CAP. I.

IN the beginning of time,1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. God the Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghost, made, of nothing, the whole great, and goodly frame of the world; both the heaven and the earth, and the other elements, with all the furniture and inhabitants of them all.

Yet not all together, and at once, nor in this perfect forme, at first,2 And the earth was without forme, and void, and darkenesse was upon the face of the deep: & the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. wherein we now see them, but by leisure & degrees; for both the earth and elements, in their first being, were a rude and confused heape, by him newly created without any matter pre­ceding, or without any fashionable shape at all; it being not distinguished, fashioned, beautified, as afterward, neither had this vast masse of water and earth inter­mingled, as yet any light, either for distinction or orna­ment, but even in this their confusion, the holy Spirit (the preserver of all creatures) upheld, cherished, and gave fit succour to this imperfect beginning of all things.

Then God willed,3 And God said, Let there be light, and there was light. and in this point brought his eter­nall decree to execution, that there should be light, not of the Sunne, or starres, which were not yet created; but a common brightnesse onely, to distinguish the time, and to remedy that former confused darknesse and it was accordingly made.

And God approved this light, by him created,4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and and God divided the light from the darknesse. to be of excellent, and necessary use, and established it, by his [Page 2] allowance, as fit to continue, and to be interchanged with darknesse.

5 And God called the light day, and the darknesse he called night: and the evening and the morning were the first day.And God set to either of them their due times and courses; appointing that the light should serve for day, darknesse for night, and that man afterwards should so call them; and so was the first naturall day, consisting of evening and morning, fully finished.

6 And God said, Let there be a firmamēt in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.Then God willed that there should be a large cleare aery distance betwixt those upper waters, which are ga­thered into clouds, and these below.

7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters, which were under the firmament, from the waters, which were a­bove the firmament, and it was so.Therefore God caused this large extent of aire, to spread it selfe high and wide, and thereby made a sepa­ration betwixt those aery, and these lower earthly wa­ters, and it was done.

8 And God called the firmament heaven, and the evening and the morning were the second day.And this dilated aire (as also that above) hee taught man, after, to call heaven, and established the due use, and course therof, and thus was the second naturall day, consisting of evening and morning, finished.

9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appeare, and it was so.Further, God willed that these lower waters should be gathered into one common place of receit, and that the dry land, which was till now covered over there­with, should appeare, and it was so done.

10 And God called the dry land earth, and the ga­thering together of the waters called he seas: and God saw that it was goodAnd God taught to call this dry land (according to the nature of it) earth: and the common receptacle of waters, seas: and God allowed this second dayes worke also as of necessary and excellent use for his purposed creatures.

11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grasse, the herbe yeelding seed, and the fruit tree yeelding fruit after his kinde, whose seed is in it selfe upon the earth: and it was so.Then God willed that by his immediate power, even before the Sunne was created, the earth should bring forth all manner of vegetables: both those that do volun­tarily sprout up, and those which doe since require the art, and labour of man: all buds, blossomes, herbes, trees, which both may, and doe beare fruit according to their kinde; and whose fruit by his appointment containeth in it the seed of their owne kindes, and it was so done.

12 And the earth brought forth grasse, and herbe yeelding seed after his kinde, and the tree yeelding fruit, whose seed was in it selfe after his kinde: and God saw that it was good.And the earth brought forth, (as God commanded her) all manner of vegetables in very great variety, ac­cording to the severall kindes, both of herbes that yeeld their owne seed as the meanes of their future increase, and all trees that beare fruit, and whose fruit by his ap­pointment, containeth in it the seed of their own kinde: & God allowed them as of necessary, and excellent use, & established the benefits therof to his future creatures.

13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.And thus was the third naturall day, consisting of morning and evening, also finished.

And God further willed,14 And God said, Let there bee lights in the fir­mament of the heaven, to divide the day from the night: and let them be for signes, and for seasons, and for dayes, and yeares. that in the highest part of the aire, which wee call heaven, there should bee made the starres, which are so many glorious lights, in the fir­mament, partly to make a perpetuall and constant divi­sion betwixt day and night, and partly to be certaine and naturall signes for mans direction in his course of judge­ment, and practice, for sowing, planting, sailing, and such other common affaires, and partly to make a distin­ction of seasōs: sommer, winter, spring, harvest, autumne, yeares, months, weekes, dayes, houres.

Lastly (which is their chiefest use) he willed that they should serve to give lively heate, and light,15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven, to give light upon the earth, and it was so. from those high places, wherin he set them to his creatures here up­on earth, and it was so done.

And now God made amongst the rest,16 And God made two great lights; the greater to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the starres also. two great lights greater then the rest, not in body, but in glory, the greater to rule the day; to which purpose he gathered into all that light, which hitherto was diffused through the aire; the lesser, together with the other smaller stars, to rule the night.

Thus God (I say) made these heavenly lights,17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth. and pla­ced them in the highest part of the aire, that they might the better give light to the earth.

And that they might interchangeably governe the day and night, and distinguish the light from the darknesse,18 And to rule over the day, and over the night, and to divide the light from the darknesse: and God saw that it was good the dawning and twilight from the cleare day; and God allowed them, as of excellent, and necessary use for his other creatures.

So the fourth naturall day consisting of morning and evening, was fully finished.19 And the evening and and the morning were the fourth day.

Now,20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth a­bundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowle that may flie above the earth in the open fir­mament of heaven. that God had thus made fit roome and place for his creatures, he willed that they should in their se­verall rankes, and orders be framed; and first (as the least perfect) hee decreed that the waters should abundantly bring forth all swimming and creeping things (proper to it selfe) that have life; and, that of the lighter and more ayrie part thereof, should be made all kinde of fowles, that flie upon the earth, and waters, in the open space of the aire.

Then God of the same Element,21 And God created great whales, and every li­ving creature that moveth which the waters brought forth abundātly, after their kind, and every winged fowle after his kinde: and and God saw that it was good. made the mighty Whales, Whirlpooles, & all other those huge & strange formes of creatures; and all kinde of fishes, that live and move in the waters; he framed of the same matter, in great variety and abundance, according to their kinds, and every flying fowle according to his kind: and God al­lowed them to be of excellent use.

22 And God blessed them, saying, Bee fruitfull and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas; and let fowle multiply in the earth.Then God gave a reall and sensible blessing unto them, willing and decreeing by an [...] everlasting Law, that these watery creatures should naturally multiply themselves by generation, in an especiall manner, and measure; so as they should plentifully store both the Sea and Rivers, and that the fowles also, should by a naturall forme of generation, multiply their numbers, and successions up­on earth.

23 And the evening and the morning were the fift day.So the fift naturall day, consisting of morning and evening, was fully finished.

24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kinde, cattell, and creep­ing things and beasts of the earth after his kind: and it was so.Furthermore, God appointed that of the earth (by his almighty power) should bee made all other living things according to their kinds; all cattell that should be for more familiar use to man; all those creeping things, which live and move in, and upon the earth; and those wild beasts of the forrest, which live apart from the sight and service of man, each of them according to his nature, and kind, and it was so done.

25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kinde, and cattle after their kinde: and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.And God accordingly made the wild beast of the field according to his kinde, and all those creeping things which move in and upon the earth, according to their severall kind, and the tamer cattell, according to their kind, and God allowed their use as commodious and ne­cessary.

26 And God said, Let us make man in our Image af­ter our likenesse: and let them have dominion over the fish of the Sea, & over the fowle of the aire, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over eve­ry creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.Then God (when all helps, and ornaments were thus prepared) decreed, and after a divine manner consulted with himselfe, the Father with the Son, and holy Spirit, concerning the Creation of his chiefe creature, Man; as it were to this effect: We have made our severall crea­tures, in great variety; having given to them, being, life, sense and motion; but now, let us make that creature, for whose sake the rest have beene created; consisting as of a materiall body; wherein hee shall partake with other creatures, in being, life, sense, and motion; so also, of a spi­tuall nature & substance, wherin he shall be like to us; be­ing indued, as with all the faculties of a reasonable soule, so also with perfect knowledg, holinesse, righteousnesse: And let them have dominion over all the creatures, over the fishes of the Sea, and over the fowles of the aire, and over the cattel, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing, that creepeth on the earth.

27 So God created man in his owne Image, in the Image of God created he him, male and female crea­ted he them.So God, accordingly, created man, after his owne Image, both in respect of his spirituall soule, and of this integritie, and holinesse, and righteousnesse, wherewith hee was indued; hee created them in both sexes, both male and female; forming the male of the matter of earth, and the female afterwards of the male.

And God gave a speciall blessing unto them; and said,28 And God blessed thē, and God said unto them, be fruitfull, and multiply, and replenish the earth, & subdue it: & have domi­niō over the fish of the sea. Be yee (through that power of propagation, which I give you) fruitfull; and multiply and replenish the earth with your seed; and be yee possessors and rulers of the earth, &c.

And God said, Behold, as I have made you,29 And God said, Behold I have given you every herbe bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree. and given you life, so am I carefull to provide and grant you fit sustenance for the continuance of that life, which I have given you: Take ye liberty therfore to eate of every plant, that groweth upon the earth, whether herbe or tree, &c.

CAP. II.

THus were the heavens, and the earth, and sea,1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the hoste of them. and all the hoasts of heaven (both the Angels, and starres,) and all the furniture of the earth and water (both plants, and beasts, and birds, and fishes) finished, by the mighty power of God in the space of sixe dayes.

And on the seventh day,2 And on the seventh day God ended his work, which he had made: and he rested on the seaventh day from all his worke which he had made. God having finished the the great worke of his creation; ceased from any further act of this kinde, rejoycing in the view of his glorious workmanship, and never since ceasing to preserve, order, and governe that world, which he then created.

And thereupon God gave a speciall blessing to the seventh day, and honoured it with this priviledge,3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it, because that in it he had rested from all his worke which God created and made. that it should be a day set apart to rest and holinesse; that so by this meanes, men might be put in minde of the wonder­full worke of his creation, and might celebrate that rest of their creator.

This is the story,4 These are the generati­ons of the heavens, and of the earth, when they were created, in the day that the Lord God mad the earth, &c. or just report of the making of the heavens, and the earth, in that beginning of time, where­in the Lord God (who hath eternall being in himselfe) gave a being to the earth and the heavens.

And to every plant of the field, when as before it had no being in the earth,5 And every plant of the field, before it was in the earth, and every herbe of the field, before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to raine upon the earth: and there was not a man to till the ground. and to every herbe that had not as yet beene, nor could have beene, as by any naturall meanes: for there had beene as yet no raine (which is the ordinary meanes of fruitfullnesse, (sent downe from God upon the earth, neither was there any man (as yet) to till the ground, and by his industry and art to draw forth any fruit therefrom.

Onely God caused a mist or vapour,6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. to rise up from the earth, and to fall downe againe, upon the whole face of the ground; whereby the earth was watered, and the fruits thereof refreshed, till he thought good to send the ordinary and naturall helpes of her fruitfulnesse.

7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soule.And the Lord God formed the body of man, of the mould of the ground, and inspired and animated him, with a living and reasonable spirit, which is immortall, immateriall, separable from the body: and so man, con­sisting of body and soule, became a perfect creature, in­dued with life and reason, and such qualities, and moti­ons as were fit to proceed from both.

8 And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there hee put man whom hee had for­med.And the Lord God planted an orchard, and garden of pleasure, in the easterne tract of that goodly and fruit­full country of Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

9 And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree, that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food: the tree of life also, in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evill.And the Lord God furnished, and adorned that gar­den with all variety of goodly and pleasant plants, that might be delectable either to the eye, or to the taste, or wholsome for nourishment: and amongst the rest cau­sed to grow there, that flourishing and sacramentall tree of life; which as it had vertue to preserve the naturall life, so served to signifie both that eternall life of glory, and blessednesse in heaven, and the onely author of that eternall life, Jesus Christ; and therewith also, that fa­tall tree of knowledge, the eating whereof should cause man (who before knew onely good) to have a wofull knowledge and experience of evill.

10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from thence it was parted, and became in­to foure heads.And for the commodity of the place, God had so sea­ted it, as that a river came downe out of Eden; to water the garden; and from thence it parted it selfe into foure severall streames.

11 The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold:The first is that chanell of Euphrates which is called Pischon, which washeth upon the land which afterward tooke the name of Havilah (one of the grand-children of Eber) where there is gold.

12 And the gold of that land is good, there is Bdel­lium and the Onyx stone.And the gold of that land (as likewise of his brother Ophirs) is very pure and fine; and there is store of rich gummes, or pearles, and precious stones

13 And the name of the second river is Gihon, the same is it that compasseth the whole lād of Ethiopia.The name of the second streame, or chanell, is Gi­hon, which floweth along by desert Arabia; the inhe­ritance afterwards of Cush, the sonne of Cham.

14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth to­ward the east of Assyria: and the fourth river is Eu­phrates.The name of the third streame is Hiddekel, or Tigris, which floweth eastward to Assyria: And the fourth, re­taining the appellation of the whole maine river, is cal­led Euphrates.

Then the Lord tooke man from the place where hee was created;15 And the Lord God tooke the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dresse it, and to keepe it. and placed him in this goodly paradise of Eden, not that hee should be idle, and there spend his time in vaine pleasure; but that hee might sowe, plant, prune, keepe and dresse it, not in any toyling, or afflicting labour, but only for his voluntary, and delight­full exercise.

And God prescribed man a Law for his diet,16 And the Lord God commanded the man, say­ing; Of every tree of the garden thou maiest freely eate. to this effect; Thou seest with what plenty, and delicacie of fruit I have stored this garden, for thee; all which I leave to thy free choice, and full liberty: feed on which soe­ver thou likest.

Onely one tree there is,17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evill, thou shalt not eate of it, for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. which for the tryall of thine obedience, I forbid thee, and thine to taste of; the tree of experience so good & evill; so termed in regard of the event, for so soone as ever thou eatest the fruit therof, thou shalt surely bee in the state of mortality, and shalt sensibly feele evident proofes of thy frailty; and besides this bodily death, thy transgression of this my Comman­dement, shall be punished (if I should deale with thee in the rigour of my Justice) with the separation of thy body and soule from my presence for ever.

Now before this time, even in the sixt day,18 And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should bee alone: I will make him an helpe meet for him. the Lord had thus determined, concerning man; It is neither so cō­fortable an estate, nor fit for the naturall propagation of mankinde, that the man should live alone, in one onely Sex: I will make him an helper, of his owne nature, meet for him, in both regards.

For when the Lord had formed of the earth every beast of the field, and every fowle of the ayre,19 And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowle of the aire, and brought them unto Adam, to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. of their owne fit matter, and had brought them to man (who was their lord) to acknowledge his soveraignty, and to re­ceive from him their names (for howsoever Adam, out of the knowledge of their severall nature, thought good to call them, so was their names.)

And when Adam had given fit names to all the crea­tures; to all the tamer sort of cattell,20 And Adam gave names to all cattell, and to the fowle of the aire, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an helpe meet for him. all the fowles of the aire, all wild beasts; all this while, among so great choice, Adam found not a meet helper of his owne nature, and forme, with whom he might converse for comfort, and generation.

Wherefore the Lord God had cast man into a deepe sleep or extasie,21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep, to fall upon Adam, & he slept, and he tooke one of his ribbs, and closed up the flesh in­stead thereof. that he might not be sensible of what he suffered, and whiles he thus slept, he tooke out one of his ribbs from his side, and closed up the breach with flesh in the roome thereof.

And of this ribbe, thus taken from Adam,22 And the ribbe which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a wo­man, and brought her unto the man. God fra­med the woman, in a most comely proportion, and brought her thus framed immediately to Adam, as a fit match to joyne with him.

Then Adam lovingly and cheerfully receiving her,23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: shee shall be called woman, be­cause she was taken out of man. [Page 8] gladly acknowledged; this indeed, is she whom I sought among all the creatures, and found not: now have I ob­tained of the Lord, a fit helper for me, for loe, this is not onely of the same nature, but (as I well see) of the same flesh, blood, and bone, with my selfe. She shall be therefore called woman; because she is taken out of the man, that as she received her substance from me, so she may take her name also.

24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shal cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.Seeing therefore such was the creation of woman, and the first institution of marriage; it is the everlasting will of God, that there shall be an intire and loving cōjuncti­on betwixt the man and wife: and, whether in their ha­bitation (if occasion so require) or whether in the dan­ger of the dissolution of this bond, the man shall rather leave father and mother, and his duty to them in this case, for his wife, thē neglect her due satisfaction; & they two shall be so neerly knit together, both in body and minde, that they shall be but as one flesh; like as at their first creation.

25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not asha­med.And such was the purity, simplicity, and perfection of their mindes and bodies, as that both Adam and his wife were naked; and found not this estate, either un­wholsome, or unhonest, or uncomly: for as yet there was no lust in them, which might breed their shame either before God, or themselves.

CAP. III.

NOw the Serpent was, by nature,1 Now the Serpent was more subtill then any beast of the field, which the Lord God had made, and he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Yee shall not eate of every tree of the garden? more subtill then any beast of the field, which God had made; and therefore the fitter to be imployed, as an instru­ment of Sathan, to betray mankinde: Him therefore did Sathan make choice of; and in him thus spake in double sense to the woman; as the weaker vessell: Is it so in­deede that God hath forbidden you to eate of any tree of the Garden?

And the woman said unto the Serpent;2 And the woman said unto the Serpent, We may eate of the fruit of the trees of the garden: We have free liberty given us to eate indifferently of the fruit of the Trees of the Garden, in great varietie of diet.

Onely from one tree in the midst of the Garden,3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eate of it, neither shall Ye touch it, lest ye die. hath God restrained us, and hath charged us; ye shall not eate of that one tree, nor touch it, upon paine of death.

Then the Serpent said to the woman; Tush, there is a farther matter in this prohibition; feare not;4 And the Serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die. there is no danger of dying any death at all.

But herein God rather envies your further felicity; for he well knowes, on the contrary,5 For God knowes, that in the day ye eate ther­of, then your eyes shall be opened, and yee shall be as gods, knowing good and evill. that whensoever yee shall eat of that fruit, the eyes of your understanding (which are now halfe shut) shall be fully opened, and yee shall be full of divine knowledge, like your Maker: for (as the name of that tree may informe you) whereas now you know by halves onely, that which is good; then you shall know evill also.

So the woman, being wonne by Sathan,6 And when the wo­man saw, that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, shee tooke of the fruit thereof, and did eate, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eate. to fixe her eies upon that fruit, and being perswaded that it was like by the outward shew of it, to be fit for use; and finding it to be exceeding pleasant to sight, And hearing it to be a fruit of such admirable benefit, for the obtaining of further knowledge, tooke thereof, and did eate it; and because she would have her husband partaker with her of such happinesse, she commended it to him; and he se­duced by her, did eate of it also.

Then the eyes of their understanding were opened in­deed as Satan had foretold,7 And the eyes of them both were opened, & they knew that: they were na­ked: and they sewed figge leaves together, and made themselves aprons. to discern between the good which they had lost, & the evill into w^ch they were fallen; opened therefore to their owne misery, and shame; for now the impuritie of their mindes caused them to see, and acknowledge the deformity of their bodies, which before their sin, were no other then comely: to the hiding whereof, they fastned together figge leaves, and made [Page 10] themselves, a cover for those parts, wherein now their corrupted nature told them their chiefe shame lay.

8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God, walking in the garden in the coole of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the pre­sence of the Lord God a­mongst the trees of the Garden.And now, after the conscience of their sinne; God who is the Judge, and revenger of it, gave some sensible tokens of his presence, about that time, when the heate of the day was abated, in the Garden; and therefore Adam and his wife (who had wont to delight in the pre­sence of their God) now ranne away, to hide themselves, among the thickets of trees, from the sight of him.

But God (from whom he could not be hid) audibly called him forth;9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? and said unto him, in the person of both, Adam, where art thou?

Who answered, I heard thy voice in the Garden, and was afraid of thy Majestie,10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the Garden: and was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid my selfe. & in regard of my selfe, I saw that my nakednes had in it shame, and deformitie, There­fore I hid my selfe.

Then God saith, thou hast heretofore appeared before me boldly,11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I com­manded thee, that thou shouldest not eate. and not complained of thy naked­nesse, Whence therefore is thy shame, and conscience of deformity? It is a wrong cause which thou pretendest: the owne mouth evinceth thee as guiltie of the breach of my law, speake out therefore more plainly, against thy selfe; Hast thou not eaten of that fruit, whereof alone I charged thee, upon so fearefull a paine, that thou shoul­dest not eate?

12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave mee of the tree, and did eate.Then Adam, still desiring to put off the blame from himselfe, said, It is true, I have eaten indeed; but the fault was not so much mine; for, Lo, the woman, which was of thine owne choosing, and giving, she drew me to this sinne; which of my selfe I should not have easily yeelded to.

13 And the Lord God said unto the womā, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eate.And the Lord God said unto the woman; How is it that thou hast commited so hainous a crime, both to eate thy selfe, and to draw thy husband into sinne with thee? And the woman said, Alas, Lord, how did I thinke that any of thy creatures wold have thus betraied us; behold, the Serpent, a creature of thine owne making, beguiled me with false promises, and induced me, in simplicitie, to eate of it.

14 And the Lord God said unto the Serpent, Be­cause, thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattell, and above every beast of the field: upon thy belly shalt thou goe, and dust shalt thou eate, all the daies of thy life.Then God, not examining any farther, beganne to pronounce sentence upon the Serpent; and said, Because thou hast beene used, as an instrument to destroy man­kinde; thou shalt be most execrable, and detestable, above all, either Cattel, or wild beast, and where as thou didst lift up thy selfe to deceive the woman; now thou shalt for ever craule upon thy belly, in an ugly and horrible fashion, and, as thou hast brought man backe againe to [Page 11] the dust, so thou shalt eate the dust of the earth, while thou livest.

Unto the woman,16 Vnto the woman he said, I will greatly mul­tiplie thy sorrow and thy conception. In sorrow shalt thou bring forth chil­dren: and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and hee shall rule over thee. which was the next instrument of this sinne, God said, I will greatly increase those sor­rowes, which are proper to thy Sex, and those especially, which shall follow upon thy conceptions. And whereas thou shouldest have had children borne without sin, and borne without paine, now (seeing thou hast sought too much unlawfull pleasure) thou shalt in much anguish, and sore throwes of travell, bring forth Children; and as thou hast won thy husband, in this new act, to follow thee; so for ever thine appetite shall be subject to thine husband; & curbed by him at pleasure, and he shall with more com­mand, & inequalitie rule over thee, in all thine actions.

Also, to Adam he said;17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkned unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of which I com­manded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eate of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake: in sorrow shalt thou eate of it al the daies of thy life. because thou hast yeelded to the evill perswasions of thy wife, and not to me, and hast eaten of that tree, whereof alone, I so deeply charged thee not to eate, behold, that earth which I made, and fitted for thy use, shall now, because of thy sinne, be ac­cursed to thee, with barrennesse, and evill fruit; with much toyle, and paine, shalt thou procure, and eate the fruit thereof, all the dayes of thy life.

And when thou hast done thy best to it, it shall deceive thy hope, and, in stead of wholesome graine,18 Thornes also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee: and thou shalt eate the herbe of the field. shall yeeld thee thornes and thistles; and thou that hast thus pleased thy tast, shalt no more eate of the pleasant fruit of this Garden; but shalt be faine to take up with the herbs and fruit of the field, else where.

And not onely with vexation of minde,19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eate bread, till thou returne unto the ground: for out of it wast thou taken, for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou returne. but with wea­risome and extreme labour of body, shalt thou procure thy sustenance; and that not for some short time, but till thou returne to the earth; for, what proud conceipt and hope soever the Serpent put into thee, of not dying, I tell thee, that as of the dust of the earth thou wert for­med, so now thou art in the state of certaine mortality, and to dust shalt thou returne.

And Adam, now looking for that perpetuity in his seed,20 And Adam called his wives name Eve, be­because she was the mo­ther of all living. which he saw he could not have in himselfe, called his wives name, Hevah, because she was, and should be the mother of all living men, the posteritie whereof he saw would be large, and manifold.

And God the Lord, partly for wholsomnesse of body,21 Vnto Adam also, and to his wife, did the Lord God make coats of skinnes, & cloathed them. and partly to put them in minde of their corruption, which had made nakednesse shamefull, prepared skinnes for Adam and Eve, and taught them both to fashion those skinnes into garments (whereby their whole bodies might be covered) and also to put them on.

22 And the Lord God said; Behold, the man is be­come as one of us to know good and evill. And now lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eate and live for ever:Then the Lord God upbraiding man with his follie, said; See now how well Sathan hath performed his pro­mise to man: Is he not thinke you, become like one of us? Hath he not gained a goodly measure of knowledge, both of good and evill? And now heede must be taken lest he should farther prophane the sacrament of that other tree of life, and double his sinne, by hoping as vainely, to obtaine an eternall life, by the fruit thereof, as he hoped for the perfection of knowledge by the o­ther.

23 Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden, to till the ground, from whence he was taken.Therefore the Lord forced man to goe forth of the Garden of pleasure, as being unworthy to abide in so godly a place any more, and let him to till the other ba­ser Earth whence he was taken.

24 So he drove out the man: and he placed at the East of the gardē of Eden, Cherubims, and a flaming sword, which turned every way, to keepe the way of the tree of life.And when God had thus, in disgrace, cast man out of Paradise, that he might utterly cut off all hope of his returne, he placed on the East side of Eden (where the entrance was,) Angells with flaming swords, conti­nually shaken, to be guarders thereof, which untill the defacing thereof by the flood, duely kept it from all possibility of reentring; as in regard of the whole Garden, so especially of the tree of life, which God would not have touched by man, in this estate of his corruption.

CAP. IIII.

1 And Adam knew Eve his wife, and she con­ceived and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.THen Adam, after his banishment out of Paradise, had carnall knowledge of Evah his wife; which concei­ved and bare a sonne, whom shee (acknowledging the performance of Gods promise and blessing) called Cain, that is, Possession, because, said she, I have obtained a man, even after my fall, by the gift of the Lord.

4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flocke, and of the fat thereof, and the Lord had respect unto Abel, and to his offering.And Abel also himselfe brought of the first fruits of his flocke; and of the fattest, and best of them; with a faithfull and cheerefull heart, and the Lord shewed by some visible testimonie, that he did gratiously accept both Abels person, and offering.

And Cain was exceed­ing wroth, and his counte­nance fell.He was exceedingly moved with anger, and envie a­gainst God, and his brother: and bewrayed extreame dis­contentment in his countenance, which was now chur­lish and dejected.

7 If thou doe well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou dost not well, sinne lieth at the doore: and unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.If thou doe well, and offer in faith, is there any doubt but thou shalt be accepted, as well as thy brother? but if thou doe amisse, both the conscience of thy sinne, shall [Page 13] be ever ready to afflict and torment thee, and the due revenge of sinne shall continually waite upon thee; and, as for thy brother, there is no cause of heart burning towards him; for both by nature, and his owne will, he is subject unto thee, and thou, as the elder brother, mayest command him.9 Am I my brothers keeper?

Am I to waite upon my younger brother, or should not he rather attend upon me? Why shoul­dest thou aske an accompt of him from me?

Againe, God said:10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brothers blood crieth unto me from the ground. What villany is this that thou hast done? behold how silent soever thou be in the confession of thy sinne, the blood of thy bro­ther (which thou hast shed) cries loude in mine eares, out of the Earth, for vengeance against thee.

Now therefore cursed be thou both in thy paines which thou bestowest upon the ground,11 And now art thou cursed from the Earth which, &c. and in thy flight from this earth which hath, &c.

And wheresoever thou shalt bestow thy paines in tilling the ground,12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not hence-forth yeeld unto thee her strength: A fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the Earth. it shall not henceforth yeeld thee her wonted increase; neither shalt thou be able to settle thy selfe any where; for thine unquiet conscience shall not suffer thee to rest, but shall drive thee from place to place, so as thou shalt be a miserable vagabond, and runagate in the earth.

Then Cain said unto the Lord,13 And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater then I can beare. Alas how shall I abide this curse? The punishment which thou inflictest upon me is intolerable.

For behold, thou castest me out of this earth,14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the Earth, and from thy face shall I be hid, and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth: and it shall come to passe, that every one that findeth me, shall slay me. and out of thy protection and grace, wherein a­lone is all safety, and I, driven with the horrors of mine owne conscience, shall be a vagrant, and run­agate, upon earth, I know not whither; and whoso­ever findeth me (though of mine owne loynes) shall kill me, as I have done my brother.

Then the Lord said unto him, Feare not,15 And the Lord said unto him; Therefore whosoever slaieth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sever fold. And the Lord set a marke upon Cain, lest any find­ing him, should kill him. this dan­ger of thy death, I would have it the chiefe part of thy punishment to live long & miserable, for feare­full example unto others: whosoever therefore shal kill Cain (though so bloody a murtherer) he shall be punished by many degrees more severely then Cain himselfe, for the blood of his brother. And God set a visible and conspicuous marke upon the body of Cain, that whosoever met him, might hereby be warned not to lay hands upon him, not­withstanding his just desert of death.

16 Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, & dwelt in the land of Nod, on the East of Eden.Then Cain was shut out from the protection of God, and that place where were visible signes of Gods presence, and meanes of his worship: and dwelt after his uncertaine and wandering manner, in that Land which was afterwards from his aber­ration, called the land of Nod, toward the East side of Eden.

23 And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah & Zillhah, Heare my voice, ye wives of Lamech, harken unto my speech: For I have slaine a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.And Lamech said to his wives, Adah and Zill­hah: what tell you me of any dangers and feares? heare my voice O yee faint-hearted wives of La­mech, and hearken to my speech; I passe not of the strength of any adversary: For I know my owne valour, and power to revenge, if any man give me but a wound, or a stroke, though he be never so young, and lustie, I can, and will kill him dead.

24 If Cain shall be avenged seven-fold, truly Lamech seventie and seven fold.And if the murtherer of Cain shall finde it a­venged upon him sevenfold, how then shall the violence offered to Lamech escape the revenge of seventy times seven fold?

26 Then began men to call up­on the name of the Lord.Then, after all the dissolutenesse and prophane­nes of Caines posteritie, men beganne to gather themselves into Congregations for publike service of God, and to make open, and solemne professi­on of Religion.

CAP. V.

1 This is the Booke of the ge­neration of Adam: in the day that God created man, in the likenesse of God made he him.THis is the Roll or Catalogue of the genera­tions of Adam, In that sixt day wherin God created man, he made him after his owne Image, in holinesse and righteousnesse.

3 And Adam lived an hundred and thirtie yeares and begat a son in his owne likenesse, after his Image; and called his name Seth.And Adam lived an hundred and thirtie yeares when in the ordinary course of generation, he be­got a sonne in the same state of corruption, and mortalitie, wherein himselfe was after his fall, and he called his name Seth.

24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God tooke him.And Henoch acknowledged the Lord in all his wayes, and studied in all his life to approve him­selfe to God, having his affections and conversati­on above: therefore he had no more being upon Earth: For God tooke him from amongst men; and after no ordinary manner translated both his body and soule into his glory.

29 And he called his name Noah; saying, This same shall comfort us, concerning our worke' and toile of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed.And called his name Noah: because of the con­solation which should arise from that rest which [Page 15] the world should enjoy through him; saying, whe­ther by revelation, from God, or upon the confi­dence of his good hope, this same shall by the bles­sing, wherwith his Justice shall be rewarded, com­fort us concerning that toyle & sorrow, which our sinnes have procured; and this earth which the Lord hath cursed for our iniquities, shall through his holinesse, and integritie, in some measure, reco­ver her strength, and yeeld due increase.

CAP. VI.

SO when the world beganne to be much peopled both of men and women:1 And it came to passe, when men beganne to multiply on the face of the Earth, and daughters were borne unto them:

Then even the professors of Religion the seed of the righteous Seth and Henoch,2 That the sonnes of God saw the daughters of men, that they were faire, and they tooke them wives, of all which they chose. saw the daugh­ters of the prophane and godlesse generation of Cain, and Lamech; that they were faire, and being overtaken with their beauty, yeelded so much to their lust, that without all respect had to religion, and godlines, they matched themselves carelesly in mariage with them.3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not alwaies strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his daies shall be an hundred and twenty yeares.

Therefore the Lord decreed thus with himselfe. I have used meanes enow to have reclaimed the world from their wickednesse: I have taught, ad­monished, threatned them, all this prevailes not, I will no more strive with the perversnesse of Man, in this kinde: For, when I have all done, they are still but carnall; I will therefore set him a stint of yeares, before his common destruction, unlesse therefore within an hundred & twentie yeares he repent him of his sins: I wil then surely destroy him.

In those dayes were men monstrous both in stature and conditions,4 There were Giants in the Earth in those dayes: and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them: the same became mighty men, which were of old, men of renowne. and not the parents onely but their children; for after that the seed of the righteous had thus lawlesly joyned thēselves with the daughters of the wicked: and they had borne them children, even these also were men of the same hugenesse and disposition, which were in those past ages much spoken of for their strength and tyranny.

Then God (like as a man that repenteth him of his worke,6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth and it grieved him at his heart. purposeth to undoe that which he hath wrought) by the effect seemed to our weakenesse, as if he repented him of mans Creation, in that he [Page 16] now determined to destroy him, whom hee had made, & now was both grievously displeased with their sinnes, and yet loath to revenge.

11 The Earth also was cor­rupt before God, &c.Then not onely the men, but the very Earth it­selfe was defiled with their abominations in the presence of God.

14 Make thee an Arke of Go­pher wood: Roomes shalt thou make in the Arke, and shalt pitch it within & without with pitch.Make thee by the helpe of workemen, an Arke of the tallest Pine or Cedar trees, framed and pla­ned for that purpose, thou shalt make many seve­rall partitions in the Arke, and shalt cause it to bee pitched within and without.

15 And this is the fashion, which thou shalt make it of: the length of the Arke shall bee 300 Cubits, the breadth of it 50 Cubits, and the height of it 30 Cubits.And this shall be the proportion wherein thou shalt make it; the length thereof shall be three hundred of the largest Cubits, such as the tall sta­ture of men in thine age affordeth; and the breadth fifty of the same Cubits, so as the length may bee Sixe times the breadth, and Ten times the height.

16 A Window shalt thou make to the Arke, and in a Cu­bite shalt thou finish it above: and the doore of the Arke shalt thou set in the side thereof: with lower, second, and third Stories shalt thou make it.Thou shalt make a cleare light of windowes in the Arke, and in the space of a Cubit above them, shall be the rising of the Roofe thereof; the doore of the Arke shalt thou make in the one side thereof, not in either of the ends, and thou shalt frame it in three lofts, or floores one above ano­ther.

CAP. VII.

1 And the Lord said unto No­ah, Come thou and all thy house into the Arke, for thee have I seene righteous before me in this generation.NOw when an hundred and twenty yeares after that first warning given to Noah, were expired; the Lord said to Noah: En­ter thou and all thine house into the Arke, for thee onely haue I found, in this corrupt and depraved age, free from the common infection of wickednes, and sincere-hearted towards me.

2 Of every cleane beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts which are not cleane by two the male and his female.Of every cleane beast (whereof there shall bee great use for meate and sacrifice) shalt thou take unto thee seaven; of each kinde; the one halfe whereof shall bee male, the other, which is the greater halfe, female: all which shall by payres come unto thee (as I formerly promised) being sent by instinct from mee for their preservation; but of vncleane beasts (whereof there is lesse use) thou shalt take but onely a couple of each; the male and his female.

In the end of the six hundredth yeare of Noahs life in the second moneth of the Spring,11 In the 600. yeare of Noahs life, in the second moneth, the seventeenth day of the moneth, the same day, were all the fountaines of the great Deepe broken up, and the windowes of Heaven were opened. the seventeenth day of the moneth; even in that same day, began the issues of the lower waters (which are gathered within the earth) to gush forth above their bankes, and those which God had bound in the Clouds of Heaven to powre downe vehemently, like as if some full vessels had beene at once cast out of the windowes of the Aire.

And the Lord by whose instinct all these Creatures were brought thither,16 And the Lord shut him in, &c. when all were entered which hee meant to preserve, closed up the doore fast and sure, that he might be safe from the waters.

And the waters violently overwhelmed all the whole Earth (counting from the beginning of those forty dayes wherein the raine fell,24 And the waters pre­vailed upon the Earth an hundred and fifty dayes. unto the end of an hun­dred and fifty dayes) for the full space of five moneths.

CAP. VIII.

THen God who cannot forget his mercy to his, shewed by the effect to Noah,1 And God remem­bred Noah, and every li­ving thing, and all the Cattell that was within the Arke: and God made a winde to passe over the Earth, and the waters as­swaged. that hee re­membred him, and for his sake, all the wild beasts, and tame Cattel, that were with him in the Arke; there­fore God by his immediate power caused an extraordi­nary drying or driving winde, to passe about the earth, thus covered with waters, and the fury of the waters be­gan by little and little to decrease.

And God made way for the Channels of the earth to receive in the waters, which they had sent forth,2 The Fountaines also of the deepe, and the win­dowes of Heaven were stopped, and the Raine from Heaven was restrai­ned. and shut up the lower waters into their former receptacles, and closed up the passages of the Clouds above, and so the fall of the raine was restrained, when it had continued forty dayes and nights.

And after the end of the hundred and fiftieth day from the beginning of the floud,3 And after the end of the hundred & fifty dayes the waters were abated. the waters sensibly abated.

And in the seventh moneth,4 And the Arke re­sted in the seventh mo­neth, on the seventeenth day of the moneth, upon the mountaines of Ararat. and in the seventeenth day of the moneth, the Arke which had hitherto floated uncertainly, and was carried up by the force of the waves, that it could feele no ground, now, in the ebbing of the waters, stayed upon one of the high mountaines of Ararat, the ledge whereof passeth along from Ar­menia Eastward towards India.

And from this resting of the Arke,5 And the waters de­creased continually untill the tenth moneth: and in the tenth moneth, on the first day of the moneth were the toppes of the mountaines seene. in the space of seventy three dayes, which was till the first day of the [Page 18] tenth moneth, the waters so farre abated, that the tops of the mountaines were seene.

And forty dayes after the first of the tenth moneth (which fell upon the eleventh day of the eleventh moneth) Noah opened one of the windows of the Arke,6 And it came to passe at the end of forty dayes, that Noah opened the windowes of the Arke which he had made. which he had made.

And he let forth a Raven (because that foule was of a good sent;7 And he sent forth a Raven, which went forth too and fro untill the wa­ters were dryed up from off the Earth. and used to feed on carcasses, which might be found lying upon the mountaines) thereby to have perfect knowledge of the decrease of the waters; which continued fluttering up and down, too and fro, not farre from the Arke, till the waters were dryed up upon the earth.

8 Also he sent forth a Dove from him to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground.Againe, since hee could have no information hereof, by the Raven, about seven dayes after, hee sent out a Dove from him, a Bird that was both more tame and domesticall; and which was wont to seeke her foode in the plaines, that by this second messenger, hee might see, if the earth were yet lightened of her burthen of waters.

9 For the waters were upon the face of the whole Earth.For the waters were still over all that part of the Earth, where he should have rested, and still covered all the plaines.

13 And Noah remo­ved the covering of the Arke, and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry.And Noah removed some part of the roofe of the Arke, that he might looke round about him, and view­ing it, found that the upper part of the ground, even of the plaines appeared dry, that is, not covered over with waters; though still soft, and moorish, with the conti­nuance of that former moisture, that it was not yet fit for habitation.

14 And in the second moneth on the twenty se­venth day of the moneth was the Earth dry.And in the second Moneth, in the twenty seaventh day of the moneth (which was a yeare and ten dayes af­ter the beginning of the Flood) was the Earth fully dry, and firme, and habitable againe.

20 And Noah builded an Altar unto the Lord, and tooke of every cleane beast, and of every cleane foule, and offered burnt offerings on the Altar.Then Noah, moved thereto by the godly example of his forefathers, and by warrant from God, built an Al­tar to the Lord; and tooke of every cleane beast, and of every cleane foule, one, (for God had appointed him one odde of each of these for this purpose) and, partly for expiation, partly in token of his thankfulnes, offered them, as a burnt offering consumed to ashes unto God, for preservation of them and all their fellow-Crea­tures.

21 And the Lord smel­led a sweet savor, and the Lord said in his heart, I will not againe curse the ground for mans sake: for the imagination of mans heart is evill from his youth: neither will I againe smite any more every thing living, as I have done.And the Lord, who was before offended with Man­kind, now was pacified toward the remainder of them; and pleased gratiously to accept this obedience of Noah; and as hee had eternally decreed, so hee utte­red [Page 19] his counsell to Noah, I will not from henceforth send any more such generall curse upon the Earth for mans sake; for I see that if I should judge him according to his deserts, I should every day bring upon him a new Deluge, for behold, all the thoughts and the whole fashi­on of mans heart is altogether evill, even from his Infan­cy; my mercy therefore shall exalt it selfe above his sinnes, neither will I any more smite all living things, as I have now done, with an universall destruction.

Hereafter the course and use of the seasons of the yeare, the Harvest, the Spring, Winter, and Summer;22 While the earth re­maineth, seed-time and harvest, and cold add heat, and Summer, and Winter, and day, and night shall not cease. and their tempers of heate, and cold, and the differen­ces of the night, and day, (which now in the thicke and gloomy darknesse, could not well be observed) shall no more generally cease, over all the whole Earth, at once, so long as the Earth remaineth is this state.

CAP. IX.

THe outward priviledges of your first Creation,2 And the feare of you, and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, & upon every fowle of the aire, and upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. I doe now (though imperfectly) renew to you, let the feare and dread of you be planted naturally in every beast of the Earth, whether tame or wilde, & in every foule of the Aire, and generally in all that treadeth upon the Earth; and in all the fishes of the sea; all these, my will is, shall be subject to your pleasure and com­mand; that as by you, and for you, they were preserved, so they accordingly serve to your use.

