be vnto thee thou euill tongue but I wish and counsell him to set these words of the Psalmist as a watch before his lippes (p) Psal 34.12.13 What man is hee that desireth life and loueth long daies to see good keepe thy tongue from euill and thy lippes that they speake no guile In this world these two Tongues are contrarily censured for Gods Tongue that giueth goodly words is euer blamed but the Diuels tongue which is the Organon or instrument of wickednesse is alwaies extolled this iniudicious censure is caused through the corruption of mans nature which embraceth vice and abhorreth vertue the world being a land of darkenesse hath no fellowship with the light and therefore it blameth the good tongue be the words thereof neuer so godlie All the Prophets of the old Testament either were persecuted or murthered because of their tongues Iohn Baptist who was the Common limite of the old and the newe Testament for his Tongue lost his head and most of the Apostles of the new TestameÌ„t because of their tongues were like sheepe led to the slaughter So is it in these dayes the Tongue that vtters the Truth is accounted an vnquiet seditious and factious tongue As Eliah was said to be a troubler of Israel Amos a conspiratour Iohn Baptist a tumultuous person so all such as speake with zeale against vice are by Worldlings reputed euill tongued raylers and bablers But let the blinde worlde iudge as it will Sure I am that such Tongues as giue goodly words and speake the Truth boldly are the Siluer Trumpets of Gods Tabernacle Of the coÌ„trary part the euill tongue though it swell with the venome of Blasphemie Swearing Insolencie Lying and Flatterie yet it is admired and highly esteemed if it can but say as the Tongues of the false Prophets did Peace Peace and make a couenant with the diuell and the world not to speake against sinne To conclude seeing that it was so excellent a quality in Naphtali to giue goodly words Let vs all studie to speake his language and though for speaking the truth the worlde hate vs yet this is our Comfort God will loue vs. THE ELEVENTH SERMON OF IOSEPH GEN. 49.22.23.24.25.26 Ioseph shall be a fruitfull Bough euen a fruitefull Boughe by the Well side the small Boughes shall runne vpon the wall And the Archers grieued him and shotte against him and hated him But his bowe abode strong the hands of his armes were strengthened by the hands of the mightie GOD of Iacob of whom was the feeder appointed by the stone of Israel Euen by the God of thy Father who shall helpe thee and by the Almightie who shall blesse thee with heauenly Blessings from aboue with blessings of the deepe that lyeth beneath with blessings of the brestes and of the wombe The blessings of thy Father shall bee stronger then the blessings of mine Elders vnto the ende of the hilles of the worlde they shal be on the head of Ioseph and on the toppe of the Head of him that was separate from his brethren IOseph was the Sonne of Iacob and Rahel who had been barren long for he was borne in the ende of Iacobs foureteene yeares seruice In the historie of his birth it is said that (a) Gen. 30.25 Gen. 30.22.23.24 God remeÌ„bred Rahel and God heard her opened her wombe So shee conceiued and bare a Sonne said God hath taken away my rebuke she called his name Ioseph saying the Lorde will giue mee yet another Sonne The circumstaÌ„ces of Iosephs birth are demonstrations of Rahels repentance In my former lectures vpon Dan Naphtali I laid open her enuie follie impatience vaineglorie But now she is another woman and a true conuert For in that God first remeÌ„bred her secondly heard her thirdly opened her wombe all which are signes of grace and fauour it is euident that she had repented and sorrowed for her sinnes and also that she had praied vnto God to make her fruitfull whereupon God remembred her heard her and opened her wombe This name of her sonne Ioseph is by interpretation Increasing And therein is infolded or included Rahels hopefull desire of a threefolde increase The first is the encrease of her husbands loue who loued her before better then Leah yet now vpon the birth of this sonne she hopes that his loue will be augmented for children are bellowes that kindle mutuall affection betwixt man and wife and this was one cause why Sarah Rahel and Annah were so desirous of children The second is the encrease of glorie for she said God hath taken away my