closing the flesh in steed of it and framed it into the body of a Woman in which also he placed a reasonable soule Concerning this Creation of Man you must first informe your selves of the necessity of it It must needs be granted by force of reason that there must be some first man seeing otherwise there must be infinite men because a number without beginning must be also without end in as much as there is the same reason of both that which caused men without beginning did cause them necessarily and therefore it must cause them for ever now all reason agrees to this truth that there cannot be an infinite number seeing to a number still one at least may be added I meane it of actuall numbers and actuall infinitenesse so wee reason thus either an infinite number of men or some first man and woman not the former therfore the latter And if there must be a first man and woman either they came by chance and without any maker which is so absurd that no man can choose but hisse it out or else they were made by some agent or matter that had a being before them and if so then either as Heathen Theologie tels they grew out of the mudde as frogges doe in some Countries or else were formed by God as our Theologie teacheth and let every man that hath his right wits about him judge in himselfe whether of these twaine is more agreeable to reason and more likely to be true So man was created by God now about his Creation the time and matter of it is to be noted For first man was not created till the sixth day when a fit place for him to dwell in and all necessary furniture for the place and all needfull servants and attendants were before provided for his use God saw it not fit to bring man into the world before it was garnished and stored with all contents usefull for him And then man was made in the first place and woman after him to shew that man is the superiour in nature woman was made for man and not man for woman therefore was man made first and woman after and so doth the Apostle reason in two places where he handles the difference of Sexes 1 Cor. 11.8 9. 1 Tim. 2.13 So you have this cleared how man came into the world and how woman but you must observe more particularly the different matter of which they were made and the parts of which they consist Man had a body and that was made of the dust of the earth to teach him Humility but he had also a soule and that was breathed into his nostrils that is infused by God wonderfully and immediately put into mans body it is called a breath of life and after a soule of life that is a soule which procured breathing and living nothing is harder for a man to conceive of then the nature of his owne soule next the nature of God and Angels for the former is much more hard to comprehend the latter equally difficult at least and it should be unto us a matter of great abasement that wee cannot tell what to make of our selves that is of our soules that it is we know by the effects it workes in the body and the absence of these effects and the following of contrary effects when it is departed from the body and this is all we know in a manner onely we may gather by discourse that it is a substance incorporeall because it selfe doth informe the body and one body cannot in reason be fit to informe another The Scripture also tells us certainely that it is an immortall substance which must returne to God that gave it and reason subscribes to this truth because finding the soule a thing simple it cannot conceive how it should be corrupted O how ignorant are we and what cause have we to be puffed up with conceit of our knowledge seeing so much blindnesse doth now possesse our mindes that in a manner all we have to say of our owne soules and spirits the best part of us is this that we cannot tell what to say As for Evah shee also consisted of a body and that was made not of earth but of a bone of her husband to instruct her and him both of their duty that shee should acknowledge her subjection unto him as being taken out of him and helpefull to him as being made of a rib an helpfull bone in his side and to instruct him that he should account her deare unto him and make precious reckoning of her using her as in a manner his equall as being a peece of himselfe and extracted from his own side Now a woman also hath a soule an immortall spirit to make her a living and a reasonable creature for where sin is found there is a reasonable soule because none other is capable of knowing and consequently transgressing a law made by God but woman was in the Transgression that is shee sinned and sinned first before Adam therefore shee had a soule and a reasonable soule and they seeme to have beene wilfully blinde that whether out of the silence of God in not mentioning the breathing of a soule into Evah or upon what other mad conceit would needs make themselves and others beleeve that women had no soules I conceive it was the device of some brutish and sensuall man that by instilling this most absurd conceit into that Sexe would faine draw them to commit all licentiousnesse with boldnesse for if they have no soules it could be no fault in them more then in the bruit creatures to give over themselves to all sensuality and libidinousnesse You have heard Mans beginning know now his life and herein consider his behaviour and the things that befell him his behaviour bad good indifferent doubtfull Their bad carriage stands in two things Their first sinne whereby they fell and their following sinnes which they added after their fall The first sinne was the eating of the forbidden fruit for you shall have it recorded that the Lord having placed Adam in a garden to dresse and keepe it spake to him in this wise Of all the trees of the garden thou maist eating eate that is thou maist lawfully and with mine allowance eate it was at his choice to eate of what kind he pleased and if it seemed good unto him to forbeare eating of any he might forbeare then followes a prohibition of one kind of fruit viz. of the tree of knowledge of good and evill which is in the midst of the garden thou maist not eate that is you shall not lawfully do it in regard of naturall power he had ability to eate and not eate of that as of any other but God did take away from him the morall liberty of eating of it and by his authority saw good to abridge his liberty and this alone to make it appeare to Adam that he was an absolute and a
