University of Virginia Library

1. A BRIEFE OF THE BIBLE, WITH NECESSARY Annotations vpon the most materiall points in the Poësie.

1. Staffe.

[VVhen Elohim El Shaddai Iehovah]

VVhen Elohim El Shaddai Iehovah,
Iah, Ehjeh (that is, God in Persons Three,
But Essence One; On whome all things do stay,
Cause of all Causes and sufficiencie)
When He the Heavens and Earth & Host hath fram'd,
He create Man and woman Adam nam'd.

2. Staffe.

[That Man and Mans in Eden placed were]

That Man and Mans in Eden placed were:
To whome God gaue Command of all the fruites,
The fruite of One Tree only to forbeare,
In paine of death, as holy writ disputes,
Which precept kept, A sacramentall wood,
of Life during before their eies there stood.

3. Staffe.

[But Satan Diuell, enuying God and Man]

But Satan Diuell, enuying God and Man,
Possest the Serpent, beautifull and feate:
Who vnto Woman subtilly soone came,
And her perswades, on fruit forbid to eate.
She eat and gave to Man: so both did sinne:
And cruell Death his kingdome did begin.

4. Staffe.

[Their soules once stript of Light and Holines]

Their soules once stript of Light and Holines,
They fly from God. He cals them back againe:
And then besides the Soule his dead distres,
He doth inflict on both their Bodies paine:
But promiseth, that womā seed should bring,
Who should destroy Satan his deadly sting.

5. Staffe.

[Promise of Life made through that holy seede]

Promise of Life made through that holy seede,
Adam he calls her Heuah, dame of Life:
Then God to let them haue their right & meed,
Out of the Garden sends Man and his wife.
Life and Heaven lost, they lost the Signes withall:
Which holy Signes, we Sacraments do call.

6. Staffe.

[Hevah after conceiu'd and brought forth Caine]

Hevah after conceiu'd and brought forth Caine,
Then holy Habel, Churches figure right:
VVho for his goodnes, was by brother slaine:
In roome of whome, God gaue her blessed Sheth.
As of Caine came the seede of Serpents broode,
So, of this Sheth came many Persons good.

7. Staffe.

[To passe by some, of Sheth came Henoch he]

To passe by some, of Sheth came Henoch he,
Who walkt with God, till God tooke him away.
Lamech and Noah, that time Sheths petigre,
Matcht with Cains daughters, to their dire decay.
That sinne so grieued God, as plainely he
Foretold to Noah, The world should drowned be.

8. Saffe.

[One hundred yeares, and twenty after then]

One hundred yeares, and twenty after then,
The Cataracts were loosd, & Seas burst ope:
The raine and waters drownd the wicked men,
And ouer Earth, had liberty and scope.
But ere that day, as God had Noah told,
An Arke he built, of Ghopher, roomd threefold.

9. Staffe.

[Into this Arke did Noah and his wife]

Into this Arke did Noah and his wife,
His sonnes Shem, Cham Iaphet, enter anon:
With sorts of Creatures all that breathed life,
Preserved in the Arke by God alone.
After twelue Months, the Men their wiues and all
Out of the Arke did goe, at God his call.

10. Staffe.

[As Adam gun the former World, so this]

As Adam gun the former World, so this
By Noah was, begun. Of Cham there came
The Canaanites, accurst for works amisse:
Of Iaphet sprong the Gentiles hight by name.
Of blessed Shem, came Heber, Abram eke,
From whome the Israelites their bloud-rowle seek.

11. Staffe.

[In Abrams time, Idolatry did raigne]

In Abrams time, Idolatry did raigne:
God therefore called him from Chaldea land.
VVho taking Tent on back, away he came
And followed God, as child doth Nurses hand:
To him God promised great seed. After the same
To Abram, God gaue Abraham to name.

Staffe. 12.

[His Wife Sarai was thenceforth call'd Sarah]

His Wife Sarai was thenceforth call'd Sarah:
And Circumcision for holy Signe,
To Abrahams Male-feed, God gaue that day
Which was obseru'd by Abraham his Line.
To Abraham was Isaac borne, and than
To Isaac, Iaacob, that holy man.

13. Staffe.

[This Iaacob, God cald Israel, because]

This Iaacob, God cald Israel, because,
He wrastling did preuaile with Iehouah.
Twelue sonnes (hight Patriarchs) God drawes
From Israel: Whose Progeny alwaie,
And yet, are Israelites termd to this day.

14. Staffe.

[Their Names were thus: Reuben and Simeon]

Their Names were thus: Reuben and Simeon,
Then Leui, Iudah, Dan, and Naphtali,
Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulon,
Ioseph and Beniamin: This Ioseph enuiously
Was of his brethren sold to Ægypt Land,
Where Ioseph was aduanst by God his hand.

15. Staffe.

[In time of Dearth, Old Israel and his sonnes]

In time of Dearth, Old Israel and his sonnes
To Ægypt came, from Canaan their due:
Good Ioseph gladsomely to Father comes,
And bringeth him to Pharaoh his view.
VVho giues to Israel for dwelling place,
The Land Goshen, environd with Gods grace.

16. Staffe.

[From Israels Houshold, sprong a mightie crue]

From Israels Houshold, sprong a mightie crue:
The Ægypt king, to keep them vnder hand,
Their Male children therefore vntowardly slue.
That time was Moses borne in Ægypt Land:
Who after fourty yeares, by God was sent,
To help poore Israel, drownd in Lament.

