The Standard of the Lord REVEALED.  
By which He hath led and guided and preserved his people since Adam to this day, as is manifested through the Scriptures, and is showed forth in this following Abstract.  
AS ALSO  
A clear manifestation by the Scriptures of the Recovering and Redeeming his Spiritual Seed and Body, which is his Church, out of thraldom and Captivity, which day is begun.  Then he remembered the days of old, Moses and his people, saying, where is he that brought them up out of the Sea with the Shepherds of his flock? where is he that put his holy Spirit within them, that led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, that led them through the deep as a Horse in the Wilderness that they should not stumble. Isa. 63.11, 12, 13. Neither said they where is the Lord that brought us up out of the Land of Egypt, and led us through the Wilderness, etc. Jer. 2.6. But fear not thou O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed O Israel, for behold I will save thee from the land of their Captivity, and Jacob shall return and be in rest, and at ease and none shall make them afraid, Jer. 46.27. Isa. 41.13.14. And I will bring again the Captivity of my people Israel and they shall build the waste Cities and inhabit them, and they shall plant Vineyards, and they shall drink of the Wine thereof, and shall make Gardens and eat of the fruit thereof. Amos 9.14. The Redeemer is come to Zion, Jacob doth rejoice, and Israel is glad. Psal. 53.6. 
Given forth at Lancaster Castle 11. month 1665/6, By M. F. a Prisoner of the Lord.  
Printed in the Year MDCLXVII.   

The Epistle to the Reader.  
Diligent Reader,  
IF thou seriously consider that we are fallen into the last days and ages of the World, in which the Lord of Heaven and Earth will come and plead with his Enemies, and to recompense them according to their works, Rev. 20.12. 2 Cor. 5.10. Mat. 16.27. and that the terrible day of the Lord is coming with burns as an Oven, and all his Enemies are before him as stubble, and he will call all men high and low, rich and poor to an account for their deeds done, and reward every one according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be bad: The serious consideration of these things should put thee to a stand, to search and to see how it stands between thee and the Lord. And if thou desires the knowledge of the living God and of his eternal Truth, and desires to know the deal of the Lord with his people, and his seed here upon the earth, since he made man and created him, and gave him a being upon the earth, look into this following Extract which is taken out of the Scriptures, and thou mayst thereby see how the Lord hath led his seed and people from the beginning of the World until this present day: As also his tender care and love that he hath exercised unto them all along as thou thyself will judge in the reading of this Treatise through, which will be for thy own advantage, and the building of thee up in the knowledge of the Lord and his Truth, and also in the knowledge of the Scriptures, which too many are and have been ignorant of, and therefore have they died in their sins, according as Christ saith, if you do not believe that I am he ye shall die in your sins, Joh. 8.24. And none do believe that Jesus is Christ, but who believes in his light and in his holy Spirit; for that is the unction of the holy one, the anointing which is the Christ, which is the truth and is no lie, and which leads into all truth, which Christ Jesus promised he would send when he went to his Father, in John 16. It is expedient for you, saith he, that I go away, for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart I will send him unto you: howbeit when the Spirit of truth is come he shall guide you into all truth, for he shall not speak of himself, but he shall receive of mine and show it unto you; all things that the Father hath are mine, therefore I said unto you he shall take of mine and show it unto you; thou mayst read of this at large in this Chapter: So this is the very life of our knowledge of the truth to mind the light of the Lord Jesus Christ which is in thy heart, and his Spirit that he hath put in thy inward parts, and with that eye read this following Treatise in sobriety, gentleness, and meekness of Spirit, without partiality or prejudice, and thereby thou mayst gain knowledge and understanding into the truth of God, and also into the Scriptures which it may be thou didst not know before. Thou mayst also read in this following Book of the Redemption and bringing back of the Captivity of the Church of Christ, whose day of redemption and deliverance comes as is showed therein by the Scriptures: and so as I said before being the time is short, and the Lord cometh as a thief in the night, ●nd the servant knoweth not at what hour his Lord cometh: Therefore Christ saith it is good for you to be ready, for in such an hour as you think not of the Son of man cometh, blessed is the Servant whom the Lord when he cometh findeth watching; watch therefore for you know not at what hour the Lord cometh, Mat. 24. so in this time and day all people had need to be found watching, lest they say peace when sudden destruction cometh upon them. So in love to the Souls of all people upon the whole earth is this written, and that it might be of advantage to all people is the end of the writing of this following book.  
And the Lord that hath opened and moved by the power of his holy Spirit in writing of it, make it also effectual and of use and service for the salvation of the Souls of all the Readers of it.  
M. F.   