hath cause to make but meane account of himselfe so will these thoughts helpe to chase out pride But consider a man in his spirituall misery he was conceived in sinne he is of his father the Divell he is a slave to sinne a traitor to God He is full of all wickednesse destitute of all holinesse and cannot escape eternall damnation by any worth or power of his owne but must needes sinke downe to hell and be made fuell for that eternall burning You see by what meanes you may subdue pride hee that findeth it out and resisteth it with these weapons shall undoubtedly prevaile against it hee that thinkes himselfe free from it and takes no paines to subdue it shall surely bee conquered by it And let the consideration of this that pride is so foule a vice make you blesse God with much thankfulnesse for crosses afflictions and divers temptations and tribulations for what be they else but medicines to take downe pride and who that hath a great swelling in his body doth not thinke it a benefit deserving recompence as well as thankes to have a fit medicine prepared and applied that at length may take downe that swelling It is to be confessed that the best of men be too proud even now notwithstanding all the crosses they have felt and sinnes they have committed O how much more proude would they have beene had not God made use of such things to tame and depresse them And of their pride so much The next fault is fulnesse of bread this is reckoned as a fault and either it is so indeed or the Spirit of God was deceived who put it downe here in the catalogue of Sodomitish crimes You must either grant that fulnesse of bread is a foule sinne or else you must tell the Prophet that himselfe and the Spirit by which he spake were both in an error 'T is attributed to Dives in the Parable hee fared deliciously every day 'T is charged on wealthy men as one of the sinnes that shall procure their howling and misery you have nourished your selves in the day of slaughter meaning they gave themselves over to feasting and banqueting every day A daily continuall stuffing the belly with store of savoury and delicate foode is hurtfull for the body and soule too Use abstinence feed sparingly fare hard and short sometimes And so much for the second sin of Sodome fulnesse of bread The third is abundance of idlenesse here is the fault it selfe idlenesse and the measure of it very much idlenesse Idlenesse is a sinne especially when it growes to be abundance of idlenesse Salomon hath bent himselfe to the disgrace of this fault in many of his Proverbes Goe to the pismire O sluggard Prov. 6.9 9. how long wilt thou sleepe 10. Yet a little sleepe 24.30 I went by the field of the sloathfull and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding a witlesse fellow a foole And the Apostle condemnes it in the younger widdowes that they learnt to be idle 1 Tim. 5.13 and many threats are made against the idle person and the sluggard 19.15 an idle soule shall suffer hunger There are divers reasons to prove this fault to be a great sinne First it is a crossing of that end which God had in making man hee made him to be usefull and profitable as the members of the body idlenesse makes him unprofitable hee gave him a minde and a body fit for usefull and laborious imployments he spends this strength to no purpose So he doth even thwart Gods intention in creating all things and himselfe among the rest for all were made for labour in some fruitfull matter as we see the Sunn and heavenly bodies the waters and trees and all the creatures Secondly he depriveth himselfe of all right in conscience to foode and other necessaries and maketh himselfe a theefe in all he eateth and drinketh and spendeth for this cause S. Paul saith hee that will not worke let him not eate so hee is interdicted the use of Gods creatures as it were a man banished out of the world A civill right in the courts of justice hee hath to the possessing of things because of his title to them and interest in them but a conscionable right to the use of them hee hath not therefore Paul wisheth men to labour and eate their owne bread intimating that it is not their owne in the court of conscience before God if they gaine not an interest to it by paines Thirdly idlenesse is a great nourisher of all vices It nourisheth pride and selfe-conceitednesse For the sluggard is wiser in his owne eyes then seven men that can render a reason he is apt to filthinesse and lust why was Sodome so lewd but because they were idle Every temptation doth easily seize upon him that is at leasure and doth nothing as a bird that sitteth still on a tree is easily hit with an arrow or bullet He can have while to hearken to a temptation and to ruminate upon the evill things which Satan and the flesh doe stirre up In nature things that lie still gather rust and standing water soone breeds noysome creatures and soone putrifies and especially idlenesse makes a man a busie body full of medling with other folkes matters and that for the most part to do more hurt then good The nature of man is active and if it be not imployed in some usefull thing it must follow sinne and vanity Lastly this sinne exposeth a man to want Idlenesse will cloath with ragges his penurie commeth like an armed man and like a traveller hastily surely strongly it cannot be resisted it will not linger Hee that followeth vaine persons shall have poverty enough The sluggard will not plow in Winter therefore hee must begge in Summer and have nothing And if it fall out that great meanes doe keepe an idle person from want yet hee hath a most poore and beggarly soule utterly destitute of saving graces and vertues for he must labour for these things that will attaine them But let us see what idlenesse is It is that vice by which men refuse to bestow themselves constantly and painefully in some profitable thing and take leave to spend their pretious time in things unprofitable Some things are unprofitable simply as fond and roving thoughts tatling and vaine words some things are unprofitable accidentally in respect of their excesse as sports and pastimes and sleepe and ease and sitting still and in respect of the manner of doing as dealing with a slacke hand and working by halves He that will not continue to take paines in things usefull and beneficiall to himselfe and others but whileth out his time in sitting still and twatling with others of matters impertinent to him or uselesse in themselves or discoursing with himselfe about like points or gives himselfe to excesse of sleepe or of sports or else followes his businesse by the halves this man is idle