Yea, in respect of your diet,3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you: even as the greene hearbe have I given you all things. I do now whether give or renew unto you, more ample priviledges, for now, sith that the strength of all herbs, & plants are decreased with the deluge, I allow you every thing that moveth, & liveth to be meat for you; of all which you will wisely make choyce for your selves, of those Creatures which are wholsome, and fit, even as freely doe I now allow you to eate thereof, as I formerly did allow the greene herbe for them and you; so doe I now allow them unto you.

But so doe I give you the libertie to eate of the flesh of all other Creatures,4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall you not eate. as that you abstaine from eating the blood of thē; whether with the flesh, or severed from it; whether they be alive, or dead, for in the blood is the seat of life, which cannot without cruelty be devoured.

Further,5 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, at the hand of every mans bro­ther, will I require the life of man. know yee that I have great respect as to the eating, so to the spilling of blood, wherein the vitall spi­rits are seated, but especially of man, which is my prin­cipall [Page 20] Creature; and so doe detest cruelty in shedding his blood, that if a very brute beast shall be guilty of this fact, I will have his blood shed againe for it; much more will I have this satisfaction from a neighbour, or bro­ther, for the life of a man.

6 Who so sheddeth mans blood, by man shall his blood, be shed: for in the Image of God made he man.Whosoever sheddeth mans blood, unlesse by lawfull authoritie from God, his blood shall be shed againe; for in his owne Image hath God made man: some remnants whereof there are still in our depravednesse: therefore followes it, that both a man may not shed his brothers blood, and that the magistrates in Gods name may and must revenge it.

13 I doe set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant, betweene me & the earth.I will and ordaine, that the Raine-bow which you have seene appeare in the watery Cloud, shall be, from hence­forth, set apart for the signe of a covenant, made on my part betwixt me and the Earth, of never drowning it againe, which may the more fitly represent thus much unto you, for that it naturally is wont to foresignifie the ceasing of the Raine, by the appearance thereof.

15 And I will remēber my covenant which is be­tweene me and you, and e­very living creature of all flesh: and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.You shall then know, by this signe, that I remember my purpose of never drowning the world, &c.

And Noah began againe, according to his former trade,20 And Noah beganne to be an husbandman, and he planted a Vineyard. to exercise himselfe, in tilling the earth, & of those vines, which were found here, and there, sprouting out of the earth, he with much industry, planted a whole Vineyard; and by this meanes devised the use of wine.

21 And he dranke of the wine, and was drun­ken, and he was uncovered within his tent.And he dranke of that his wine, and (whether through Ignorance, or weakenesse) was drunke therewith; inso­much that forgetting himselfe, and all shame, and come­linesse, he lay immodestly uncovered, and that openly in the floore of his Tent.

22 And Ham the father of Canaan saw the naked­nes of his father, and told his two brethren without.And when Cham the youngest sonne of Noah, had unnaturally sported himselfe in gazing upon his fathers nakednesse, he told his two brethren, without, that they might also take part with him in this wicked derision of their father.

24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his youngest sonne had done unto him.Then Noah awoke from his wine, and by inquiry up­on occasion of his sonnes garment, which he found upon him, knew what his youngest sonne had done unto him.

25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan: a servant of servants he shall be unto his brethren.And in the spirit of Prophesie said; The sinne of Cham is so great, that the punishment of it shall not rest in him alone, but shall be derived to his posterity: Even Cana­an his sonne, amongst the rest, shall be accursed, he shall be in most slavish servitude even to his owne brethren.

27 God shall inlarge (or perswade) Iaphet, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem, and Canaan shall be his servant.God shall perswade the posterity of Iaphet, by the voice of his word, to come home into the bosome of the true Church, and Canaans Issue shall be servants un­to theirs.

CAP. X.

ANd Cush begat Nimrod,8 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. who began to usurpe much rule, & by oppression to inlarge the bounds of his dominions.

He was a cruell tyrant, both in his usurpation,9 Hee was a mighty hunter before the Lord: Wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mightie hunter before the Lord. and in the manner of his government, without all awe of God, or care of men, wherefore it is ever since growne into a proverb; As great a tyrant as Nimrod.

CAP. XI.

THen all the men upon the whole earth,1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. had but one Common language, and one fashion of speech.

And as they spread themselves from that Esterne mountainous Country, where the Arke first staied:2 And it came to passe as they journied from the East, that they found a plaine in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. they found a large, and fruitfull plaine (since called Shinar) now Mesopotamia, and there they setled their abode.

And some yeares after they had there well seated themselves, they said one to another, Come,3 And they said one to another; Goe to, let us make brick, & burne them thorowly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. let us make bricke, and burne it in the fire; so they had bricke for stone, the fittest matter that this fat plaine would afford, for building; and a cleaving-pitchy slime (which that soile yeeldeth) in stead of morter.

Then Nimrod, as their ring-leader, and the rest of his followers,4 And they said, Goe to, let us build us a City & a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven, and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. said thus in consultation among them­selves, Goe to, let us build us a large City, and a tower therein, of an exceeding height; partly that we may make our selves famous, and partly that we may unite our power and societie, and prevent the danger of being dispersed one from another.

But the Lord, who is every where,5 And the Lord came downe to see the City, and the tower, which the chil­dren of men builded. and seeth all things (to speake of him after the manner of men) as if he should come downe, and looke upon the City & tower, which these vaine men, in the pride of their hearts had begunne to build, so tooke notice of what they did and meant to doe:

And the Lord decreed thus with himselfe, Behold,6 And the Lord said; Behold, the people is one, and they have all one lan­guage, and this they begin to doe: and now nothing will bee restrained from them, which they have imagined to doe. the people is one in heart, joyning together in one com­mon resolution of this worke; and they all have one lan­guage, that they may the better performe it, and this they have through our permission, begun, and proceeded to doe, and now, nothing appeares which may stop them [Page 22] in all that vaine project they have imagined to thēselves.

7 Goe to, let us goe downe, & there confound their language, that they may not understand one anothers speech.Come, let us (as if we should goe downe amongst them) so from Heaven cause their languages to bee con­founded, &c.

CAP. XII.

2 And I will make of thee a great Nation, and I will blesse thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing.THou shall lose nothing by the change, for in stead of a small kindred which thou shalt leave, I will cause thee to be the father of a great, and populous nation: And I will prosper thee both outwardly, and spiritually, and make thy name famous and reverend; And thou shalt be ever mentioned in the forme of all blessings.

3 And in thee shall all families of the earth bee blessed.And in, and by that holy seed, the Messias, which shall come of thy loines, all the people of the earth shall be blessed.

11 And it came to passe, when he was come neere to enter into Aegypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a faire woman to looke upon:And when he drew neare to enter into Aegypt; in his infirmitie, consulting with flesh and blood, he said to Sarai his wife, Behold now, while I looke upon the Sou­thern women, and compare them with thee, thy colour and complection is much more beautifull then theirs:

Therefore it will (I feare) come to passe, that the Aegyptians making no conscience of their wayes,12 Therefore it shall come to passe, when the Aegyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. but be­ing altogether led by their lust, when they see thee, they will say, Shee is his wife, there is no hope of enjoying her while he is alive: so they will kill me, that they may with more libertie enjoy thee, and live with thee.

CAP. XIII.

10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plaine of Iordane, that it was well watered, every where, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Go­morrah, even as the Garden of the Lord, like the land of Aegypt, as thou com­mest unto Zoar.SO when Lot had taken a view of all that Countrey, he saw that part of the plaine of Iordane to be well watred every where; and therefore very rich and commodious for pasture; for before the Lord destroyed Sodom, & Gomorrah; with those other three bordering Cities, it was a goodly and fruitfull land; like unto the Garden of Eden, for pleasure; or like unto the land of Aegypt watred with the streames of Nilus: especially that part that is toward Zoar, as it is now called, thē Bela.

11 Then Lot chose him all the plaines of Iordane: &c.Then Lot being led onely by his eye, not at all inqui­ring into the qualitie of the people, chose to himselfe (although the younger) all that part of the plaine of Iordane.

Seeing thou hast so willingly yeelded to thy Nephew,14 And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, Northward, and Southward, and Eastward, and Westward. thou shalt sustaine no losse by it, Lift up thine eyes now, and looke round about thee, from this high place where thou art, Northward, and Southward, &c.

For all the land which thou seest, and all that pertaines unto it, will I give to thee in right, and to thy seed after thee, in possession, for many ages.15 For all the land, which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seede for ever.

And I will increase thy seed, both carnall and spiritu­all, unto a very exceeding great number,16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbred. so as they shall not be counted for multitude.

CAP. XIIII.

TIdal King of a mixed people,1 Tidal King of Nations. which dwelt neare un­to them.

When Abram heard that his Nephew Lot was taken captive,14 And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, borne in his owne house, three hundreh and eighteene, and pursued them unto Dan. he brought forth into the field and armed three hundred & eighteene persons of them that were borne & brought up in his house, besides them that he had bought, and procured to his service, yea, besides the companies of his confederates, and pursued them to the farthest point of that land, which God should give to his posterity, even to Dan.

And Melchizedek, King of Salem,18 And Melchizedek, King of Salem, brought foorth bread and wine, &c. brought forth store of provision for the entertainment of Abram, and his company; which as he did royally like a King,

So as he was a Priest of the most high God,19 And he blessed him, and said; Blessed be Abram of the most high God, pos­sessour of heaven and earth. by vertue thereof he blessed him, saying, Blessed be thou Abram, &c.

And Abram acknowledging his office,20 And hee gave him Tithes of all. voluntarily of­fered to him the Tithe of all the goods that were taken.

I have solemnly sworne by the Lord the most high God, &c. And in token thereof lift up my hand unto him,22 I have lift up my hand unto the Lord, &c. ere I went to this fight.

Wishing all evill to my selfe,23 That I will not take from a thrid even to a shoo-latchet, &c. if I shall take from thee so much as a thrid, &c.

CAP. XV.

ANd Abram which hitherto had onely heard Gods promises to him, now said; Alas Lord,2 And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I goe childlesse, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus. all the bles­sings [Page 24] that thou shalt personally give me, cannot much a­vaile me, seeing I goe childlesse, and the man, whom I shall leave heire of my house, is but a stranger in blood, and Countrey, this Eliezer of Damascus.

5 And he brought him forth abroade, and said, Looke now towards Hea­ven, and tell the starres, if thou be able to number them. And he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.Moreover, he brought him forth of his house in the Evening, after he had spent the day within, in the exer­cise of his faith, and said: Looke up, now, to Heaven, and count the starres thou seest there, if thou canst possi­bly number them; so far shalt thou be from barrennesse, that thy seed, both spirituall and carnall, shall be as infi­nite in number, as they.

6 And he beleeved in the Lord: and he counted it to him for righteousnesse.And Abram beleeved in God, and stedfastly relied on these gratious promises, which were made unto him; And therefore upon his faith God accounted him truly just, and righteous in his sight.

8 And he said, Lord God, wherby shall I know that I shall inherit it?And Abram said, O Lord God, I doe beleeve that my seed shall (as thou saiest) inherit this land; but yet I de­sire thee to give me some further confirmation and assu­rance of my faith in this point.

12 And when the Sunne was going downe, a deepe sleepe fell upon Abram: and loe, an horrour of great darknesse fell upon him.And when the Sunne was set, there fell, by the ap­pointment of God, a dead sleepe upon Abram, and his minde was troubled in his dreame, with much feare and unquietnesse.

13 And he said unto A­bram, Know of a surety, that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them, and they shall afflict them foure hundred yeares.Then the Lord said to him, (for the declaring of these doubtfull visions of his sleepe) know for certaine, that thy seed shall be a stranger in Aegypt, and Canaan (which as yet also is not thine) for the space of foure hundred yeares; in a great part whereof they shall serve, and be evill-entreated.

And in the fourth succession of men they shall come forth to this place againe (which then shall be theirs) for the wickednesse of the Amorites (who must be driven out hence,16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither againe: for the ini­quity of the Amorites is not yet full. to give roome to thy posterity) is not yet come to their full ripenesse for my intended judgments.

17 And it came to passe, that when the Sunne went downe, and it was darke, behold, a smoking fornace, and a burning lampe that passed betweene those pieces.Also yet somewhat longer after the going down of the Sunne, there was represented unto him a great dark­nesse, and behold, A smoaking fornace, in which God would foreshew to Abram the affliction, and servility, of his posterity, and withall there was a cleare lampe betokening his deliverance, both which passed betweene the pieces formerly divided.

CAP. XVI.

THen Sarai Abrams wife (being past all hope of Issue,3 And Sarai, Abrams wife, tooke Hagar her maide the Aegyptian, after Abram had dwelt tenne yeares in the land of Cana­an, and gave her to her hus­band Abram to be his wife. seeing she was now seventy five yeers old) tooke Ha­gar her maid, the Egyptian, after she had waited ten years for the performance of Gods promise, concerning A­brams seede (so long had Abram now dwelt in Canaan) and by consent of all sides (out of her weaknesse and distrust) gave her to her husband to be his wife, in regard of all the rights of the mariage bed, though not of house­hold government.

And he shall be a wild and savage man,12 And hee will bee a wild man: his hand will be against every man, and every mans hand against him: and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. of a fierce and untameable disposition; hee shall be ready in the height of his courage, to fight with every man, and every man shall be as ready to wage warre with him; all which notwithstanding, his successe shall be such, that he shall live, and rule farre and wide in all the Coasts of his bre­thren.

For she said; have I not here also,13 For she said, I have also here looked after him that seeth me. even in the waste de­sert, and not only in the house of Abram, seen that good God of mine, which hath first gratiously looked upon me, and mine affliction?

CAP. XVII.

ANd when Abram was ninty and nine yeares old,1 And when Abram was ninetie yeares old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him; I am the Almighty GOD, walke before me, and bee thou perfect. and had now waited thirteene yeares after the birth of Ismael, the Lord by some visible representation of his presence appeared unto Abram, and said to him, I am God Omnipotent, and therefore able to fulfill all my pro­mises which may seeme delayed; onely carry thou thy selfe holily and awfully (as ever in my sight) and let thy heart be still sincere and upright towards me.

And I will renew,2 And I will make my Covenant betweene me & thee. and by a sensible signe confirme and ratifie my covenant betweene me and thee.

But the manchild which at due age shall through his owne default be uncircumcised,14 And the uncircum­cised man-child, whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised: that soule shall be cut off from his people: he hath broken my Covenant. contemning mine or­dinance, even that person shall be cut off from the fellow­ship of my people, both on earth and in heaven; because he hath (in neglect of the signe) broken and despised my Covenant.

Then Abram fell upon his face, and partly for joy, partly for admiration and astonishment,17 Then Abram fell upō his face, & laughed, & said in his heart, Shall a Childe be borne unto him that is an hundred yeares old? and shall Sarah, that is ninty yeares old, beare? laughed in himselfe, and thought thus in his heart; Shall a Child be [Page 26] borne to meat an hundred yeares of age; and (which is more wonderfull) shall this sonne be borne of Sarah my wife, after her ninety yeares barrennes? seeing our youth could raise no seed, shall our old age be blessed with posterity?

18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee.And Abraham said to God; I beleeve, O Lord, as thou saiest, that my old age shall be blessed with further Issue, for which also thou wilt (in all likelihood) reserve thy speciall & highest favour; but let not the sonne thou hast given me already, even Ishmael, he cast out, and neg­lected by thee; let it please thee to continue him to me also with much prosperity.

CAP. XVIII.

2 And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and loe, three men stood by him, &c.ANd as he looked about, behold, three Angels in the appearance of men (though not yet so knowne of him,) stood within view of him.

And he noting one of them to carry some extraordi­nary Majesty above the rest,3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found fa­vour in thy sight, passe not away, I pray thee, from thy servant. as being indeed the Sonne of God, spake especially to him, not excluding the rest; Lord, if I have now found favour in thy sight, goe not, I pray thee, hastily away from me thy servant; but be con­tent that I may give thee some intertainment.

10 And he said, I will certainely returne unto thee according to the time of life; and loe, Sarah thy wife shall have a sonne, &c.And he said, I will most certainely returne againe to thee at that time, when the conception, by course of na­ture, may have life and being, and Lo, then Sarah thy wife shall beare thee a sonne.

11 And it ceased to bee with Sarah after the maner of women.That disposition of body which naturally (in their moneths) is necessary for child-bearing women, was through drinesse of age long agoe ceased in Sarah.

12 Therefore Sarah laughed within her selfe, saying, After I am waxen old, shall I have plea­sure, my Lord being old also?Therefore Sarah distrustfully laughed in the secret of her heart, and said in her selfe? After I am waxen old (above the course of nature in those that are capable of conceiving) and my husband Abraham also; shall I have the pleasure of the marriage bed, which in my younger dayes I could not finde?

18 Seeing that Abra­ham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, & all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him.Seeing that I have purposed to honour Abraham so, as that of his loynes a great and mighty Nation shall rise; and in that seed which shall come of him, namely the Saviour of mankinde, all the nations in the earth shall be blessed, and all solemne benedictions shall still be under the name of Abraham.

12 I will goe downe now, and see whether they have done altogether ac­cording to the crie of it which is come unto me: and if not, I will know.I will now take some publike course, wherby the world may see, and know, that I take notice of their sinnes: I [Page 27] will therefore call their sinnes to examination, and judge them according to the shamelesnesse of their wicked­nesse, and if their iniquitie hath beene lesse hainous then it hath appeared, I will inflict some lesse grievous pu­nishment upon them.

And the two destroying Angels turned from Abra­ham, and went towards Sodom,22 And the men turned their faces from thence and went towards Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before the Lord. but Abraham stood still before the third, whom now he knew to be the sonne of God, suing to him for mercy.

If there be fifty sincere, upright,24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the City, wilt thou also de­stroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? and innocent men in all the five Cities (whereof Sodom is the chiefe) wilt thou destroy them notwithstanding?

If there shall lacke five of fifty righteous in all the five Cities, wilt thou for the want of five destroy them?28 Peradvenrure there shall lacke five of the fifty righteous; wilt thou de­stroy all the City for lacke of five?

CAP. XIX.

WHo crying unto Lot, said,5 And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them. where are the men which came unto thee this night, whose goodly forme and beauty we noted; bring them forth to us, that we may use them to our lust.

For seeing they are come to my house as my guests;8 Onely unto these men doe nothing: for therefore came they under the sha­dow of my roofe. by the law of common equity and hospitality, they may well looke to be safe guarded by me.

Then they smote all the Sodomites,11 And they smote the men that were at the doore of the house, with blind­nesse, both small and great: so that they wearied them­selves to finde the doore. that were at the doore, both small and great, with such dizzinesse of braine, and dimnesse of sight; that they went up and downe, groping for Lots doore, till they were weary, and could not finde it.

Then Lot went out, and spake unto his sonnes in law,14 And Lot went out, and spake unto his sonnes in law, which maried his daughters, &c. which were contracted to his daughters.

And when they had brought them (as it were) by strong hand out of the City; the Angell said,17 And it came to passe when they had brough thē forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life, looke not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plaine: escape to the mountaine, lest thou be consumed. now escape for thy life; doe not, (whether for distrust, or curiosity, or pity) once looke towards Sodome, and thinke it not enough that thou hast voyded the City, unlesse thou make speede also out of the whole plaine, which hath been defiled by these abominations; haste thee therefore up to the next hill, lest thou be destroyed.

See now this towne which is hard by,20 Behold now, this City is neare to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh let me escape thither (is it not a little one?) and my soule shall live. and therefore easie for me to flee unto; and is withall a little one, and therefore not much for thee to grant, and by all likeli­hood [Page 28] not so notoriously evill as these other, that are more frequent and populous: O let me goe thither for shelter, behold, it is no great thing that I aske of thee, and yet such as may be to my safety and preservation.

22 Haste thee, escape thither: for I cannot doe any thing till thou be come thither: therefore the name of the citie was called Zoar.Haste thee then, and be thou there preserved; for such is my merciful respect to thee, that it holds my hands so, that I cannot take revenge on these wicked Cities, till thou be in safety: Therefore upon this occasion of Lots argument from the smalnesse of the City, it was ever af­ter called Zoar.

24 Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah, brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven.Then God the Sonne rained downe upon Sodom and Gomorrah, and the other two Cities of the plaine, fire and brimstone, from God the Father out of Heaven.

Now his wife, that stood lingring behind him, whe­ther through love or pity of the place,26 But his wife looked backe from behind him, & she became a pillar of salt. or expectation of her sonnes in law, or distrust, or curious desire to see the manner of the judgement, looked back towards Sodom, & therfore was enwrapped in the judgement, & through the extreame rage of that fire and brimstone, where­with she was overwhelmed, was miraculously made a pillar of a white or saltish kinde of stone.

30 And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountaine, & his two daughters with him: for he feared to dwell in Zoar, & he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.But he feared to tarry in Zoar, through the weaknesse of his faith, notwithstanding Gods promise to him, whe­ther for that it was so neare to Sodom; or whether for the manners of the place, but chose rather to dwell soli­tary in a Cave, in the mountaine, both he and his two daughters.

31 And the first borne said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth, to come in unto us, after the manner of all the earth.And the elder said to the younger, Our father is now old, and cannot long be in any possibilitie of Issue, and in all these parts there is not left a man which might con­verse with us, for generation.

Come, we know well that our father will never by sober perswasions be drawne to this Act; let us make him drunke with wine,32 Come, let us make our father drinke wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. and so lie with him; not so much for any lust, as for the preservation of some seed of our father.

And he being oppressed with wine, was drawne una­wares unto this filthinesse,33 And they made their father drinke wine that night, and the first borne went in, and lay with her father: & he perceived not when she lay downe nor when she arose. not considering what he did; and not perceiving either when he lay downe or rose up.

CAP. XX.

ANd Abraham, through his weakenes,2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: And Abimelech King of Gerar sent, and tooke Sarah. seeing how his excuse had sped in Aegypt; renewed it now againe, and concealing part of the truth, said, she is my sister; Then Abimelech, a King in that Countrey of Canaan, upon the report given of her, sent, and tooke her into his house.

And he said, Lord wilt thou punish not me onely,4 Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation. but my whole nation and people, in me, which are utterly innocent in this businesse.

Now then deliver the man his wife againe,7 Now therefore re­store the man his wife: for he is a Prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live, &c. for he is a man deare unto me, and one whom I have in an especi­all manner graced with my presence, and promises; and therefore, whose prayers shall be much availeable for thy safety and life.

What motive didst thou raise unto thy selfe from any lightnesse in me, or injury done to thy selfe by me,10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What saw­est thou, that thou hast done this thing. that thou shouldest doe this thing?

Yet in very deed I have not meerely lied, in saying,12 And yet indeed she is my sister: she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. she is my sister; but onely dissembled, and concealed some part of the truth; for she is very neere of blood to me, my neece, as being the daughter of that brother of mine, whom my father had by a second wife.

Likewise, to Sarah, he said, Behold, I have given to him whom thou calledst thy brother,16 And unto Sarah hee said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pie­ces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved. a thousand pieces of silver; behold he is thy protection, from all injuries, wheresoever thou cōmest; thine eyes & desires shall con­tent themselves with him alone; & he shall stand betwixt all others eyes, and thee, as thy lawfull husband; that they may not thus inordinately desire thee: and by this speech and event she was thus secretly reproved.

For the Lord had punished all the women in Abime­lechs house with a sudden barrennesse;18 For the Lord had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of A­bimelech, because of Sarah Abrahams wife. so that they could not conceive; because of Sarah Abrahams wife.

CAP. XXI.

WHo could ever have thought or beleeved,7 And she said, Who would have said unto A­braham, that Sarah should have given children suck? much lesse would have told Abraham, that Sarah, after this age, should both beare him a sonne, and have this strength and vigor of body continued to her, to give sucke also, &c?

14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, & tooke bread, & a bottle of water, & gave it unto Ha­gar, (putting it on her shoulder) and the child, and sent her away, &c.He tooke bread, and a bottle of water, so much as he thought would suffice till they came to the place he in­joyned them; and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and committed the boy to her hand, and sent her away, &c.

And now God caused her to see a well of water which was there before her,19 And God opened her eyes, & she saw a well of water, & she went and filled the bottle with wa­ter, & gave the lad drinke. but, through her griefe, or the closenesse of the place, was not before seene of her.

And he answered; My desire is that thou shouldest receive from my hands these seven lambes, as a pledge or confirmation of this covenant of peace, made be­tweene us;30 And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witnesse un­to me, that I have digged this Well. and an ernest of the recovery, and free grant of this Well, which I have digged; in the receipt whereof thou shall disclaimed all right and title unto it for ever.

CAP. XXII.

12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither doe any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy sonne, thine onely sonne from me.THen he said, Doe not (as thou art about) sacrifice this thy Sonne unto me, neither doe any bodily hurt to him; for now thou hast sufficiently approved by thine act and forwardnesse, that thou hast an heart truly religi­ous towards God, seeing, at my Commandement, thou hast not forborne to have slaine thine onely Sonne, in whom the promise of blessing was made unto thee.

14 And Abraham called the name of that place, Ie­hovah-jireh, as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seene.And Abraham named the place (God will provide) whereupon the Jewes have a proverbe still continued a­mongst them; God will make provision in the Mount, when all meanes faile.

17 And thy seed shall possesse the gate of his ene­mies.Thy posterity shall be victorious over their enemies.

Of thy seed shall come that Saviour, in whom all be­leevers through the world shall be blessed,18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;

CAP. XXIII.

2 And Abraham came to mourne for Sarah and to weepe for her.ANd Abraham entred into the Tent of Sarah, that he might solemnely mourne for her, in the sight of the Corps.

6 Thou art a mighty Prince amongst us, &c.Thou art a great Prince, and one whom God hath much honoured amongst us.

15 The land is worth foure hundred shekels of silver: what is that be­tweene thee and me?The Land is worth some hundred and eleven ounces of silver; about fourescore crownes betweene friends; how small a summe is that to stand upon?

CAP. XXIIII.

ACcording to the common rite used in the oathes of inferiors to their superiors.2 Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh.

To Charran in Syria.10 To Mesapotamia, un­to the City of Nahor.

To rest under their burthens.11 To kneele downe.

Which is the [...]ight of neare three ounces.22 Ten shekels weight of gold.

CAP. XXV.

WHy have I conceived,22 If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the Lord, &c. if I must feele such paine­full unquietnesse within me? And she sought to God in her prayers, to know the reason and issue of this inward strife.

The Twinnes which are strugling within thee,23 Two nations are in wombe, &c. shall be the fathers of two opposite nations, the Israelites, and Edomites.

Make over to me all the priviledges of thy birthright:31 Sell me this day thy birthright. the consecration, the honor, the double portion that be­longeth thereunto.

CAP. XXVII.

THe smell of the garments of my Son,27 See the smell of my sonne is as the smell of a field, which the Lord hath blessed. is as the sweet perfume which is sent up from a field richly furnished with all manner of pleasant and fragrant flowers, and herbs.

And Isaac was exceedingly astonished in himselfe at the thought of the conveiance of the blessing upon a per­son that he intended not.33 And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, &c.

The course of thy life shall be troublesome, & unquiet,40 By thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother. And thou shalt uphold thy state by warres: and though thy person shall be free, yet in thy posterity thou shalt be subject to the issue of thy brother Iacob.

If Esau should in his fury kill thee;45 Why should I bee deprived of you both in one day? the Law will justly kill him, and so we lose both at once.

These heathenish wives of Esau, are a perpetuall and intolerable vexation to my soule,46 I am weary of my life, because of the daugh­ters of Heth. by reason of their I­dolatry, and vitiousnesse.

CAP. XXVIII.

16 Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not.SUrely the Lord hath in a divine dreame, or vision, re­presented himselfe to me inexpectedly in this place.

17 How dreadfull is this place? this is none o­ther, then the house of God, and this is the gate of Heaven.How full of awe and reverend respect is this place, which God hath thus sanctified by his presence, having so familiarly manifested himselfe to me here, as men doe in their dwelling houses to their friends; this is no other then a representation of Gods spirituall house, his Church, by which we enter into the glory of heaven.

22 And this stone which I have set for a pil­lar, shall be Gods house.The place where I set up this stone shalbe dedicated to the worship and service of my God, where I will build an Altar to his name.

CAP. XXIX.

12 Her fathers brother &c.HEr fathers Cousin or Nephew.

17 Leah was tender eyed, &c.Leah had an unbecomming weaknesse in her eyes.

27 Fulfill her weeke, & we will give this also, &c.Doe thou celebrate the consummation of Leahs mar­riage seven dayes, according to the custome, and then when this former marriage is fully ratified, and com­plete, I will give thee her other sister to wife.

31 That Leah was ha­ted, &c.That Leah was lesse regarded or disesteemed in com­parison of Rachel.

CAP. XXX.

1 Give me children or else I die, &c.GRiefe and impatience will kill me, if I have not chil­dren from thy loynes, as well as my Sister Leah.

3 Behold my maide Bilhah, goe in unto her, and she shall beare upon my knees; that I may also have children by her.Behold my maid Bilhah, goe retyre thy selfe into her chamber, and lie with her, and I shall have children by her, which I shall bear upon my knees, and in my bosome, as my owne.

4 And she gave him Bil­hah her handmaid to wife.Then she gave him Bilhah her maid to converse with as a wife.

14 And found Man­drakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah.And found mandrake apples in the field, which he had perceived his mother to esteeme for their medicinable use, and brought them therefore to her.

18 And Leah said, God hath given mee my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband.Then said Leah, God hath repayed me my reward for the good office which I did to my husband, in giving him my hand-maid for his Concubine.

And God heard her prayers,22 And God hearkened to her, and opened her wombe. and gave her power to conceive.

And turned the faces of those sheepe which were in the flocke of Laban, towards the party-coloured,40 And Iacob did se­parate the Lambes, and set the faces of the flockes to­wards the ringstraked, and all the browne in the flocke of Laban. and blacke, which were of his flocke, that the sight thereof might cause those colours in their conception.

CAP. XXXI.

BUt your father hath deceived me,7 And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times, &c. and changed my wages agreed upon, very often, but God hath so or­dered it, that his changes have beene no losse to my e­state.

For, in ramming time,10 And it came to passe at the time that the cattell conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dreame, and behold the rammes which leaped up­on the cattell, were ring­straked, speckled, and gri­sled. God premonished me in a dreame, of this course of inriching my selfe, by the party-coloured goates male and female; and of this meanes to effect that diversity of colour.

Hath he not delt with us as strangers? for he hath sold us to thee for thy service, in stead of a Dowry,15 Are we not counted of him strangers? for hee hath sold us, & hath quite devoured also our money. and since hee hath thus used us, shall we stay still, that he may prey upon us, and consume that substance which wee have.

Then Rachel,19 And Rachel had stoln the Images that were her fathers. whether out of some superstition of her owne, or in some purpose to bereave her father of those meanes of his Idolatry, stole the Images which her father had wont to worship.

Then Iacob stole away secretly without the know­ledge or consent of Laban, his father in Law.20 And Iacob stole a­way unawares to Laban the Syrian.

He tooke his kinsfolke with him, &c.23 And he tooke his brethren with him.

The accustomed infirmitie of women is upon me,35 Let it not displease my Lord, that I cannot rise up before thee, for the custome of women is up­on mee. and makes me unfit for these outward duties of courtesie; I beseech thee hold me excused in the forbearance of this ceremonie of my due respect to thee.

If the God of my father,42 Except the God of my father, the God of A­braham, and the feare of Isaac had beene with mee, surely thou hadst sent mee away now empty. I meane the God of Abra­ham, and the same God whom Isaac my father feareth, and worshippeth, had not beene with me, and prospered me, &c.

And Laban in the Syrian tongue, and Iacob in the He­brew called it, The heape of the witnesse.47 And Laban called it Iegar-Sahadutha, but Ia­cob called it Galeed.

The God which once Abraham worshipt, and the gods of his predecessors, be judge betweene us: but Iacob sware by the true God whom his father Isaac feared.53 The God of Abra­ham, and the God of Na­hor, the God of their father judge betwixt us: but Ia­cob sware by the feare of his father Isaac.

CAP. XXXII.

1 And Iacob went on his wayes: and the Angels of God met him.ANd the Angells of God appeared to him in the way, in the forme of heavenly souldiers.

5 And I have sent to tell thee my Lord, that I may finde grace in thy sight.And I have sent to give thee my Lord Esau notice both of my purpose of passing through thy Countrey, and of my estate.

11 Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I feare him.Deliver me from the revenge of my brother, even my Brother Esau, for I feare lest he will come and put all to the sword, without regard of sexe, or age.

13 And tooke of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his bro­ther.And tooke of the choicest of that substance he had for a present for Esau.

God the Son appeared to him, and wrestled with him in the likenesse of a man, exercising both his bodily and spirituall strength.24 And there wrest­led a man with him un­till the breaking of the day.

And when he had proved the strength of his faith such, as that it could not be daunted, &c. lest Iacob should have beene puffed up with the opinion of his strength,25 And when he saw, that he prevailed not a­gainst him, he touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Iacobs thigh was out of joynt, as he wrestled with him. Christ left him a bodily afflictiō to humble him by, such as might testifie, it was not the hand of a meere man that strove with him.

And he as yet concealing himselfe from Iacob, said (after the manner of men) as if the violence of Iacob had compelled him,26 And he said, Let me goe, for the day breaketh: and he said, I will not let thee go, except thou blesse mee. Let me goe, for the morning appeareth: but Iacob now perceiving some more then humane mat­ter in this his wrestler, answered, Let me be importu­nate with thee, not to depart from me, till thou have blessed me.

27 And hee said unto him? What is thy name, & he said, Iacob.Then asked he (not as being ignorant, but as desirous to take occasion from Iacobs owne report of his name, to pronounce his purpose of the alteration of it) What is thy name?

28 For as a Prince hast thou power with God & with men, and hast prevai­led:Because thy faith and importunity hath prevailed with God, much more shalt thou prevaile with Esau, and with whatsoever adversary.

30 For I have seene God face to face, and my life is preserved.I have seene the Sonne of God in the assumed shape of a man, face to face, and have escaped death, both from this sight, and also from the danger of Esau.

32 Therefore the chil­dren of Israel eate not of the sinew which shranke.Therefore the children of Israel, in a reverent remem­brance of this act and event, concerning Iacob, eate not of the hinder sinewes, &c.

CAP. XXXIII.

SO hee went before them,3 And he passed over before them, and bowed himselfe to the ground seven times, untill hee came neere to his bro­ther. and bowed himselfe in an humble manner sundry times, while he was within the sight of Esau.

It is unspeakeably comfortable to me, that I have seen thy face thus loving and friendly to me.10 For therefore have I seene thy face, as though I had seene the face of God.

And he consecrated there, anew, that Altar, which was set up by his Grandfather Abraham, which he called,20 And hee erected there an Altar, and called it, El-Elohe-Israel. The altar of the mighty God of Israel.

CAP. XXXIIII.

SO his affections were set upon Dinah.3 And his soule clave unto Dinah the daughter of Iacob.

Then wil we take our sister away out of your custo­die, and depart.17 Then will we take our daughter, and we will be gone.

It shall not be onely a matter of pleasure and con­tentment to us, but also of great profit unto you all, For shall we not have a right in all their substance and strength?23 Shall not their cattell, and their substance, and e­very beast of theirs be ours? &c.

All that dwelt within the Citie.24 All that went out of the gate of his Citie.

And on the third day when they were sore and stiffe of the wound of their circumcision, &c.25 And it came to passe on the third day, when they were sore, &c.

Ye have put me to much unquietnesse in unsetling my estate, and have made me odious to the inhabitants.30 And Iacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me, &c.

CAP. XXXV.

CAst away those false gods of the heathen,2 Put away the strange gods that are among you, and change your gar­ments. which you learned to worship in Syria, the idols of Laban, or Shechem, and cleanse both your soules and bodies: and by the change of your very apparell, testifie the change of your hearts.

Moreover, God said unto him,10 And God said unto him, thy name is Iacob: thy name shall not be cal­led any more Iacob, &c. in a confirmation and reiteration of the same favour, which he had formerly shewed to Iacob: Thy name shall no more bee called Iacob, &c.

Many Tribes shall arise from thy seede,11 And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitfull and multiplie &c. And Kings shall come out of thy loines, &c. and out of them shall many exercise Princely authority both over their owne Nations, and others.

So Iacob according to his vow formerly made, set up a Monument of a stone in that place where God had tal­ked with him,14 And Iacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him. and both by pouring out of water and oyle consecrated it to God.

18 That she called his name Ben-oni: but his fa­ther called him Benjamin.She called his name, The sonne of my sorrow; but his father (as not willing to have so sad a remembrance of his losse, evermore before him, in the name of his sonne) called him (to signifie his dearenesse, with a little change of the word) The sonne of my right hand.

CAP. XXXVI.

6 And went into the Countrey from the face of his brother Iacob.ANd fully removed his whole familie and substance unto mount Seir, where he had before sojourned.

24 This was that Anah, that found the mules in the wildernesse.This was that Anah, which first found out by mixture of the seeds of two kindes, the generation of mules in the wildernesse.

31 Before there reig­ned any King over the children of Israel.Before there was any ordinary Ruler or Magistrate in Israel.

CAP. XXXVII.

2 And Ioseph brought unto his father their evill report.ANd Ioseph brought unto his fathers care the evill rumors and reports that went of the misbehaviour of his brethren.

3 And he made him a coate of many colours.And he made him a party-coloured coate, which was held to be of more pleasant shew, and, by reason of the mixtures, more curious.

27 And let not our hand be upon him.Let us not lay violent hands upon him, and be defiled with his blood, in suffering him thus wilfully to perish with hunger.

28 Then there passed by Midianites, merchant men.The Midianites (or Ismaelites so called, indifferently, because they bordered upon each other, and were neare both in place, and blood) passed by.

30 And I, whither shall I goe?And I, which way shall I turne me, or what shall I doe? since both I have already provoked my fathers displeasure by my incest, and at my hands especially (as being eldest) he will require my brother.

32 And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father, and said, this have we found.So they sent that party-coloured coate, and caused it to be brought unto their father with this message.

35 For I will go downe into the grave unto my sonne mourning.Surely I will not cease mourning for my sonne, untill I goe downe to my owne grave.

Unto Potiphar, one of Pharaohs chiefe Courtiers, the Captaine of his gard.36 Unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaohs, and Captaine of the gard.

CAP. XXXVIII.

GOe according to the custome of our people,8 Goe in unto thy brothers wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. and con­verse with thy deceased brothers wife, and doe that office to her which appertaines to the next of blood: that the issue which shall come of thee, may be imputed unto him, to take away the reproach of his barrennesse.

For he thought, it is not safe thus to bestow my sonne,11 For he said, lest per­adventure he did also as his brethren did. neither hath this match beene hitherto so prosperous, that I dare adventure my third sonne, yet will I put her in hope hereof for her present contentment.

When Judah saw her sitting thus openly, alone,15 When Iudah saw her, he thought her to bee an harlot: because she had covered her face. by the way side, he judged her an whore; for he could not dis­cerne her who she was, because her face was covered with the vaile.

Let her keepe these pledges;23 Let her take it to her, lest we be asha­med. and let us take no notice of them, nor make any inquiry, lest the filthinesse of this my fact may hence be knowne, to my shame.

CAP. XXXIX.

HE tooke care of nothing,6 And he left all that he had, in Iosephs hand: and he knew not of ought he had, save the bread which he did eate. save onely to eate and drinke, and follow his owne contentments; referring the oversight of all things to Ioseph.

Cast wanton eyes and affections upon Ioseph.7 That his masters wife cast her eyes upon Ioseph.

See, he hath taken in this Hebrew, to offer this villa­nie and violence unto me.14 See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us, to mocke us.

CAP. XL.

WHat doe you looking after sinister meanes,8 Doe not interpreta­tions belong to God? or why are yee grieved for the want of meanes? Hath not God given power of interpreting all secrets to some of his servants?

Within three dayes shall Pharaoh advance thee to thy former dignity.13 Yet within three dayes shall Pharaoh lift up thine head.

Within three dayes shall Pharaoh put thee to death,19 Yet within three dayes shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, & shall hang thee on a tree, and the birds shall eate thy flesh from off thee. and after, for the greater ignominie, shall hang thee upon a tree, till thy flesh be consumed.

CAP. XLI.

16 It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an an­swere of peace.I Can doe nothing of my selfe in this businesse, but God shall by me give an answer to the contentment of Pha­raoh.

34 And take up the fifth part of the land of Aegypt.And take up the fifth part of the fruits of the Land, & keepe it in meet store-houses for future use.

43 And they cryed be­fore him, Bow the knee?And the heralds cryed before him, that the people should bow their knees to him, &c.

44 I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot, in all the land of Aegypt.I only reserve unto my selfe the place & title of being King of Aegypt, in the rest I will have thee to be next me; So that no man shall attempt any thing at all in the pub­like government of the State, without thy advice and consent.

45 And Pharaoh called Iosephs name, Zaphnath-Paaneah, and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah Priest of On?And Pharaoh called his name, The discloser of secrets, and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of ano­ther Potipher, which was governor of Heliopolis.

CAP. XLII.

6 And he it was that sold to all the people of the land.YEe are spies, and are come to marke what parts of the land are least defenced.

13 Thy servants are twelve brethren, &c. And behold the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.It neede not seeme suspicious to thee that we come thus so many together of a Company; for the cause is, that we are all so many brethren, &c. And one is dead.

16 Or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.Or else, as sure as Pharaoh liveth, ye are but spies.

36 Ioseph is not, and Simeon is not, and yee will take Benjamin away: all these things are against mee.Ioseph is dead, and Simeon is in danger to miscarry in prison, and now you will take Beniamin from me; all these are heavy afflictions, which you have brought up­on me.