rebuke or infamie For barrennesse in the familie of Abraham was reproachfull as may appeare by the wordes of Isaiah saying (b] Isai 4.1 And in that day shall seuen women take holde of one man say wee will eate our owne bread wee will weare our owne garments onely let vs be called by thy name and take away our reproach The third is the encrease of issue for shee saide the Lord will giue me yet another sonne and this increase as she trulie acknowledgeth must come froÌ„ God for none but hee caries the Key of the wombe Barrennesse fruitfulnesse doe both of them depend vpon his prouidence Of the first of these there bee diuerse Naturall causes as either some originall defectes in the Birth For some are borne vnapt for Generation (c) Arist lib. 2. de gen animalium Or it may come by diseases and sometimes the constitution of the body is an impediment as in fatte bodies where nature is turned into the nutriment of the bodie but the supernaturall cause of Barrennesse is when it pleaseth GOD to restraine the wombe which hee doth sometimes for a punishment (d) Gen. 20.18 as in the women of Abimelechs house whose wombes God shut vp because Abimelech had taken Sarah Abrahams wife And sometimes for the manifestation of his owne glorie and power as when he maketh Sarah and Elizabeth continue barren euen vntill they be stricken in yeares and vntill it ceaseth to be with them as with other women that contrarie to the course of nature hee may make the barren woman to beare to bee a ioyfull mother of childreÌ„ Secondly concerning fruitfulnes euen the heathen Philosopher confesseth thus much Though generation saith Plato be done in a mortall creature Plat. Sympos yet it is a aâ—â—ure thing procured by an immortall power though Iacob and Rahel were both very desirous of children yet for all that nature could doe nothing till God had opened her wombe Ioseph shall be a fruitfull Bough c. In this speech of Iâ—cob to Ioseph there be three things contained a prediction a narration and a Benediction First the Prediction or Prophecie is implied in these wordes Ioseph shall be a fruitfull bough euen a fruitfull bough by the Well-side the small boughes shall run vpon the wall In this prophecie which is a declaration of things to come Iacob
Selfe-will caused Rehoboam to threaten his subiects But Caynes wrath was punished with horrour of Conscience Rehoboams (d) 1. Reg. 12.14 selfe-will with the Reuolt of his subiects and eueÌ„ so in all men wrath selfe-will are neuer vnrewarded wherefore as S. Iames saith so say I (e) Iam. 1.19 My deare brethreÌ„ Let euery man be swift to heare slowe to speake slow to wrath Cursed be their wrath for it was fierce their rage for it was cruell I will diuide them in Iacob scatter them in Israel Iacob hauing before made an Apologie for himselfe doth in these words chastise his sonnes with a Temporall curse saying Cursed bee their Wrath c These bitter wordes of the Patriarch being spoken so emphaticallie as they are and no doubt not without the direction of Gods spirit shewe that this fact of Simeon and Leui is inexcusable and therefore it condemneth the doctrine of diuerse Writers who haue pleaded in the behalfe of these two sonnes and sought to cloake their crueltie with an excuse First some of the Rabbines haue excused this act of Simeon and Leui because Hamor Shechem went first about to breake the Couenant thinking to spoyle them of that they had for thus they said (f) Gen 34.23 Shal not their flocks substaÌ„ce be ours but it appeareth not that Hamor and Shechem went about any such thiÌ„g they speak thus to perswade the people to be circumcised who most respect their profite or else they meane that by Trading and hauing entercourse with them they should in a manner possesse their goods but graunt it were so onely Hamor and Shechem had been guiltie of the violating of this league there was no cause to punish the whole city althogh they had reason to reueÌ„ge themselues yet such a cruell massacre cannot bee iustified Secondly some doe in part excuse Simeon and Leui making a threefold consideration (g) Carthusianus in lib. Iudith on the behalfe of God say they the punishment was iust and also on the behalfe of the Shechemites who because they were coÌ„senting vnto that grieuous sin of Shechem with Dinah were iustlie punished but on the behalfe of Simeon Leui this iudgement and execution was vniust because they did it