causing us never to see the second death though we must not be freed from the first for that was the speciall priviledge of Enoch and Eliah and was never granted to any other that we read Labour therfore to hold fast in your soules a firme perswasion of Gods love to you in Christ and withall a firme purpose of pleasing him in all things Let sincere truth of obedience be joyned with a firme perswasion of Gods love and the firme perswasion of Gods love be joyned with a sincere indeavour of obedience then death shall never come amisse then you are alwaies ready for it So David faith I have hoped in thy salvation and done thy Commandements So then if we would be ready for God we must doe two things Turne to him and walke with him To turne is to begin to walke with God to walke with God is to continue to turne to him O ye that have not begun to turne doe it to day turne now call to mind your former evill waies to judge your selves for them to lament them to seeke of God in Christ forgivenesse of them and power against them and labour to rest your selves upon his goodnesse in Christ for pardon and helpe and so have you made your peace then keepe your peace by a constant indeavour to please God in holinesse of life and a constant renewing of your assured perswasion of his love O happy man he that can so fit himselfe for his latter end Brethren let the mention of the deaths of so many aged persons make you carefull to prepare for death you that be young doe it because death takes away young men as well as old and you that be old doe it because you may meete with it very suddenly and must needs meete with it afore it be long Againe you see these long-liv'd men here wrestling with the corruptions of the world and their owne some a longer time and some a shorter but all in comparison of our selves a great while The longest lived man for number of dayes was Methuselah who lived nine hundred sixty nine yeares but for perfection of life Adam who lived a perfect man nine hundred and thirty yeares The shortest lived of all the Patriarkes was Noahs Father Methuselahs Sonne Lamech for he lived seven hundred seventy and seven yeares and died the yeere before the floud a little before his Father Methuselah who lived till that very yeare that the floud came and drowned all and was taken away that he might not see the floud Now why did God lengthen out the daies of the Patriarkes I answer chiefely to maintaine the knowledge of God and true religion in the world that by the long life of one godly man the truth which then was not put in writing but by word of mouth delivered from man to man might be kept more pure and undefiled Adam lived till Methuselah was two hundred forty and three yeares old Methuselah lived till Sem the Sonne of Noah was one hundred yeares lacking two so that Sem talked with him that had talked with Adam who could acquaint him with all things concerning the creatures the fall and the promised seed out of his certaine knowledge and experience he had beene made of nothing he had seene all perfections and Methuselah could tell it to Sem and Sem lived to see Isaac borne and a Father So that Isaac might speake mouth to mouth with him that had spoken with him that had spoken with Adam the first man that ever was Was not this a notable confirmation of his Faith THE FIFTH EXAMPLE OF The Old World WEe have propounded particular Examples unto you hitherto as also the Scriptures have done Now following them wee must set before your eyes the Examples of an whole multitude even of an whole World full of men and women that gave themselves to worke wickednesse before the Lord. It is called in Scripture the old World and the world of ungodly In the space of a 1656. yeares the generation of mankind was growne to that height and exorbitancie of wickednesse that the patience of God could no longer endure them Now concerning this Old World we will shew you three things 1. Their sinnes 2. The goodnesse of God to them notwithstanding their sinnes 3. The severe punishment that fell upon them at the last and so will make use of all First for their sinnes the Holy Ghost sets them out in generall and more particularly In generall the sinne of man is said to be great and that every imagination of the thought of his heart was evill and onely evill and that continually Secondly it is said that all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth So their naughtinesse was remarkeable in these two respects it was exceeding hainous and grievous in that they committed great and fowle sinnes in great abundance with great wilfullnesse and gave themselves to add sinne to sinne doing nothing but plodding and contriving wickednesse and then all men gave themselves over to the same bad course you could not finde a man that made scarce a shew of goodnesse out of Noahs house When all consent together to sell over themselves to worke iniquity and grow past shame or feare running into most grievous and notorious sinnes with greedinesse and wilfullnesse this is very offensive to Almighty God and will certainely provoke his wrath to bring upon them some fearefull and heavie punishments Divers reasons may be thought of that caused this exceeding great growth of sinne in those times 1. The long life of men for let an unsanctified man continue long and he will grow more and more sinfull the longer he continues Sinne by frequent exercise growes more and more violent and head-strong So living a great space of time they grew above measure naught 2. They had strong and able bodies together with health and ability to enjoy the things of this life 3. They had great peace in regard they all lived under a paternall governement the agedst in the family still being acknowledged the governour of the family and they had all one language and so no great cause of controversie and one religion too it is like seeing the Patriarkes lived so long that they were immediately taught of God save that they degenerated to prophanenesse and the most became of no religion and so did not warre with the contrary little partie unlesse it were with jests scoffes and contumelies Long life great strength great peace begat great wickednesse But more particularly the Lord takes notice here of their 1. Unlawfull and carnall marriages 2. Of their violence and oppression And our Saviour telleth of their great worldlinesse that did sell over themselves to temporall dealings and cared nothing for better things and S. Peter tells of their obstinacy in sinning and their not beleeving nor regarding they were disobedient whilest the long suffering of God waited in the daies of Noah Yea our Saviour