CAP. XLIII.

14 If I be bereaved of my children, I am berea­ved.I Am determined to put it to the hazard, relying on God for the event; if therefore I shall be robbed of my sonnes, let me be robbed, goe you on, and doe as the necessity of the businesse requireth.

2 Because the Aegyp­tians might not eate bread with the Hebrewes.Because the Aegyptians held it unlawfull to eate with the Hebrewes; cheifly for the differences of their Reli­gion; for the Hebrewes were wont to sacrifice those creatures which the Aegyptians worshipped.

CAP. XLIIII.

VP, follow after them,4 Up, follow after the men, and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evill for good? and when thou dost overtake them, make this merry and officious lie for my sake: Aske them, in dissimulation, Why have ye, &c.

Is not that which you have stolen, the cup of speciall note and vse for my master, both for his table,5 Is not this it, in which my Lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divi­neth? and (ac­cording to the manner of the Aegyptian Magicians) for divination, and sooth-saying?

Could you thinke any otherwise of me, being a Peere of Aegypt,15 Wote ye not, that such a man as I, can certain­ly divine? but that I could by divination finde out your offence?

CAP. XLV.

GOd hath made me not onely a Counsellor of State to Pharaoh,8 And hee hath made me a father to Pharaoh. but a meanes of preservation of his Court and Kingdome, &c.

You see and perceive by my language,12 That it is my mouth that speaketh unto you. that I am your brother Ioseph, that speake unto you.

I will give you the most commodious and fruitfull part of the land of Aegypt, to dwell in,18 And I will give you the good of the Land of Aegypt, and ye shall eate the fat of the Land. and ye shall be par­takers of the best profits of the Countrey.

And Iacob swouned with sudden astonishment at this newes of Ioseph, and the mention of his name.26 And Iacobs heart fainted, for he beleeved them not.

CAP. XLVI.

ANd Ioseph shall close up thine eyes, when thou diest.4 And Ioseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.

For every sheepe keeper, not out of pride, but su­perstition, is abominable to the Aegyptians.34 For every shepherd is an abomination unto the Aegyptians.

CAP. XLVII.

TAke thee the choyce of the whole Land of Aegypt.6 The land of Aegypt is before thee.

If thou knowest that there be any amongst them of skill and strength:6 And if thou knowest any man of activity among them;

The whole time of my life, which to me hath beene as a continued pilgrimage,9 The dayes of the yeers of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty yeers? both in respect of my many habi­tations, and of that one fixed habitation which abides for me above, &c.

31 And Israel bowed himselfe upon the beds head.And Iacob raised himselfe upon his Pillow to give thankes to God.

CAP. XLVIII.

5 Ephraim & Manasseth which were borne unto thee in the land of Egypt, before I came unto thee into Aegypt, are mine.MAnasseth and Ephraim shalbe, not as my grandchil­dren, but even as my owne, and shall have a portion of inheritance among their brethren, as if they had come immediately out of my owne Loines.

6 And thy issue which thou begettest after them, shalbe thine, & shalbe cal­led after the name of their brethren in their inheri­tance.But thy other children, if any shall be since borne unto thee, shall carry thy name, and looke for their portion un­der the title of the Tribes of Ephraim, and Manasses.

And Ioseph tooke them away from his fathers knees, to set them in that order wherein he desired the blessing might be given them,12 And Ioseph brought them out from betweene his knees, and he bowed himselfe with his face to the earth. which done, he bowed himselfe to the ground, in a reverent and humble manner to crave this blessing from his father.

That Angell of the Covenant, the Son of God, which hath delivered, &c. Let them be numbred among the Pa­triarkes of Gods people,16 The Angell which redeemed me, &c. And let my name bee named on them. as my sonnes, &c.

I give thee one Portion (according to the priviledge of the birth-right) above thy brethren: the Citie and territories of Shechem,22 I have given to thee one portiō above thy bre­thren, which I tooke out of the hand of the Amo­rite. which after that my sonnes had taken from the Hivites, I maintained by strong hand a­gainst the Amorites.

CAP. XLIX.

1 That I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last dayes.WHat shall come to passe in the following times, both soone upon my departure, and many ages after.

3 Thou art my first borne, my might, and the beginning of my strength.Thou wert both begotten in the prime of my strength, and wert the first of my sonnes in whom my strength consisteth: having as then all the priviledges of the first borne; Preheminence over thy brethren, and a double portion above them.

4 Thou shalt not excell.Thou art runne abroad as water, that is spilt, which cannot be gathered up; thou shalt no more be eminent above thy brethren, &c.

5 Simeon and Levi are brethren, instruments of cruelty are in their ha­bitations;Simeon and Levi, which have too well consented to­gether to doe mischiefe: and were instruments of much cruelty in their agreement against the Sichemites;

6 O my soule, come not thou into their secret: unto their assembly mine honour bee not thou uni­ted: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfe-will they digged downe a wall:Let not my soule joyne with them in their consultati­ons: [Page 41] neither let my reputation depend upon their mee­ting, which my heart abhorred; f [...]r in their wrath they slew the Shechemits, and in their selfe-will brake downe the walls of their Citie.

They shall have no certaine habitations allowed to their Tribes,7 I will divide them in Iacob, and scatter them in Israel. but shall be mingled with their other bre­thren.

Iudah,8 Iudah, thou art hee whom thy brethren shall praise. according as thy name imports, thou shalt have praise from thy brethren, who shall acknowledge thy Princedome, in thy posterity, over them, &c.

Judah shall have a knowne distinct Tribe amongst his brethren and governours in the kingdome,10 The Scepter shall not depart from Iudah, nor a law giver from between his feet, untill Shilo come; and unto him shall the ga­thering of people be. of the same Line, to beare rule untill the time of Messias comming: and the people shall yeeld their obedience to him.

He shall so abound with wines,11 Binding his foale unto the vine, and his as­ses colt unto the choice vine, he washed his gar­ments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes. that he shall load his Asses with grapes, and even wash his garments with the juice of them.

His posterity shall be abundantly furnished with wine and milke, Vineyards and Pastures.12 His eyes shall bee red with wine, and his teeth white with milke.

Zebulun shall be commodiously situated for his tra­fique, by the Sea side towards Zidon.13 Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea, and he shall be for an ha­ven of ships.

Issachar shall be laborious and strong, more fit for sub­jection then command;14 Issachar is a strong Asse, couching downe be­tweene two burdens. and shall yeeld himselfe willingly to all impositions of labor, and tributes.

Dan, though he be the sonne of a bondwoman, yet shall attaine unto the dignitie of ruling amongst the Tribes of Israel:16 Dan shall Iudge his people, as one of the Tribes of Israel: and shall afford some that shall sway the government.

His posterity shall inlarge their bounds,17 Dan shall be a Ser­pent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth his horse heeles. and prevaile more by subtilty, then strength: and therefore shall bee like the Serpent, &c.

And though this Tribe shall passe through many op­pressions & grievances, yet, O Lord,18 I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord. I doe constantly ex­pect thy gracious deliverance of him.

Gad shall be sore annoyed with the Ammonites,19 Gad, a troope shall overcome him: but hee shall overcome at the last? and other neighbouring nations, but shall at last prevaile.

Concerning Asher,20 Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yeeld royall dainties. he shall be seated in a place of great fruitfulnesse, and delicacy.

Nepthali shall be both swift to warre, and yet gentle,21 Nepthali is a Hinde let loose; he giveth good­ly words. and friendly to embrace and maintaine peace.

Ioseph shall be as a fruitfull Bough,22 Ioseph is a fruitfull Bough, even a fruitfull Bough by a well, whose branches runne over the wall. set beside a foun­taine, [Page 42] whose branches shall run upon the wall, and have benefit of the reflection.

23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, & hated him.His enemies bent themselves against him (as an archer doth his bow to shoot at a marke:) and wrought all the mischiefe they could against him.

24 But his bow abode in strength, &c. Of the mighty God of Iacob: from thence is the shep­heard, the stone of Israel.But his strength was able to match them in their owne kind, &c. The God of Iacob, of whom and by whom Ioseph was appointed, as a nourisher and refuge unto Israel.

The blessing of me thy father shall be the stronger upon thee,26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed a­bove the blessings of my progenitors, unto the ut­most bound of the ever­lasting Hills. by being added unto the blessing of Abraham, and Isaac, which all doe light upon thee: and shall continue as long as there are hills upon the earth.

Benjamin shall be fierce and terrible in his warres, de­vouring his enemies as a Wolfe his prey, and shall have his whole time taken up with the division,27 Benjamin shall ra­vine as a Wolfe: in the morning he shall devoure the prey, and at night hee shall divide the spoile. and improv­ing of the spoile.

CAP. L.

3 And the Aegyptians mourned for him three­score and tenne dayes.ANd the Aegyptians bewailed him seventy dayes, whereof the forty dayes of embalming were a part.

Forgive the trespasse of them, which, besides the bonds of nature,17 Forgive the trespasse of the servants of the God of thy father. are tied unto thee with so neare bonds of Religion, &c.

19 Feare not: for am I in the place of God?Feare not: for is not all this done by the will and dis­position of that wise, and holy God, which ordained this to good?

23 The children also of Machir, the son of Manas­seh, were brought up up­on Iosephs knees.The sonnes of Machir were a comfort to Ioseph, their grandfather, in their education; Who brought them up, and tooke pleasure in them.

25 And ye shall carry up my bones from hence.Ye shall, when ye depart out of Aegypt, cary my bones hence with you, and bury them in the promised Land, &c.

CAP. I.

A New King,8 Now there arose up a new King over Aegypt, which knew not Ioseph. for his Lawes and manner of go­vernment, which unthankfully forgot the great service which Ioseph had done to the Kingdome, and crowne of Aegypt.

Therefore did they set over them taskmasters,11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters, to afflict them with their burdens. of their owne nation, that their cruelty might have the better pretence.

God therefore prospered the midwives, because,20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives. out of a religious feare, they refrained from that cruell practice injoyned them, &c.

CAP. II.

HIs sister Miriam stood afarre off, &c.4 And his Sister stood afarre off.

And in those dayes when Moses was now growne up to his best age, and was forty yeares old, &c.11 And it came to passe in those dayes, when Mo­ses was growne,

And,12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Aegyptian, &c.2 though he knew he had a secret calling to deli­ver the Israelites, yet because it was not publikely knowne, he carried himselfe warily in this businesse, and looked round about, &c.

Revel their grandfather.18 And when they came to Revel their father,

Then, in processe of time, this Pharaoh from whom Moses fled, died, and the children of Israel,23 And it came to passe in processe of time, that the King of Aegypt died, and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage. now in the change of the Prince, hoping for some ease, bemoned themselves earnestly to God.

CAP. III.

THen Christ the Angell of the Covenant appeared,2 And the Angell of the Lord appeared unto him. &c.

In token of reverence, & respect unto so holy a place, and in token of laying aside all carnall thoughts,5 Put off thy shooes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou stan­dest, is holy ground. and af­fections, put off thy shooes.

Then, Moses in humility and awfull adoration of the glory of God,6 And Moses hid his face: for he was afraid to looke upon God. which he held himselfe not worthy to be­hold, hid his face.

8 And to bring them up out of that land, unto a good land, and a large, unto a land flowing with milke and honey.Therefore, have I thought good to shew some testi­monies of my presence, and intention of delivering them, and bringing them out of Goshen, into a land which in comparison thereof is large, and exceeding fruitfull in all usefull commodities, both for necessity, and pleasure, &c.

13 Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fa­thers hath sent me unto you.If the Israelites shall curiously inquire concerning thee; How, and in what termes shall I describe thee unto them?

I am constantly and eternally unchangeable, being of my selfe, and that one, and the same, for ever; even thus shalt thou describe & expresse me to my people;14 I am that I am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel. the chil­dren of Israel, &c.

CAP. IIII.

6 Behold, his hand was leprous as snow;ANd behold his hand was as white with leprosie, as any snow.

10 O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither here­tofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, & of a slow tongue.I am not ready in speech, nor ever have beene, neither hath thine appearance, (which of all other things should be most effectuall) altered me any whit at all: but I am naturally slacke, and heavy of utterance.

Who hath given to man the faculty of speech? or who is the author of these infirmites,11 Who hath made mans mouth? or who maketh the dumbe, or deafe, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord? whereof thou complai­nest? dost thou not consider that I the Lord who now send thee, cause these where I will, for just and holy pur­poses, and give abilitie of all parts and senses, at my plea­sure?

13 O my Lord, send I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt sendOh my Lord, send I pray thee by the ministery of some other fitter man, then I am, whoso ever it be.

16 Even he shall bee to thee in stead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him in stead of God.Aaron shall speake to the people, as from thee: and thou shalt give direction and counsell to Aaron, as from God.

And Moses tooke his wife, and his two sonnes, Ger­shom and Eleazar,20 And Moses tooke his wife, and his sonnes, and set them upon an Asse, and he returned to the land of Aegypt, & Moses tooke the rod of God in his hand. & caused them to ride toward Egypt: and Moses tooke that rod, which God had given so mi­raculous experiments of, in his hand.

But I will withdraw and withhold my grace from Pharaoh, so as he shall through his owne corruption turne all those occasions, which I shall offer him for his repentance,21 But I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people goe. unto the hardning of himselfe in a greater obstinacy of sinning.

22 Israel is my sonne, even my first borne.The children of Israel are my chosen and adopted people, both before all other and above all other nati­ons, &c.

The Lord appeared visibly unto him,24 And it came to passe by the way in the Inne, that the Lord met him, and sought to kill him. and sensibly af­flicted him with some sudden and violent disease, which he knew to be done, in regard of his neglect of his sonnes circumcision.

And with indignation she cast the foreskinne at his feet, and said: It is for thy sake,25 And cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. that I am faine thus to shed the blood of this my child: therefore art thou to me a bloody husband, &c.

CAP. V.

O Ye Elders of Israel,4 Get you unto your burdens. which joine with Moses & Aaron in this suite, Get you to your burdens.

Behold, the Israelites are a great people;5 Behold the people of the Land now are many, and you make them rest from their burdens. should so many thousands leave their worke, and goe idle for your pleasure?

Ye shall give the Israelites no more straw,7 Yee shall no more give the people straw to make bricke, as heretofore. whether to mixe with their clay, or to burne their brickes withall, &c.

Ye have brought us into hatred with Pharaoh,21 Because you have made our savour to bee abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us. and his servants, and have stirred them up to a further tyranny against us, by giving them this occasion of vexing us.

CAP. VI.

I Appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob,3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Iacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name Iehovah was I not knowne to them. as that God which was still able and powerfull to effect that, which I promised, and they lived still in the hope and exepecta­tion of my powerfull performance: but now I doe ap­peare to thee, as ready to make good and execute, and give a being to that which I promised to them.

But they were so over-pressed,9 But they hearkened not unto Moses, for an­guish of spirit, & for cruell bondage. and growne heartlesse with the cruelty of that bondage, that they regarded not the words of Moses.

How then shall Pharaoh regard me,12 How then shall Pharaoh heare me, who am of uncircumcised lips? which am of a stammering, and hindered utterance?

The sonnes of Reuben, who was in order of nature the first borne, though he lost the priviledges thereof.14 The sonnes of Reu­ben the first borne of Is­rael.

CAP. VII.

1 See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh; and Aaron thy brother shall be thy Prophet.BEhold, I have made thee a terrible meanes to execute my judgements upon Pharaoh: which he shall take as wrought by me, through thy hands: and Aaron thy bro­ther (for his readinesse of speech) shall deliver thy minde, and my message to the Aegyptians: so as thou shalt act, and he shall speake.

2 For they cast downe every man his rod, & they became serpēts, but Aarons rod swallowed up their rods.For they cast downe every man his rod, and they were in appearance turned into Serpents; but not truly: for that Serpent into which Aarons rod was turned, devou­red theirs.

CAP. VIII.

3 And the river shall bring forth frogs abun­dantly, which shall goe up and come into thine house.THe river Nilus shal craule full of frogs, which, against their naturall use, shall leave the water, and creep up into thine houses.

7 And the Magicians did so with their inchant­ments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Aegypt.And the sorcerers did likewise, for experiment sake, and brought frogs, whether in appearance onely, or true frogs (by secret conveiance) into some part of Aegypt, that was freed for this triall.

19 This is the finger of God.This worke is done by the immediate and over-ruling power of God.

CAP. IX.

15 For now I will stretch out my had, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence, and thou shalt be cut off from the earth. Or, I had stretched out my hand, that I might have smitten thee.FOr now, when I stretched forth mine hand, I might have smitten thee, and thy people, as well as I did thy cattell, with the pestilence: and so thou shouldest have perished from the earth.

16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power. Or, But indeed.But indeed I have in my secret counsell reserved thee for a further manifestation of my glorious power.

As for thee, and thy servants, I know, and finde upon the experience of your former obstinacy, that you will not,30 But as for thee and thy servants, I know that yee will not yet feare the Lord God. as yet, feare before the face of the Lord, &c.

CAP. X.

1 For I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants.FOr I have withdrawne my grace from him, and his servants, that their heart should not relent at my judg­ment, [Page 47] yea, I have punishe [...]h their former sinnes with hardnesse of heart, and obstinacy in sinning, &c.

How long shall Moses be a meanes of punishment and destruction to us?7 How long shall this man be a snare unto us?

I wish you might have no more favour of God then you are like to have of me,10 Let the Lord doe so with you, as I will let you goe, and your little ones; Looke to it, for evill is be­fore you. in this suite of dismissing you and your children: looke to it, goe if you will, at your owne perill.

That he would take away from me but this one dead­ly plague wherewith we and our land are thus hurt,17 That he may take away from me this death onely. and spoyled.

CAP. XI.

ABout midnight,4 About midnight will I goe out into the midst of Aegypt. I will by my destroying Angell goe through the midst of Aegypt.

But, as for the children of Israel, there shall not be so much as the least danger of any slaughter towards them,7 But against any of the children of Israel, shall not a dog move his tongue against man or beast. or any unquietnesse amongst them.

CAP. XII.

NOw, before the last plague,1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, &c. the Lord had spoken to Moses, &c.

This moneth shall be unto you both a moneth of prin­cipall account, as also, the first in number,2 This moneth shall be unto you the beginning of moneths. in all your re­ligious computations; so that from this you shall count the yeare to beginne.

Let every Master of a family within his severall hous­hold take unto him a Lambe, &c.3 In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a Lambe.

Ye shall celebrate your passover for this once,5 Yee shall take it out from the sheepe or from the goates. (in re­spect of those straits, wherein you are) either with a lamb, or a kid, whether can most commodiously be provided.

Every one of the Congregation, whom it concernes,6 And the whole as­sembly of the Congregati­on of Israel, shall kill it in the evening. shall kill the lamb, betwixt the ninth and eleventh houre of the day.

And thus shall you eate it, for this first time,11 And thus shall you eate it, with your loines girded. for the greater haste; with your loines girded.

That person shall be separated from the Communion of the Church, and lie open unto bodily judgements.15 That soule shall bee cut off from Israel.

So they left the Aegyptians destitute of their Jewels,36 And they spoiled the Aegyptians. and rich furnitures, who by their owne censent, and will, [Page 48] parted with these things, [...]o hire the Israelites unto a more speedy haste, for their owne safegard.

43 There shall no stranger eate thereof.None that is a stranger in religion shall eate of it.

CAP. XIII.

2 Sanctifie unto me all the first borne, whatso­ever openeth the wombe among the children of Is­rael.THat which first commeth out of the womb, set it a­part to me, and consecrate it to my name, whether it be of man, or of any serviceable beast, among the Israe­lites: for it is mine by a peculiar right, I having well de­served it in my preservation from the common destru­ction.

9 And it shall be for a signe unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memoriall betweene thine eyes, that the Lords Law may be in thy mouth.This Passover shall be as full a remembrance unto thee of Gods mercy in thy deliverance, as if thou shouldst by any signet upon thy hand, or frontlet betweene thine eies, recall any businesse, or favour which thou wouldest ever thinke upon; yea, thou shalt keepe some record, or me­moriall of this blessing also, in those scrolls which thou shalt bind upon thine arme and head.

13 And every firstling of an Asse thou shalt re­deeme with a Lambe: and if thou wilt not re­deeme it, then thou shalt breake his necke.But the first foale of the Asse, because it is an uncleane beast, since it may not be sacrificed, thou shall redeeme it with a Lambe: or else, because it is not fit that whatso­ever is consecrated to God, should be put to prophane uses, thou shalt breake the necke of it, &c.

18 And the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Aegypt.And the children of Israel went up well furnished out of the land of Aegypt, both with provision, and mu­nition.

CAP. XIIII.

4 And I will har­den Pharaohs heart, that he shall follow after them.ANd I will in just judgement so besot Pharaoh, that forgetting the experiments of my power, he shall, in hope of prevailing, follow after you.

8 And the children of Israel went out with an high hand.But the children of Israel went out by strong hand, vnder the miraculous guidance and protection of the Almighty.

15 Wherefore cryest thou unto me?Why dost thou thus earnestly importune me in thy secret prayers, which are as so many loud cries in my eares?

19 And the Angell of God, which went before the Campe of Israel, re­moved and went behinde them.And the Angel of the Covenant (which was Christ) removed the signes of his presence from before the Israe­lites, behind them.

24 And it came to passe, that in the morn­ing watch the Lord look­ed unto the host of the Aegyptians.Now in the morning watch, when the Lord, out [Page 49] of the pillar of fire (who had seemed all this while to winke at the enterprises of the Aegyptians) began, ac­cording to our apprehension, to take notice of this their pursuite, &c.

CAP. XV.

THe troupes of horses and their riders hath he over­throwne in the Sea.1 The horse and his rider hath he throwne into the Sea.

I foresee by that spirit of prophecy which he hath gi­ven mee,2 He is my God, and I will prepare him an ha­bitation. that he shall have a Tabernacle reared up for him by his people.

The Lord is a noble Warriour indeed.3 The Lord is a man of warre.

And the Lord directed him unto a tree,25 And the Lord shew­ed him a tree, which when he had cast into the wa­ters, the waters were made sweet: to which hee gave such miraculous power, that it being cast into the waters, the wood thereof changed the whole streame from the former bitternesse.

There he, in generall, gave them rules and advice of holy obedience before him,25 There he made a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them. to prepare them for that exact Law which he meant afterwards to deliver, &c.

CAP. XVI.

GEnerally there was a murmuring over the whole Campe, of the most part of the Israelites, &c.2 And the whole con­gregation of the children of Israel murmured, &c.

Behold,4 Behold, I will raine bread from heaven for you. I will cause that which shall be in stead of bread, to raine, as it were, out of the clouds upon you.

For as much as you have murmured, both for flesh,8 This shall be when the Lord shall give you in the evening flesh to eate, & in the morning bread to the full. and for bread, therefore you shall be filled with both: in the evening shall Quailes, the daintiest flesh fall upon your tents, and in the morning Manna.

And the glory of God shewed it selfe in an extraordi­nary manner in the cloud that was wont to appeare to them.10 And behold, the glory of the Lord appea­red in the cloud.

They said one to another,15 This is the bread which the Lord hath gi­ven you to eate. This is a strange food pre­pared and given us from above: for they knew not par­ticularly what it was, or what to name it.

And having put their common gatherings together,18 And when they did mete it with an Omer, hee that gathered much, had nothing over, and he that gathered little, had no lack. into one heape, it was equally divided amongst them: so as he that had gathered much, had no more then an omen, and he that gathered little, wanted nothing of it.

So Aaron, in processe of time,34 So Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept, &c. when the Tabernacle was erected, laid it up before the Arke (which testified [Page 50] Gods presence to his people) to be reserved for a monu­ment of Gods miraculous provision for Israel.

36 Now an omer is the tenth part of an Ephah.The omer is the tenth part of the Jewish bushell, which contained about three pecks.

CAP. XVII.

12 But Moses hands were heavy, & they tooke, &c.ANd Moses grew faint in body, with long continu­ance of that earnest prayer, in so much as his hands grew weary and remisse with lifting up: and they tooke, &c.

15 And called the name of it Iehovah-Nissi.And he called the name of the place, The Altar of Je­hovah my banner.

CAP. XVIII.

12 They came to eate bread with Moses father in law, before God.THey came to feast with Jethro the father in law of Moses, in that place, where God declared his presence by the cloudy pillar.

13 And the people stood by Moses, from the morning unto the evening.The people stood before Moses, to call for justice in their severall causes, and resolution in their doubts, &c. Even all the day long.

15 Because the people come unto me to enquire of God.Because the people come to me in all weighty causes, to consult with God by me.

19 Be thou for the peo­ple to God-ward: that thou maiest bring the cau­ses unto God.Doe thou propound the doubts and demands of the people to God, as also their suits, in thy prayers: and re­port Gods answers backe againe to them.

If thou shalt doe this thing (which yet I would not draw thee unto,23 If thou shalt doe this thing, and God com­mand thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure. without the good liking and approba­tion of God) then thou shalt be able to sustaine this burden.

CAP. XIX.

3 And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountaine.BUt Moses went up the hill unto God, whose voice had called to him, and bidden him to ascend, &c.

4 And how I bare you on Eagles wings, and I brought you unto my selfe.And how I carried you (as it were) aloft, above the reach of all dangers, like as an Eagle carrieth her young ones, supporting and helping them with her wings.

6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdome of Priests, and an holy nation.Ye shall be in a speciall manner a people devoted pe­culiarly to my worship.

Goe to the people,10 Goe unto the peo­ple, and sanctifie them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clo­thes. and by due preparation set them apart these two dayes, for their holy appearance before me, and, in a representation of that inward cleannesse which I require of them, let them wash their very clothes, which they brought with them out of Aegypt.

And thou shalt set limits unto the people,12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about. how farre they shall goe, and how neare they shall dare to come to the Hill, &c.

When the Trumpet,13 When the Trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount. which the Angell shall sound to call the people, shall sound long, then shall the people goe up towards the Mountaine unto the place limited unto them.

Set your selves apart from your wives, for a time,15 Come not at your wives. that your hearts may not be distracted with any carnall delight, now that they are to be fixed upon God.

And let those which doe the office of the Priesthood,22 And let the Priests also which come neare to the Lord, sanctifie them­selves, lest the Lord breake forth upon them. namely the first borne of the families, who are wont to offer sacrifices to God, see that they specially be devout­ly, and holily prepared for this great appearance of God.

CAP. XX.

I Am so affected to you my people,5 For I the Lord thy God am a jelous God, vi­siting the inquities of the fathers upon the children; unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me. as a loving husband to his wife, whom he cannot indure to set her affections upon any other: where I see, therefore, a succession of in­iquitie from the fathers to children, (both which hate to be reformed) I punish it not only eternally in themselves, but temporally in many generations after them.

Honour those which are any way set over thee,12 Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy dayes may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. and give them due reverence, and obedience for Conscience sake: that God may give thee a long and happie life in this thy promised land upon earth, and an eternall life (figured by the other) in that true land of rest, which is above.

Thou shalt not entertaine so much as the very first motions of unlawfull desires towards ought that is thy neighbours, &c.17 Thou shalt not co­vet thy neighbours house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife, &c. But shalt rest well contented with thine owne.

You shall not make (in competition with me) gods of silver, &c.23 Yee shall not make with me gods of silver.

Untill the time of your setling,24 An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, & shalt sacrifice theron thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheepe and thine oxen. and the set residence of God in his Tabernacle and Temple, you shall onely make your altars of earth, that may not continue, and thereon, in an homely manner, shall you offer all your sa­crifices, whether those which you offer up in acknow­ledgment [Page 52] of the Soverainty of God, or those which you offer in suit of further favour, or thankefulnesse, for a favour received.

CAP. XXI.

1 Now these are the judgements which thou shalt set before them:NOw these are the Civill, or Judiciall lawes which thou shalt appoint for the government of the Israe­lites.

2 If thou buy an He­brew servant, six yeares he shall serve, and in the se­venth he shall goe out for nothing.Howsoever thou keepe a seruant of the Gentiles in a perpetuall bondage, yet thou shalt not have that power over an Hebrew; But in the yeare of liberty and inter­mission, which is the seventh yeare, thou shalt release him without any Composition.

4 If his master have gi­ven him a wife.If his Master upon his owne liking, or desire, shall al­low him to marry with a forrainer, which is his maid servant.

6 And his master shall boare his eare through with an aule, and he shall serve him for ever.His master shall boare through his eare, to the doore, whether as a reproachfull marke of his perpetuall servi­tude, or as a signification of his fastning himselfe unto that house, so as he will not, nor may not passe from it, without the liking of his master.

7 And if a man sell his daughter to be a maid ser­vant, she shall not goe out as the men-servants doe.Likewise, if a man sell his daughter, as yet under age, with intention that she should marry him that buyes her, if she be dismissed, it shall be upon better conditions, then an ordinary servant.

8 If she please not her master, who hath betro­thed her to himselfe, then shall he let her be redee­med, &c.If she please not her master, so farre, as that he be­troths her to himselfe, then shall he suffer another, one of her friends to redeeme her of him, but he shall have no power to sell her to a stranger, seeing he hath deceived her expectation of marrying him.

9 He shall deale with her after the manner of daughters.He shall so deale with her, in giving her to marriage, as if she had beene a free woman.

11 And if he doe not these three unto her, then shall she go out free with­out money.But if he doe not allow unto her food, raiment, and house roome convenient for her, then shall she goe out free, at the time of libertie, or of such his deniall (upon judgement) without any repaiment of the money for which she was sold.

13 And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand.If a man have not laid wait for another, but casually without any purpose of his, shall by Gods disposition doe some act which might procure the death of ano­ther.

21 He shall not bee punished, for hee is his money.For he bought him with his money, therefore not pur­posely striking him, to kill him, he shall not be puni­shed: since he is already punished in his losse.

CAP. XXII.

IF a thiefe be found breaking into thine house by night,2 If a thiefe be found breaking up, and be smit­ten that he die; and be smitten in the act by thee unto death, &c.

They shall be put to sweare by the name of God, &c.11 Then shall an oath of the Lord be betweene them both.

If thou lend money to an Israelite, those especially which are poore, and borrow upon need,25 If thou lend money to any of my people that is poore by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer. thou shalt not take any increase for the use of it.

If thou take of thy poore neighbour any of his necessa­ry rayment whether for the day or night as a pledge for money borrowed of him.26 If thou at all take thy neighbours raiment to pledge, &c.

Of all kind of thy fruits, whether dried in their kinde,29 Thou shalt not de­lay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors. or strained into liquor, thou shalt pay d [...]ly thy tithes and first fruits unto God.

Neither shall you eate any part of that beast which was torne in pieces by any other beast,31 Neither shall yee eate any flesh that is torne of beasts in the field. whether cleane or uncleane.

CAP. XXIII.

THou shalt not give thine assistance or countenance unto a wicked man, in a false testimony.1 Put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witnesse.

Thou shalt not suffer the regard of poverty it selfe to make thee partiall in a case of judgement.3 Neither shalt thou countenance a poore man in his cause.

Thou shalt not pronounce a sentence of death upon an innocent man: For if thou doe,7 The innocent and the righteous slay not, for I will nor justifie the wic­ked. and herein deale wicked­ly, howsoever thou maist escape the censure of men, yet my judgement thou shalt not escape.

Thou shalt not take any bribe to draw thee unto par­tiality in any cause.8 And thou shalt take no gift.

Ye shall not, with any approbation,13 And make no men­tion of the names of other gods. so much as men­tion the names of other gods.

Three times in the yeare shall all thy men children,17 Three times in the yeare all thy males shall ppeare before the Lord a od. of sufficient age, whether bond or free, present themselves in the place of Gods publike service, which is his Taber­nacle.

During these solemne times of sacrificing unto me,18 Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread. ye shall not eate any leavened bread.

Thou shalt not be so cruell in thine oblations, as to seethe a Kid, in that milke of the dam,19 Thou shalt not seethe a Kid in his mothers milke. which was given it for nourishment.

Because my power and divinity is in him.21 For my name is in him:

And that I may herein approve my selfe the God of28 And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, & the Hit­tite, from before thee. [Page 54] hosts, I will by small meanes confound thine adversaries, for as I afflicted the Aegyptians with frogs and lice, so will I vexe the Canaanites with hornets, which shall sting them to death, &c.

31 And from the desert unto the River.From the wildernesse of Sur, unto the great River Euphrates.

CAP. XXIIII.

4 And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord.ANd Moses wrote all these words of the Lord, which concerne either the Civill government of the Jewes, or the Ceremonies of Gods service.

5 And he sent young men of the children of Is­rael.And he sent some chosen young men, of the first borne of the severall Tribes, which offered, &c.

7 And he tooke the book of the Covenant, &c.After Moses tooke the booke, wherein he had writen that Covenant betwixt God and his people, in the Judi­ciall and Ceremoniall Lawes, &c.

8 Behold, the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you.Behold, that blood whereby the Covenant made be­twixt God and you is signified to be confirmed.

10 And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feete, as it were a paved worke of a Saphir stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearnesse.And they saw some visible signes of the presence of God, and at the lower part of that brightnesse, there was a cleare shining blew pavemēt, as it were of Saphir, or like to a skie when it is cleare.

They saw God in these signes of his manifestation, and yet lived in health,11 They also saw God, and did eate and drinke. and soundnesse of body.

CAP. XXV.

5 And Shittim wood.OF a pretious and durable wood, which growes not farre from Sinai.

16 And thou shalt put into the Arke the Testi­mony which I shall give thee.So thou shalt put into the Arke the two Tables of the Law, which I shall give thee, as a witnesse of my Cove­nant with my people.

Thou shalt make a cover for the Arke of pure gold: which shall serve also as an Oracle,17 And thou shalt make mercy-seate of pure gold. from which God shall give answers to thee upon all occasions.

23 Thou shalt also make a Table of Shittim wood.Now in the outward sanctuary also, thou shalt make a Table of costly and sweet wood, &c.

30 And thou shalt set upon the Table, shew-bread before me alway.And thou shalt set upon the Table twelve loaves of bread, which because they shall be ever presented before my face, are termed justly, The bread of presence.

CAP. XXVI.

THe length of each curtaine shall be eight and twenty cubits,2 The length of one curtaine shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of one curtaine, foure cubits. that so ten may be for the breadth of the roofe of the Tent, and nine, on each side, may hang downe, within one cubit of the gound, &c.

Also thou shalt make another rancke of curtaines,7 And thou shalt make curtaines of goats haire, to be a covering upon the Ta­bernacle. of a meaner value, namely of goates haire woven into cloth, &c.

Moreover, to defend the Tabernacle from weather,14 And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rammes skinnes died red, and a covering above of badgers skinnes. thou shalt make a third covering for it, of rams skins died red; and a fourth yet above that, next to the weather, of badgers skins, which are yet stronger and courser.

And two shalt thou make in the corners of the Ta­bernacle lined with other boards for more strength of carriage, on each side of the Tabernacle.23 And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the Tabernacle in the two sides.

And thou shalt make five rowes of barres,26 And thou shalt make barres of Shittim wood, five for the boards of one side of the Tabernacle. to goe through the boards on each side of the Tabernacle.

Moreover, thou shalt make a vaile for the Holy of Holies of blew silke, &c.31 And thou shalt make a vaile of blew and purple and scarlet.

CAP. XXVII.

THou shalt make the inner part of the altar of Shittim wood,1 And thou shalt make an altar of Shittim wood, five cubits long and five cubites broad. the outward part whereof shall be all covered on both sides, with brasse.

The Altar shall be for length and breadth foure square.1 The altar shall be foure square.

The foure corners shall have, as it were, foure hornes (of the same matter whereof the altar is made) upon the tops thereof.2 And thou shalt make the hornes of it upon the foure corners thereof.

Vessels to carry away the ashes,3 And thou shalt make his pannes to receive his ashes, and his shovels. and shovels to take them up.

Thou shalt make the Altar hollow with boards, like unto a boarded cofer, without either bottom, or cover.8 Hollow with boards shalt thou make it.

And thou shalt make a court to compasse in the Taber­nacle.9 And thou shalt make the court of the Taber­nacle.

Aaron and his sonnes shall dresse, and tend them eve­ry morning, and evening: kindling them in the evening,21 Aaron and his sons shall order it from Even­ing to morning, before the Lord. and cleansing them in the morning.

CAP. XXVIII.

THou shalt make garments consecrated to the holy uses of my service.2 And thou shalt make holy garments.

3 Whom I have filled with the spirit of wise­dome.Whom I have indued with an extraordinary skill for these exquisite workes.

4 And these are the garments which they shall make; a brestplate, and an Ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coate, a miter and a girdle.These shall be the garments thou shalt make proper to the high Priest: a brestplate for his brest, a rich Ephod for his shoulders, a robe with bells and Pomgranats for the whole body, a rich embroidered coate under that, a Miter for his head, a Girdle for his loines, &c.

They shall make a peculiar Ephod to the high Priest, of gold,6 And they shall make the Ephod of gold, &c. &c.

As a signe whereby the children of Israel may know that their memory is presented to God,12 For stones of memo­riall unto the children of Israel. and that they are had in remembrance of God.

15 And thou shalt make the brestplate of judge­ment.And thou shalt make the brestplate which thou shalt weare in thy consultations with God, in the causes of judgement.

16 Foure square it shall be, being doubled.Thou shalt make it of the same stuffe, doubled for the more strength, and better convenience of holding the stones.

30 And thou shalt put in the brestplate of judge­ment, the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be upon Aarons heart &c.Also thou shalt inclose within the brestplate, where­with thou shalt consult with God, these two secret signes of knowledge and holinesse, which shall bee upon the heart of Aaron, to signifie what is required to be within his heart.

35 And his sound shall be heard, when he goeth in unto the holy place be­fore the Lord, and when he commeth out, that hee die not.His sound shall be heard when he goeth in, and com­meth forth of the holy place, and thus addressing himselfe and the people, with awfull reverence, and devotion to the service of God, he shall not die, whereas, if he abrupt­ly entring into the place, shall be an occasion of the peo­ples negligence, and his owne prophanation of Gods ser­vice, he shall die for it.

38 And it shall be upon Aarons forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniqui­ty of the holy things, &c.So shall it be upon Aarons forehead, that Aaron here­by may shew, that, in signification of the perfect high Priest, which was to come, he tooke upon him the expi­ation of all those sinnes, and infirmities, which the Israe­lites should be guilty of in their offerings to God.

41 And shalt annoint them, and consecrate thē, and sanctifie them, that they may minister unto me in the Priests office.Thou shalt annoint them, and prepare their persons for this service of mine.

CAP. XXIX.

4 And shalt wash them with water.ANd shalt wash them all the body over, with the wa­ter of the laver.

9 And the Priests office shall be theirs for a per­petuall statute: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sonnes.And the Priests office shall be thus continued to Aaron and his sonnes, untill the time that all these legall rites shall be finished by him, whom they serve to signifie.

And Aaron and his sonnes shall lay their hands upon the head of the calfe,10 And Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bul­locke. to signifie their interest in that sa­crifie, and to acknowledge their worthinesse to die, in that beast, which in the signification of the true sacrifice, was put to death for them.

So after this calfe is offered as a sacrifice and expiation for the sinnes of Aaron and his sonnes,15 Thou shalt also take one ramme, and Aaron and his sonnes shall put their hands upon the head of the ramme. then thou shalt cause them to offer a ramme for a burnt offering.

Whatsoever toucheth the altar,37 Whatsoever touch­eth the altar, shall be holy. shall thereby be sancti­fied, so as it may not be any more put to any ordinary or prophane use.

Where I will (as it were) appoint to meet thee fami­liarly, and to declare my will to thee by my servants.42 Where I will meet thee to speake there unto thee.

And I will make a cleare manifestation of my grati­ous presence among the children of Israel, both to direct,45 And I will dwell amongst the children of Israel, and will be their God. and preserve them.

CAP. XXX.

AFter thou shalt set it close before the vaile,6 And thou shalt put it before the vaile. that di­stinguishes the holy place from the holiest of all.

Ye shall offer no incense of any other composition,9 Yee shall offer no strange incense thereon. &c.

And the high Priest shall once a yeare put the blood of the sinne offering upon the hornes of the altar,10 And Aaron shall make an attonement upon the hornes of it, once in a yeare, with the blood of the sinne offerings of at­tonement. to make an expiation of the defects, which had passed that yeare, in Gods service.

When thou takest an account of the number of the children of Israel,12 When thou takest the summe of the children of Israel, after their num­ber, then shall they give every man a ransome for his soule unto the Lord, when thou numbrest them, that there be no plague amongst them, &c. then shall they give every man halfe a Shekel, to testifie that he holds his life of that God, whose service that shall be used to maintaine: which shall be paid of every man upon paine of the displeasure of God, who shall plague the contempt of whosoever re­fuses thus to contribute to his service.

Halfe a sicle (that is according to our current money the value of fifteen pence sterling) according to the stan­dard which shall be kept in the Sanctuary.13 Halfe a shekel after the shekel of the Sanctu­ary.

He shall die the death, whether by the immediate hand of God, or by the sword of the magistrate.33 shall even be cut off from his people.

CAP. XXXI.

2 I have called by name, Bezaleel the sonne of Vri.I Have singled out (as if I had by his name called him from others) Bezaleel the sonne of Uri, and &c.

3 And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisedome, and in under­standing, and in know­ledge, and in all manner of workemanship.Whom I have indued with this gift of the spirit of God, to be able both perfectly to conceive, and curiously to worke all these things which belong to the Taber­nacle.

6 And in the hearts of all that are wise-hearted, I have put wisedome, that they make all that I com­manded thee.And in the hearts of all those that are apt for these businesses, have I put a greater apprehension, and dexte­rity of working all these things that I have commanded.

