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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	aaron_n	brother_n	priest_n	65	3	7.7884	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60175	Sarah and Hagar, or, Genesis the sixteenth chapter opened in XIX sermons / being the first legitimate essay of ... Josias Shute ; published according to his own original manuscripts, circumspectly examined, and faithfully transcribed by Edward Sparke.	Shute, Josias, 1588-1643.; Sparke, Edward, d. 1692.	1649 (1649)	Wing S3716; ESTC R24539	246,885	234

the executioner So that the Lord may take up that complaint Isa 43. You have made me to serve with your sins Surely there is not that esteem and awful respect of God Application that ought to be in mens mindes for if they were perswaded of his greatness and Majesty neither would his Name be so cheape and trivially used nor would he be so often called unto for witnessing and judging they would not mention God without fear nor would they appeal to him or wish him to do any thing but upon sad and weighty consideration Who durst be so rude God not at all to be attested without awful reverence and unmannerly and bold as to call the King to witness upon every flight passage or dare say Let the King judge this man or revenge my wrong upon thisman And yet thus bold are men with him that is the King of kings and Lord of lords that bindeth nobles in chains and princes themselves in links of iron Certainly those mindes are prophane that have not awe and dread of God that tremble not to think of his dreadful majestie Abraham that was the friend of God yet speaking to him kept his distance And Moses a great favourite of his yet coming before him did fear and quake And Daniel though a man greatly beloved yet fainted and was sick with fear when he had to do with Him Such awe hath been always in good mindes if they have rejoyced in him Psal 2.11 it hath been with reverence according to that Psal 2. And certainly whosoever they be whose confidence eateth out their reverence they are more bold then welcome Preached October 13. 1641. THE EIGHTH SERMON GEN. 16.6 But Abraham said unto Sarah Behold thy maid is in thine hand THe next event is Abrahams yeelding up Hagar into the power of her mistress We have heard how bitter Sarah was to him how she had expostulated with him charged him unduely and concluded with an imprecation S. Chrysostom in locum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Chrysostom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What doth this adamant now this generous souldier of the Lord Why saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he giveth proof of that habit of vertue that was in him and beareth all that had been said patiently and wisely And first we will observe that he replieth Secondly the manner of his reply wherein he sheweth himself both ways a discreet man and a loving husband Musculus The first Objurgatus ab uxere non tacet sed respondet saith Musculus Being chidden of his wife he is not silent but replieth And he did so for two Reasons Observ 1. Vnseasonable silence betrayeth a mans innocency 1. If he had replied nothing it would have more provoked his wife it might have seemed a signe of contempt It is observed of Xantippe that vixon the wife of Socrates that when upon her clamorous invectiveness her husband gave her not a word it madded her the more for she interpreted it as a kinde of scorn 2. If Abraham had not answered it would have confirmed his wife in her unjust suspition of him and she would have said See he hath nothing to reply self-guiltiness bungs up his mouth for were he faultless why doth he not speak and purge himself but he well knoweth I have charged him with nothing but truth he hath animated my maid to her base carriage towards me and fomenteth her still in her petulancy And therefore cùm clamat conscientia silet eloquentia when the conscience is clamorous the tongue is mute He had reason therefore to answer that he might clear himself And certainly as in regard of the former Reason it is a fault in a man when he seeth another angry to do anything whereby he may be provoked to a further measure of passion though some take a delight to do it so in regard of the second a man is not to be so cruel to his own reputation as not by a modest and sober answer to wipe off the dirt that is cast upon him It is not enough to say as the man in Jerome Sufficit mihi conscientia mea 8. Jerome habeo Deum judicem conscientiae my conscience is sufficient for me and I have God the sole judge of my conscience For Job had both Testem in coelo as himself saith my witness is in heaven and he had his conscience witnessing for him and yet he stands up against those friends of his that unjustly charged him and would needs have his sufferings to be the punishment of his hypocrisie And so did Jeremiah open his mouth against his adversaries and so did Steven and Saint Paul and divers others To be innocent of a crime objected is a great blessing of God and therefore for a man not to stand up in the defence of his innocency but to suffer dead flyes to be cast into his ointment and not to cast them out thereof but to stand silent he betrayeth his innocency nay he seemeth to despise so great a