fruit of their bodies If God make not a woeman to beare children but make her pious and godly able to bring forth the fruits of the spirit in that spirituall marriage betwixt Christ and her she hath cause to be so thankefull for this fruitfulnesse as easily to brooke the trouble of the other unfruitfulnesse And those whom God doth not afflict with this affliction must learne to praise him for their fertile wombe It is a sinne not to prize even these temporall benefits but to grumble at abundance of fruit of the body is so foule a fault of ingratitude and unbeleefe that a man or woeman should greatly blame themselves for turning a thing beneficiall in it selfe into a distresse and misery unto themselves Another crosse was that she was sleighted by her maide yea that she bare the crosse somewhat impatiently must be reckoned in the number of her sinnes Doubtlesse it is a trying affliction to be assaulted with rude saucy and contemptuous words and gestures of a disobedient and undutifull servant Hardly shall the spirit of a governour be able to hold it selfe in patience when it shall see a servant or inferiour to looke too disdainefully or arrogantly or heare them utter surly and scoffing words Pride in an inferiour shewes it selfe by undutifulnesse and it will prove an hard thing to the superiour not to thinke it equall that pride should encounter pride againe with passionate resistance of it You must learne that have servants most times as most times Hagar was dutifull to be thankefull for it and must take heede of doing any thing by which you may give your servants occasion to sleight and contemne you for their corruption will quickly lay hold upon any occasion of such misdemeanour A third crosse was this to be taken from her husband into the house of Pharaoh and after of Abimelech 'T is true she could blame none but her selfe and her husband for that crosse but that did not make it lesse a crosse as hee is no lesse wounded that woundes himselfe by mischance then he whom an enemy should purposely wound and this crosse was made a little the more bitter by this that she was though gently and with milde wordes yet duely chidden for it by Abimelech too who tels her plainely of it saying Gen. 20.16 I have given thy brother this name hee gives Abraham ironically with somewhat a tart rebuke as much as if he had said whom thou wouldest have had us thinke to be onely thy brother a 100. shekels that is of our money some 72. lb. od money neere upon a 100. markes and addes behold hee is to thee a covering of thine eyes and to all that are with thee and with all other thus shee was reprooved She was sensible of the rebuke this was somewhat bitter that a stranger should chide her for not sufficiently covering her eyes Sure it was a griefe to her to come under just reproofe we must take heed that our evill carriage make us not subject to just reprehension We shall be ashamed to heare of what we were not carefull to shunne And so much of Sarahs life Of her death we reade Gen. 23. She lived a 127. yeares and died at Hebron and was buried in the cave of Makphela which Abraham bought for money of Ephron the Hittite for that use upon that occasion She is the onely woeman so farre as my memory serves me whose time of living is registred in Scripture whither it have any mistery in it I cannot tell no woemans age is recorded but Sarahs alone the mother of Isaac doubtlesse God intended to grace her in it above other woemen And so we have done with Sarah too It will not be amisse to add Hagar to her of whose birth we have nothing recorded in Scripture and as little of her death but by that which the Scripture speaketh of her there is some good probability that she was a woeman fearing God First because of all woemen in Sarahs house who having above 300. men-servants must needes have many maide-servants also she made choice of her to give unto her husband Abraham to the end that some seede yea the promised seede might be taken from her Sure Abraham and Sarah would not have preferred her above all the maidens in the house if they had not thought her also a good and godly maiden I suppose therefore that seeing her matter and mistresse thought her good we should goe against the rules of charity though we reade of some faults she had if we thinke not so too Let us consider of her life and see her vertues and faults benefits and crosses First it was a great vertue in her that all the time of her dwelling with Abraham before shee carried her selfe very dutifully and respectively to Sarah else she would never have given her into Abrahams bosome Let all servants learne of her to shew all reverence and dutifull behaviour to their governours and not onely to the rich and wealthy but to the poore also nay as S. Peter saith not onely to the good and curteous but also to the froward for so is Gods commandement to them expressely Ephes 6. Col. 4. 1 Pet. 2. and if any servant doe otherwise they do not garnish and adorne but disgrace and discredit true religion The servant is no further godly then hee or she shewes reverence and honour to the master and governesse Looke therefore that you set your selves to please and content your governours with all obedience and duty if you will have God and your owne consciences to approve of you Secondly when the Angell met her and asked her whence she came and whither she went she answered plainely and said I flie from the face of my Mistresse Sarah she told truth without lying and that is a good thing and commendable to speake truth though it be to ones owne shame but to have told a lie to an Angell might have procured her great reproofe and herein you may see that Hagar exceeded her Mistresse for when the Angell charged Sarah with laughing shee denied it but Hagar being examined confesseth the truth without lying We shall doe better in this case to follow the maide then the Mistresse Another good thing in her was that when shee was commanded by the Angell of God to goe and humble her selfe to her Mistresse shee did so Here all you inferiours must learne of her nay rather of the Angell which taught her what you should doe if you have by frowardnesse or ill carriage provoked your Governours so that they doe use perhaps a little too much rigour towards you yet you must submit and humble your selves acknowledge your owne faultinesse and patiently stoope to their words of reproofe yea or blowes of correction This submission is the best way to pacifie wrath and to settle peace Afterwards we reade of no falling our betwixt Hagar and Sarah Learne therefore all yee servants to stoope