Genesis.  
IN the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God, the same was in the beginning with God, all things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made. Joh. 1. This is the testimony and the record of John the beloved Disciple that leaned on Jesus breast, this agreeing with the first of Genesis; In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, and the earth was void, and without form, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, and God said let there be light and there was light. 1 Joh. 5.7. So here is the record which is in heaven, God, the Spirit, and the Word that was in the beginning with God, by which all things were made and created, the Heavens and the Earth, the Sea and the firmament, and all things that are therein, and every living creature that moveth in the Sea, and upon the Earth were created by the word of God, and God saw every thing that he had made, and behold it was very good; and God said let us make man in our own likeness, and let them have dominion; so God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them.  
To this agrees Mat. 19.4. where Christ saith, have you not read, he that made them in the beginning made them male and female? fe added to male signifieth to increase, to multiply or bring forth. So here is all the distinction that the word that was in the beginning made between them, God called them male and female: the same John as bears witness of the word that was in the beginning with God, also bears witness that the word was made flesh, Joh. 1.14. and dwelled among us, and we beheld his glory as the glory of the only begotten Son of the Father, which is Christ in the male and female, this is the true image of God full of grace and truth, according as the Apostle saith in the Ephes. 4.24. Eph. 2.10. And that you put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness; and this word stood in the decree and election of God, until it was made flesh, his Son manifested in the flesh, which makes and creates the image of God in the male and in the female, in righteousness and true holiness in the male and female; Gal. 3.28. The males were to be the Lords, Exod. 13.13.15.16. Leu. 1.3. They were to offer a male without blemish, Mal. 1.14. they were cursed that had a male in their flock and offered unto the Lord a corrupt thing: and again Exod. 13.2. and Numbers 18.15. According to this Law of Moses Joseph and Mary observed the command of God, and circumcised Jesus on the eight day, as it is written in the Law of the Lord, every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord, Luke 2.21.23. here is the true and living image which God has created in the male and female; but here lies the mystery, God manifested in the flesh, which is yet hid to the most of men, that lies in the fall, but perfectly known to those that are in the resurrection and redemption. Howbeit on the sixth day the Lord form man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living Soul. And the Lord God planted a Garden Eastward in Eden, and the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it ver. 15. and the Lord God said it is not good for man to be alone, I will make him an help meet for him; and the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept, and he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh thereof, and the rib which the Lord God had taken from man made he a woman, and brought her unto the man; and Adam said this is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man. So Adam gave names to all the creatures, for God brought every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air unto Adam, that he might give names unto them, and so he brought the woman unto Adam, and he called her woman, because she was taken out of man.  
Now the Serpent being more subtle than any beast of the field which God had made, he began to exercise his subtlety, and to lay his temptations and snares unto the innocent and weak, and so began with the woman which was but a part of man; and in the first place told her a lie to entice her to break the command of the Lord God, which the Lord God strictly commanded the man that he should not eat of it, for in the day that thou eats thou shalt surely die saith the Lord: saith the Serpent, hath the Lord God said that ye may not eat of every tree in the Garden? the woman said unto the Serpent, we may eat of the trees of the Garden, but of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the Garden, God hath said, ye shall not eat, neither shall ye touch it lest ye die; the Serpent said, ye shall not surely die. Here was the liar, and so Christ saith of him, Joh. 8.44. ye are of the Father the Devil, and the lust of your Father ye will do, he was a Murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him, when he speaketh a lie he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar and the Father of it, 1 Joh. 3.8. he that committeth sin is of the Devil, for the Devil sinned from the beginning; so this was he that did encounter with weak and innocent woman, and when he led out her eyes to look upon the tree, she saw it was good and pleasant to the eye, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, and she took of the fruit thereof to eat, and gave also unto her Husband and he did eat with her: And so here they both came into the disobedience and fell from the command of God, lending their ears, their minds, and their eyes to the temptation of the Devil, fell from righteousness, fell from innocency and holiness, and so became transgressors against God and breakers of his commands. And so the Devil was the Original and beginning of this sin and transgression, and they harkening unto his temptation, and answering unto his desires, and joining with him in it, came under the curse and so was driven out from the presence of God, and so dread and fear took hold on them, that when they heard the voice of God they hide themselves from his presence among the trees of the Garden, and when the Lord called unto Adam, he heard his voice and was afraid because he was naked; the Lord said, who told thee thou wast naked? hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I told thee thou shouldst not eat? the man said, the woman thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord said unto the woman, what is this that thou hast done? and the woman said the Serpent beguiled me and I did eat: and the Lord said unto the Serpent because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all , and above every beast of the field, upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. Gen. 3.14.  
This is the Serpent's portion, and the decree of God upon him for evermore, and all that are of his Spirit, that harken to his temptations, who disobey the command of the living God, and transgress against him, he that commits sin is of the Devil 1 Joh. 3. And the Lord said I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed, it shall bruise thy head, (mark, that the woman's seed shall bruise the Serpent's head, the Lord hath said it) and thou shall bruise his heel, Gen. 3.15. and this hath been and is fulfilled, the heel of the precious seed hath been bruised ever since the day that Adam fell, the Lamb hath been slain from the foundation of the world, Rev. 13.8.  
The descending part of the Lamb hath been bruised and slain since the world had a foundation in the heart of man, for the Devil got into Evahs' heart, and Adam's heart by his temptation, when they obeyed the voice of the Serpent (and disobeyed his voice that made them) he told them they should be as Gods, but he became the God of that world of sin and of transgression; and this world is set in the hearts of all men in the fall, that they cannot find the beginning or the end of the work of God, Eccl. 3.11. And the God of this world hath blinded the minds of all them which believe not 2 Cor. 4.4. through the disobedience that did enter into their hearts: and so their foolish hearts were darkened, and he, the Prince of darkness, hath ruled ever since this world had a foundation in the heart of man, and to this very day doth rule in the children of disobedience, Eph. 2.5, 6. And so that precious part of the Lamb, that descending part that God hath placed in man's heart, hath been and is slain in all the children of disobedience, who are not risen with Christ unto righteousness and true holiness. Now he that ascended, saith the Apostle, is the same that descended first into the nethermost parts of the earth (and he that descended is the same also that ascended far above all heavens, that he might fill all things, Eph. 4.8.9.) So there hath he suffered and been oppressed as a Cart hath been with sheaves, and born the iniquities of all above 5600 years. But the Lord of his infinite mercy and love reserved a remedy and redemption at that very instant, who decreed and said that the precious seed of the woman should bruise the Serpent's head and break his power: And so as it is already manifested and fulfilled; the Word which the Lord spoke that he should bruise his heel; so, as certainly and assuredly as the word of the Lord endureth for ever, and that not one jot or tittle of it shall fail till all be fulfilled; so certainly will he fulfil this part also that the seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpent's head and break his power; and to this purpose hath he redoubled his promise again and again as we shall show more fully hereafter: And so Adam and Eve stood under the sentence that the Lord pronounced upon them; unto woman that he would greatly multiply her sorrow in her conception, and in bringing forth Children: And unto Adam he said cursed is the ground for thy sake, in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all thy days; so in this miserable state they continued, and in this darkness, transgression, and disobedience. Adam knew his Wife and she brought forth a Son; and called his name Cain, and Adam called his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all living: and this Cain was the fruits of the Spirit of the Devil who was a liar and a murderer. And again she bore his brother Abel, and Cain was a tiler of the ground, but Abel was a keeper of Sheep; and in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord, and Abel he also brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof, and the Lord had respect unto Abel and his offering (for the Apostle saith Heb. 11.4. by faith Abel offered unto God) but unto Cain and his offering he had no respect: And Cain was wroth, and his countenance fell; and the Lord said unto Cain, why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? if thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted? if thou dost not well sin lieth at thy door; And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him, Gen. 4.7.  
But the Apostle saith, that Abel offered a more excellent offering than Cain, by which he obtained a witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts, and by faith he being dead yet his blood speaketh; Heb. 11.4. and also Cain manifested what seed he sprang from, unto which God said, I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed, which seed was a liar and a murderer from the beginning: and Cain talked with his brother, and it came to pass that when they were in the field, that Cain risen up against Abel his brother and slew him: and wherefore slew he him? because his own works were evil and his brothers righteous 1 Joh. 3.12. And this cain's Spirit hath remained amongst men to this very day, for he slew his brother about offering unto God, and the worship of God; and so this cain's spirit hath been slaying, and killing, and persecuting ever since, (about Offerings, and Sacrifices, and Worships) righteous Abel, and that spirit which God accepts hath been persecuted and slain, and is to this day. But God will fulfil the words of Christ upon them, Mat. 23.35. that upon you might come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel: but the Lord knew when Abel was slain, and he knows, and sees, and hath seen all the righteous blood that hath been shed since Abel: and the Lord said unto Cain, what hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood hath cried to me from the ground, and now thou art cursed from the earth which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brothets blood from thy hand, Gen. 4.10, 11. And under this curse all cain's spirit and off spring remains, a fugitive and vagabond from the Lord; for Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelled in the Land of Nod. ver. 16. And Adam knew Eve his Wife again, and she bore a Son and called his name Seth, for God (saith she) hath appointed me another Son instead of Ahel whom Cain slew: So here is another Son brought forth of Abel's seed which the Lord accepted, and to which the promise of the Lord remained: and to Seth, to him also there was born a Son, and he called his name Enos, then began men to call upon the name of the Lord: here was the right seed again, which set up the worship of God, as you may read in the fifth of Genesis the Generations of them that worshipped God in that day from Adam, some of which the Apostle bore witness of in Heb. 11.5.  
By Faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death, 
Enoch translated.  and was not found because God had translated him, for before his translating he had this testimony that he pleased God. By faith N●ah being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an Ark to the saving of his house, by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by Faith, ver. 7. So here the Lord had a Church then upon the earth, that worshipped, and served, and feared, and walked with the Lord, and died in the faith, as the Apostle bears witness of in Heb. 11. and may be read at large in Gen. 5. which was of that seed which God accepted.  
And Lamech lived 182 years and begat a Son, and he called his name Noah, saying, this shall conmfort us concerning the work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed, Gen. 5.28.  
Here Lamech was a Prophet concerning his Son Noah, which the Apostle witnesses to be a Preacher of Righteousness, 2 Pet. 2.5. And Noah was 500 years old and begat Shem, Ham, and Japhet; for it came to pass when men began to multiply upon the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, and the Sons of God saw the daughters of men were fair, and they took them Wives of all which they chose, Gen. 6.2.  
And so here again, the earth was corrupted, and here they fell again into transgression, and the Lords Spirit was grieved, and the Lord said my Spirit shall not always strive with man for that he is but flesh, yet his days shall be 120 years, and God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was evil, and that continually; and it repent the Lord that he had made man upon the earth, and it grieved him at his heart; and the Lord said I will destroy man, whom I have created, from the face of the earth, both man and beast, and the creeping things, and the fowls of the air, for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, Noah was a just man and perfect in his Generation, and Noah walked with God, and the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence; and God looked upon the earth, and behold it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted his way: and God said unto Noah, the end of all flesh is come before me, for the earth is filled with violence through them, and behold I will destroy them with the earth, make the an Ark of Gopher wood, etc. So Noah being a perfect and just man obeyed the Lord, and set about the work, for he had the Lords words and promise, Gen. 6.18. with thee I will establish my Covenant, and thou shalt come into the Ark, thou and thy Sons and thy Wife, and thy Sons Wives with thee: So Noah laboured in the work and Commandment of the Lord, and preached amongst them, after the Lord complained of the wickedness of men, a hundred years before the flood; in which time the long suffering of God waited while the Ark was preparing, so that there was but eight persons saved 1 Pet. 3.20. And Noah took of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort, and brought into the Ark to him, to keep them alive, according as the Lord commanded him, male and female of every sort, and of the fowls after their sort, and the  after their kind, and of every creeping thing after his kind, two shall come unto thee of every sort to keep them alive, and take unto thee of all food that is eaten, and it shall be meat for thee and them, thus did Noah according to all that God commanded him.  
The Lord God said unto Noah, come thou and all thy house into the Ark, for thee have I seen righteous in this Generation, and of every clean beast take with thee by seven, males, and females, for yet seven days and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living substance that I have made, will I destroy from the face of the earth.  
And Noah did according to all that the Lord commanded him, and Noah was 600 years old, when the floods of the Waters were upon the earth; and Noah went in, and his Sons, and his Wife, and his Sons Wives with him into the Ark; and here was his Father Lamech's Prophecy fulfilled, Cen. 5.29. who saw the curse upon the ground, which by reason of sin and wickedness the Lord cursed: he saw this before it came, even when he named his Son Noah, saying this same shall comfort us, and so he did, for through his faithfulness unto the Lord in this wicked Generation, the Lord had respect unto him who was a just and perfect man, preserved him and his house even in that great deluge, that they might be a seed unto the Lord God; and so here it is proved that the Lord had a Church upon the earth, that served the Lord, and walked with him even before the flood, as the Apostle bears witness, Judas 14. Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints, to execute judgement upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly amongst them, here Enoch prophesies of the eternal truth that was to be revealed. And Peter saith, God spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eight person a Preacher of righteousness, by which he went and preached to the Spirits in Prison, when once the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the Ark was prepared, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved, 1 Pet. 3.19, 20. So brought in the flood upon the world of ungodly, 2 Pet. 2.5. So he saved a seed for himself of those that worshipped and served him; but these were not of Cain's stock, that slew his brother Abel, but these were of that seed which Cain persecuted, and whose blood cried to the Lord for justice against the murderer, which seed hath suffered ever since by that murdering, persecuting spirit, and that was Cain's stock that corrupted the earth, and filled it full of violence, by which they grieved the Lord at the very heart, as Judas saith in the 10. ver. But these speak evil of dignities which they know not, but what they know naturally as bruit beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves, woe unto them for they have gone in the way of Cain: So Cain's spirit is always full of wrath, envy, murder, and bloodshed: and so this fulfils the word of the Lord unto the Serpent, when he said, I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; and so upon this seed and world of ungodly men the Lord brought the flood, and overflowed the whole world because of their wickedness, so that all flesh died, and every living substance was destroyed, Noah only remained alive and they that were with him in the Ark. And the waters prevailed upon the earth 150 days, and in the second Month, on the 27. day of the month the earth was dried, and God spoke unto Noah saying, Go forth of the Ark thou and thy Wife, and thy Sons and thy Sons Wives with thee, and bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, etc. and Noah went forth and every living thing that was with him after his kind went forth out of the Ark.  
And Noah builded an Altar unto the Lord and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl and offered burnt-offerings on the Altar, and the Lord smelled a sweet savour, and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the earth any more for man's sake, for the imaginations of his heart are evil from his youth, neither will I again smite any more every thing living as I have done; while the earth remaineth, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, Summer and Winter, day and night shall not cease, Gen. 8.20, 21, 22.  
And God blessed Noah and his Sons, and said unto them be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth, and the fear of them and the dread of them shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, the power of all living, the living creatures, the Lord delivered into the hands of Noah and his Sons, and the Lord said every thing that liveth shall be meat for you, even as the green Herb, I have given you all things; but flesh with the life thereof which is the blood thereof you shall not eat. And surely your blood of your lives will I require, at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man, and at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man, Gen. 9.4, 5.  
So here the Lord warned them before hand, not to kill one another, as Cain had done his brother, no nor the beasts to kill them, who so sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God made he man ver. 10. And to Noah and to his Sons, he said, be fruitful and multiply, and bring forth abundance in the earth, and multiply therein, and behold I will establish my Covenant with you, and with your seed after you, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more, neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth; and God said, this is a token of the Covenant that I will make between me and you, I do set my Bow in the Cloud, and it shall be seen in the Cloud, and I will remember my Covenant, and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting Covenant between me and every living Creature of all flesh upon the earth. And the Sons of Noah that went forth of the Ark were Shem, Ham, and Japhet; Ham is the Father of Canaan, these are the three Sons of Noah, and of them was the whole earth spread.  
And Noah began to be a Husbandman, and he planted a Vinyard and drank of the Wine, and was drunk, and he was uncovered within his Tent; and Ham the Father of Canaan saw the nakedness of his Father, and told his two Brethren without; and Shem and Japhet took a Garment and laid it upon both their Shoulders and went backward and covered the nakedness of their Father, and their Faces were backward, and they saw not their Father's nakedness, ver. 23.  
So this cursed Ham he could look upon his Father's nakedness and lay it open to his Brethren, but his Brethren covered his nakedness and could not look upon him. And Noah when he awoke from his Wine he knew what his younger Son Ham had done unto him, and he said cursed be Canaan a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren; and he said blessed be the Lord God of Shem, and Canaan shall be his servant; and God shall enlarge Japhet, and he shall dwell in the Tents of Shem, and Canaan shall be his servant. Here Noah had the inspiration of the Almighty and was a true Prophet concerning his three Sons, and they which he blessed is blest, and he whom he cursed is cursed; and according to his Prophecy the Lord hath enlarged Japhet, for of Japhet's stock is the Isles of the Gentiles as you may read Chap. 10. ver. 5.  
And of Shem's stock came Abraham the Father of all the faithful, to which the promise of the Lord is, and Christ Jesus the seed of the promise is not only given a Covenant unto Abraham and his seed the Jews, but he is also given a light to the Gentiles, that he may be God's salvation to the ends of the earth. And so here is Noah's Prophesle fulfilled upon Shem and Japhet, that as they joined together in covering their Father's nakedness, so Christ Jesus the everlasting Covenant hath joined them together in one, and will be their salvation to the ends of the earth: and so Japhet dwells in the Tents of Shem in God's Covenant of light: And so Haps stock is of the cursed seed, he begat Cush, and Cush begat Nimrod, and he was a mighty hunter, and a great man in the earth, and the beginning of his Kingdom was Babel in the Land of Shinar, as ye may read in Gen. 10.  
The whole earth at that time was of one Language, and this Nimrod began to build a City in the plain of Shinar, and this Ham's stock, and Nimrod's stock they would go make brick, and they would go build a City and a Tower whose top may reach to Heaven, lest we be scattered upon the face of the earth, say they; and the Lord God came down to see the City which the Children of men builded; and the Lord said let us go down and confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech: so the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of the earth, and they left off to build the City, therefore is the name of it called Babel, because that there the Lord did confound the Language of all the earth: and the cause of this was the pride of cursed Ham's stock, and Nimrod that would be so great that he would build a Tower to Heaven, that he might not be scattered, but his Kingdom is Babel, and from thence they were all s●attered, and this was the beginning of many Languages, even a curse from God upon Ham's stock, for before the earth was all of one Language; for Ham's stock is of the cursed seed, and for their sakes the Language was confounded, and they scattered over the earth. Now the Generations of Shem you may read of in Gen. 11.10. to the end.  
And Terah lived 70 years and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran, ver. 26. and Haran begat Lot, and Haran died before his Father Terah in the Land of his Nativity, Hor of the Caldees: and Abram and Nahor took them Wives, the name of Abrams Wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's Wife was Milcah, and Terah took Ahram his Son, and Lot the Son of Haran his Son's Son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his Son Abrams Wife, and they went forth with him into Us of the Caldees, to go into the Land of Canaan, Gen. 11.31. And the Lord said unto Abram get thee out of thy Country and from thy kindred, and from thy Father's house, into a Land that I will show thee, and I will make of thee a great Nation, and I will bless thee and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing, and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee, and in thee shall all the Families of the earth be blessed.  
So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Abram took Sarai his Wife, and Let his Brother's Son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the Souls that they had got in Haran, and they went forth to go into the Land of Canaan, and into the Land of Canaan they came; and Abram passed through the Land to Scchem, unto the plain of Morch, and the Canaanite was then in the Land: this Canaanite was of Ham's stock and seed, which afterward the Lord drove out to bring in his own seed of his Promise.  
And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, unto thy feed will I give this Land; and there Abram built an Altar unto the Lord who appeared unto him there in the Land, though the Canaanite was there; and Abram removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his Tent, and there he builded an Altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord.  
And so journied towards the South, and there was a grievous Famine in the Land, and Abram and his Wife, and Lot went down into Egypt to sojourn there, because the Famine was great, and there they stayed in Egypt till they were grown very rich in , in Silver, and in Gold. And Abram came back again out of Egypt, and his Wife, and Lot, and all that they had, and he went on his journey from the South even to Bethel, unto the place where his Tent had been in the beginning, and unto the place of the Altar which he had made there at first, there Abram called on the name of the Lord, even in the Land which the Lord had given unto him; he came back unto it from Egypt, he and his Wife, and Lot, and all their substance and , but their Servants and Herdsmen could not agree; and Abram desired that there might be peace betwixt L●● and him because they were brethren; and Abram said, the whole Land is before thee, separate thyself from me, and take the one hand: and I will take the other; and Let chose the plain of Jordan because it was well watered, and as the Garden of the Lord, and Abram dwelled in the Land of Canaan, and Let dwelled in the Cities of the plain, and pitched his Tents towards Sodom; but the men of Sodom were wicked, and sinned before the Lord exceedingly, for they were of Ham's stock, and of that cursed seed, for he was the Father of Canaan; and the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, list up now thine e●es, and look from the place where thou art, Northward, and Southward, and Eastward, and Westward, for all the Land which thou seest to the will I give, and to thy seed for ever; and I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth, so that if thou canst number the dust of the earth than shall thy seed be numbered.  
Abram removed his Tent and came and dwelled in the plain of Mamre which is in Hebron, and builded there an Altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord: Then there was a great battle fought about Sodom and Comorrah, four Kings against five made War, and they took Lot, Abraham's brother's Son, a Prisoner, and all his goods. And when Abram heard they had taken his Brother's Son captive, he armed his servants that were born in his house, and pursued them unto Dan, and pursued them unto Hobah, and he brought back all the Goods, and he also brought again his brother Lot.  
And when Abram returned back from the slauther of the Kings, Melchisedec King of Salem brought forth bread and Wine, and he was the Priest of the most high God, and he blessed him and said, blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of Heaven and earth, and blessed be the most high God which hath delivered thine enemies into thine hand, and Abram gave him Tyths of all.  
Now the Scripture saith, that Christ the everlasting high Priest, is after the Order of Melchisedec, Psal. 110.4 David saith the Lord hath sworn and will not repent, thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedec; and the Apostle saith, Heb. 6.20. whither the forerunner is entered, even Jesus made an high Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedec, this cannot be of mortal man, nor according to man's Order, that Christ Jesus is made a Priest after: the Apostle saith, this Melchisedec King of Salem, Priest of the most high God, who met Abram returning from the slaughter of the Kings and blessed him, to whom Abraham also gave a tenth part of all. The Apostle gives the signification of his name; first, being by interpretation King of Righteousness, after that King of Salem, which is King of peace, without Father, without Mother, without descent having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like unto the Son of God, abideth a Priest continually.  
This is the interpretation the Apostle gives of him, now consider, saith the Apostle, how great he is unto whom the Patriarch Abraham gave the tenth: Now they that are of the Sons of Levi; who receive the Office of Priesthood, have a commandment to take Tithes according to the Law, but he whose descent is not counted from them, received Tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promise, and without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better, for if he had not been above Abraham he could not have blessed him, for here men that die, saith the Apostle, receive Tithes, but there he received them of whom it is witnessed that he liveth, Heb. 7.8.  
What will it advantage the Priests of this age, when they cannot prove by the Levetical Law Tithes to be lawful in these days, because they profess themselves to be Ministers of the Gospel, and their Order should be Gospel-Order; and they bring Melchisedec, that he took Tithes, and they bring Abraham who is the seed that God hath blessed, that had the promises of God unto him, that paid them; and they themselves are mortal, sinful men that takes the Tithes, and people that are loaden with sin and iniquity pays the Tithes, what example have these from Melchisedec's Order? after whose Order Christ Jesus the everlasting high Priest is made; for Levi that took Tithes, paid Tithes in Abraham unto Melchisedec: for he was in the loins of his Father when Abraham met him; if there were perfection in the Levitical Priesthood which is after the Order of Aaron, what needed there another Priest after the Order of Melchisedec, for it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judab; it is also evident, that after the Order of Melchisedec there ariseth another Priest who is made not after the Law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life; for being that the Priesthood is changed, there must of necessity be a change of the Law, Heb. 7. for he testifieth, thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedec; which Order is not of a carnal commandment, neither is this Priest a mortal man subject to fall and infirmities. More might be said concerning this Melchisedec which met Abraham and blessed him, but the Apostle is very la●ge in the demonstration of him, for he saith, Heb. 5.11. that he had many things to say of him hard to be uttered, because they were dull of hearing.  
After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a Vision, saying, Fear not Abram I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward: and Abram said, Lord God what wilt thou give me seeing I go childless, and one that is born in mine house must be mine heir: the Lord said, this shall not be thine heir, but one that comes out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir: and the Lord said, look up towards Heaven, and tell the Stars if thou be'st able to number them, and he said so shall thy seed be, and Abram believed, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.  
And when Abram was 99 years old the Lord appeared unto him, and said, walk before me and be thou perfect, and my Covenant shall be with thee, and thou shalt be the Father of many Nations, and thy name shall be called no more Abram, but Abraham shall be thy name, a Father of many Nations have I made thee, and as for Sarai thy Wife thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be, and I will bless her, and she shall be the Mother of Nations: then Abraham fell upon his face and laughed, and said in his heart, shall a child be born unto him that is 100 years old, and shall Sarah that is ninety years old bear; and Abraham said unto God, Oh that Ishmael might live before the Lord: and God said, Sarah thy Wife shall bear thee a Son indeed, and thou shalt call his name Isaac, and I will establish my Covenant with him for an everlasting Covenant, and with his seed after him: and as for Ishmael I have heard thee, behold I have blest him, but my Covenant will I establish with Isaac which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.  
And according to this the Lod sent his Angels unto Abraham and Sarah to confirm unto them that at the time appointed she should bring forth a child: and the Lord said unto Abraham, wherefore did Sarah laugh? saying, shall I have a child? is any thing too hard for the Lord? at the time appointed will I return unto thee according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a Son: so at the same time, the Lord discovered unto Abraham what he intended against Sodom.  
And the men turned their faces towards Sodom, and Abraham set them on their way: and the Lord said, shall I hid from Abraham the thing that I do? seeing that Abraham shall be surely great and a mighty Nation, and all the Nations of the earth shall be blessed in him, for I know that he will command his Children and his Household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, and do justice and judgement, that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. And the Lord said, because of the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sins are very grievous, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is come unto me, and if not I will know, and the men turned their faces from thence, and went towards Sodom: but Abraham stood before the Lord, and drew near and prayed unto the Lord for the righteous in Sodom, and the Lord heard him, as you may read Gen. 18.  
And so the two Angels came into Lot's house, and Let received them kindly, and so he and all his house were preserved; the men said unto Lot, hast thou any here besides thy Son-in-law, and thy Sons and thy Daughters, and whatever thou hast in the City, bring it out, for we will destroy this place, because that the cry of it is waxed great before the Lord, and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it. So the Lord reigned upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire out of Heaven from the Lord, but just Lot was preserved in the little City called Zoar, and was permitted to escape thither that his Soul might live, he, his Sons, and his Daughters; and all the Cities round about were destroyed, all the Cities of the plain.  
And God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, where Lot dwelled in the plain. And Abraham got up early in the morning, and he looked towards Sodom and Gomorrah, and the smoke of the Country risen up as the smoke of a Furnace, Gen. 19.28.  
And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, for Sarah conceived and bare Abraham a Son in his old age, and Abraham called the name of his Son that was born unto him Isaac, and he circumcised him the eight day as God had commanded him, and Abraham was a hundred years old when his Son Isaac was born.  
And it came to pass after these things that God called Abrabam, and said unto him, take now ●hy Son, thine only Son whom thou lovest, and get thee into the Land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.  
And Abraham risen up early in the morning, and saddled his Ass, and took two of the young men with him, and Isaac his Son, and clavae the wood for a burnt-offe●●g, then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off, and Abraham said unto the young men, abide you here with the Asses, and I and the Lad will go yonder and worship, and come again unto you. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt-offering, and laid it upon Isaac his Son, and he took fire in his hand, and a knife, and they went both of them together: And Isaac spoke unto Abraham his Father, and said, my Father, and he said here am I my Son, and he said here is the fire and the wood, but where is the Lamb for a burnt-offering? and he answered, my Son the Lord will provide one: So they went both of them together, and they came to the place which God had told him of: and Abraham built an Altar, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his Son, and laid him upon the wood, and Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his Son; and the Angel of the Lord called unto him out of Heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham? and he said, here am I, and he said, lay not thine hand upon the Lad, neither do thou any thing unto him, for now I know thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy Son, thine only Son from me; and Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold behind him a Ram caught in a thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the Ram and offered him up for a burnt-offering instead of his Son, and Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh, as it is to this day in the mount of the Lord it shall be seen. And the Angel of the Lord called unto Abraham the second time, and said, by myself I have sworn, saith the Lord, because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy Son, thine only Son, that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the Stars of Heaven, and as the sand upon the Sea shore, and thy seed shall possess the Gates of thine enemies, and in thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice, Heb. 6.23, 34 So Abraham and his Son returned unto his young men, and they risen up, and went to Beershebu together where Abraham dwelled. And Sarah being 127 years old she died in Kiriath-arba, the same is Hebron in the Land of Canaan, and Abraham mourned for Sarah, and wept for her, and Abraham bought a burying place of the Sons of Heth, to bury his dead in out of his sight, Gen. 23. So when Abraham grew old and stricken in age, he caused his eldest servant of his House to put his hand under his thigh, and made him swear by the God of Heaven, and the God of the earth, and said thou shalt not take a Wife unto my Son of the Canaanites, amongst whom I dwell, but thou shalt go into my Country and unto my kindred and take a Wife unto my Son Isaac, and the servant said peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me, and Abraham said, the Lord God of Heaven which took me from my Father's house, and from the Land of my kindred, and which spoke unto me, and swore unto me saying, unto thy seed will If give this Land, he shall send his Angel before thee, and thou shalt take a Wife for my Son from thence, and if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, than thou shalt be clear from this mine Oath. And the Servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his Master, and swore to him concerning the matter.  
So the Servant believed in Abraham's words, and made ready for his journey, and took with him Camels and Goods of his Masters, and set forward on his journey to Mesopotamia; and at a well before he came to the City, he met with Rebekah, Bethu●l's daughter, whose Mother's name was Milcah, the Wife of Nahor, Abraham's Brother, and shelentreated him kindly, and carried him home to her Father's house, and her Father and Mother and brother Laban received him kindly into their house, and said unto him, thou blessed of the Lord come in; and they set meat before him, and the servant declared unto him whose servant he was, and how his Master had sent him, and declared what his message was unto them, as the whole passage you may read in Gen. 24. Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, the thing proceedeth from the Lord, we cannot speak unto thee good or bad; behold Rebekah is before thee, take her and go, and let her be thy Master's Son's Wife as the Lord hath spoken; at which words the Servant worshipped the Lord, and bowed himself to the earth; and the servant brought forth Jewels of Silver and Gold and gave them to Rebekah, and gave precious things to her Mother and Brother, and when they had eat and drunk, they set forwards towards his Master: and as they were returning home, Isaac met them by the way, and she said unto the servant, what man is this? and he said it is my Master, therefore she took a vail and covered herself; and the servant told Isaac, all that he had done, and Isaac brought her into his Mother Sarah's Tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his Wife, and he loved her, and Isaac was comforted after his Mother● death.  
These are the Generations of Isaac Abraham's Son; Abraham begat Isaac, and Isaac was 40 years old when he took Rebekah to Wife, the Daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan-Aram, the Sister to Laban the Syrian; and Isaac entreated the Lord for his Wife, because she was barren, and the Lord was entreated of him, and Rebekah his Wife conceived, and the children struggled within her, and she said why am I thus? and she went to inquire of the Lord, and the Lord said unto her, two Nations are in thy Womb, and two manner of People shall be separated from thy Bowels, the one people shall be stronger than the other, and the elder shall serve the younger. And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold there were twins in her Womb, and the first came out red all over like an hairy Garment, and they called his name Esau, and after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold of Esau's heel, and his name was called Jacob; Isaac was threescore years old when she bore them.  
Here was the two Nations and the two seeds comprehended and brought forth of one Womb, the Lord foreknowing and foreseeing this thing as he spoke unto Rebekah, as the Apostle testifies, that when the Children were yet in the Womb unborn, having done neither good nor evil, that the purpose of God according to the election might stand, not of works but of him that calleth; it was said unto her the elder shall serve the younger; as it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated, Rom. 9.11, 12, 13. of this Esau's stock came the Edomites, of which we shall say more hereafter.  
But the word of the Lord by his Prophet Malachi, I have loved you saith the Lord, yet ye say wherein hast thou loved us? was not Esau, saith the Lord, Jacob's Brother? yet I loved jacob and I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his herritage waste for the Dragons of the Wilderness, Mal. 1.2, 3. And again Hos. 12. Ephraim feedeth on wind, he daily increaseth in lies, and they do make a Covenant with the Assyrians, and carrieth Oil into Egypt; and not only the stock of Esau, but also Jacob and judah, had grieved the Lord at this time; this Prophecy was after judah and Israel had sinned against the Lord, and committed abominations, as you may read in the 2 Kings 25. and Hos. 12.2. The Lord hath also a controversy with judah, and will punish jacob according to his ways, according to his do will be recompense him, he took his brother by the heel in the Womb, and by his strength he had power with God, he had power over the Angel, he wept and made supplication unto him and prevailed, he sound him in Bethel, even the Lord the God of Hosts, the Lord his memorial, ver. 5 Esau was a cunning hunter, and jacob was a plain man dwelling in Tents, and Isaac loved Esau, but Rebekah loved jacob.  
And jacob sod pottage, and Esau came from the field, and he was faint, and Esau said to jacob, feed me I pray thee with that same red pottage, for I am faint, therefore was his name called Edom, and jacob said sell me this day thy birthright, and Esau said I am at the point to die, and what shall this birthright do to me? And he swore to him, and he sold his birthright unto jacob, than jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of Lentals, and he did eat and drink, and risen up and went his way, thus Esau despised his Birthright, Gen. 25 26. to the end, according to that of the Apostle Heb. 12.16, 17. who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.  
And there was a Famine in the Land, and Isaac went unto Abimelech King of the Philistines, and the Lord appeared unto him, and said, go not down into Egypt, dwell in the Land which I shall tell thee of, sojourn in this Land, and I will be with thee, and I will bless thee, for unto thee and unto thy seed I will give all these Countries, and I will perform the Oath which I swore unto thy Father Abraham, and I will make thy seed to multiply as the Stars of Heaven, and will give unto thee all these Countries, and in thy seed shall all the Nations be blessed, because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my Commandments, my Statutes, and my Laws: so Isaac dwelled in Gerar, and sowed in that Land, and received in that year one hundred fold, for the Lord blessed him.  
And it came to pass when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, he called Esau his eldest Son, and he said, behold I am old, and know not the day of my death, therefore take thy Bow and thy weapons and go to the field to take me some Venison, and make me savoury meat such as I love, that my soul may bless thee before I die: and Rebekah heard what Isaac spoke unto Esau, and when Esau was gone into the field to hunt, Rebekah spoke unto Jacob her Son, saying, I heard thy Father speak unto Esau thy Brother, saying, bring me Venison and make me savoury meat, that I may eat and bless thee before the Lord, before my death: now therefore my Son obey my voice, do that I command thee, go to the flock fetch me two good Kids of the Goats, and I will make thee savoury meat for thy Father such as he loveth, and thou shalt bring it to thy Father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death: and Jacob said to Rebekah his Mother, my brother is an hairy man, and I am a smooth man, and my Father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him to be a deceiver, and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing: And his Mother said unto him, upon me be thy curse my Son, only obey my voice and go fetch them; and he went and fetched them and brought them to his Mother and she made savoury meat such as his Father loved: and Rebekah took raiment of her eldest Son Esau's and put them upon Jacob, and she put the skins of the Kids upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck, and she gave the savoury meat, and the bread that she had prepared, into the hand of her Son Jacob, and he came unto his Father, and said, my Father? and he said, here am I, who ar● thou my Son? and jacob said unto his Father I am Esau thy firstborn, I have done according as thou badest me, arise and eat of my Venison, that thy soul may bless me; and Isaac saidunto him, how is it that thou hast found it so quickly my Son? and he said, because the Lord thy God brought it to me: and Isaac said unto jacob, come near that I may feel thee, whether thou be my very Son Esau or not, and jacob went near unto Isaac, and he felt him and said, the voice is Iacob's, but the hands are the hands of Esau, and he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy as Esau's were; so he blessed him, and he said unto him, art thou my very Son Esau? and he said I am; and he said bring it near unto me, that I may eat of my Son's Venison, that my Soul may bless thee, and Isaac said, come near my Son and kiss me: and he came near and kissed him, and he smelled of his Raiment and blessed him; and he said I give thee of the dew of Heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of Corn and Wine; let all people serve thee, and Nations bow down to thee, be Lord over thy Brethren, let thy Mother's Sons bow down unto thee, cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee. And as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing jacob, Esau came from his hunting, and brought his Venison, and made savoury meat for his Father, and said let my Father arise and eat of his Son's Venison, that thy Soul may bless me; and Isaac said unto him, who art thou? he said, I am thy firstborn Esau: and Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and he said where is he that hath brought me Venison, and I have eaten before thou camest, and I have blessed him, yea and he shall be blessed: and when Esau heard the words of his Father, he cried with an exceeding bitter cry, and said bless me, even me also my Father: 〈◊〉 he said thy brother came with subtlety and hath taken away ●●y blessing: and he said is he not rightly named jacob? for he hath supplanted me this two times, he took away my birthright, and now behold he hath taken away my blessing.  
Here is a Parable and a mystery concerning these passages, for if Isaac had blessed Esau, he had blessed the wrong birth, for God calls himself by the name of the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of jacob, this is my name and my memorial for ever saith the Lord, Exod. 3.15. And Christ Jesus saith, that he is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of jacob, Mat. 22.32. Certainly jacob was the right seed which the blessing of the Lord was to; for Cain was the first birth but he was the wrong seed: And so Esau was the first birth but not the seed of the Promise which the blessing was to, though Isaac loved Esau; if he had given him the blessing, it had not been so well, but the Lord ordered it otherwise: the Apostle saith, by faith Isaac blessed jacob, and the very name of jacob signifieth a Supplanter, and so he was to supplant his Brother and root him out, for Cain the elder Brother slew his Brother Abel; but the Lord hath given Jacob, the second birth, power over his Brother Esau, to supplant him, and to receive the blessing.  
See what the Apostle saith, Heb. 12.16. lest there be any Fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of bread sold his birthright; for ye know how that afterward when he would have inherited the blessing he was rejected, for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. So it is not tears that come from the wrong nature and birth that will prevail with God, for his promise is to the right seed, and but to one seed, etc.  
And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his Father blessed him, and Esau said in his heart, the days of mourning for my Father are at hand, and then will I slay my Brother Jacob; here Esau manifested the same nature as was in Cain, but tha● the Lord prevented him, for the Lord searched out the hidden things of Esau and frustrated his intention: for thy violence against thy brother Jacob, shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever. Obad. 10.  
Esau's words were told to Rebekah that he intended to slay his Brother, and she called her Son Jacob and said, thy Brother Esau comforts himself purposing to kill thee: Now therefore my Son obey my voice, and arise and fly to Laban my Brother, and tarry with him a few days until thy brother's fury be turned a way, and I will send and fetch thee, why should I be deprived of you both in one day? And Rebekah said unto Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the Daughters of He●h, if Jacob take a Wife of such as these who are the daughters of this Land, what good shall my life do me? And Isaac called jacob and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him thou shalt not take a Wife of the Daughters of Canaan, for all the inhabitants of the Land of Canaan were of Ham's stock which were of the cursed seed; so this blessed seed of Abraham was not to mingle with them. Therefore Isaac said, arise and go to the house of Bethuel thy mother's Father, and take thee a Wife from thence, of the Daughters of Laban thy Mother's brother, and God Almighty bless thee and multiply thee, and make thee fruitful, that thou mayst be a multitude of people, and give the blessing of Abraham to thee, and to thy seed with thee, that thou mayst inherit the Land which God gave unto Abraham; and Isaac sent Jacob away: And when Esau saw that Isaac had blessed jacob and sent him away to Padan-Aram, and as he blessed him, he charged him that he should not take a Wife of the Daughters of Canaan; and Esau seeing that the Daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his Father, than went Esau unto Ishmael and took a Wife. But jacob obeyed his Father's command, and traveled on his way, and lay down in the night and slept, and laid stones for his pillows, and he dreamt, and behold a Ladder was set on the earth and the top reached to Heaven, and the Angels of God ascended and descended on it, and the Lord stood above it, and said I am the Lord God of Abraham thy Father, and the God of Isaac, the Land whereon thou liest to thee will I give it, and to thy seed, and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the West, and to the East, and to the North, and to the South, and in thee and in thy seed shall all the Families of the earth be blessed: And behold I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken: And jacob awaked out of his sleep, and said surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not; and he was afraid, and said, O how dreadful is this place, this is the house of God and the Gate of Heaven: and jacob risen up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillow, and set it up for a Pillar, and poured Oil on the top of it, and called the name of that place Bethel; and jacob vowed a vow saying, if God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I go, so that I come again to my Father's house in peace, then shall the Lord be my God.  
Then jacob went on his journey into the Land of the East, and at the Well he met with men of the place whither he was going, which were come to water their Flocks, and he said unto them, my brethren whence be ye? and they said, of Haran we are: And he said unto them, know ye Laban the Son of Nahor? and they said we know him: and he said, is he well? and they said, he is well, and behold Rachel his Daughter cometh with the sheep; when Jacob saw Rachel the Daughter of Laban, his Mother's Brother, and Laban's Sheep, he went near and rolled the Stone from the Wells mouth and watered the flock of Laban; and jacob kissed Rachel, and lift up his voice and wept: And jacub told Rachel that he was Rebekah's Son, and she ran and told her Father: when Laban heard the tidings of jacob his Sister's Son, he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his House, and he told Laban all these things: and Laban said, surely thou art my bone and my flesh, and he abode with him the space of a month: and Laban said unto jacob, because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me what thy Wages shall be: and Laban had two Daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel; Leah was tender-eyed, but Rachel was beautiful and well-favoured; and jacob loved Rachel, and said I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger Daughter, and Laban said, it is better that I give her unto thee, than I should give her unto another man. And jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed unto him but a few days for the love he had to Rachel: and jacob said unto Laban, give me my Wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.  
And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a Feast, and it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his Daughter and brought her to him, and he went in unto her, and in the morning behold it was Leah. And he said to Laban, what is this that thou hast done unto me? did not I serve thee for Rachel? wherefore hast thou beguiled me? and Laban said, it must not be so done in our Country, to give the younger before the firstborn, fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also, for the service which thou shalt serve with me, yet other seven years: and jacob did so and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to Wife also: And Laban gave unto Rachel his Daughter Billah to be her Handmaid, and he gave unto Leah, Zilpah to be her Handmaid: and jacob went in unto Rachel, and he loved Rachel more than Leah: and when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her Womb, but Rachel was barren; and Leah conceived and bore a Son, and she called his name Reuben, for she said the Lord surely hath looked upon mine affliction, now therefore my Husband will love me.  
And she conceived again and bore a Son, and said, because the Lord hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this Son also, and she called his name Simeon.  
And she conceived again and bore a Son, and said, now this time my Husband will be joined unto me because I have born him three Sons, therefore was his name called Levi.  
And she conceived again and bore a Son, and she said, now will I praise the Lord, therefore she called his name judah.  
And when Rachel saw that she bore jacob no Children, she envied her Sister, and said unto jacob give me Children or else I die; and Iacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and said, am Irin God's stead? who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the Womb? and she gave him Billah her Handmaid to Wife, and jacob went in unto her, and Billah conceived and bare jacob a Son, and Rachel said, God hath judged me and heard my voice, and hath given me a Son, and she called his name Dan.  
And Billah, Rachel's Handmaid, conceived again and bare jacob a second Son, and Rachel said, with great wrestle I have wrestled with my Sister, and have prevailed, and she called his name Naphtali.  
When Leah saw she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her Handmaid and gave her jacob to Wife; and Zilpah, Leah's maid, bare jacob a Son, and Leah said, a Troop cometh, and she called his name Gad.  
And Zilpah, Leah's maid, bare jacob a second Son, and Leah said, happy am I, for the Daughters will call me blessed, and she called his name Asher.  
And in the time of Wheat-Harvest Reuben found Mandrakes and brought them to his Mother Leah; then Rachel desired them, but Leah said unto her, is it a small thing that thou takes away my Husband? and wouldst thou take away my Sons Mandrakes also? and Rachel said, therefore he shall lie with thee this night for them.  
And jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah met him and said, thou must lie with me, for surely I have hired thee with my Sons Mandrakes, and he lay with her that night; and God harkened unto Leah, and she conceived and bare jacob a fifth Son, and Leah said, God hath given me mine hire, because I have given my maiden to my Husband, and she called his name Issachar.  
And Leah conceived again and bare jacob the sixth Son, and Leah said, God hath endowed me with a good Dowry, now will my Husband dwell with me, because I have born him six Sons, and she called his name Zebulun.  
And afterward she bore a Daughter, and called her name Dinah.  
And God remembered Rachel, and harkened unto her, and opened her Womb, and she conceived and bore a Son, and said God hath taken away my reproach, and she called his name Joseph, and said the Lord shall add to me another Son.  
And it came to pass when Rachel had born Joseph, Jacob said unto Laban, send me away, that I may go unto my own place, and to my Country, give me my Wives and my Children for whom I have served thee, and let me go, for thou knowest my service which I have done thee: And Laban said, I pray thee carry, for I have learned by experience, that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake; and Jacob said, thou knowest the Lord hath blessed thee and increased thee, and now when shall I provide for mine house also? but Laban not being willing to part with jacob, they agreed that he should stay with him again and feed his flocks, and he desired but the spotted and speckled , and the spotted and speckled among the Sheep and Goats, and the Flocks increased of that sort of  so fast, that he heard the words of Laban's Sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our Fathers, and he hath gotten all this glory; and Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and it was not towards him as it was before.  
And the Lord said unto Jacob, return unto the Land of thy Fathers, and to thy Kindred, and I will be with thee: And jacob called Rachel and Leah, and said unto them, I see your Father's countenance that it is not towards me as it was before; but the God of my Father's hath-been with me, and ye know that with all my power I have served your Father, and your Father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times, but God suffered him not to hurt me: so jacob risen up, and set his Sons and his Wives upon Camels, and he carried away all his , and all his goods which he had gotten in Padan-Aram, to go to Isaac his Father in the Land of Canaan; so he went with all that he had, and risen up ●nd passed over the River, and passed towards mount Gilead, and jacob went on his way, and the Angels of God met him, and when jacob saw them he said, this is God's Host, and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.  
And he was to pass through the Country of Edom, and through the Land of Seir, which was his Brother Esau's Country, and jacob sent messengers before him to his Brother Esau, he had been twenty years that he had not seen him, so he did not know whether he would forget his old intention and purpose to kill him, therefore he commanded the Messengers that he sent saying, thus shall ye speak to my Lord Esau, thy servant jacob saith thus, I have so journed with Laban, and stayed there until now, and I have Oxen, Asses, Flocks, Man-servants, and Women servants, and I have sent to tell my Lord Esau, that I may find grace in thy sight: and the Messengers returned unto jacob, saying, we came to thy Brother Esau, and he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.  
Then jacob was greatly afraid and distressed, and he divided the people that was with him, and the Flocks and the Herds, and the Camels into two Bands, and said if Esau come to the one company and smite it, the other may escape. And Jacob said, O God of my Father Abraham, and God of my Father Isaac, the Lord which said unto me, return into thy Country and to thy Kindred and I will deal well with thee, I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies, and of all the truth which thou hast showed unto thy servant, for with my Staff I passed over this Jondan, and now I am become two Bands, deliver me I pray thee from the hand of my Brother Esau, for I fear him lest he should come and smite me, and the Mother with the Children, and thou saidst I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the Sea which cannot be numbered.  
And Jacob took 200 She-goats; and 20 He-goats, 200 Ewes, and 20 Rams, 30 milch-Camels with their Colts, 40 Kine, and 10 Bulls, twenty She-Asses, and ten Foals, and he delivered them unto his Servants, and behold when Esau my Brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, whose are these before thee? thou shalt say, they be thy servant jacobs', it is a Present sent unto my Lord Esau, behold he is behind us, and thus he commanded his Servants to say unto Esau when they met him: And sent his two Wives, and two Women servants, and his eleven Sons over the Brook Jabbock, and that night jacob was left alone, and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day, and when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of jacobs' thigh and it was our of joint as he wrestled with him; and he said, let me go, for the day breaketh, and he said, I will not let thee go unless thou bless me; and he said unto him, what is thy name? and he said jacob: and he said thy name shall no more be called jacob but Israel, for as a Prince thou hast power with God, and with men hast thou prevailed; and jacob called the name of that place Peniel, for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.  
And jacob lifted up his eyes, and behold Esau came and with him 400 men, and he divided the Children unto Leah and unto Rachel, and unto the two Handmaids, and he put the Handmaids and their Children foremost, and Leah and her Children after, and Rachel and joseph hindermost, and he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near unto his Brother, and this he did to stop his Brother's fury, who had been enraged against him when they parted, for he knew he was a proud man and a great man in the earth, and so to allay his spirit and get past him, for he was to pass through his Country, did he make this Obeisance to him; and Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept, and he lift up his eyes and saw the Women and the Children, and he said whose are these with thee? jacob said these are the Children which God hath graciously given thy servant, and the Women and the Children passed by him, and they bowed themselves: and he said what meanest thou by all this drove which I meet? And jacob said, these are to find grace in the sight of my Lord: and Esau said I have enough my brother, keep that which thou hast to thyself; and jacob said, nay I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, receive my present at my hand, because God hath dealt graciously with me, and I have enough, and he urged him, and he took it: And Esau would have gone on his journey with him; but jacob said, my Lord knows that the Children are tender, and the flocks are with young, and we must lead them on softly, as they are able to endure.  
So Esau returned that day unto Seir, and jacob journied unto Succoth, and came to Salem, a City which is in the Land of Canaan. And God said unto jacob, arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make an Altar unto God that appeared unto thee when thou fledst from Esau thy Brother. And jacob said to all those that were with him, Let us arise and go up to Bethel, and let us make there an Altar unto God who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went. So jacob came to Luz which is in the Land of Canaan, that is Bethel, and built there an Altar and called upon the Lord; and God appeared unto jacob again and blessed him, and God said unto him thy name shall not any more be called jacob, but Israel shall be thy name, and he called his name Israel. And God said unto him I am God Almighty, be fruitful and multiply, a Nation and a company of Nations shall be of thee, and Kings shall come out of thy loins, and the Land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee will I give it, and thy seed after thee, and God went up from him.  
And they journied from Bethel, and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath, and Rachel traveled and had hard labour, and when she was in hard labour, the Midwife said unto her fear not, thou shalt have this Son also, and it came to pass as her soul was departing, that she called his name Benonl, but his Father called his name Benjamin: and jacob set a Pillar upon her Grave, and so jacob came unto Isaac his Father unto Mamre, unto the City of Arhab which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac so journed; and the days of Isaac were one hundred and fourscore years, and Isaac gave up the Ghost and died, and was gathered unto his people being old and full of days, and his Sons Esate and jacob buried him, Gen. 35.  
In the next Chapter you may read the Generations of Esau who is Edom, how he took Wives of the Daughters of Canaan, but this is not the seed that I am to treat of, this 36. Chapter of Genesis will show the Offspring of Esau.  
And jacob dwelled in the Land wherein his Father was a Stranger, in the Land of Can●an, Gen. 37.  
The History concerning joseph, how his Father loved him, and how his brethren envied him, and how they intended to have killed him, and took him and cast him into a Pit; and how they sold him to the Ishmaelites, and he was brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar an Officer of Pharaoh an Egyptian, bought him at the hand of the Ishmaelites, which had carried him down thither, and how the Lord was with joseph and preserved him from Potiphar's Wife, how she betrayed him, and accused him falsely, but the Lord was with him and shown him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the Gaoler, and how he came to be the Governor of Pharaoh's House, and how he governed Egypt in the time of plenty, that when the Dearth came there was Corn enough, and how his Brethren came down into Egypt to buy Corn when the Famine was sore in the Land of Canaan, and how he discovered himself to his Brethren, and sent for his Father and Brethren, and all their Families; all this you may read of from the 37. Chapter to the 46.  
And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered Sacrifice to the God of his Fathers, and God spoke unto him in the visions of the night, and said jacob! and he said here am I. And God said I am the God of thy Fathers, fear not to go into Egypt, I will make of thee a great Nation, I will go down with thee into Egypt, and will surely bring thee up again, and joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.  
So jacob risen up and went into Egypt with his Sons, and their Wives and their little ones were carried in the Wagons that Pharaoh sent for them; and Pharaoh received them kindly and entreated them courteously, as you may read in the 46. and 47. Chapter of Genesis: and Israel dwelled in the Land of Egypt in the Country of Goshen, and they had Possessions there, and multiplied exceedingly, and jacob lived in the Land of Egypt 17 years, so the whole age of jacob was 147 years; and the time drew nigh that Israel must die, and he called his Son joseph, and said unto him, if I have found grace in thy sight, put I pray thee thine hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me, bury me not I pray thee in Egypt, but I will lie with my Fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their burying place: And he said I will do as thou hast said; and he said swear unto me, and he swore unto him, and Israel bowed himself upon his bed's head.  
And it came to pass after these things, one told joseph, thy Father is sick, and he took with him his two Sons Manasseh and Ephraim, and jacob told joseph how God appeared to him at Luz in the Land of Canaan, and blessed him; and he said God said unto me, I will make thee fruitful and multiply thee, and make of thee a multitude of people, and will give this Land to thy seed after thee, for an everlasting possession, and now thy two Sons Ephraim and Manasseh which were born in Egypt before I came, they are mine as much as Reuben and Simeon. And the Issue which thou hast after them shall be thine. And Israel beheld Ioseph's Sons, and said, whose are these? and joseph said unto his Father, they are my Sons whom God hath given me in this place; and he said bring them unto me, and I will bless them. Now the eyes of Israel were dim that he could not see, and he brought them near unto him, and he kissed them and embraced them: and Israel said unto joseph, I had not thought to have seen thy face, and lo God hath showed me thy seed. And joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand towards Israel's left, and Manasseh in his left hand towards Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him. And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manassehs head, guiding his hands wittingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn; And he blessed joseph and said, God before whom my Fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, the Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the Lads, and let my name be named on them, and the name of my Fathers Abraham and Isaac, and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth: And when joseph saw that his Father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he held up his Father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manassehs head; and said not so my Father, for this is the first born, and his Father refused, and said, I know it my Son, I know it; he shall be great, but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he: and he blessed them that day, saying, in thee shall Israel bless; saying, God make thee as Ephraim and Manasseh. And Israel said unto joseph, behold I die, but God shall be with you, and bring you again into the Land of your Fathers.  
And jacob called unto him his Sons, and said, gather yourselves together, that I may tell you, what shall befall you in the last days, and hear ye Sons of jacob, and hearken unto Israel your Father; here jacob prophesied unto all his twelve Sons what they should be, and gave every one their sentence and portion, but more especially and largely he prophesieth of judah, of whom our Lord sprang, and this it the seed that we are to treat of; judah thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise, thine hand shall be in the neck of thine Enemies, thy Father's Children shall how down to thee; judah is a Lion's Whelp: from the Prey my Son thou art gone up, he stooped down, he couched as a Lion, and as an old Lion, who shall rouse him up.  
The Sceptre shall not departed from judah, nor the Lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh come, unto him shall the gathering of the people be, binding his foal unto the Vine, and his Ass' Colt unto the choice Vine; he washed his Garments in Wine, and his  in the blood of Grapes. His Eyes shall be red with Wine, and his teeth white with Milk.  
Here is a holy and a glorious Prophecy of judah, of which we shall show more hereafter; as also of all the rest of his Sons, he prophesied unto them, and told them what should come to pass to all the 12 Tribes of Israel, as you may read, Gen. 49.  
So after that he had charged them that they should bury him, and carry him up into Canaan, and bury him in that field which Abraham had bought, where Abraham and Sarah was buried, and Isaac and Rebekah and Leah his Wife.  
When jacob had made an end of commanding his Sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the Ghost, and was gathered unto his people.  
And joseph and his Brethren carried him up to Canaan to bury, and the Elders of Pharaohs House went along with them, and when they had buried him, and mourned for him, joseph and his Brethren returned into Egypt. So joseph and his Brethren continued in Egypt, and joseph was tender and loving to his Brethren.  
And when Joseph was 110 years old, he died, and Joseph took an Oath of the Children of Israel saying, God will visit you, and ye shall carry my bones from hence, Gen. 50.   