blessing and he may for the present lie under an unjust disgrace which to an ingenuous nature is no little affliction so he may another day be judged pro otioso silentio as well as pro otioso verbo saith Saint Ambrose S. Ambrose for that same idle silence as well as for other idle words It is true we read in Scripture that when reproaches have been sent out against holy men they have been silent but it was not out of a neglect of their credit but out of some other swaying considerations to which even credit it self was to give place Numb 6. Numb 6.12 Aaron and Miriam speak against Moses and use words of diminution Tostatus in loc Tostatus maketh it a question Whether Moses were present to hear them or no and he thinks it more probable that he was not present But 't is like enough he quickly heard of it and yet saith he non legitur quod respondit 't is not mentioned that he answered What might be the reason of that Was it because he took knowledge that God had took knowledge of it and he would leave it to him to revenge Certain it is that the less a man striveth for himself the sooner God espouseth his quarrel and becometh his champion Or secondly was there not another reason of it namely that if he should have made a reply and so a contest and altercation about it he feared it would have been matter of rejoycing to those that loved none of them all for they did not more emulate him then many of the people did them all Thirdly Quia Mosen in Ducem Aaron in Sacerdotem Miriam in Prophetissam elegit Deus saith Ferus Ferus in locum because God had chosen Moses for a Leader Aaron for the Priest and Miriam for a Prophetess unto his people to some of whom this would have been a delight to see brother and sister against brother to see

Let her be as the loving hinde and as the pleasant roe Let her brests satisfie thee at all times and be thou ravished always with her love And why wilt thou be ravished with a strange woman and embrace the bosome of a stranger The harlot is the stranger or the strange woman a mans wife is his own and what if not so fair or wise as another yet she is his own Nemo amit patriam quia magna Seneca sed quia sua saith Seneca No man loveth his Country because large but because his own And men love their conceits non quia vera S. Augustine sed quia sua saith S. Aug. not as they are true but as their own She is his and his love and affection must be confirmed to her There is oftentimes as great a fault in the wife towards the husband he is called the husband of her bosome also Deut. 28.56 And yet some women can be free and familiar with other men with the neglect I had almost said contempt of their own Job complaineth that his breath was strange to his wife Job 19.17 Chap. 19. and he was then in affliction when she ought most to have comforted him And there be many that both in prosperity and adversity set too light by their husbands Let man and wife take heed of this strangeness By this phrase the wife of the bosome and the husband of the bosome is intimated their eerness and strictness of affection that should be between them that comfort and contentment and solace that they should take in each other The bosome is the place of warmth and refreshment and therefore it is say some that Heaven is called Abrahams bosome in which place those will hardly meet that are so far from each others Bosome that they come not neer each others Bed or Board nay the same House or Town will not hold them and may we think that living and dying on these terms the same Heaven will hold them To go on She instanceth the carriage of her maid and taxeth her both of Ingratitude and Insolency In the last part of the verse she desireth God to judge between her and her husband which some will have to be a simple referring of her self to God as if she had said What now I sustain in this passage let God judge it I refer the cause to him And if so she setteth us a good example That we should not revenge our selves but commit our cause to God Observ 3. The best revenging of our selves is the referring of all to God So did Joseph when he was so hardly used by his brethren that neither prayers nor tears could prevail he yeeldeth up all to God and submitteth to the issue that God will give And so did Moses when his brother and sister murmured against him he replieth not nor seeketh any revenge against them but leaveth it to God who quickly interposed for him Num. 12. Thus David Num. 12. when he had Saul in the cave and could have there paid him home for all his unkindness towards him he doth it not he onely expostulateth with him and closeth with this 1 Sam. 24. The Lord be judge 1 Sam. 24.15 and judge between me and thee and see and plead my cause and deliver me out of thine hand And so Psal 41.1 Judge me O God and plead my cause against an ungodly nation And thus Job being tired out with the cavils and unjust calumniations of his friends he appealeth unto God as the judge of his innocency and uprightness Zachariah the son of Jehoiadah the Priest having reproved the people for their idolatry at the commandment of that unthankful King Joash is stoned and when he died he said no more but this The Lord look upon it and require it 2 Chron. 24. And above is that exemplum indeficiens 2 Chron. 