which ran to the Orchard door and burst it open to see what the matter was And when the Servants had heard the Elders report of Susanna they were greatly ashamed for there was never such a report made of Susanna before And so on the next morrow the two Elders full of mischievous imaginations declared the matter to Joachim her husband to bring her to death And when she was come with her Father and Mother her Children and all her kinred to be judged according to the law she stood before the two wicked Judges with her Face covered who commanded to take the Cloth from her face that at the least they might be satisfied with her beauty which thing being done the Judges stood up and laid their hands upon the head of Susanna saying As we were walking in the Orchard alone this Woman came in with her two Maidens whom she sent away from her making fast the Orchard door after them Then started there up a young Fellow which lay hid in the Garden and went unto her lay with her Then we which stood in a corner seeing this wickedness ran unto them and saw them as they were together but we could not hold the fellow for he was stronger than we and got open the door and leaped out And when we demanded of her what fellow it was she would not tell us This is the matter and we be witnesses of the same Then Susanna cryed out and said O everlasting God thou searcher of hearts thou that knowest all things before they come to pass thou wotest that they have born false witness against me And behold I must dye whereas I never intended any such thing as these Men have maliciously imagined against me And as she was led toward the place of execution the Lord of Heaven which heard her prayer raised up the spirit of a little Child called Daniel who cryed with a loud voice saying I am clean from the blood of this Woman And when the People heard that they stayed to know of the Child what he meant by his words O ye Children of Israel said he are ye such fools that without examination and knowledge of the truth ye have condemned a Daughter of Israel return again to Judgment for they have born false witness against her Then the People went back again and the Elders took Daniel and set him among them in Judgment Who when he had commanded the two false witnesses to be severed that he might examine them he called the one before him and said O thou that art old in a wicked life now thy sins which thou hast committed afore time are come to light Tell me under what Tree thou sawest this Woman and the young fellow together he said under a Mulberry Tree Now verily quoth Daniel thou hast lied and art worthy of death in that thou hast oppressed the innocent and hast let the guilty go free contrary to the words of the Lord which saith The innocent and righteous see thou slay not Then he called the other and said O thou seed of Canaan but not of Juda Beauty hath deceived thee and lust hath subverted thine heart Thus have ye dealt with the Daughters of Israel and they for fear consented unto you but the Daughters of Juda would not abide your wickedness Now tell me under what Tree didst thou take them companying together He answered under a Pine Tree Now verily said Daniel thou hast lied also against thine head The Messenger of the Lord standeth waiting with the Sword to cut thee in two and so to destroy ye both And with that the whole Assembly cryed with a loud voice and praised God which so miraculously had preserved Susanna that day And so fell upon the two wicked Judges and according to the law of Moses put them both to death Susanna one of those godly Women which followed Christ and his Apostles relieving them with her substance as much as lay in her power T. THADDAEUS Matth. 10.3 was one of the twelve Apostles Thaddaeus praising or confessing Tertullus Act. 14.1 2 c. was a certain Oratour which Ananias the High-Priest had brought with him to inform Felix the Ruler against Paul And when Paul was brought forth Tertullus began to accuse him saying Seeing that we live in great quietness by the means of thee and that many good things are done unto this Nation through thy providence we acknowledge it wholly and in all places most mighty Felix with all thanks Notwithstanding that I be-not tedious unto thee I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy courtesie a few words For we have found this man a Pestilent fellow and a mover of debate unto all the Jewes throughout the World and a maintainer of the Sect of the Nazarites And hath alsogone about to pollute the Temple whom we took and would have judged according to our law But the chief Captain Lysias came upon us and with great violence took him away out of our hands commanding his Accusers to come unto thee Of whom thou mayst if thou wilt inquire know the certainty of all these things whereof we accuse him Tertullus a false reporter or a teller of tails a lyar Terah was the Son of Nahor the Son of Serug Gen. 11.24 25 26 c. He at the age of seventy years begot Abraham but he had before by another Wife Nahor and Haran All the days that Terah lived were two hundred and five years Terah Smelling Look in the story of Abraham Tertius was the name of him that wrote the Epistle of S. Paul to the Romans while Paul indited it Rom. 16.22 saying on this wise I Tertius salute you which wrote this Epistle in the Lord. Tertius a Latine word Thamar 2 Sam. 13.1 2 c. the Daughter of David was so beautiful a young Woman that Amnon her Brother fell sick for her love And when she had visited Amnon at her Fathers commandment and drest him certain meat and brought it into his Chamber he began to force her to lye with him Then she seeing that said Nay my Brother do not force me for no such thing ought to be done in Israel commit not this folly For whither shall I be able to go with my shame