Exodus.  
SO Jacob and his Sons, their Wives and their Children that went down into Egypt with him were seventy in number, and Joseph died and all his Brethren and all that Generation, Exod. 1.6.  
But their Children increased abundantly, and multiplied and waxed exceeding mighty, and the Land was filled with them, and Pharaoh, that was kind and loving to Joseph and his brethren, died; and there arose a new King in Egypt which knew not Joseph, and he stormed at the increase of the Children of Israel, and said, they might deal wisely with them, and so he began to afflict them, and set Taskmasters over them, and the Egyptians made them serve with rigour, so that they made their lives bitter with hard bondage in Mortar and in Brick, and in all manner of service: and Pharaoh charged their Midwives to kill all their Male-childrens; And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, every Son that is born ye shall cast into the River: but the Midwives feared God, and did not as Pharaoh had commanded them, but saved the Children alive; and the more they afflicted them, the more they grew and multiplied.  
Thus you see how kindly the Lord hath dealt with the seed of his promise and Covenant, and how often he hath renewed his Promises and his Blessings and Mercies unto them; hereafter you may see also how he took care all along of his seed, that his Promise remained upon, and how he committed them afterwards to the hand of Moses whom he preserved by his power, who was nursed up by Pharaohs Daughter, as you may read at large in Exod. 2.  
And when this cruel King of Egypt died, the Children of Israel sighed and groaned under their bondage, and the Lord heard their cry, and God heard their groaning, and God remembered his Covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob; and God looked upon the Children of Israel, and God had respect unto them; and the Lord sent his Angel unto Moses, to the Mount of God, even to Horeb, and he appeared to him in a flame of Fire, out of the midst of a Bush, and he looked, and behold the bush burnt with fire, and the bush was not consumed: And Moses said, I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.  
And when God saw he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the bush and said; Moses, Moses! and he said, here am I; and he said draw not nigh hither, put off thy shoes from thy feet, for the place where thou standest is holy ground: Moreover he said, I am the God of thy Fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob: and Moses hide his face, for he was afraid to look upon God; and the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their Taskmasters, for I know their sorrows, and I am come down to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that Land into a good Land: come now therefore, I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring my people the Children of Israel out of Egypt, for I have heard their cries and seen their oppressions.  
Here the Lord committed his seed into the hand of Moses a faithful Servant, who came of Lavi both by Father and Mother, which was jacob's third Son. So how Moses went unto Pharaoh with the Elders of Israel, and wrought the Wonders of the Lord and his miracles before him, and how Moses and Aaron brought them from under the Egyptian Bondage, and the many Plagues that the Lord brought upon Pharaoh, we shall show hereafter.  
And Moses said unto God, who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh? and the Lord said certainly I will be with thee, and this shall be a token unto thee, that when thou hast brought the people out of Egypt ye shall serve God in this Mount, etc. as you may read in Exod. Chap. 4.5. And thou shalt say unto Pharaph, thus saith the Lord; Israel is my Son, even my firstborn, I say unto thee, Let my Son go that he may serve me, if thou refuse to let him go, behold I will smite thy Son, even thy firstborn, ver. 23.  
Thus Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, saying, thus saith the Lord God of Israel, let my people go that they may hold a Feast unto me in the Wilderness. And Pharaoh said, who is the Lord that I should obey his voice, to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go, Chap. 5. So he caused the greater Tasks to be laid upon them, that they should make their tale of Bricks without straw, as you may read; and the Lord said unto Moses, Now thou shalt see what I will do unto Pharaoh.  
And God spoke unto Moses and said, I am the Lord, and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name jehovah was I not known to them, and have also established my Covenant with them to give them the Land of Canaan, the Land of their Pilgrimage wherein they were strangers, and I have also heard the groaning of the Children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I remember my Covenant: wherefore say unto the Children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great Judgements; and I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you for a God, and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the bondage of the Egyptians, and I will bring you into the Land, concerning the which I swore to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to jacob, and I will give it to you for an heritage, I am the Lord, Chap. 6.8. So Moses spoke to the Children of Israel, as you may read to the end of the Chapter.  
And the Lord said unto Moses, see I have made thee a God unto Pharaoh, and Aaron thy brother a Prophet, and thou shalt speak all that I command; and Aaron thy Brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his Land, and I will harden Pharaohs heart, etc. Chap. 7. And so the Lord wrought his 12 miracles upon Pharaoh, and the Egyptians, as you may read from the 7. Chapter to the 14. where Pharaoh and his Host were overwhelmed in the red Sea.  
1. The first of his wonders was Aaron's Rod that became a Serpent, and swallowed up all the Egyptians Serpents.  
2. Moses smote the Waters with his Rod, and they became blood, and all the Fish in the River died, Chap. 7.20.21. and the Magicians did so.  
3. He smote all the borders with Frogs, and Aaron stretched forth his hand over the Waters, and Frogs came up and covered the Land of Egypt, and the Egyptians did so, Chap. 8.6, 7.  
4. And again the Lord said unto Moses stretch forth thy Rod and smite the dust of the Land, that it may become Lice, and Aaron did so: So that the dust of the Land became Lice throughout all the Land of Egypt, and the Magicians would have done so, but they could not; then the Magicians said unto Pharaoh, this is the finger of God, but Pharaohs heart was hardened, that he would not hear them as the Lord had said.  
5. The Lord said unto Moses rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh and say unto him, thus saith the Lord, let my people go and serve me, else I will send swarms of Flies upon thee, and upon thy Servants, and upon thy people, so that all the Houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of Flies, and also the ground; and I will sever in that day the Land of Goshen in the which my people dwell, so that none of the swarms of Flies shall be there, and I will put a Division between my people and thy people, and the Lord did so: and on the morrow there came grievous swarms of Flies into the House of Pharaoh, and into all the Houses of the Egyptians, nevertheless Pharaohs heart was hardened again as the Lord said.  
6. The Lord said unto Moses, go unto Pharaoh, and say, thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, let my people go that they may serve me, if thou wilt not, behold the hand of the Lord is upon thy , upon thy Horses, upon thy Asses, upon thy Camels, upon thy Oxen, and upon thy Sheep, there shall be a very grievous murrain. And the Lord did sever between the  of Israel, and the  of the Egyptians, so that nothing did die of all the children's of Israel, Chap. 9  
7. And the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron take a handful of Ashes of the Furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it towards Heaven in the sight of Pharaoh, and it shall become a Boil breaking forth with Blains upon man and upon beast, and Moses and Aaron did so. And Boils came throughout all the Land of Egypt, so that the Magicians could not stand before Moses because of the Boils, but the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh that he would not hearken.  
8. And the Lord said unto Moses rise up early his the morning and stand before Pharaoh and say unto him, thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go that they may serve me, for I will at this time send all my Plagues upon thy heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, that thou mayest know there is none like me in all the earth; for now I will stretch out mine hand that I may smite thee and thy people with Pestilence, and thou shalt be cut off from the earth; in very deed for this very cause have I raised thee up for to show on thee my power, that my name may be declared throughout all the earth: behold to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof, send therefore and gather thy ; and those that feared the word of the Lord among Pharaohs servants, sent and gathered their , but those that did not regard, let them abide in the fields. And the Lord said unto Moses, stretch forth thine hand, and Moses stretched forth his hand towards Heaven, and the Lord sent Thunder and Hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground, and the Lord reigned hail upon the Land of Egypt and fire mingled with hail very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the Land of Egypt since it became a Nation, and the hail smote man and beast, all that was in the field, and every herb in the field, and broke down all the trees in the field, only in the Land of Goshen where the Children of Israel were, there was no hail.  
9 And the Lord said unto Moses go unto Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart, and Moses and Aaron came unto Pharaoh and said, thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, how long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go that they may serve me; else behold to morrow I will bring the Locusts in thy Coasts, and they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth, and they shall eat the residue of that which remaineth from the hail, and they shall fill all the houses of thee, and thy servants, and all the Egyptians, and they did so. So that Pharaohs servants said, how long shall this man be a snare unto us? Let the men go that they may serve the Lord their God, knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed? So Moses stretched forth his Rod over the Land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an East-wind which brought in the Locusts, so that they covered the face of the whole earth, and the Land was darkened, and they eat every herb of the Land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left, and there remained not any green thing on the trees throughout all the Land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh called for Aaron and Moses in haste, and he said, I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you, and now therefore forgive I pray you my sin this once, and entreat the Lord your God, that he may take from me this death only: and Moses went and entreated the Lord, and the Lord sent a strong West-wind and took away the Locusts, yet the heart of Pharaoh was hardened that he would not let Israel go.  
10. And the Lord said unto Moses, stretch forth thy hands towards Heaven, that there may be darkness over the Land of Egypt, even darkness that may be felt; and Moses stretched forth his hands towards Heaven, and there was a thick darkness in all the Land of Egypt for three days, they saw not one another, neither any rose from his place for three days; but all the Children of Israel had light in their dwellings; but the Lord yet hardened Pharaohs heart that he would not let them go: and Pharaoh said unto Moses get thee from me, take heed to thyself; see my face no more, for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die, and Moses said unto him, thou hast said well, I will see thy face no more.  
11. And the Lord said unto Moses, I will yet bring one Plague more upon Pharaoh, afterwards he will let you go hence, about midnight will I go into the midst of Egypt, and all the firstborn in the Land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon the Throne, even to the first of the Maidservant that is behind the Mi●l, and all the firstborn of the beasts, and there shall be a great cry through the Land of Egypt, such as there hath been none like it, neither shall be like it any more; but against any of the Children of Israel shall not a Dog move his tongue, that ye may know the Lord hath put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel, Chap. 11.  
Then the Lord commanded the Children of Israel to keep the Passover, and to offer a Lamb without blemish, a male of the first year, and to take the blood of it, and strike the Posts of the Houses of the Children of Israel, as you may read Chap. 12. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the Houses where you are, saith the Lord; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the Plague shall not be upon you, to destroy you, when I smite the Land of Egypt, ver. 13: And at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn of the Land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on the Throne, to the firstborn of the Captive that sat in the Dungeon, and all the firstborn of the : And Pharaoh risen up in the night, he and all his servants, and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house in which there was not one dead. And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said arise and get ye forth from among my people, both you and all the Children of Israel; go serve the Lord as ye have said, and bless me also: And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people that they might send them out of the Land in haste, for they said we be all dead men.  
So the Children of Israel journied from Ramese to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, besides Children, as you may read in this 12. Chapter.  
And it came to pass at the end of 430 years, even the self same day that all the Hosts of the Lord went out from the Land of Egypt, it is a night much to be observed unto the Lord, for bringing them up from the Land of Egypt, this is that night to the Lord to be observed by all the Children of Israel, ver. 42. And they went up harnessed out of the Land of Egypt: And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for the Children of Israel had strictly sworn unto him, and he said, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry my bones away from hence, ver. 18, 19  
And the Lord said unto Moses, sanctify unto me all the firstborn; whatsoever openeth the Womb of man or beast among the Children of Israel it is mine, as you may read at large, Chap. 13.  
And it came to pass when Pharaoh let the People go, that God led them not through the Land of the Philistines, although that was near, but God led them about through the wilderness of the Red Sea: and the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying; speak unto the Children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pi-habiroth, between Migdol and the Sea over against Baalzephon, for Pharaoh will say of the Children of Israel they are entangled in the Land, the Wilderness hath shut them in: and I will harden Pharaohs heart, and he shall follow after them.  
And it was told Pharaoh that the People were fled, and his heart was hardened, and the hearts of his Servants, and they said, why have we done this, that we should let the People go from serving us? And the King made ready his Chariots, and he took 600 chosen Charlots of all the Chariots of Egypt, and made Captains over every one of them: And the Lord hardened the heart of the King of Egypt, and he pursued after the Children of Israel, but the Lord carried them out with a high hand, but the Egyptians pursued after them, all the Horses and Charlots of Pharaoh and his Horsemen, and his Army, and overtook them encamped by the Sea; and when Pharaoh drew nigh, the Children of Israel lift up their eyes, and behold the Egyptians marched after them, and they were sore afraid, and the Children of Israel cried unto the Lord; and Moses said unto them, fear ye not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show you this day, for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them no more for ever, the Lord shall fight for you, and hold your peace.  
And the Lord said unto Moses speak unto the Children of Israel that they go forward, but lift up thy Rod, and stretch forth thy hand over the Sea and divide it, and the Children of Israel shall go on dry ground in the midst of the Sea, and I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. And the Angel of God which went before the Camp of Israel, removed and went behind them, and the Pillar of a cloud which went before their face, stood behind them, and it came between the Camp of the Egyptians and the Camp of Israel, and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to the Children of Israel, so that one came not near the other all the night; and Moses stretched out his hand over the Sea, and the Lord caused the Sea to go back by a strong East-wind all that night, and the Children of Israel went into the midst of the Sea, upon dry ground, and the waters were a wall unto them, on their right hand, and on their left.  
12. And the Egyptians pursued and went after them to the midst of the Sea, all Pharaohs Chariots, his Horses, and his Horsemen, and in the morning watch the Lord looked on the Host of the Egyptians through the Pillar of fire and the Cloud, and troubled their Host, and took off their Chariot-Wheels that they drove heavily, so that the Egyptians said, let us fly from the face of Israel, for the Lord sighteth for them, and against us: and the Lord said unto Moses, stretch out thy hand over the Sea that the waters may come upon the Egyptians, upon their Chariots, and upon their Horsemen; and Moses stretched forth his hand over the Sea, and the Sea returned to its strength: and when the morning appeared the Egyptians fled against it, and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the Sea, and the waters returned and covered their Chariots, and their Horsemen, and all the Host of Pharaoh that came into the Sea after them, there remained not so much as one of them; thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the Sea shore.  
Then sang Moses and the Children of Israel this Song unto the Lord, etc. Exod. 15. Thus the Lord wrought these 12 wonders upon Phara●h and the Egyptians, all which made them harder and harder, notwithstanding they could not with hold the Israelites, when the Lord would deliver them, for he brought them forth with a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, and led them through the Wilderness where they met with many trials and hardships, it being a place not affording outward necessaries, and they wanted Faith to trust in the arm and power of the Almighty, which had so graciously and mercifully heard their cries under their oppression and seen their sorrows, and had delivered them out of their heavy bondage, and darkness that they were in under the Egyptians; and though he had showed his mighty and wonderful works upon Pharaoh and his Host, yet when they came to want what they desired, they murmured exceedingly against the Lord; and the Children of Israel said, would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the Land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots, and when we did eat bread to the full, for ye have brought us forth into this Wilderness to kill this whole Assembly with hunger: then the Lord reigned Manna from Heaven.  
And it grieved the Lord that they murmured against him, and the Lord said I have heard your murmur, at even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread, and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, Exod. 16.12. and the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron that they should put an Homer of this Manna, which they did eat, into a Pot, and lay it up before the Lord to be kept for the Generations, ver. 33 And the Children of Israel did eat Manna forty years until they came to the borders of the Land of Canaan, and all the Congregation of the Children of Israel journied from the Wilderness of Sin, after their journey according to the command of the Lord, and pitched in Rephidim, there was no water for the people to drink, and the people did chide with Moses; and the people thirsted there for water: and Moses cried unto the Lord saying, what shall I do unto this people, they be almost ready to stone me? and the Lord said unto Moses, go on before the people, and take with thee the Elders of Israel, and thy Rod wherewith thou smotest the River take in thy hand, and go, and behold I stand before thee there upon the Rock in Horeb, and thou shalt 〈◊〉 the Rock, and Water shall come out of it, that the people may drink; and Moses did so in the sight of all the Children of Israel, and the Lord gave them his Laws and his Statutes, and sent Moses unto them and said thus shalt thou say unto the House of Jacob, and tell the Children of Israel, ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bore you on Eagle wings, and brought you unto myself; now therefore if yo● will obey my voice indeed, and keep my Covenant, then shall ye be a 〈◊〉 treasure unto me above all the people of the earth.  
And the Lord said unto Moses, lo● come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak ●nto thee, and believe thee for over t● be readlly therefore on one third day, for th● Lord will come down unto Mount Sina in the sight of all the people▪ and it came to pass in the morning of the third day, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the Mount, and the voice of the Trumpet exceeding loud, so that all the people that was in the Camp trembled; and Mose● brought forth the people out of the Camp to meet with the Lord; and they stood at the nether part of the Mount, and Mount 〈◊〉 was altogether of a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it, in fire, and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a Furnace, and the whole Mount quaked greatly; and when the voice of the Trumpet sounded long and waxed douder and 〈◊〉 Mos●s spoke, and God answered him by a urive, and the 〈◊〉 Mos●s up to the top of the Mount, and Moses went up, as you may read at large Exod. 19  
And the Lord gave his Law unto Moses from his own mouth, and God spoke all these words and said, I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt have none other Gods but me, etc. Exod. 20.  
And after the Lord had given his Law and his ten Commandments to them, when the people saw the thunderings and the lightnings, and the noise of the Trumpet, and the Mountain smoking, they removed and stood afar off; and said unto Moses speak thou unto us, and we will hear, but let not God speak with us lest we die; And Moses said unto the people fear not, for God is come to prove you, that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not: and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was, and the Lord said unto Moses, say unto the Children of Israel, you have seen that I have talked with you from Heaven's ye shall not make with me Gods of Silver, neither shall ye make ye Gods of Gold, ver. 23.  
And God commanded Moses to make an Ark, the Ark of his Covenant, with a Candlestick, and all the holy Vessels of the Sanctuary, as you may read at large Exod. 25. Moreover he commanded Moses to make the Tabernacle with all its Curtains, Cover and Vails, Chap. 26. Also he commanded him to make an Altar on which the Offerings were to be offered, as you may read from Chap. 27. to Chap. 30. and so to the end of the Book of Exodus.  
And after this the Lord made Moses write his Law in Tables of Stone, and Moses hewed two Tables of Stone, and went up early in the morning, as the Lord commanded him, unto Mount Sinai, and took in his hands the two Tables of Stone, and the Lord descended in the Cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord; The Lord merciful and gracious, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, and keeping mercy for thousands, pardoning iniquity, transgression, and Sin, Exod. 34.  
So all the precious works of Moses and Aaron, and all their faithfulness and their care, and their diligence, and how the Lord: honoured them with his presence, and how they taught, and governed, and prophesied unto the Children of Israel, why they led them through the Wilderness 40 years together, ye may read in the four Books of Moses, viz. Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.   