24.22 1 Pet. 2.23 as the School calleth our Lord of whom Saint Peter saith 1 Pet. 2. that when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committeth himself to him that judgeth righteously Now for the Use of this It meeteth with those hot spirits in these days Application who cannot brook any injuries They will revenge themselves they will not stay the judgement either of God or of his substitute the Magistrate which 1. Is most unreasonable that a man should be Accuser Witness Judge and Executioner all in his own cause 2. It is sinful for it is an usurping of that power which belongeth unto God for vengeance is his and belongeth to him and to such as he hath delegated who carry not the sword in vain People are apt to think it base and unmanly to complain but in the mean time they think not how they trespass against God and his Ordinance 3. It is preposterous for nondum vindicatus est Christus saith Saint Augustine S. Augustine Christ himself is not yet avenged on his adversaries and must they have present satisfaction 4. It is very foolish for they prevent themselves in that which they would have by their haste For would they leave it to God he would not onely avenge their cause sine perturbatione without passion which they cannot do but acerbius vindicaret he would revenge it more sharply then they can do hastily They cannot inflict so much upon the bodies of their brethren as they do wrong their own souls for while they revenge themselves upon those that have done the injury S. Augustine duo mali saith the Father there are two sinners the one offendeth in offering injury the other in revenging it And all the difference saith he is That the one getteth before and the other followeth after unto judgement 5. In the fifth place therefore let us commit our wrongs unto God to avenge them The Apostle so expresly saith Avenge not your selves Rom. 12.19 Rom. 12. but rather give place unto wrath and he also directeth to whom to commit the cause even to him who saith Vengeance is mine and I will repay it Si apud illum deposueris injuriam ultor est saith Tertullian Tertullian If thou lay down thy wrong at his feet he will take up thy quarrel and revenge it Christ would have his disciples buy swords yet when time came he forbade Peter to use it Saint Ambrose wonders at this O Domine gladium emerejubes ferire prohibes Lord commandest thou to buy the sword and yet forbiddest thou to strike therewith What may be the reason nisi ut prompta sit defensio non ultio unless to shew a readiness of defence we may have but not of revenge potuisse vindicare non voluisse that the world might take notice they were able to have avenged themselves but not willing We must be patient and leave that to God to take vengeance And howsoever Revenge be a very pleasing thing to flesh and blood and the wicked Hamans of the world applaud themselves in

the Prince and the Priest and Prophetess clash Therefore rather then he would give cause of insulation to malevolent and envious spirits tacitus voravit injuriam Calv. in locum as reverend Calvin saith he swalloweth the injury with a patient silence So we read that when Shimei railed at David and cursed him he answered not though he were within hearing 2 Sam. 16. 2 Sam. 16. For 1. He was a contemptible person 2. It was no time for David being in his flight to answer him 3. He saw no hope by answering such a rabidus canis as the Father calls Julian such a mad dog Silence in some cases vertuous to quiet him and therefore he wisely forbore a reply It may be he hath reference to this Psal 38. where he tells how when men did speak mischievous things against him he was as a deaf man that heard not and as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth he was silent It may be by answering them he should have provoked them further and therefore he would prevent their sin Our blessed Lord before the high-Priest being accused held his peace Mark 14.61 And Chap 15. and answered nothing Mark 14. and Mark 15. being accused before Pilate and the high-Priests he answered nothing Saint Chrysostom gives the reason He knew he should nothing advantage his cause nor perswade them but enflame them further And he would not answer Herod Luke 23.9 when he earnestly questioned him Luke 23. So would not he answer a word when these did malitiously accuse him Nay there is one example above all the rest save Christ When railing Rabshakeh had spoken most blasphemously against God it is said The people held their peace and answered him not a word and that Hezekiah had commanded them not to answer him 2 Kings 18.36 2 Kings 18. It was not onely to spite the railer with silence but Hezekiah knew by a reply he might be exasperated but not reformed And secondly the rebounding of those multiplied blasphemies might make some ill impressions in the multitude and therefore they suffered him to lie in his own smoak To shut up this Point Application It is true in such cases as these silence is fit nay necessary if God may lose glory or our brother thereby rendered the more sinful or if no fit time or place for speaking For it is a great piece of Prudence to know when and where to answer But all this hinders not but that a man or woman when unjust aspersions are cast upon them may reply