feare to vex and kill their godly Parents whose tender affection to them cannot but cause that their wicked carriage shall prove a mighty corrasive unto their soules Be as good as Esau yea in this matter be you far better than he content not thy selfe to be even with a miserable Esau in dutifulnesse to your Parents Another thing in Esau we have recorded in Scripture which is commendable and that towards his brother Iacob for though he went against him with foure hundred men intending to take a sharp revenge by killing him at least if not his wives and children too yet when he saw his brothers loving and kinde and humble carriage in sending him a rich present and in bowing down and saluting him with his face to the ground seaven times his naturall affection prevailed against his former unruly passion and he handled him very curteously and ran to him wept on his neck kissed him gave him kinde words invited him to his countrey and would have left off his servants with him to do him service and so returned and did him no hurt at all Every man sees that this was well done of Esau Come and imitate him and if you have been transported with rage against any specially against a brother for any true or imaginary iniquity yet when submissivenesse and curtesie is shewed unto you let it melt you let it win you pacifie appease you and cause your passion to depart and though you have intended attempted and begun to use violence yet cast out such thoughts forbeare the execution of such evill purposes and turn your violence into kindnesse and humanity Be better than Esau and do this to any man as he to a brother and without such gifts and submission which be did by such inducements and shew love and kindnesse for very conscience as he did out of naturall passion striving in him Yea if any man have been imbittered against another for any cause and hath so far yeelded to his own fury as to begin to do naughtily in seeking revenge O let him do as well as Esau did go back in the middest of his enterprise and not suffer himselfe to be so confirmed in wickednesse as to go through with sinfull designes Let the feare of God the checks of conscience the apprehension of Gods displeasure against the doers of such things even reclaime you in the middest as naturall kindnesse did this sinfull man Be not satisfied to do as well as Esau in this case but exceed him and doe far better than he that you may shew your selves to have that grace of which Esau was destitute Farther Esau for matter of goods shewes himselfe not to be extreamly greedy and worldly minded for when his brother bad sent unto him a great drove of cattle even a gift of great value Gen. 32. 14 15. Two hundred shee Goates and as many Ewes with twenty hee Goates and as many Rams with thirty milch Camels and their Colts and forty Kine and ten Buls and twenty shee Asses with ten Foales I say a rich and gay booty he did earnestly and heartily refuse the same saying Chap. 33.9 I have enough my brother keep that which is thine owne and would not take it but upon urgent pressing First it is said ver 11. He urged him and he took it Now will you not shew your selves as good men as Esau in this case Know when you have enough be not greedy of gifts and when your state is already rich and abundant seek not to get into your hands though it be by receiving a gift that which is anothers O that Esau should be able to say I have enough keep that which is thine and many that be Christians in shew should not be able to discerne when they have enough but should be as eager to get even by worse meanes or as bad as this even by taking gifts and bribes for doing but even justice or which is worse for doing injustice and should by oppression and harsh dealing even with poore and needy men their Tenants and underlings seek to get even more than enough If any man amongst you finde himselfe so earthly disposed let him earnestly condemne himselfe and say alas what a slave am I to riches that have not yet so far denyed the world but that I am more covetous and unjust than Esau shewed himselfe If any say yea Esau did this towards a brother I answer doth not Christianity teach us to love our neighbours as our selves If any say but though Esau said he had enough yet it may be that he thought not so I answer In saying so he shews he thought he was so at that time and knew he should be so therefore should a good man that would be counted far better than Esau set himselfe to be so indeed and at all times Come then you that have estates large enough to afford you all due content come I say and learne of Esau to know when you have enough and not strive to get more by any greedy unjust and oppressive course Let others enjoy their owne and be you content with your owne yea goe yet farther and be content to lose some of you owne to those that are poore and in necessity and far lower and meaner than your selves But last of all Esau joyned with his brother Iacob in burying his Father Isaac and so at once shewed his respect to his Father in doing that last duty and his perfect reconciliation to his brother in joyning with him to doe it Learne you to shew honour to your Parents in the last act and let not an old grudge stick so in your stomacks as to hinder you from doing any good work because you cannot bring your hearts to be partners with those that have offended you Esau Esau shall rise in judgement against you if you continue still to have such a coare against them from whom you have received injury as that their presence will keep you from doing good workes with them in their company and in their society And these be all the good things which I can call to minde that the Scripture tels of this evill man Let us therefore passe on to the consideration of his faults which are more and greater And first in generall though he lived more than forty yeares in his Fathers house a religious man and a carefull worshipper of God yet he lived there as an hypocrite and got no true goodnesse as appeares by that he was not kept from fratricide or brother-murdering by any conscience to God but alone by a kinde of love and respect to his Father Look to your selves I pray you you that be children of godly Parents and have been trained up by them as well as they knew how look to your selves that you continue not sinfull and wicked and hypocrites at the last such I meane as care not to get the true knowledge of God but continue still lovers and servants of sin though you