Deuteronomy.  
THE Lord promised the Children of Israel, and said unto Moses, I will raise them up from among their brethren a Prophet like unto thee, and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I command him, Deut. 18.18. here Moses was a Prophet, for Christ witnesses that Moses writ of him, and Philip said, we have found him, of whom Moses in the Law, and the Prophets did write, J●●. 1.45. and Chap. 5.45. do not think that I will accuse your to the Father, there is one that accuseth you even Moses, for 〈◊〉 you believed Moses ye would have believed me, for he wrote of me, but if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words! And the Apostle saith, and Moses verily was faithful in all his house as a servant, forth testimony of those things which were to be spoken after, Heb. 3.5.  
And this was the Commandment which Moses laid before the Children of Israel a little before his departure from them, saith he, for this Commandment which I command you this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it afar off, it is not in Heaven that thou shouldest say, who shall go up for 〈◊〉 to Heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it and do it, neither is it beyond the Sea, that thou shouldest say, who shall go over the Sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it and do it? but the word is very nigh thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it, I have s●t before thee this day life and death, and good and evil, Deuteronemy 30.11. to the 15. and Rom. 10.5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.  
So after his Exhortations he blessed them with large blessings, as you may read in the 31. 3●. and 33 Chapters at large.  
And he said I am 120 years old, I can no more go out and come in, and the Lord hath said, thou shalt not go over Jordan. And Moses went up from the plain of Moab unto the Mountain of Nebo, the top of Pisgah over against Jeric●o, and the Lord shown him all the Land of Gilead unto Dan, and all Napthali, and all the Land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the Land of Judah unto the utmost Sea, and the South and the plain of the Valley of Jericho, the City of the Palm-Trees unto Zoar, and the Lord said unto him, this is the Land which I swore unto Abraham, unto Isa●●, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed, I have ca●sed thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.  
So Moses the Servant of the Lord died there in the Land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord, and he buried him in a Valley in the Land of Moab, over against B●th-peor, but no man knoweth of his Sepulchre unto this day, Chapter 34. unto the 9 V●●se.  
And Joshua the Son of Nun was full of the spirit of Wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him, and the children of Israel harkened unto him, and did as the Lord commanded Moses, there arose 〈◊〉 a Prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, ver. 10.   

Joshua.  
NOw after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke unto Joshua the Son of Nun, Moses minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead, now therefore arise go over this Jordan, thou and all the people, unto the Land which I do give unto them, every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that I give unto you as I said unto Moses, from the Wilderness, even to the great River Euphrates, there shall not be a man able to stand before thee all the days of thy life; as I was with Moses so will I be with thee, I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, be strong and of a good courage, for unto this people shalt thou divide the Land which I swore unto their Fathers to give them.  
Here take notice of the faithful and constant true care of the Almighty over the seed of his Covenant and promise, when Moses his faithful servant was dead, how he did deliver them unto Joshua, and promised him his presence, and performed the same, as you may read at large in the Book of Joshua.  
And the Lord said unto Joshua, this day I will begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know, as I was with Moses so I will be with thee. Joshua commanded the Priests to carry the Ark of the Covenant before them, saying, when ye are come to the River of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan, and Joshua said unto the Children of Israel, the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan, and it shall come to pass as soon as the soles of the feet of the Priests, that bears the Ark of the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above, and they shall stand upon an heap: and they did so, as you may read in joshua 3.14, 15, 16, 17. thus joshua led them over with twelve men with twelve stones upon their shoulders, that they took out of the midst of jordan, who passed before the Ark of the Lord in the midst of jordan, according to the number of the Tribes of Israel: and joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of jordan, in the place where the feet of the Priests stood which bore the Ark, and they are there unto this day; and when the people were passed clean over, that the Ark of the Lord passed over in the midst of the people, but the Priests which bore the Ark stood in the midst of jordan until every thing was finished that the Lord commanded joshua.  
Thus the Lord miraculously wrought with joshua, as he did with Moses, for the Lord God dried up the waters of jordan, as he did the Red Sea before their Fathers; you may read also how the Lord God wrought with joshua miraculously at the taking of jericho, when the Ark of the Lord compassed about the City seven times, that the Walls of jericho fell down flat at the shout of the people, and at the sound of the Trumpets of Rams Horns, Iosh. 6.20.  
Again how the Lord was with joshua in a special manner in the taking of the City of Ai, as you may read, Chap. 8.  
And when the five Kings came against Israel, and fled before them, that the Lord cast great stones from Heaven before, and they that died were more that died by hailstones, than they that Israel slew with the Sword. Then spoke joshua to the Lord, in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the Children of Israel, and he said in the sight of the Children of Israel, Sun stand thou still upon Gibeon, and thou Moon in the Valley of Ajalon; and the Sun stood still, and the Moon stayed until the people had avenged themselves of their Enemies, so the Sun stood still in the midst of Heaven, and hastened not to go down for about a whole day, and there was no day like that before it nor after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of man, for the Lord fought for Israel, Chap. 10.12, 13, 14.  
These with many more miracles and wonders, and the many Victories that he gave joshua over his Enemies, you may read throughout this whole book of I●shua. And in the latter end of his days he called for the Heads and for the Rulers of Israel, and for their Judges, and for their Officers; and joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, your Fathers dwelled on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah the Father of Abraham, and the Father of Nachor, and they served other Gods, and I took your Father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the Land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and I gave him Isaac, and I gave Isaac jacob and Esau; and I gave unto Esau mount S●ir to possess it, but jacob and his Children went down into Egypt: and I sent Moses also and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did amongst them, and afterwards I brought you out, and I brought your Fathers out of Egypt, and ye came unto the Sea, and the Egyptians pursued after your Fathers with Chariots and Horsemen unto the Red Sea, and when they cried unto the Lord, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the Sea upon them and covered them, and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt, and ye dwelled in the Wilderness a long Season. Then Balak the Son of Zippor, King of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and called Baalam the Son of Peor to curse you, but I would not hearken unto Baalam, therefore he blessed you still, so I delivered you out of his hand, Iosh. 24. to the 10. verse.  
Thus joshua goes on rehearsing the mercies of the Lord to them, and exhorting them to serve the Lord God, and to fear the Lord in sincerity and in truth, and not to serve other Gods, for the Lord God saith, he is a jealous God, he will not forgive your transgressions and sins; if you forsake the Lord, then will he turn and do you hurt and consume you. And the People said unto joshua, nay but we will serve the Lord: and joshua said unto the people ye are witnesses against yourselves, that ye have chosen the Lord to serve him; and they said we are witnesses: And joshua made a Covenant with the people that day, and set them a Statute and an Ordinance, and thus joshua bond them by Covenant to serve the Lord, and set up a great stone under an Oak by the Sanctuary of the Lord to be a witness unto them lest they should deny God, and so joshua sent the people away.  
And it came to pass that joshua the Son of Nun the servant of the Lord died, being 110 years old, and they buried him in the borders of his inheritance, in Mount Ephraim: And Israel served the Lord all the days of joshua, and all the days of the Elders that outlived joshua, which had known the works of the Lord that he had done for Israel.   

Judges.  
NOW after the death of joshua, the Children of Israel asked the Lord, saying, who shall go up for us against the Canaanites? and the Lord said judah shall go up, behold I have delivered the Land into his hands; and judah said unto Simeon his brother come up with me, that we may go fight against the Canaanites. So Simeon went with him, and the Lord delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hands, and they slew them ten thousand men, as you may read in the first of judges throughout, and likewise in the second Chapter you may see what command the Lord laid on them.  
But joshua being dead, and all that Generation that knew the works and wonders of the Lord being gathered to their Fathers, and there arose another Generation after them, that knew not the Lord nor yet the works which the Lord had done for Israel; then the Children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim, and they forsook the Lord God of their Fathers, and served Baal, and provoked the Lord to anger, and it was hot against Israel, as you may read the most part of judges.  
After this Deborah the Prophetess judged Israel, and they came up to her for judgement; and Sisera came up against Israel, and Deborah said unto Barak, this day he is delivered into thy hands, and so Barak pursued Sisera, and I●el slew him, as you may read in the 4. and 5. Chapters of judges.  
After this Gideon was called to Rule over Israel, and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, Chap. 6. And the Lord made him victorious over his Enemies, Chap. 7.8.  
And it came to pass as soon as Gideon was dead, that the Children of Israel turned again and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baal-Peor their God, while Abimelech the Son of Gideon ruled over them, Chap. 9  
And after Abimelech there arose a man of the Tribe of Issachar, and he judged Israel 23 years, and he died, and Jephtah judged Israel, Chap. 11. and 12.  
And there was a man of Zorah, of the Family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah, and his Wife was barren, and bore not, and the Angel of the Lord appeared unto her, and said unto her, behold thou shalt conceive and bear a Son, and this Son was Samson, and he was amongst them for several years, and judged Israel twenty years, Chap. 14, 15, 16, etc.  
Then there was no King in Israel, and the Danites sought for an inheritance, and they came to Zorah, and said to their Brethren, arise, we have seen the Land that it is good; and they gathered six hundred men together appointed with Weapons of War: And they took a City named Laish, and called it Dan. Chap. 18.  
And thus the Children of Israel fell away from the Lord, and the Lord was grieved and provoked with them, as you may read throughout the Book of judges, insomuch that the Tribe of Benjamin had like to have been cut off from the rest of the Tribes, because of a wicked action that they wrought, as you may read from Chap. 18. to the end of the Book of Judges.   

Ruth.  
AND it came to pass in the days when the Judges ruled Israel, that there was a Famine in the Land, and a certain man of Bethlehem-Iudah went to sojourn in the Country of M●ab, as you may read in the Book of Ruth; and the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his Wife was Naomi, and the names of his two Sons was Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethleh●m-Iudah, and they stayed in Moab, and they took them Wives of the Moabites, till Elimelech was dead; and his two Sons and his Wife Naomi returned back to her own Country, and her Daughter-in-Law Ruth would not leave her until they came to Bethlehem-Iudah, as you may read in the first Chapter.  
And Naomi had a Kinsman of her Husbands, a mighty man of wealth, of the Family of Elimelech, whose name was Beaz, and it came to pass that this Boaz took to Wife Ruth, as you may read in the 2.3. and 4. Chapters of Ruth: so Boaz took Ruth, and she was his Wife, and he went in unto her, and the Lord gave her conception, and she called his name Obed, he is the Fathen of jesse, the Father of David, of whom Christ sprang.   

I Samuel.  
THere was a certain man of Ramathaim-Zophim of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the Son of jeroham, the Son of Elihu, the Son of Tohu, the Son of Zuph an Ephrathite, and he had two Wives, the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnab, and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children, and this man went up out of his City yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of Hosts in Shiloh; and the two Sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas the Priests of the Lord were there, and Hannah was in much bitterness, and prayed unto the Lord in her heart, but her voice was not heard, and Eli reproved her, but the Lord heard her and granted her petition; wherefore when the time was come, after Hannah had conceived, that she bore a Son, for the Lord remembered her, and she called his name Samuel, saying, because I asked him of the Lord, as you may read 1 Sam. 1. And she exalted and praised the Lord for his mercy, as you may read Ch. 2. and Samuel ministered before the Lord being a Child, girded with a Linen Ephod, according to the Order of Aaron, and this Child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli the Priest.  
And the word of the Lord was precious in those days, for there was no open vision in those days, and when the Lord called unto Samuel, he answered and went unto Eli, and Eli sent him back again, and the Lord called again, and Samuel went to Eli again, and said here am I, for thou didst call, and Eli said I called not, my Son lie down again. Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him. And the Lord called Samuel again, and he went to Eli the third time, and Eli perceived the Lord had called the child; Eli said unto Samuel, go lie down, and if the Lord call thee, thou shalt say, speak Lord, for thy servant heareth: so Samuel went and lay down in his place, and the Lord came and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel! then Samuel answered, speak for thy servant heareth; and the Lord said to Samuel, behold I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth shall tingle, and this word was against Eli and his house, as you may read in the 3. Chapter. Eli called Samuel, and 〈◊〉 what is the thing that the Lord hath said unto thee, I pray th●● hid it not from me; and Samuel told him every whit; and a●● Israel even from Dan unto Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a Prophet of the Lord.  
And when Samuel grew old, he made his Sons Judges over Israel, and before that he judged and ruled over Israel, for the Lord was with him, but the Elders of Israel were not pleased with samuel's Sons to judge over them, and so they desired a King, as you may read in the 8. Chapter, but the thing displeased Samuel when they asked a King; and Samuel prayed unto the Lord, and the Lord said unto Samuel, harken unto the voice of the people in what they say, for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them, and according as they have dealt with me, so shall they have a King: and Samuel told the mind of the Lord unto the People, as you may read in Chap. 8. to ver. 18.  
Nevertheless the people refused to hear the voice of Samuel, and they said nay, but there shall be a King over us that we may be like all the Nations, and that our King may judge us, and go before us and sight our battles; and Samuel rehearsed the words of the people in the ears of the Lord, and the Lord said unto Samuel harken unto their voice, and make them a King.  
Now there was a man of Benjamins' Tribe whose name was Kish, and he had a Son whose name was Saul, a choice young man and goodly, higher from the shoulders upward than any of the People, as you may read in the 9 Chapter. Then Samuel took a Vyal of Oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, Chap. 10. and Samuel said unto all the people, behold I have harkened unto your voice, in all that ye said unto me, and have made a King over you, and behold now the King walketh before you, and I am old and grey-headed, and my Sons are with you, and I have walked before you from my childhood to this day.  
Now therefore behold the King whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired, whom the Lord hath set over you; if ye will fear the Lord, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the Commandments of the Lord, then shall both ye and your King all follow the Lord your God, but if ye will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the Commandment of the Lord, then shall the hand of the Lord be against you, as it was against your Fathers.  
So this Saul ruled over Israel and judged Israel, from Chap. 12. to 15. in which the Lord sent Samuel unto him, that he might hearken to the voice of the words of the Lord, Chap. 15. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, I remember that which Amaleck did to Israel, Exod. 17.8, 9, 10, 11. how he laid wait for him in the way when he came up from Egypt: Now go and smite Amaleck, and utterly destroy that they have, and spare them not, but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, Camel and Ass: but Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the Sheep, and the Oxen, and the Fatlings of the Lambs, and all that was good they spared.  
Then came the word of the Lord to Samuel, saying, it repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be King, for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my Commandments; and it grieved Samuel, and he cried to the Lord all night, and Samuel risen early in the morning to meet Saul, and Saul said unto him blessed be thou of the Lord, I have performed the Commandment of the Lord, and Samuel said what meaneth this bleating of the Sheep and lowing of the Oxen in mine ears? and Saul said the people have saved the best of the Sheep, and of the Oxen to sacrifice to the Lord thy God, and the rest we have utterly destroyed. And Samuel said, hath the Lord greater delight in  Offerings and Sacrifices than in obeying the voice of the Lord? to obey is better than Sacrifice, and to hacken than the fat of Rams, for Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubborness is as Iniquity and Idolatry; because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being King, and Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned, 1 Sam. 15.23.24.  
And the Lord said unto Samuel, how long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine Horn with Oil, and I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided me a King amongst his Sons, and Samuel said how can I go? if Saul hear he will kill me: and the Lord said take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to Sacrifice to the Lord, and call Jesse to the Sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shalt do, and thou shalt anoint him whom I name unto thee, etc.  
And Samuel did that which the Lord spoke, and came unto Bethlehem, and the Elders of the Town trembled at his coming, and said comest thou peaceably? and he said peaceably I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord, sanctify yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me, and he sanctified Jesse and his Sons, and called them to the Sacrifice, and Samuel looked on Jesses Sons, and Jesse made seven of his Sons to pass before Samuel: and Samuel said unto Jesse, the Lord hath not chosen these, and he said, are here all thy children? and he said there remaineth yet the youngest, and behold he keepeth the Sheep; and Samuel said unto Jesse, send and fetch him, for we will not sit down till he come hither; and he sent and brought him in David: Now he was ruddy and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to; and the Lord said arise, anoint him, for this is he: then Samuel took the horn of Oil and anointed him in the midst of his Brethren; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. Here the Lord anointed David to be King over Israel by his Prophet, and by his eternal Spirit, but this was hid from Saul many years, as you may read from Chap. 16, to 23.  
And how the Lord was with David in all his undertake, and how he was preserved from the wrath and fury of Saul, and how David preserved saul's life when he came into the Cave; where he and his men were upon the Rocks, and he would not hurt Saul as you may read in the 24. Chapter; but still Saul pursued David's life, as you may read throughout the Book of Samuel.  
And the Armies of the Amalekites gathered together against Israel, and David enquired of the Lord, saying, shall I pursue after this Troop, shall I overtake them? and he answered, pursue them, and without fail recover all: So David went and six hundred men that were with him, four hundred pursued, and two hundred stayed behind, and David recovered all that the Amalekites carried away, and David recovered his two Wives, and there was nothing lacking, neither small nor great, neither Sons nor Daughters, neither flocks nor herds, but David recovered them all and came to the two hundred men that stayed behind, that were so faint they could not follow him.  
Now after this the Philistines fought against Israel that was under Saul, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines, and the Battle went sore against Saul, and the Archers hit him and he was sore wounded; and Saul said unto his Armour-Bearer, draw thy Sword and thrust me through, but his Armour-Bearer would not, therefore Saul took a sword and fell upon it, and when his Armour-Bearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword and died with him; so Saul died and his three Sons and his Armour-Bearer and all his men fell that day together, 1 Sam. 31.   

II. Samuel.  
AND when David had word that Saul and Jonathan were dead, than David took hold on his  and rend them, and all the men that were with him, and they mourned and wept, and fasted until evening, for Saul and for Jonathan his Son, for the People of the Lord, and for the House of Israel, because they were fallen by the sword, and David lamented with this lamentation over Saul, and over Jonathan his Son, which Lamentation you may read 2 Sam. 1.  
And it came to pass after this that David enquired of the Lord saying, shall I go up into the Cities of judah? and the Lord said unto him go up; and David said unto him whither shall I go? and he said unto Hebron; so David went up thither, and his two Wives, and his men that were with him, every man with his Household, and they dwelled in the Cities of Hebron, and the men of judah came, and there they anointed David King over the House of judah, and they told David that the men of jabesh-gilead were they that buried Saul; and David sent Messengers unto the men of Gilead, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of the Lord, that ye have showed this kindness unto the Lord, even unto Saul, and buried him, and now the Lord show kindness and truth unto you, and I will requite you this kindness for your Master; Saul is dead, and the House of judah hath anointed me King over them. So now David reigned over the House of judah, but yet there continued long War between the House of Saul and the House of David, but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the House of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.  
Then came all the Tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spoke saying, we are thy bones and thy flesh, and in time past when Saul was King over us, thou leddest out and brought in Israel, and the Lord said unto thee, thou shalt feed my people Israel. So all the Elders of Israel came to the King to Hebron, and King David made a league with them before the Lord, and they anointed David King over Israel, Chap. 5.  
David was thirty years old when he began to reign in Israel in Hebron, he reigned over judah seven years, and he reigned over Israel and judah forty years. So David governed Israel in the fear and wisdom of the Lord God; for David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel thirty thousand, and David arose and went with all them that were with him, from Baal of judah, to bring up from thence the Ark of God, whose name is called the Lord of Hosts, that dwelleth between the Cherubims, the whole passage whereof you may read Chap. 6.  
And when King David sat in his house, the King said unto Nathan the Prophet, see I dwell in an house of Cedar, but the Ark of God dwells within Curtains; and that night the word of the Lord came unto Nathan, saying, go tell my servant David, thus saith the Lord, shalt thou build a house for me to dwell in, whereas I have not dwelled in an house since the time that I brought up the Children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a Tent, and in a Tabernacle; but when thy days shall be fulfilled that thou sleeps with thy Fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee which shall proceed out of thy Bowels, and I will establish his Kingdom, he shall build an house for my name, and I will establish the Throne of his Kingdom for ever, I will be his Father, and he shall be my Son, if he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men, but my mercy shall not departed away from him, as I took from Saul, Chap. 7.  
Thus David governed the Kingdom of Israel nobly all his days, and the mighty works that he did, and the great Victories that the Lord gave him, you may read of to the end of this Book.   