Although I could be willing that these workes of the sanctuary should be finished,13 Speake thou also un­to the children of Israel, saying, Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keepe, for it is a signe betweene me and you, &c. yet I would not have them so followed, as that ye should worke them upon the Sab­bath day: for that day is a common signe betwixt us, of your holding me for your Creator, and of my speciall in­terest in you above all other people.

18 Two tables of Testi­monie, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.He gave him two tables of the Law, which testi­fied unto the people the will of God which spake and wrote it.

CAP. XXXII.

1 Vp, make us gods which shall goe before us, for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Aegypt, wee wote not what is become of him.STirre up thy selfe, and make some visible Image, that may bring to our mindes the presence of God: and may give us a sensible representation of his going before us, and assisting us; sithence both Moses is gone, and the cloud which was wont to direct us, hath stood still thus long.

4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graven toole, after he had made it a molten Calfe, and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Aegypt.Who received them at their hands, and according to the peoples desire, cast it in a mold framed for that pur­pose, and polisht it afterwards with tooles, and the peo­ple said to each other: this is a representation (O Israel) of that God of thine, which brought thee out of the land of Aegypt.

When Aaron saw the importunity of the people, hee yeelded to have an altar built before the calfe;5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar be­fore it, and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the Lord. and pro­claimed publikely: To morrow shall be the day, where­in yee shall solemnely worship God in this calfe, which is made.

Now therefore doe not thou, after thy wonted man­ner,10 Now therefore let mee alone that my wrath may waxe hote a­gainst them, &c. pray so instantly for their remission: which if thou [Page 59] doe, so great is my respect unto thee, that my mercy will not suffer a revenge to light upon them; onely be thou silent, for whose sake I forbeare them, and then shall my wrath shew it selfe, &c.

Then the Lord, at Moses his request,14 And the Lord re­pented of the evill which he thought to doe unto his people. did not goe on to bring that evill upon the Israelites, which he had con­ditionally threatned against them.

Therefore now, if thou wilt pardon this their sinne, thy mercy will be so much more magnified,32 Yet now, if thou wilt, forgive their sinne: and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy booke, which thou hast written. by how much their sinne is more hainous; but rather then thou shouldest not, since I know thy glory with men doth so much depend upon it, I could be for thy sake contented even to be cast away my selfe from thee, at least to bee wip't out of the catalogue of living men, here upon earth.

I will give them the same protection by my Angel,34 Behold, mine Angel shall goe before thee, ne­verthelesse in the day when I visit, I will visit their sinne upon them. which they have had, but I will notwithstanding finde a time to correct them for this their offence.

CAP. XXXIII.

I Will send a created Angel to safegard and direct thee,2 And I will send an Angel before thee. &c.

For I will not in that familiar manner, that I was wont,3 For I will not goe up in the midst of thee. converse with thee, and worke wonderfully for thee, &c.

Therefore now put off thy costly raiment,5 Therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to doe unto thee. and hum­ble thy selfe before me, that according to the measure of thine humiliation, or obstinacy, I may proportion out my dealings with thee.

Then Moses tooke a speciall Tent wherein publike service should be done to God,7 And Moses tooke the Tabernacle, and pitched it without the campe, afarre off from the campe, and called it the Tabernacle of the Congregation. and pitched it without the host, afarre off, and called it the Tent of the Con­gregation, &c.

And the Lord gave unto Moses most familiar tokens and representations of his presence,11 And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. speaking by audible voices unto him, as one friend imparts his counsells to another.

I have taken speciall notice of thee above all others.17 And I know thee by name.

CAP. XXXIV.

SO the Lord in some sensible signes of his presence pas­sed before him.6 And the Lord passed by before thee.

10 Before all thy peo­ple I will doe marvailes, &c.And will doe strange miracles for thy sake both in the wildernesse, and in Canan, &c.

Thou shalt make thee no Images to represent God, whether molten,17 Thou shalt make thee no molten gods. or carved, or painted, or howsoever framed for this purpose.

19 Verse. See Exodus 13.12.

29 That Moses wist not that the skinne of his face shone, while he talk­ed with him, &c.Now Moses knew not that his face had a certaine bright shining and majesty imprinted in it, by God, in his conference with him.

CAP. XXXV.

3 Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habi­tations upon the Sabbath day.VNlesse it be for a necessary use, ye shall not so much as take paines to kindle a fire for the dressing of any provision on the Sabbath day.

5 Ʋerse.See Chapter 25. in the whole sequell.

10 And every wise hearted among you, shall come and make all that the Lord hath comman­ded.And all to whō the Lord hath given dexterity of work­ing in these kinds, shall set themselves to make all that the Lord hath commanded concerning the Tabernacle.

30 Ʋerse. See Chapter 31.2, 3. &c.

CAP. XXXVI.

See Chapter 26. in the whole.

CAP. XXXVII.

See Chapter 25. in the whole,

CAP. XXXVIII.

See Chapter 27. in the whole.

8 And he made the Laver of brasse, and the foote of it of brasse, of the looking glasses of the wo­men, &c.Also he made a great laver to wash the Priests, and to cleanse the sacrifices, and both the foot and frame of it was made of that brasse, and shining mettall, whereof the womens looking glasses were made, which now de­voutly gave these instruments of their vanity, to holy uses.

21 This is the sum of the Tabernacle, even of the Ta­bernacle of testimonie, as it was counted, according to the commandement of Moses, for the service of the Levites, &c.These are the parts of the Tabernacle, that is, the Ta­bernacle that witnesseth the presence of God, to his peo­ple: all the parts whereof by the Commandement of Moses was at the taking downe, and erecting, com­mitted [Page 61] to the charge of the Levites, by Ithamar, the sonne of Aaron, which was set over the Levites.

CAP. XXXIX.

See Chapter 28. in the whole.

CAP. XL.

SO Moses at that time could not for reverence of the place enter into the Tabernacle of the Congregation,35 And Moses was not able to enter into the Tent of the Congregation, be­cause the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the Taber­nacle. because God now at the first consecration of it, did so gloriously manifest himselfe, not onely in the signe of the cloud, upon the Tabernacle, but also, of exceeding glory and brightnesse within the Tabernacle.

CAP. I.

IF any of you offer an ordinary sacrifice unto the Lord,2 If any man of you bring an offering unto the Lord, ye shall bring your offering of the cattel, even of the herd, and of the flocke. ye shall offer your sacrifice of those cattel which are most common for their use, namely, Beeves, and Sheepe, or Goates.

If it be a sacrifice to be consumed by fire, of beeves from the herd.3 If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd.

And the Priest shall kill the bullocke,5 And he shall kill the bullocke before the Lord. before the Lord for him.

CAP. II.

WHen any man will voluntarily,1 And when any will offer a meat offering unto the Lord: besides the set oc­casions, offer a meat offering unto the Lord.

In this oblation of the first fruits onely,12 As for the oblation of the first fruits, ye shall offer them unto the Lord, &c. ye shall offer leaven unto the Lord, in the two loaves which shall bee for the shake offering. Whereof see Levit. 23.17. &c.

CAP. III.

1 And if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace offe­ring, if he offer it of the herd.ANd if his oblation be a peace offering, that is, such as whereby the offerer doth thankfully present him­selfe to God, acknowledging to have received all bles­sings from him, &c.

3 And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering, an offering made by fire unto the Lord, the fat that covereth the in­wards.So the Priest shall offer of the peace offering, the fat that covereth the inwards, &c. as a sacrifice to be consu­med by fire unto the Lord.

CAP. IIII.

3 If the Priest that is annointed, doe sinne ac­cording to the sinne of the people, then let him bring for his sinne, which hee hath sinned, a young bul­locke without blemish.IF the Priest, which is annointed, and thereby consecra­ted to God, shall sinne, so as occasion may be given therfore unto the people to offend, then shall he accord­ing to the greater eminence of his place, offer for his sin, a young bullocke, &c.

He shall put his hand upon the bullockes head, in token that that sinne of his is transferred to him,4 And shall lay his hand upon the bullocks head, and kill the bullocke before the Lord. that is the true propitiatorie sacrifice for sinne, &c.

So he shall cause all the rest of the bullocke, besides the blood, the fat, the kidneis, and the caull, to be carri­ed out of the host,12 Even the whole bullocke shall he carry forth without the campe, vnto a cleane place where the ashes are powred out, & burne him on the wood with fire, &c. into some cleane place, to be consu­med; both to shew detestation unto the sinne, for which it is offered, and to signifie, that the true sacrifice must be offered without the gates.

CAP. V.

11 He shall bring for his sinne offering a tenth part of an Ephah of fine floure, he shall put no oyle upon, it neither shall he put any frankincense thereon, for it is a sin-offering.HE shall bring the quantity of a pottle of fine flower, as an offering for his sin; he shall put neither oyle, nor frankincense upon it; for these two are figures of grace, and obedience, wherewith sinne hath no affinity.

If a man shall through ignorance doe any act, where­by he offends, in the use of any thing that is consecrated to God,15 If a soule commit a trespasse through igno­rance, in the holy things of the Lord, then shall hee bring for his trespasse unto the Lord a ram without blemish out of the flockes, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary. whether in the omission of any due circum­stance concerning it, or in mis-imploying it to any other purpose, then that whereto it is set apart; he shall bring to the Lord, as an offering for such trespasse, a ram without any blemish, out of the flockes, worth, in the Priests valuation, two Shekels of silver at the least; ac­cording to the largest proportion of the Shekel; which is that of the Sanctuary; weighing three hundred and twenty graines.

CAP. VI.

IN the court of the Sanctuary where these holy Oblati­ons were dressed.16 In the holy place, in the court of the Taber­nacle of the Congregation they shall eate it.

Every one that toucheth them shall be before hand sanctified, and free from all legall pollutions.18 Every one that toucheth them shall bee holy.

The peices of the cake, which shall be broken for the use of the meat offering, by the Priest.21 And the baken peices of the meat offering.

CAP. VII.

HE shall receive no benefit by it.18 It shall not be im­puted to him.

Shall suffer the punishment of his iniquity that hath not taken the prescribed course for the expiating of his uncleannesse.20 Shall beare his ini­quitie, that hath his un­cleannesse upon him.

CAP. VIII.

HE put in the brest-plate those two precious stones,8 He put in the brest-plate the Vrim and the Thummim. which signified light and perfection; by the meanes whereof the people should receive answers from God.

That it might be duely prepared to receive those sa­crifices,15 To make reconcili­ation upon it. by which reconciliation might be made for the sinnes of the people.

To signifie that the hearing of his eares,23 On the tip of Aarons right eare, &c. and actions of his hands, and motions of his feet, are, and should bee sanctified.

It was the portion appointed for Moses in the right of that Priesthood,29 It was Moses part &c. which he did yet extraordinarily exe­cute.

Therefore ye shall not goe out of the bounds of the court-yard of the Tabernacle,35 Therefore shall ye abide at the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congre­gation, day and night seven dayes, and keep the charge of the Lord, that yee die not. for the space of seven dayes, and seven nights, and shall duely keepe all these observations, which the Lord hath injoyned you; that so God may not be provoked to strike you with death.

CAP. IX.

THe Lord shall give you some visible,6 And the glory of the Lord shall appeare unto you. and glorious signe of his presence.

23 And the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people.And in the sight of all the people there came a fire, whether out of the Tabernacle, or from heaven, and fell upon the Altar, and consumed the sacrifice of burnt of­fering,24 And there came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed upon the Altar the burnt offring. which lay ready upon it.

CAP. X.

1 And offered strange fire before the Lord.ANd tooke up in their censers common and unsancti­fied fire, whereon they burnt the holy incense to the Lord.

6 Vncover not your heads, neither rend your garments, lest you die.Give no testimonies of a repining griefe, and discon­tentment at this just judgement of God, lest in his dis­pleasure he consume you also, &c.

9 When ye goe into the Tabernacle.When ye are to goe into the inner Court of the Ta­bernacle, there to doe your service to the Lord.

14 In a cleane place.In a place free from legall pollution; or within the compasse of the camp of Israel, or that selected City, where God will have his worship to be fixed.

19 Behold, this day have they offered their sin offering, and their burnt offering before the Lord, and such, &c.Behold, the children of Israel have this day offred their sinne offring, and their burnt offring before the Lord, but as for me, you doe well know what cause of just sorrow I have had this day in that heavie judgement, which hath befallen my sonnes, and if in this mourning, and sad dejectednesse, I had eaten of the sinne offring, how could it have beene well taken of that God, who requires cheerfulnesse in all that thus partake of his holy things?

CAP. XI.

2 These are the beasts, &c.I Would have your diet a figure of your conversation; beasts to be figures of men, those men which put just differences betwixt their actions,3 Whatsoever parteth the hoofe, & cheweth the cud among the beasts, that shall ye eate. and that doe meditate and chew upon the Law of God continually, those are fit for you to converse with, and to be received of you into your entyre fellowship, these are represented to you by beasts that divide the hoofe, and chew the cudde.

The sinnes of the fish are for steering of their motion, the scales are for smoothnesse of passage,10 All that have not sinnes & scales in the seas, &c. shall be an abominati­on to you. for safegard, for ornament; those men that have no knowledge and faith to guide them, no good dispositions to set them forward, nor good workes to set them forth, are not for your entyre conversation.

CAP. XII.

THat sicknesse which in ordinary course is every mo­neth incident to her sexe.2 Her infirmitie.

CAP. XIII.

IF the whole flesh be so covered over,13 If the leprosie have covered all the flesh, hee shall pronounce him cleane that hath the plague, all is turned white: he is cleane. that there is no appearance of difference in the skinne, it is a signe that the strength of nature hath wholly driven out that in­ward matter, which was the cause of the leprosie, and therefore it argues, that the party is delivered from his disease.

In signe of mourning for this judgement,45 He shall put a cover­ing upon his upper lip. and for re­straint of that breath, which is infectious, he shall muffle up himselfe.

CAP. XIV.

VNto some place which is in it selfe unhallowed,45 Vnto an uncleane place. and is now polluted by these uncleane materialls, that are cast upon it.

There shall be the same ceremonies for the cleansing of the house, that are appointed for the man; such,49 And he shall take to cleanse the house, two birds, and Cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop. as are cleare types of the blood of the Messias cleansing the soule from the leprosie of sinne.

CAP. XV.

WHen any one hath an ordinary and insensible pas­sage of seed, in the running of the reines.2 When any man hath a running issue out of his flesh.

Thus shall ye teach the children of Israel to separate themselves, each from other,31 Thus shall ye sepa­rate the children of Israel from their uncleannesses. in cases of their legall un­cleannesses, and to cleanse themselves from their pol­lutions.

CAP. XVI.

2 That he come not at all times unto the holy place within the vaile, be­fore the mercy-seat, which is upon the Arke.THat he presume not to come ofter then once a yeare, into the Holy of holies, which is within the vaile; where God in a speciall maner manifesteth his presence, betweene the Cherubims, in the mercie-seat, the Cover of the Arke.

19 And hallow it from the uncleannesse of the children of Israel.The sinnes and infirmities of Gods people in their devotions, doe in a sort defile the holy place, and Altar; the high Priest shall thus expiate those sinnes of the peo­ple, which have polluted the place, and vessels of Gods service.

22 And the goat shall beare upon him all their in­iquities, unto a land not inhabited.As the slaine goat shall represent Christ dying for sin; so the escaping goat shall represent him freed from death, for our full justification, and taking away the sinnes of the world, so, as that they shall not appeare in the sight of God to their condemnation.

29 On the tenth day ye shall afflict your soules.It shall be a day of great and solemne humiliation in fasting, and all kind of sad and penitentiall devotion.

CAP. XVII.

3 That killeth an oxe or lambe.THat killeth an Oxe or Lambe with an intention of sa­crifice unto God.

CAP. XVIII.

6 To uncover their na­kednesse.TO lie with them, or to have carnall knowledge of them.

8 It is thy fathers na­kednesse.That nakednesse is proper for none but thy father to uncover.

18 Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, &c.Having one wife, thou shalt not take another wife besides her, during her life; that the emulation, which will thereupon arise, may not be a perpetuall vexation to her, whom thou hast by lawfull wedlocke made one flesh with thee

21 Thou shalt not let any of thy seed passe through the fire to Mo­lech.Thou shalt not give up any of thy sonnes, or daughters as a sacrifice to Molech, the Idol of the Ammonites; either to passe betweene his two fires, as in way of conse­cration to him; or to be consumed by the fire of that Idol, as a burnt offering to him.

CAP. XIX.

THou shalt not be any cause,16 Neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour. or furtherer of shedding the blood of thy neighbour; neither willingly for­beare to hinder any act done against his life.

To teach thee how God loveth simplicity of heart,19 Neither shall a gar­ment mingled of linnen & woollen come upon thee. in all thy carriage and disposition, thou shalt not be allow­ed mixtures, and compositions, so much as in thine outward apparell.

During the first three yeares after the plantation thereof,23 Three yeares shall (the tree) be as uncircum­cised to you. the fruit of those trees shall be unlawfull to be eaten, or to be put to any other profitable use.

Ye shall not imitate the heathen fashion of your ido­latrous neighbours, in cutting your haire round,27 Yee shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard. neither shall you, after their maner in their mournings, deforme your faces, by shaving off the haire of your beard.

Ye shall not (according to the heathen manner) cut your flesh, whiles ye mourne for the dead;28 Ye shall not make any cuttings of your flesh for the dead, nor print any markes upon you. nor make any impression in your skin and flesh, as markes of your Ido­latry, and superstition.

CAP. XX.

WHosoever revileth or speaketh reproachfully of either father or mother, let him be put to death.9 Every one that cur­seth his father, or mother.

CAP. XXI.

NOne of the inferiour Priests may either touch a dead corps, or come into the roome where it is,1 There shall none be de­filed for the dead among his people. if it be the corps of one not neere allyed to him.

Vid. 19. verse 27.5 They shall not make, &c.

However it may bee lawfull for the inferiour Priest to mourne for, or to be present [...]ith the corps of those,11 Neither shall he goe in to the dead body, nor defile himselfe for his fa­ther, or for his mother. which in nearenesse of blood, or alliance they have rela­tion unto, yet the High-priest shall not condescend to any act, or signe of publike mourning, no not for his very parents; nor goe into the the roome where their corpes are laid.

If he shall marry with any of these forbidden persons,15 Neither shall he pro­phane his seed amongst his people. the issue which he shall have by her, shall be accounted as unhallowed; and shall not be capable of succeeding him in executing the Priests office.

18 Or any thing super­fluous.Or that hath any part, or limme more then he should, or monstrously excessive in the proportion thereof.

CAP. XXII.

14 If any man eate of the holy thing unwittingly then he shall put the fifth part unto it, and shall give it to the Priest.IF any Israelite, that is not of the Priests familie, shall ignorantly eate of those holy things, that are appropri­ated by Gods ordinance, to the Priests, he shall pay the price of that whereof he eateth, and adde withall a fifth part more of the full worth, by way of satisfaction to the Priest.

15 Neither from a strangers hand shall yee offer the bread of your God of any of these.Not onely shall ye refuse to offer blemished, and un­perfect sacrifices from the hands of Israelites; but if any heathen man, who is a stranger from the cōmonwealth of Israel, shall offer to present any such blemished, or unworthy oblation to you, ye shall also reject it, as that which is unlawfull to be offered to God.

CAP. XXIII.

Verse 27. Vid. 16. verse 29.

39 Shall be a Sabbath.ON the first and on the eight day ye shall rest from your labours.

CAP. XXIV.

14 Let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head.LEt all that heard him, as in way of ratification of their testimonie, lay their hand on his head; as there­by professing that the blood of the blasphemer shall be upon his owne head, as who doth most worthily suffer for his sinne.

CAP. XXV.

6 And the Sabbath of the land shall bee meat for you, &c.ANd that fruit (of what kinde soever) which grow­eth upon thy land, in the seventh yeare shall serve in­differently for meat and drinke for the servant and stran­ger, as well as the owner; and shall be freely taken, and used accordingly.

29 For the land is mine, &c.The land is mine, in a more peculiar manner; as that which I have set apart to be the inheritance of my cho­sen [Page 69] people on earth, and to be a figure of their happy, and glorious inheritance in heaven.

In all the land which ye possesse,24 And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land. ye shall suffer a re­demption to be given by him that sold or morgaged it; & shall accept thereof in the appointed yeare of Jubilee.

If the Levites might sell their houses, in their Cities, yet the fields which are about the suburbes of the City,34 But the field of the suburbes of their cities may not be sold. three thousand cubits in extent from the walls thereof, may not at all be aliened, or sold.

CAP. XXVI.

YOu shall have a continued succession of blessings,5 And your threshing shall reach unto the vin­tage. and variety of increase of al kinds of fruits, one in the neck of another; so as no sooner shall the threshing of your corne be finished, then your vintage shall come in hand.

I will bring divers and frequent judgments upon you for your sinnes.24 I will punish you yet seven times.

And when I have brought upon you,26 And when I have broken the staffe of your bread. famine and scar­city, and have bereaved you of that which is the staffe of your life, bread, &c.

Then shall the land be quiet;34 Then shall the land injoy her Sabbaths. as being delivered from those wicked inhabitants, which brought a curse upon it; and from those busie labours, wherewith it was worne out, and torne up continually.

CAP. XVII.

ANd if a man will consecrate unto the Lord some part of that field,16 And if a man shall sanctifie to the Lord some part of a field of his pos­sessions, then thy estimati­on shall be according to the seed thereof: An Ho­mer of barly seed shall be valued at fiftie Shekels of silver. which by inheritance is descended to him, and would redeeme it: it shall be valued ac­cording to the proportion of that seed, which is fit and sufficient to be sowne in that parcell, every ten bushells of barly seed shall be rated at fifty shekels of silver.

See Levit. 5.15.25 Shekel of the San­ctuary.

No creature, which under a solemne vow, or curse, shall be devoted to destruction,29 None devoted, which shall be devoted of men, shall bee redeem­ed. shall be redeemed by any price whatsoever, whether it be man, or beast, but shall undergoe that death to which it was solemnly de­voted.

CAP. I.

51 The stranger that commeth nigh shall be put to death. ANy Israelite whosoever, being not of the Tribe of Levi, if he offer to meddle with the Arke, shall surely die, either by the immedi­ate hand of God, or by the hand of humane justice, and authority.

CAP. II.

2 Farre off about the TabernacleTHe measure, of at least two thousand cubits, shall be the distance betwixt the tents of Israel, and the holy Tabernacle of God.

CAP. III.

7 And they shall keep his charge.THey shall doe that service which Aaron, as from the Lord, shall appoint unto them.

9 Thou shalt give the Levites to Aaron and his sonnes.Thou shalt designe and appoint the Levites to attend upon Aaron, and his sonnes, in the holy ministration.

12 I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel, in stead of all the first borne, &c.Whereas, before, the first borne of the family was ordained to execute the office of the Priesthood, and to offer sacrifices for the rest, now I have confined this office to one tribe alone, so as onely those of Levi shall (in stead of the first borne) be set apart for this worke.

CAP. IIII.

7 The continuall bread shall be thereon.THat shew-bread which is appointed to be continually set upon the Table before the Lord; being every Sabbath to be renewed in a perpetuall succession.

CAP. V.

WHen a man,6 Shall commit any sin which men commit. or woman shall commit any sinne of frailty or infirmitie, which is commonly inci­dent to every man.

By way of recompence,7 He shall recompence his trespasse with the prin­cipall thereof, and adde un­to it the fift part. he shall pay the price of that thing which he hath taken away, or wherin he hath done the wrong, and adde moreover a fift part of the worth, as a satisfaction to the party wronged.

If any mans wife shall leave off the conversation of her husband, and offend against his bed.12 If any mans wife goe aside, and commit a trespasse against him.

That water which shall prove bitterly afflictive and deadly to her, if she be guilty. vid. Vers. 27.18 The bitter water.

CAP. VI.

TO signifie the continuance of his holy consecration and his subjection to God,5 Shall let the lockes of the haire of his head to grow. he shall suffer his haire to grow unto the length.

This offering he shall make to the Lord,21 For his separation: besides that that his hand shall get. for his Na­zariteship, besides that voluntary oblation, which hee shall moreover make upon any other occasion unto God.

Laying their hands upon the children of Israel,27 And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will blesse them. they shall call upon my name for a blessing; and it shall be gi­ven by me according to their prayers.

CAP. VII.

THe Princes of Israel by their severall gifts,2 The Princes offered. testified their joyfull celebration of the dedication of the Ta­bernacle, and the Altar.

To the sonnes of Merari (whose charge was the hea­viest carriage that belonged to the Tabernacle,8 Foure waggons and eight oxen he gave unto the sonnes of Merari. as the boards and pillers thereof) he gave a double proportion of waggons, and oxen, for the more easie removall thereof.

When Moses was gone into the Tabernacle of the Congregation, to attend upon the Lord,89 When Moses, &c. to speake with him. and to re­ceive his commandements.

CAP. VIII.

2 The seven lampes shal give light over against the candlesticke.THe seven lampes shall give light round about the bulke or shaft of the candlesticke on all sides.

11 Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord for an offering of the children of Israel.Aaron shall present the Levites before the Lord, as persons consecrated to God: whom the chiefe of Israel in the name of all the rest shall devote to the holy service of God, in their behalfe as designed, & allowed by them to offer up their oblations.

24 From the age of twenty five yeares and upward they shall goe in to wait upon the service of the Tabernacle.From the age of twenty five yeares they shall so enter into the Tabernacle, as to informe themselves, and to learne both by institution, and practice, how to per­forme the services; and at the age of thirty yeares they shall enter upon the execution of their charge.

25 After fifty yeares, &c. they shall serve no more.They shall not serve any more, after the age of fiftie, in any of the painfull and laborious workes of carriage or attendance; although for over-sight, and aide of advice, no age ought to be exempted.

CAP. IX.

15 And on the day that the Tabernacle was reared up, the cloud covered the Tabernacle: namely the tent of the testimonie; and at even there was upon the Tabernacle as it were an appearance of fire untill the morning.IN the day that the Tabernacle was perfitly set up, God gave visible testimonie of his presence therein; appearing in the day time as a cloud in the Holy of ho­lies, over the Arke; and in the night time as a lightsome fire over the same.

Upon the will of God signified really to them by the stay,18 At the commande­ment of the Lord the chil­dren of Israel journeied. or removall of the cloud, they disposed of their journey, or abode.

CAP. X.

2 Make thee two trum­pets of silver; of one whole peece shalt thou make them.OF one entire peece beaten out into length, and breadth, shalt thou make each trumpet; and not of severall parcells beaten together; of silver, for the puri­ty of the metall; of one peece, for the unity and per­fection of the sound.

31 Thou maiest be to us in stead of eyes.By reason of thy knowledge and experience, thou mayest be a good direction for us.

CAP. XI.

ANd the people murmured,1 And when the peo­ple complained, it displeas­ed the Lord; and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled: and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them in the uttermost parts of the campe. and were discontent at their three dayes journey in the wildernesse, ere they setled in a resting place; and the Lord tooke notice of their repining; and his anger was kinled against them, and shewed it selfe in a sensible judgement upon them; for he sent forth a visible fire amongst them, and consu­med those that were in the outer skirts of the campe.

And the multitude,4 And the mixt multi­tude that were among them fell a lusting; and the children of Israel also wept againe, and said; Who shall give us flesh to eate. which was a mixed company of native Israelites, and of strangers that came along with them, out of Aegypt, fell to an earnest longing, and lust­ing after their old diet; and said, Oh that some body would now give us flesh to eate.

The Manna was in fashion and quantity,7 The Manna was as Co­riander seed; and the co­lour thereof as the colour of Bdellium. like to Co­riander seed, and the colour of it was, as of a cleare white gumme.

If I shall be put to beare the charge, and burthen of this busie and troublesome people alone;15 And if thou deale thus with me, kill me I pray thee. rather take me away.

I will endue them with the same spirituall gifts,16 I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them. and abilities, that I have furnished thee withall for the weild­ing of this great administration.

Make your selves by due preparation,18 Sanctifie your selves against to morrow. of beleeving and thankfull hearts, apt and capable to receive this new and marvellous blessing from God.

Untill you be over-cloyed with it.20 Till it come forth at your nostrils.

CAP. XII.

IT is my manner when I would honour any man with the calling and imployment of a prophet,6 If there be a Prophet, among you, I the Lord will make my selfe knowne to him in a vision, and will speake unto him in a dreame. to reveale my will to that man either by dreames, or visions, which are the two usuall meanes whereby I am wont to im­part my selfe unto men.

But, as for my servant Moses,7 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithfull in all my house. he is none of the ordi­nary ranke of Prophets; him (as whom I have found faithfull in all the service, that I have commited unto him) I have thought good to grace with an especiall fa­vour and entirenesse.

With him will I speake in a more familiar manner,8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even ap­parently, and not in darke speeches. then with the rest of mankind, even as a man would talke with his friend, by an immediate revelation of my selfe unto him; here shall need no dreames, or visions, where­in [Page 74] to convey my will and pleasure unto him, but his very senses shall apprehend, and perceives the paine and cleare demonstration of my presence, and the notice of my will, by a familiar and sociable conference.

CAP. XIII.

23 And when they came to the brooke of Eshcol.ANd when they came to the valley, or brooke, which afterward upon this occasion was called Eshcol, from the cluster of grapes which here they cut downe.

32 It is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof.Either the ayre is unwholesome, and wasts the inhabi­tants with diseases, or the soile is so stubborne and harsh to worke upon, that it spends their bodyes with the dif­ficulty of their labours.

33 Wee were in our owne sight as Grassehop­pers.For stature, and strength, there seemed to be no lesse difference betwixt them and us, then betweene grasse­hoppers and men.

CAP. XIV.

8 Floweth with milke and hony.HAth abundance of all provision, both for sustenance, and pleasure.

9 For they are bread for us.We shall consume them with great ease, and feed upon their rich provisions.

10 And the glory of the Lord appeared in the Ta­bernacle.And the Lord gave an apparent signe of his glorious presence in the cloud, that covered the Tabernacle, in the sight of Israel.

21 All the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord.The whole earth shall take notice of my righteous judgements, which I will execute upon this people; and give unto me the praise, and glory of my justice.

33 Your children shall beare your whoredomes.Your children (though they shall at last enter into the promised land) yet in the meane time they shall smart for your sinnes; that you may be punished in them.

34 You shall know my breach of promise.Since you have thus shamfully broken your cove­nant with me, ye shall know & feele that those promises, which I made to you upon your obedience, shall now be reversed.

40 We will goe up to the place which the Lord hath promised, for we have sinned.We will now, without any farther mutinie, goe for­ward to the promised land, and fight with our enemies; for we doe well see, and confesse, wee have sinned against our God, in this our murmuring, and backward­nesse.

CAP. XV.

THat man that sinneth in an arrogant,30 But the soule that doth ought presumptuous­ly, &c. the same reproach­eth the Lord; and that soule shall be cut off from among his people. and presumptu­ous manner, as it were daring God, and despighting heaven, he shall be destroyed by an immediate hand of God; as having wilfully affronted the Lord, and called his Iustice into question.

CAP. XVI.

YE take too much state and greatnesse upon you;3 Yee take too much upon you; seeing all the congregation is holy, eve­ry one of them; and the Lord is among them. as if you onely might, or ought to ingrosse the Lord to your selves; since there is none of the congregation, but is capable, and fit to doe those holy actions, which yee have appropriated to your selves; and the Lord would be as ready to testifie his acceptation of them.

In a deepe sorrow for this presumptuous sinne of these princes, and in an humble invocation upon God,4 Moses fell upon his face. who onely could right these proud challenges, Moses cast himselfe downe upon his face.

To morrow the Lord will give a visible proofe,5 Even to morrow the Lord will shew who are his, and who is holy, and will cause him to come neare unto him whom he hath chosen. whether he hath set us apart to these his highest servi­ces; and whether he bee well pleased, that ye should, without any speciall calling thereunto, approach unto his presence to offer sacrifices to him?

Rather thou, O Korah, being one of the tribe of Levi,7 Yee take too much upon you, yee sonnes of Levi. takest too much upon thee and thine, thus to incroach upon the Priests office; which thou shalt well finde in the sequell.

Canst thou hope so to blinde the eyes of these people;14 Wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? that they shall not discerne thy fraudulent, presumptu­ous, and false dealing with them.

God had begunne to strike the people with a sud­daine death.47 The plague was be­gunne among the people.

CAP. XVII.

WE doe well see how deadly a thing it is for us to offer to meddle with any of the sacred businesses of the Tabernacle; But, O Lord,13 Whosoever com­meth any thing neare unto the Tabernacle of the Lord, shall dye. Shall we be con­sumed with dying? what shall become of us? Some of us are swallowed up of the earth, others of us are consumed by fire, others by the sudden stroke [Page 76] of thy hand; O God, wilt thou not be intreated to take off thy revenging hand from us, till we be all utterly con­sumed?

CAP. XVIII.

1 Thou and thy sonnes and thy fathers house with thee, shall beare the iniqui­ty of the Sanctuary.THou (and thy posteritie, that is descended from the loynes of Levi) shalt be answerable for any abuse that is done in the Sanctuary.

7 I have given the Priests office unto you, as a service of gift.I have of my free choyce, and gift, designed you to the office and service of the Priest-hood.

19 It is a covenant of salt for ever.It is an incorruptible and everlasting covenant.

22 Lest they beare sin.Lest they suffer death, as the due punishment of their sinne.

24 But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave-offering unto the Lord, I have given to the Levites to in­rite.The tithes of the children of Israel, which they set a­part and consecrate to the Lord, by lifting them up in way of oblatiō to God, I have given to the tribe of Levi, as a constant and perpetuall inheritance, to claime and enjoy for ever.

27 And this your heave-offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the come of the threshing floore, and as the fulnesse of the winepresse.And this tenth part, which you shall offer out of your tithe, shall be no lesse imputed to you, or accepted from you, then if it were raised out of your own corne-floore, or your owne winepresse.

CAP. XX.

9 It shall be kept, &c. for a water of separation.IT shall be kept for the cleansing of those that are sepa­rated upon occasion of legall uncleannesses.

10 Heare now ye re­bels, must we fetch you water out of this rocke?Heare now ye rebells; Is it likely that we shall fetch water out of this hard rocke, to satisfie your thirst? this wee are required to doe; but is this a thing possible to be done?

12 Because ye beleeve me not to sanctifie me in the eyes of the children of Israel, &c.Because ye doubted of the performance of my word; and in a weake distrust stroke the rock twice, as not be­ing confident of the issue, whereas ye were onely bidden to speake unto the rocke, to yeeld forth these waters, &c.

CAP. XXI.

5 Our soule loatheth this light bread.VVE are weary of this Manna, as that which wee finde a light and unsatisfying food, in compa­rison [Page 77] of that solid, and substantiall diet, which we had in Aegypt.

Serpents, which wheresoever they stung,6 Fiery Serpents. caused a deadly inflammation in the body.

CAP. XXII.

ANd God who seeth the heart,22 And Gods anger was kindled, because hee went. and knew the sinister affections, and intentions wherewith Balaam went, was sore displeased at his so going.

And God caused the Asse miraculously to speake with the voice of a man,28 And the Lord open­ed the mouth of the Asse. to reprove the foolishnesse of the Prophet.

The eyes of Balaam, which before were held,31 Then the Lord open­ed the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the Angel. that they could not see the visible shape which the Angell had ta­ken upon him, were now freed, and inlightned to behold that sight.

I have done ill in smiting my beast causlesly.34 I have sinned.

CAP. XXIII.

I Am set upon this high rocke and mountaine;9 From the tops of the rockes I see him, and from the hills I behold him, Lo; the people shall dwell a­lone, and shall not be rec­koned among the nations. on pur­pose, that upon the sight of Israel, I might curse him; I doe indeed behold him, but I have no power to curse him; Lo, this people shall be an entire nation within themselves; and shall be a peculiar people, severed, and set apart to God, from all other nations upon earth.

This people shall through the blessing of God so mul­tiplie,10 Who can count the dust of Iacob, & the num­ber of the fourth part of Israel? that a man may as soone count the severall moates of dust on the whole face of the earth, as reckon their number; yea, one of those foure squadrons into which they are divided, shall for their multitude be past the summe of any computation.

God hath already spoken a word of blessing,19 God is not as man, that he should lie, neither the sonne of man that hee should repent. and hath accordingly decreed a large benediction for Israel; doe not therefore hope vainely, that he will upon any intrea­ty reverse his word, and doe contrary to what he hath determined and revealed.

God in his great mercy and favour to Israel,21 He hath not beheld iniquitie in Iacob: neither hath seene perversenesse in Israel. will not impute their sinnes unto them; he will not take notice of their offences, to punish them according to desert.

As God is now their King to governe,21 The shout of a King is among them. and protect them, so he hath ordained that they shall have Kings out [Page 78] of their owne loines, to rule over them; whom they shall receive with great joy, and acclamation.

23 Surely there is no enchantment against Iacob, nor any divination against Israel.In vaine doe yee carry me from place to place, that I might by my incantations procure some mischiefe to Israel, for certainely this people is so strong, and safe in Gods protection, that no inchantment, or any other evill art can prevaile against them.

23 According to this time it shall be said of Ia­cob and of Israel, What hath God wrought?Even at this very time I cannot but with astonishment record what great and wonderfull things the Lord hath wrought for Israel.

CAP. XXIIII.

1 And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to blesse Israel, hee went not as at other times to seeke inchantments.NOtwithstanding all the faire pretences of Balaam, he had (together with his former consultations of God) used all kinds of sorcery, to hurt Israel, but since he saw that none of his wicked plots would succeed, he surceased to practise his enchantments upon them, any more.

2 And the Spirit of God came upon him.God who knowes how to use evill instruments well, and is wont indifferently to bestow these kinds of gifts, caused the spirit of prophesie to come upon Balaam.

3 The man whose eyes are open hath said.The man whose eyes (how ever formerly shut) yet now are by the spirit of prophesie so opened, as be­comes Gods Seer.

4 Falling into a trance but having his eyes open.Falling into a trance, so as all his outward senses were shut up, yet the eyes of his minde were opened, to be­hold the visions of God.

6 As the trees of Lign-Aloes, which the Lord hath planted, and as Cedar trees beside the waters.As the most sweet and flourishing trees which the Lord himselfe hath planted, in a most fruitfull soile.

7 Hee shall poure the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters; and his King shall be higher then Agag.He shall have a plentifull and rich progenie, his issue shall spread abroad over fruitfull regions, and the Kings that shall come of his loines, shall be more mighty then the most flourishing Kings of the Amalekites.

9 He couched, he lay downe as a Lion, &c. Who shall stirre him up?He shall rest in fulnesse of courage, strength, and victory, so as no enemie shall dare to provoke him.

17 I shall see him, but not now, I shall behold him but not nigh: There shall come a starre out of Iacob; and a scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the chil­dren of Seth.I doe by the spirit of prophesie discry afarre off the state and glory of the people of Israel; There shall arise out of Jacob, a glorious King, bright as the morning starre, which shall not onely rule over Israel, but shall powerfully subdue all the enemies of his Church, round about.

19 Him that remaineth in the City.That sheltreth himselfe in any of the Cities of Edom.

21 And hee looked on the Kenites, &c. strong is thy dwelling place, and thou puttest thy nest in a rocke.Ye Kenites, the posterity of Jethro, may please your selves in your security, for that ye are setled in strong [Page 79] and well fortified places; and according as your name signifieth, have built your nest, high, and impregnably.

But your hopes shall, at the last, faile you; for when the Assyrians shall prevaile against Israel, then shall they also root you out of your land,22 Neverthelesse the Kenites shall be wasted untill Ashur shall carry thee away captive. and carry you away cap­tive with your neighbours.

What grievous and intolerable calamitie there shall be, when God shall bring this judgement!23 Alas, who shall live when God doth this!

And ships shall come from the coasts of Greece, and Italy, & shall afflict both the Assyrians, & the Hebrewes,24 And ships shall come from the coasts of Chittim, and shall afflict Ashur, and shall afflict Eber; and he also shall pe­rish for ever. but when they have done, these rods that scourged others, shall themselves be burnt; and feele that destru­ction which they brought upon others.

And Balaam rose up, and being frustrated of his wic­ked plots, in cursing Israel,25 And Balaam rose up and went, and returned to his place. addressed himselfe towards his returne, but in the way was overtaken with the just revenge of God.

CAP. XXV.

ACcording to the wicked project of Balaam,1 And the people be­gun to commit whore­dome with the daughters of Moab. the people of Israel began to commit fornication with the women of Moab.

And the Israelites joyned themselves both in spiritu­all, and bodily fornication,3 And Israel joyned him selfe to Baal-Peor. with those which worship­ped Baal Peor.

The Captaines, and ring-leaders of this wickednesse.4 The heads of the people.

Brought into the campe of Israel,6 Brought unto his bre­thren a Midianitish wo­man. with an open pro­fession, and purpose of commtting fornication with her, a Midianitish woman.

Behold,12 Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace. his zeale hath turned away my wrath from Israel; so as now, I will be reconciled with them; and for this cause I doe decree to make and everlasting co­venant with Phinehas, that he, and his posterity shall serve me in the priest-hood.

CAP. XXVI.

Howsoever Korah perished in that insurrection a­gainst Moses and Aaron, yet his sonnes,11 Notwithstanding the children of Korah died not. as being free from their fathers conspiracy, perished not with him, but were imployed in the service of God, with very gracious approbation.

CAP. XXVII.

3 He dyed in his owne sinne.HE was not one of them which was an author of sinne unto others, but as other un-noted Israelites, he di­ed in the wildernesse, without any publike offence or censure.

11 A statute of judge­ment.A Judiciall law that shall continue unto Israel for ever; which as it is grounded upon just reason, so shall stand in due force upon all occasions hereafter.

12 Get thee up into this mount Abarim.Get thee up into this mount Nebo, which is one of the hills called Abarim.

14 For ye rebelled, &c. vid. Num. 20.12.

18 A man in whom is the spirit.A man whom I have indued with more then an ordi­nary measure of my spirit of wisedome, and courage.