will cause it to grow stronger and worser I say this sin is a great offence blamed in Cain in Iosephs brethren in the Pharisees and most of all in the devils It is a wrong to God in that we satisfie not our selves in his disposing of things for may not God shew more or lesse favour to men as it seemeth good to himselfe and why should our eye be evill because his eye is good It is a wrong to the person envyed in that we do not so behave our selves towards him as we would that all other should doe to our selves for men would that others should rejoyce in their welfare and not repine at it Secondly in that it maketh us apt to doe them any injurie as here is seene in the Example that we speake of who stopped Isaacs Wells out of envy And it is a wrong to ones selfe in that he bringeth needlesse vexation upon himselfe and filleth his heart with gall when he might have fed on honey as it were for we should rejoyce with them that rejoyce and then we should partake of the benefit because the best fruit of a good thing is to have joy of it And this envy springeth from meere selfe-love and pride and folly in not seeing God in things and submitting to his wisdome Whosoever findeth a kinde of tangue of this disease in himselfe must blame himselfe for it heartily and thinke thus with himselfe What shall I be an imitatour of wicked men yea of the wicked spirits What a foolish man am I that will not see Gods wise providence and yeeld to it What a wretch that thinke all good things lost which fall besides my selfe What a foolish man that will make a crosse to my selfe where it need not bee nor indeed is And if any thinke if hee had not this prosperity it might befall mee and therefore at least I may grieve that he hath it to my dammage I answer That is but a very May-be for it will not follow that the Philistims would have growne very rich if Isaac had not gotten so much nor that Cain should have been accepted if Abel had not Yea verily those things that have moved God not to grant them so much prosperity as another would have caused him to withdraw it from them even though he had not given it to that other For God doth not forbeare to give to this person because he gave to that this kinde of abstaining to give is proper to men who want sufficient meanes to give to all but God can replenish all without leaving himselfe destitute but God with-holds his benefits from those that have them not because their sins provoke him or because hee would afflict or chastise them The faults of men keep good things from their possessions and they would not have been lesse faulty if another had been lesse prosperous Wherefore I say confesse this sin see it condemne it in your selves yeeld not to it Yea but I am sure that his getting hinders my gaines Answer First say that it doth wilt thou be vexed that another hinders thee Is not this to be vexed at Gods providence But secondly I answer thou canst not be sure of this for God could and if he purposed to crosse thee deny thee such benefits though this man were not Now I pray you hate and abhorre envy and learne to rejoyce with them that rejoyce rather then torment your selves at them and to bee thankfull to God for shewing favour to your neighbours rather then to fret in your selves Indeed if we see wicked men prosper wee must beware of over-grieving lest it make us fall to imitating But to grieve at the prosperity of an Isaac is to shew that one loveth not goodnesse as a reward of which the Lord vouchsafeth that prosperity Now secondly when they had entertained envy then they fall to injury They stopped his Wels and filled them with dust viz. The Wells his Father had dugge Loe a wickednesse to doe injury to another by hurting and hindering him though ones selfe can reape no benefit by it Indeed to doe a neighbour hurt in body or goods without just cause viz. punishing him for some fault by vertue of authority which God hath put into my hand is a great sinne and against the plaine Law that saith Doe as you would be done by and that Commandement Bee innocent as Doves but to hurt a man without any profit to himselfe this is an high degree of wickednesse and proceeds from nothing else but envy which is one of the worst kindes of malice To advantage my selfe by another mans losse is most unjust but to hinder another without any advantage to my selfe this is a farre more palpable and wilfull injustice O call to minde your owne wayes haue not you walked as crookedly as these men of the Philistime Nation Stopped up another mans Wels as it were that is put your selves to paines to doe him dammage to hinder him though you get nothing by it your selves This is a plaine proofe of a man stuffed with envy and with great wickednesse whereby he loves to doe evill even for the pleasure sake he taketh in doing not for any other fruit of it This is to be just like the devill that seeketh to keepe others out of heaven and to bring them to hell though it ease not his torments one whit because it a little satisfieth his stomack Repent repent exceedingly if you have been so devillish Another fault of the Philistims you meete with Gen. 26.19 20 21. Isaac digged a Well in the valley and found there a fountaine of living water that is such as did run with a full and constant streame And the Shepheards of Gerar contended for it with Isaacs Shepheards saying the water is ours Wherefore Isaac called the name of it Hezek or strife because they strove with him Then they digged another Well and they strove for that also and he called the name of it Sitnah which signifieth hatred or enmity because he saw that they contended with him now not for need of the water but out of meere hatred because they were enemies and adversaries to him and were grieved at his welfare The fault is you see contentiousnesse and strife growing out of hatred and ill will The nature of man is full of this vice as S. Paul Filled with envy murther debate Rom. 1.9 and Hatred variance emulation strife sedition are reckoned among the fruits of the flesh Gal. 5.19 S. Paul telleth the Corinths Left that when he commeth unto them he shall finde amongst them with other sinnes debates and strife This strife hath its originall in pride which easily breedeth envy and hatred and so contention and strife and S. Iames saith That those which have envying and strife among themselves this wisdome is not from above but is earthly sensuall and devillish and that where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evill worke He saith also That wars and fightings are