unto them and make a just apologie vindicate their reputation and do what they can to set themselves upright in the opinion of those that misjudged them The servants of God have done it in all times God himself hath put into the mouthes of his Prophets answers to those cavils and exceptions that people have made against his proceedings The Son of God himself did it as it appeareth in the Gospel and we may lawfully do it always provided we do it modestly as Abraham did here And so we come to the manner of his replying S. Chrysostom Wherein as Saint Chrysostom saith is observable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the admirable prudence of this righteous man and the multiplyed exaltation of his patient temper for he is not only not offended with the harsh words that were given him but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Observ 2. The piety and prudence of milde reproofs with cautions and remedies for their contraries he maketh a very gentle answer and here he playeth the part of a discreet and religious man as I said before and of a prudent and a loving husband First he sheweth himself a discreet and religious man for both discretion and religion guide a man to pacifie wrath by fair and easie language and not to irritate it further by retorting provoking words yea though a man be innocent yet he must not be passionate and though the party incensed be justly to be reproved The prudence and piety of milde reproofs and answer yet neither is that the time for sharpness For as the Physitians rule is Remedia in remissioribus applicanda Medicines are to be applyed not in the paroxysm or strength of the fit but the abatement So a man is not to be reproved in his careir as good talk to a man that is absent as good talk to a drunken man Abigail said nothing to her husband being overcome with wine until the next morning and as it is no fit time to reprove another in fury so neither is harsh language the way to do it for this adds but fewel to the fire S. Augustine and as Saint Augustine saith in the like case Quemvis correctione facis pejorem In stead of amending him thou wilt make him worse and more outragious But there is prudence and piety in a meek answer the Cannon shot loseth its force when it lighteth upon soft earth or wool so the violence of anger is mitigated when it is not resisted but meets with a meek spirit This is that which wise Solomon hath Prov. 15.1 Prov. 25.15 Prov. 15. A soft answer putteth away wrath but grievous words stir up anger and are as oyl to the flame and so Prov. 25. A soft tongue breaketh the bones or as it is in the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 t will break a man of bone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such an one as is most stiff and obdurate a notable example we have of this in Gideon who when he had gotten that glorious victory over the Midianites was set upon by those of Ephraim to charge him with ambition and pride as unwilling to have any sharers in his conquest the text saith Judg. 8.1 they did chide with him sharply Judg. 8. He could not but be sensible of the affront where he deserved thanks to be quarrelled for what he had done but what did he in this case Sure that which became a pious and prudent man he did not upbrayd them with their cowardliness in that they did not offer themselves to the battle mildeness a conquering vertue or tell them that after the exploit done every coward can be valiant and after the fray ended none speak bigger then the fearfullest nor doth he twit them with their unthankfulness for his good service done unto them and all the people but he gently speaketh and extenuateth his own act and advanceth their performance his was but a gleaning in comparison of their full vintage he gives them good words and the issue is Verse 3. Their anger was abated towards him saith the text Vers 3. Joshua 22. An other example we have in Josh 22. When the Reubenites had set up an Altar their Princes send a sharp message unto them they begin with a challenge and charge them not only with transgression but apostacy and rebellion their words are very sharp and ful of wrath now had the

troubled waters and works men not onely to a defection from the Faith but to flat atheism and prophaness God make us wise to foresee in time the dismal effects of our Civil Midianitish wars and to prevent them To go on Observ 4. Good mindes will yeeld of their own right for piety and peace sake Thy maid is in thine hand to do to her as it pleaseth thee Why saith one upon the Text Abraham might have a little more stood upon it and have said to Sarah Thy maid is now in another condition then she was before she is become my wife with thine own consent and now she hath conceived and that issue will belong to me she is mine and the childe she goes withal is mine and I must have a care of both I may not suffer thee to have thy will of her There is none of this he calls her ancillam here her maid and yeelds the power of her to Sarah She is in thine hand do to her as it pleaseth thee Where my Author observeth How good mindes are willing to yeeld of their own right for peace sake Gen. 13. This Patriarch had done so once before Gen. 13. when the estates of Lot and himself grew so great