craftilie but this allegation maketh nothing for the iustifying of these two brethreÌ„ in euil for God knoweth how to turn the wicked enterprises of men to his owne Glorie neither did these furious meÌ„â—ime at any such ends as the hatred of vice the glory of God but only to satisfy their own reueÌ„gefull minds (h) Caiet in cap. 34. Gen. Thirdly some affirme that this act was not euill in respect of the thing because the Sichemites had grieuouslie sinned but in regard of the maÌ„ner because they did it fraudulently this is the opinion of CaietaÌ„ whose assertion is not sound because it is doubtfull vncertaine whether all the Sichemites that were slaine were guilty of this crime or no. Fourthly (i) Thom. Anglic. in cap. 34. Gen. some hold that the first motion of this slaughter was of God therfore good and that Simeon and Leui are for this onely to be blamed because in the execution they exceeded measure passed the bounds of their commission of Gods decree by being transported with passion but this cannot bee true for Iacob condemneth not onely the execution but also the very first deuise counsell saying Into their secret let not my soule come Fifthly some proceeding further haue defended both their fact and the manner of it calling their craft dissimulation a prudent caution and their reasons be these First say they All the Sichemites were consenting vnto that wickednes therfore they deserued punishmeÌ„t But to this I must answere as I did before It cannot be gathered that all the Sichemites were consenting to the sinne of Shechem and though the whole Citie had offended herein yet Simeon and Leui had no such calling or commission to put them to the sworde because they were not magistrates Secondly there is a text of scripture alledged for this purpose out of Iudith where it is saide that the Lord gaue vnto (k) Iudith 9.2 Simeon a sworde to take reuenge vpon the strangers that opened the wombe of the virgin defiled her discouered the thigh with shame polluted the womb to reproch afterward the text saith (l) Iud. 9.4 That they that is Simeon Leui were moued with zeale and abhorred the pollution of their bloud If then God gaue them a sword they vsed it with zeale then was the fact rather commeÌ„dable then to be blamed this argumeÌ„t is thus auoided Though Simeon Leui were ministers of Gods iustice vpon the Sichemites for their sin yet they did it not without sinne and therefore against this booke which is no Canonicall Scripture where their zeale is commended we may expose the censure and sentence of Iacob which saith That they did it in their selfe will therefore not by any motion of Gods spirit Also he curseth them saying Cursed bee their wrath for it was fierce and their Rage for it was cruell Now if they had done it in zeale he would rather haue blessed them Cursed be their wrath c. There be two kindes of cursing the one proceeding from a Tongue vnder which there is a poison of Aspes and this is damnable So (m) 1. Sam. 16.5.7 Shemâ—i cursed Dauid saying Come forth come forth thou murtherer and wicked man The other is the language of a zealous heart And so as wee reade many times the seruants of God haue vsed imprecations denounced curses Dauid saith (n) Psa 35.4 Let them be confounded put to shame that seeke after my soule And Iacob heere saith Cursed bee their wrath c. But this was not done by them in wrath or malice but with these considerations and regardes First they spake as Prophets as Mnisters and denouncers of Gods sentence and decree So then their speeches were not so much maledictions as predictions Secondly for the most part they accursed such only in temporall things for their amendment and reformation and if they denounced any spirituall curse it was vpon such as were incorrigible Thirdly they did not hereby reuenge their owne particular cause but did taxe and censure them as enemies to the whole Church Though this kinde of Cursing hath beene vsed by diuerse holy men yet their action must not bee our patterne to imitate because wee haue not the like spirit of Prophecie before we curse any man wee must examine our selues what spirit wee are of otherwise though like Iohn and Iames we be inflamed with the zeale of Elias our Sauiour will say vnto vs as hee said vnto them (o) Luc. 9.55 Yee know not of what spirit yee are Curse bee their wrath c. Iacob spareth not his owne sonnes but pronounceth against them the curse of GOD laying aside all naturall affection and