upon their consciences in that by their sinfulnesse they have even pulled misery upon themselves If you be well matched the comfort will be doubled when you shall perceive that it is a fruit of Gods goodnesse unto you in blessing your care of observing his commandements and directions and if a crosse come it will be far more easily borne when you have your parents and friends ready to comfort you and helpe you because you have followed their directions in bestowing your selves Thus you shall provide best for your own perpetuall welfare for that inordinate passion which is called love will soon be quenched like a fire of thornes and then it is not the fulfilling of irregular desires that will minister comfort unto you It is evident by experience that discord and dissention do quickly fall out betwixt them that followed passion rather then duty and discretion in placing themselves with a husband Now you shall be well able thus to perform your duty both to God and your Parents if you keep your selves owners of your own hearts and suffer not your unruly passions to make you slaves unto themselves and so to make your duty difficult and tedious He that keeps his feet and legs free from shackles and chains can easily go about any businesses that are needfull for him to do But whosoever will lade himself with irons and fetters shall finde it grievous to stir when it is requisite for him to go any whither Therefore shackle not you soules with the chaines of unruly affections that you may chearfully yeeld your selves to your parents disposall as both nature and religion do require at your hands Give not away your selves before hand commit not that vile Idolatry of making some one man a false god unto you and let not your hearts be inslaved to any one before your Parents have given you who have interest from God to dispose of you according to the rules of discretion for your own good For Parents looke to the constant good of their children in bestowing them but their own green heads do likely regard nothing else but the pleasing of their eye and fancies which likely doth end in misery and discontent And so you have seen Rebekkahs good carriage while she was a maiden living under the government of her Eather in his Family Now see how she carries her selfe afterwards 1. To God 2. To her husband 3. To her children 1. To God She joyned with her husband in prayer for children and therefore she had faith in God and trusted in him for issue not barely to the course of nature for it is said Gen. 25.21 Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife because shee was barren shee was present with her husband and joyned her owne supplications with his for the obtaining of fruitfulnesse by him A good woman ought to bee prayerfull and both to unite her devotions to her husband and also to call upon God by her selfe alone See therefore you wives that you be ready to shew piety in the same kinde pray to God with your husbands yea pray to him for your selves husbands and children and for all good things The blessings are doubled that are gotten not alone by naturall endeavours but by fervent prayers unto God for this is a proofe that they be granted by God in favour and so they become tokens of his love to men and by that meanes are much more comfortable then of their own nature they could be Those wives therefore are too blame that scarce are willing to pray themselves or to joyne with their husbands but by their backwardnesse interrupt their praying together a thing condemned by S. Peter when it is procured by discontents falling out betwixt and consequently also by any other meanes Mend this fault O ye wives and you that are husbands if the fault have been in you mend it and see that you joyne together calling upon God If you have children yet there be enough of other things for which you ought to visite the Throne of grace The graces of Gods Spirit are much more desirable then the fruit of our bodies and I am sure that our hearts are all barren of such fruit and cannot be made fruitfull but by Gods Spirit working in our hearts and prayer will cause him to make a barren heart fruitfull as well as a barren wombe but without prayer the heart will never bring forth true grace Naturall benefits children and the like doe fall into the laps of men and women though they doe not seeke them from God by this exercise of prayer but spirituall blessings cannot be obtained by any other meanes if this be not also joyned to the meanes to sanctifie them You have therefore cause enough to pray together as well as Isaac and Rebekkah even though you have not barren bodies yea and if you have children yet it is requisite to crave Gods favourable blessing upon them without which they may prove afterwards the greatest crosses you have instead of the greatest comforts see therefore that you be not slack in this service of God Again Rebekkahs duty is seen in that she went to God to enquire when she found a more then ordinary striving in her wombe wee must all learne of her to keep our peace with God and to be alwaies ready to seeke to him if any thing befall us that puts us to feare or trouble as you see the people of God have done at all times It becomes the children of God still to enquire of him and seeke to him in all occurrents Indeed it pleaseth him to send such occasions unto us that by them we may be drawne nearer unto him and visit him more often and more cheerefully They therefore that are strangers to God and run any whether rather then to him for help and direction when troubles doe come unto them are much too blame themselves for profanenesse They acknowledge God alone in word but deny him in deed that are thus estranged from him Mend this fault now and that you may with more assurance run to God when crosses and cumbers befall you be sure to pray without ceasing and to keep your hearts in with him by calling upon him at all times It is a most happy thing to have the Throne of grace alwaies open to ones prayers and it is kept open by continuance and daily exercising ones selfe in this service If any say how shall we enquire of God now seeing we are now destitute of extraordinary Prophets by whose meanes we may seek unto him I answer we have his Word wee have his Name we have his Ministers and faithfull people to go unto and by those we may as sufficiently seek unto him as by any extraordinary Prophets Wherefore as Rebekkah feeling that busling in her wombe said why am I thus And went to enquire of God Gen. 25.22 So must we in all occasions of disquietment either of body or of minde thinke with our selves why is it thus with me