20 Put some of thine honour upon him.Let him have the same titles, and respect from the people, that thou hadst.

21 He shall stand be­fore Eleazar the Priest, who shall aske counsell for him, after the judge­ment of Vrim.The high Priest shall upon all weighty occasions, aske counsell of God for him; and he shall receive directions from the brest-plate of judgement in all his doubts.

C. 28. and 29.

Are the lawes of the sacrifices repeated, after the long inter­mission of them since their first delivery.

CAP. XXX.

5 The Lord shall for­give her, because her fa­ther disallowed her.IT shall not be imputed to her, as a sinne; that she per­formed not that which her father denieth allowance unto; since she is not in her owne power to dispose of.

13 Every vow and e­very binding oath to af­flict the soule, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void.Every vow, which the wife maketh (though she bind it with an oath also) tending to any act of humiliation, by abstinence, or any other penitentiall exercise, the husband (who hath power over the wife) may, according to his owne judgement, and will, either estabish, or frustrate.

CAP. XXXI.

23 Yee shall make it goe through the fire.YE shall cleanse by putting it into the fire; that as by fire it received that form, so thereby it may receive a new purity.

23 Neverthelesse it shall be purified with the water of separation.The water of purification which is appointed for all [Page 81] holy vessels shall be sprinkled upon it, beside and above that cleansing by fire.

That ye may acknowledge all your successe and victo­ry to come from the Lord,28 And levie a tribute unto the Lord of the men of warre which went out to battell, one soule of five hundred both of the per­sons, and of the beeves, & of the asses, and of the sheepe. the soldiers shall present to God the five hundreth part of both the persons, and beasts which they have taken.

CAP. XXXII.

ON this condition that ye will goe armed in the front of the battell, before the people of the Lord;20 If ye will doe this thing, if ye will go armed before the Lord to war. and by this meanes testifie your courage, and forwardnesse, that all Israel may know, it is not out of any cowardise, or feare, that you take up your stations on this side Jordan, but onely for the greater convenience of the place; I shall yeeld that your portion shall light where you have desired.

CAP. XXXIII.

THose whom ye shall suffer to remaine amongst you,55 Those whom yee shall let to remaine of them, shall be prickes in your eyes, and thornes in your sides. shall be a continuall vexation to you, both in spiri­tuall, and bodily respects; procuring much sorrow and mischiefe to you.

CAP. XXXV.

BEsides those sixe Cities of refuge which shall be gi­ven to the Levites for their possesson,6 And to them shall ye adde forty & two cities. yee shall also adde two and forty Cities more, to be the peculiars of the said Levites, so as forty eight Cities shall be allotted to them, for their inheritance.

That whosoever hath committed man-slaughter,12 That the manslaier die not, untill hee stand before the Congregation in judgement. may for the time shelter himselfe there, till he may have a faire and judiciall triall before the Elders of that City, where the fact was done, and may not be surprized by the avenger of blood, ere his cause be fully heard.

The revenger of blood (to whom lawfull authority shall commit the execution) shall slay the murtherer;21 The revenger of blood himselfe shall slay the murtherer when hee he meeteth him. when he is delivered into his hand by a legall judgement, he shall be his executioner.

CAP. XXXVI.

6 Let them marry to whom they thinke best; Only to the familie of the Tribe of their father shall they marry.LEt them not bee forced to marry where they like not; it shall be free for them to take their owne choice; but so, as that they keepe themselves within the compasse of their owne Tribe; they may not there­fore marry with any man of any other Tribe of Israel.

CAP. I.

9 I am not able to beare you my selfe alone.I Am not able to weild the government of so great and mightie a people, alone.

37 Also the Lord was angry with me for your sakes.The Lord was displeased with me; for that being moved by your provocations, I offended, both in my vnadvised speeches, and distrust.

CAP. II.

30 For the Lord thy God hardned his spirit, and made his heart obsti­nate.THe Lord thy God gave him up to his own thoughts; and he put on stubborne resolutions against Israel.

CAP. III.

11 After the cubite of a man.ACcording to the usuall and received measure of a cubit.

CAP. IV.

5 I have taught you statutes and judgements.I Have given you lawes both civill and sacred.

32 Aske now of the dayes that are past.Inquire of those events and proofes of actions, which have beene in ancient times.

34 By tentations.By severall trialls of their obedience.

CAP. VI.

YE shall not provoke the Lord your God by distrust­ing,16 Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, &c. or straining his power for the satisfying of your owne carnall desires.

CAP. VII.

THe Lord will not plague thee,15 The Lord will put none of the evill diseases of Aegypt upon thee. with those contagious & deadly diseases, which he inflicted upon the Aegyp­tians, when they withstood his will in your departure.

vid. Exodus. 9.14.

The Lord thy God,20 The Lord thy God shall send the homet a­mong them, &c. who is able by smallest meanes to confound the mightiest, shall send venomous flies a­mongst them, which shall not onely gall them, but shall sting them to death.

CAP. VIII.

A Land,9 A land where stones are yron, and out of whose hills thou maiest digge brasse. whose face is not better furnish't with all kind of fruits, then her bowells are stored with rich, and usefull metalls.

CAP. IX.

I tooke that molten calfe wherein you had sinned,21 I tooke your sinne, the calfe which yee had made. ido­latrously worshipping it in stead of the true God.

CAP. X.

CVt off therefore all that superfluity of wickednesse,16 Circumcise there­fore the foreskin of your hearts. which is in your nature, and practise; and be ye spiri­tually cleane and holy unto God.

CAP. XI.

THe Land of Canaan,11 But the land whi­ther ye goe to possesse it, is a land of hills & vallies; and drinketh water of the raine of heaven. which ye are now going to pos­sesse, is not an even, and low plaine, as Aegypt was, from whence ye came, but full of pleasant and wholsome mountaines; and therefore is not, nor cannot be wate­red with the overflowings of a river (as Aegypt was with Nilus) but is moistned with the raine that fals from the clouds.

14 I will give you the first and the latter raine.I will give you seasonable raines, both the first raine after your seed time, to supple and fruiten the earth, and the later raine before your harvest, to swell up, and fill the eares.

18 For a signe on thine hand and a frontlet be­tweene thine eyes. Vid. Exodus 13.9. & 26. Not onely shalt thou lay up my law in thy heart, but thou shalt have certaine scrolls tyed both to thy forehead, and to thy hand, for a memo­riall thereof.

CAP. XII.

22 Even as the Roe bucke and the Hart is ea­ten, so shalt thou eate them, the uncleane and cleane shall eate of them alike. So also verse, 15.THou maist freely eate of thy beeves, or sheepe, or goates, though these kindes of creatures are wont to be of use for sacrifice unto God; yet maist thou with no lesse allowance eate of them, then of the Roe, and Hart, which are unfit for sacrifice, and yet fit for the use of thy table; neither shall there be any difference of persons, in respect of legall cleannesse, or pollution, at these thy civill meales; but all shall partake of them alike.

CAP. XIII.

6 Or thy friend which is as thine owne soule.OR if it bee possible that a friend should be dearer to thee then all these, as being no lesse one with thy soule, then thy wife is with thy body.

9 Thou shalt surely kill him; thy hand shall be first upon him.Thou shalt certainly procure his death by thine infor­mation and testimony; and as his just accuser, thou shalt throw the first stone at him.

17 And there shall cleave nought of the cur­sed thing to thine hand.Thou shalt suffer nothing to bee reserved of all that spoile which is devoted to destruction.

CAP. XIV.

1 Ye shall not cut your selves, &c. See Leviticus 19.28. and Ierem. 16.6.

6 Every beast that par­teth the hoofe. See Levit. 11.2.3.

CAP. XV.

4 Save when there shall be no poore; or, that there be no poore among you.THou shalt thus release, that thou maist not by thine exaction impoverish thy brother; that so there may be no needy person among you. Compare this verse with the eleventh.

CAP. XVI.

AFter thou hast thus eaten the Passover on the Even­ing,7 And thou shalt turne in the morning, and goe to thy tents. thou shalt in the morning returne to the place of thine abode.

Thou shalt not receive a bribe to pervert justice.9 Thou shalt not take a gift.

Thou shalt not so farre conforme thy selfe to heathen Idolaters,21 Thou shalt not plant thee any grove of trees neare to the Altar of the Lord. as to plant any grove of trees neare to the altar of the Lord.

CAP. XVII.

IF there arise a matter for thee too hard to decide in cases of murder, and manslaughter,8 If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judge­ment betwe [...] blood and blood, betweene plea and plea, betweene stroke and stroke, &c. in questions of dif­ference betwixt parties, whether in civill affaires, or bu­sinesse of violence offered.

Nor send his people downe into Aegypt, to fetch thence such multitude of horses, as whereon he may trust for successe of victory.16 Nor cause the peo­ple to returne to Aegypt, to the end that he should multiplie horses.

CAP. XX.

IF any man have minde to make excuses of occasions whereby his heart may be drawne homeward,5 What man have built a new house and hath not dedicated it, let him re­turne, &c. so as he cannot heartily intend the service of the warre; whether it be in matter of purchase, or mariage, or plantation, let him have free libertie to returne; for God requires a free and chearefull resolution in those which goe forth to fight his battells.

Except they accept of conditions of peace,16 Thou shalt save a­live nothing that breath­eth. when they are tendered unto them, thou shalt leave none of the per­sons, or beasts alive.

Thou shalt not destroy any of the trees that beareth fruit for the sustenance of man.19 Thou shalt not de­stroy the trees thereof.

CAP. XXI.

VNto some obscure valley that lies neglected,5 Vnto a rough valley. and ut­terly uncultured.

Thou shalt take those courses with her,12 Shee shall shave her head, and suffer her nailes to grow. that may most set off thy affections from her; both by the shaving her head close, and by the deformed growth of her nailes.

14 If thou have no de­light in her; then thou shalt let her goe.But if by these meanes of deformation thy heart shall be set off from her, before thy marriage to her, then thou shalt dismisse her, &c.

17 The beginning of his strength.He is the first of that issue, which is a strengthening and defence unto him.

23 For he that is hang­ed is accursed of God.As all that are put to death as malactors, are, in re­gard of the cause of their death, accursed of God, so in an especiall manner, those that are put to this painefull and shamfull death of hanging upon the tree; as their of­fence is more hainous, and destable.

CAP. XXII.

1 Thou shalt not hide thy selfe from them.THou shalt not forbeare to give helpe to the oxe or sheep of thy brother, in bringing it home frō straying.

7 But thou shalt in any wise let [...] dam goe, &c,Thou shalt avoid all cruelty towards those creatures which God hath given to thy use; thou shalt not there­fore at once kill the damme sitting on her nest: since the lives of the young depend on hers.

27 And the betrothed damosell cryed.It is to be supposed that the betrothed damsell cryed.

30 Nor discouer his fathers skirt. See Levit. 18.8.

CAP. XXIII.

1 Shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord.SHall not bee admitted to beare office, in the state of Israel.

8 The children that are begotten of them shall enter into the con­gregation of the Lord in the third generation.After they have beene in three successions incorpora­ted into Israel, they may have the priviledge of being admitted to the administration of the common-wealth.

Thou shalt have a place set apart for thee without the campe, whither thou shalt goe for the discharging of the necessities of nature.12 Thou shalt have a place also without the camp whither thou shalt goe forth abroad.

If an Heathenish servant shall be a convert to thy true religion, and shall in this regard, for the liberty of his conscience,15 Thou shalt not de­liver unto his master, the servant which is escaped from his master to thee. flee unto thee, thou shalt not deliver him backe to his Master.

18 Thou shalt not bring the hire of an whore.An harlot shall not offer to God that money which was given her for the hire of her whordome.

To him that is a stranger from the blood, and religi­on of Israel, thou maiest carry thy selfe strangely; and therefore thou art not bound to lend unto such a one freely.20 Vnto a stranger thou maist lend upon usury.

Thou maist for the satisfying of thy present hunger plucke the eares of corne with thine hand.25 Then thou maist plucke the eares with thine hand.

CAP. XXIV.

IF a man shall finde any soule,1 Because hee hath found some uncleannesse in her, then let him write her a bill of divorce. or shamefull matter in the behaviour of his wife; or any intolerable imper­fection in her body; a divorce in such case is, for the hard­nesse of your hearts, tolerated; which divorce is to bee signified by a formall writing, to that purpose.

For that which he taketh to pledge is a necessary in­strument of preparing that bread,6 For he taketh a mans life to pledge. whereby mans life is sustained.

Hee maketh account of it as the meanes of his live­load.15 He setteth his heart upon it.

However the Magistrate may deale in case of mulcts,16 The father shall not be put to death for the children, &c. and forfaitures, yet he may not inflict death upon the child for the fathers offence, nor on the father for the crime of the child.

CAP. XXV.

THey shall absolve and acquite the innocent.1 They shall justifie the righteous.

He that is next in blood to her husband, shall re­tire himselfe to a conjugall familiarity with her.5 Her husbands bro­ther shall goe in unto her.

Shall be reputed as the sonne of that brother which is dead.6 Shall succeed in the name of his brother.

And shall spit upon the ground, before him; and shall say; So shall the man be defied,9 And shall spit in his face (or presence) and shall answer and say; So shall it be done to the man that will not build up his brothers house. or spat out of the con­gregation, as justly worthy of contempt, who refuseth to raise up seed to his dead brother.

CAP. XXVI.

A Distressed sojourner in Syria that fled from a cruell brother to the service of a cruell uncle,5 A Syrian ready to pe­rish was my father. was that ancestor from whom we are derived.

I have not eaten thereof uncomfortably,14 I have not eaten thereof in my mourning. and deject­edly, but with that chearefulnesse of heart, which thou re­quirest.

I have not superstitiously bestowed any part thereof in furnishing the exequies of the dead.14 Nor given ought thereof to the dead.

CAP. XXVII.

NO yron toole shall be used in hewing and squaring of the stones for Gods altar.5 Thou shalt not lift up any yron toole upon them.

9 This day thou art be­come the people of the Lord thy God.This day by renewing thy covenant with God, thou art anew interessed in him, and acknowledged for his peculiar people.

12 These shall stand upon mount Gerizim, and blesse the people.Sixe of the tribes which are more noble (by the mo­thers side) then the rest, shall, upon mount Gerizim pro­nounce the blessing on the people.

24 Cursed bee hee that smiteth his neighbour se­cretly.Cursed be he that by secret practises procureth the blood of his neighbour to be shed.

26 Cursed be hee that confirmeth not all the words of this law to doe them.Cursed be he that doth not in his practise conforme, and frame himselfe to the whole Law of God, and con­tinue in the carefull observation thereof, all his dayes.

CAP. XXVIII.

5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.BLessed shalt thou be in the fruits, which thou gathe­rest, and layest up; and in those victualls which thou preparest, or reservest.

12 The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the raine to thy land, &c.The Lord that hath treasured up his rich and fruitfull showers, in the clouds, shall open them seasonably unto thee, causing the raine to fall from heaven upon thy land, &c.

13 The Lord shall make thee the head, and not the taile.The Lord shall give thee a superiority above other nations, and not put thee beneath them in honor and reputation.

23 The heaven that is over thy head shall bee brasse, and the earth that is under thee shall bee yron.The moisture of the clouds shall be utterly restrained from thee; and the earth shall with the drought there­of be barren and fruitlesse.

24 The Lord shall make the raine of thy land powder and dust.The ayre shall be filled with a dry dust, in stead of the drops of a comfortable, and refreshing raine.

The Lord shall smite thee with those grievous boiles, and blaines,27 The Lord shall smite thee with the botch of Aegypt. wherewith he plagued the Aegyptians, when they refused to let you goe out of their land. Exod. 9.

34 Thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes.The view and sense of those judgements which shall be inflicted upon thee, shall utterly distract thee of thy wits.

48 He shall put a yoke of yron upon thy necke.He shall put thee under an hard and intolerable bond­age.

54 His eye shall bee evill toward his brother, &c.He shall grudge to his brother; or to his wife any part of the flesh of his owne children, &c.

An heart full of dejectednesse and dismay, and an utter disappointment of all hopes of delivery.65 A trembling heart, and fayling of eyes.

68 The Lord shall bring thee in to Aegypt a­gaine with ships.The Lord shall cause thee to bee carried captive in ships through the Mediterranean Sea into that land of Aegypt, where thou wert once in bondage.

CAP. XXIX.

I Make this covenant, as with those that are now alive,15 But with him that standeth here with us this day before the Lord our God, and also with him that is not here with us this day. and here present this day, so with those of your poste­rity, which as yet have no being.

Lest there be amongst you any wicked person, who by his Idolatry may poyson Gods people,18 Lest there should be amongst you a root that beareth gall and wormwood. and bring many bitter and grievous judgements upon you.

To draw on one sinne upon another; making one sin but a beginning and provocation of the next.19 To adde drunken­nesse to thirst.

And that the whole land thereof shall be Sodom-like covered over with brimstone, & salt,23 And that the whole land thereof is brimstone and salt, & burning, that it is not sowne, nor beareth. which shall scorch and dry up the earth, that it shall not be capable of seed, or fruit.

CAP. XXX.

THe Lord thy God will by his spirit reforme and re­new thy heart.6 The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart.

CAP. XXXII.

I Wish that my doctrine may so fall upon your hearts,2 My doctrine shall dorp as the raine, &c. as the sweet and gentle showers fall upon the herbs and flowers of the earth; which cause them to spring forth and flowrish.

He is a strong and sure refuge to his Church.4 He is the rocke.

This people of Israel hath corrupted themselves with their Idolatry;5 They have corrup­ted themselves; their spot is not the spot of his chil­dren: they are a perverse and crooked generation. the blemishes of their actions are not such as may stand with the profession, which they make of Gods children, errors of infirmity; but such as justly argue them to bee a rebellious and wicked generation.

The Lord hath chosen out Israel to be his share,9 For the Lords por­tion is his people. and peculiar possession, among all the nations of the world.

He made him to subdue,13 He made him ride on the high places of the earth. and triumph over the most defenced Cities, and most impregnable places of the earth.

He caused the most craggie and barren parts to yeeld unto Israel much pleasure, and store of delicacies.13 He made him to sucke hony out of the rocke, and oyle out of the flintie rocke.

But my people, whom I stiled righteous, have abused my bounty, and turned my grace into wantonnesse;15 But Iesurun waxed fat and kicked, &c. for being pampered by my mercifull provisions, they have carried themselves rebelliously towards me.

21 I will move them to jealousie with those which are not a people.This people of Israel shall be moved to anger and envy, by the sight of those mercies which (diverting from them) I shall bestow upon the Gentiles, whom now they scorne as no people of God.

22 For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burne unto the lowest hell.Those judgements, which I will inflict in my wrath­full displeasure, shall be most vehement, and unconceive­ably fearefull.

24 They shall be burnt with hunger.Their skins shall turne blacke with famine.

If God, who was wont to be their refuge, had not given them up into the hands of their enemies,30 Except their rocke had sold them. to bee bought, and sold as slaves.

31 For their rocke is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.For the gods in whom the heathen trust, are not like unto our God, even in the judgement of our enemies themselves, who have had experience of the wonderfull power of God, both in his judgements, and our delive­rances.

32 Their vine is of the vine of Sodome, and of the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bit­ter.The fruits that they yeeld are unsavory, and unwhol­some, such as were yeelded by those wicked cities of Sodom, and Gomorrah: So abhominably evill are their lives, as were those of the cities accursed and consumed from heaven; their workes are most distastfull, and odi­ous in the judgement of the Almighty.

33 Their wine is the poyson of dragons.Their best actions are to God, as the deadliest poy­son is to the taste of men.

34 Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?Are not these wickednesses taken notice of, and kept in perpetuall remembrance by me; and in my eternall decree reserved to a most certaine judgement?

40 I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever.I sweare by my selfe, and say, As I live for ever, I will be avenged on mine enemies.

I will by my revenging hand worke an exceeding great slaughter amongst mine enemies.42 I will make mine arrowes drunke with blood.

It is that, which if ye doe, yee shall live in perform­ing it.47 It is your life.

CAP. XXXIII.

2 The Lord came frō Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shineth forth frō mount Paran, and he came with ten thou­sands of his Saints: From his right hand went a fie­ry law for them.GOd, like a glorious sunne, imparted his beames un­to Israel; beginning his course at their first entring into the wildernesse, and rising still up to them by the proofe of his goodnesse, in their passage through the land of Edom; he shined forth brightly as at noone day to them, when he blessed the elders of Israel with a large measure of his spirit; and he garded his people with ten thousands of his powerfull Angells; in whose attendance he did, in fire, deliver his law majestically, and terribly to Israel.

O God,3 All his Saints are in thine hand; and they sate downe at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words. all thine holy and chosen people are in thy safe, and blessed protection; They attended upon thee at the foot of the mount Sinai, and with awe and reve­rence received the words of thy Law, which thou spakest unto them.

Moses was the Prince and governour of Israel.5 He was King in Iesu­run.

Bring him home from his warres with victory and peace, let his hand be so strēgthened by thee,7 And bring him unto his people; let his hands be sufficient for him. that it may be able to subdue all his enemies.

Be gracious to the tribe of Levi; and furnish thou thine High priest, whom thou hast chosen out of it,8 Let thy Vrim and thy Thummim be with thine holy one whom thou didst prove in Massah. with those excellent graces, which thou hast figured in his brest-plate, with perfection of knowledge, and sanctity; Thus do thou blesse the sonne of that thy servant Aaron, whom thou provedst at Massah, &c.

God shall take up his dwelling in that chiefe City,12 He shall dwell be­tweene his shoulders. which, in part, pertaineth to the Tribe of Benjamin, even the holy City Hierusalem.

For the dew that falleth from above,13 For the dewe, and for the deepe that couch­eth beneath. and for the wa­ter-springs that fruiten his plants from below.

And for those precious fruits,14 And for the precious fruits brought forth by the Sunne, and for the preci­ous fruits put forth by the Moone. which are brought forth by the warmth of the sun-beames, and by the kindly moisture of the night, & by the influence of the Moone.

And for those choice fruits,15 And for the chiefe things of the ancient mountaines, &c. which ripen best upon the mountaines; those eminent mountaines, which have so continued ever since their first creation; and are now fa­mous in the inheritance of Joseph.

For the gracious favour and benediction of that God who appeared to me in that bush which consumed not.16 For the good will of him that dwelt in the Bush.

The Tribe of Ephraim shall be glorious, and lusty,17 His glory is like the firstling, of his bullocke, and his hornes are like the hornes of Vnicornes, with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth; & they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh. full of beauty and courage, like to a faire young bullock in his best strength; and his power shall be great and unresistible, wherewith he shall conquer far-remote na­tions; Lo, thus succesfull and victorious shall bee both the sonnes of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, but espe­cially Ephraim, who shall exceed his brother no lesse then ten degrees.

Much cause of joy mayst thou have, O Zebulun,18 Rejoyce Zebulun in thy going out; and Issa­char in thy tents. in all thy goings out, whether for trafique, or for warre; and thou, Issachar, his elder brother, in thy quiet habitations at home.

Gad shall dwell commodiously for spoyling his ene­mies; of whom he shall make his pray,20 Hee dwelleth as a Lyon, and teareth the arme with the crowne of the head. like to strong fierce Lyon, which teareth the head from the shoulders of that beast which he seizeth upon.

He made a wise and early provision for himselfe,21 And he provided the first part for himselfe, because there in a portion of the Lawgiver he was seated. in planting himselfe on this side Jordan, in that portion, [Page 92] which upon his suit was alloted him by the ruler, and law-giver of Israel.

22 Dan is a Lyons whelpe, he shall leap from Bashan.Dan shall flie upon his enemies, like some fell and fierce young Lyon, that is bred in the mountaine of Bashan.

He shall dwell in a rich soile, and shall abound with the plenty of all earthly blessings.24 Let him dip his foot in oyle.

25 Thy shooes shall be yron ard brasse.The earth whereon thou shalt tread shall be stored with all usefull metalls, as yron and brasse, and the like of those kinds.

CAP. XXXIV.

6 And hee buried him in a vally in the land of Moab.GOd did this honor to his servant Moses, that he did, without the ayd of any mortall hand, provide a grave for him, and there inrerred him accordingly.

8 Face to face. See Numbers 12.8.

CAP. V.

9 I have this day rol­led away the reproach of Aegypt off you. I Have taken away from you that your uncir­cumcision, which you have kept all this while, out of that irreligous carelesnesse which your fathers brought with them out of Aegypt.

14 Nay, but as Captaine of the host of th [...] Lord am I now comne.It is farre from me to be for thine adversaries; no, I am that Angell of the covenant who am comne to lead, and protect the troupes of Israel.

15 Loose thy shooe, &c. See Exodus 3.5.

CAP. VI.

17 The city shall bee accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord.THe City shall be devoted to an absolute destruction, and all the living creatures that are in it; and seque­stred to a revenge, and extirpation, from the Lord,

26 He shall lay the foundation thereof in his first borne, and in his yon­gest sonne shall he set up the gates of it.When he laies the first stone in the foundation, let his eldest sonne die, and when he hath finished it, and [Page 93] set up the gates, let his youngest sonne die; so let him be left utterly childlesse, that will goe about to reedifie that city, which God would have lie waste.

See 1 Kings. 16.34.

CAP. VII.

THey beganne to be dis-heartened,5 The hearts of the people melted, and became as water. and their courage and spirit beganne to faile them.

As thou hast offended, and dishonored God,19 My sonne, I pray thee give glory to the Lord, &c. by thy sinne, so now give honor to his omniscience and justice, who hath found thee out in thy sinne, by acknowledg­ing this hainous offence, whereby thou hast provoked Gods anger against his people.

CAP. IX.

ANd the men tooke their relation upon trust,14 And the men tooke of their victualls, & asked not counsell at the mouth of the Lord. at the sight of their mouldy victualls; and did not consult with the High Priest, who in all doubtfull cases was to returne them the answers of the Lord.

Ye are of that nation, whom God amongst the rest hath cursed, and appointed to be rooted out;23 Now therefore yee are cursed. and besides you have deserved a just punishment of this your guile.

CAP. X.

O God,12 Sunne stand thou still upon Gibeon, & thou Moone in the vally of Ajalon. let it please thee to command the Sunne to stand still, whiles we are fighting in, and for Gibeon; that we may have light to do full execution upon thine enemies; and let the Moone forbeare to bring on the night upon us.

So Joshua smote all that part of the countrie,40 So Ioshua smote all the country of the hills, & of the South, and of the vale, and of the springs. which lay to the South; both those cities which were built on the hills, and those which were seated in the plaines.

CAP. XI.

AS for those cities which yeelded themselves up to Joshua,13 But as for the cities that stood still in their strength, Israel burnt none of them. ere they were defaced by a violence of a siege, Israel burnt none of them.

It was the wise counsell and just decree of the Almigh­ty, that the inhabitants,20 For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battell. being left to their owne thoughts, should take up stubborne resolutions to stand out in battell against Israel.

CAP. XV.

19 Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a South-land, give me also springs of water.OVt of the bounty of a parent, give me this addition to my childs-part; thou hast already bestowed upon me a parcell of mountainous and dry land, give me also some other ground that lies low, and well watered.

CAP. XVII.

THou shalt take all the passages to, and from, and a­bout it;18 And the out-goings of it shall be thine. and the bordering places adjoyning to it.

CAP. XXII.

17 Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us; frō which we are not cleansed untill this day, although there was a plague in the Congregation of the Lord?WAs it not enough wickednesse in us, that hereto­fore through the inticements of the Moabitish women, we were joyned to Baal-Peor, and were drawen into horrible Idolatrie, (the remainders of which sinne and judgement doe still sticke by us, although God sent a grievous plague amongst us, in regard thereof) but that ye must now againe this day,18 But that ye must turne away this day from following the Lord; &c. sinne against God, in a new point of will-worship, and Idolatry.

If there bee any taint of Idolatry in the very place, whereby it is made unholy,19 If the land of your possession be uncleane, thē passe ye over unto the land of the possession of the Lord, &c. and infectious; then leave that your possession beyond Jordan, which is separated from the rest of the inheritance of Gods people, and passe over hither to us.

CAP. XXIV.

12 And I sent the hor­net before you. See Deut. 7.20.

HEe will no suffer your willing, and presumptuous sinnes to goe unpunished.19 He will not forgive your transgressions, nor your sinnes.

This stone shall bee a monument of this dayes cove­nant,27 Behold, this stone shall be a witnesse unto us, for it hath heard all the words of the Lord, &c. which you have renewed with the Lord, for as much as in the view, and presence thereof, ye have spoken the words of this Covenant, mutually agreed upon, betwixt God, and us.

CAP. III.

GOd gave them into the hands of the King of Mesopotamia,8 Hee sold them into the hand of Chushan-Ri­shathaim King of Mesopo­tamia. that they might be his tribu­taries, and slaves.

And God enabled him with the gifts of wisedome, and power to rescue,10 And the spirit of the Lord came upon him. and governe his peo­ple.

CAP. IV.

ANd Deborah was moved with the spirit of Prophe­sie & was extraordinarily raised up by God,4 Deborah a prophetesse the wife of Lapidoth shee judged Israel at that time. to give answers from God to Israel, and to give counsells, and directions to his people.

CAP. V.

O Lord,4 Lord when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, &c. thou shewd'st thy selfe marvelous in all the passages of Israel out of Aegypt; when thou wentest up before them from the land of the Edomites, both the heavens and the earth did both feele, and declare thy power; in all these were seene the wonderfull signes of thine almighty protection of thy people.

The very foundations of the mountaines were moved at thy presence; in so much as mount Sinai it selfe,5 The mountaines mel­ted from before the Lord, even that Sinai frō before the Lord God of Israel. which had formerly shaken at the deliverie of thy law given upon it, did now againe (though farre distant) quake at the awfull manifestation of thy power.

In the daies of the late tyrans that enthralled and op­pressed Israel,6 In the dayes of Sham­gar the Son of Anath, in the dayes of Iael, the high wayes were unoc­cupied, &c. even from the time of Shamgars delive­rance, till this of Iael; the waies were unfrequented, no man durst stirre out, for feare of their cruelty.

It was for their Idolatry,8 They chose new gods, then was warre in the gates. that God stirred up ene­mies against them, and brought this desolation to their cities.

I cannot but applaud, and blesse God,9 My heart is toward the governours of Israel that offered themselves willingly among the peo­ple. for the for­wardnesse, and chearefull courage of the chiefe rulers of Israel, in undertaking this warre.

10 Speake ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgement, and walke by the way.O ye, that are the chiefe leaders, and governers of the people, doe ye help me to praise our God, for our deli­verance; and ye that are travailers, and traders abroad, joyne with me in this thanksgiving.

11 They that are deli­vered from the noyse of the archers in the places of drawing water; there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord, &c. towards the villages of Israel; thē shall the people of the Lord goe downe to the gates.And ye the meanest of the people, even the drawers of water, in Israel, who for the danger of the enemie durst not stirre forth of your doores, doe you, being de­livered from this feare, magnifie the great workes of God, who hath so freed all the villages of Israel, that now they may safely resort to their cities, whether for justice or trafique.

12 Lead thy captiuitie captive.Bring forth thy captives in a triumphant manner.

Most of the severall tribes did their parts in this con­flict;14 Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek, after thee Benjamin among thy people: out of Machir came downe governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer. some came from Ephraim, others from the borders of the Amalekites; and thou Benjamin, who art but a small tribe, wert not behinde the rest of Israel; Some from Manasseth (of whom Machir descended) who were chiefe rulers among the people, came forth; and the scribes of the Tribe of Zebulun were not wanting to this valiant service.

Also Barak, with his tribe of Nephthali, came readi­ly,15 And also Barak hee was sent on foot into the valley, for the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart. and with all the speed that his feet could make, into the field; As for those tribes of Reuben and Gad, who were by the lot of their inheritāce divided from the rest, there were great exceptions taken at their absence.

16 Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds to heare the bleatings of the flockes? for the divisions of Reuben were great searchings of heart.O ye of the tribes beyond Iordan, how could any of you sit still quiet among your flockes, and heards, when these great businesses were in hand; for the absence of Reuben great exceptions were taken, & diverse censures passed.

17 Gilead abode be­yond Iordan, and why did Dan remaine in ships, &c?Gilead came not forth, but abode still at home be­yond Iordan; and those of Dan were attending their merchandize, &c.

19 The Kings came and fought.The neighbour Kings came forth to ayd Jabin.

19 They tooke no gaine of money.They gained nothing by the warre.

The very cloudes and windes sought for us, against our enemies; and the starres of heaven, whose influence workes upon these creatures,20 They fought frō hea­ven, the stars in their cour­ses fought against Sisera. tooke part with us against Sisera.

21 O my soule, thou hast troden downe strength.O my soule, thou hast triumphed over all the strength of thine enemies.

23 Curse ye Meroz, said the Angell of the Lord, curse ye utterly the inha­bitants of Meroz, because they came not to the help of the Lord, &c.The Angell of God, whose prophetesse I am, hath bidden me to call for your curses against Meroz, and the inhabitants thereof, who dwelling neare to the place where this battel was fought, and (as it were) within the noise of our trumpets, yet came not forth to our ayd.

CAP. VI.

DOe not worship or serve the gods of the Amo­rites.10 Feare not the gods of the Amorites.

For,22 For because I have seene an Angell of the Lord face to face. because I have seene an Angell of the Lord face to face in that visible forme which hee assumed, I shall surely die.

In the top of this rocke whereon I gave order unto thee before,26 Vpon the top of this rocke, in the ordered place. to offer that thy sacrifice (which my fire consumed) in that place, which is already predisposed for this worke, offer thy burnt sacrifice, &c.

God raised up the heart of Gideon with courage,34 But this Spirit of the Lord came upon Gi­deon. to undertake this warre, and with prudence to ma­nage it.

CAP. VIII.

VVHat need yee contend for this;2 What have I now done in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better then the vintage of Abiezer. that later fact that ye Ephraimites have done, in chasing, and executing the Midianites is much more, then all that which we followers of Abiezer have done in joyning the battle, and routing these enemies.

Canst thou be so foolish,6 Are the hands of Ze­ba and Zalmnana now in thine hands, that wee should give bread to thine army. as to hope to subdue Zeba and Zalmunna, that we should cast away our victualls on thine armie, upon this vaine pretence?

I will beat your bodies with whippes of thornes,7 I will teare your flesh with the thornes of the wildernesse. and bryers, unto death.

With them he did (according as he had threatned) beate the elders of that city,16 And with them he taught the men of Suc­coth. for a warning unto the men of Succoth; who, by their example were taught, how dangerous it is to sleight Gods agents.

A thousand and seven hundred Shekells of Gold,26 A thousand and seven hundred Shekells of gold. whereof every one weighed an hundred and sixtie graines, which is two drammes and sixteene graines.

He put it (as a monument of that great victory and deliverance) in his city Ophrah;27 And put it in his citie, even in Ophrah; and all Israel went thither a whoring after it. but the people after­wards made an ill use of it; turning it to the service of their idolls, wherewith they were shamefully defiled.

CAP. IX.

WHich is pleasing to God in the use of his sacrifi­ces, and to men in their feasts.13 Which cheareth God and man.

Let there be deadly dissension betweene Abimelech,20 Let fire come out from Abimelech, and de­voure the men of She­chem, &c. [Page 98] and the men of Shechem; & let the one of them be used as a meanes to plague and destroy the other; let Abime­lech burne the Shechemites, and let them kill him.

23 Then God sent an evill spirit betweene Abi­melech, and the men of Shechem.Then God according to the imprecation of Jotham, did in his just judgement give way and power to Satan, to set discord betweene Abimelech and the men of Shechem.

28 Is not he the sonne of Ierubbaal? and Zebul his officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of She­chem: for why should we serve him?Is not he the base sonne of Jerubbaal? and is not this unworthy Zebul his officer? if ye must serve, rather sub­mit your selves to those that are the issue of the ancient Lords of this citie; then to this upstart generation.

In signe of an utter solitude and vastation, he sowed salt in the soile of the streets there;45 And sowed it with salt. as those which he would have continue desert and forlorne.

CAP. X.

16 And his soule was grieved for the misery of Israel.ANd God had compassion on the miseries that Israel had brought upon themselves by their idolatrie.

CAP. XI.

11 And Ieptha uttered all his words before the Lord in Mizpeh.ANd Jeptha, calling all the congregation together in Mispha, did before them repeate the covenant that was betweene him, and Israel, and called the Lord to witnesse of this their mutuall agreement.

24 Wilt not thou pos­sesse that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possesse: So whomsoever the Lord our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possesse.Ye doe vainly worship Chemosh your false god, and when you have obtained a victory, or possession, ascribe it falsly to that your Idol, and thinke that you both doe, and ought to hold it of him; and is it not reason then, that when the only and true God (whom ye serve) gives us possession of the land of our enemies, we should en­joy it?

29 The Spirit of the Lord came upon Ieptha.God stirred up the courage of Jeptha, and put into him the spirit of fortitude, &c.

31 Whatsoever cōmeth forth of the doores, &c. shall surely be the Lords, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.Whatsoever commeth first out of my doores to meet me, &c. shall surely be consecrated to the Lord; and if it be ought that may be capable of being sacrificed, I will offer it up for a burnt sacrifice to God.

35 Thou hast brought me very low, &c. For I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I can­not goe backe.Thou art now unwittingly a cause of much sorrow, and affliction to me; for I have made a vow to God con­cerning whatsoever should first come forth to meet me, and I cannot reverse it.

37 Let this thing bee done for me, let me alone two moneths, that I may goe up and downe upon the mountaines, and be­waile my virginity; I and my fellowes.Since thou hast vowed to consecrate me to God, I do also willingly yeeld to make good thy vow; onely let [Page 99] me have two moneths respite to bewaile that virginity of mine (which will follow upon this vow of thine, and shall occasion this discomfort unto thee.)

And the daughters of Israel went yearely to condole with the daughter of Jeptha, foure dayes in a yeare.40 To lament (or speake with) the daughter of Jep­tha.

CAP. XII.

YEe Gileadites are no better then base fugitives,4 Ye Gileadites are fu­gitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, & among the Manassites. the scumme of two tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, a mungrell generation, compounded of both; and living upon both; so as ye have no reason to stand out in a con­testation with the noble tribe of Ephraim.

Give proofe of thy tribe, by thy speech;6 Say now Shibboleth. Thou wouldst passe over the ford of Jordan; pronounce that word which signifieth a Ford; say, Shibboleth, &c.

CAP. XIII.

THe Nazariteship of thy sonne shall beginne very early, even in the womb of thee his mother;4 Now therefore be­ware I pray thee, and drinke no wine nor strong drinke, and eate not any uncleane thing. thou shalt therefore neither eate nor drinke that which is in the law forbidden to these votaries, lest the child should, within thy womb, bee nourished with unlawfull suste­nance.

And he began to have many instincts,25 And the spirit of the Lord beganne to move him at times in the campe of Dan, &c. and strong motions from God, at severall times, whereby he found himselfe set apart, and prepared for the great worke of delivering his people.

CAP. XIV.

HIs father,4 But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the Lord, that hee sought an occasion against the Philistims. and his mother knew not that the Lord had purposely contrived it thus, that hereupon Sampson might take an occasion to fall foule upon the Philistims, and might have the advantage of the quarrell.

And the Lord indued him suddenly with an extra­ordinary measure of strength;6 And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him; and he rent him as he would have rent Kid. and he pulled the Lyon in peeces, with as much ease, as if it had beene a yong and tender kid.

If ye had not used the meanes of my wife for the know­ledge of this secret.18 If ye had not plow­ed with my heifer, &c.

CAP. XV.

8 And he smote them hip and thigh.ANd he smote them both horse and foote; both those that used the thigh for seate, and those that used the hip for motion, &c.

14 And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him.And God put a miraculous measure of strength into him.

19 But God cleave an hollow place that was in the Iaw, (or Lehi) and there came out water.And God opened an hollownesse that was in that place, which was called, Lehi; or Jaw-bone; and there came out water.

CAP. XVI.

16 So that his soule was vexed unto death.SO as her importunity was an extreame and intole­rable vexation to him.

CAP. XVII.

5 And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an Ephod, and Tera­phim, &c. And consecra­ted one of his sonnes who became his Priest.ANd Micah had a Chappell in his house which hee consecrated to his gods, and made statues or Idols which he placed therein; and (in imitation of Gods own command to his Priests) made an Ephod for the Priest to weare in his devotions, and consecrated one of his sonnes (though of the tribe of Ephraim) to be his Priest.

13 Now know I that the Lord wil do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my Priest.I know I did amisse in consecrating one to bee my Priest, who is not of the tribe of Levi; but now I have made amends for that error; and now, I hope God will be favorable to me; seeing I have chosen a Priest out of the due Tribe.

CAP. XVIII.

6 Before the Lord is your way wherein ye go.GOd hath taken speciall notice of your journey to prosper it.

30 Vntill the day of the captivitie of the land.Untill the time that the Philistims prevailed against the Land.

CAP. XIX.

18 But I am now going to the house of the Lord.I Am travelling to Shiloh, where the Tabernacle of the Lord, and my imployment is.

22 Sonnes of Belial.Leud and debaucht men.

That we may abuse him to our lust.22 That we may know him.

If ye will needs be so outragious, take your pleasure on them rather; and bring this shame upon them.24 Humble them.

CAP. XX.

SEven hundred men,16 Seven hundred chosen men, left-handed, every one could sling stones at an haire breadth, and not misse. so skilfull that they could even with their left hand also weild their weapons; and so expert in the art of slinging, that they would not misse of the smallest marke.

Ye are over-confident, as of your cause, so of your strength; and therefore for your further humiliation,23 And the Lord said, goe up against him. I give way unto you to goe up against Benjamin; but I doe not incourage you with promise of successe.