aemulation of her sisters happinesse a desire to be endeared to her husband and a feruent longing to be interessed in the promised seede herein shee doeth ill that good may ensue which is not to be allowed or iustified neither is there any inconuenience to yeeld to such holy women as Rahel their infirmities but here is not the lowest ebbe of her weakenesse for she goes further and giues her handmaide to her husband hoping to be comforted by her issue and vpon that contract with Bilha was Dan borne as I said before in my lecture vpon Isachar Laban by deceite made Iacob to diuide his Rib and to haue two Sisters to be his wiues and his two wiues being sisters by their perswasions made their owne husband to be Tetragamos the husband of sower wiues the one giuing him Bilha the other Zilpha their handmaids to be his Concubines now herein how can Iacob be excused or the childreÌ„ of Leah Bilha Zilpha be accounted legitimate considering that by the first Canon and institution of marriage made by God in paradice (g) Gen. 2.24 One man was to haue but one wife and they two saith Christ shall be one flesh the breach of euery lawe is sinne Iacob breaking then the lawe sinneth and consequently all his children except Ioseph and Beniamin the sonnes of Rahel to whom Iacob was first contracted were illegitimate S. Augustine thus answereth as long as it was the custome to haue many wiues it was no sinne Aug. Cont. Faustum manich lib. 22. cap. 47. but now it is a sinne because it is not the custome some sinnes are against nature some against Custome some against the lawe now saith he Iacob is not to be blamed for hee transgressed not the lawe of nature because he vsed his pluralitie of wiues not for lust but for the increase and multiplication of mankind neither did hee breake custome for in those daies in the east countries Polygamie was vsuall neither was it prohibited by any lawe concerning Custome Saint Augustine he holdeth the Truth but as for the Lawe of nature and the Lawe of God they Both are opposite to the multiplicitie of wiues first the lawe of Nature appeareth herein (h) Zanch. de sponsal that God when hee was to giue Adam a wife tooke onely one Rib not two and made onely one woman not two teaching vs thereby that one man should be contented with one wife and one wife with one Husband This Law of Nature is confirmed by that which God coÌ„manded Noah to doe when he destroyed the world with water (i) Gen. 7.7.8 Noah his wife his 3. sonnes their wiues of beasts both cleane vnclean the male the female entred into the Arke This coupling of Creatures both reasonable vnreasonable sheweth that Nature in her Seminarie requires no more but one Male and one Female Furthermore these are two Axiomes or Maximes in Nature Quod tibi fieri non vis alteri ne facias Do not that to another which thou wouldest not to be done to thy selfe Also Ne quod alterius est inuito eripiatur Let nothing which belongeth to another bee taken from him against his will Now in Polygamie these two Rules are broken off For first a man will not beare nor brooke it that his wife should take vnto her another man Then why should hee haue another wife Secondly the (k) 1. Cor. 7.4 Married man as the Apostle saith hath not power ouer his owne bodie but the wife How then can the Man without offering manifest wrong to his Wife bestowe his bodie vpon an other woman Concerning the law of God it doth directly forbid Polygamie as appeareth by the wordes of Christ who is the best interpreter of the Law saying (l) Mat. 19.5 For this cause shall a man leaue father mother câ—eaue vnto his wife they twayne shal be one flesh Herein our Sauiour teacheth vs that the wife is not onely not to be put away vpon euery cause but also that the Husband ought not to take vnto himselfe another Wife Thus both by the Law of God Nature Polygamie is condemned Can the Custome be Iacobs protection How caÌ„ his tetragamie be iustified and the rest of his Sonnes excepting Ioseph Beniamin be legitimate I answer by Dispensation For God according to the state of those times dispeÌ„sed with the Patriarks for the Law which he had made at the beginniÌ„g And this is euident out of the exaÌ„ples of Abraham Iacob Elcaenah other godly Fathers who were not reproued by any Prophet for their multiplicitie of wiues Nay which is more God gaue Saules wiues