1 Kings, 2 Chron.  
AND when the days of David grew nigh that he should die, he charged Solomon his Son saying, I go the way of all the earth, be thou strong therefore and show thyself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways and to keep his Statutes and his Commandments and his Judgements, and his Testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that thou mayst prosper in all that thou dost, that the Lord may continue his word which he spoke concerning me, saying, if thy Children take heed to their way to walk before me in Truth, with all their heart and with all their Soul, there shall not fail thee a man, said he, to sit on the Throne of Israel, 1 Kings, 2. And so David slept with his Fathers, and was buried in the City of David.  
Then sat Solomon upon the Throne of David his Father, and his Kingdom was established greatly ver. 12. the Lord appeared unto Solomon in a Dream by night, and God said ask what I shall give thee; Solomon said thou hast showed to David my Father great mercies, according as he walked before thee in truth and in righteousness, and uprightness of heart with thee, and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a Son to sit on his Throne, as it is this day; and now O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant King instead of David my Father, and I am but a little Child, I know not how to go out and come in, thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, it cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude; give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad, for who is able to judge this so great a people? And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon asked this thing; and God said, because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked long life, neither haste asked riches to thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine Enemies, but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern Judgement, behold I have done according to thy words, I have given thee a wise and understanding heart, so that there was none like thee before thee, neither shall any arise after thee like unto thee, Chap. 3.  
So King Solomon reigned over all Israel; as you may read in the fourth and fifth Chapters. And it came to pass in four hundred and fourscore years after the Children of Israel were come out of the Land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the House of the Lord; of which building and the magnificency of it you may read from the sixth Chapter to the ninth Chapter of 2 Chron. 5.2.  
Then Solomon assembled the Elders of Israel and all the heads of the Tribes of Israel unto jerusalem, that they might bring up the Ark of the Covenant of God out of the City of David, which is Zion, and the Priests brought in the Ark of the Lord, into the Oracle of the House of the Lord, even to under the wings of the Cherubims. He built also his own House, which he was 13 years in building, Chap. 7.  
And it came to pass when Solomon had furnished the building of the House of the Lord and the King's House, that the Lord appeared unto Solomon the second time, and the Lord said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication that thou hast made before me, I have hallowed this house which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever, and if thou walk before me as David thy Father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I command thee, and keep my Statutes and Judgements, then will I establish the Throne of thy Kingdom upon Israel.  
So King Solomon excelled all the Kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom, and the Queen of Sheba heard of the same of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions, Chap. 10.  
After this King Solomon loved many strange women, together with the Daughters of Pharaoh, the Moabites, and Ammonites, and Edomites, and Zidonians, and Hittites, all which the Lord had commanded the Children of Israel that they should not go into them.  
So Solomon was drawn away with his Wives, and worshipped their Gods, and made Idols, and the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared to him twice, wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, for as much as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my Covenant and my Statutes which I commanded thee, I will surely rend the Kingdom from thee, and give it to thy servant, notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David my servant's sake, but I will rend it out of the hand of thy Son, howbeit I will not rend away all the Kingdom, but will give one Tribe to thy Son for David my servant's sake, and for jerusalems' sake which I have chosen.  
And it came to pass when jeroboam went out of jerusalem, that Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way, and he clad himself with a new garment, and Ahijah caught the new Garment and rend it in twelve pieces, and he said to jerobeam take thee ten, for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, behold I will rend the Kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and I will give ten Tribes to thee, but he shall have one for my servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the City which I have chosen out of all the Tribes of Israel.  
Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam, and Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt until the death of Solomon, and the rest of the Acts of Solomon and all that he did are written in the Book of the Acts of Solomon, and the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was 40 years, and Solomon slept with his Fathers, and Rehoboam his Son reigned in his stead, Chap. 11.  
And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem he gathered of the House of Judah and Benjamin an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were Warriors, to fight against Israel, that so he might bring the ten Tribes to him again, which Jeroboam the Son of Nebat went about to take from him, for they were given to him; but the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, speak unto Rehoboam the Son of Solomon King of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying thus saith the Lord, ye shall not go up to sight against your Brethren, return every man to his house for this thing is done of me, and they obeyed the word of the Lord and returned from going against Jeroboam.  
And it came to pass in the fifth year of Rehoboam that Shishak the King of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took the sensed Cities thereabouts, and the Lord sent his Prophet Shemaiah to Rehoboam and the Princes of Judah, and they humbled themselves before the Lord, and the Lord was entreated of them, and heard them, and said that he would not destroy them, 2 Chron. 12. 1 Kings 14.31. and Rehoboam slept with his Fathers, and Ahijah his Son reigned in his stead.  
In the 18 year of Jeroboams reign began Ahijah to reign over Judah, and there was War between Ahijah and Jeroboam, and Abijah set the Battle in array with an Army of valiant men of War, even four hundred thousand chosen men; and Jeroboam set the Battle in array against them with eight hundred thousand chosen men, being mighty men of valour; Abijah stood upon Mount Semaraim, which is in Mount Ephraim, and said, hear thou me Jeroboam, and all Israel, ought ye not to know the Lord God of Israel gave the Kingdom of Israel to David for ever, by a Covenant of Salt, and yet Jeroboam is risen up and rebelled against his Lord? and now do ye think to withstand the Kingdom of the Lord in the hands of the Sons of David? and ye be a great multitude and there be with you golde● Calves, which Jeroboam hath made for Gods, and behold God himself is with us for our Captain, and his Priests with sounding Trumpets to cry aloud against you, O Children of Israel sight not against the Lord God of your Fathers, ye shall not prosper: but Jeroboam caused an ambushment to be set before the Children of Judah and behind them, and they cried unto the Lord, and the Priests sounded with Trumpets, than the men of judah gave a shout, and as they shouted God smote jeroboam and all Israel, and the Children of Israel fled before judah, and God delivered them into their hands, 2 Chron. 13. 1 Kings 12.28.  
After this Abijah waxed mighty, and married 14 Wives, and had twenty two Sons and sixteen Daughters, and the rest of the acts that he did are written in the Story of the Prophet Iddo; and the Prophets that prophesied in his days were Shemaiah and Iddo; and Abijah slept with his Fathers, and Asa his Son reigned in his stead.  
So now you may read i● the remaining Chapters of this Book how Israel was divided and rend asunder, and how they served other Gods, and wrought abomination before the Lord, and the Lord spoke unto them by his Prophets, but they would not hear, but hardened their hearts and wrought wickedness, and killed the Lords Prophets: but Baal's Prophets were 450. and the Lord plagued them, and sent them Famine and Drought, as you may read, Chap. 18.22.  
And in the twentieth year of jeroboam, Asa reigned over judah, and Asa did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and he gathered all Judah and Benjamin together, and they entered into a Covenant with the Lord God of their Fathers, that they would seek him with all their hearts: he took away the Altars of the strange Gods and the Images, and took away the Sodomites out of the Land, and he removed away the Idols which his Father had made: and the Lord cut off the Ethiopians before Asa, Judah, and Benjamin, and he removed his Mother from being Queen, because she had made an Idol in a Grove, and he destroyed her Idol and burned it, 2 Chr. 15. 1 Kings 15.13.  
In the 36 year of the reign of Asa, Baasha King of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, to the intent he might let none go out nor come in to Asa King of Judah: then Asa brought out Silver and Gold out of the Treasury of the House of the Lord, and sent it to Benhadad King of Syria that dwelled in Damascus, that he might join with him against the King of Israel; and the King of Syria hearkened unto him, and they smote Jion, and Dan, and Abel-Beth-Ma●chab and all the Cities of Naphtali.  
And at that time Hanani came unto Asa King of judah, and said, because thou hast relied on the King of Syria, and hast not relied in the Lord thy God, therefore is the Host of the King of Syria escaped out of thy hands, for the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole Earth to show himself strong in the behalf of those whose heart is perfect towards him; herein thou hast done foolishly: and Asa was wroth with the Seer and put him in Prison.  
And Asa in the thirty ninth year was diseased in his feet, and he sought not unto the Lord, but unto Physicians, and he slept with his Fathers; and the Prophets Hanani, and Azaziah the Son of Oded prophesied in his days, and his Son jehosaphat reigned in his stead; and he walked according to Asa his Father, and turned not aside from doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord; nevertheless the high places were not taken away, for the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their Fathers.  
And the Lord was with Jehosaphat, because he walked in the ways of David his Father, and sought the Lord, and his heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord, and called his Princes, and with them he sent Levites and Priests, and they taught in Judah, and had the book of the Law of the Lord with them, and went about through all the Cities of Judah, and taught the people, and the fear of the Lord fell upon all the Kingdoms of the Land round about Judah, so that they made no War with Jehosaphat.  
And Jehosaphat joined affinity with Ahab, and went down to Samaria to Ahab King of Israel, and they went down to Ramath-Gil●ad, as you may read the 2 Chron. 18.1. 1 Kings 22.2. and Jehosaphat caused Ahab to inquire of the Prophets of Israel, and afterwards they enquired of Michaiah the Prophet of the Lord, which Ahab said he hated, for he never prophesied good of him, but evil.   

2 Kings.  
SO the King of Israel and Jehosaphat King of judah went up against Ramath-Gilead, and a certain man drew a bow at a venture and smote the King of Israel between the joints of his Harness, so that he died, 2 Chron. 18.33. 1 Kings 22. Now joram the Son of Ahab reigned over Israel in Samaria in the 18. year of I●hosaphat King of judah, it came to pass when Ahab was dead, that the King of Moab rebelled against the King of Israel, and joram King of Israel sent to jehosaphat King of judah to join with him against Moab; and the King of Israel and the King of judah went, and the King of Edom went with them against Moab: and the King of Israel said, alas! hath the Lord gathered these three Kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab? and Ichosaphat said, is there not here a Prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire of him? 2 Kings. and one of the King's servants said, here is Elisha that poured water on the hands of Elijah; and the three Kings went to inquire of him and Elisha said unto the King of Israel, what have I to do with thee? get thee to the Prophets of thy Father, and the Prophets of thy Mother; and Elisha said, as the Lord of Hosts liveth before whom I stand, were it not that I regard the presence of jehesaphat King of judah, I would not look towards thee nor see thee, but now bring me here a Minstrel, etc. and they prevailed against the Moabites, as you may read, 2 Kings 3.  
And it came to pass after this, that the Children of Moab and the Children of Ammon, and with them, from beyond the Sea from this side of Syria, went a great multitude that came up against jehosaphat King of judah, as you may read 2 Chron. 20. and jehosaphat feared before the Lord, and proclaimed a Fast, and set himself and all his people to seek the Lord; and the Lord gave jehosaphat Victory over his Enemies; then returned jehosaphat King of judah with joy to jerusalem, for that the Lord had made them to rejoice over their Enemies.  
But after this did jehosaphat King of judah join himself with Ahaziah King of Israel, who did very wickedly, to make Ships to go to Tarshish; then Eliezer prophesied against jehosaphat, saying, because thou hast joined with Ahaziah, the Lord hath broken thy Works, so the Ships were not able to go to Tarshish.  
So jehosaphat slept with his Fathers, and jehoram reigned in his stead, and Michaiah, and Elisha, and Eliezer were the Prophets that prophesied in his days.  
And jehoram reigned eight years in jerusalem, and did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of the Kings of Israel, as did the House of Ahab, for the Daughter of Ahab was his Wise, yet the Lord would not destroy judah, for David his servant's sake, as he promised to give him always a light to his Children; in his days Edom revolted, 2 Kings 8. 2 Chron. 21.  
Moreover he made high places in the mountains of judah, and caused the Inhabitants of jerusalem to commit Fornication, and compelled them thereto: and there came a Writing from Elisha the Prophet, saying, thus saith the Lord God of David thy Father, because thou hast not walked in the ways of jehosaphat, but hast walked in the ways of the Kings of Israel, and hast made judah and jerusalem go a whoring after Whoredoms, behold with a great Plague will the Lord smite thee, and thy people, and thy Wives, and thy Children: and after the Lord smote him in his bowels, that at the end of two years his bowels fell out, so that he died of sore Diseases; and the Inhabitants of jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest Son King in his stead.  
And the Lord sent his Prophet to anoint jehu, the Son of jehosaphat, the Son of Nimshi to be King over Israel 2 Kings 9 and he arose and went into the House, and poured Oil on his head, and said, thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I have anointed thee King over the people of the Lord, and thou shalt smite the House of Ahab thy Master, that I may avenge the blood of my Servants the Prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord, at the hands of Jezebel, for the whole House of Ahab shall perish, and I will make the House of Ahab like the House of Jeroboam, and the Dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel.  
Twenty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem, also he walked in the ways of Ahab, for his Mother was his Counsellor to do wickedly, wherefore he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the destruction of Ahaziah was of God, by coming to see Jehoram; for when he was come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the Son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab, as you may read in 2 Chr. 22. and they caught Ahaziah where he was hid in Samaria, and when they had slain him they buried him, because they said, he is the Son of Jehoshaphat who sought the Lord.  
But Jehosheba the Daughter of King Jehoram, took Joash the Son of Ahaziah, and put him and his Nurse in a Bedchamber, for she was the Wife of Jehojada the Priest, and he was with them hid in the House of God six years; then Athaliah reigned six years, and in the seventh year Jehoiadah called all the Captains of the hundreds together, and the Priests and the Levites, and all the Congregation together with the King in the House of God, and he said unto them, the King's Son shall reign, as the Lord hath said of the Sons of David, 2 Chr. 23.  
And Joash began to reign in the seventh year of Jehu King of Israel, and he was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned over Jerusalem forty years, and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, as Jehojada the Priest instructed him.  
But Jehojada waxed old, and was full of days, and when he died he was 130 years old, and after his death the Princes of Judah left the House of the Lord, and served Idols in Groves, and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon Zachariah, the Son of Jehojada the Priest, which stood above the People, and said, thus saith God, why trespass ye against the Commandment of the Lord? and they conspired against him, and stoned him with Stones at the Commandment of the King; thus Joash remembered not the kindness that Jehojada had done unto him, but slew his Son.  
The Army of the Syrians came against them, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their Fathers, so they executed judgement against Joash, and his own servants slew him in his bed, and Amaziah his Son reigned in his stead, 2 Chr. 22. 2 King. 9.27.  
In the twenty third year of Joash, Jehoahaz Son of jehu began to reign over Israel, and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, 2 King. 13. and followed the sins of Jeroboam, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of the King of Syria, and Jehoahaz besought the Lord, and the Lord hearkened unto him, for he saw the oppressions of Israel because the King of Syria oppressed them, and the Lord gave Israel, a Saviour, so they went out from under the hand of the Syrians, and the Children of Israel dwelled in their Tents, nevertheless they departed not from the sins of jereboam, Chap. 13.6. and jehoahaz slept with his Fathers, and Jehoash his Son reigned in his stead.  
In the thirty seventh year of the reign of Joash King of judah, began jehoash Son of jehoahaz to reign over Israel and reigned sixteen years, he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and departed not from the Sins of jeroboam, who made Israel to sin: and jehoash slept with his Fathers, and jeroboam sat upon his Throne.  
In the second year of jehoash, Son of jehoahaz King of Israel, reigned Amaziah the Son of joash King of judah, he was 25 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 29 years in jerusalem, and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not like unto David nor Joash his Father: When his Kingdom was confirmed in his hands, he slew all his servants that had slain his Father; and he sent messengers to the King of Israel, that they might come up to look one another in the face: He slew also of the Children of Edom, in the Valley of Salt, ten thousand; and the King of Israel sent unto him, and said, thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart is lifted up, tarry at home, but Amaziah King of Judah would not, therefore Jehoash King of Israel went up and met Amaziah King of Judah, and looked him in the face at Bethshemish which belongs to judah, and Judah was put to the worst, and fled every man before Israel; and the King of Israel took all the Gold and Silver, and all the Vessels that were found in the House of the Lord, and Jehoash King of Israel slept with his Fathers, and jereboam his Son reigned in his stead. And Amaziah King of Judah lived after his death fifteen years, and they made a conspiration against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish, but they sent after him and slew him there; and all the people of Judah took Azaziah and made him King instead of Amaziah his Father.  
In the twenty seventh year of the reign of Jeroboam King of Israel, began Azaziah, alias, Vzziah Son of Amaziah King of Judah to reign; sixteen years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and two years in Jerusalem, and did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, Chap. 15. but the high places were not removed, but the people sacrificed and burnt Incense still thereon, and the Lord smote Amaziah King of Judah, that he was a Leper to the day of his death.  
In the thirty eighth year of Azaziah King of Judah, did Zachariah Son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months, and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, the Son of Nebat, that made Israel to sin; and Shallum the Son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him and slew him, and reigned in his stead. This was the word of the Lord that he spoke unto Jehu, saying, thy Sons shall sit on the Throne of Israel to the fourth Generation, and so it came to pass.  
And Shallum the Son of Jabesh began to reign in the 39 year of Vzziah King of Judah, and he reigned but one month in Samaria; and Menahem, the Son of Gadi, went up to Samaria and slew him, and reigned in his stead, and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, 2 Kings 15.  
And in the thirty ninth year of Azaziah King of Judah began Menahem the Son of Gadi to reign, and he reigned ten years in Samaria, he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and slept with his Fathers; and Pekahiah his Son reigned in his stead in Samaria two years, and he did evil in the sight of the Lord like Jeroboam, the Son of Nebat, that made Israel to sin; but Pekah the Son of Remaliah, a Captain of his, conspired against him, and killed him, and reigned in his stead.  
And in the fiftieth year of Azaziah King of Judah, Pekah the Son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years, he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and departed not from the sins of Jeroboam. In his days came the King of Syria, and took Jion, and Abel-beth-maachah, and Janoah, and Kedish, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, and all the Land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Syria; and Hoshea Son of Elah made a Conspiracy against Pe●ah the Son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead: in the days of these Kings, the Prophet Isaiah, and the Prophet Hosea prophesied, as you may read in Isa. 1.6.7. Chap. and Hos. 1.  
In the second year of Pekah the Son of Remaliah King of Israel, began Jotham the Son of Vzziah King of Judah to reign, 2 Chron. 27.1. and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but the high places were not taken aways in those days did the Lord begin to send against judah, Rezin King of Assyria, 2 Kings 15.39. and Pekah the Son of Remaliah; and jotham slept with his Fathers, and Ahaz his Son reigned in his stead.  
In the seventeenth year of Pekah, Son of Remaliah, Ahaz the Son of jotham King of judah began to reign, twenty years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years, and he did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord: The Prophets that prophesied in these King's days, were Isaiah, Hosea, and Micah; and how they came to war against Ahaz, and Ahaz took the Silver and Gold that was found in the House of the Lord, and sent it to the King of Asyria, and the King of Assyria carried the people away Captive, and slew Resin, and King Ahaz went to meet the King of Assyria at Damascus, and made Vrijah the Priest make an Altar, and offer thereon after the manner of the Assyrians, as you may read in 2 Kings 16. and he turned the King's entry from the House of the Lord, for the King of Assyria, 2 Chr. 28. he made his Sons pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the Heathen: and Ahaz slept with his Fathers.  
In the twelfth year of Ahaz King of judah began Hoshea the Son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel, and he reigned nine years, he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord; against him came Shalmaneser King of Assyria, and Hoshea became his servant, and the King of Assyria found a Conspiracy amongst them, as you may read 2 Kings 17. They walked in the Statutes of the Heathen whom the Lord cast out, and they served their Idols, and they wrought wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger; yet the Lord testified against Israel and against judah, by all the Prophets and by all the Seers, saying, turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my Commandments and Statutes according to all the Laws I commanded your Fathers, which I sent to you by my servants the Prophets, notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, ver. 13.14. and this did Moses prophesy of them, Deut. 30.17.  
In the ninth year of Hoshea, the King of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, for so it was that Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, which brought them up from under the hand of Pharaoh, and the Children of Israel did secretly that which was not right against the Lord their God, they build them high places, and set up Images, they burned Incense, they made two Calves, and made a Grove, and worshipped all the Host of Heaven, and served Baal, and caused their Sons and their Daughters to pass through the sire, and they used Divination and Enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger: Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight, and there was none lest but the Tribe of judah only, for the Children of Israel walked in all the sins of jeroboam, which he did until the Lord removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by his Prophets; 
10 Tribes carried into Captivity.  so Israel was carried out of their own Land unto Assyria unto this day.  
Now in the third year of Hoshea King of Israel, Hezekiah the Son of Ahaz King of judah began to reign, and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his Father did, he removed the high places, and broke the Images, and cut down the Groves, and broke in pieces the Brazen Serpent, for the Children of Israel burned incense to it. He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the Kings of judah, nor any that were before him, and the Lord was with him, and he prospered whithersoever he went, as you may read in the 18.19. and 20 Chapters of the second of the Kings; for when the Prophet Isaiah brought him tidings of their carrying into Babylon all that was in his house, all that his Fathers had laid up in store, and the carrying of his Sons and his Issue: That they should be carried into Babylon, and that his Sons should be Eunuches in the Palace of the King of Babylon, Chapter twenty; Second of Chronicles 29.30.31.32. Chapters; then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken, and he said, is it not good? if peace and mercy be in my days, ver. 18, 19 And Hezekiah slept with his Fathers, and Manasseh his Son reigned in his stead.  
Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty five years in Jerusalem, and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, after the abominations of the Heathens, 2 Chron. 33. for he built again the high places that Hezekiah his Father had cast down, and reared Altars for Baal, and worshipped the host of Heaven, as you may read in Chap. 21. After this the Lord spoke to Manasseh, and to his people, but they would not regard, wherefore the Lord brought upon him the host of the King of Assyria, which took Manasseh and bound him with Fetters, and carried him to Babylon: and when he was in tribulation he prayed unto the Lord, and the Lord was entreated of him and brought him again to his Kingdom in Jerusalem, as you may read in the 2 Kings 21. and 2 Chron. 33. and Manasseh slept with his Fathers, and Amon his Son reigned in his stead.  
Amon was twenty and two years old when he began to reign, and reigned two years in Jerusalem; and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, as did Manasseh his Father, he sacrificed to all the Images that Manasseh had made, and he humbled not himself before the Lord as Manasseh his Father did; and the servants of Hamon conspired against him and slew him in his own house, 2 Chron. 33. And the people of the Land made Josiah his Son King in his stead.  
And Josiah was 8 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty one years in Jerusalem, and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, like unto David his Father, as you may read in the 22 and 23. Chapters, 2 Chron. 34.35. Chapters, and like unto him there was no King before him, that turned unto the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; notwithstanding the Lord turned not away from the fierceness of his wrath wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations that Man●sseh had provoked him withal: and the Lord said I will remove Judah our of my sight, as I have removed Israel; for the Lord had given the ten Tribes of Israel into the hands of the King of Assyria, for the Children of Israel walked in the sins of Jereboam, which he did; they departed not from them until the Lord removed Israel out of his sight, as he said by his servants the Prophets; so was Israel carried away out of their own Land to Assyria; so the Lord rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hands of spoilers to cast them out of his sight, Chap. 18. So as the Lord out off Israel, so also he cut off the City of jerusalem which he had chosen, and the House which he had said, my Name shall be there, Chap. 23.27.  
And of all these things did the Prophet Isaiah prophesy of in the days of Vzziah, jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah Kings of judah; the Daughter of Zion is left as a Cottage (saith the Prophet) in a Vineyard, as a Lodge in a Garden of Cucumbers, as a besieged City, (and in the 5. of Isaiah you may read at large, what the Lord speaks there by his Prophet) except the Lord had lestus a very small remnant, we had been as Sodom, and we had been like unto Gomorrah, as you may read in the first Chapter, and so throughout the Book of Isaiah.  
And jeremiah the Prophet, the word of the Lord came to him in the days of josiah, Son of Amon, King of judah; he prophesied of the carrying away of jerusalem Captive, as you may read, jer. 1. I will utter my judgements against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burnt incense unto other Gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands; therefore gird up thy loins and arise against this whole Land, and against the Kings of judah, against the Princes thereof, against the Priests thereof, and against the people thereof, for I have made thee as a defenced City, and as an Iron Pillar they shall not prevail against thee, for I am with thee, saith the Lord to deliver thee.  
The Lord said unto me, in the days of josiah the King, hast thou seen what this rebellious Israel hath done, for she hath gone up upon every high Mountain, and under every green Tree, and there played the harlot, and I said when she had done all this, turn thou unto me, but she returned not, and her rebellious Sister Judah saw it: and when I saw that by all occasions rebellious Israel had played the harlot, I cast her away, and gave her a Bill of divorcement, yet her rebellious Sister judah was not afraid, but went also and played the harlot, so that the lightness of her Whoredoms hath defiled the Land, as you may read at large in the third Chapter of the Prophecy of jeremiah, so on throughout the Book.  
And this josiah put down the idolatrous Priests that burned incense unto Baal, according as the man of God did foretell 1 King. 13. a Child shall be born unto the house of David, josiah by name, and upon thee shall he offer the Priests, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee, viz. the Altar: he put down also the horses that the Kings of judah had given to the Sun, at the entering of the House of the Lord, and the Altars that were on the top of the Chamber of Ahaz, which the Kings of judah had made, and he broke the Images in pieces, and cut down the Groves. Furthermore the Altar that was at Bethel, and the high places made by jeroboam the Son of Nebat; and as josiah turned himself he spied the Graves that were in the Mount, and sent and took the bones out of them, and burned them upon the Altar, according to the word of the Lord which the man of God proclaimed, who cried the same words; then said he, what title is this that I see? and the men of the City said, it is the Sepulchre of the man of God, which came from judah and told these things which thou hast done to the Altar of Bethel, 1 Kings 13.2. then said he let him alone, let none remove his bones, 2 Chron. 34.35. Chap.  
And this King josiah caused the Law of the Lord to be read, and when he heard the words of it, he rend his , because that his forefather's had forsaken the Lord, and burnt incense unto Baal; and he sent to Huldah the Prophetess, that dwelled in the College in jerusalem, to inquire of the Lord concerning the people of judah; and she said unto them, thus saith the Lord God, tell the man that sent you, thus saith the Lord, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the Inhabitants thereof, even the words of the Book which the King of judah hath read, because they have forsaken me, and burnt incense unto other Gods that they might provoke me to anger, therefore my wrath is kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched, Chap. 22.  
And the King sent and gathered unto him all the Elders of judah and jerusalem, and read the Law before them in the house of the Lord, and the King stood by a Pillar and made a Covenant before the Lord, and before all his people, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his Commandments, as you may read, Chap. 23.  
In his days Pharaoh Neehoh King of Egypt went up against the King of Assyria to the River Euphrates, and King josiah went up against him, whom when Pharaoh saw he slew him at Megiddo, and the people of the Land took Jehoahaz Son of Josiah, and anointed him King in his Father's stead.  
And jehoahaz was thirty and three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in jerusalem, and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the King of Egypt put him down at jerusalem, and made Eliakim his Brother King over judah and jerusalem, and turned his name to jehojakim.  
And jehojakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in jerusalem, and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and in his days the King of Babylon came up, and the Lord sent against him the Bands of the Chaldees, and Bands of the Syrians, and Bands of the Moabites, and Bands of the Children of Ammon, and sent them against judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord which he spoke by his Servants the Prophets; surely at the Commandment of the Lord came this upon judah to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh according to all that he did, and also for the innocent blood that he shed, for he filled jerusalem with innocent blood, Chap. 24.  
At that time Nabuchadnezzar King of Babylon came up against the City of jerusalem, and he and his Servants besieged it, and jehojachim King of judah, he and his Mother, and his Princes, and his Servants, and his Officers, went out to meet him, and the King of Babylon took them, and he carried out thence all the Treasures of the House of the Lord, and the Treasures of the King's House, and cut in pieces all the Vessels of Gold which Solomon the King of Israel had made in the Temple of the Lord, and he carried away all jerusalem, and all the Princes, and the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand Captives, and all the Crastsmen, and the Smiths, and there remained none save the poorest sort of the people.  
And he carried away jehoiachim into Babylon, and the King's Mother, 
Judah and Jerusalem going into Babylon.  and the King's Wives, and his Officers he carried away captive from jerusalem, the mighty men of the Land, even seven thousand, and Craftsmen and Smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt to War, them the King of Babylon brought captive to Babylon; and he made his Father's Brother King of jerusalem, and he reigned seven years, until he rebelled against the King of Babylon; and then the King of Babylon came against him and took him: and then the havoc and the spoil that was made at jerusalem, you may read in the twenty firth Chapter, 2 Chr. 36.  
And thus the sins and abominations that the Children of Israel wrought against the Lord with their Kings that reigned over them, and how the Lord by his Prophets would have turned them unto himself, and how he sent precept upon precept, and line upon line, as you may read at large in the Prophecy of Isaiah, and in the Prophecy of jeremiah: and Hosea prophesied in that time, in the days of Vzziah, jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, and in the days of jeroboam the Son of joash King of Israel: The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea, the Lord said unto Hosea, go take thee a Wife of Whoredoms, and the Children of Whoredoms, for the Land hath committed great Whoredoms, departing from the Lord. So he went and took Gomer, the Daughter of Diblaim, which conceived and bore a Son, and the Lord said unto him, call his name jezreel; for yet a little while and I will avenge the blood of jezreel upon the House of jehu, and it shall come to pass in that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of jezreel, Hos. 1. to 5. my people ask Counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them, for the spirit of Whoredoms have caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God, they have dealt treacherously against the Lord; the Princes of judah were like them that remove the bound, therefore I will pour out my sury upon them like water, saith the Lord, Hos. Chap. 4.5. and so on throughout that Book, you may read how the Lord by his Prophet complains of their Idolatry.  
The words of Amos who was amongst the Herdsmen, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Vzziah King of judah, and in the days of jeroboam King of Israel, two years before the earthquake; and he said the Lord will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from jerusalem, and the inhabitants of the Shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel, Amos 1. Hear this word that the Lord hath spoken against you, O Children of Israel, against the whole Family which I brought up from the Land of Egypt, saying, ye only have I known of all the Families of the earth, therefore will I punish you for your iniquities, Amos 3.1, 2.  
And the Prophet Ezekiel saith, now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the first day of the month as I was among the Captives, that I saw the Visions of God: here the Lord did not only prophesy before they went into Captivity, but even when they were in the Captivity, the Lord sent his Prophets unto them, as you may see hereafter.  
The word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the Priest the Son of Buzi, in the Land of the Chaldeans, by the River Chebar, and the hand of the Lord was there upon him as he was amongst the Captives, Ezek. 1.3. and the Spirit entered into me, and when he spoke unto me, and set me on my feet; he said unto me, Son of man, I sent thee to the Children of Israel, a rebellious Nation, that have rebelled against me, they and their Fathers have transgressed against me, even to this very day, for they are impudent Children, and stiff necked; I do send thee unto them, and thou shalt say, thus saith the Lord God, Chap. 2. and so on, as you may read throughout the Prophecy of Ezekiel.  
And Jeremiah in his Lamentations saith, how doth the City sit solitary, that was full of people? how is she become as a Widow, Judah is gone into Captivity because of affliction, and because of her great servitude, she dwelleth amongst the Heathen, she findeth no rest, all her Persecutors overtook her, as you may read on through the Lamentation of Jeremiah.  
Daniel the first Chap. in the third year of Jehojakim King of Judah, came Nabuchadnezzar King of Babylon unto Jerusalem and besieged it, 
Judah and Jerusalem in Captivity.  and the Lord gave jehojakim King of judah into his hands, with p●rt of the Vessels of the House of God which he carried into the Land of Shinar, and he brought the Vessels into the Treasury of the House of his God, ver. 1.2.  
Now this King Nabuchadnezzar spoke to the Master of the Eunuches, that he should bring certain of the Children of Israel, and of the King's seed, and of the Princes: now amongst these were the Children of judah, amongst which Daniel was one, as you may read Dan. 1. and so on to Chap. 9  
In the first year of Darius, in the first year of his reign, I Daniel understood by Books the number of years, whereof the word of the Lord came to jeremiah the Prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the Desolations of jerusalem, Dan. 9.1.2. And so Daniel set his heart unto the Lord and prayed, and he was answered in the 24. ver. seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and upon thy holy City to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting Righteousness, and to seal up the Vision and the Prophecy, and to anoint the most holy, as you may read to the end of the Chapter; and it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the King of Babylon, that Nation saith the Lord for their iniquities.  
And the Prophet Malachy, he saith, that judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in jerusalem, for judah hath profaned the holiness of the Lord which he loved, and hath married the Daughter of a strange God; the Lord will cut off the man that doth this, for the God of Israel saith, that he hateth putting away, for one covereth violence with his Garment, therefore take heed that ye deal not treacherously, saith the Lord, Mal. 2.  
And as these holy Prophets prophesied of their going into Captivity, so likewise they prophesied of their returning back again, as you may read in Isaiah 45. and jeremiah 24. and 25. Chapters.  
Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus whose right hand I have holden to subdue Nations before him, Isa. 45.1. The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah in the fourth year of Jghojakim, Son of josiah King of judah, that was the first year of Nabuchadnezzar King of Babylon; the which jeremiah the Prophet spoke unto all the People of judah, and all the Inhabitants of jerusalem, saying, this whole Land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment, and these Nations shall serve the King of Babylon seventy years; and it shall come to pass when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the King of Babylon, and that Nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and I will make the Chaldeans a perpetual desolation, Jer. 25.11, 12.  
In the first year of Cyrus' King of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of jeremiah and Isaiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the Spirit of Cyrus' King of Persia, that he made a Proclamation throughout the Kingdom, and put it in writing, saying, thus saith Cyrus' King over Persia, the Lord God of Heaven hath given me all the Kingdoms of the Earth, and hath charged me to build him an House at jerusalem which is in judah, who is there amongst you of all his people, his God be with him, and let him go up to jerusalem which is in judah, and build the House of the Lord God of Israel, for the House of God is in jerusalem.  
Then risen up the chief of the Fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the Priests and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised to go up to build the House of the Lord which is in jerusalem; also Cyrus the King brought forth the Vessels of the House of the Lord which Nabuchadnezzar had brought forth out of jerusalem, and had put them in the House of his Gods; and this confirmeth the Prophecy of Isaiah who prophesied long before they went into Captivity; and said to jerusalem thou shalt be inhabited, and saith to the Cities of judah ye shall be built, that saith of Cyrus he is my Shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure, even saying to jerusalem, thou shalt be built, and to the Temple, thy Foundations shall be laid, Isaiah 44.28.  
And in jeremiah, Chap. 29. thus saith the Lord, that after seventy years are accomplished in Babylon, I will visit you and perform my good word towards you, in causing you to return to this place, for I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, are thoughts of peace and not of evil, ver. 11, 12. hear ye therefore the word of the Lord all ye of the Captivity whom I have sent from jerusalem to Babylon, turn ye again every one from his evil way, and dwell in the Land that the Lord hath given you, ver. 28. and jer. Chap. 31. Thus saith the Lord, a voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her Children, and refused to be comforted for her Children, because they were not: Thus saith the Lord, refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears, for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord, and they shall come again from the Land of the Enemy, and there is hope in thine end saith the Lord, that thy Children shall come again to their own border, ver. 15, 16, 17.  
And Amos the 4. I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a Firebrand plucked out of the burning, yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord, therefore thus will I do unto thee O Israel, and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel, ver. 11, 12.  
And the Prophet Micah saith, be in pain and labour to bring forth, O Daughter of Zion, like a woman in travel, for now shalt thou go forth out of the City, and there shalt thou dwell in the field, and thou shalt go to Babylon, and there shalt thou be delivered, there shall the Lord redeem thee from the hand of thine Enemies, many Nations are gathered together against thee, that say let them be defiled; but they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand his Counsel, for he will gather them as the Sheaves into the floor, Mich. 4. throughout the Chapter; and again Micah the 7. Rejoice not against me, O mine Enemy, when I fall I shall arise, when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be my light: I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause: in that day that the Walls are to be built, in that day the Decree shall be far removed. Thus Micah prophesied in the days of Jotham, and Hezekiah Kings of Judah concerning Israel, as you may read in Micah. 1.  
And the Prophet Joel saith, blow a Trumpet in Zion, sanctify a Fast, call a solemn Assembly, for the Lord will be jealous for the Land, and pity his people, and say I will send you Corn, and Wine, and Oil, and I will no more make you a reproach among the Heathen, and I will remove off far from you the Northern Army, and I will drive him into a Land barren and desolate: Rejoice and be glad ye Children of Zion, etc. Joel 2.3. Chapters, and I will bring again the Captivity of Judah and Jerusalem.  
And the word of the Lord came to Zephaniah, in the days of Josiah Son of Amon King of Judah, I will also stretch out my hand upon Judah, and upon all the Inhabitants of Jerusalem, and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and them that worship the Host of Heaven upon the House tops, and them that worship and swear falsely by the Lord, and that swear by Malcham, Zeph. 1.   