CAP. XXI.

YEe have sufficiently kept your oath,22 For ye did not give unto them at this time that you should be guilty. in that ye did not voluntarily give your daughters to them, so as now if you shall connive at this violence, they are furni­shed with wives, and ye are guiltlesse.

CAP. I.

YOu know I am past the possibility of having any other sonnes,11 Are there yet any moe sonnes in my wombe that they may bee your husbands? that might raise a seed to their dead brethren.

My case is now altered,20 Call me not Naomi, call me Mara, &c. and so let my name be; I had a name when I was before with you, that soun­ded of pleasure, but now my present condition calls for a name of bitternesse.

CAP. II.

GOd so disposed of her choise,3 And her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging to Boaz. that she light upon a part of the field belonging to Boaz.

20 Who hath not left off his kindnesse to the living and to the dead.Who so lovingly continueth a kinde remembrance of his dead kinsman, my late husband Elimelech, and for his sake, of me.

CAP. III.

9 Spread therefore thy skirt over thine hand-maide; for thou art a neare kinsman.TAke thou me into thy protection, as mine husband, for thou art the man who by the law of God (as be­ing one of the nearest kinsmen to my husband) hast right both to redeeme his inheritance, and to marry me, his widow.

CAP. IV.

6 I cannot redeeme it for my selfe, lest I marre my owne inheritance.I Cannot redeeme it for my selfe, lest if I should have one onely sonne by Ruth, my inheritance should bee utterly extinguished, since that sonne must be accounted as my deceased kinsmans, and not mine.

CAP. I.

5 The Lord had shut up her wombe. BUt the Lord afflicted her with barrennesse.

When the full number of moneths were comne about after her conception.20 When the time was comne about.

28 I haue also lent him unto the Lord.I have, upon my vow, returned him to the Lord, as consecrated unto him by me formerly.

CAP. II.

3 Talke no more so ex­ceeding proudly, &c.NOw let not Peninnah, or any other adversaries, that were wont to insult over me, open their mouthes a­gainst me.

5 They that were full have hired out themselves for bread, and they that were hungry ceased: So that the barren hath borne seven.Those that were wealthy, are now so brought downe, that they are faine to hire out themselves to get bread for their mouthes, and those that were poore and hungrie are so filled, that they take their ease; The barren is now the mother of many children, &c.

The Lord hath founded the earth strongly,8 For the pillars of the earth are the Lords; and he hath set the world up­on them. and im­moueably; and hath made it the center, or foundation, whereon he hath framed, and stablished the world.

The sons of Eli were lewd, and wicked men,12 Now the sonnes of Eli were sonnes of Beli­al; they knew not the Lord. and did not acknowledge, and regard the Lord; but in their workes denied him.

The Priests were not content with those parts of the sacrifice, which God had allotted unto them,14 All that the flesh­hooke tooke up, the Priest tooke for himselfe. but tooke whatsoever the fleshhooke brought first up.

Whereas by the ordinance of God,15 Also before they burnt the fat, the Priests servant came, &c. the fat was first to be offered, and burnt to the Lord, they would not stay the leisure of this due ceremony, but snatcht away the flesh before the time.

See chapter 1. verse, 28. 20 For the loane which, &c.

Why do ye contemne my sacrifices; and make a scorne of them before the people?29 Wherefore kick you at my sacrifice?

Wherefore hast thou given more respect to thy sons then unto me,29 And honourest thy sonnes above me. in that thou hast suffered them to carve for themselves of my sacrifices, and to eate thereof be­fore I am served?

I had indeed, at the first institution of the Priesthood,39 I said indeed that thy house and the house of thy father should walk before me for ever: But now the Lord saith; Be it farre from me. truly (though conditionally) decreed, that thy house and the house of thy fathers should ever continue this sa­cred office before me; but now since ye have violated that part of the condition which concerned your selves, farre be it from me to perpetuate the Priesthood unto you.

Thou shalt live to know that an enemie (the Phili­stim) hath taken possession of my Arke, and Tabernacle.32 Thou shalt see an e­nemie in my habitation.

CAP. III.

IT was a rare and unusall thing for the Lord to reveale his will by visions, to any man, in those dayes:1 And the word of the Lord was precious in those dayes, there was no open vision. and if privately he did thus speake unto some one, yet the pub­like use of prophesie was a long time laid downe.

Samuel was not yet acquainted with the voice of the Lord.7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord.

CAP. IV.

ANd these words of Samuel which God had by him spoken concerning Heli;1 And the word of Sa­muel came to all Israel. came to the notice of all Israel.

CAP. VI.

5 Ye shall make images of your Emerods, & ima­ges of your Mice.IN acknowledgement that these judgements come from the hand of the Lord, ye shall make the fashions both of the Emerods, and of the Mice (wherewith ye are annoied) in gold; and offer them up to God for an expi­ation of that offence, which we have done against him.

19 And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, be­cause they had looked in­to the Arke of the Lord, even he smote of the peo­ple fifty thousand, three­score and ten men.He smote some of the men (that were Priests and Levites) of Bethshemesh, because, contrary to the charge of the Lord, they looked into the Arke; and of the common people, who resorted thither, upon the re­port of the returne of the Arke, he smote fifty thousand, threescore and ten men, for the same presumption and curiosity.

CAP. VII.

2 And all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.ALl the house of Israel, being humbled by their ser­vitude under the Philistims, made great means, and lamentation to God, for remission and favour.

6 And drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, &c.And drew water in great abundance, and washed, and purified themselves before the Lord from their long and generall uncleannesses.

CAP. X.

5 After this thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is a garrison of the Philistims.AFter this, thou shalt come to the hill of Gibeah, which is consecrated to God, in that there is a col­ledge of the sonnes of the prophets on the one side, as there is a garrison of the chased Philistims on the other.

5 Thou shalt meet a company of Prophets cō­ming down from the high place, with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harpe, and they shall pro­phesie.Thou shalt meet with a company of Prophets and their Scholers comming down from Gibeah, with much variety of the cheerefullest musicke, which they shall use for the raysing up of their spirits, and composing of their thoughts in a preparation to their prophesying, which they shall take up before thee.

6 And the spirit of the Lord will come upon thee; and thou shalt pro­phesie with them; and shalt be turned into ano­ther man.Thou shalt finde thy selfe suddenly indued with the same spirit, wherewith they are moved; and inabled to prophesie as they doe; and shalt feele a sensible alterati­on in thy selfe, by reason of those extraordinary graces which shall be wrought in thee.

9 God gave him ano­ther heart.God wrought a sensible change in him, by these new abilities which he infused into his heart.

Looke not unto the men themselves,12 One of the same place answered and said; But who is their father? but looke unto the hand of that God, who hath inspired them: What neede you to marvell that Saul prophesies? These other whom ye see, have not this power from their parents, but it is the gift of God, which is equally free wheresoever he pleaseth to bestow it.

CAP. XIII.

THat Kingdome whereinto thou wert elected,13 For now would the Lord have established thy kingdome upon Israel for ever. should have beene, all thy life, established unto thee; which now, by this sinne, thou hast lost the right unto, ere thou be throughly setled in it.

Such was the jealousie and tyranny of the Philistims over their tributaries, the Israelites,19 Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel, that as they had despoyled them of those weapons, which were taken from the Ammonites, so they would not suffer a smith a­mongst them, who might furnish them with new.

CAP. XIV.

I Finde a strong instinct from God, assuring me,10 But if they say, Come up to us, we will goe up; for the Lord hath delive­red them into our hands. that if the Philistims shall say to us, come up to us, God would have us goe up, and we shall speed accordingly; this shall be a watchword from God to us, presaging our certaine victory.

He received new strength,27 His eyes were en­lightened. whereby all his senses were cheared and revived.

Doe thou (O Lord) by this lot clearely and perfectly shew who is guilty this day.41 Give a perfect lot.

CAP. XV.

THou wilt grant that witchcraft is a most hainous and abhominable sinne; I tell thee,23 For rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft. that this thy disobe­dience to Gods command, is no lesse odious to him, then that witchcraft which thou justly hatest, and punishest in others.

He that is the holy and strong God of Israel,29 And also the strength of Israel will not lie nor repent. as hee hath decreed thy kingdome to another; so he will be sure not to falsifie his word, nor retract that his just pur­pose.

And God did (as those doe which repent them of their former actions)35 And the Lord re­pented that he had made Saul King over Israel. professe to undoe that which he [Page 106] had done in setting up Saul; and therefore did now cast him off; and anoint another in his stead.

CAP. XVI.

14 But the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evill spirit from the Lord troubled him.ANd the Lord tooke from Saul those graces of wise­dome, and moderation, wherewith he had indued him; and gave power to an evill spirit to seize upon him, and to vexe him with frenzy, and distemper.

By the sweet and holy musicke of David, the spirits of Saul were so composed for the time,23 And the evill spirit departed from him. and calmed, that he brake not forth into his wonted fury.

CAP. XVII.

29 What have I now done? Is there not a cause?IS it not a just reason, that my father hath sent me hi­ther for your good? have I not a lawfull businesse here? Wherein then have I given thee cause of displea­sure, or exception?

58 And Saul said unto him; Whose sonne art thou, thou young man?And Saul, having never seene David, till this occasion of vanquishing the Philistim (which fell out before his frenzie, and Davids playing before him) said unto Da­vid, Whose sonne art thou, thou young man?

CAP. XVIII.

1 And it came to passe when he made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soule of Ionathan was knit with the soule of David,WHen Saul had called David to the court, and en­tertained him as an attendant there, it came to passe that upon his conference with Saul, the heart of Jonathan was deeply affected towards David.

And he carried himselfe as a man distracted of his sen­ses,10 And he prophesied in the midst of the house. both in his speeches, and motions.

CAP. XIX.

20 And they also pro­phesied. See chapter 10. verse, 6. and 18.10.

24 And he stript off his clothes also; & prophesied before Samuel in like man­ner, and lay downe naked all that day and all that night.ANd he stript himselfe of his military habit, or of his kingly attire, and carried himselfe in a wild distract­ed fashion; and lay downe so dis-robed all that day, and that night; appearing before Samuel, in the habit and fashion of a Prophet, amongst the rest.

CAP. XX.

SOme legall uncleannesse hath happened to him,26 Hee is not cleane; surely he is not cleane. that hinders him from this holy feast; for the Law forbids any uncleane person to eate of these holy Sacrifices.

This thy favour to David shall be to thine owne wrong, and shame,30 Thou hast chosen the sonne of Iesse to thine owne confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mo­thers nakednesse. since by this meanes thou shalt be defeated of the Kingdome, as if thou wert base borne, and therefore uncapable to succeed me; & to the shame of thy mother who shall by this act be proclaimed an a­dulteresse, and a dishonourer of my bed.

CAP. XXI.

THere is hallowed bread,4 But there is hallowed bread: if the young men have kept themselves at least from women. which having been conse­crated to the Lord, may not (thou knowest) be re­ceived by any ordinarie person, much lesse by any that is uncleane; but in this necessitie, if the yong men have ab­stained from the use of women, and have kept them­selves this way undefiled, I shall condescend to give it unto them.

The bodies of the young men are, this way undefiled,5 The vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it it were this day sanctified in the vessell or (as in the margin) especially when this day there is other san­ctified. and the bread how ever consecrated, is unto us in this case of necessity, but as common bread; so as we may lawfully receive it; especially when as this day there is other bread sanctifyed according to the law in the roome thereof.

Is not this David that swayes so much in Israel?11 Is not this David the King of the land?

CAP. XXIIII.

TO discharge the necessities of nature.3 To cover his feet.

Were I such as thou supposest me, wicked, sure­ly wicked acts would proceed from mee;13 Wickednesse pro­ceeds from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee. but now thou findest how farre I am from any villainous intention a­gainst thee; neither shall my hand lift up it selfe against thee to thy hurt.

CAP. XXV.

IF I leave so much as a dogge alive in all the house of Nabal.22 If I leave of all, &c. any that pisseth against the wall.

Nabal was so deeply stricken with an apprehension of37 That his heart died within him, & he became as a stone. [Page 108] the danger that was towards him, by the relation of his wi [...] that his heart was cold within him; and he became stupid, and sencelesse with feare and astonishment.

CAP. XXVI.

19 They have driven me out this day from a­biding in the Lords inhe­ritance; saying, goe serve other Gods.THey have driven me away from Gods people, and from his holy ordinances, and have in effect as good as said, goe serve other Gods.

CAP. XXVIII.

6 Neither by Vrim nor by prophets.GOd had withdrawn himselfe frō Saul, & gave no an­swer to him, either by his Priest, or by his Prophets.

15 And Samuel said to Saul, why hast thou disqui­eted me to bring me up?And the evill spirit (which appeared in the likenesse of Samuel,) as counterfeyting the speech of the Prophet also, said to Saul, why hast thou disquieted me to bring me up?

19 Shalt thou and thy sons be with me.To morrow shalt thou and thy sonnes be dead men.

CAP. XXXI.

10 They fastned his body to the wall of Beth­shan.THey hanged up Sauls body on the wall of the City of Bethshan.

CAP. I.

9 Stand upon me, I pray thee, and slay me; for an­guish (or my coate of male) hindered me, that my life is yet whole in me.DOe thou put me out of paine, in killing of me; for though I have offered to do this dispatch upon my selfe, yet the coat of male which is upon me; hath hindred my weapon from free­ly entring into my body; So as my life is yet (to my sorrow) left whole, and entire in me.

18 Also he bad thē teach the children of Iudah the use of the bow; behold it is written in the booke of Iasher.Upon too good experience of the advantage which the Philistims had of Israel by the skill in shooting, he caused the men of Judah to be trained up in the use of [Page 109] the bow; as it is also recorded in the civill Annalls of Judah.

Let there upon you no fruitfull fields,21 Nor fields of offe­rings. that may yeeld offerings of first fruits, and tithes unto the Tabernacle of God.

CAP. II.

LEt the young men arise, and skirmish before us.14 Let them arise and play before us.

Dost thou not consider that the remembrance of so much Israelitish blood shed by their brethren will be once grievous unto thee?26 Knowest thou not that it will be bitternesse in the later end.

As the Lord liveth,27 As the Lord liveth, unlesse thou hadst spoken, surely then in the morn­ing the people had gone up every one from fol­lowing his brother. thou art the onely cause of this bloodshed; for if thou hadst not made that challenge, and provoked us thereby to fight, surely in the morning the people had peaceably departed, without giving any blow to their brethren.

CAP. III.

AM I so base a person in thine eyes,8 Am I a dogges head? that thou shouldst thinke fit to charge me in this challenging fashion.

Did Abner die,33 Dyed Abner as a foole dieth? as cowards or malefactors are wont to doe.

Their hands use to be bound, and their feet fettered;34 Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters; as a man fal­leth before wicked men, so fellest thou. and so they are forced to undergoe a foreseene death; it was not so with thee, O Abner; thy hands and thy feet were free; as the valiantest man may be surprized by the violence of a wicked enemie, so wert thou surprized, and slaine.

CAP. V.

THis our Citie is so defenced of it selfe,6 Except thou take a­way the blinde and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither. that we care not for all thy forces; and if there were none but the blinde and the lame, impotent persons in it, thou shalt never be able to take it; those very blinde and lame doe boldly defie thee.

Because they had said (even the blind and the lame in a presumption of their strength of their forts had said) He shall not come into the city,8 Wherefore they said; (or as the margin, because they said, even) the blind and the lame, &c. or enter into our houses.

CAP. VI.

7 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Vzzah.ANd the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uz­zah, for his presumption in touching the Arke, which should have beene carried on the shoulders of sa­cred persons, not on a Cart, as the Philistims had placed it; and, though it might be carried by the sonnes of Levi, yet might it not be touched by them.

14 And David danced before the Lord with all his might, and David was girded with a linnen Ephod.And David testified the joy of his heart, by the vehe­ment and cheerefull motions of his body, in a grave and holy manner, dancing before the Arke of God: and for the more freedome and ease of that motion, had girded a linnen garment close about him.

20 Who uncovered himselfe to day in the eyes of the handmaids of thy servants.Who casting off the robes of Majestie (which would have become his person, and this action,) and, arraying himselfe basely, exposed himselfe and his gestures to the scorne and derision, even of boyes and girles in the street.

23 Had no child un­till the day of her death.Michal was punished with barrennesse all the dayes of her life.

CAP. VII.

14 I will chasten him with the rod of men.IF he offend me, I will chastise him gently and favo­rably, as loving parents use to correct their dearest children.

15 My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took if from Saul, whom I put away before thee.I will not utterly take away the kingdome from his posteritie, as I tooke it from Saul, to give it unto thee; but will perpetuate it spiritually to thy seed.

CAP. VIII.

2 And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keepe a­live.HE subdued the countrey of Moab, and divided it out, as he thought good; casting downe their cities; and so proportioning his execution, that he put to death two parts of the inhabitants, and suffered one third part at the least, to live, and become tributary.

CAP. IX.

7 Thou shalt eate bread at my table continually.THou shalt be provided for, upon my charge, all thy life long.

CAP. X.

THat they had made themselves odious unto David,6 Saw that they stanke before David. in offering so soule an affront to his ambassadors.

CAP. XI.

IN the turning of the yeare, even in the spring-time,1 After the yeare was expired, at the time when Kings goe forth to battell. when Kings are wont to draw their forces out of the garrison into the field.

CAP. XII.

HE that did this thing hath well deserved death.5 He that hath done this thing shall surely die, or, is the sonne of death.

I give into thy power and command thy masters house, and thy masters wives; both the persons & houses,8 I give thee thy ma­sters house, and thy ma­sters wives into thy bo­some, &c. and substance, that pertained to Saul, to beat thy dis­posing.

The chiefe officers of his house.17 The elders of his house.

And he called his name Jedidiah, Beloved of God, be­cause of that gracious word of promise, and acceptance,25 And he called his name Iedidiah, because of the Lord. which the Lord had formerly spoken concerning him. 2 Sam. 7.14.15. &c.

And he put them to very sore and painefull deaths,31 And put them un­der sawes, and under har­rowes of yron, and under axes of yron, and made them passe thorow the bricke kilnes. upon the command of God, causing them be sawne to death, and to be torne with harrowes of yron, and hewne with axes, and, as they had beene guilty of burning their children in the fire to Molech, so he caused them to be used, burning them in the bricke kilne.

CAP. XIII.

EVery one that heares it will condemne thee of great wickednesse, and folly, in that, by this lewd act,13 Thou shalt be as one of the fooles in Is­rael. thou wilt cast thy selfe out of the likelihood of succeeding in the kingdome of Israel.

He is thy brother, and therefore,20 He is thy brother, regard not this thing. though he of all o­ther should not have done this villany to thee, yet since he hath done it, have thou so much respect to the honor of our blood, and family, as not to prosecute it against him.

CAP. XIV.

9 My Lord O King, the iniquitie be on me and on my fathers house; and the King and his throne be guiltlesse.IF there be ought amisse in forbearing to execute re­venge upon the offender, I take it wholly upon my selfe; thou, O King, and thy throne shall be herein guiltlesse.

14 For we must needs die, and are as water spilt upon the ground, which cannot be gathered up againe; because he hath not taken away his life, he hath also devised meanes that his banished be not expelled from him.Our very life consists in his, and we are vtterly lost, if such an hope of succession be rigorously cut off; which, it is a signe that God would have continued, in that he hath not (all this while of his banishment) taken him a­way, but hath now made this meanes unto thee for his restoring.

According to the ordinary weight of the Shekel in civill use of trade, every Shekel weighing two drams, and sixteene graines.26 After the Kings Shekel.

CAP. XV.

19 Abide thou with the King.ABide thou with this King that would be; this usur­per Absalom. So also verse, 35.

CAP. XVI.

10 So let him curse; Because the Lord hath said unto him, Curse Da­vid.THe Lord hath for my triall and affliction thought good to make vse of this mans tongue, to revile, and curse me; which though it be a sinne in this wicked man, yet it is most wisely and justly ordered of God, for my humiliation, and exercise of my patience.

12 It may be the Lord will looke upon mine af­fliction, and that the Lord will requite good for his cursing this day.It may be that the Lord will have pitie upon my sor­row, and aggravated affliction; and will gratiously re­ward my patient suffering with a blessing, in stead of those curses which are throwne at me, this day.

23 Was as if a man had enquired of the Ora­cle of God.The counsell of Achitophel was held so wise, so cer­taine, so succesfull, as if it had comne from the very ora­cle of God.

CAP. XVII.

3 The man whom thou seekest, is as if all returned, so all the people shall bee in peace.IT is but one man whom thou seekest; if he were taken away (which I shall this night undertake to doe) all will be quiet; all the people will returne to thee in peace.

9 When some of them be ouerthrowne at the first that whosoever hea­reth it will say, &c.When some of thy men shall be discomfited in the first encounter, the rest will be, with the noise thereof, disheartened.

He returned home and made his will, and,23 Home to his house, to his city, and put his houshold into order, and hanged himselfe. as one that tooke care for all things, save his soule, when that was done, hanged himselfe.

CAP. XVIII.

ANd the wood by reason of the thickets, and ditches,8 And the wood de­voured more people that day, then the sword de­voured. and pits that were in it, was the occasion, tha [...] more were slaine, then could have beene slaine in an open field upon a cleare pursuite, by the sword of the enemie.

And his head was caught fast within the graines of a spreading oke,9 And his head caught hold of the oake, and hee was taken up betweene the heaven and the earth, and the Mule that was un­der him went away. and thus (his Mule running from under him) he was hanged betwixt heaven and earth.

For he said; Those two sons which I had are now dead, & I have no meanes to keepe a remēbrance of my name;18 For he said; I have no sonne to keepe my name in remembrance; & he called the pillar by his owne name. this pillar therefore shall remaine for a monument of mee.

CAP. XIX.

GOe say to Amasa; Art not thou my neare kinsman,13 And say ye to Ama­sa: Art thou not of my bone, and of my flesh? God doe so to mee and more also, if thou bee not captaine of the host before me continually, in the roome of Ioab. my sisters sonne; of the same flesh & blood with me; as I looke for any favour from God, or would avoid his heaviest judgements, my full purpose and resolution is, that thou shalt bee the Generall of all my forces; du­ring thy life, in the stead of Joab; whom upon the just reason of his murders and insolency, I have decreed to discard.

Doe not I know that this is the day wherein I am re­stored unto, and setled in the Kingdome of Israel.23 Doe not I know that I am this day King over Israel.

Trouble not thy selfe about these matters; I have in my first sentence set an order in these affaires,29 Why speakest thou any more of these matters? I have said, thou and Ziba divide the lands. which I doe still decree to make good; that Ziba should till, and husband those lands to thy use, so as he may receive one moity of the profits for his labour, and the rest may ac­crew unto thee, whom I have made the Lord of them.

CAP. XX.

SO the men of Israel, taking advantage of that emula­tion which was betwixt them, and the men of J [...]h,2 So every man of Is­rael went up from after David, and followed She­ba the sonne of Bichri. fell off from their lawfull King, and followed Sheba the sonne of Bichri.

They said in the beginning of this warre;18 Then she spake say­ing; They were wont to speake in old time, saying; They shall surely aske counsell at Abel, and so they ended the matter. surely they [Page 114] will treat with the men of Abel, for peace, according to the charge which God hath given in his Law; which if you had done, this businesse had beene at an end.

CAP. XXI.

ANd Saul thought to slay the Gibeonites, in a mis­grounded zeale to the children of Israel,2 And Saul sought to slay them in his zeale to the children of Israel and Iudah. and Judah; in that [...]e desired to free the land of all that were stran­gers in blood; according to the mis-applied charge which they had of old received from God; and to put it clearely into the hands of the Israelites.

CAP. XXII.

8 Then the earth shook and trembled, the founda­tions of heaven moved and shooke becaus [...] hee was wroth.GOd did by manifest tokens declare his power, and his gracious will, to deliver me; and to avenge mine enemies; he caused the earth therefore to tremble and shake; and the very heavens seemed to be moved in the sense of his heavy displeasure against my adversaries.

9 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured, coales were kindled by it.He gave testimonies of his fury, and indignation a­gainst mine enemies; so vehement was his wrath, that even smoake seemed (to speake after the manner of men) to come out of his nostrills, and so hot a fire out of his mouth, that even coales were kindled by it.

This lower part of the heaven was so affected, as if God had in the demonstration of his power,10 He bowed the hea­vens also & came downe; and darknesse was under his feet. come down into it; and (if we may describe him by our weake hu­mane representations;) under his feet, in the lowest re­gion of his ayre there was a palpable darknesse.

11 He rode upon a Che­rub and did flie; and hee was seene upon the wings of the winde.He used the ministration of his Angells, and of his windes to exhibite his powerfull presence unto men; and in them was this mighty power acknowledged.

And, as we men are wont by tents and pavilions to shelter our selves from the view of others,12 He made darknesse pavilions round about him, darke water and thicke cloudes of the skies. so did he cast darknesse, and thick cloudes round about the place of his appearance.

Then the Lord sent abroad his flashes of lightnings, with the flames whereof much combustible matter was consumed.13 Through the bright­nesse before him were coales of firekindled.

He sent out his thunderbolts out of his clouds, as arr [...]wes from his bow.15 He sent out arrowes.

He delivered me from many troubles, and persecu­tions, which as some deepe and violent waters would have drowned me.17 He drew me out of many waters.

I was sound, and sincere in my intentions,24 I was also upright before him, and have kept my selfe from mine ini­quity. and carri­ages before him; and have, by his grace, kept my selfe free from giving full scope to those sinnes, whereto I am in­clined.

Therefore the Lord,25 The Lord hath re­compensed me according to my righteousnesse. who hath graciously wrought this sincerity in me, will crowne his owne worke; and will deale with me according to my righteousnesse.

Oh Lord, thou art such to men,26 With the mercifull thou wilt shew thy selfe mercifull, &c. as they doe approve themselves to thee; with the mercifull thou wilt shew thy selfe mercifull, &c.

With those that are wicked,27 And with the fro­ward thou wilt shew thy selfe unsavory. and walke perversely in their evill wayes, thou wilt deale severely, and by thy heavie judgements wilt let them feele the weight of thy displeasure.

By thy power I have broken through the troupes of my enemies, and have discomfited the Moabites,30 For by thee I have runne thorow a troupe; by my God have I leaped over a wall. and Ammonites, and Philistims, and other my professed ad­versaries; and when they have betaken themselves to their strong forts, by thine helpe I have scaled, and won them.

Thou hast given me agility of body,34 He maketh my feet like hindes feet, and set­teth me upon my high places. and quicknesse of motion to surprize mine enemies inexpectedly, and hast by this meanes setled me in the possession of their strong­est holds.

Those strangers,46 Strangers shall fade away; and they shall bee afraid out of their close places. which for feare have dissembled their submission to me, are ready, upon every occasion, to fall off from me; but when they have thus revolted, they shall be stricken with feare of me, even in their most retired, and defenced places.

CAP. XXIII.

HE that is the sure refuge and defence of Israel,3 The Rocke of Israel spake to me, He that ru­leth over men must bee just. hath said of me, to Samuel his prophet, that I whom my God hath appointed to rule over Israel, should be up­right and just in my government.

Although I have not in every point beene answerable to that, which God hath required of me,5 Although my house be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant. and foretold concerning me, yet, in his great mercy he hath made an everlasting covenant with me.

Is not this water purchased with the extreme hazard of the blood and life of those men which went to fetch it?17 Is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives?

CAP. XXIV.

1 And againe the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel; and he mo­ved Dauid against them, to say, Goe number Is­rael and Iudah.AFter God was appeased for his former displeasure, and had taken away the famine from Israel, God was againe moved to anger, by the sinnes of Israel, and there­upon he left David to himselfe, and gave power unto Satan, to suggest unto David thoughts of presumption, stirring him up to number the people of Israel,See 1 Chron. 21.1. and Ju­dah; that he might raise unto his owne heart a proud confidence in his owne strength.

The Lord did (as men doe when they repent them of what they have done) inhibite any further proceed­ings of that plague.16 The Lord repen­ted him of the evill, &c.

23 All these did Arau­nah as a King give.All these did Arannah in a bountifull and royall man­ner offer to give unto King David.

CAP. I.

11 That Adonijah doth raigne. THat Adonijah hath plotted for the Kingdome, and hath in a sort possessed himselfe of it.

50 And Adonijah arose, and went and caught hold of the hornes of the altar.And Adonijah, which had not the grace to consult with God in his challenge of the crowne of Is­rael, now, through feare, had recourse to the alt [...]r of God, as thinking, under the protection thereof, to avoid that death, which by his usurpation he had deserved.

CAP. II.

5 And shed the blood of warre in peace; and put the blood of warre upon his girdle that was upon his loines, and in his shooes that were on his feet.HOw in a profession of peace he did, after an hostile manner, shed the blood of two noble Captaines, Abner, and Amasa; and put up his sword all bloody, into his sheath, and walkt with his feet distained with innocent blood, in a bold and carelesse fashion, thinking to beare out his hatefull murder.

9 Hold him not guilt­lesse.Take thou all advantages, to let him feele how hey­nously he hath offended; and proceed against him upon any other just pretence.

22 Aske for him the Kingdome also; for he is my elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the Priest, and for Ioab the sonne of Zerviah.Adonijah hath already the advantage of age, for he is [Page 117] my elder brother, and of the guard and strength of sol­diery, for Joab is joyned to him, and of the countenance of the Priesthood, for Abiathar is for him, & now, what wants he but a match with the Kings owne bed-fellow? yeeld him this, and I, by that wisedome (wherwith God hath indued me) know well that his next step will be into the throne.

Since he will needs die there, there let him die;31 Doe as he hath said, and fall upon him, &c. for the law of God doth not allow any protection for wil­full murder, from his owne Tabernacle or altar; rather he defiles the Altar, then the Altar can assure him.

CAP. III.

ANd Salomon made affinity with Pharaoh King of Aegypt, and tooke Pharaohs daughter to wife,1 And tooke Pharaohs daughter, &c. upon her yeelded conformitie to that holy religion, which he professed.

In the meane time, till the house of God was finished,2 Onely the people sa­crificed in the high places; because there was no house built unto the name of the Lord, untill those dayes. wise and holy Salomon would not allow the people to sacrifice any other where, then in those high places, which his father had consecrated, that is, in Gibeon, where was the Tabernacle, and in Hierusalem where the Arke was.

CAP. IIII.

FRom the famous river Euphrates,21 From the River un­to the land of the Phili­stims, and unto the land of Aegypt. unto the land of the Philistims, and from thence unto the borders of Aegypt.

Whereas those of the East, and of Aegypt,30 And Solomons wis­dome excelled the wise­dome of all the children of the East Countrie, and all the wisedome of Aegypt. were fa­mous above all the world, for the fame of their wise­dome, and knowledge of all the secrets of nature, of the motions of the heavens, and of the vertues and operati­ons of all plants, and of the qualities of all sensitive crea­tures; Salomon exceeded them all in all these kindes.

He spake three thousand wise sentences,32 He spake three thousand proverbs. out of which are collected those which in the book of his Proverbs are reserved to the use of posterity, as the sacred monuments of a divine wisedome.

Out of that divine illumination,33 And he spake of trees, from the Cedar that is in Lebanon, to the hys­sop that springeth out of the wall. which was given to him from above, he discoursed of all plants, from the tallest Cedar to the very hysop, or mosse, that growes upon the wall.

CAP. V.

4 There is neither ad­versarie, nor evill occur­rent.THere is neither any publike enemie, nor any crosse accident that might hinder this holy worke of build­ing a Temple to the Lord.

CAP. VI.

SO great a worke could not be suddenly done; there must be a just time for the gathering of all the mate­rialls,1 In the fourth yeare of Solomons raigne over Israel, in the moneth of Zif, which is the second moneth. for felling, hewing, seasoning of the timber; In the fourth yeare therefore of his raigne did Salomon begin this magnificent structure of the Temple; and in the second moneth, which by Gods owne computation was the moneth of Aprill.

4 And for the house he made windowes of nar­row lights.And for the temple he made windowes, narrow without and large within, for the more cleare transmit­ting of the light into all the parts of the house.

30 And the floore of the house hee over-laid with gold within and without.And the floore of the temple he overlaid with gold, not onely in that part which was within the partition of the Oracle, or holy of holies, but in the outer part there­of also.

38 In the moneth Bul.In the moneth of October.

CAP. VII.

21 And he set up the pil­lers in the porch of the tē­ple: and set up the right piller and called the name thereof Iachin, and he set up the left piller and cal­led the name of it Boaz.TO figure out the firmnesse and stabilitie of his Church for ever, he erected two brazen pillers in the porch of the temple, and called the one [God shall esta­blish,] and the other, [In it is strength] implying both what invincible strength the Church of God should have; and whence it should be received.

23 And he made a mol­ten Sea, ten cubits from the one brim unto the o­ther.And he made a large and vast vessell of brasse, for the use of their manifold washings, which seemed like to some spatious pond, or sea, for the quantity of water, which it contained: the widenesse whereof was ten cubites from the one side to the other.

26 It contained two thousand bathes.It contained two thousand of those measures, where­of every one held sixe gallons of our account.

CAP. VIII.

9 There was nothing in the Arke save the two Tables of stone.WIthin the Arke under the cover thereof, there was nothing but the two tables of the Law; but [Page 119] on the verge of the Arke, were Aarons blossomed rod, and the pot of Manna reserved.

The Lord hath said that the thicke cloud in his most holy place should bee the testimonie of his presence there.12 The Lord said that he would dwell in the thicke darknesse.

If in a case of some great trespasse against a mans life,31 If any man trespasse against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to sweare, and the oath come before thine altar in this house. good name, estate, there cannot be other evidences brought forth, so as the matter must necessarily be de­termined by the oath of the party accused; and that oath shall be solemnly required of him before thy presence, at thine holy Altar.

And Salomon, by command and instinct from God,64 The same day did the King hallow the mid­dle of the court which was before the house of the Lord, &c. because the brazen altar was too little, &c. required the Priests to sanctifie the pavement of the outer court, which was called the Court of the Priests, to the use of the sacrifices; for that the brazen Altar (how great soever it was) could not be capable of these many offerings.

A great congregation of all the subjects of Salomon from the Easterne borders of his dominions,65 A great Congrega­tion from the entring in of Hamath unto the River of Aegypt. to the Westerne that reach unto that arme of Nilus, which runnes towards Palestine.

CAP. IX.

HOw meane and base are these townes which thou hast given me,13 What cities are these which thou hast given me my brother? And he called them the land of Cabul unto this day. in lieu of those great things wherewith I have furnished thee? and he called them; The displeasing land to this day; being twenty cities in that upper Gali­lee, which was after called Galilee of the Gentiles.

CAP. X.

SHe was so astonished at the exceeding wisedome of Salomon,5 There was no more spirit in her. that she was even transported from her­selfe with admiration.

Great plenty of the trees of Heben wood,11 Great plenty of Almug trees. which for the solidnesse, and shining brightnesse, were fit for the use and ornament of his building, and for instruments.

And Salomon,29 And a charet came up & went out of Aegypt for sixe hundred Shekels of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty; and so for all the Kings of the Hivites, and for the Kings of Syria, did they bring them out by their meanes. through the favour of his father in law, the King of Aegypt, had the benefit of all the trade of Aegypt, for charets and horses (wherewith that coun­try had wont to furnish the neighbour regions) to passe through the hands of his merchants, to his behoofe; so as, if the Kings of the Hivites or of Syria would have either charets, or horses, they must obtaine them from [Page 120] the meanes of Solomons merchants, at a set rate; their charets must cost them sixe hundred Shekels, their horses an hundred and fifty.

CAP. XI.

1 But King Solomon loved many strange womē, together with the daugh­ter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, &c.BUt Solomon after he had holily & happily raigned five or sixe and twenty yeares, at last gave himselfe over to his inordinate lusts, and added to the daughter of Pharaoh his lawfull wife, a number of women that were strangers, both in nation, and religion.

5 For Solomon went after Ashtaroth the god­desse of the Zidonians, &c.For Solomon gave way and countenance to the Ido­latry of his wives, whom he willingly admitted to build houses, and altars to Ashtaroth.

7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh the abho­mination of Moab, in the hill that is before Ierusa­lem.Then did Solomon consent to the building of an high place for Chemosh, the abhominable Idol of the Moa­bites, and that in the very face of the temple, on an hill over against Jerusalem.

That David my servant may have one of his seed emi­nent in honor,36 That David my ser­vant may have a light al­waies before me, &c. and authority alwayes, &c.

CAP. XII.

THe easiest impositions that I shall lay upon you, shall bee more grievous then the heaviest that you complaine of,10 My little finger shall be thicker then my fathers loines. from my father.

I have ordered, and contrived this busines for the just punishment of thy fathers defection from me.24 For this thing is from me.

Behold, O Israel, the remembrances, and representa­tions of that God, which brought thee out of the land of Aegypt;28 Behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Aegypt. In, and by these maist thou recall and worship that deity.

In stead of Gods Temple at Jerusalem, he set up houses of pretended devotion, wherein he appointed God to be worshipped in his owne Idolatrous fashion; and or­dained Priests accordingly,31 And he made an house of high places and made Priests of the low­est of the people. men that were of other tribes, besides the sacred tribe of Levi, and men of base condition, fit for the Idols he had set up.

And he appointed, of his owne head, the feast of Ta­bernacles, to be kept, not in the seventh moneth, as God had appointed,33 He offered, &c. on the fifteenth day of the eight moneth, even in the moneth which he had de­vised, &c. but in the eight, which was October; that so the place, and time, and priests, and gods, might be all of his owne devising.

CAP. XIII.

NOt onely did Jeroboam ordaine base Priests out of undue tribes, to offer unto God, but himselfe also,1 And Ieroboam stood by the altar to burne in­cense. would be taking presumptuously upon him, the executi­on of this sacred function; he stood therefore by the al­tar to burne incence.

CAP. XIV.

See 1 Sam. 25.22.10 That pisseth against a wall.

AS well him who for his more sure defence hath shut up himselfe within the strong walls of your cities,10 And him that is shut up and left in Israel. as he that is left at libertie in the fields and villages.

CAP. XV.

See chapter 11. verse, 36. 4 Gave him a lampe in Ierusalem.

HE was not miscarried into any hainous & enormous crime,5 He turned not aside from any thing, &c. save onely in the matter of Vriah the Hittite. whereby his profession was notoriously ble­mished all the dayes of his life, save onely into that his murther of Vriah the Hittite, & the sinnes that were ap­pendant unto it.

Those high places wherein akars were built unto God in an ungrounded devotion;14 But the high places were not remoued. (contrary to the charge of God, who had appropriated his worship to the place which he should choose to put his name there) re­mained still entire, and undemolished; and were put to that unwarrantable use.

CAP. XVII.

THere shall not bee deaw,1 There shall not be dew nor raine these yeares, but according to my word. nor raine for the space of these three yeares, and more, (that this drought may bring a just dearth upon Israel) neither shall it then fall, but upon my prayer to that God, who hath thus de­creed to punish Israel, and to confirme his mission of mee.

CAP. XVIII.

10 There is no nation or Kingdome whither my Lord hath not sent to seek thee; and when they said he is not here, he tooke an oath of the kingdome, &c.THere is no nation, or kingdome round about borde­ring upon Israel, whither my Lord hath not sent to seeke thee; and of all those neighbouring kingdomes whether tributarie to him, or allyed, he hath by oath in­quired of thy presence.

17 Art thou he that troubleth Israel.Art thou the man that hast brought this grievous judgement of dearth, and drought upon Israel?

29 They prophesied untill the time of the offe­ring of the evening sacri­fies.They ranne up and downe in a furious raving and di­stracted fashion, untill the time that the evening sacri­fice was, by Gods appointment, wont to be offered.

41 Here is a sound of abundance of raine.I have a sure intimation from God that there is very great store of raine comming.

CAP. XIX.

18 Yea I have left mee seven thousand, euen all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and euery mouth which hath not kissed him.VVHereas thou complainest that thou art left a­lone; know, that I have reserved to my selfe many thousands, that are not at all infected with the Idolatry of Baal; having neither in heart, nor in outward gesture, yeelded themselves to the adoration of those false Gods.

20 Let me I pray thee kisse my father & my mo­ther.Let me goe and take leave of my father and mother, ere I betake my selfe to follow thee.

CAP. XX.

4 I am thine, and all that I have.I Doe acknowledge my selfe a tributary unto thee, and yeeld my selfe over as thy liege-man.

9 All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first, I will doe; but this thing I may not doe.Thy first message, which challenged a power and in­terest in my silver, and gold, and houses, and land, I was willing to yeeld unto, but this, that thou shouldst utterly take them away out of my possession, I may by no meanes assent unto.

CAP. XXI.

3 The Lord forbid it me, that I give the inheri­tance of my fathers unto thee.WEre it a thing free and lawfull for me to doe, I should not sticke at the motion, but thou know­est, that God hath expressely forbidden a finall alienati­on of the land of our inheritance; I dare not sinne to pleasure thee. See Levit. 25.23.

7 Doest thou now go­verne the Kingdome of Israel?Is it for thee, that art the King of Israel, to take a deni­all [Page 123] of so meane a suite, or to be thus affectd with the re­pulse? hast not thou power enough to give thy selfe satis­faction? other spirits would become soverainty; away with this poore dejectednesse.

Proclaime a fast,9 Proclaime a fast, &c. as those that have cause of a publike humiliation for this hainous sinne of Naboths blasphe­mie.

That the world may see how well I accept of a peni­tent & serious humiliation,29 Because Ahab hum­bleth himselfe before me, I will not bring the evill in his dayes. I will so farre regard this de­jectednesse of Ahab, (though I know it is not out of sound contrition for his sinne; or any true grounds of grace,) as that I will deferre these my threatned evills, during his dayes, and reserve them for his posterity.