as (m) 1. Sam. 12.8 Nathan saith into the bosome of Dauid Now then if God gaue Dauid wiues notwithstanding his first institution is for the coÌ„trarie we may conclude that he dispensed with his own Law gaue the Patriarchs libertie for Polygamie The reason of this dispensation was this in those times God had chosen the seede of Abraham to bee his people in whose linage the true worship of the Deitie was preserued for all other people were giueÌ„ to idolatry went a whoring after straunge gods Therefore it was necessarie that the Children of Abraham should bee permitted to vse Polygamie and haue many wiues that mankind might bee spred by procreation because this propagation of the flesh was the increase of godlines Seeing God would that the people in whoÌ„ true religion was planted should continue euen vnto Christ So then it was by dispensation lawfull vnto the Patriarchs to haue many wiues to the inteÌ„t that that people whom God had chosen namely Israel might be manie in nuÌ„ber neither can it appeare that they sinned when they did so but here sin must be distiÌ„guished For if to sinne be to stray froÌ„ most perfect reason surely they sinned but if we determine that to be sinne wherewith God is offended prouoked to reueÌ„ge they sinned not sith God dispensed with his law to the ende that the people of whome hee would be worshipped might be of the greater nuÌ„ber For although amongst other Nations some perhaps were good men yet the publike worshipping of God was no where else but in Israel Furthermore AbrahaÌ„ Iacob the rest thogh they had many wiues yet they were not hereunto led by lust but by a chast desire to augment multiplie Gods familie This was Iacobs motiue wheÌ„ he went in vnto Bilha begot Dan. And therefore coÌ„sidering both Gods dispensation his owne intention Iacob is not to be condemned neither his children borne of concubines to be debased yet Rahels act in giuiÌ„g her handmaid caÌ„not be excused because she was moued therunto by the spirit of Pride Enuie shee knew it was a glorious thing to haue children a shame to be barren and therefore she desired to haue a child thogh borne by her maid to free herselfe from infamie in the worlde to be more equall with her sister Herein is
thirtie yeares fewe and euill haue the daies of my life beene For this cause the Thracians vsed to lament and weepe when their children were borne but to laugh and reioyce when any of their friends died and the reason hereof is giuen by Iob who saith Man that is borne of a woman is of short continuance and full of trouble he shooteth forth as a flower and is cut downe he vanisheth also as a shadowe and continueth not Thirdly euery one is the Childe of sorrowe in regard of originall sinne (g) Rom. 6.23 the wages whereof is death this Naturall corruption which by the fall of Adam is transfused vpon his whole posteritie maketh man not onely lyable and subiect to infinite calamities in this world but also to death eternall hereafter vnlesse (h) Psal 5â— 1 this Sinne wherein all men are borne and this iniquitie wherein they be conceiued he washt away by the blood of Christ (i) Eph. 2.5 By nature saith S. Paul wee are the children of wrath that is not by creation but by Adams transgression and so by birth And Iob saith That a childe of a day old is not pure in Gods sight seeing then that euery man is borne in sinne therefore is euery man a Ben-oni the sonne of Sorrowe because Death and Sorrowe be the effects of sinne Rahel hauing called this sonne Ben-oni in his Name as I haue said declared both particularly and generally the paines of Child-birth the sorrowes of mans life and the reward of sinne and thereupon to giue instance for the truth of her assertion shee gaue vp the ghost prouing by her owne example that women bring forth children in sorrowe that mans life is a painefull pilgrimage and that the wages of sinne is death these are the reasons why shee called his name Ben oni the sonne of sorrowe But his father called him Beniamin that is the sonne of his right hand Amongst the ancient Hebrewes nothing was rashly or inconsiderately done either in the imposition or Chaunging of names Rahel had reason to call her sonne as shee did Ben-oni and Iacob likewise had good cause to chaunge his name as hee doth by calling him Beniamin It is apparant both out of diuine and profane histories that in former times all men had an especiall care