and must come to prayer and crave direction and help of him We must run to his word and seek to informe our selves from thence what may be the cause of our present estate and consult with his faithfull servants that have a larger measure of knowledge then our selves that by their advice we may learne what is fit for us to doe and upon what ground it is that matters be so with us and God by these means will settle and quiet our mindes as surely and firmly as of old he accustomed to doe by meanes of his holy Prophets So you have Rebekkahs piety to God now see her carriage to her husband and we finde in the Story of her life testimonies of her being a dutifull wife unto him For first when she found him inclined to go against the will of God in giving away that solemne blessing which she inherited from his Father Abraham unto the Son to whom it was not due because God had preferred the younger before the elder she was carefull to prevent that sin and to procure the blessing unto Iacob to whom it was due and how Not by brawling and falling out with him but by a gentle and a quiet meanes I commend not the using of guile and falshood but in that she fell not to it by violence of speech but by a gentle and milde way in that I cannot but commend her Herein she did the part of a loving discreete and dutifull wife who reverenced her husband and desires to keep him from sin She came not chaffing to Isaac as once Sarah did to Abraham but by a gentle course she caused him to escape the fault before he could commit it and beyond his purpose So must you good wives carry your selves if your husbands be about to swerve out of the way and you perceive it you must endeavour by sweet and dutifull courses to prevent or recall them from sin not to use fierce passion brawling as sometimes women of a fierce spirit doe who many times are punished for their indiscreet frowardnesse by failing of their desires and making things worse rather then changing them for the better The same disposition to her husband she shewed in another passage too for that she might procure the sending of Iacob into Padan Aram she did not openly declare the matter to her husband but came and related the trouble she had with Esaus wives and told how bitter a thing it would prove unto her if she were as bad yoked with another wife that Iacob should bring and so won him to dispatch Iacob for a wife into Padan Aram. A woman should alwaies deale by loving meanes with her husband to get the good she would at his hands and not by violence and clamour You that would have the repute of good wives in your own hearts see that you follow Rebekkah prevaile by discreet wise and curteous courses not by strong hand and violence But these eager sharp and passionate women that will wrest the things the desire out of their husbands hands perhaps also inconvenient things by chiding and big and loud words as once I told you Sarah sought to do or else by puling and whining and charging their husbands not to love them else as the wife of Sampson did are to be blamed as undiscreet and disobedient wives and if they repent not of their folly and unrulinesse the Lord will one day call them to account for their misdemeanours Gentlenesse and dutifulnesse must adorn your conversation and your husbands must see your conversation coupled with feare to displease so shall you make your selve and husbands happy both at once and have a kinde of lawfull power with them over whom you have not any authority But now of Rebekkahs carriage to her Sons she was in the right she loved the good son whom God loved most Iacob was a plain man but a good man beloved of God therefore she did love him too and herein she did much excell her husband Isaac and was more to be commended and did better please God Indeed herein she shewed her obedience to God as well as her affection to Iacob whom she desired to have attain the blessing because she knew that God had appointed it unto him It is a necessary thing that men should submit themselves unto God in every thing and become furtherers the best they can of fulfilling his good pleasure when once he hath vouchsafed to manifest it unto them O let us learn to submit our wills thus to Gods will and to make it our care to have those things done by our selves and others which he would have done And learne Parents and all men of Rebekkah to love them best in whom the Lord hath printed his Image most clearely and abundantly Let godlinesse be the loadstone of our affections rather then any other thing yea let us all learn of her too to strive to procure a blessing upon our children though not by such a course as she took for herein she was manifestly blame worthy yet by all good and honest courses that we can even by our prayers for them and good instructions to them and the like You have heard Rebekkahs goodnesse so much as I remember that the Scriptures have left upon record saving it is noted of her that she made savoury meate for her husband such as he loved she could not have done it so well then if she had not taken notice of it and done it often before So it is the part of a good woman to cherish her husband in his diet so far as her meanes and ability will permit and having informed himself what is pleasing to him accordingly to provide it for him So shall she shew good will to her husband which alwaies makes one carefull to please and gratifie the party beloved Here is a patterne for you to live after all you good women seek to give your husbands due content in their food prepare things acceptable to them as you be able especially if they be weak blinde or otherwise afflicted that your kinde usage this way may even countervaile the want of other benefits and cause their lives to be as comfortable to them as in such crosses they may be but without doubt she is a bad and unloving wife who neglecteth to give her husband satisfaction in this point who sets him short and cares not to fit him with pleasing food if they be not destitute of meanes yea who feeds her self deliciously in his absence and must have some choice provision for her self when she pleaseth that shall be hidden from his eye and withdrawne from his mouth A great fault it is in a wife to forget that her husband and she do make but one body and to divide him from her in eating and drinking to whom she is so nearly linked in other society Be no more offenders in this kinde if you have been such but now be good nurses to your husbands and let them at least