Ezra.  
THus you may read throughout the whole foregoing Prophecies, how the Lord dealt with his people in loving kindness and tenderness, sending his Prophets with line upon line, and Precept upon Precept, as you may read in all the Prophecies through all the Bible, and until (according to the word of the Lord by his Prophets) that they were carried away captive, and until the term of years was expired, which the Lord by his Prophets Prophesied of: And when the years were expired, he raised up Cyrus, according to his word by his Prophets, to build his Temple, and to call them home to Jerusalem, as is before mentioned, and as you may read in the 1. Chapter of Ezra, and so on; Even so did Cyrus' King of Pers●a, bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the Treasurer, the Vessels of the House of the Lord, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar the Prince of Judah, ver. 8.  
Now these are the Children of the Province that went up out of the Captivity, 
70 years fulfilled, and Judah and Jerusalem coming out of captivity.  of those that had been carried away, whom Nabuchadnezzar King of Babylon had carried unto Babylon, and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his City: you may read their names in the 2. Ch. of Ezra.  
And when the seventh month was come, and the Children of Israel were in the Cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem, and they set up the Altar upon his basis, and they offered burnt Offerings thereon unto the Lord, even burnt Offerings morning and evening, according to Deuteronomy 12.56.  
They kept also the Feast of Tabernacles, as it is written in Exod. 23.16. Numb. 29.12. and so on; they set up the Worship of God, as you may read in Ezra Ch. 3.  
Now in the second year of their coming unto the House of God at Jerusalem, in the second month began Zerubbabel, and those that were with him, the Brethren, the Priests, and the Levites, they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem, they began to build the House of God, and to set forward the Workmen, Nehem. 4. And when the Builders had laid the foundation of the Temple of the Lord, they set their Priests in their apparel, as you may read to the end of the Chapter.  
Now when the Adversaries of Judah and Benjamin, 
The Temple in building.  heard that the Children of the Captivity builded the Temple unto the Lord God of Israel, than they came to Zerubbabel and to the chief of the Fathers, and said unto them, let us build with you, for we seek your God as ye do, and we do sacrifice unto him; but Zerubbabel, and Joshua, and the rest of the chief of the Fathers of Israel, said unto them, you have nothing to do with us, to build a House unto our God, we ourselves together will build unto the Lord God of Israel, as Cyrus the King of Persia hath commanded us; and the people of the Land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, and hired Counselors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus' King of Persia; and in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of judah and jerusalem, and in the days of Artaxerxes; Rehum the Chancellor, and Shimshai the Scribe, 
The building of the Temple stopped  wrote a Letter against jerusalem to Artaxerxes the King in this sort, which Letter hindered the building, until the reign of Darius, as you may read in Ezra 4.  
Then the Prophets Haggai, and Zachariah prophesied unto the jews which were in judah and in jerusalem, in the Name of the Lord God of Israel: in the second year of Darius the King, in the sixth month, came the word of the Lord by Haggai the Prophet unto Zerubbabel the Son of Shealtiel Governor of judah, and to jeshua the Son of jozadak the High Priest, saying, thus saith the Lord of Hosts, the people say the time is not come, the time that the Lords House is to be built; then came the word of the Lord to Haggai the Prophet saying, is it time for you to dwell in your cieled Houses, and this House lie waste? Hag. 1.  
Then Zerubbabel the Son of Shealtiel, and jeshua the Son of Lozad●k the High Priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the Prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him; and the people did fear before the Lord: then spoke Haggai the Lord's Messenger in the Lord's message unto the people, saying, I am with you saith the Lord, and the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, and the spirit of jeshua, and the spirit of the remnant of the people, and they came and did work in the House of the Lord of Hosts their God: in the seventh month, and the twenty first day of the month, came the word of the Lord by the Prophet Haggai, saying, speak unto Zerubbabel the Governor of judah, and to jeshua the High Priest, and to the residue of the people, saying, who is left among you that saw the House in her first glory, and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison as nothing? yet be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord, and be strong O jeshua the High Priest, and be strong all ye people of the Land, saith the Lord, and work, for I am with you saith the Lord of Hosts, according to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remained among you, fear ye not: as you may read throughout the Prophecy of Haggai.  
In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zachariah, unto the jews that were to build the Temple in jerusalem, saying, the Lord hath been sore displeased with your Fathers, thus saith the Lord of Hosts, turn unto me, and I will turn unto you saith the Lord of Hosts; be not as your Fathers unto whom the former Prophets cried, saying, turn ye from your evil ways, and from your evil do; but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me faith the Lord, but your Fathers, where are they now? do they live for ever? but my words and my Commandments which I commanded my Prophets, took hold on them, as you may read from the first Chapter of Zashariah to the 4. Ch.  
So after that these Prophets had prophesied unto them, 
The building of the Temple goes on again.  in the second year of Darius, as you may read in Ezra 5. Then risen up Zerubbabel and jeshua, and began to build the House of God which is at jerusalem, and with them were these Prophets of God helping them; and then came to them Tatn●s Governor on this side the River, and Shethar-boznai, and their Companions, and said unto them, who hath commanded you to build this House, and make up this Wall? but the eye of their God was upon the Elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter was come to Darius, and then they returned an answer by Letter concerning the matter; the Copy of which Letter you may read to the end of the 5. Chapter.  
Then Darius the King made a Decree, according to the Contents of the Letter, and search was made in the House of the Rolls, where the Treasuries were laid up in Babylon, as you may read throughout the 6. Chapter. And the King made Decrees that none should hinder them, but the House should be built with speed: and the Elders of the Jews builded, and they prospereed through the prophesying of Haggai and Zachariah: and Zachariah prophesied to them again in the fourth year of Cyrus, as you may read Zach. 7.  
And they builded and finished it, according to the command of the God of Israel, and according to the Commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes, Nehem. 5.6. and 7. Chapters; and this House was finished on the third day of the month Adar, 
The Temple finished.  which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the King.  
So you may read their course of life, and their worship that they performed unto the Lord, and how they sought the Lord, you may read through the Book of Ezra and Nehemiah, and how Ne●emiah prayed unto the Lord, and humbled himself before the Lord, and how he went in the night to view the Wall that was broken down, and laid ruinous, and how he joined himself with the Builders, and opposed the Adversaries, and looked up, and encouraged the Nobles, and the Rulers, and the rest of the people, and said, be not afraid of them, as you may read in this Book of Nehemiah.  
In the ninth Chapter of Nehemiah you may read how the Children of Israel assembled themselves together with fasting, and with Sackcloth, and earth upon them; and the Seed of Israel separated themselves from all Strangers, and stood and confessed their sins; and worshipped God after they were returned back from their captivity, and were come to Jerusalem, and had built the Temple, as you may read at large in this Chapter, and so on throughout the Book of Nehemiah.   