CAP. XXII.

WHat needest thou aske me this question?15 And he said, Goe, and prosper. thy Prophets have sufficiently assured thee already; goe up, as they have bidden thee, no doubt thou shalt prosper; thou hast their word for security.

Then I must needs tell thee,17 And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills as sheepe that have not a shepheard. that God hath revealed to me, that Israel shall in this warre be put to flight, and stray like sheepe, that have lost their shepheard; even so shall they be distressed in their wandring, having lost thee their King and master.

It is certainely revealed to me by an infallible vision from God, that he in his just judgement,19 I saw the Lord sit­ting on his throne, and all the host of heauen, &c. hath decreed to give power to an evill spirit to delude these thy foure hundred prophets, with lies,20 And the Lord said, Who shal perswade Ahab that hee may goe up and fall at Ramoth Gilead. and to give thee over to be mis-led by their delusions, to thine owne destru­ction: and this I doe as surely know, as if I had seene the Lord sitting on his throne,21 And there came forth a spirit and said; I will perswade him. and consulting upon the way, and meanes of plaguing thee with these present seducements; and giving leave and commission to the evill spirit to worke this mischiefe unto thee.

A certaine man drew a bow,34 And a certaine man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the King of Is­rael betweene the joints of his harnesse, &c. without any aime or in­tention of any speciall marke, but onely roving, in com­mon, at the army of Israel; and behold the arrow was, by a divine providence, directed to strike the King of Israel, betweene the joynts of his harnesse.

CAP. I.

8 And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a gir­dle of leather about his loynes. HE was a man roughly clad, as one that profes­sed to be a messenger of penitence and humi­liation to the world.

Thou which pretendest thy selfe to be a man of God,9 Thou man of God, the King hath said, Come downe. the King hath peremptorily sent me to fetch thee downe by strong hand into his presence; come downe therefore, or I will force thy descent.

CAP. II.

9 Let a doule portion of thy spirit be upon me.AS thou hast chosen me unto a nearer relation unto thee, and herein hast preferred me to all the rest of the sonnes of the Prophets; So give me this prerogative, that (according to the right of primogeniture) I may have a double portion to theirs, of that spirit, and those miraculous powers, which are in thee; which I know thou by thy last prayers, art able to effect.

11 There appeared a charet of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder, &c.The Angells of God in the forme of a fiery charet and horses, not so much in a terrible, as a glorious fashion, ap­peared, and parting them, tooke up Elias.

12 Oh my father, my father, the charet of Israel, and the horsemen there­of.Oh my father, whose spirit I hope to inherit; all the safety and strength of Israel, was in thy holinesse, and prevalency with God; This glorious charet that hath fetcht thee up from us, puts me in minde of what thou wert unto us, the sure and glorious gard of thy Israel.

14 He smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Eliah?If, according to the ingagement and promise of my master, it hath pleased God to give me a double porti­on, to my brethren, of his spirit, let it now be shewed in this triall; as to him, so to me, let the waters of Jordan be divided.

17 And they urged him till he was ashamed; and he said, Send.Since your importunitie will take no deniall; please your selves, try the event; send your messengers.

CAP. III.

13 Nay; for the Lord hath called these three Kings together to deliver them into the hands of Moab.Nay, but howsoever I have deserved to be unregarded in this suit, yet, have thou pitty upon these other [Page 125] Princes, that are joyned with me; and especially on that Jehosaphat, whom thou knowest to be a godly, and gracious Prince; let us not for meere want of water, be delivered into the hands of Moab.

Bring me hither a minstrell, that by his Musicke,15 But now, bring me a minstrell. both my spirits, which have beene too much moved with in­dignation at thine unworthinesse, may be composed, and that by some divine ditty, your hearts may be lifted up to an expectation of this great mercy from God.

The enginers, and such as were imployed for battery,25 Howbeit the slin­gers went about & smote it. went about it, and taking advantage of the fittest place of entry, smote it.

He tooke the eldest sonne of the King of Edom pri­soner, and offered to sacrifice him upon the wall,27 Then he tooke his eldest sonne that should have reigned in his stead; and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall; and there was great indignation against Israel, and they departed from him, and returned to their owne land. if the Kings would not breake up their siege; which when the King of Israel refused to doe; he, the said King of Moab offered that sonne of Edom, for a burnt offering upon the wall; and hereupon there was great indignation of Edom against Israel; and they in much discontentment departed to their owne contry.

CAP. IIII.

ABout forty weekes hence,16 About this season according to the time of life thou shalt embrace a sonne. according to the ordinary time of conception, and birth, thou shalt beare a sonne.

On solemne dayes I know it is our manner to resort unto the Prophet of God, for the worship of our God,23 Wherefore wilt thou goe to him to day? it is neither new Moone, nor Sabbath. and our owne instruction, but now, since, it is neither new Moone, nor Sabbath, that might occasion thy jour­ney to the man of God, what businesse is it that calls thee to him?

Trouble not thy selfe with this question,26 And she answered; It is well. I shall give an account of it to thy master; in the meane time rest thou contented.

CAP. V.

I Doe solemnly protest unto thee that I will doe no worship to any God,18 In this thing par­don thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship, there, and hee leaneth on my hand, and I bow my selfe in the house of Rimmon, when I bow my selfe in the house of Rimmon, the Lord par­don thy servant in this thing. save to the true God of Israel on­ly; and I could well wish, that I never might have occa­sion to come into any of the Temples of those Idoll gods; but, in this, I shall desire to be dispensed with, that, when, upon the necessity of my place and service, I must wait upon the King, into the temple of his Rim­mon, [Page 126] and my master (leaning on my arme) shall bowe to his false god; I may thē (after publike notice given of my free intentions) not out of any respect of devotion to the Idoll, but out of my due service to my master, bowe downe under my master in the house of Rimmon, which however in it selfe, it may be construed as a gesture of adoration to the Idol; yet when the world shall be throughly possessed of my hatred of this Idolatry, and my unfained purpose to reserve my selfe wholly for the true God, it shall perhaps avoid that offence which o­therwise might be taken at this, not religious, but civill gesture; in this I beseech thee pray to God, that he will not impute sinne unto me; as one that would faine be serviceable, and not Idolatrous.

And he said unto him; God speed thee well; Goe, and doe that which may best stand with the peace of a good Conscience;19 And he said unto him, Goe in peace. For me, I give thee neither warrant, nor dispensation.

Couldst thou vainly hope to elude a Prophet; Had not I notice from God of all the way that thou wentest,26 Went not mine heart with thee when the man turned againe from his charet, &c? and of all thy carriage towards Naaman, &c?

CAP. VI.

17 Lord, I pray thee open his eyes that he may see.O Lord, doe thou so illuminate, and enable the eyes of this my servant, that they may discerne this spiri­tuall aid that thou hast provided for our succour and rescue.

33 And he said, Behold this evill is of the Lord, what should I wait for the Lord any longer?And when the Prophet advised him to wait still pati­ently upon God, he answered desperatly; Doe ye not see to what height of misery we are comne; that mothers are forced to eate their owne children; It is the hand of God that hath brought us to this extremity; worse we cannot be; to what purpose is it to expect any favour from that hand, that hath thus plagued us; if ever God would have delivered us, he would have done it, ere we had comne to this hopelesse condition.

CAP. VIII.

10 Goe, say unto him, thou maist certainly re­cover, Howbeit, the Lord hath shewed me that hee shall surely dye.Goe, say unto him, The disease is not in it selfe dead­ly; but such as thou maist well, in course of nature recover; but withall, I must tell thee, that the Lord hath shewed me that he shall die by another meanes; and shall not rise from the bed of his sicknesse.

Why doth my Lord speake so foule,14 But what? Is thy servant a dog, that hee should doe this great thing? and bloody things of me? He must be extremely savage and cruell that should doe such violences; For me, I doe not finde in my selfe any such brutish, and tyrannous disposition.

CAP. IX.

WHat businesse hast thou with this crackt-braine-franticke fellow?11 Wherefore came this mad fellow to thee? And he said unto them, Ye know the man, and his communication. what can a man of this robe have to doe with thee? And he said; The habit shewes you the mans profession; that he is a Prophet; and his profession intimates his errand.

What possibilitie is there of holding good termes with thee whiles the abhominable Idolatries,22 What peace, so long as the whordomes and witchcrafts of thy mo­ther Iezebel are so many? and super­stition of thy mother Jezebel, both remaine, and are maintained, and countenanced by thee.

CAP. X.

THus Jehu destroyed all the Idols of Baal;28 Thus Iehu destroy­ed Baal out of the land. and rooted out all the false gods from Israel.

But that part of Idolatry which consisted in the false worship of the true God, (brought in by Jeroboam,29 Howbeit, from the sinnes of Ieroboam the son of Nebat, who made Is­rael to sinne, Iehu depar­ted not from them, the golden calves that were in Dan, and that were in Bethel. in those golden calves of Dan and Bethel) Jehu did not at all oppose; but countenanced, and practized it rather.

CAP. XI.

VVHereas the Levits (being distributed into foure and twenty courses) are appointed to keep their changes, every Sabbath,5 This is the thing which yee shall doe; A third part of you that en­ter in on the Sabbath shall bee even keepers of the watch of the Kings house, &c. to the number of about sixteene hundred, in every succession now ye shall so marshall your selves, that whiles the new course enters, the former shall yet continue for this turne undischar­ged; and those that come in to succeed, shall divide themselves into three parts, whereof one shall keepe the watch of the Kings house, &c.

Upon my command from God,19 Thou shouldst have smitten five or sixe time [...] then hadst thou smitten Syria, till thou hadst con­sumed it; whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice. thou shouldst have smittē, till I had staid thy hand; which if thou hadst done, thy obedience had beene rewarded with frequent victo­ries; now, thou shalt overcome, but according to the proportion of thine obedience, diligence, and faith in that word which thou hast received.

CAP. XIIII.

9 The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the Cedar that was in Leba­non, saying; Give thy daughter to my sonne to wife. And there passed a wild beast that was in Le­banon, and trod downe the thistle, &c.THou the King of Juda, who art but as a thistle, sent'st to me, the King of Israel who am a Cedar of Leba­non, to give thee aid, and joine in an offensive warre with thee, against the King of Edom; now, if some law­lesse rovers on my part, which are as the wild beasts of that forrest, have troden downe thy thistle, and made a spoile of thy country; why shouldest thou take it so high­ly, as to undertake a warre hereupon with me?

CAP. XVI.

18 And the cover for the Sabbath, that they had built in the house; and the Kings entry without, turned he from the house of the Lord.ANd that covered place of shelter (neare to the house of God) which was used for the snade, and ease both of the officers of the temple, and of the people, on the occasions of their concourse upon the Sabbath dayes, and the close walke or cloyster which the King had made from his house to the Temple, he defaced.

CAP. XVII.

9 And they built them high places in all their ci­ties, from the tower of the watchmen, to the fen­ced City.THey set up their altars, and sacrificed to God in al high places, which themselves (contrary to Gods command) had erected, in all the parts of the Kingdome, from one side of the borders, to the other; no part was free, whether more solitary, or more frequented.

33 They feared the Lord, & serued their owne gods.They made a formall profession of serving the Lord, and yet continued the worship of their owne false gods.

CAP. XVIII.

4 He brake in peeces the brazen Serpent that Moses had made; for unto those dayes the children of Is­rael did burne incense to it, and he called it Nehush­tan.HE brake in peeces the brazen serpent that Moses had long since made, and erected, in the wildernesse, as a type of that Christ, by whom his people are healed of the venomous stings of their sinnes; which holy monu­ment being reserved to this day, was grossely abused by the superstitious Israelites, who burnt incense to it, as a God; this Ezekiah pulled downe, and defaced, term­ing it, by way of indignation, as it was, a peece of brasse.

CAP. XIX.

IT is with us as with a woman in travell,3 The children are come to the birth, and there is no strength to bring forth. which hath not strength to bring forth her birth; extreme calamitie hath seized upon us; of which we have no power to de­liver our selves.

I will with a blast of winde send him away,7 Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and hee shall heare a rumour, and shall returne. for I will raise a rumour of Tirhakaes cōming up against his land, which shall fetch him off from you.

See Esay 37.30.29 Ye shall eat this yeare, &c.

CAP. XX.

FOr the greater privacie of his meditation,2 Then he turned his face to the wall. he turned his face from the view of his attendants towards the wall.

Shall the shadow in one moment skippe over ten de­grees,9 Shall the shadow go forward ten degrees? &c. so as the day shall be so much shorter then ordi­narie?

And Isaiah prayed earnestly unto the Lord;11 And Isaiah the Pro­phet cried unto the Lord, and he brought the sha­dow backe ten degrees, by which it had gone downe in the diall of A­haz. and hee recalled the motion of the Sunne ten degrees backe, from the point, where it was; so as the day (which in or­dinary course consisted of twelve houres) was now pro­tracted to two and twenty, and that this retrograde motion might be sensibly discerned; hee caused it to be apparently seene, and noted in the famous diall of Jerusalem, which was called by the name of Ahaz.

God hath dealt graciously with me herein;19 And he said, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my daies? For I had well deser [...]ed a speedy judgement upon my selfe, in my owne person, but loe, the mercy of God hath not proceeded thus against me, but hath, notwithstanding my offence, promised peace, and stabilitie of his wonted grace to me, all my life.

CAP. XXI.

AS one that affected to be an universall Idolater,3 And worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. he worshipped all the spirits that rule in the aire, and all the starres that are fixed in heaven.

I will take the same course with Jerusalem,13 And I will stretch over Ierusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab. that I have taken with Samaria; and with the wicked house of Ahab, which I have urterly rooted out from before me.

CAP. XXII.

8 I have found the booke of the Law in the house of the Lord.I Have found the very originall record of the booke of the Law, which was left by Moses, and reserved in the Holy of holies by the command of God.

14 Now she dwelt in Ierusalem in the Col­ledge.Now she dwelt at Jerusalem, in the colledge which is set apart for the use and inhabitation of the Prophets; as being (notwithstanding her sexe) of great eminence in that profession.The bookes of the Chronicles, consisting partly of Gene­alogies, and partly of the same histories repeated; have afforded no use of this Paraphrase.

CAP. II.

62 But they were not found; therefore were they as polluted put from the Priesthood. BEcause their Genealogy could not be found, and approved, they were held in the ranke of ordinary Israelites, men not sanctified for the holy office of Priest-hood; and therefore were accordingly put from their ministration.

63 And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a Priest with Vrim and Thummim.And the Governour or Deputie (who was Sheshbaz­zar) said unto them, by the motion, and information of the Jewes; that they should not be admitted to eate of those holy things (whose use was peculiar to the sacred tribe) untill there should be a decision made of this que­stion by a Priest of God, who by the Oracle of the brest­plate should give sentence and determination hereof from God himselfe.

CAP. IIII.

4 The people of the land weakned the hands of the people of Iudah.THe people of the land disheartened, and discouraged the people of Judah, from this holy enterprise of building the Temple of God.

10 Whom the great and noble Asnapper brought over.Whom the great and noble Esar-haddon King of As­syria brought over. See verse 2.

CAP. IX.

2 So that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of the land.SO as, those who are the chosen, and peculiar people of God, the Jewes, have matched themselves in marri­ages, [Page 131] with the heathenish and Idolatrous people of the land.

To fasten us,8 And to give us a naile in his holy place. and to give us the hope of a setled being in this holy place, as some naile that is driven up to the head, in some solid table, that cannot be removed.

CAP. II.

ANd I went out by night,13 And I went out by night by the gate of the valley even before the Dragons well, and to the Dungport, &c. by the gate which opens towards the vally of Jehosaphat, which is to the South (over against that which is called the Serpents well, by reason of the slie creeping of it) and so to the dung-port, towards the East, &c.

CAP. V.

THere is no difference in nature, in flesh, or blood,5 Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, &c. be­twixt us, and the rest of Israel, why should we, with­out any fault of our part, be in worse condition then they?

I,14 I and my brethren have not eaten the bread to the Governour. and my familie have not taken that allowance which was appointed for the governour; so as, though I weilded the place, yet I forbore to take the maintenance allotted unto it, both of money, and provision, in favour of the people, and respect to the common good.

O God, thou that art wont to accept of,19 Thinke upon mee, my God for good, accord­ing to all that I have done for this people. & graciously to reward the good desires, & works, that are wrought by thy spirit, in, and by us thy unworthy servants, be thou pleased to receive, and to crowne these my good inten­tions, and indevours towards this thy people.

CAP. VI.

I Came to Shemaiah who was under pretence of de­vout humiliation, and prayer for my safety,10 To Shemaiah, &c. Who was shut up; and he he said, Let us meet toge­ther in the house of God. shut up in [Page 132] his house; and he pretending a tender care of my per­son, advised, that we shut up our selves in the Temple.

11 And I said, Should such a man as I flee?Have I taken upon me to be the governour of this people? and have I in a godly resolution, gone thorough this worke hitherto; and shall I now bewray any base feare, or cowardize? and seeme to set such a price upon my life, as that I would protract it by weake subducing of my selfe, and hiding my head in the Temple?

14 My God, thinke thou upon Tobiah, &c.O my God, I doe not out of any private malice or spleen, or in any respect to the affronts offred to my per­son, but in a sincere desire of thy glory, beseech thee, to make knowne to the world how ill thou takest these treacherous plots of Tobiah, and his complices, &c.

CAP. VII.

65 Now the Tirsha­tha, &c. See Ezra 2.63.

CAP. XI.

11 Seraiah, &c. the son Ahitub the ruler of the house of God.SEraiah the sonne of Ahitub, who was the man that had the charge of the over-sight of the Temple; both for the fabricke of it, and the good order to be kept in it.

CAP. XIII.

4 Having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God.HAving the over-sight of that chamber of store, which pertained to the Temple of the Lord; wherein were laid up all things that were of use for the sacrifices. See verse. 5.

14 Remember me, O God, &c.See chapter 6. verse 14.

I Rated them, and reviled them, and dealt so roughly with them,25 And I cursed them, and smote certaine of thē and pluckt off their haire. as that I proceeded to blowes, and to the tearing off their haire from their heads.

CAP. I.

THat were men of excellent judgement,13 Wise men which knew the times. and knowledge in all affaires, able to give advice for the fittest times, and manners of perfor­mance, of all actions.

That Vashti be no more addmitted into thy presence as thy wife, but be instantly dismissed.19 That Vashti come no more before King Aha­suerus.

CAP. II.

FOr the honour of his marriage he gratified the pro­vinces, with pardons, and releases of those exactions,18 And he made a re­lease to the provinces, &c. whereof they complained; and gave bountifull gifts amongst them, &c.

Mordecai,19 Then Mordecai sate at the Kings gate. according to the place or office that he had in the Court, sate in the gate of the King.

CAP. III.

BUt Mordecai,2 But Mordecai bowed not, nor did reverence. whether for that he knew Haman to be of that blood, which by Gods charge were expo­sed to the hatred, and revenge of Israel, or whether, for that he thought the honour required, was more then was fit for a man, bowed not, nor did that reverence which all others too officiously gave to Haman.

They did by superstitious lots,7 In the first moneth, &c. they cast Pur, that is, a lot, &c. seeke to finde out a day, which by their vaine conjectures, might be most likely to be prosperous for this their designe.

In the last moneth of the yeare,7 In the moneth of A­dar. which answers to our February.

CAP. IIII.

I Will put my life in hazard;16 If I perish, I perish. I cannot venture it upon a better cause; I will doe the act, let God give what issue he pleaseth.

CAP. VI.

13 If he be of the seed of the Iewes before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not pre­vaile against him.I Have ever observed a speciall hand of God upon that his peculiar people, the Jewes; their friends are wont still to prosper, their enemies goe still to the worst; I feare the nation as much as I hate the man.

CAP. VIII.

9 The moneth Sivan.IN that moneth which answereth to our May.

CAP. IX.

26 Wherefore they cal­led those dayes Purim.IN memory of those lotts, which were cast by Haman, for the prosperous successe of his bloody enterprise against the Jewes, they being now happily delivered, call the dayes of their deliverance, by the name at Purim.

CAP. I.

1 There was a man in the land of Vz, whose name was Iob; and that man was perfect and up­right, and one that feared God and eschewed evill.IN the Land of Vz, (which lieth upon the borders of the Chaldeans, Sabeans and Canaanites,) there was a man of the posterity of Abraham, by Keturah, called Iob; and he was sincere and true-hearted, and one that feared God, and conscionably avoided all knowne, and wilfull wickednesse.

3 This man was the greatest of all the men of the East.He was the greatest and wealthiest of all that posteri­ty of Abraham, which were dispersed into the Easterne countries.

6 Now there was a day when the sonnes of God came to present them­selves before the Lord, & Satan came also among them.And (to speake after the manner of men, and to ex­presse the counsells and proceedings of God by humane allusions) on a time God held his sessions, and therein the Angells comming to present their service unto God [Page 135] for the behoofe of his children, Satan also thrust him in amongst them into the presence of God.

And, (as if there had beene a reall,7 And the Lord said to Satan; whence commest thou? Then Satan answe­red the Lord, and said, &c. and vocall confe­rence betwixt God and Satan, concerning the proceed­ings with Iob; wherein God should inquire of Satan whence he came; and upon his answer, should in an holy kinde of confident insultation, commend Iobs per­fection to this enemie of mankinde;8 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou con­sidered my seruant Iob, &c. which Satan spight­fully detracts from, and desires to have tried by severall afflictions) so God most holily decreed to give power to Satan for the proofe of Iobs fidelity, and patience;9 Then Satan answe­red the Lord, Doth Iob feare God for naught? and yeelded to the severall trialls, & calamities, which were brought upon Iob.

CAP. II.

SAtan,1 Againe there was a day when the sonnes of God came, &c. as not satisfied with that triall which he had taken of Iob, in the losse of his oxen, sheepe, camels,2 And the Lord said unto Satan, whence com­mest thou? &c. children, receives (as if it had been upon his importunate, and personall suit unto God) commission from God, to take a further triall of him in his person; in his flesh,4 And Satan answered the Lord and said, Skinne for skinne, &c. and bones, with the reservation of his life onely.

Doest thou still stand upon the termes of retaining thine integrity with God,5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh. since it speeds no better with thee? Ywis, thou hast fared much the better for thy so humble and patient resigning of thy selfe into the hands of God; it were as good for thee,9 Then said his wife unto him; Dost thou still retaine thine integritie? Curse God, and die. to dispatch at once, and be rid out of this misery; curse God; and hee will by his judgement make speedy way for thee out of this lingring torment.

They testified their exceeding sorrow for his great affliction, by rending their clothes,12 They rent every one his mantle, and sprink­led dust upon their heads towards heaven. and strewing dust upon their heads.

And they were so affected, and astonished, with his grievous sufferings, that they sate downe silently by him,13 So they sate downe with him upō the ground seven dayes and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him. for the most part of seven daies, and seven nights, a­bridging themselves of their wonted rest and suste­nance.

CAP. III.

AT the last, Iob himselfe began to breake this silence,1 After this Iob opened his mouth, and cursed his day. and in a pitifull complaint of his misery, weakely cursed the day wherein he was borne.

3 Let the day perish wherein I was borne; and the night wherein, &c.Would to God that day had never comne, wherein so wretched a man, as I, was borne; and now that it is unhappily comne, let it be ever noted for direfull and ominous.

5 Let darknesse and the shadow of death staine it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blacknesse of the day terrifie it.Let the deepest and horriblest darknesse make it un­comfortable; let a thicke cloud couer it; and let a con­tinued darknesse make it terrible to all beholders.

12 Why did the knees prevent me? or why the brests that I should sucke?Why were the knees of the mid-wife ready to hold me, or why were the brests ready to give me sucke?

With Kings and great potentates of the earth, who (to raise glory unto themselves) build sumptuous houses in those places,14 With Kings and counsellers of the earth, which built desolate pla­ces for themselves. which through their desolatenesse and bar­rennesse seemed uncapable of any cost, or magnificence.

23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?Why is light cast away upon a man, whom God hath made so miserable, that there is no way to be hoped for, of his evasion from this calamitie; whom God hath shut up in this distresse, without all possibility of escape?

26 I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet, yet trouble came.Indeed when I was at the best, I never made any ac­count of my life, and welfare, and yet this feare, and moderation of minde doth not now excuse mee from misery.

CAP. IIII.

6 Is not this thy feare thy confidence?IS not this thy storming, & fretting at the hand of God, a plaine argument that all thy religion, or pretended feare of God, was onely upon a confidence that he would still blesse and prosper thee?

8 Even as I have seene they that plow iniquity, and sow wickednesse, reape the same.I have well seene, and observed, that men speed accord­ing to their actions, and reap the fruit of their evill do­ings, in evill sufferings.

11 The old Lyon peri­sheth for lacke of prey, & the stout Lyons whelps are scattered abroad.The Tyrans, and oppressors of the earth, which are as strong and roaring Lyons, however they may prevaile with men, yet they are by the just, and powerfull God disappointed of their purposed prey, and distressed with just want.

12 Now a thing was secretly brought unto me, and mine eare received a little thereof.If thou thinke not fit to beleeve me, yet beleeve the revelation, which I lately had concerning thee; for I had a secret intimation from God, wherein it pleased him to make knowne to me, what he judgeth of thine estate.

13 In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deepe sleep falleth upon men,When I was most seriously thinking of thee, in the very deep of the night, at such time other men are over­taken and possessed with their dead sleepe:

14 Feare came upon me, &c.There came a great feare, & trembling on a sudden, upon me, as an harbinger of that vision which soone fol­lowed after it.

Then a spirit appeared before me,15 Then a spirit passed before my face; the haire of my flesh stood up. the presence where­of made my haire to stand upright.

It stood still by me, but I could not discerne what manner of visage it had.16 But I could not dis­cerne the forme thereof.

If the best and most glorious creatures be compared with him, alas, what are they? Behold;18 Behold, he put no trust in his servants, and his Angells he charged with folly. he findes not any such stabilitie, or absolutenesse in his very Angels, as that setting aside his owne gratious indowments of them, and his firme decree concerning them, they can stand out in the challenge of any perfection in them­selves.

How much lesse can miserable man stand upon such points with his Maker?19 How much lesse on them that dwell in houses of clay, &c.

CAP. V.

SInce thou standest upon thine owne justification so much,1 Call now if there be any that will answer thee, and to which of the Saints wilt thou turne? I appeale to any of the Saints of God upon earth; let any of them judge of this thy condition; and say, whether there be not reason to charge thee with hy­pocrisie.

They will tell thee, in all experience;2 For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy (or indignation) slaieth the silly one. that God in his most just judgement, meets with the man (not that is just) but that is wickedly foolish; and that his indignati­on falls heavie (even unto death) upon him that is grosly ignorant of God, and the things of his peace.

I have seene the wicked man seemingly grounded,3 I have seene the foolish taking root; but suddenly I cursed his ha­bitation. and flourishing in the world, but suddenly I gave him for gone; and in my thoughts made full account of his utter extirpation.

Yet this misery, and affliction, that alights upon men,6 Although affliction commeth not out of the dust, neither doth spring out of the ground; comes not either by chance, or of it selfe, or meerly from the second causes, whether of men, or other creatures, but it comes from above, and is inflicted by the divine hand of supreme, and infinite justice.

And yet even in the course of nature,7 Yet man is borne un­to trouble, as the sparkes flie upward. man is borne to trouble, and vexation; and it is no lesse naturall to him to be tried with manifold crosses here, thē for the sparks of fire to flie upwards.

They meet with inexpected crosses in their designes,14 They meet with darknesse in the day time, and grope in the noone day as in the darke. and finde contrary events to what they promised to themselves; when they made account of most joy, they meet with heavinesse.

He shall save thee from sinking under many troubles,19 Hee shall deliver thee from sixe troubles, yea in seven there shall no evill touch thee. and from the last, and worst, he shall so rescue thee that the evill of it shall not have so much as power to touch thee.

23 Thou shalt bee in league with the stones of of the field.All the creatures, who are ingaged in the quarrells of their maker, shall now stand in good termes with thee, and joyne together to thy use, and service.

24 Thou shalt visit thine habitation, and shalt not sinne (or erre.)Thou shalt oversee thine affaires with good successe, and not erre, or faile in the administration of them.

CAP. VI.

3 Therefore my words are swallowed up.SUch is the greatnesse of my affliction that it bereaves me of all words, whereby I should endevour to ex­presse it.

4 For the arrowes of the Almighty are within me, the poyson whereof drinketh up my spirits.The grievous paines that I feele are as so many poyso­ned arrowes, shot into my flesh by the almighty hand of God; which have diffused their venome into all the parts of my body and soule, and have even spent and wasted my spirits, with the wofull sense of them.

5 Doth the wild Asse bray when he hath grasse, &c?Can yee imagine that I would cry out so bitterly, if I did not feele a just cause of my complaint; yee see the very dumb creatures do not make their mone, but when they finde a sense of their want.

6 Can that which is unsavorie be eaten with­out salt, or is there any tast in the white of an egge?Yet this is no small addition to my sorrow, that yee speake unto me words that have no savour of any com­fort, but rather tend towards my further dejection; sure­ly, there is no more relish in your speeches, then in the white of an Egge without salt.

7 The things that my soule refused to touch are as my sorrowfull meat.And yet these are they, that I am forced to feed upon, for the present, though they be such, as my soule hath too much cause to abhorre.

10 Let him not spare, for I have not concealed the words of the holy One.Let him doe me this favour to take away my life; let him not spare me to my further vexation; for I have beene faithfull to him, and have not concealed the words of his mouth; but have freely declared them to the world.

18 Is not my helpe in me? and is wisedome driven away from me?How ever ye labour to dishearten me, yet have not I the testimony of a good conscience to beare mee up? is there not true spirituall wisedome yet remaining in me, to know both my God, and my selfe?

15 My brethren have dealt deceitfully with me, as a brooke, &c.My kinsmen that came to comfort me, are like a de­ceitfull current of land-waters in winter.

16 Which are blackish by reason of the yce, &c.Which in the cold season seem to be strongly covered with a firme yce:

17 What time they waxe warme they vanish.But when the heat of the sunne hath risen upon them, and warmer seasons come in, they vanish away, as if they had never beene.

19 The troupes of Te­ma looked, the companies of Sheba waited for them.The troupes of the Ismaelitish merchants, that trade unto Tema, made account to refresh themselves with [Page 139] those streames in that dry wildernesse; and so did the merchants that traffique to Sheba.

And now finde thēselves miserably disappointed, &c.20 They were confoun­ded, &c.

Right such are ye unto me; for now,21 For now ye are no­thing, &c. howsoever yee formerly seemed, ye are as nothing; having utterly de­ceived my hopes of kindnesse and mercy from you.

Was I ever beholden to any of you for a favour?22 Did I say, bring un­to me; or give, &c? did I ever crave of any of you either gift, or rescue?

Doe you imagine that I speake nothing but light and idle words, and reprove me thereafter?26 Doe ye imagine to reprove words, and the speeches of one that is desperate, which are as winde? or doe yee account the passionate complaints of a man, thus despe­rately miserable, to be no other then winde?

Bethinke your selves well of the cruell wrong ye have offered me;29 Returne I pray you, let it not be iniquitie; yea, returne againe: my righ­teousnesse is in it. and goe not on to charge me thus unjust­ly; my righteousnesse and integrity is, and shall be ap­parent in this whole carriage of the matter.

CAP. VII.

AS a servant longeth after the approch of the night;2 As a servant earnest­ly desireth the shadow. when all things are shaded in a common darknesse.

My flesh,5 My flesh is clothed with wormes and with clods of dust. beyond all the ordinary condition of other men, is even in my life time annoied with wormes, that grow in my ulcerous sores; and with cloddy scabbes that fall off from me.

Am I as some boistrous, or raging sea,12 Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me? or some huge unruly whale, that thou shouldst need to set such bounds of restraint upon me, and hold me in from passing out of this my limited misery?

So that my soule would rather (if I might have my free choice) wish to have my sorrow ended with a present dispatch, by strangling,15 So that my soule chooseth strangling. then thus to linger in continuall torment.

How long shall it be,19 How long wilt thou not depart from me? nor let me alone till I swallow downe my spittle. ere thou wilt release thy heavy hand, that is upon me; and give me but so much respite, as whiles a man may swallow downe his spittle?

For now I am dying; and, when that brunt is past,21 For now I sleepe in the dust, and thou shalt seeke me in the morning, but I shall not be. if thou wouldst make further use of me for the manifest­ing of thy power and my patience, I shall not be at all.

CAP. VIII.

LOoke how ordinary a thing it is for the rush that grows up without mire;11 Can a rush grow up without mire; can the flagge grow without wa­ter? or the flagge that sprouts up without water,12 Whiles it is yet in his greennesse and not cut downe, it withereth, &c. to wither and die without any hand cut­ing it off, so usuall a thing it is with God, to cause the [Page 140] ungrounded hypocrite to perish,14 And the hope of the hypocrite shall perish. after all the vaine hopes that his profession have raised.

17 His rootes are wrapped about the heape, and seeth the place of stones.His rootes are so vigorous, that by the force of their owne inward moisture they can grow, and spread, not­withstanding any opposition of rubbish, or stones in their way.

18 If hee destroy him from his place, then it shall denie him; saying, I have not seene thee.And, if his master have a minde to destroy him, and root him up, the very place where he grew shall not be acknowne of him; neither shall there be any mention left that such a one grew there.

21 Till hee fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lipps with rejoycing.Neither therefore will God leave thee in this extre­mity (if thou be, as thou pretendest, upright with him) nor will desist from mitigating thy affliction, so, as that thou shalt receive full and perfect consolation.

CAP. IX.

7 Which commandeth the sunne, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the starres.WHo, when he pleaseth, can command the Sunne not to rise in the morning, that it may make day; and can forbid the starres to appeare in the evening; and restraine the succession of the night.

Who ordereth all the set seasons of the yeare, and both maketh,9 Which maketh Arctu­rus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the South. and disposeth of those remarkable constel­lations, by which the foure seasons of the yeare are sen­sibly distinguished & governed; Arcturus which ariseth in autumne, Orion in winter, Pleiades or the seven starrs in the spring; and those other starres which lie hidden in the Southern coasts of heaven, which rise to us in the heate of Summer.

21 Though I were per­fect, yet wold I not know my soule, I would despise my life.Though I were perfect, yet would I not stand out in the justification of my selfe before his presence; but if he have determined my death, would willingly surren­der my life into his hands.

22 This is one thing, therefore I said it; he de­stroyeth the perfect and the wicked.This is one especiall thing that I have noted, and just­ly stood upon, that the outward proceedings of God are indifferent towards all; he taketh away both the upright, and the wicked man.

24 He coverth the fa­ces of the Iudges thereof: If not, where and who is he?He bringeth contēpt upon the great rulers of the earth; And if it be not he that doth it, where and who is he be­sides, that hath this power, and executes these judge­ments?

Let me seeme never so pure in mine owne eyes, yet, O Lord,31 Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine owne clothes shall abhorre me. the rigour of thy justice shall shew me as foule, as the man that is plunged in some filthy ditch; who is so defiled, that his very clothes make him more loath­some.

CAP. X.

O God, is it any profit, or advantage to thy glory,3 Is it good to thee that thou shouldest op­presse? that thou dealest so rigorously with me?

Hast thou not made me in a wonderfull fashion;10 Hast thou not pou­red me out as milke, and crudled me like cheefe? whiles of the liquid matter of my marvelous conception thou hast formed this solid substance of my body, by se­verall degrees of thy powerfull worke.

And though thou bestowedst so much cost upon me,13 And these things hast thou hid in thine heart, I know that this is with thee. in my formation, yet thou didst from eternitie retaine in thy selfe this purpose of afflicting me; I know that this was from eternity determined by thee.

Thou renewest the convictions of my sinnes,17 Thou renewest thy witnesses against me. which are thy heavy afflictions upon me.

Varieties of troubles by thine appointment fight a­gainst me.17 Changes and warre are against me.

CAP. XI.

IF he would manifest unto thee the hidden secrets of his wisedome;6 And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisedome, that they are double to that which is. thou shouldst finde that in strict rigor he might justly inflict double upon thee, to that thou now sufferest.

If he have purposed to alter the course of all things,10 If he cut off, and shut up, or gather toge­ther, who shall hinder him? to destroy, or to draw into a narrow compasse those things which are now at a large, & diffused liberty, who can hinder his will, or proceedings?

For vaine man will be taking upon him to be wise,12 For vaine man would bee wise; though man be borne like a wild Asses colt. al­though in deed he is in himselfe no better then brutish.

If thou doe but digge a place where to pitch thy Tent,18 Yea thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety. thou shalt dwell there as safely as in a walled city.

CAP. XII.

I Am as one mocked, and scorned of you my neighbours,4 I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him. and yet, how meanly so ever ye please to thinke of me, I am in my faithfull invocations upon God, heard, and gratiously answered by him.

He that is neare to his ruine (as I now am) is (unto those that prosper,5 He that is ready to slip with his feet, is as a lampe despised in the thought of him that is at ease. and are at ease) like unto a lampe that is neare burning out to the very snuffe; and there­fore despised by them for the present; how ever it have formerly shined.

You have told me of your age and wise experience,12 With the ancient is wisedome. [Page 142] wherein I detract nothing from you;13 With him is wise­dome. but what is your wisedome to Gods? He is onely, and all-wise, &c.

CAP. XIII.

8 Will ye accept of his person?DOe ye thinke he hath need of an unjust gratification from you; so as that he would have you give him an undue favour in his cause, out of by-respects?

12 Your remembrances are like unto ashes.Whatsoever thing of yours seemes memorable; or what monument so ever ye shall set up to your selves, it shall vanish away, and be scattered like ashes.

14 Wherefore doe I take my flesh in my teeth; and put my life in mine hand.Wherefore doe I give way to these desperate ex­tremities, as if I would teare my flesh in pieces with my owne teeth? and why doe I cast away all the care of my life, as now past all possibilitie of recovery?

15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him; but I will maintaine mine owne wayes before him.Though God should have determined thus to make an end of me, yet I will not cease to cast my selfe upon his hands, and confidently to relie upon his mercy; nei­ther will I ever be driven from the defence of my ho­nest sincerity, before him.

19 For now if I hold my tongue, I shall give up the ghost.I am so full of this griefe, that I cannot hold it in; and if I should not thus give it vent, it would presently kill me.

20 Onely doe not two things unto me; then will I not hide my selfe from thee.And if it shall please God to vouchsafe to argue this case with me, I shall desire but these two conditions of him; and then I will not withdraw my selfe for feare, from appearing before him.

21 Withdraw thine hand farre from mee, and let not thy dread make me afraid.One is, that hee would take off from mee this heavie hand of his present affliction, which over­whelmes me with the violence of it; the other, that he wold give me courage to beare out this my humble con­testation, so as I may not be cōfounded with the terrors of his glorious majesty.

23 How many are mine iniquities and sins? make thou mee to know my transgressions, and my sinne.O God, I cannot accuse my selfe of wilfull wicked­nesses against thee; but if there be any secret iniquity that I am not privie unto, doe thou make it knowne to mee, and convince me of it.

25 Wilt thou breake a leafe driven to and fro?Alas, Lord, am I a fit subject for thee to contend with? Oh consider my weaknesse, and my unworthinesse; and enter not into judgement with my vilenesse.

26 Thou makest me to possesse the iniquities of my youth.Thou callest me to a backe-reckoning for the very sinnes of my youth; and doest now cause me to feele the smart of them.

27 Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, & look­est narrowly upon all my pathes, thou set'st a print upon the heeles of my feet.Thou shuttest me, in, sure and close with these strong afflictions, so as I cannot stir out of thy hand; thou dost strictly observe all my carriage; and, as if thou hadst set [Page 143] some soft morter, or clay under my feet, to take the im­pression of my steps, so hast thou curiously noted all my wayes.

Alas, Lord,28 And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth. if I looke to the condition of man in ge­nerall, what a poore vaine thing he is; for, behold, he consumeth away as a thing that is already rotten.

CAP. XIIII.

AS waters that after some exundation of the sea,11 As the waters faile from the sea; and the flood decaieth, and drieth up. or some great river, are left (upon the refluxe thereof) behind the rest, upon the plaine, which cannot returne, or continue, but drie up and evaporate; such is man.

All the daies of my appointed time upon earth,14 All the dayes of my appointed time will I wait till my change come. will I patiently wait for that day, wherein my God shall change this my mortall condition for immortalitie; that so I may be ready for the happy day of my dissolution.

Thou dost not let go any of my transgressions,17 My transgressions are sealed up in a bag. but hast made sure worke with them, and hast packed, and sealed them up, that they may be forth-comming for my pre­sent punishment.

Certainely,18 And surely the mountaine falling com­meth to nought, and the rocke is removed out of his place. if the hugest and strongest mountaines doe moulder away, and come to nothing; if the very hardest rocks be through the powerfull hand of God re­moved out of their places.

If the very stones be worne with water falling upon them;19 The waters weare the stones, thou washest away the things that grow out of the dust of the earth, & thou destroy­est the hope of man. and deluges beare downe any thing that is fastned in the earth, &c. how much lesse shall weake and fraile man make account to continue upon the face of the earth.

When he is now in the agonie of death,21 His sonnes come to honor, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought lower, but he perceiveth it not. striving with those his last pangs, he litle regards what honour his son is newly comne vnto, or what shame he hath incurred.

But his flesh upon him is in extremity of paine, which takes all up his thoughts, and senses;22 But his flesh upon him shall have paine, and his soule within him shall mourne. and his soule within him mournes for the present violence of his torment, and for the expectation or feare of the future.

CAP. XV.

IS it for a wise man (under a pretence of knowledge) to speake vaine words?2 Should a wise man utter vaine knowledge, and fill his belly with the East wind? and to have his heart filled with unprofitable, and harmfull imaginations.