to giue vnto their children faire fit and well-boding names and they greatly disliked vnpleasant dismall and vnluckie names Herodotus writeth that Cyrus was first called Spaco which in the language of the Medes signifieth a Dogge because this was a foule name it was changed into Coresch or Cyrus which in the Persian tongue soundeth a Lord Theophrastus as Strabo saith was so named by his Maister Aristotle Strabo lib. 13. in exchange of his filthie name Tyrtanus and amongst the popes of Rome the Chaunging of names was first brought in by Sergius who before was called Os porei or Swinesnout so here Iacob doth chaunge Ben-oni which is a name of griefe and Sorrowe into Beniamin a name of strength and honour some thinke that he calleth him Beniamin the sonne of his right hand because he onely was borne in Canaan in the south part which is vpon the right hand if one turne his face to the sunne rising some because he was borne in Bethlem within the Tribe of Iudah Lyranus is of opinion that he was so called because Iacob bare so strongly and patiently the heauie crosse of his Rahels death and Oleaster saith that Iacob hereby sheweth that he had notwithstanding his age strength to beget a child But it is most probable that Ben-oni was chaunged into Beniamin by Iacob first least it might haue brought still to his remembrance the losse of his dearest wife And secondly to shew how deare he should be vnto him both because he was his youngest sonne and also for his mothers sake In the Scripture the Right hand hath eight seuerall significations First by it is meant strength and fortitude So doth the Psalmist vse it saying (k) Psal 44.3 They inherited not the land by their owne sword neither did their owne arme saue them But thy right hand and thine arme and the light of thy countenance because thou diddest fauour them Secondly it is taken for helpe or aid as it is in Iob Stretch forth thy right hand to helpe the worke of thine owne hands Thirdly for the exuperancie of honour and glorie as it is in the Psalme The Lord said vnto my Lord sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footestoole Fourthly it signifies the Sweetenesse of Christs loue towards his Spouse the Church As it is in the Canticles (l) Cant. 2.6 His left hand is vnder mine head and his right hand doth embrace me Fiftly by it is vnderstood the aboundance of diuine and heauenly pleasures so saies Dauid (m) Psal 16 1â— In thy presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore Sixtly it is vsed to declare that which is good iust and holy So saies the wiseman The Lo d knoweth the waies which are vpon the right hand but the waies which are vpon the left hand are froward and peruerse Seauenthly it signifies such things as be spirituall blessings And so does Salomon applie it saying The length of his daies is in his right hand and in his left hand be richâ—s and glorie In this speech the Wiseman by the length of daies which is in the right hand of a righteous man meaneth the eternitie of blessednesse in heauen And by riches and glorie which are in the left hand the temporarie goods and prosperitie of this life Lastly the Preacher saith (n) Eccles. 10.2 the heart of a wiseman is at his right hand but the heart of a foole is at his left hand the meaning of which words sheweth the difference betwixt the righteous the wicked For the cogitations and the actions of the one sort are euer Right that is full of honestie innocencie and wisedome But the imaginations and enterprises of the other are foolish wicked declining vnto the left hand which leadeth vnto destructioÌ„ hence it appeareth that it is a signe both of Loue wel-wishing in Iacob towards his sonne because he changeth the disastrous name of Ben-oni into the well-portending name of Beniamin To be the Sonne of the fathers Right hand is a great fauour Xenoph. li. 8. Cyropaed yet the ancient Persians as Xenophon reporteth vsed to place such as they meant to honour vpon their left hands But the Hebrewes obserued a contrarie custome (o) â— Reg. 2.19 for wee read that Salomon placed his mother vpon his right hand at the generall iudgement it is said that (p) Math. 25.33 Christ shall set the sheepe vpon his right hand and the goates on the left Therein honouring the Elect and disgracing the reprobates These two names Ben-oni Beniamin imposed by Rahel Iacob do mystically decipher the two estates of maÌ„kind The