Esther.  
AND so likewise in the Book of Esther, you may see how the Lord in his mercy was pleased to promote the Jews interest under Ahasuerus, by means of Mordecai and Queen Esther, as you may read throughout the History of this Book of Esther; therefore the Jews of the Villages, that dwolt in the unwalled Towns, made the 14. day of the month Adar, a day of gladness and feasting, and a good day of sending portions one to another, and Mordecai wrote these things, and sent Letters unto all the Jews that were in all the Provinces of King Ahasuerus both far and near, even to one hundred and thirty seven Provinces, to establish this amongst them, that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the seventeenth day of the same month; and this was established among the Jews to be kept yearly, as you may read to the end of the 9 Chapter of Esther: and the King Ahasuerus did so promote Mordecai the Jew, that he was next unto King Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his Brothers, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed; and this is writ in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Medea and Persia, Est. 10.  
And thus far you may see how the Lord hath dealt with his people Israel, and how faithful he hath been in his promises to their forefathers, and the tender eye and care he had over them all along, and how gladly he would have had them to have obeyed his Commandments and his Statutes, that they might have lived to him, you may read through these afore mentioned Prophecies; and notwithstanding that they did rebel against him, and did grievously provoke him through their manifold abominations, yet you see how careful he was of them, and faithful to them, and according to the Prophecies of the Prophets brought them back again to their own City.  
But this was not all, there is much behind yet, for the Decree and Determination of the Lord was a further thing, and these peculiar people which the Lord did choose above all the Families of the earth, they were a figure of the right, and true, and precious seed of God; and though they were a people as you see that had often rebelled against the Lord, and fallen away from him, and murmured against him, as you may see they did often in the Wilderness, when the Lord had set Moses and Aaron over them, as you may see, Numb. 13. and all the Congregation lift up their voices and cried, and the people wept; and the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, and the whole Congregation said, would God we had died in the Land of Egypt, would God that we had died in the Wilderness, and wherefore hath the Lord brought us up to this Land? our Wives and our Children to be a Prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? let us make us a Captain, and let us return into Egypt.  
Here you may see how they requited the Lord, and how evilly they dealt with him for all his mercies, and his wonders which he wrought for them, and many a time did they murmur and rebel against the Lord, while Moses led them through the Wilderness; even forty years long was the Lord grieved with them, and tempted with them, till he even swore in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest; and all along ever since you may see how ill they dealt with the Lord, and continually provoked him to anger by their abominations and worshipping of other Gods, insomuch that he complains by his Prophet Isaiah: hear O Heavens, and give ear O earth, for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up Children, and they have rebelled against me, the Ox knows his owner, etc. as you may read through the first Chapter of Isaiah.  
And again in Jer. 2. Be astonished O ye Heavens at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate saith the Lord, for they have forgotten me the Fountain of living 〈…〉, and hewed  
And again the Apostle when he was speaking of his Kinsmen the Jews according to the flesh, saith, I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my Brethren, my Kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertaineth the adoption and the glory, and the Covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the service of God, and the promises, whose are the Fathers, and of whom concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever, Rom. 9.3, 4, 5.  
And in the first of John, when the Disciples were seeking for Christ, Jesus turned and saith unto them what seek ye? they said unto him Rabbi, which being interpreted, Master, and one of them findeth his Brother, and saith unto him, we have found the Messiah, which being interpreted, is the Christ; Jesus saw Nathaniel, and saith of him, behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile, ver. 47.  
And Jesus himself saith to the woman of Samaria, we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews; the woman saith, I know that when the Mess●●h cometh, which is called Christ, he will tell us all things; Jesus saith unto her, I am he, Joh. 4.22. to the 26. ver.  
Thus the Lord performed his faithful Covenant and promise unto Abraham, and to his seed, of whom according to the flesh, Christ came. So that you see he is a God that keepeth Covenant with his people; though they broke his Commandments and his Laws, and his Ordinances, and his Statutes, yet he fulfilled his Promises and Covenant to them concerning Christ coming in the flesh; So now as the Law was given forth by Moses, grace and truth cometh by Jesus Christ: And so as the Children of Israel and all their Laws, and the Ark of the Covenant, and their Priests, and their Offerings, and their Sacrifices, and their Sabbaths, and their Temple, the Apostle saith, was but a Figure for the time then present, in which were offered both Gifts, and Sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect; as pertaining to the conscience, they could not make the Priests perfect, as you may read at large in the 9 and 10. Chapters of the Hebrews.  
Therefore the Lord had a further thing in his determination and Decree, in the manifesting his Son Christ Jesus in the flesh, of which we shall speak more hereafter.  
And the Apostle saith, Col. 2. let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or a new Moon, or of the Sabbath days, which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is Christ. And this is that seed which the Apostle saith the promise was made unto; Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made, he saith not to seeds, as of many, but as of one, and to thy seed, which seed is Christ, Gal. 3.16.  
And so, notwithstanding that they broke their Covenant with the Lord, which stood in outward performances, yet the Lord performed his promise and Covenant unto Abraham, which is the seed Christ, which the Lord calls a new and everlasting Covenant, Heb. 8.10. Jer. 31.33. For saith the Apostle, it is written that Abraham had two Sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman: he who was of the bondwoman, was born after the flesh, and he of the freewoman was by promise; which things are an Allegory: for these are the two Covenants, the one from Mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Hagar, for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth unto Jerusalem which now is, and is in ●ondage with her Children, Gal. 4.22, 23, 24, 25.  
These are they we have treated on all along, Jerusalem according to the flesh, which were the visible people that the Lord owned in their day upon the Earth, which had their Laws outward written in Tables of stone, their Covenant outward, which was an Ark, their Priests whose lips were to preserve their knowledge, were outward Priests, which was the Tribe of Levi, their Offerings and their Sacrifices outward, their Sabbath every seventh day, their Temple an outward Temple built at Jerusalem, which they were all to go to worship at once a year, as you may read in the Law of Moses; and all these they did not perform according to the command of the Lord, but broke Covenant on their parts with him.  
So now this other seed which the Lord promised unto Abraham, which all the Prophet's bare witness of, he changeth this first Covenant and this first Priesthood, and the Law also, as you may read Heb. 7. Now we (saith the Apostle) as Isaac was) are the children of the promise, for Jerusalem which now is free, which is the mother of us all. So then, brethren, we are not Children of the Bondwoman, but of the free, Gal. 4. So this seed Christ hath put an end to all that went before him, he is the fulfilling and the substance of those that went before, that were figures and types: for he hath obtained a more excellent Ministry, by how much also he is the Mediator of a better Covenant, which is established upon better promises. For if the first Covenant had been fruitless, then should no place have been sought for the second, but finding fault with the first, he promised the second, Heb. 8.6, 7. as you may read in the most of the Prophecies of the Prophets, who have not only relation to the first Covenant, which we have treated on before; but also to this second and New Covenant that the Lord made with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, as you may read in Isa. 42. I the Lord have called thee in Righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and will give thee for a Covenant of the people; for a light to the Gentiles, ver. 6. And in Isa. 49. he said it is a light thing that thou shouldst be my servant to raise up the Tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel, I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayst be my salvation to the end of the earth, ver. 6.  
And in Jer. 31. Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah, not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers, in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the Land of Egypt; which my Covenant they broke, although I was an Husband unto them, saith the Lord: but this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my Law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be my people; and also Chap. 24. And Ezckiel 36. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean from all your silthiness, and from all your Ido●● I will cleanse you, a new heart will I give you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh, ver. 25, 26. also Chap. 11. & 19  
This is the Covenant which God is establishing, and Christ Jesus is the seed which was promised unto Abrsham; Christ Jesus is the Elected seed which God hath chosen, which he prophesied of by his Prophet Esaiah, Behold my Servant whom I uphold, mine Elect in whom my soul delighteth, I will put my Spirit upon him, and he shall bring forth judgement to the Gentiles; this is he that is the true and right seed, and with this agrees the Apostle, when he was speaking of Jacob and Esau, for the children being yet unhorn, neither having done good nor evil, but that the purpose of God, according to Election, might stand; and again the Apostle saith, Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for, but the Election hath obtained it, and the rest are blinded, Rom. 11. Neither because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all Children, but in Is●●c shall thy seed be called, that is, they which are the children of the flesh, are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for the seed; and therefore the Apostle told them, that blindness in part hath happened unto Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles come in, and so all Israel shall be saved, both of the Jews and also of the Gentiles; but the Apostle tells you in another place, that all are not Israel that are of Israel, but there shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ●ugodliness from jacob, this is my Covenant with them when I take away their sins, Rom. 11.26, 27.  
And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, 〈◊〉 unto them that turn from transgression in jacob, saith the 〈◊〉, as for me this is my Covenant with them, saith the Lord, My Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not departed out of thy mouth, nor out of the 〈◊〉 of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed, saith the Lord, from hencel forth and for ever, Isa. 59.20, 21.  
This is the seed which the Lord is gathering in this day, both in Jews and Gentiles, even to the ends of the Earth, even such as turn away from iniquity and sin: for Christ Jesus is manifest to take away sin, and in him is no sin, and the gathering is unto him, for he is the head of his body, which is his Church, and the Apostle saith, that the body is Christ, and the seed is Christ; so the head and the body is united together, and of this body and Church all the holy Prophets of the Lord have prophesied of all along, as you may read in the Scriptures.  
David of whom the Lord said, I have found David my Servant, with my holy Oil have I anointed him, with whom my hand shall be established for ever, he prophesied of the Mystery of Christ and his Church, as you may read in Psal. 45. and Solomon in his Song, you read how largely he treated there of the Mystery of Christ and his Church; and the Prophet Isaiah in the 54. Chap. saith, Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear, break forth into singing, etc. for thy Maker is thy Husband, the Lord of Hosts is his Name, and the Redeemer, the holy One of Israel, the God of the whole Earth shall he be called, as you may read in the 54. of Isaiah, and Chap. 62.11. at large, with many more places of Scripture.  
Also Zachariah, he prophesies of Christ's coming to his Church, Zach. 9.9. Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion, shout, O Daughter of jerusalem, behold thy King cometh unto thee, he is just, having Salvation, lowly, riding upon an Ass, and upon a Colt the Foal of an Ass; and this was fulfilled, Math. 21. as you may read there, when Jesus came nigh unto jerusalem, for there was the place, that this might be fulfilled in, he sent his Disciples to a Village, and told them they should find an Ass tied, and a Colt with her, and he bade them lose them, and bring them unto him; and the Disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them, as you may read in that Chapter. Mark saith that he was tied at the door without, where two ways met, Mark 11. And they brought the Colt to Jesus, and cast their garments upon him, and set Jesus upon him. Luke saith, that they were to find a Colt tied, that yet never man sat thereon, and they brought him to Jesus, and cast their garments upon him, and set Jesus thereon, Luke 19.36. And John saith, and Jesus when he found a young Ass, sat thereon, as it is written, Fear not, Daughter of Zion, behold thy King cometh sitting on an Ass' Colt, john 12.14, 15.  
And this perfectly fulfils old jacoby Prophesy of his Son judah, where he saith, Indah is a Lion's Whelp, from the prey ●oy Son thou art gone up judah was th● Whelp of this ●ion, which was before Abraham, joh. 8. ●8. and this is h● which john saw in the Rev. 6. open the Bock that was sealed, this ●●on stooped down, and crouched down as an old Dion; when he stooped to judah, who shall rouse him up, saith old Iacob● the Sceptre shall not departed from judah, nor the L●●● giver from between his feet until S●ilch come, and unto him 〈◊〉 the gethering of the people be, blinding his Foall unto the Vine, and his Astes Colt un●o the choice Vined.  
Herd judah's wild, untained, unac●nitoined, unsubjected and unchaste nature, which is as the Golt, or 〈◊〉 of a wild Ass, is bound to the choice Vine, as you may 〈…〉 Iu●●● life and conversation; for 〈◊〉 judah saw 〈◊〉 Daughter of a certain Canaanite whose na●●e was Shuah, he 〈…〉 Sons unto her, as you may read in Gen. 38. She ●are several Sons unto him, which was contrary to the command of the Lord 〈◊〉 for they were not to meddle with the Canaa●●● 〈…〉 after this he defiled himself with Lamar his Daughter in 〈◊〉, as you 〈◊〉 read in that Chapter ●he being fair, 〈◊〉 he thinking her to be un Harlot.  
And all these Children of judah's of spring, of which we have treated all along, which the Lord hath led on all along, you may see by the So●lp●ures, 〈…〉 herein written, how unrevesenitly, and how unkindly, and 〈…〉 ●●de●●lliously they have dealt with the Lords all 〈…〉 of the wild Ass, Christ might rithe ou this Eval, which hath been bound unto the choice Vine, and their garments 〈…〉 washed in the blood of the fruit of this Vine, according to this 〈◊〉 of jacob, and also the Prophecy of Is●●ah, Chap 〈◊〉 and of old Zachariah, who pr●hesi●● that Zions King should 〈◊〉 on this wild Asse● Colt; Behold thy King cometh to thee, meek, and sitting upon an Ass, and the Golt, the Foal of an Ass, Math. 21.9.  
Now when Jesu● came riding on this Colt towards jerusalem, 
Christ come.  the multitude were so glad and rejoiced (for they had great reason) that they spread their garments in the way, others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way, and the multitude that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosannah to the Son of David, blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord, Hasannah in the highest; and when he was come into jerusalem, all the City was moved, saying, who is this? and the multitude said, this is Jesus the Prophet of Nazareth of Galiles: and Jesus went into the Temple of God; and cast out all them that sold and bought in the Temple, and overthrew the Tables of the Money-changers, and the seats of them that sold Doves; here Jesus began to cleanse out the wild, unseasoned and unsanctified nature of judah and jerusalem: and he said unto them, it is written, my House shall be called the House of Prayer, the Prophet Isaiah prophesied so, Chaps 56.7. jer. 7.11. but saith Christ, ye have made it a Den of Theever.  
Now Mark saith, that the people cried Hosanna, blessed be the Kingdom of our Father David, that cometh in the Name of the Lord, Hisanna to the highest.  
And Luke saith, that some of the Pharisees would have had jesus to have rebuked his Disciples, but he answered and sald unto them, I tell you, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out, and when he came near to jerusalem, he beheld the City, and wept over it, saying, if thou hadst known, even thou at least, in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace, but now they are hid from thine eyes: for the days shall come upon thee, that thine Enemies shall cast a Trennel about thee and compass thee about, and keep thee on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee, and they shall not leave thee one stone upon mother, he eduse thou knewest not the time of thy visitation, and he vien● into the Temple, and cast out, etc. And he taught daily in the Temple, but the Chief Priests and Selil●●● sought to destroy him, Luke 19.47.  
Here jesus prophesied of the destruction of jerusalem and of the Temple, which truly came to pass, after it was built again, according as he had said unto his Disciples in Math. 24. where he said that one stone should not be left upon another, but all should be thrown down; but this was that which they made the cause and foundation for the taking away his life: when the Chief Priests and Elders and all the Counsel, sought false witness against jesus to put him to death, at last they sound two false Witnesses, which said this fellow said, I am able to destroy the Temple of God, and to build it in three days; and the High● Priest arose and said unto him, answerest thou nothing? What is it that these witness against thee? But jesus held his peace: But the Highpriest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ the Son of God, jesus said unto him, thou sayall it, and liercafter you shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the Power, coming in the clouds of Heaven; then the Highpriest rend his cleaths, saying, he speaketh Blasphemy, what further need have we of Witnesses? Math. 26.62, 63, 64. but that which jesus spoke (which these Witnesses spoke fally) was, when he went up to jerusalem to keep the Passcover, and he sound in the Temple those that sold Oxen and Doves, and the Changers of money sitting, and when he had made a Storage of small cords, he drove them all out, and said, take these things hence, make not my Father's House a House of Merchandise, and his Disciples remembered it was written, the zeal of thine house hath eateir me up, Psal. 69.9. And the jews asked him a sign, because he whip● out of the Temple, and did reprove, seeing thou dost these things (say they) jesus answered and said unto them, destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up; then said the jews, forty six years was this Temple building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? but he spoke of the ●●mple of his Body. When he therefore was risen from the dead, the Disciples remembered what he had said unto them, Joh. 2.20, 21, 22.  
So this Temple of his Boily was the Temple be knew was to be raised, therefore he cleansed the outward Temple at jerusalem as a figure of the Temple of his Body, which Temple at jerusalem was abused by Judah's wild Coltish nature, viz. all the people of the jews: and so he bore his testimony against them, because, they had abused that house that was his Father's house, for that time then present; and by this he also shown them that the Temple of his Body was that which would put an end to their house, and cause their daily Sacrifices and their Offerings to cease, according to daniel's Prophecy; so that the spiritual Temple of his Body, which is his Church, is that which he came to raise up and to redeem.  
And the Apostle saith, wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifices and Offerings thou wouldst not, but a body hast thou prepared me: So this is the body the Elected Seed of God, which he hath chosen, in whom his Soul delighteth: this is that body that doth his will; in  Offerings and Sacrifices for sin, thou hast no pleasure; then sald I, Lo I come, in the Volumn of thy Book it is written of me, to do thy will, O God: he taketh away the first (saith the Apostle) that he might establish the second; he took away the first Offerings and the first Sacrisices which he delighteth not in, neither had he pleasure therein, and he established the second and everlasting Offering, Christ Jesus, who hath a body prepared to do thy will, O God, by the which will (saith the Apostle) we are sanctified, through offering up the body of jesus Christ once for all, Heb. 10. to the 10. ver. And this is the Offering and Sacrifice in which God is well pleased, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, saith the Lord, hear ye him; for he hath given himself for his Church, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word, that he might present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish, Eph. 5.25, 26, 27. And so this pure Church and Body of Christ, is he coming now to redeem and to bring out of Captivity, as he brought his former Israel out of Captivity, of which you have heard, which was but a Figure of this true and pure and holy Church, which hath been a long time in the Wilderness, as you may read in Revel. 12.  
And for this end is Christ Jesus come a light into the world, not only to the Jews, but to the whole world, for he came unto his own, even unto his Tribe of Judah which was at Jerusalem, but his own received him not; but as many of them as received him, to them he gave power to become the Sons of God, not only of them but the whole world, for to that end is he come, that whosoever believes on him, they should not perish but have everlasting, life.  
For he is come a light, and hath enlightened the whole world, and every man that comes into the world, Joh. 1. So every one that comes into the world, that turns his mind unto the light of our Lord Jesus Christ, turns his mind to the elected seed which the Lord hath chosen, which he hath laid in Zion for a foundation: And therefore thus saith the Lord, behold I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation, that lays judgement to the Line, and righteousness to the Plummet, Isaiah 28.16. And the Apostle Peter saith, wherefore it is contained in the Scripture, behold I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect and precious, he that believeth on him shall not be confounded; unto you therefore who believe he is precious, but unto them who are disobedient he is a stone of stumbling, and a rock of C●fence to them that stumble at the word, 1 Pet. 2.6, 7, 8.  
So this is the foundation that the Lord hath laid in Zion, Christ Jesus the light he hath sown in every man's heart, and this new Covenant, of which we have mentioned, which cannot he broken, he hath written in every man's heart; and who keeps in this Covenant, and obeys this light, and the Spirit of the Lord that is in his heart, which shows him his thoughts, and reproveth him for his sin, who believes in this light of the Lord Jesus, believes in the Elect of God, chosen of God and precious; to all that believes he is precious but to the disobedient a stone of stumbling.  
So here is the difference and distinction between the holy Nation, the royal Priesthood, the peculiar people, and the whole world; those that believe, and obey, and follow him that is precious, they become precious, they that obey Christ Jesus and follow him, in whom there is no sin, but takes away the sins of the whole world, of those that obey him, all that continue and abide in him, are cleansed and purged from sin, and washed and made nigh by his blood: but to the disobedient that hates the light, to them he is a stone of stumbling, to them he is a rock of Offence; whereunto, the Apostle saith, they were appointed: So this is the main substance of all that can be said, Christ Jesus that is God's everlasting Covenant, not only to the Jews but also Gentiles, and all people even to the ends of the earth; his light hath reached and shined into every man and every woman's heart and conscience that is come into the whole world; so that every one that will turn to that measure of the light of our Lord Jesus Christ which they have received, they turn to the Elect of God, they turn to that which God hath chosen, in which his Soul delighteth, whether they are Barbarian or Scythian, whether they are Jew or Gentile, whether they are bond or free, whether they are male or female, if they come to the light of Christ in their heart, they are all one in Christ Jesus, and so by this pure and glorious shining light, which shines in the hearts and consciences of people, doth the Lord redeem his Church, and purge it, and purify it, and giveth liberty to that precious seed that hath long laid in Captivity.  
The Lamb hath been slain from the foundation of the world, which world entered into man's heart at the fall of Adam, and into man's heart is Christ Jesus come a light, the new Covenant and everlasting Covenant of God, which he hath written in every man's heart, and his spirit he hath put in the inward parts, by which the Prince of the power of the air cometh to be removed, by the spirit of his mouth, and the brightness of his coming will he slay that wicked one, that man of sin and Son of perdition that hath sitten in the Temple of God, exalted above all that is called God: Now is the Judgement of this world, how shall the Prince, of this world be cast out, and if I be lifted up from the Earth I will draw all men unto me, saith Christ, John 12.31, 32. chap. 8.28.35.  
So Jesus having tasted death for every man, Heb. 2. the virtue of his death hath reached unto every man, so that every man hath partaken of that infinite mercy and bounty; for it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell, whose fullness of grace and mercy hath reached unto all men and women; for saith the Apostle, he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world, 1 Joh. 2.2. Jesus cried and said, he that believeth on me, believeth not on me only, but on him that sent me, and he that seethe me, seethe him that sent me. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness; and if any hear my word and believe not, I judge him not, for I am come not to judge the world, but to save the world, Joh. 12. this was the end for which the Father sent his Son into the world; God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sor into the world, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life, for God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world 〈◊〉 that was not his end in sending of him, but that the world through him might be saved: God is in Christ reconciling the world to himself, Jeh. 3.16, 17. 2 Cor. 5.19.  
So that here is free love, and f●●e geace, and free mercy, that every one that thirsteth may come freely and buy Wine and milk without money and without price, without any respect of persons; all may come, every one that thirste●● may come: he said unto the Jews, ye sold yourselves for ●ought, but ye shall be redeemed without money: tu●● again turn again thou backsliding Israel; but here is the sum of all, he that believeth on him is not condemned whoshaver he be; but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God; and this also is without respect of any person, and oh in thing Chapter of john; and with the light of Christ Jesus in thee thou mayst search thy heart, and see how thou stands unto the Lord God.  
And so this is the main and only truth that we have to hold forth to the whole world, as also all the Scriptures bear witness to the same; wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and death hath passed over all men, for all have sinned, for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed where there is no Law; while there was no Law to transgress against, sin could not be so easily known among them, before Moses had the Law given unto him, who had directions from the Lord in Mount Sinai, what they should do, and how they should walk before the Lord: Nevertheless death reigned over them from Adam until Moses, and over them that had not sinned according to Adam's transgression, that is to say, had not broken any express command of the Lord, but was the right seed in the Figure of him that was to come, Rom. 5.  
Wherefore the Apostle saith, the Law is our Schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, for there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus, and if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise: now the heir so long as he is a child is under Tutors and Governors, and differs nothing from a servant though he be Lord of all; so even we who are of the precious seed, while we are Children, are in bondage under the Elements of the world; but when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son made of a woman, made under the Law, to redeem the seed that was under the Law, that we might receive the adoption of Sons; and because ye are Sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying Abba Father: wherefore thou art no more a servant but a Son, than an heir of God through Christ.  
So by this Spirit of his Son which he hath sent into the Hearts of his people, by this doth he gather, this is the ensign that is set up for the gathering of all Nations; this is the Shiloh that is come, and the gathering is unto him, Isa. 11. to the ●nd of the Chapter; and by this doth he gather his elect from the ●our● winds of the Heavens, and from the four corners of the earth, and by this doth he redeem Zion through Judgement, our of every Kindred, Nation, Tongue and People, and by this will the Lord sift the Nations as with a sieve, and purge the chaff from the wheat, and gather the wheat into his Garner.  
And all they that do not obey the light and spirit which he hath sent into their hearts, by this will he judge the whole world in righteousness, because the whole world had received a measure of this light and spirit; for as the Apostle saith, What shall we say? is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? I speak as a man; (God forbidden) for then how should he judge the world in righteousness? but that his truth hath abounded so far, and his mercy and his love hath reached to the whole world, for at the times of Ignorance God winked, but now he commandeth all men every where to repent● for this is the day wherein he judges the secrets of all men by Jesus Christ, by the light of his glorious Gospel, and this is the day which he hath appointed, in which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, that he hath raised him from the dead, Acts 17.31.  
For the love of Christ, saith the Apostle, constraineth us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead, and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live to themselves, but unto him that died for them and risen again: So by his Resurrection he judgeth all those that live to themselves and not unto him that died for them and risen again.  
So also by his Resurrection he judgeth all those that live unto themselves: This is the condemnation that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil: If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin; but now they have no cloak for their sin; he that hateth me, hateth my Father also, Joh. 5.21. for as the Father raiseth up the dead, even so the Son quickeneth whomsoever he will; for the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgement to the Son, that all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father; he that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father that sent him: Verily I say unto you, he that heareth my word and believeth in him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. Verily I say unto you, that the hour is coming and now is, that the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live; for as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself, and hath given him Authority to execute Judgement also, because he is the Son of Man, John 15. from the 15. to the 28. Here Christ Jesus hath spoken himself the very sum and substance of truth, and there is not another: Now this is the same Christ as was promised of the Father to Abraham, and this is the same Christ whereof all the Prophets bore witness, and he is the same way, the truth, and the life, and there is none comes to the Father but by him, as he himself saith, Joh. 14. And there is no other way nor name under Heaven by which any man can be saved (the Apostle saith) but by Jesus Christ, and he is the foundation of all the Prophets and all the Apostles, 
The Church of Christ upon the earth in the Apostles days, when he spoke by them by his Spirit, and poured it upon them in the power of his Resurrection.  and the cornerstone that upholds all the building of his Church, he is the Lion of Judah's Tribe, and David's Root, Rev. 5. and he only was found worthy to open that Book which John saw, written within, and on the backside sealed with seven seals; and his Spirit and Power is the same as all the Apostles were redeemed by; and this same Spirit was poured upon the Apostles, and they were endowed and enriched with it, and lived in it, and obeyed it, according to its motion, and working and operation, and said another foundation could no man lay, than that which is already laid: but let every one take heed how he builds thereupon.  
So this is the main care that every one is to take, to take heed how they build upon this true foundation; for every ones work must be tried by the fire, and he whose work is burned suffers loss; for there will nothing abide but that which will dwell in the fire; for God is a consuming fire, and his Spirit burns up the chaff, but gathers up the wheat: So who abides in the fellowship and in the unity of this eternal Spirit, they abide in God's Elect which he hath chosen, and they abide in that which joins to the Lord, where the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth from all sin; and here is the Mystery of the fellowship, and here is the unity of the precious faith which is held in a pure Conscience; and who abides here will grow up to a perfect man, and these will sighed the good sight of faith, and contend for it, and for them there will be laid up a Crown of righteousness; for they that abide and continue to the end in the faith of God's Elect, they will obtain the price of the mark of the high calling; but contrariwise they that fall away and shrink back, and set up a feigned and a false deceitful Spirit, and in that professeth the truth, and appears outwardly like other Saints, but when the time of trial comes then they fall flat, and draws back from the good word of God, from the light and spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is the Elect of God, where all the Saints in light meet together, and join and unite and knit together in the unity of the Spirit of life, and is baptised by one Spirit into one body, and all drinks into one Spirit. Let all such as draw from this and deserts from this, read their portion in the 10. of the Hebrews, and they shall be sure of it; for the Lord is not slack concerning his coming, neither will alter the word that is gone out of his mouth. And all who are not of the right seed and spirit and life which is in Christ Jesus, all such will be judged by him and condemned by him; for if those that despised Moses Law died under the hand of two or three witnesses, how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall they be thought worthy of, who have trodden under foot, and counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done despite to the Spirit of Grace? but vengeance belongeth unto me saith the Lord, and I will recompense.  
But in the Apostles days there were many false Christ's and false spirits, which he saw were entering into the Church, so that he feared that which came to pass, for darkness and Apostasy came over all, and the Church of Christ that was then amongst the Saints in the Apostles days, went into the Wilderness as John saw in the Revelations, and of this the Apostles foretold before it came, as it is Acts 20. where he saith, Now behold I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the Kingdom of God, shall see my face no more; wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men, for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the Church of Christ, which he hath purchased with his own blood; 
The Apostle prophesies of the Church going into the Wilderness.  for I know this that after my departure, shall grievous Wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock, also of yourselves shall men arise, speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them.  
This is that Spirit which ever did betray and oppose the truth which was sound among them that professed Christ, as Judas was found amongst the twelve, for the Apostle saith, such are false Apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ: and the Apostle complains of the perils he went through among false Brethren, as you may read 2 Cor. 11.2 Pet. 2.1. also Christ prophesied of false Christ's coming in his name, Mat. 24. and this Spirit is contrary to the right and true seed of God, as the Apostle testifies, 1 Joh. 3. whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God; in this are the Children of God manifest and the Children of the Devil: whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his Brother, for this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that ye love one another, not as Cain who was of that wicked one, and slow his Brother, and wherefore slew he him? because his own works were evil and his brothers righteous, ver. 9.10, 11, 12.  
But the Apostle saith, Now the spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some should departed from the faith, giving heed to seducing Spirits, and Doctrines of Devils, and speaking lies in Hypocrisy, having their Consciences seared with an hot Iron, 1 Tim. 4.1. and of these times did Christ himself foretell in Mat. 24.25. chap. as you may read at large; when the Disciples were showing him the goodly buildings of the Temple, and he told them that one stone should not be left upon another, but all should be thrown down: and as he sat upon the Mount of Oli●es, the Disciples came unto him privately, saying, tell us when shall these things be, or what shall be the sign of thy coming, and the end of the world; and jesus answered and rehearsed unto them, as you may read at large in those Chapters, which had relation to this night of Apostasy which was coming on; and he told them that false Christ's and false Prophets should arise, and he tells them that immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the Sun be darkened, and the Moon shall not give her light, and the Stars shall fall from Heaven, and the powers of the Heavens shall be shaken, ver. 29. Isa. 13.10. Ezek. 32.7. but Christ saith farther, verily I say unto you, this Generation shall not pass away till all these things be fulfilled, which were fulfilled according to Christ's words; for before the Disciples were removed all these things came to pass, and were fulfilled in that day; and the Apostles saw and knew the sum and substance of all that was spoken fulfilled; but the next words makes it clear, Heaven and Earth shall pass away (saith Christ) but my word shall not pass away; my word shall endure for ever, and is fullilling through all Generations, yea beyond the Heaven and the Earth; one Generation comes, and another Generation goes, and the word fulfils through them all: and though that Generation did not pass till these words were fulfilled, yet they continue in the substance the same, fulfilling for ever to the end of the world, Christ saith, I will be with you, who is the word: but of the day and hove knoweth no man, no not the Angels, but my Father only, for the times and seasons are in the Father's hand.  
And according to this, the Apostle saith, 1 J●h. 2. the world passeth away, and the lusts thereof, but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever: Little Children it is the last time, and ye have heard that Antichrist should come, and I even now there are many Antichrists, whereby we know that it is the last time; they went out from us, etc. ver. 17.18. and Judas 17. Beloved remember ye the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, how they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who walk after their own hearts lusts: So these with several others that might be mentioned, confirmeth the truth of the night of the Apostasy that was coming on, and that the true Church of Christ that was among the Apostles should go into the Wilderness after their decease and departure, which John saw would come to pass, as you may read in Rev. 12.  
There was War in Heaven, than the true Worship of God was lost, and that eternal Spirit which was in the Apostles, where the wicked one had not part, but they had overcome the wicked one, 1 Joh. 2. I have written unto you young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one, ver. 14.  
That Spirit was lost which was among the Apostles, they sat together in heavenly places in Christ jesus, as you may read Eph. 1.3. and Chap. 2.6.  
And jesus exhorted his Disciples to lay up their treasure in Heaven, for he said, where the treasure is there the heart will be also, Math. 6.20, 21.  
But this worship of God and power was lost when the Woman fled into the Wilderness, 
The Church of Christ gone into the Wilderness.  and then the Dragon got up and made War in Heaven; and to this agrees that Prophecy of Christ, where he saith, the powers of the Heavens shall be shaken, Mat. 24.29. but Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon, and the Dragon fought and his Angels, as you may read in the 10. of Daniel, after Daniel had mourned three full weeks, and had eaten no pleasant bread, neither came Wine in his mouth until three full weeks were fulfilled, after this Daniel saw the Visions and heard the voice that said fear not Daniel, for from the first day that thou settest thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words, but the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia withstood me many days, but lo Michael one of the chief Princes came to help me; now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the last days, for yet the Vision is for many days, and after this Daniel became dumb and fell upon the ground, and retained no strength, neither was breath left in him; then the Angel came again and touched him (as you may read) and said knowest thou wherefore I am come unto thee, and now I will return and sight with the Prince of Persia, and when I am come forth, lo the Prince of Grecia shall come, which is the third Monarchy, but I will show thee that which is noted in the Scriptures of truth, and there is none that holdeth with me in these things but Michael the Prince, ver. 21. So Michael stood for the Angel there in the days of Daniel against the power of the Dragon, this Michael the Apostle calls the Archangel, Judas 9  
And so here in the Apostasy Michael and his Angels have fought against the Dragon and his Angels, for they prevailed not, while the woman hath been in the Wilderness, for it is a place prepared of God for her, that she should be fed there a thousand two hundred and threescore days; but after this John saw the Dragon cast out, that old Serpent called the Devil and Satan which had deceived the whole world, there was no more place for him in Heaven, but he was cast out into the earth, and his Angels were cast out with him, when the true and precious seed of the body, which is Christ, which is his Church, appeared again, in which the wicked one hath no part, then there was no place sound in Heaven for the Dragon, therefore, saith john, Rejoice, ye Heavens, and ye that dwell in them, woe unto the Inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea, for the Devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth his time is but short; this is very truly witnessed and fulfilled at this day: for where the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ is witnessed, and where his seed is raised up in any, where the Spirit of Satan hath no place in their Worship, but they worship in the Spirit of the Lord and in his Truth, than Satan rages in the Inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea, whither he is cast; for in their Heaven and in their Worship he is there, making war: but where he is cast out from Heaven, there he persecutes the Woman that brings forth the manchild, and is wroth with her, and makes war with the remnant of her seed which keeps the Commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ, Rev. 12.17.  
And in the next Chapter, when John stood upon the sand of the Sea, which was but a brittle foundation, for it was to be done away, there he saw the beast arise out of the Sea with his seven heads and ten horns and his ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of Blasphemy, as you may read throughout that 13. Chapter to the end: but afterwards John saw an Angel flying in the midst of Heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the Earth, and he cried with a loud voice unto every Nation and Tongue and People and Kindred, saying, Fear God and give glory to him, and worship him that made Heaven and Earth, the Sea, and the Fountains of waters.  
The Book which john saw sealed with seven Seals, which he mentions in the 5. Chap. he saw the Lamb open it in the 6. Chap. as you may read; and so here, there followeth another Angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great City, because she hath made all Nations drunk with the wine of her fornication, as you may read Chap. 14.  
And in the 15. Chapter john saw the seven Angels having the seven last plagues, for in them is filled up the wrath of God; and one of the four beasts gave unto the seven Angels seven golden Vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever: and in the 16. Chap. he saw the seven Angels go forth, and they poured out their Vials, as you may read; and in the 17 Chap. there came one of the seven Angels which had the seven Vials, and he said, come up hither, and I will show thee the judgement of the great Whore. So he carried me away (saith john) in the Spirit into the wilderness, here was the place where the true Church was persecuted, here was the place where the Dragon cast out his flood after the true Church to destroy her.  
And saith john, I saw a Woman sitting upon a Scarlet-coloured beast, full of names of Blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns, and the Angel shown him the Mystery of the Beast, and of his horns, as you may read throughout that 17. Chap. and in the 18. Chap. he saw Babylon destroyed.  
So here is comfort for all the true seed of God's Elect: for john heard the voices of much people in Heaven, saying, hallelujah, Salvation, Glory and Honour; and a voice came out of the Throne, saying, praise our God, all ye that fear him, small and great, let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready, and to her was granted, that she should be arrayed in fine linen, white and clean: for the fine linen is the righteousness of the Saints; and he said unto me, write, Blessed are they which are called to the Marriage-supper of the Lamb, and he saith unto me, these are the true say of God, ver. 9 as you may read throughout Chap. 19  
And in the 20. Chap. john saw the Angel come down from Heaven, having the key of the Bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand, and he laid hold on the Dragon, and bound him a thousand years, as you may read.  
And john saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the Books were opened, and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in these Books; and another Book was opened, which is the Book of life, and whosoever was not found written in the Book of life, was cast into the Lake of fire, ver. 15.  
And in the 21. Chap. john saw a new Heaven and a new Earth, 
The Church coming forth of the wilderness.  here was no Dragon in this Heaven; for the first Heaven and the first Earth were passed away, and there was no more Sea, where the Dragon lodgeth and hath his way, Isa. 27.1.  
And I john saw the holy City, new jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven, prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband: here the Holy Spirit of the Lord God cloaths her seed that hath so long laid desolate, as a nourishing mother which is free, and giveth liberty, and sets at liberty all her freeborn which are not Children of the Bondwoman but of the free: and of this glorious City doth the Prophet Isaiah prophecy, when he said, Rejoice, O Barren, that didst not bear; and this is the City which the Apostle saith, jerusalem which is above, is free, which is the mother of us all, of all the freeborn seed of the promise, they are the Heirs: but the Bondwoman and her Son are to be cast out of this holy City, for he is not the Heir, Gal. 4.30.  
And john heard a great voice out of Heaven, saying, Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God: and he that sat upon the Throne, said, behold I make all things new, that is, according as the Apostle saith, if any man be in Christ, he is a new Creature, old things are passed away, behold I make all things new, 2 Cor. 5.17. and he said unto me, write, for these words are true and faithful, and he said unto me, it is done, I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely: Here is the rich bounty of God.  
And there came one of the seven Angels unto john, which had the seven vials of the seven last plagues, and he said come hither, and I will show thee the Bride the Lamb's wife, and he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, he shown me that great City, the holy jerusalem descending out of Heaven from God, having the Glory of God, and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a Jasper stone clear as Crystal.  
This is the Stone the Builders have disallowed, which now is become the Head of the Corner of this precious and holy building, which is made up of living stones, elect and precious, and of a Royal Priesthood, and of an holy Nation; and the Walls of this City had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve Angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve Tribes of Israel; and the Walls of this City had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb, and the foundation of the City was garnished with twelve precious stones, and the twelve gates were twelve Pearls, every gate was of one Pearl; he that understands, reads and sees all these things.  
And I john saw no Temple in this City; for the Lord God and the Lamb is the Temple of it.  
And this City hath no need of the Sun or the Moon to shine in it; for the Glory of the Lord doth enlighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof, and the Nations of all them that are saved, shall walk in the light of it, and the Kings of the Earth that are saved, shall bring their glory and honour to it, and the gates of it are not at all shut by day, yet there entereth not any thing that defileth, Chap. 21.27.  
And in the 22. Chap. you may read how john saw the pure River of water of life, proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb, and the tree of life which bears twelve manner of fruits, and yields her fruits every month, and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the Nations: and he said, these things are faithful and true, and the Lord God of the holy Prophets sent his Angel to show unto his Servant the things which must shortly be done.  
For the Lord God had prophesied of these things before by the Prophets, and by Christ Jesus, and his Apostles; and saith unto john, seal not the Prophecy of the say of this Book, for the time is at hand, and behold I come quickly, for my reward is with me, to give unto every one according to his works: And I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last, blessed are they that do his Commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the City; I Jesus have sent mine Angel to testify unto you these things to the Churches; I am the Root and Offspring of David, and the bright morning Star, and the Spirit and the Bride saith come, and let him that heareth, say come, and let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.  
He that testifieth these things, saith surely I come quickly, even Amen, come Lord Jesus: the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, Amen, ver. 20.21.  
Thus you may see in part the constancy and faithfulness of the Lord God, how unchangeable and how unalterable he is, and what love and faithful care he hath had over his seed, ever since he made man, and gave him a being upon the Earth: but indeed his love is everlasting, for he had elected, and decreed, and determined Salvation and Redemption to his seed, before the foundation of the world was; and because he could not alter nor change, therefore his seed was preserved, as you may read in several places of the Scriptures, because I change not, therefore ye Sons of Jacob are not consumed; and if the Lord had not left us this seed, we had been as Sodom, and like unto Gomorah.  
But by this little tract that we have gone through the Scriptures since the Lord made man, you may read the long-suffering and the patience of the Lord God, and his kind dealing, and his fatherly care over his seed, even when they rebelled against him, and that because of his faithfulness in keeping of his promises and Covenants, which he so often promised and covenanted (as hath been showed) not only unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto jacob, but also unto David, as you may read at large in the Prophecy of Isaiah and in jeremiah, and the Book of Psalms, often hath he redoubled his promises unto David and unto his seed for ever, that as his Covenant was with the day and with the night, so is his Covenant with David and his seed for ever; and as he had sworn that the Waters should not go over the Earth, so he had sworn that his Blessing and Covenant should be with David and his seed for ever, which he hath faithfully performed: of the seed of David he hath sent his Son. And so the Lord hath led them along (as you may read thorough this Treatise) until Christ, and according to his promise Christ came, and took not upon him (as Apostle saith) the Nature of Angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham: for he was made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of death, crowned with Glory and Honour, that he by the Grace of God should taste of death for every man, as you may read in Heb. 2.  
And he that thought it no robbery to be equal with the great God, yet he took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of man, and being found in the fashion of a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto the death, even the death of the Cross; wherefore God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name better than every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory of the Father, Phil. 2.  
So he hath gone thorough this great Work, and finished it (for as the Apostle saith) so it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, to make the Captain of our Salvation perfect through sufferings: for in the days of his flesh he offered up prayers and supplications, 
Christ's Sufferings  with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard; and though he was a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things that he suffered, and being made perfect through sufferings, he became the Author of Eternal Salvation unto all them that obey him, Heb. 5.  
So the price he hath paid, and man's Salvation and Redemption he hath purchased by his own blood (as john saith) Jesus Christ who is the faithful and true Witness, the first begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the Kings of the Earth, unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, Rev. 1.  
And he according to his promise unto his Disciples, that he would pour down his Spirit upon them, and send them another Comforter, and bade them stay at jerusalem till the Spirit was poured on them from on high, which was plentifully and richly fulfilled, as the Scripture testifies; for they were made partakers of it in a plentiful manner; and the Apostles were made able Ministers of the Spirit, by which they begat multitudes unto God and to the true Faith which is in Christ Jesus; so that the light of the glorious Gospel shone gloriously among them, and Christ had a glorious Church at that day, as those Epistles which the Apostles wrote to the Churches, being left upon Record, bears a true testimony of the holy Spirit that was in them, and all that live in the Spirit of the living God, and is endowed and enriched with it, bears witness to the Scriptures, that they were given forth by the holy Spirit of God, and by the inspiration of the Almighty.  
But we may see that Christ and his holy Apostles had a foresight and a knowledge of the beauty and glory of this Church, being vailed, and that the night of Apostasy and darkness would come over, as hath been already showed, and as you may read in the Scriptures, which hath been fulfilled, as experience of many ages can testify: for by most of the Records that we can find, it is above twelve hundred years since the glorious beauty of the Church of Christ was stained; but all this hath not come to pass without the foreknowledge of the holy Prophets, Christ, and the Apostles.  
And so now blessed and honoured be the glorious God, our lot is fallen in a good Land, and our time is a time of love; and as we are fallen into the last age of the world, so also we are risen with Christ Jesus the Sun of Righteousness, who ariseth with healing in his wings; and now the light of the glorious Gospel hath shined in our hearts, and hath given us the knowledge of the glory of the invisible God in the face of Jesus Christ; and this Gospel of the Kingdom of God we are willing and ready to preach throughout the whole world: for we wait, and expect, and groan within ourselves for the redemption of our body, the elected precious seed, which is the Church of Christ, which the Lord of Heaven and Earth hath had an eye unto continually; yet since the foundation of the world, this seed hath suffered, and been bruised, and slain; but certainly we are assured that as the Lord hath performed that part of his Word, that it should suffer, he will also perform that part of his Word that hath said, the seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpent's head.  
For according to this Word, in the fullness of time he sent his Son made of a Woman, and as certainly as the Church and body of Christ hath gone into the wilderness, so certainly her Child that she brought forth, which hath been caught up to God and to his Throne, shall come down, and rule all Nations with his rod of iron, and dash to pieces, as a Potter's vessel, all his enemies: this we wait for, and are assured shall come to pass, that the elected seed which is chosen of God, and precious, which is the body that he hath prepared to do his will, Christ Jesus which is come, is the resurrection and life of all his seed, and the hope of the resurrection 〈◊〉 all the seed of Israel, which all the twelve Tribes look for: the desire of all Nations is come, the light of the Gentiles, and the glory of the people Israel.  
And surely he will gather his Elect from the four winds, from one end of the Heaven to the other; and it is for the Elects sake that these days are shortened: for except these days had been shortened, no flesh could have been saved, and Christ saith, shall not God avenge his own Elect that hath cried unto him night and day, I tell you he will avenge them speedily, Luke 18.7.  
And the Apostle Paul, when he exhorteth his Son Timothy, consider what I say (saith he) and the Lord give thee understanding in all things; remember that Jesus Christ, the seed of David, was raised from the dead, according to my Gospel, wherein I suffer trouble as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the Word of God is not bound, therefore I endure all things for the Elects sake, that they also may obtain the Salvation which is in Christ Jesus in eternal glory, who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, for his body's sake, which is the Church, Col. 1.24.  
It is a faithful saying, if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him; if we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we believe nor, yet he abideth faithful, he cannot deny himself. So this was that which the Apostles looked for, and waited for the Redemption of the body, as in Rom. 8. and they suffered all things for the body's sake; so the Resurrection of this body, is that Christ Jesus accomplisheth, who saith, I am the resurrection and the life, he that believes in me though he were dead yet shall he live, and he that lives and believes shall never die; I am the Fountain, if any man thirst let him come unto me, and out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living water; and this he spoke of the Spirit that was to be poured forth, and by this Spirit doth he redeem and recover his elected seed: and so the Apostles reckoned the sufferings of this present life not worthy to be compared to the glory that was to be revealed, because of the expectation of the manifestation of the Sons of God.  
And this the great Husbandman is now looking for, and gathering up, who hath long waited for his Crop, as he did when he saw the multitudes come unto him, he was moved with compassion towards them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad as Sheep having no Shepherd; then saith he unto his Disciples, the Harvest truly is plenteous, but the Labourers are few, pray ye therefore the Lord of the Harvest that he send forth painful Labourers into his Harvest, here the Lord desired the gathering of his seed.  
And when Christ spoke the Parable of the Sour, he said, so is the Kingdom of God, if a man cast seed into the ground, and should sleep and rise night and day, the seed springeth and groweth he knoweth not how, for the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself, but when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the Sickle because the Harvest is come, Mar. 4.29. Here Christ brings a comparison by a Parable of his great Harvest, and when Jesus had showed the Parable of the Tares, his Disciples came unto him, and desired him to declare that Parable; he answered and said unto them, he that soweth the good seed is the Son of man, the Field is the world, the good Seed are the Children of the Kingdom, but the Tares are the Children of the wicked one, the Enemy that soweth them is the Devil, the Harvest is the end of the World, and the Reapers are the Angels; the Son of man will send forth his Angels, and they shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend, and shall cast them into the Furnace of Fire, then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father: who hath ears to hear, let him hear, Mat. 13.24. Dan. 12.3.  
And when the Lord sent forth the seventy Disciples he said unto them, the Harvest truly is great but the Labourers are few, pray ye therefore the Lord of the Harvest, Luke 10. This is the great Lord of the great Harvest, this is the great Husbandman; I am the true Vine, saith Christ, my Father is the Husbandman, every branch in me that bears not fruit he takes away, every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth, that it may bring forth more fruit; herein is my Father glorified, that you bring forth much fruit: So herein is the glory of the Husbandman that fruits be brought forth.  
And this great and mighty Husbandman hath been patiented, and waited patiently for the precious fruit, and had long patience for it, according to James 5.7. for he did sow his seed in Adam, above five thousand six hundred years since, so as he made the world and created all things in six days, so he hath husbanded and tilled and pruned and dressed and watered it well towards six thousand years; and to this agrees the Apostles words, 2 Pet. 3.3. to 8. when he saith, one day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day; for God is not slack concerning his coming, as some men count slackness. In Adam he sowed his seed a natural body, and this the Apostle very well opens in 1 Cor. 15. where he speaks at large of the Resurrection of the body, after he had been speaking how the Apostles had seen Christ after he was risen from the dead.  
Now if Christ be preached (saith the Apostle) that he risen from the dead, how say some among you, that there is no Resurrection from the dead? ver. 12. but if there be no Resurrection of the dead, then is not Christ risen; this is very true, for by the Resurrection of Christ the dead arises, by preaching of his resurrection; and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and ye are yet in your sins, than also they which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished; but now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that sleep: for since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead; for as in Adam all died, so in Christ all shall be made alive: there is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body, saith the Apostle. And some men will say, how are the dead raised? and with what body do they come? thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die, and that which thou sowest is not the body which shall be, for that thou sowest must die that it may increase, God giveth it a body as it pleaseth him, but to every seed it's own body: so whatsoever seed thou sowest, whether it be Wheat or any other grain, though that which thou sowest die in the ground that it may increase, yet it bringeth forth its own body, it's own nature, it's own image.  
And to this agrees Christ's own words in John 12. where he saith, verily I say unto you, except a corn of Wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone, but if it die it bringeth forth much fruit; this he spoke when he saw his hour was coming, and he said Father save me from this hour, but for this cause came I unto this hour, Job. 12 24. to the 27.  
And now this great Husbandman, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, he did sow his seed in Adam, and it died, that it might increase in Christ Jesus, who is the resurrection and the life of this seed: and the Lord hath watched and waited, and had an eye over his Vineyard, Isa. 5.1. as we have showed throughout this Treatise: but the Apostle goes on farther, and speaks of the glory of the Sun, and of the Moon, and of the Stars, and saith, so also is it in the Resurrection; it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory, it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power, it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body; for so it is written, the first man was made a living soul, the second Adam a quickening spirit; howbeit that Adam was not first which is spiritual, but that Adam which is natural, and afterwards that which is spiritual; the first man of the earth earthy, the second man the Lord from Heaven: as is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy; as is the heavenly, such are they that are heavenly; and as we have born the image of the earthy, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly: Now I say unto you Brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, and so on to the end of the Chapter.  
And this is the earthy, that which is of the first man, flesh and blood, which must not inherit incorruption; and this is the resurrection that we witness and wait for, the spiritual body, the spiritual image, the spiritual life, the quickening spirit, the Lord from Heaven, the gathering of the immortal seed to the great Lord of the Harvest, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; that he desires his Disciples to pray for, to send forth painful Labourers into his harvest: So the great God is now coming to gather his great Harvest and his Crop that he hath sown so long since (and the Angels are his Reapers) and waited for, and watched over, as you may read through this Book.  
And to this agrees that which Christ saith in Math. 25. when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy Angels with him, then shall he sit upon the Throne of his glory, and before him shall be gathered all Nations, and he shall separate them one from another, as the Shepherd divideth the Sheep from the Goats, and he shall set the Sheep on his right hand, but the Goats on his left, ver. 31, 32, 33. and so shall the resurrection of the just be to life, and the resurrection of the unjust unto condemnation: this is the Resurrection that all shall find and may expect, for Christ hath been (as he saith in this Chapter) as one in a far Country, and hath called his servants, and hath delivered unto them his Talents, and as every one hath gained and profited so shall they receive.  
So it is required of every one to know the precious seed which God hath elected and chosen for himself; of all seeds he hath chosen but one, the precious seed, though it be likened unto a grain of Mustardseed, which is the least of all seeds, but is the most precious and pure and holy seed, because it came from the life and breath of the immortal pure God, whose life and immortality dwells in eternal light and eternal brightness: So the Lord by his glorious word and power is gathering in again his precious and holy seed, and renewing and restoring a far more and exceeding weight of glory than what was the glory of the first man, the glory of the second man far exceeded it; for as the Apostle saith, the first man was made a living Soul, so likewise David saith, he was made a little lower than the Angels, Psal. 8. what is man that thou art so mindful of him? and the son of man that thou visitest him? for thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour, thou hast made him to have Dominion over the works of thy hands, thou hast put all things under his feet: which words the Apostle rehearseth again in the 2. of Heb. and saith, that he left nothing that was not put under him, then in that state that he then stood in, which was before the Fall; but now (saith the Apostle) we see not all things put under him: why? because he was come under in his transgression, and fallen from that where God had set him: but saith the Apostle, we see Jesus who is made a little lower than the Angels, for the suffering of death, he is crowned with glory and honour that is everlasting, that he by the grace of God should taste of death for every man, which glory and honour changeth not, as the glory and honour of the first man did.  
So the glory of the first man Adam, he was made a living Soul, a little lower than the Angels, and all the glory of the first body he was crowned with, and had Dominion over all the visible Creation, and had power over all the Creatures that God had made, God set him King over all the works of his hands, and gave him dominion and power over them; and here is the glory of the first man, and the glory of the first body, the visible glory of the Creation, all things that God had made in the Heaven and in the Earth, and when he looked upon them, behold they were very good; Adam was crowned with the glory of them all, and had the Dominion over them, but this Dominion he lost, and this glory he stained through his disobedience and transgression, and so fell, and became servant and in a state of servitude, and not only so, but painful and miserable with a sentence upon him, that in the sweat of his face he should eat his bread. So after this, as hath been showed, the Lord of his infinite mercy confirmed his eternal love and Election of Grace in his promise unto his seed, and Covenant unto Abraham, that of him he would bring forth a seed in whom all the Nations of the earth should be blessed; which he hath faithfully and perfectly performed, as hath been showed: And so he chose a people from amongst all the families of the earth, that he did own for himself, as you may read Deut. 7.6. which he knew and had regard and love unto above all the families of the earth, as hath been showed and manifested.  
Yet according as Adam did there rebel and transgress against him, though he had a continual care and an eye over them, and a continual regard unto them, and watched over them by his holy Angels, as you may read in the Scriptures; for man was at that time lower than the Angels. The Lord spoke unto Abraham and Sarah by Angels, and unto Jacob, and the Lord spoke unto Moses by his Angel, Exod. 3.2. and Acts 7.3. where Stephen saith, And God sent Moses to be a Ruler and a Deliverer by the hand of the Angel which appeared to him in the Bush. God also sent his Ange unto David after he had numbered the people, as you may read 1 Chron. 21. God sent an Angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it, and when David ●ift up his eyes and saw the Angel of the Lord stand between the Earth and the Heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched over Jerusalem, than David and the Elders of Israel humbled themselves, as you may read after; then the Lord commanded the Angel, and he put up his sword into its sheath.  
The Angel also was sent unto Zacharias and Elisabeth before the Birth of John, and unto Mary before the Birth of Christ, as you know; and the Angel came unto the Shepherds after the Birth of Christ, Luke 2.9. And the Angels came and ministered unto him, Math. 4.11. So the revelation of Jesus Christ was signified by his Angel, Rev. 1. with many more that might be brought. Cornelius was warned of God by an Angel, Acts 10. and Stephen when he was bearing his testimony before the Highpriest, when he said, Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in hearts and ears, which of the Prophets have not your Fathers persecuted and slain? them which shown before of the coming of the just one, of whom ye have been betrayers and murderers, who have received the Law by the disposition of Angels, and have not kept it, Acts 7.53. and Gal. 3.19. The Law was ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediator. So the Prophets and such as the Lord made Overseers and Leaders of his people, the Lord spoke to them by his Angels, and the Law they received by the Angels; but as the Apostle saith, in the fullness of time God sent forth his Son made of a woman, made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law, Gal. 4.3. for what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sent his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us: read on in Rom. 8. So they that walk after the Spirit, they are those that fulfil the righteousness of the Law; for the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus makes free from the Law of sin and death, and this renews into the right and into the perfect Image, which is not lower than the Angels, but into the Image of the Son, unto which all the Angels are subject, according to the Apostles words Heb. 1.  
God who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in times passed unto the Fathers by the Prophets, hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son, whom he hath appointed Heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds, who being the brightness of his Father's Glory and the express Image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins; for that was the work he was to do, when, as the Apostle saith, he became lower than the Angels for the suffering of death, and so took not upon him the nature of Angels, but the seed of Abraham, and there he hath tasted death for every man, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the Devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to Bondage: and when he had finished this work, he is set down on the right hand of the Majesty on high, being made so much better than the Angels, as he hath by an inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they; for to which of the Angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, when he bringeth in his first begotten into the world, he said, Let all the Angels worship him; and to his Angels he saith, Who hath made his Angel's Spirits, and his Ministers a flame of fire: but unto the Son he saith, Thy Throne, O God, is for ever, a Sceptre of Righteousness is the Sceptre of thy Kingdom: And so on.  
So here you may see, as the first man was made a little lower than the Angels, so the second man the Lord from Heaven, the quickening spirit, is made higher than the Angels, the brightness of the Father's glory, and his express image.  
And so this is the seed, and body, and image which the Lord God is raising and restoring and preparing to do his will, which far exceeds the glory of the first body; for the glory of the first body was a visible glory, but the glory of the second man, the second body is an invisible glory, and known and seen by the invisible eye, and manifested by the invisible power and spirit of our Lord Jesus, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, who is the image of the invisible God, and the first born of every creature; by him were all things created, that are in Heaven and that are in Earth; visible and invisible, whether they be Thrones or Dominions, or Principalities or Powers, all things were created by him and for him, and he is before all things, and by him all things consist, and he is the Head of the Body, the Church, who is the beginning, the first begotten from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminency; and so this is he, and this is his Body and his Image which he is restoring and creating after God in Righteousness and true Holiness, Eph. 2.10.4.24.  
Abraham by his saith saw him who is invisible, Heb. 11. who was the Father of the sai hful, and so all the faithful who continue and abide in the faith of God's Elect, will see the resurrection and restauration of this invisible body, which is the Church of Christ, the second man, the Lord from Heaven; this is he who builds the second house, who is a greater than Solomon, and whose house far exceeds the glory of Solomon's Temple, whom the Apostle exhorts his holy Brethren to consider, the High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to him that appointed him; as also Moses was faithful in all his house: for this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, in as much as he who hath builded the house, hath more honour than the house; for every house is builded by some man; but he that buildeth all things is God: for Moses was faithful in all his house as a servant; but Christ as a Son over his own house, whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence of the hope firm unto the end, Rom. 3. and also 1 Tim. 3.15. where the Apostle exhorts Timothy how to behave himself in the house of God, which is the Church of the living God, the ground and pillar of truth: so having therefore boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus Christ by a new and living way, and having an Highpriest over the House of God, let us draw near with a true heart, saith the Apostle, Heb. 10.  
So in this new and living way, Christ Jesus, the light of his glorious Gospel, every one that abideth and walketh in this light, may enter by his blood into the holiest of all; for he reigns over the house of Jacob, according to the Angels words to Mary, Luke 1.32, 33.  
So the glory of this house of Jacob is the Lord bringing forth and manifesting, and will manifest every day more and more; and blessed and happy are all they that come into the brightness of the rising of this glory, and as every one comes to the light of the Lord Jesus, who is the image of the invisible God, that shines in their hearts, will come more and more to see the glory of this day, and the glory and beauty of this body of Christ, which is his Church, and the glory and beauty of this image of the second man, the Lord from Heaven, who is the brightness of his Father's glory; and unto this King Eternal and Immortal, Invisible, and the only wise God, be Honour and Glory, for ever and ever.   
Margaret Fell.  
FINIS   