I doe now see that thou hast cast off the feare of God;4 Yea, thou castest off feare, & restrainest prayer before God and art not carefull, and devout to call upon God, in thy [Page 144] tribulation; yea, in all kinde of inferred deniall of the providence of God, thou seemest to discourage others from calling upon him.

15 Behold he putteth no trust in his Saints.See chapter 4. verse 18.

20 The wicked man travaileth with paine all his dayes, and the number of his yeares, are hidden to the oppressour.The great Tyrans of the world, how ever they may seeme to flourish, yet have many secret girds and gripes of conscience; and are continually tormented within themselves; and yet, besides, they little know how long they shall be allowed to live upon earth; God keeps the stint of their life secret from them.

26 He runneth upon him even on his necke upon the thicke bosses of his buckler.He maketh violent and presumptuous opposition to God, as if he could graple with, and overcome the Al­mighty; and fearlesly runnes upon the most eminent judgements of God.

Because he lives at ease, and prospers in all his designes, so as through too much pampering his cheekes are cove­red with fatnesse.27 Because he cove­reth his face with fatnesse.

28 And he dwelleth in desolate cities, &c.And he is able, through his power, to raise sumptuous buildings in those places, which others have forsaken as barren and inhabitable.

29 He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue; neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth.Yet (for all this) though he can for a glory doe these great matters, this wealth of his shall not continue long; neither shall this his flourishing estate hold any long while upon the earth.

30 He shall not depart out of darknesse; the flame shall drie up his branches, and by the breath of his mouth shall he goe away.He shall irrecoverably lie under those sad, and reme­dilesse calamities, which are cast upon him; and if any hopes of comfort doe beginne to looke forth, God shall presently scorch and defeat them by the flames of his dis­pleasure; and shall utterly confound him by his just judg­ments.

31 Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity.Let not the man therefore that hath beene heretofore carried away with the vaine confidence in these earthly things, suffer himselfe to be so deceived any more.

32 It shall be accom­plished before his time; and his branch shall not be greene.That recompence of his shall be so accomplished, that he shall be cut off before his naturall period; and his in­devours shall be blasted at their first puting forth, neither shall ever come to any perfection.

33 He shall shake off his unripe grapes as the vine, and shall cost off his flowre as the Olive.He shall be as a Vine whose grape is perished in the very budde; and as an Olive whose flowre is cast off at the first putting forth; so as his hopes shall never attaine to any maturity.

35 Their belly prepa­reth deceit.Their secret thoughts doe but, in the event, deceive themselves.

CAP. XVI.

WHen wilt thou have made an end of these vaine speeches?2 Shall vaine words have an end? or what em­boldeneth thee that thou thus answerest? Or what hath moved thee to make so uncharitable a replie to my words?

But now, God hath loded me with sorrow,7 But now hee hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company. till I am even weary of bearing it; yea thou, O Lord, hast put a distraction betwixt my family, my friends, and my selfe; and hast made us all miserable.

The wrinkles that are suddenly growne in my face are a sufficient witnesse of my extreme suffering.8 Thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witnesse against me.

Mine enemie who beareth deadly hatred against me,9 He teareth me with his teeth who hateth me, &c. hath now his full scope of malice upon me; and in his cruelty insulteth ouer me at pleasure.

His wrath reacheth to my inmost parts;13 Hee cleaveth my reines asunder, he poureth out my gall upon the ground. even to my reines and gall; and leaveth no part of me free from his tormenting hand.

I have laid downe all mine honor in the dust;15 And defiled my horne in the dust. and have justly humbled my selfe (in the very height of my glory) by casting dust and ashes upon my forelorne head.

CAP. XVII.

IS not their unjust provocation continually in mine eye;2 Doth not mine eye continue in their pro­vocation? So as I cannot but be a wofull witnesse of their injurie?

I doe much desire to have my case throughly tried;3 Lay downe now, put me in surety with me? who is he that will strike hands with me? let me see then, who will give security to maintaine the suit with me, who will agree to joine issue with me upon this point.

He that flatters his friend shall finde God plaguing him both in himselfe, and in his seed after him.5 He that speaketh flat­tery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall faile.

But for me, this is not my case; I am scorned rather; it hath pleased God to give me over to so great misery,6 He hath made me also a byword of the people, & before them I was a ta­bret. that I am becomne a by-word to the world; and am the matter of minstralsie, and sport to mine enemies.

My great afflictions change my night into day; causing me to passe over that time of darknesse without any rest,12 They change the night into the day; the light is short because of darknesse. so as my thoughts are no lesse busie, then in the day time; and so great is the darknesse of my misery, that it eclip­seth my day, and makes it either short, or none.

Tell not me of any restauration of my selfe,13 If I wait, the grave is my house, &c. or of my estate; all that I can wait for, is the grave; that shall (I hope) receive and shelter me.

I am even already entring into my grave;14 I have said unto cor­ruption, Thou art my fa­ther: and to the wormes; Thou art my sister and my mother. the corrup­tion [Page 146] whereof hath already seized upon me; and I have yeelded my selfe up unto it, and am as it were incorpo­rated in it.

16 They shall goe downe to the barres of the pit, when our rest to­gether is in the dust.Those hopes that you speake of, shall goe downe with me to the bottome of the grave, and shall rest with me together in the dust.

CAP. XVIII.

4 He teareth himselfe in his anger; shall the earth be forsaken for thee; and shall the rocke be remo­ved out of his place?HEare now, thou that talkest of tearing thy flesh with thy teeth for indignation, and sorrow; what, doest thou thinke that thy clamour and complaint can prevaile to alter Gods just administration; so as the earth should be forsaken because thou speedest ill; and the rockes re­moved, because thy miserie continues?

8 He is cast into a net by his owne feet.He shall by his owne plots, and devices, run himselfe into inextricable perplexities and miseries.

13 The first borne of death shall devoure all his strength.The most cruell and painfull death shall make an end of all his power and glory.

14 And it shall bring him to the King of ter­rors.His confidence shall at the last lead him into the ex­tremest of all terrors, that can be conceived.

Yea, this terror shall dwell, and continue in his taber­nacle,15 It shall dwell in his Tabernacle, because it is none of his; brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation. which howsoever he possesseth, yet his conscience tells him is not his owne, since he hath got it by extorti­on, and violence; and God shall raine downe brimstone upon it, as he did upon Sodom.

He shall be like unto a withered tree, whose rootes; when they are once dried up below,16 His rootes shall be dried up beneath, and a­bove shall his branches be cut off. the branches are presently cut downe for fire-wood.

Posteritie shall be astonished to heare of the severe judgment of God executed upon him;20 They that come after him shall be astonied at his day, as those that went before were affrigh­ted. & those that lived in the same age with him, were affrighted at the sight of that vengeance which was inflicted upon him.

CAP. XIX.

3 These ten times have ye reproched me.WEe have had ten severall interlocutions, where­in you have most uncharitably and cruelly repro­ched me, ye have cast many and frequent aspersions of hypocrisie and wickednesse upon mine innocence.

6 Know now that God hath overthrowne me.If I be (as I am) most miserable: alas you should have considered that it is Gods hand that hath cast me down, which is both holy, and irresistible.

15 My maides count me for a stranger.My very maid-servants looke strangely, and overlie upon me, as if I were not their master; the very meanest [Page 147] of my familie slight and neglect me.

My wife,17 My breath is strange to my wife; though I en­treated her for the chil­drens sake of my owne body. as she was ready to adde unto my triall by her ill counsell, so now, she keeps aloofe from me, and denies me the comfort and aid of her tendance in this extremitie, though I intreated, and importuned her, even by the remembrance of those children which she had borne from my loynes, which were the deare pledges of our conjugall love.

I have nothing that I can call skinne, about me,20 And I am escaped with the skinne of my teeth. but onely that, which is of my gummes; for the rest, the flesh hath shrunke from the skinne; and the skin is gone into corruption.

If it hath pleased God to afflict me,22 Why doe ye perse­cute me as God? will yee afflict me too? He knoweth upon what holy and just reasons he proceedeth with his creatures, it is not for you to arro­gate this to your selves; let it be enough therefore that Gods hand is upon me, though yours be not.

I am now to speake a sentence so memorable,23 Oh that my words were now written; Oh that they were printed in a booke, &c. that I could desire it should bee recorded to all posterity for ever.

How ever I am judged by you; yet this is my comfort, that I know I have a judge,25 For I know that my Redeemer liveth; and that he shall stand at the latter day, upon the earth. and gracious Redeemer to come; who lives eternally, when ye shall be gone to dust, and shall, one day, come downe to judge the quicke and the dead; & shall in that last day of our generall account, present himselfe here upon earth to the eyes of all flesh.

And though this skinne, and this body of mine,26 And though after my skinne wormes de­stroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. shall now soone goe to corruption, and dust; yet in this very flesh of mine, raised up glorious by his divine power, I shall see my God and Saviour.

I shall see him with these mine owne eyes,27 Whom I shall see my selfe, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another. and not with any others for me; I shall see & receive him as my just and gracious deliverer; both from those powers of death, and all these false calumniations which yee now cast upon me.

But yee should rather say; Alas,28 But ye should say; Why persecute wee him; seeing the root of the matter is found in me? why doe we perse­cute this distressed man any more? Seeing we find (if we looke to the very roote and bottome of this our quarrell) that he is upright, and innocent of those things where­of we have accused him.

CAP. XX.

HIs children shall be glad to make restitution to the poore;10 His children shall seeke to please the poore, and his hands shall restore their goods. and to stop their clamorous mouthes with a late satisfaction; yea perhaps himselfe with his owne [Page 148] hands shall give backe his extorted goods.

11 His bones are full of the sinnes of his youth.He shall, in his old decrepit age, feele the smart of the sinnes of his lawlesse youth; they shall sticke by him when he hath forgotten them, &c.

14 Yet his meat in his bowells is turned; it is the gall of aspes within him.Howsoever he have taken great pleasure in his sinnes, and, in the very act of them they have gone down sweet, yet in the end he shall finde them painfull, yea as deadly, as the venom of aspes.

17 He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brookes of hony and but­ter.Howsoever he hath promised himselfe great content­ment, and felicity in his lawlesse courses, yet, hee shall finde himselfe utterly disappointed, his hopes shall faile him, and leave him quite destitute of all comforts.

21 There shall none of his meat be left, therefore shall no man looke for his goods.He shall not have so much as meat left to his mouth, much lesse shall there be ought for other men to hope for, after him.

22 Every hand of the wicked (or, troublesome) shall come upon him.Every hand of those whom he hath cruelly spoyled, shall be upon him; each of them shall vexe him, whether with suites, or violence, to recover his owne.

24 He shall flee from the yron weapon, and the bow of steele shall strike him thoroughWhen he desires and hopes to avoid a lesser danger, he shall fall into a greater.

A fire, not kindled by man, but sent downe from hea­ven in the just judgement of God,26 A fire unblowne shall consume him. shall consume him, as thou, O Iob, hast not long since had lamentable proofe.

CAP. XXI.

4 Is my complaint to man? and if it were so, why should not my spirit be troubled?IF I had onely to doe with man, in this my misery, and had no other to make my complaint unto, I had just reason to be utterly dejected; but now, I have a God to make my moane unto.

6 Even when I remem­ber, I am afraid, and trem­bling taketh hold of my flesh.When I bethinke my selfe of my owne grievous cala­mity, and (on the contrary side) of the great, and appa­rent prosperity of wicked men, I am so vexed, and dis­quieted with the consideration hereof, that my very flesh trembleth.

16 Lo, their good is not in their hand; the counsell of the wicked is farre from me.Yet, for all that, the prosperity of the wicked is not in their owne hands, to continue at pleasure; no they are in the power of that just God, who can crush them when he thinkes good; and therefore, farre be it from me, not­withstanding all their outward peace and glory, to yeeld unto the wayes of wickednesse.

19 God layeth up his iniquitie for his children.God reserveth the outward punishment of his iniqui­tie, to be (besides his owne person) inflicted upon his children after him.

24 His brests (or, pailes) are full of milke; and his bones are moistened with marrow.The udders of his cattle, and his pailes, are full of milke; and his bones are strong, and his flesh firme and [Page 149] succulent; so as, both his outward estate and his body doe exceedingly prosper and flourish.

Ye say in a secret scorne;28 For ye say, Where is the house of the Prince? and where are the dwel­ling places of the wicked? Where is now the house of this great man that hath borne himselfe as a Prince a­mongst his neighbours; or what is becomne of this wic­ked mans habitation? He pretended godlinesse, but this very disolation shewes what he was.

He is so great and imperious,31 Who shall declare his way to his face, or who shall repay him what he hath done? that no man dares re­prove him for his faults; or offer to punish him for his injuries done.

He shall be glad to rest in the grave:33 The clods of the vallie shall be sweet unto him; and every man shall draw after him, as there are innumerable before him. And by the law of nature every man shall follow after him, in his owne time, to that common receptacle of all flesh; as there are also innumerable gone thither before him.

CAP. XXII.

THou, through thy covetousnesse and pride,8 The mighty man hee had the earth. didst en­grosse the earth to thy selfe.

Affliction like a violent streame beares thee over,11 Abundance of wa­ter covers thee. and covers thee, as drowning in the bottome of it.

Hast thou not observed the course that God hath of old wont to take with the wicked?15 Hast thou not mar­ked the old way which wicked men have troden?

This is the lot of wicked men, whereas wee that are righteous and godly speede otherwise;20 Whereas our sub­stance it not cut downe; but the remnant of them the fire consumeth. our substance is both continued, and multiplied; but as for them, that which remaines of their riches, together with their per­sons, shall be consumed with the fire of Gods displea­sure.

When thou seest good men cast downe,29 When men are cast downe, then shalt thou say, There is a lifting up; and he shall save the hum­ble person. then shalt thou, by the strength of thy faith, say; there shall be an xealtation for these men; and God will finde a time to deliver, and honor the humble person.

He shall deliver a whole Iland for the sake of one in­nocent and righteous man, and if thou wert he,30 He shall deliver the Iland of the innocent; and it is delivered by the purenesse of thine hands. the pure­nesse of thy hands should obtaine this favour from him, that for his respect to thee he would spare many.

CAP. XXIII.

EVen still I have every day more cause then other,2 Even to day is my cōplaint bitter; my stroke is heauier then my groan­ing. to complaine of my great affliction; and the stroke that I feele from God, is more heavie then my groanings can expresse.

Oh that I knew where,3 Oh that I know where I might finde him? That I might come even to his seat. and how I might meet with [Page 150] God, that I might lay open my estate before him, and in an humble manner argue the case of my suffering, with him.

6 Will he plead against me with his great power? No, but he would put strength in me.I know he is gratious, he would not stand either upon his rigour, or his power with me; but would mercifully sustaine me, and give me courage, and abilitie to stand out in the maintenance of my sincerity before him.

7 There the righte [...]us might dispute with him; so should I be delivered for ever from my Iudge.Upon these termes, a man of upright heart might hold a lowly contestation with him; which once done, being absolved by his most just sentence, I should be de­livered for ever, from the slanders and condemnations of my unjust censurers.

8 Behold I goe forward, but he is not there; & backward, but I cannot per­ceive him.But, alas, I know not how to come to have speech with the Almightie; though he bee every where, yet he doth not in any one place or way manifest himselfe so, as to admit any plea of mine; in vaine therefore shall I hope to argue my cause with him.9 On the left hand, &c.

13 But he is in one minde, and who can turne him?But, Oh vaine man that I am, how should I hope to alter the determinations of that wise and powerfull God; what he hath decreed, must be; and who can change his purposes?

14 And many such things are with him.Many such things (as these his proceedings with me) doth he in his great and unlimited power and unsearch­able wisedome bring to passe; whereof we can give no reason or judgement.

17 Because I was not cut off before the darknes, neither hath he covered the darknesse from my face.I am astonished at the hand of the Almighty, for that I am still upheld by his power in these extremities, and not cut off by death before this darknesse of sorrow and misery over-whelmed me; neither yet hath he restrained these intolerable evills from seizing upon mee; but hath caused me to feele them, and not to be swallowed up by them.

CAP. XXIIII.

1 Why (seeing the times are not hidden from the Almighty) doe they that know him not, see his dayes.IT is good reason we should attribute so much to the most wise providence of the Almighty, that he knowes and hath determined of the fittest times for his owne actiōs; but why will men be so presumptuous, as (though they know him not, yet) to foresee, and foreset the daies and times for his judgements,

2 Some remove the land markes, they violent­ly take away flockes, &c.There are wicked men that give themselves to all vi­olent and licentious outrages, of removing of land-markes, driving away the flockes and heards of their neighbours.

5 Behold as wild Asses in the desert, goe they forth to their worke.They runne as eagerly after their spoile and rapine, as [Page 151] the wilde Asse in the desert, runnes after his prey.

They reape every one his share of corne in another mans field;6 They reape every one his corne in the field; and they gather the vintage of the wicked. and gather that vintage which their cruell oppression hath forced to be theirs.

So as their naked bodies are exposed to the showers that fall from the mountaines;8 They are wet with the showers of the moun­taines, and embrace the rocke for want of a shel­ter. & are faine to seek shelter of the rocke, to keepe them from the violence of the weather.

The poore and painfull man toiles hard for these op­pressors, to scruze out their Oyle and wine within their owne walls, and is forced to thirst the while;11 Which make oyle within their walls, and tread their winepresses, yet suffer thirst. being by their cruelty abridged of his wages, and livelode; and not suffered so much as to tast of his owne labours.

They are of those that hate the light,13 They are of those that rebell against the light. which reproves their wicked deeds, and layes them open to the view of the world.

Thus doth the evill man;18 He is swift as the waters, their portion is cursed upon earth; he be­holdeth not the way of the vineyards. but shall he prosper in his mischeife? No, God shall soone be avenged of him; hee shal passe away swiftly, even as an headdy current of wa­ters; and, whiles he continues here, he injoyes that which he hath, with a curse; his lo [...] shall be barrennesse, so as he shall not so much as looke towards the way of the vineyards; he shall have no hope of receiving the benefit of his seasonable culture of the earth.

As the moisture of the snow (which is more light and aery) is dried up by the heate of the Sun-beames,19 Drought and heate consume the snow wa­ters; so doth the grave those which have sinned. so are the sinners suddenly consumed by that death, and de­struction which God sends upon them.

Though this wicked man seeme to passe his time in much securitie, and confidence;23 Though it be given him to be in safety, wher­on he resteth; yet his eyes are upon their waies. yet the eyes of God are so upon his waies; as that he observes him to take his advantages against him; and to fit him with judgements.

CAP. XXV.

HE is an awfull God that hath the absolute dominion over all the world; he ordereth the very heavens, so,2 Dominion and feare are with him, he maketh peace in his high places. that there is a perfect harmony in all the (seemingly con­trary) motions thereof; and contriveth all things so, that they agree to glorifie him.

How innumerable troupes of glorious Angells hath he there above,3 Is there any number of their armies? and upon whom doth not his light arise. & how infinite armies of his creatures to execute his will upon all occasions? and how gratious is he in sending forth his light into all the corners of the earth; and how wise in searching all the secrets of humane actions and counsells?

CAP. XXVI.

2 How hast thou hel­ped him that is without power? &c.OH what goodly help hast thou given to the Almigh­ty! Ywis be had not had power enough to right himselfe without thee; foolish man, that pleadest for God, as if he had need of thy patronage.

5 Dead things are for­med from under the wa­ters and the inhabitants thereof.What doest thou tell me of a providence ordering those heavenly bodies, and motions? I know all this and more; and tell thee againe, that the same providence reacheth to all those obscure creatures, which are for­med under the waters, and under the earth; so as they have not their being and continuance, but from him.

6 Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering.Yea, the very lowest part of the earth lies naked and open to his all-seeing eyes; hee knowes the places and wayes, and meanes of the dissolution of all the creatures which he hath made.

7 He stretcheth out the North over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.He hath spread out this glorious hemisphere of the heavens upon the void and empty space of the light, and thinne ayre; and hangeth the great ball of the earth in the midst of heaven, without any prop or foundation.

9 He holdeth backe the face of his throne, and spreadeth his cloud upon it.He hideth the face of heaven (which is his throne) from our sight; by spreading his thicke clouds betwixt it, and us.

The high mountaines (upon whom the heaven seemes to rest,11 The pillers of the heaven tremble, and are astonished at his reproofe as so many pillars) tremble and shake with his earthquakes.

His hand hath made the huge and mighty Whale in the waters,13 His hand hath for­med the crooked serpent. and the monstrous and dreadfull serpent on the land.

CAP. XXVII.

AS God liveth who hath not yet given any outward and sensible signification that he hath taken notice of my cause,2 As God liveth who hath taken away my judg­ment; who hath vexed my soule. to cleare and avenge me; but contrarily hath laid many sore afflictions upon me.

CAP. XXVIII.

HOw ever you have pleased to passe your censure concerning the proceedings of God,1 Surely there is a veine for silver, & a place for gold, where they fine it. certainly his wayes, and his wisedome are unsearchable; there is a certaine and determinate place for these earthly trea­sures, where they may be found out, there is a veyne for silver, and a place for gold.

And so it is with the courser mettalls:2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and brasse is molten out of the stone. Iron is found in the earth; and brasse is molten out of the oare, which is the rude matter of it.

He setteth a stint,3 He setteth an end to darknesse, and searcheth out all perfection; the stones of darknesse, and shadow of death. or limit to the most obscure places of the earth; and by the industry of man findes them out; and workes out of them the purity and perfection of the best metals and Mines; and fetcheth thence those pre­cious or usefull stones, which lay hid in darknesse, and utter obscurity.

He disposeth of the waters also at his pleasure;4 The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot; they are dried up; they are gone away from men. so as one while the flood breaketh out by a sudden inundati­on; and, soone after, is so dried up, that the passengers foot takes not notice that ever any water was there.

As for the earth it yeelds bread corne in the surface of it,5 As for the earth, out of it commeth bread, and under it, is turned up fire. and the bowells of it yeeld combustible matter for the use of man.

Among the quarries of the earth are Sapphires and other precious stones found, and digged up,6 The stones of it are the places of Sapphires, & it hath dust of gold. and the oare of gold is also had amongst the dust, and mold thereof.

There are indeed secret places of the earth,7 There is a path which no fowle knoweth, &c. which never any creature came to the sight of, &c.

But in all these regions of the clouds, of the earth,12 But where shall wisedome be found, &c? of the waters, where shall wisdome be found?

Neither is it to be found amongst living men;13 Neither is it found in the land of the living. since it is not an earthly, but an heavenly thing.

However the wind is the most light of all creatures,25 To make weights for the windes. and uncapable of any ponderation, yet he who made it can make weights wherein to poyse it.

CAP. XXIX.

VVHen the light of his countenance shone graci­ously upon me;3 When his candle shined upon my head, &c. and gave me comfort and suc­cesse in all my actions.

When I had such abundance of all these outward things,6 When I washed my steps with butter. that in the plenty of my milke I might have wash­ed and suppled my feet with butter, &c.

Then did I please my selfe in the confidence of my continuing happinesse; and durst boldly resolve,18 Then I said; I shall die in my nest. I shall die in peace, and fulnesse of dayes in my owne house.

If by my smiles I gave intimation that I gave not as­sent to any report,24 If I laughed on thē they beleeved it not, and the light of my coun­tenance they did not cast downe. it was presently distrusted by the hea­rers, or, if I sported with them, they had such an awfull opinion of my gravitie, that they did not thinke me to [Page 154] be in jest; neither did they forbeare to give me all due reverence, and to hold their great respects to me.

CAP. XXX.

1 Whose fathers I would have disdained to set with the dogges of my flocke.WHose fathers I would have disdained to have made the keepers of those dogges, which tended upon my flockes.

2 Whereto might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom old age was perished?For what use could I have made of them, which had wholly lost their time, and lived idly and unprofitably?

Because God hath bereaved me of that power and honor,11 Because hee hath loosed my cord and affli­cted me, they have also let loose the bridle before me. which I formerly injoyed, therefore they let loose the reines of their obedience and respects to me.

By the running of my sores my garment is all stained with purulent matter, and requires a frequent change: yea,18 By the great force of my disease, is my gar­ment changed; it bindeth me about as the collar of my coat. it cleaveth so close unto my bodie, by the meanes of this loathsome moisture, as the collar of my coat is straitened to my necke.

Thou tossest me up with thy judgements, as dust or chaffe is blowne up with the wind.22 Thou liftest me up to the winde, &c.

My paine forceth me to so lamentable cryes, and eju­lations,29 I am a brother of Dragons, and a compani­on to Owles. that I might seeme fit to be consorted with Dragons, and Owles, in some horrible desert, whose howlings and shriekings are wont to bee held most mournfull and ominous.

CAP. XXXI.

1 I made a covenant, &c. 2 For what portion of God is there from above? &c.FOr if I had suffered my eyes and my heart to rove af­ter these unlawfull lusts,10 Then let my wife grinde unto another, &c. what could I have looked for at the hand of God, but due vengeance?

11 Yea, it is an iniqui­ty to be punished by the Iudges.Then let my wife become false to my bed, and repay my sinne with the like adultery; let me be plagued (as I deserve) in my owne kinde.

21 If I have lift up my hand against the fa­therlesse when I saw my help in the gate.This had beene a capitall offence, worthy to be pu­nished by the sword of authority.

If I have used my power injuriously against the father­lesse,26 If I beheld the Sun when it shined, or, the moone walking in bright­nesse. when I saw that my sentence would have beene se­conded, and would have carried it, upon the bench.

If when I have beheld thy glorious creatures, the Sun and the Moone;27 And my heart hath beene secretly intised, or my mouth hath kissed my hand. I have given way to any Idolatrous con­ceits; and have ascribed divine honour unto them, as my Heathen neighbours do; this were indeed an heinous and capitall wickednesse.28 This also were an iniquitie, &c.

If the people of my house were not so taken up with the offices, & imployments of my hospitality to others,31 If the men of my Tabernacle said not, Oh that wee had of his flesh; we cannot be satisfied. that they had no leasure to feed themselves, and there­fore complained for want of that flesh, which they dres­sed for others.

If I have made shifts and excuses to hide or diminish my offence, as the manner of men is,33 If I have covered my transgressions as Adam. who doe herein imitate our first father Adam, and from him have deri­ved this corruption.

Did I forbeare to reprove, or oppose any sinne,34 Did I feare a great multitude, or did the contempt of families ter­rifie me? because it was backed by a multitude of offenders; or if I suffered my selfe to be dishartened by the feare of that contempt, which might fall upon me from large combinations and families.

Oh,35 Oh that one would heare me! Behold my de­sire is that the Almighty would answere me, and that mine adversary had written a booke. that I had a faire and equall hearing in this cause of mine; yea, I could presume so farre as to wish that the Almighty himselfe would be pleased to undertake this businesse; and that my triall might be the more certaine, Oh that my adversaries would put in their bill of com­plaint in writing against me.

Surely I would much rejoyce,36 Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and binde it, as a crowne, to mee. and triumph in that in­ditement; and would account it the greatest honour that could be done me.

I would helpe such a one with such informations a­gainst my selfe, as he should never be able to finde out;37 I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a Prince would I goe neare unto him. and when I have done, I would encounter him boldly, and courageously, as some warlike Prince would come into the field against a weake enemie.

CAP. XXXII.

I Said, as in good manners I ought;7 I said, dayes should speake: and multitude of yeares should teach wise­dome. Those that are an­cient & full of dayes should speake; and those that had many yeares experience should be most able to teach wisedome to their yonger.

But I see, all is not in age; there is a spirit of God which,8 But there is a spirit in man. breathing where it listeth, maketh a difference in men.

Doe not thinke,13 Lest ye should say, we have found out wise­dome. God thrusteth him downe, not man. or say that you have by your great wisedome convinced Iob, upon this ground, that God hath afflicted him, not man; and God being just puni­shes none but a sinner; therefore Iob is an hypocrite; I shall goe another way to worke with him.

I dare not sooth up and flatter any man in a false con­ceit; if I should so doe,22 For I know not to give flattering titles, in so doing my Maker would soone take me away. I know God would be sure to be speedily avenged of me.

CAP. XXXIII.

14 For God speaketh once, yea twice, but man perceiveth it not.MAny times, and divers wayes doth God solicit, and admonish men, yet such is the dulnesse, and security of their hearts; that they either doe not, or will not heare and understand him.

16 Then hee openeth the eares of men, and sea­leth their instructions.Then and by these meanes he causeth men to heare, and imprinteth in their heart his instructions.

That he may prevaile with man to withdraw him from those evill courses,17 That he may with­draw man from his pur­pose, and hide pride from man. and resolutions which he hath undertaken, and that he may convince him of his proud and insolent conceits, which he hath harboured in him­selfe.

23 If there be a messen­ger with him, an inter­preter one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightnes.When a man is thus soundly humbled, if a faithfull messenger, and minister of God (which is not easie and common to be found) shall shew that man his true e­state, both in the truth of his repentance, and in the safe­ty of his faithfull dependence upon his All-sufficient Redeemer.

24 Then he is gratious unto him, and saith, Deli­ver him frō going downe to the pit, I have found a ransome.Then will God be gratious to that man, and will ad­minister seasonable comforts to his soule; and say; This man shall be delivered from hell; I have found perfect and absolute atonement and ransome for him, in the blood of that Saviour in whom he hath beleeved.

CAP. XXXIIII.

6 Should I lie against my right; my wound is incurable without my transgression.SHould I belie my selfe in my owne cause, so as to say, I have received hard measure from God, without any desert of mine; I am plagued, and have not offended.

7 What man is like Iob, who drinketh up scorne like water?There is no man that pretends to be so wise and holy as Iob, that would thus expose himselfe to the scorne of the world in his insolent chalenges; or would thus turne off the grave admonitions of his friends with scorne, and contempt.

14 If he set his heart upon man, if he gather un­to himselfe his spirit, and his breath.If God would resolve to deale with man according to his absolute power; if he should call backe that life and soule which he hath given him.

15 All flesh shall perish.There were no abiding; all flesh should perish at once.

17 Shall he that hateth right, govern? &c.Is it fit for thee who fondly censurest the just proceed­ings of God, to over-rule thy maker?

20 In a moment shall they die, and the people shall be troubled at mid­night.He shall fetch away the great commanders of the earth, in a time when it is least expected; even in the deepest of security shall he cause astonishment and tu­mult [Page 157] in the death of the mighty ones.

That man should hereupon have any just cause of con­testation with God; or any ground of cavill against him.23 That he should en­ter into judgement with God.

Yea, not onely doth God execute his judgements up­on the vulgar people onely,30 That the hypocrite reigne not, lest the people be insnared. but on the great Potentates of the earth; so as he strikes wicked tyrans with his plagues, lest the people should be too much oppressed with their injustice.

Doest thou thinke it meet that God should proceed in his judgements according to thy conceits;33 Should it be accord­ing to thy minde? he will recompence it, whether thou refuse, or whether thou chuse, and not I. if thou and I should determine what were fit for him to doe; he will take what course he thinkes best; whether thou or I like it, or dislike it.

CAP. XXXV.

IF thou sinnest, what dost thou hurt him? Is his holines,6 If thou sinnest, what dost thou against him; or if thy transgressions bee multiplied what dost thou unto him? justice, power ever the lesse, because thou hast trans­gressed; is ought diminished from his essence by thine offence?

Many make formall flourishes, but none doth hearti­ly acknowledge the powerfull and just hand of that God, who gives due & seasonable comfort to the soule,10 But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night? in the deepest and darkest night of our sorrowes.

Therefore they crie out,12 Therefore they cry (but none heareth them) because of the pride of evill men. and complaine of the pride and oppressions of wicked men, but God giveth them not answer, by reason of their impenitence and unbe­leefe.

Although thou saiest that God gives thee no assu­rance of his presence by any sensible demonstration,14 Although thou say­est thou shalt not see him, yet judgement is before him, therefore trust thou in him. yet certainly he will be sure to execute true (though secret) judgement in all the cases of men; & therefore doe thou acknowledge him, and trust in him.

But now,15 But now because it is not so, he hath visited in his anger: yet he know­eth it not in great extre­mitie. because thou dost not approve thy selfe to him as thou oughtest, therefore he hath afflicted thee in his anger: Yet Iob doth not consider that his suffering is not in such extremity as his sinne hath deserved.

CAP. XXXVI.

WHen hee afflicteth them,13 They crie not when he bindeth them. they doe not humble themselves under the hand of God, and repent them of their sinnes.

Doe not thou wish for night,20 Desire not the night when people are cut off in their place. as thinking that that si­lent and quiet time might give thee ease from thy [Page 158] thoughts; whiles thou hast to doe with a God that can in an instant cut off whole nations, much more thee, who art one weake, and fraile man.

21 For this hast thou rather chosen then affli­ction.Thou hast rather chosen to taxe the proceedings of God in thy weake impatience, then meekely to suffer his affliction.

Behold, when the heaven is overcast with cloudes, he sendeth forth his bright beames,30 Behold, he spread­eth his light upon it, and covereth the bottome of the sea. and inlightneth, and cheareth the face thereof; and againe sendeth such gloo­my and darke clouds, as that the blacknesse and obscuri­ty thereof shadeth even to the bottome of the sea.

33 The noise thereof sheweth concerning it, the cattel also concerning the vapour.The noise of thunder which is in the cloud, sheweth and presageth the raine, which will poure downe from it: and the very cattle have a kinde of notice, and give a certaine intimation (by signes and tokens) of the falling of that moist vapour.

CAP. XXXVII.

2 Heare attentively the noise of his voice.WHiles we are now speaking, heare how dreadfully the noise of his thunder sounds in the clouds, &c.

2 Out of the South commeth the whirlwind; and cold out of the North.Out of those hidden chambers of his, which are the southerne coasts, the strong winds arise; and the cold windes come from the North.

11 By watering hee wearieth the thick cloud.He spends out all the moisture of the thicke cloud in watering the earth.

13 He causeth them to come, whether for corre­ction, or for his land, or for mercy.He sendeth abundance of raine, whether for the pu­nishment of men, or for the fruitening of the earth, or for the refreshing of men.

17 How thy garments are warme, when he qui­eteth the earth by the South winde.How it comes about that the ayre is so hote as that thou canst not abide thy clothes on; when in a calme season the South Sunne shines upon thee; and the warme Southerne windes blow in thy face.

18 Which is strong, and as a molten looking-glasse.Which seemes unto us so firme and solid, as if it were a looking glasse of some strong polished metall.

19 We cannot order our speach by reason of darknesse.We know not how to order, or dispose our speeches to him, by reason of that grosse darkenesse of ignorance wherewith we are inwrapped.

20 If a man speake, surely hee shall be swal­lowed up.If a man will bee opposing him in his speech; and questioning his justice, surely he shall be confounded.

If men be not able with their weake eyes to behold the brightnesse of the Sunne,21 And now men see not the bright light which is in the cloudes, but the winde passeth and cleans­eth them. which shineth in the light­some clouds, when the winde passeth thorough, and dis­perseth them.

And when the ayre is cleared by the North winds, how shall they be able to looke God in the face,22 Faire weather com­meth out of the North; with God is terrible Ma­jesty. and to [Page 159] hold contestation with him; whose majesty is terrible, beyond the powers of our apprehension?

The best wisedom of men is but foolishnesse to him; he makes no reckoning therfore of that vaine wisedome,24 He respecteth not any that are wise in heart. with the conceit whereof men are wont to please them­selves.

CAP. XXXVIII.

VVHo is this,2 Who is this that darkeneth counsell by words without know­ledge? that ignorantly casts unjust aspersions upon the most wise and holy decrees, and pro­ceedings of the Almighty?

When the glorious starres in their first creation did in their kind celebrate the praises of their maker,7 When the morning starres sung together; and all the sonnes of God shouted for joy. and the Angells of God, created by that omnipotent word of his, testified their joy and thankfulnesse to the God, that made them such.

Whose power,9 When I made the cloud the garment therof; and the thicke darknesse as the swadling band for it. when he had brought forth the sea as a new borne infant, wrapped it about with clouds, as with clouts and swadling-bands.

And set upon it my everlasting decree for the bounds,10 And brake up (or se [...]) my decreed place. and motion thereof.

That evill doers (who hate the light of the day) might be affrighted by the rising of it,13 That the wicked might be shaken out of it. from their wicked projects.

The earth is by the comming of the light changed in­to divers formes;14 It is turned as clay to the seale; and they stand as a garment. and differs upon the impression there­of, as waxe, or clay doth at the stamping of a new seale; so as it seemes quite other then it was; and men (especi­ally guilty malefactors) are shifted by the breaking forth of the light, like to so many severall garments.

Didst thou ever enter into that my store-house of meteors,22 Treasure of snow, &c. which I have decreed to bring forth upon all occasions of my judgements upon men?

Dost thou know how the lightning comes to breake forth of the cloud;23 Which I have reser­ved against the time of trouble. and how that vapor there included doth with great violence scatter a blustring winde upon the earth.

See chapter 9. verse 9. 24 By what way is the light parted? which scat­tereth the East winde up­on the earth.

Canst thou alter the seasons of the yeare;31 Canst thou binde the sweet influences of Pleiades, &c. Orion, &c? or cause a re­straint of the Spring, Summer, Autumne, &c?

Canst thou bring forth those hidden starres of the South;32 Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sonnes? or direct the Northern Constellations in their courses?

Knowest thou what lawes God hath made for the33 Knowest thou the ordinance of heavens and canst thou set the domini­on thereof in the earth? [Page 160] motions, and influences of the heaven; and what power he hath given to their operations on the earth?

CAP. XXXIX.

1 Knowest thou the time when the wilde goates of the rocke bring forth?CAnst thou understand, or dispose of the concepti­ons, and birthes of the wildest creatures?

19 Hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?Hast thou inabled him to neigh so loud, and strongly, as if it were the ratling of thunder.

24 Neither beleeveth he that it is the sound of the Trumpet.Neither doth conceive any terror at all in the alarum to the battel?

26 And stretch her wings towards the South.Is it by thine appointment, and instinct, that the hauke wasteth her nimble and swift wings, to flie into the warmer climates of the South?

30 Her yong ones also suck up blood; and where the slaine are, there is she.Whereas other foules drinke water, the yong Eagle is wont (and who taught it him?) to suck in the blood of his prey; and where carcasses are, thither, by a strange sagacity of nature, is drawne to resort.

CAP. XL.

15 Behold now, Behe­moth which I made with thee, he eateth grasse as an oxe.LOoke but upon two of my creatures; the one on the land, the other in the water; both hugh, and mighty; behold the Elephant first, which I have formed and pla­ced in thy view, and made apt to thy use; which, though he be so vast that his very stature is enough to terrifie the beholder, yet I have caused him to eate grasse like the oxe, and to feed on no prey but these sleight vege­tables.

17 Hee moveth his taile like a Cedar; and the sinewes of his stones are wrapt together.In his lust he moueth his generative part, like to some Cedar, and the sinewes of his stones are wrapt together, like to the rootes of those tall and strong trees.

Will any man be able by open force to take him, whiles he sees,24 He taketh it with his eyes, (or as the margin rather) will any take him in his sight, or bore his nose with a ginne? and is forewarned of the enterprise, or can he be taken by the nose, as a fish with an hooke; is he not able to breake through all the dangers of a violent taking.

CAP. XLI.

1 Canst thou draw up Leviathan with an hooke?IN like manner, cast thine eye into the deep waters, and see there the great whale that I have framed; canst thou thinke to angle for him,7 Canst thou fill his skin with barbed yron? as for small fish, &c.

Canst thou pierce his skin with barbed hookes?

If thou lay thy hand upon him to strike him,8 [...]ay thine hand upon him, remember the battell, doe no more. thou shalt have so much reason to feele the smart of this con­flict, that thou shalt not medle with him any more.

Who hath done me any favour in helping me to make,11 Who hath preven­ted me that I should re­pay him? or governe the world, or in furthering my actions, that I may repay it unto him.

Who is able to turne over that skinne wherewith hee is covered as with a garment?13 Who can discover the face of his garment?

Whē he neeseth, he maketh, as it were,18 By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eye-lids of the morning. a fire to breake forth at his nostrills and eyes; and when thou beholdest his eyes, thou wouldest thinke thou sawest the Sunne rising in the morning.

And if from any other creature,22 And sorrow is tur­ned into joy before him. there be occasion of trouble and vexation offered to him, he takes pleasure therein, as that which he will turne to his advantage and triumph.

Out of the feare of his vehement and terrible moti­ons, they are glad to make their peace with God,25 By reason of break­ings they purifie them­selves. that they may be ready for that dissolution, which is threat­ned unto them thereby.

Where he moves in the sea,32 He maketh a path to shine after him; one would thinke the deepe to be hoary. he causeth a mention of his way in the waters, leaving behind him a white kinde of fome, on the face of the sea, discernable from the rest of the waves.

He doth in the confidence of his great strength over looke all other living creatures,34 He beholdeth all high things; he is a King over all the children of pride. and exalt himselfe over the proudest of them; as thinking himselfe more strong and mighty then they.

CAP. XLII.

THe Lord also heard the prayer of Iob,9 The Lord also accep­ted of Iob. that he made for his friends, and so accepted of his person, and his devotion, that he forgave their offence upon his inter­cession.

And the Lord released that miserable affliction,10 And the Lord tur­ned the captivitie of Iob; when he prayed for his friends. un­der which Iob was held bound; when, out of his meek­nesse, and charitie, he was content to pray for those his persecuting friends.

They came to him,11 Every man also brought him a piece of money, and every one an eare-ring of gold. & by way of gratulation brought him, each of them, a gift, a piece of coine usuall in those times (stamped with a sheepe or lambe) and an eare­ring of gold.

Their father,15 And their father gave them inheritance a­mong their brethren. as the reward and incouragement of their vertues, gave them a possession of land, that they [Page 162] should be coheires of his estate, and territories, as their brethren were, and should share proportionally with them.