17. Staffe.

[He and Aaron, (brethren of Levies race)]

He and Aaron, (brethren of Levies race)
Great wonders wrought, before king Pharaoh:
Driving his Sorcerers from fore their face.
Yet would the wretch not let poore Israel go.
At last, therefore the Lord doth Moses call,
And tells to him, what after should befall.

18. Staffe.

[Goe take, saith He, a yearling Lamb spotles]

Goe take, saith He, a yearling Lamb spotles,
A Male, yea through each of your Family:
Doe kill the same with fire do rost the flesh.
The blood on doorepostes smite. Then orderly
With Bread vnleauend & sowre herbs doe eat
The rosted Lamb, The Sacramentall meat.

19. Staffe.

[That Night an Angel past through Ægypt Land]

That Night an Angel past through Ægypt Land:
And where bloud sprinkled was, he Passed by:
But otherwhere, he slue with deadly hand,
First borne of Man, and beast. So that the cry
Caus'd Pharaoh rise, and giue commaundement,
That Israelites forthwith away be sent.

20. Staffe.

[Then Moses leadeath Israel away]

Then Moses leadeath Israel away,
Towards Wildernes, And Canaan their due:
But Pharaoh, his sinne yet could not stay,
And therefore armes himselfe, and doth pursue.
But Israels God, in midst of Seas did drowne,
Proud Pharaoh and cast his Chariots downe.

21. Saffe.

[For which great worke, Moses he sings a Song.]

For which great worke, Moses he sings a Song.
And after praising God, the people he,
To Sinajs Mountaine doth conduct along.
Where, for one yeare, their Tents down pitched be.
There in the Mount, God did with Moses talke,
And teach him how, the people thence should walk.

22. Staffe.

[The Patterne of The Tabernacle, there]

The Patterne of The Tabernacle, there
Deliuered was: and every holy Law,
By which the Israelites their God should feare:
As of his Ministers, eke stand in awe.
For tabernacles seruice, did God take,
Leui his Tribe, and of them Priests did make.

23. Staffe.

[The Tabernacle built, and all things done]

The Tabernacle built, and all things done,
They forwards set, towards old Canaan:
But by the way, they into mischiefes run,
For which the Lord destroyed every man;
Even all (sauing Caleb and Ioshua)
Who out of Ægypt, vndertook the way.

24. Staffe.

[The Seed of them, during the 40 yeares]

The Seed of them, during the 40 yeares,
Borne in the VVildernes, they onely came,
VVith other two (as in Gods writ appeares)
Them God did bring into the Land of Fame.
For Ioshuah, (good Moses being dead)
By Gods appointment doth the people lead.

25.. Staffe

[He hauing brought, them into promist Land]

He hauing brought, them into promist Land,
And seated euery Tribe in propper plot:
Good Ioshuah dies. Then, as we vnderstand,
The Israelites right soone had God forgot:
For which he many times did giue them vp,
To drinke the draught, of enemies there cup.

26. Staffe.

[But when they cryde, to God, he Iudges sent]

But when they cryde, to God, he Iudges sent,
Who did avenge them on their Enemie.
At last with Iudges, they grow discontent:
And for a King, Heathenlike, they rudely crie,
God giues to them, then Saul of Benjamin:
Whome, after, God reiected for his Sinne.

27. Staffe.

[Then Samuel did Dauid King anoint]

Then Samuel did Dauid King anoint,
Who was of Iudah, gratious good & true.
Then Salomon his Sonne, he doth appoint
Him to succeede, as booke of Kings doth shew,
This Salomon for Tabernacles Rite,
Did build a Glorious Temple, Gods delite,

28. Staffe.

[In his sonnes daies, for wickednesse and sinne]

In his sonnes daies, for wickednesse and sinne,
God rent the Tribes, from Salomon his bloud.
Kingdome of Iudah, here did first begin,
To which the Tribe of Benia-min fast stood.
The ten Tribes King, (as holy Scriptures tell)
Was after this, termd King of Israel.

29. Saffe.

[These ten Tribes Israelites, falling from God]

These ten Tribes Israelites, falling from God,
They fell into the hands of Assurs King:
VVho led them far away. (a righteous rod)
As for the two Tribes Iewes, from them did spring
Some holy Kings: But euer and among,
They grieued God, and did his Servants wrong.

30. Staffe.

[Their sinne vpheapt, God sendeth them away]

Their sinne vpheapt, God sendeth them away,
To Babylon, in three Captiuities,
For seaventy yeares, they bide in Chaldea.
Then against Babel, Mede-Persy doth arise:
And conquering Chaldeahs drunken Roy,
Cyrus sends back Iudeah home with ioy.

31. Staffe.

[Cyrus returnes Them with full liberty]

Cyrus returnes Them with full liberty,
To build Gods house But enemies arise,
That for a while, do stay that and the Citty.
Then Nehemi, vnto his people hies.
Then Temple and the Cities Walles were reard,
Maugre the hearts of them, before they feard.

32. Staffe.

[Vnder Mede-Perse, for Nehemiahs time]

Vnder Mede-Perse, for Nehemiahs time,
Iudea liu'd. Then Alexander great
Winnes Persian Crowne, and raignes a little time.
Foure kingdomes do arise out of his seate.
But two of them aboue the other clyme,
And cruellie whip Iudah for the time.

33. Staffe.

[These Two hight thus, Ægypt and Syria]

These Two hight thus, Ægypt and Syria:
The Iron legges, whereof good Daniel writes:
From Syri rose The Horne blaspheming ay
Which doste the Iewes, and holy worship spites.
But after Seventie seavens of yeares, from Hy,
A Sacred stone puts all these Kingdomes by.