A Chronology of the Judges, and Kings of the JEWS.  

1. Moses.  
2. Joshua.  
3. Othniel.  
4. Ethud.  
5. Deborah and Barak.  
6. Gideon.  
7. Abimelech.  
8. Tolah.  
9 Jair.  
10. Jephthah.  
11. Ibzan.  
12. Elon.  
13. Abdon.  
14. Samson:  
15. Eli.  
16. Samuel, At which time the people desired to have a King like to other Nations.   

Kings of the Jews.  
Saul.  
David.  
Solomon.   

Kings of Judah.  
1. Rehoboam, in whose time the ten Tribes were rend away.  
2. Abijam.  
3. Asa.  
4. Jehoshaphat.  
5. Jehoram.  
6. Ahaziah.  
7. Athaliah.  
8. Jehoash.  
9 Amaziah.  
10. Azaziah, or Uzziah.  
11. Jotham.  
12. Ahaz.  
13. Hezekiah.  
14. Manasseh.  
15. Amon.  
16. Josiah.  
17. Jehoahaz.  
18. Jehojakim.  
19 Jehojachin.  
20. Zedekiah, in whose time Nabuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem.   

Kings of Israel.  
1. Jeroboam.  
2. Nadab.  
3. Baasha.  
4. Elah.  
5. Zimri.  
6. Omri.  
7. Ahab.  
8. Ahaziah.  
9 Joram.  
10. Jehu.  
11. Jehoahaz.  
12. Joash.  
13. Jeroboam.  
Menahem.  
Pekahiah.  
Pekah.  
Hoshea, who was vanquished by Salmaneser, and the Israelites carried Captive into Assyria.   

The Dukes and Governors of the Jews.  
1. Zerobabel.  
2. Resa Mosollam.  
3. Johannes Ben Resa.  
4. Judas Hircanas.  
5. Joseph.  
6. Abner Simei.  
7. Eli Matthia.  
8. Aser Mahat.  
9 Naged Artoxad.  
10. Haggai.  
11. Maslat Mahum.  
12. Amos Syrach.  
13. Mattathiah Siloack.  
14. Joseph 2.  
15. Johannes Hircanus, who was the last Governor of judea, who descended from the Stock of David.   

The Macchabaean Princes of Jewry.  
1. Judas Macchabaeus.  
2. Jonathan.  
3. Simon.  
4. johannes Hircanus.   

The Macchabaean Kings of judah.  
1. Aristobulus.  
2. Alexander.  
3. Alexandra, or Solome Wife to Alexander.  
4. Hircanus, eldest Son to Alexander.   

The Heathen Kings of Jewry.  
1. Herod the Ascolonite, at which time the Kingdom departed from judah, and Christ was born.  
2. Archelaus, 2. Herod Antipas, and 3. Lysinias, Luke. 3.1.  
3. Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of Galilee, who beheaded john the Baptist, and in whose time Christ suffered.  
4. Agrippa Herod, who imprisoned Peter and james, and being stricken by an Angel was eaten with Worms.  
5. Agrippa Minor, before whom Paul pleaded, and in whose time jerusalem was overthrown by the Romans.   
FINIS.