that there fell a difference between their servants and so a necessity of parting though it had been fit Abraham being the elder and his uncle and under God the maker of him should have had the power of choice and Lot should have taken his leavings yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Chrysostom saith S. Chrysostome giveth him all the authority of the election and bids him chuse what part of the Country he likes and leave him the rest Isaac had right to those Wells which his fathers servants had digged yet when the Philistims stop them up he contends not And though he might have kept those Wells which his own servants digged yet when they strive with him for them he leaveth them unto them and digs elsewhere Gen. 26. There was no reason that Jacob Gen. 26. keeping Labans sheep should make good that which was torn of wilde beasts yet he bare the losses of it for peace sake Gen. 31. And Chap. 31. We see this in Nehemiah Chap. 5. Neh. 5.14 15. there was a certain allowance due to the Governour yet Nehemiah would not take it because he found the requiring of it had been burdensom to the people Our blessed Lord coming to Capernaum Matth. 17. Matth. 17.10 tribute was demanded of him he first shews that he was not bound to it but then because he would not trouble the publike peace or give occasion of contention lest saith he we should offend them he enableth Saint Peter to work a miracle for the getting of money to discharge it This was the spirit that was in Saint Augustine and other Bishops with him S. Augustine in his time as appeareth in his Book de Gestis cum merito They were content for peace sake to admit of Coadjutors into their Sees yea pro Christi unitate Episcopatum deponere to preserve Christian peace even to lay down their Government which they did not account as they said perdere but Deo tutiùs commendare that it was not to lose their Reverend Authority but to lay it up safer by recommending it to God And Saint Jerome of Nazianzen both in his Life S. Jerom l. 2. c. 9. touching Nazianzen and on Ruffinus that after he had taken a great deal of pains in Constantinople and Satan stirred up some ill mindes against him who did desire his removal thence though others as earnestly desired his stay he perceiving this is content to leave the place Absit saith he ut mei causâ aliqua simultas oriatur inter Sacerdotes Dei God forbid saith he that for my cause there should be the least discord among the Priests of God adding those words of Jonah to the Mariners Si propter ●e tempestas ista tollite mittite in mare If for my sake this great storm come upon you take me and cast me out into the sea Thus did these holy Fathers resemble the true mother before Solomon who rather giveth the living childe wholly away though her own by right then suffer it to be divided So they preferred the peace of the Church before places or lives Saint Paul might have commanded Philemon but he shakes off his right and chuseth rather to intreat him Philem. vers 8 9. Philem. v. 8 9. For the Use of this Let us bear in minde that of the Apostle Application Phil. 4.5 Let your moderation of minde be known unto all men Phil. 4. under that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that moderation is this yeelding of our right for peace sake We must yeeld our right our own right for we must not be so bold with that which is our brothers unless we have authority by our place as Magistrates or that by consent businesses are referred to our arbitrement or umpirage to do as we see fit much less may we give that which is Gods the Orthodox would not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not prostitute their cheap instructions they would not suffer the hems of Truths garment to be cut Neither must men take liberty to give away part of Gods day to prophane pastime But in our own case it is fit that we abate of our right for peace sake Who hears not with grief those kinde of passages It is my right and I will stand upon it and it may be the thing but a trifle and I will defend it as long as I have a groat So again Who grieves not to see men take extremities Forfeitures of Bonds voiding of a mans Lease for not paying of his rent at the day and saying It is my right and the Law gives it me So again I will make the most of mine own to keep a man in prison when not able to pay It may be these things may hold in judicio soli but not poli in the judgement of earth but not in the judgement of heaven O let us then abate of our right for peace sake Our Lord did so came down from heaven emptied himself of glory to make peace between God and us The holy servants of God have done it it is Love Charity for that seeketh not her own And yet there is no loss in it for as the Prophet said to Amaziah when he was troubled for the hundred talents God is able to give thee more God is able to make up and will whatsoever we lost for Peace sake when those that grasp and grope all that they can pretend any right to and much more and that will part with nothing for Peace no nor for Justice sake shall finde God blowe upon it and make it uncomfortable Lastly Do to her as it pleaseth thee Was not this too great a power given to his wife over the servant considering she was now with childe and her mistress